Chapter 147: A genuinely serious discussion.

The sound of chirping drowned out the dripping of ice-cream as it fell onto the floor. I didn't move. Amanda had placed the dessert upside down onto my head, and then squashed the ice cream into my hair.

“I-I am so sorry.” Amanda’s eyes were wide. “I'll grab a towel. Or some napkins.”

“I'll go with you.” Roxxy appeared beside her.

They rushed off to the other end of the room, leaving me standing. Agni chirped lightly, breaking me out of my stupor.

I blinked in surprise and sat down. William and Gerial gazed at me, half confused and half curious.

“Dude, what'd you do?” William spoke first.

"I have no idea." I answered sincerely.

Memories of the day flashed through my mind as I tried to think of something I did to make her upset.

Nothing stood out.

Was it because I'd teased her about the roller coasters? She'd made just as much fun of me and it was all lighthearted.

"You must've done something.” Gerial gestured with his hand. "Let me get some of that for you.”

I felt the air around me coalesce across my head, lifting my hair and sifting through the ice cream.

The cup was brought gently onto the table, resting between Gold and the bird regent. They'd both stopped to look at me, and Agni hopped from my shoulder onto the surface of the table.

Gerial’s air manipulation sorted through the rest of the ice cream, lifting large chunks of it off of my head and placing it into the cup.

"I seriously can't think of anything." I frowned.

The ice cream didn't matter that much to me. I was a lot more worried that I had done something to upset Amanda.

A head of blonde hair swept over my vision as Roxxy appeared, napkins in her hand.

Amanda was behind her. She clasped her hands together and looked at the ground. She had a faint red tinge on her cheeks and her hair was aflame with embarrassment.

"Let me get this for you or you'll get ants.” Roxxy jabbed the napkin into my hair. “Don't struggle, it'll only drive the ice-cream deeper.”

Waves of water gushed from her inventory and onto my hair. It felt strange.

A cup appeared in front of me. Vanilla ice-cream. Amanda had gotten a replacement dessert, her hand pushing it toward me.

I wanted to ask her what I’d done, but it felt too public. I'd ask her when the moment wasn't so fresh in our minds.

The conversation went quickly, and the evening turned into night. Amanda and I quickly got back into our normal routine, which confused me even more.

She didn't seem the least bit upset.

The ice cream was delicious, and I had a fun time examining the moving tree.

It was a regent, but I wasn't sure if my family had made it like it had made the birds.

Gesti Sky was huge, and I wasn't under the illusion that my family was the only scriber household under their employ. The floating islands alone had to be years of work done by dozens or more scribers.

They would have to be skilled so that nothing went wrong.

Nobody wanted an island falling out of orbit and crashing into the surface below. It would be terrible for business.

"That's the most delicious bird I've ever eaten.” Roxxy pushed her chair back and sighed contentedly.

Gold and Agni squawked in protest at her wording, and she giggled.

“Don't worry, don't worry. I'm joking.” She waved at them.

I stared at my empty cup. The ice cream was delicious.

I'd almost stopped thinking about the incident earlier, but it was still stuck at the forefront of my mind. The only thing that had wedged it off was my concern about the claim.

Gerial had already agreed to talk once we were in the hotel, and after thinking about it I was sure that I wanted to tell William as well.

It was the wisest decision.

"Should we head back now?” Gerial asked.

We nodded, bringing out our hotel key cards. They doubled as a communication device to contact the hotel for teleportation.

Agni jumped onto Amanda's hair, and Gold onto my shoulder.

We didn't want to leave them behind by accident.

Neither of them had managed to make any friends with the birds. Both parties had been curious about one another, but they were fundamentally different.

They couldn't even understand each other's chirps.

I tapped my key card and requested a teleportation by sending mana into it.

The next moment I was standing on a carpet, the chair no longer underneath me. There was only a hotel corridor and my friends around me.

"Woah, that's trippy.” Roxxy grimaced.

She placed a hand against the nearby wall to steady herself.

We were outside of our rooms. This teleport didn't affect the group as much as the last one, especially because they were prepared for it.

"I'm going to take a shower." I gestured at my room with my thumb.

I still had ice cream in my hair, despite Roxxy’s best efforts. Gerial glanced at me and I nodded at him.

