Chapter 24: The Armless Sun Priest (Grammar Fixed)
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The door opened. My muscles tensed. I jumped up and placed my claymore close to his neck. "Who are you?" Lumin radiated from my blade.
The man looked to be in his forties or fifties. He wore a golden-yellow robe like a bishop. His face was wrinkled, a thick beard hiding half of it.
"I have not come to fight," he said, his voice stern. "I have come to bless you."
Around his neck hung a pendant—a golden sun symbol with a stone set into it.
The same yellow and orange stone. The same stone from that cathedral. The same stone that had possessed Kora's guild. The same stone that had turned them to treasure.
I looked at him again. "Who do you worship?"
"Solorus, the deity of the sun, the bringer of light." His eyes locked onto mine.
"Do you know what this stone does to people?" My claymore touched his neck. The blade had grown dull.
"I know." His expression was unreadable, but his tone was clear—reverent. Praising. "Solorus blesses his believers by turning the dead into treasure."
"It turns innocents to gold. It turns the dead into treasure."
"Those people sacrificed themselves for the benefit of the faithful." He did not flinch. "Blessing us. Giving us wealth."
My eyes widened at his words. Sacrifice? To his people?
I clenched my fist and punched his face. His head whipped back as he stumbled against the door.
"What the fuck do you mean 'giving us wealth'?!" I roared. "That's human sacrifice!"
I raised my blade—then a force collided with my face, sending me flying into the wall. I opened my eyes, my claymore still in hand. A man stood in the room now. Brown vest jacket. Bald. A sun tattoo on his face. Built like a heavyweight boxer. Brown baggy pants. Golden knuckles attached to metal gauntlets. He looked to be in his thirties.
"Do not touch the priest of the sun."
I got up and dropped into a battle stance. Blood dripped from my nose. "What are you? His bodyguard?"
"I am Nikos of Ranťanìa in Zendorium. Fourth heir to the duchy of the clan." He stepped in front of the priest and settled into his own stance.
I dashed forward, my blade glowing deep purple. He charged toward me, his hands burning bright gold.
Then—
A line of blood opened across his face. He dropped to his knees, screaming.
"All bark, no bite, I see." A familiar voice.
In the doorway stood Dominio, wearing the same white vest as me, simple shorts, holding his only remaining dagger.
The priest's composure shattered. His face twisted with fury. "Do you know the crime of attacking a noble?!" He rose and advanced on Dominio. "You will be executed for this! A lowborn brat like you will hang!"
Dominio did not react. His face was completely blank, utterly detached. It was terrifying.
My shoulders relaxed. My vision sharpened. Colors grew brighter, more vivid.
He turned to me and smiled arrogantly. "You want to deliver the final blow?"
He kicked the man's knee, forcing him down. I gripped my claymore, possessed by anger and memory. I raised the blade high, then brought it down.
Blood sprayed from his neck. His body crumpled.
Nikos scrambled up and lunged at me, arm raised for a slash—then an ice spike flew past the door, past my face, and pierced his skull.
I turned toward the hallway. Aurelia stood there, wearing the same outfit as us. Her expression was furious, a stark contrast to her usual calm professionalism. She pointed her wand at the body.
"Die, you son of a bitch," she spat, her voice thick with rage.
Black fire erupted from the floor, consuming both bodies. When the flames vanished, nothing remained but a single fire stone.
I walked to the stone, picked it up, and threw it out the window. Then I turned back to them. "Thanks for your help."
Aurelia's face softened. She lowered her wand.
"You're welcome. But be more careful. Solarian priests usually have bodyguards." She glanced at where Nikos had fallen. "He said he was the duke of Zendorium?"
Aurelia nodded as she entered my room and sat on the couch. "They're usually accompanied by nobles. Noble families do it to strengthen their claim as Solorus's disciples."
She looked down at the floor. "My family is one of them. Even though I don't believe in Solorus."
Dominio leaned against the wall beside the window. "The word of Solorus is an old religion. At one point, it controlled the entire continent. But new faiths rose, and over time, the religion shrank. It's still important in some regions, but in many countries, it's banned. Because of its practices."
"Such as human sacrifice," I muttered, setting my claymore against the wall.
"You're right." Aurelia's hands clenched. "It promotes human sacrifice. At one point... even children were chosen to satisfy Solorus."
"Are you alright?" I stepped toward her, but Dominio was already there, sitting beside her.
"I'm just ashamed." Her voice was quiet. "My family worships that... that demon. The moment I denounced his word, they disowned me. That's why I became an adventurer." She looked up. "So I can grow strong enough to destroy it."
Her words echoed Kora's promise. They both wanted to end the religion. Aurelia had seen these horrors firsthand.
But still—why did people worship a god that demanded such things? Why?
An announcement cut through my thoughts.
"ALL ROOKIES, PLEASE REPORT TO THE FOOD HALL. DINNER IS SERVED."
Aurelia stood and picked up her wand. She walked past me, pausing to pat my shoulder. "Thank you for listening." A small smile crossed her face before she disappeared into the hallway.
Dominio followed, stopping at the door. "You got Aurelia Basilios to smile. That's rare." He grinned at me.
"Thanks for helping me," I said with a small nod.
"Just following a friend." He rubbed his lower back. "Though I would love a rematch. Still have back pain from our last fight."
He started to leave, then paused. "How about we go eat? You'll need company."
He walked out.
I stood there for a moment.
This had to be the craziest day of my life. Fight after fight after fight. And Dominio—the same man who had tried to kill me—was now the one offering company at dinner.
Guess he wasn't a complete asshole.