The oppressive atmosphere in the Cathedral didn't dissipate. As Cardinal Martin stepped closer, the very air seemed to vibrate with a thousand overlapping murmurs—voices that weren't there, yet felt like they were crawling behind Solace's eyes.
Martin wasn't a man who broke bones; he was a man who broke lives by curating the truth. In the novel, he was the Church's primary architect of public perception, the one who turned saints into monsters and heretics into martyrs with a single well-placed rumor.
Martin stopped a few paces away, his unsettlingly bright smile fixed on Nicole. His eyes flickered toward Solace, narrowing as he tried to pierce the veil. Thanks to the Tier 3 artifact earrings, Solace's features were a shimmering, distorted mess to anyone looking.
"And what," Martin's voice sang out, smooth as polished marble, "is the illustrious Principal of the Academy doing in our humble center of worship? I didn't take the principal for the pious type."
He leaned slightly to the side, trying to get a better angle on the "student" beside her. "And with a companion, no less. Though, looking at him... I suspect you're hiding something quite precious."
The crowd of devotees, previously a mindless mechanical march, had slowed. They began to cluster near the exits, their eyes vacant but their presence forming a living wall. It was a silent threat.
Nicole didn't stand up. She stayed reclined in the wooden pew, looking for all the world like she was bored at a mediocre theater performance.
"Why can't I come to pray?" she asked, her voice carrying that sharp, arrogant edge that made the Cardinal's smile twitch. She traced a slow, mocking circle over her chest—the symbol of the Loom. "After all, it is also my Fate. And I am, as you know, its most devout believer."
Solace remained perfectly still, his breath shallow. He watched Martin's fingers flex. He knew from the novel that Martin was the gatekeeper of the Church's external affairs. He was the reason the public still viewed the Sanguivar clan as holy despite the rot within. To kill him here would be easy for Nicole, but the social fallout would be a nuclear winter. His powers were those of controlling opinions, and especially strong opinions on something or someone. It was not like the church hadn't been caught by the public before. But due to Martin, these uncovered truths soon began to be buried under falsified opinions and rumors.
Martin's laugh was soft, like dry leaves skittering on stone. "Of course. Fate. Though I'm sure you don't want to cause a scene. The public is so... sensitive to the temper of the powerful these days."
"Actually," Nicole continued, ignoring his posturing, "I was curious to meet the Pope himself. I have questions that only a man of his... stature... can answer. But alas, he is nowhere to be found. Is he hiding?"
Martin's smile didn't fade, but the pressure Nicole was exerting suddenly intensified, pinning the Cardinal's shadow to the floor. He was hiding something. The mention of the Pope's absence had struck a nerve.
Martin quickly recovered, his tone turning oily. "There is no need to disturb the Great Pope for your whims. I am more than enough to handle your... inconveniences."
"What a disappointment," Nicole sighed, finally rising from the pew. She didn't look back at him. She simply gestured for Solace to follow. "You were always a better mouthpiece than a leader, Martin. Don't choke on your own rumors."
She walked past him, her shoulder nearly brushing his. Solace followed, feeling the weight of a thousand possessed eyes on his back. As they exited through the grand archways, the "Whispers" vanished, replaced by the natural roar of Theron City.
Inside, Martin stood alone amidst his puppets. His smile was gone now, replaced by a cold, calculating fury.
"How expansive is that bitch's network?" he hissed under his breath, his fingers trembling. "How does she even know he's gone?"
Outside, the obsidian car was waiting. Hilda stood by the door, her expression unreadable, though she gave Solace a brief, sharp nod as they approached. The tension of the Cathedral began to bleed away, replaced by the humming engine of the car.
As they pulled away from the glass spires of the Shattered Sun, Solace leaned back, his mind racing.
"Is the Pope doing something different this time?" Solace asked quietly.
Nicole stared out the window at the passing city. "Yes. Coming here today... Meeting you was an improvisation, but the target was always the Church. You remember I said I'd be focusing my influence on Aurica and Theon?"
Solace nodded.
"As it turns out, the Pope has already moved to Aurica, according to my sources," she said, a dangerous glint in her eyes. "He's vanished from the capital entirely. I just came here to test the waters—to see how much Martin was trying to cover up."
Solace felt a cold sweat prickle his neck. Why would the pope suddenly move to Aurica? Aurica was a large continent overrun by Beasts. The only advantage Aurica had was the vast coastline along the Itou Sea. The Itou Sea was important for the three kingdoms of Amasisa. Apart from Hera, which shared a border with every Kingdom, the others relied on sea routes to trade. And the most efficient sea route was through the Itou Sea. It connected Theon with Kirola and Nuan. But it was also a gamble because most beasts that dwell in these seas are far greater dangers than anything on land.
Moving on, Aurica also had the fifth seal of Netharis.
Wait. Does that mean the New Year's raid is relatively safe? Will they be more complacent now that Nicole is pressuring the church and focusing on Aurica?
"Principal," Solace began, choosing his words with surgical precision. "I have something to ask your opinion on. I... we... were planning to do something risky in Theron City at the end of the month. Something that involves the Church directly. But after hearing you talk ... I'm wondering if the risk has become a suicide mission."
He paused, looking at his hands. "But it involves something precious. I can't just abandon it."
Nicole turned her head, her silver eyes scanning his distorted face as if she could see the "Solace" beneath the artifact.
"It is risky for you to breathe in Theron City, let alone play hero at the end of the month," she said bluntly. "That's why I offered you a different path. But..."
She reached out, flicking the earring dangling from his ear.
"As long as you wear those, you have a fighting chance. Those are Tier 3 artifacts; as long as your opponent isn't a Layer 4 or higher, they won't be able to track or see your face."
"Do what you must, Solace. But remember: in this city, if you aren't the one weaving the trap, you're the one walking into it. Be careful. I'd hate to lose my only comfort in this miserable world so early."
After a bit, Principal Nicole dropped Solace in front of a huge mansion. It was luxurious and radiated an aura of royalty.
This was Vivi's mansion.
In the evening, they had decided to meet up at one of the luxury manors owned by the Theron family.
It was important to practice firearms before actually using them in a fight. So as they planned, they did just that.