"What was that?” Roxxy appeared in front of me.

Her lips curled into a smile and her eyes held a mischievous glint.

“What was what?” I asked.

“You nodded at Gerial.” She pressed a finger against her lip pensively. “A super secret nod.”

Roxxy glanced at me, then Gerial. She stood back and brought Amanda into a half hug, Agni chirping in surprise.

"If they can have a guy talk then we can have a girl talk.” Roxxy poked her tongue out at us. “Don't come crying to us when you're bored.”

With those words she disappeared into Amanda's room, dragging the surprised fire magician with her.

William raised an eyebrow at me.

"Why wasn't I invited to guy talk?” He crossed his arms.

Gerial chuckled and I pressed my hand against my forehead in exasperation.

"There is no guy talk.” I spoke. “But we are going to discuss something important.”

I left the details vague just in case Roxxy and Amanda were listening. I didn't mind Amanda overhearing about the claim, but she'd already been through enough this week.

Roxxy didn't even know I was Marked.

“I'm in. How long?” William unfurled his arms.

I gave my head a pat and felt some of the hairs sticking together.

“Ten minutes.” I saw Gerial smirk. “The discussion will probably take a while.”

“I'll change into my pajamas.” William nodded.

“Are they solid gold?” I asked.

“Only if by solid you mean liquid.” William’s expression betrayed no emotions.

I couldn't tell if he was joking or not.

Eleven minutes later I walked out into my room and saw Gerial sitting comfortably on the sofa. Gold had let him in.

The puffer preened with confidence at his amazing feat.

Gerial had changed into pajamas.

He leaned forward as I approached, his hands folded over one another and his expression serious. William wasn't in my room, but I wondered what kind of over-the-top pajamas he’d brought.

“The claim.” Gerial pursed his lips.

His words brought me back to reality.

I didn't want to touch the claim sphere, or think about it, for fear of activating it somehow. If I could lock it away on my person forever, then that would be the best outcome.

Gold hopped onto the armrest of a sofa chair, and I sat down in it, facing my friend.

"Shouldn't we wait for William?” I spoke.

"I asked him to give us a few minutes alone.” Gerial shook his head.

A ripple of surprise crossed through my heart. William had the [Wisdom] skill helping him, it was foolish to exclude him from any part of the conversation.

Gerial scratched his neck nervously, his words were stuck at the tip of his tongue.

"What’s up?" I asked. “You don't have to hold back with me.”

It wasn't like him to fumble.

"I’m trying to figure out how to act like a proper big brother, because this is going to get serious.” Gerial looked at me. “We have a job to do. And for the first time in history a Marked one can teach another Marked One of the same divine how to cope with their responsibilities.”

"I thought we were talking about the claim.” My brows furrowed together. “Our status is a completely different thing.”

“That's where you're wrong.” Gerial rebutted me, his expression gentle. “I mean- that was a bit too blunt. I'm not really good at teaching.”

I chuckled.

"No matter what you say, I'll listen." I sat back in my chair. “You're the senior Marked one. I need your lessons, and I want them.”

Gerial breathed a sigh of relief. His posture eased as tension drained from his shoulders.

“You’re a Marked one. Any action taken involving you has severe consequences. Whether or not you initiate the action doesn't matter.” Gerial gestured, his hand waving over my body. “This is one of the burdens we all share solely because we exist.”

A sense of pressure fell over my heart. A weight that hadn't been there before.

Gerial hadn't rushed my church tests or encouraged me to go out of my way to declare myself Marked before the church did. He had always been open about the reason.

He felt that I needed a chance to live a normal life.

I’d never sat down with him to discuss our duties before.

"Before we go on." I lowered my head. "I might have gone a little off plan.”

Gerial’s expression shifted.

“Tell me.” He said.

I described my encounter with the two Bobs. I’d made sure to memorise the encounter as much as possible, and I relayed every detail to them. His appearance, his explanation and the card he'd given me.

Bob had been nothing but kind to me, and I made sure to let Gerial know that. I didn't want emotions and suspicions overtaking facts and logic.

This matter was too sensitive for me to chase shadows.

When I was done Gerial sat back, thinking. I could tell he was troubled by something, but not to the point of panic.

“Everything he told you is correct.” Gerial spoke first. “In fact, I was going to say the same things he told you. To an extent.”

