The guards weren't exactly happy to be in the middle of a ball filled with the highest members of the country. They were already trying to not piss their pants from the pressure, now someone called them to the spotlight?
Many of the conversations started to die down as they noticed the escorts walking through the ball. Sparked with curiosity, everyone started to stare at them.
"My apologies sir, but my commander asked me to escort this person to Saint Micheal. I-"
"Oh, he can go there, I don't mind, but I'll need him back after that."
The guards looked at each other, not exactly sure what to say or do. The guest was a Rank 3, and the person they were escorting was Rank 4. They had to respect both parties and needed to stay elegant in front of all the high Ranking mages in the room while following the orders of their leader.
Both were cursing their commander for choosing them. One opened his mouth but couldn't form any words. Lucas grinned slightly at the man who approached him and went along with it. "It's fine. I have to meet Saint Micheal first, then I'll come back, master."
The room suddenly got a lot of murmurs added as they gossiped about Lucas being subservient to a lesser Ranked mage. It was a disgrace, and the perfect fuel to get the bored guests excited again.
"Take me to the Saint, men," Lucas spoke and up the guards were more than willing to drag him out. Lucas released a sigh of relief knowing he had backup plan ready.
Being brought to a different hallway, they walked for quite some time until they reached a separate chamber, plenty of checks were done on the cuffs to make sure that Lucas wouldn't hurt the Saint. Entering the room, Micheal was reading a book that had a bland gray cover. Plenty of books were available on the shelves around him, yet he chose the one with the least interesting cover.
He had no desk to speak off, just a basic chair, and a neat carpet underneath. Were it not for the window behind him, he would be drenched in the dark.
Seeing who entered the room, Micheal let out a soft smile. "You look a bit better, and also a bit worse than before, my son," standing up from his chair, he walked over to Lucas and hugged him.
The guards almost panicked as they wouldn't be able to do anything if Lucas spread his aura, but they breathed a sigh of relief seeing their prisoner didn't show any intention of acting.
"Good Saint, sir, this man claims that he was in Sabaoth due to a mission he received from you. Our commander asked us to verify his claim with you," the guards looked at Micheal expectantly, not willing to believe he would ever prove their prisoner's words.
Micheal's gentle and approachable demeanor relaxed the guards slightly. "I did not send this poor one to Sabaoth," but even if he was Lucas' friend, he wouldn't lie for no reason.
The men on Lucas' sides nodded to themselves, it was the only logical conclusion. Grabbing his arms, they knew what to do.
"I see, then we will place him in prison," right as they were about to turn around, Micheal interrupted them.
"Oh, but please don't do that. I forgive him of his sins and allow his entrance in Aurora."
The guards almost tripped over themselves as they couldn't believe their ears. The Saint was willing to overlook the lapses of a Rank 4 mage that came from Sabaoth? No matter how one looked at it, the human had to have been a traitor, one that fraternized with the Demons to live for so long among them. The question that raged through their minds now, was; what were they supposed to do now? While they needed a moment to figure it out, Lucas and Micheal caught up.
"I lost a dear friend, Micheal."
"I see. That's why you looked so off. You're not someone who let people get close, so this person must've been very important to you. I assume this friend was a demon, one we killed during the invasion?"
The guards in the room raised their wands and weapons towards Lucas in an instant. But Lucas didn't even care in the slightest for their attacks would pose not a single threat. He nodded in response, "I need to go to the World Tree to visit the Goddess who rules over there to resurrect him."
"Hoho, it looks like your life hasn't gotten any smoother since we met. To think you would do so much for a single person."
"He sacrificed himself to save me. It's the least I can do."
Micheal stared at the determination radiating from Lucus' eyes and approved of it before moving to a nearby bookcase. The guards didn't know whether to apprehend Lucas or not since the Saint didn't say anything. Rubbing his fingers over the covers, Micheal picked out a green book that was embroided in gold.
Bringing it over to his guest, Micheal gave him a light smile, "You gave me the courage to stand up to question own Goddess, an act I'm grateful for. Besides that, you're one of the only people that has always stated your own truth. Even if you do dare to twist the details a bit," Lucas didn't know how to feel being so called out, but taking the book from Micheal, he didn't understand the language that was written on it.
"For your truth, it is only fair for me to stay true as well. Lucas, even if you manage to revive your friend. He will be revived as a normal human being without a core. At worst, he will return in the form of an old man, at best, a young child. You would simply be forced to say goodbye once more after his lifespan runs out."
