It is better to be an outspoken atheist than a hypocrite.
But according to Horum the God is even the atheism of the atheist and he made this statement peering Xavier's soul.
Xavier stepped back and Zane remained silent. He didn't move or did something that could show he was close to Xavier.
Zane was just there.
Everyone stayed silent as they also felt the change in the air.
They still remember the humanoid black flame. They had no intentions to see it again.
But if Xavier didn't control his next words, they believed they would witness it once more.
He was already playing with fire, questioning the First Flame. So much so the Priest was forced to stop handing offerings which he was doing with his heart.
All eyes focused on Xavier and the Commoner, for the love of everything holy, finally said something sensible as per Zane.
"I didn't mean to anger you, father. As a human, I was only asking questions to a knowledgeable adult. Forgive me if I was out of line."
Horum remained in Xavier's soul as the common man only looked at Horum's nose. Not at those flames for eyes Horum had right now.
Zane watched with extreme care and caution, ready to abandon anything to survive.
Horum stayed silent, like an eagle on a tree and Zane saw his lips move.
He is about to speak.
Zane gulped and Horum said:
"Very well."
The air loosened.
Zane heaved the longest sigh of relief.
Xavier exhaled as well.
Horum reverted back to his calm, serene self.
But he didn't move away from Xavier.
"The time for questions is over. I will answer what you both want to know right now."
"Ye-s. Yes." Xavier replied and shut his mouth.
"I won't explain the Full Merge. I won't explain Jaryun's whole life. I already did that to some extent. I feel you want to know about Glaxus, the relic, and the Sigiled. No other Flamekeeper would oblige to answer the questions of two children which includes one gutterborn. Now listen to me. I will only speak once."
Zane and Xavier paid attention.
Especially Zane. He was indirectly called filth again and it was his second name by now. If someone shouts 'filth' out loud in a busy road, Zane would answer instinctively even if it wasn't directed at him. But at least he wasn't being spat on.
For now, he was glad Horum mentioned the relic as that was the only thing he wanted to know more than ever.
If Zane was right about it then he would have himself something he could rely on in the future.
Also, he and Xavier both had no idea who Glaxus was. They just agreed out of fear.
The onlookers weren't looking anymore and the few Gutterborns waited on the line as Horum started talking:
"Glaxus is the name of the figure that came out of me earlier. I received him from the Haloheart when I was eighteen. It grew with me. It is a skill of the Aurora tier. The language I spoke for summoning him, it was the language of Spirits. You both will not understand it yet so there's no point in explaining further.
Also, if you are thinking why does my wooden staff have some powers and why can I use it, you should know it was given to me, granted to me by the personal artisans of Crown Xaldryn to show the right path to heretics who don't believe in the Flame."
Zane and Xavier heard Horum and the explanation invoked more questions inside Zane.
Spirits exist? Is Glaxus a Spirit then? If not, then why do spirit language is needed to summon it? And if it is a Spirit then how could the slab just give someone a Spirit? What does it have inside it?
Zane's system also came from it. The slab had secrets Zane would like to know. But for now, he focused on Horum's next words.
"About the Sigiled. It is common knowledge among those who know about the Riftguards, the Crowns and strength in general in Dwarkam.
Those who awaken more than one skill of a tier higher than Aurora, they have the choice to join either the high ranks of the Riftguards, or the church or the Citadel in future or to the personal security and fighting faction of any three Crowns.
If they chose the Riftguards, they would be called Orderers. If they chose the Church they would be called either Pyrelords or Grand Pyres. If they chose the Citadel they would be called Knowledge Instiller And if they chose a Crown… they would be called Sigiled. This term was chosen because they would be branded by the sigil of that Crown and some Sigiled can even act as a Crown if the Head is not present. There is a saying that roams when they are mentioned."
Horum glanced at Zane.
"If they knock on your door, burn yourself with all your family alive."
Zane's hairs stood all over his body and now he realized why the crowd had dissipated after Horum had mentioned the Sigiled.
"I understand."
Horum paid no mind to that and reached the topic Zane wanted to know all along.
"Now about the relic you have. First, you have already been forgiven so now it's completely useless for you."
Wh..at?
Zane's heart sank like a drowning man hoping for a hand.
Horum sensed the gloom.
"It's useless for you right now, kid. You can do nothing with it as of your strength for now. In the right hands, it is capable enough to make someone an Aristocrat of a city and powerful enough to kill tens of them. And, make no mistake, you don't own it. Emberlord Coin only gave you that. The coin will help you to enter the Citadel tomorrow. No guard would let a gutterborn enter unless they see proof. That relic is your proof."
Zane wanted to click his tongue a hundred times. If not for Horum present, he would have done that right now.
He placed his hand over his pocket, feeling the coin. It wasn't hot anymore. Zane figured it would have something to do with the setting sun.
So it's useless for me right now.
Zane's mood took a dip. Horum judged Zane's strength and he was right. Zane was weak to do anything with such a high level relic.
Wait…
Something flickered inside Zane's mind.
He doesn't know all my strength. What if I can still do what I want with the coin?
Zane had escaped death today and it all happened because of the major quest of dropping the idol.
He had finished the risky quest all because of the reward he would get, and since he had finished it he got the reward.
And ever since Zane got to know about the true nature of the coin he had, he made up his mind to use his reward for this very same coin.
Zane himself might not be able to do anything with the relic but if the relic came from a cube of the slab, then he also had something that came from the slab as well.
And that thing could definitely do something with the relic.
As if listening to Zane's thoughts, a window manifested in front of his eyes.
And the words it had, Zane couldn't ask for more.
[ Does the Host want to merge the Relic? ]