That was a relief.

I had no reason to be suspicious of Bob’s intentions, and his information was solid.

"This card is also valid." Gerial examined the card Bob had given me. "Our church members hand them out too. It's a common practice for first establishing relations.”

I nodded. The card was a texting regent, but with limited uses. It was more convenient than allowing someone to obtain your symbol and be able to text you forever.

"There is one thing that troubles me." He handed the card back to me. "There is no Gesti family member named Bob. Nor will there ever be. It's not a very original name, or dramatic.”

I didn't know if his last comment was an insult or a genuine concern that nobles had about their children's names.

“The Gesti keep many secrets, just as all households do, but their family members are not one of them.” Gerial added. “But I can't think of anyone that matches your description.”

"There are no Gesti family members with silver hair?” I leaned forward.

That was good news.

"Oh, no." Gerial held his hand up to stop me. “They all have silver hair and silver eyes. Well, the ones that have awakened their bloodline at least.”

I looked at him in confusion.

If they all had silver hair, then how could he be sure that Bob wasn’t a Gesti?

Gerial saw my expression and chuckled.

"I’ve met and memorised every member of the four immortal households. All Marked ones have.” He propped his chin on his palm. “None match his body types. And awakened Gesti are not hidden. They're shown proudly to the world. You also said he had a toddler, but the youngest Gesti is twelve years old.”

We discussed some obvious possibilities.

Maybe it was a Gesti household member that had changed his appearance. Or they were a stranger imitating a Gesti. They could also have been a worker at Gesti sky that was unrelated to the household itself.

Each theory had holes in it, but one thing stood out the most.

“A claim is a huge deal.” Gerial repeated what Bob had said. “Even if the Gesti don’t know you personally, they would know a claim has been issued against you. They would also know your name.”

I hadn't hidden my name from Bob and memorising important information wasn't difficult.

"Why didn't he know who I was?” I asked.

“With only the facts given, the simplest explanation is that he is uninvolved entirely.” Gerial continued. “He gave you factual information and was open and honest with you.”

Gerial had taken charge of the conversation smoothly, and I got the feeling that it hadn't been his first time. Despite his laid-back attitude, he was still an experienced member of the church and a Marked one.

Dealing with large organisations and intense pressure was his daily life.

I stretched my hands into the air and took a deep breath.

No matter how I looked at the situation, Bob was completely unrelated. He had truly been a stranger that gave me a helping hand when I needed it.

That brought a smile to my face.

“We should move onto the main concern, and the reason I wanted this to be a private conversation.” Gerial’s expression darkened. “Opening that claim is not an option.”

“Of course not. I'm not going to be a slave to some family I've never met.” I rejected the thought vehemently.

The Gesti that had sent the claim had viewed me as an object at best, and an enemy at worst.

There was never a scenario in which I accepted the claim.

“You won't be. I won't allow it.” Gerial straightened. “But I'm thinking of this from a different angle. How much do you know about how the churches operate?”

I paused.

I learnt quite a bit about the churches in my history class. They were ingrained deeply in the society of this world.

Seven divines, six churches.

Millions of followers. There wasn't a single person I knew that admitted to believing the divines weren't real. Even the people that didn't believe in the Marked one’s divinity believed the divines existed.

There was a reason the church of the Crijik wanted to spend so much time making sure I was a genuine Marked one.

The announcement would shock the world.

“The six churches stay separate in almost all matters." I recalled my history lessons. “Unless something serious occurs, like the descent of a new divine or the search for a new Marked one.”

The six churches didn't work together often, but when they did the world moved with them. The creation and spreading of the class unlocking methods was one of the few times they’d worked together.

"Good.” Gerial responded.

A faint smile crossed over his lips, then disappeared. His knuckles whitened as his fingers gripped the hand rest of the sofa.

"The only other time they collaborate is when the statuses of the churches are threatened.” Gerial’s voice was calm. “Usually, that only happens when a war occurs. Or religious persecution.”

I shuddered. I couldn't imagine how war fought with magic added into the mix.

Even some of the students I knew were living missiles.

"Does claiming a Marked one count as threatening the church’s status?” I asked.

I already knew the answer. His expression confirmed it for me.