Lucas stood frozen in place, not a sound escaped his lips as Micheal placed his palm on the book. "This was written by the Goddess of Nature, in her own language. You can translate it later if you want to be certain of my words," Micheal knew Lucas enough to know his own words wouldn't be taken at face value. But the sudden return of his own book surprised the Saint.
"I know you don't lie. You never do. I don't need to verify your words, I need to verify this Goddess' words."
Micheal started to laugh out loud, hugging Lucas in response. "Yes, my son! Indeed! We as loyal followers or skeptic mages should always be critical of someone's statements, no matter their status."
Lucas couldn't help but smile at his affectionate behavior, "To be perfectly honest, I thought you would be killed by her for acting so rudely."
Waving the thought away, Micheal explained, "No, no, of course not. I have full belief in my Goddess, but we have differing opinions on certain topics."
The guards almost jumped in the air from shock, but Lucas' grin only grew deeper.
'To think that blind dude would be willing to see mistakes in his own Goddess.'
'He's a wise man, that's all.'
Seeing how well things were going, Lucas wanted to strain his relationship a bit further, but Micheal was ahead of him.
"If you're going to ask for me to set you free, I'm afraid I don't have the power at this point in time. You see, for a Saint to be secluded from a banquet is but a light punishment for disobeying the Goddess. I have been on house arrest for some time, and will continue to be for a few more years."
Lucas wouldn't see it as a light punishment, but considering her powers, being unable to leave a heavily secured fortress wasn't exactly all that bad.
'Looks like the back up will have to come into play.'
'Dammit, I don't like seeing you humiliate yourself.'
'It's the best way to show obedience.'
'It only reveals weakness.'
Nodding, Lucas thanked Micheal before asking the guards, "Can I be brought back to my master?"
The guards looked at each other with a perplexed look, not believing that a Rank 3 mage could possibly rule over a Rank 4, but Micheal was once again a true Saint. "He is speaking the truth, let him meet his master. Lucas, I have faith we will meet again in the future. I wish you the best of luck on your path."
"I hope you find what you're looking for as well," with those words Lucas left the room. Micheal's soft smile and aura perplexed Lucas at times, but now he was glad to know such a person. Still, Lucas felt degraded having someone be his master and for it to ring true as well, but knew not to show any negative emotions. Being dragged back to the banquet, Lucas tried to steel his nerves as much as he could, not daring to use any magic for they would easily discover it.
Entering the bustling banquet once more, Lucas noticed the beautiful song they played, something he missed earlier due to the obvious. The song felt relaxing and pleasing, as if the music was magic.
Trying his hardest to focus on the smell of the salted meat and the music, he hoped it would lessen the piercing eyes of the higher Ranked monsters standing around the room pretending to be human.
"I see you've made it all the way back," a man walked up to them. The air around him screamed self importance and a grand standing. He was surrounded by plenty of mages of similar or lower Rank, looking on with interest.
"Yes, Master Robert, I returned from my visit to Sabaoth," Lucas was prepared to take a knee, but with his hands cuffed it would've looked too clumsily, so he chose for a deep bow instead.
The nobles around Robert started to speak up, asking random questions and the like, insulting Lucas for coming from such a place and many more. But Robert held a light smile on his face as he stared at Lucas.
It had been such a long time for either of them to meet, but they both had a lot of success on the Path it seemed. Robert had reached Rank 3 on his own, and while Lucas was a step ahead, he was plunged into plenty of life-threatening situations that boosted his progress.
One of the guards wanted to ask a question, but didn't want to disturb the many nobles in front of them, retreating into silence. Luckily, there were plenty of curious mages around to question the situation.
"This man is my servant, he is bound to me by a blood contract. Any command I make, he will follow without question, for that is our bond," Robert spoke with grand gestures and an eloquent and charismatic voice, a great change compared to what Lucas remembered of the boy, but then again, plenty of years had gone by.
One of the nobles spoke aloud, "So you can command him to kill himself?"
"Of course! But doing so would make me lose a precious resource, I can't have that," the grin on Robert's face made many of the nobles laugh or snicker as they stared at Lucas like he was a plaything.
"He should be grateful, it's not often a noble like us would willingly take a commoner as a personal servant. He has the face of a street rat, and his etiquette is terrible, whoever raised him had to have been some slum goer. Sir Robert, so generous for giving him a way out of his rotten streets," a woman commented.
Robert saw an opportunity and didn't hold back, "Yes, well, as far as looks go, it's strange because I seem to remember his mother was quite the beauty, you know? She served a church in a small village, I believe."