“The Gesti family is powerful and has armies beyond their household members.” Gerial’s knuckles whitened. “You aren’t Andross Silver to the churches. You’re a living divine. The Gesti have claimed you, and in doing so they've declared themselves above the divines.”

Oh.

That was bad.

I sat back and took his words in. The Gesti family was large, if not in number then in influence. They were almost a country in their own right.

“How would the churches respond to that?”

“It would mean war.” Gerial responded immediately. “The status of a Marked one isn’t to be taken lightly.”

I digested his response slowly.

It sounded extreme, but it also didn't surprise me.

Not everyone believed that the Marked ones were living divines, but it didn't matter. Marked ones were symbols. They proved that the divines existed.

They were also the highest authorities of their churches, equalled only by the clergy as a whole.

I’d been told before that my every action was seen as an example of how to live. In the eyes of some, every word I spoke was law.

"Can the Gesti win that fight?” I turned to Gerial.

I didn't know how the church compared to an immortal household.

"The Gesti would be wiped out of existence before the week is over.” Gerial responded without hesitation. “The army. Their families. The guilty. The innocent.”

When he finished speaking a hush fell over the room.

I didn't know how to respond to that. I hadn't even considered how my status might affect other people. What seemed like a tiny decision before, had suddenly expanded before my eyes.

Directly, my decision would affect the lives of tens of thousands of people.

Indirectly, the world would shift.

The Gesti had their hands in businesses everywhere. That was the card they were leveraging against me, and it was also the reason that their destruction would bring drastic changes.

“I didn't want to break you into our world this way. I wanted time to ease you into it.” Gerial broke the silence. “As much as I'd like to keep this whole thing about you, I can't in good conscience let you think that you're the only reason that claim can't be opened.”

"Whoever sent this to me didn't know about that." The words flew out before I could think.

“It doesn't matter. Neither does the fact that your status hasn't been confirmed yet.” He responded. “We are Marked. That is all there is to it.”

Gerial had always emphasised the pressure that status brought.

For the first time I was starting to understand it.

I took a deep breath and thought over my options. The Gesti, the claim, and what I could do. My mind worked overtime.

Gerial let me think. He didn't rush me or push me.

"Okay." I rubbed my eyes. "Accepting the claim was never an option in the first place. Is there a solution that makes everyone happy?”

The claim hadn't been an issue until today. After all, I hadn't even known existed.

“You already know the answer to that.” Gerial spoke.

I sat back and pondered over his words.

He was right.

“I have to do nothing.” I spoke.

Bob had already explained how rejecting the claim would go. I would only make my situation worse.

Once I was declared a Marked one then the Gesti household would be happy to forget the claim existed. Even personal grudges would be put on hold for fear of retaliation.

The Gesti would continue to lean on my family and pressure them into not accepting myself or my dad, but that would only last another year until I was declared a Marked one.

That minor suffering was a necessary sacrifice.

Gerial clapped his hands together, breaking me out of my thoughts.

"This is a holiday, not a cemetery." His tone picked up. "We should get William in here and talk about fun stuff.”

His words touched my heart and I smiled.

“I can do that.” My head perked up. “Give me a minute to meditate and calm down.”

Gerial went to get William as I closed my eyes and took a deep breath.

My heart was a whirlpool of emotions.

The claim was one thing, but Gerial’s splash of reality had also woken me up. Being a Marked one didn't impact just my life.

I shook my head.

My emotions calmed, and I accepted them one by one. When I was done I opened my eyes and saw William and Gerial sitting in my room, feeding Gold a treat.

"Hey guys." I smiled cheerfully.

William propped his chin up with his hand and gave me a curious look.

“I went over the whole day in my head.” He spoke. “And I completely missed what you did to make Amanda angry.”

“Me too!” Gerial added.

Good chirped in agreement.

I groaned. The ice-cream incident had left my head entirely. I’d wracked my brain during dessert trying to think of why Amanda had dumped the ice-cream onto my head.

I'd come up with nothing.

"I don't know what I did either. Clearly it was something bad, or—”

“HOLY FUE!”

Roxxy's panicked voice ripped through the room. Our heads shot up and William stood up, a blue sword appearing in his hand.

Then a wave of heat washed over us.

“SOMEONE HELP, AMANDA’S GONE CRAZY!”