"Oh," the woman clapped her hands together, "I know of that sort, the one that sells her body to keep the church running right? I've seen plenty of so-called loyal nuns in churches. But seeing his behavior and stench, it's clear she was a whore, huh?"
"Perhaps that was the case," Robert put on a large grin, only enticing the woman to not hold back, as the laughter and mocking from the other nobles only raised their moods.
Lucas simply stayed quiet as he tried to force his muscles to be relaxed, not showing any sign of anger or disobedience.
'Back here again.'
'I'm gonna fucking rip her head off if she says another word.'
'Please, just hold it, not here.'
'All of these noble asses, I'll tear them all to shreds!'
Focusing on containing his bloodlust and anger, Lucas almost popped a vessel in his forehead, only avoided due to him clenching his hands hard, were it not for his enhanced body, blood would've been dripping down from his fingers.
"Yes, he was a gift from my father, at least one thing he knew how to do right," Robert's underlying tone was dark, but the nobles laughed nonetheless, uncaring about his past or attitude towards his own family.
"Dear guards, can you release my good servant for me?", the guards already felt like the world was turning upside down. To receive such a request, they didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
"I..I'm sorry good sir, but our captain will decide what to do with him. Since he came from Sabaoth, he is considered to be conspiring with the demons and...", he wanted to mention that while he got a pardon from the Saint, he was technically on house arrest and didn't have the authority to relieve him of his sins. So he should be locked up in jail, but couldn't bring the words out.
"I see, then you probably will be relieved to hear that I send him to Sabaoth with the goal of helping your Angels. As you know, only registered members of the army were allowed to join the expedition, but I sent him ahead to help out," Robert spoke so eloquently and friendly that the guards started to feel they could perhaps reason with him.
To Lucas though, he was on one hand impressed by the quick wit shown by his supposed master, but on the other, he was disgusted. His angers was already growing, close to boiling.
'To them it was just an expedition?'
'These fucks need to be put in their place!'
'An entire world ravaged by war, a genocide on the scale of a world, reduced to just another mission?'
One of the escort looked at Robert, "I..I can't make this decision without the approval of my superior, good sir. Even if we were to believe you, without proof... we can't just-"
"Proof? This man is under my will. Lucas, you shall speak truthfully to me. What is your full name?"
"Lucas, Master."
"Are you bound to me by a blood contract?"
"Yes."
The guards looked at the conversation, but simply couldn't treat it as truth since there wasn't a way to prove their relationship. Simple questions with simple answers, easy to play along with. Unless of course, Robert went out of his way to prove exactly that.
"Then tell me what you would like to do to this woman right here?", grabbing the woman who insulted him not long ago, she smiled playfully towards Robert.
"I'd like to tear out her organs and feet it to her. I'd like to break her bones and snap her tendons, gouge her eyes out and burn her face."
The nobles almost backed up, the guards stared at the man without moving an inch. Some of the higher Ranked mages snickered from above, entertained by the lower masses.
Robert kept his smile straight, "I see, then, miss Angoria, it seems my servant is quite angry with you. Is there anything he can do to make you forgive him?"
The woman slightly covered the bottom half of her face. Seeing the sleazy smile on Robert's face, she felt inclined to go along with him. "Hmm, well, maybe if he got on his knees and kissed my feet."
Nodding along with her words, Robert looked towards Lucas with a wide grin, "Lucas, do what she asked for."
Without question, Lucas got on his knees and started to kiss her feet. She was only a Rank 2 mage, but the power and satisfaction of seeing someone so much more powerful at her feet, groveling. Taking her glass of wine, she slowly poured it over him, letting it drip onto his head and clothes.
The guards looked at the scene with scared faces. For if the man ever dared to push out his aura, none here would live for long. There were plenty of powerful mages present, but even so, before they could react, they would be gone. "Miss, I think that will be enough."
As one of the escorts took a step forward, he suddenly froze in place as a large presence loomed over him from behind. "Indeed," a low voice reached them as they all fell in silence.
There were many mages, some of extremely high Ranks, in the ballroom. Many were not to be offended or angered. There were some who could destroy entire countries with ease.
The one who stepped up was the one not a single mage would dare face. Every single person in the ballroom got quiet. Even the orchestra playing music suddenly died down as his voice rang over everything.
Lucas was on the floor, but felt his entire body stuck in place again, only an order from Robert would be able to make him move.
"You reek of Darkness," the low accusatory tone he spoke with made everyone swallow their spit. Even Robert, who was acting all proud before had to muster up all his courage to keep his face straight.