As day faded into night, the sound of horse-drawn carriages filled the grounds of the Avignon palace. Servants bustled about, welcoming guests who arrived for the evening banquet, while guards remained sharply vigilant, their eyes scanning every soul who passed through the gates. From the high window of his chamber, Sebastian gazed down upon the procession. Carriages stretched down the city streets in a long, glittering line. He wondered whether all these people had truly come to see him and the other Saints—or whether there was something more at play beneath this spectacle.

  A gnawing unease churned In his gut. The guards were too alert. Everyone kept lying to him, even about the smallest things. And then there was Faust, whose presence radiated something deeply unsettling.

  Sebastian’s gaze shifted to the burgundy banquet suit laid out for him on the bed. A white rose adorned the collar. One of the servants had offered to help him dress, but he had dismissed them without ceremony. He had not worn a suit in years—perhaps not since a graduation in another lifetime—and the thought of donning such finery now felt alien. His armor felt more natural, more honest.

  A knock sounded at his chamber door.

  “Sebastian, are you there? Carlos and I are heading to the banquet now. Will you join us?” Dalia’s voice was muffled but warm.

  Sebastian, still clad in armor, replied simply, “No. You can go.”

  “Alright. We’ll see you there!”

  Sebastian let out a sharp exhale. Guess he needs to do this after all. Also why Faust planned a banquet after the long voyage they have. He doesn’t understand that wicked cardinal thought. Maybe this is some kind of power play by him, but if he really wanted to go there, then Sebastian would be more than happy to challenge him.

  Dalia and Carlos arrived at the banquet hall, their arrival was announced by one of the servants and many nobles clapped their hands when they came. Dalia threw her usual warm smile while Carlos just let out a small smile towards everyone. Dalia and Carlos are immediately surrounded by the nobles. They can’t count how many hands they both shake in this meeting alone.

  “It’s a great honor to meet you, Saints,” said one noble.

  “I heard you crossed the Corsican border. I trust they treated you well?” asked another.

  “You must visit our estate in Francia one day. It would be our great honor.”

  Dalia and Carlos just put on their usual smile and greeting towards everyone. It’s not their first time meeting a huge crowd like this. After being Saints for many years, they get a knack for socializing with the nobility. Dalia and Carlos follow three rules that they made after many years attending important and high class banquets. And all those rule are the following :

  the first rule: Never make promises.

  “I’ll be sure to inform the Pope of your generous invitation,” Dalia replied with a smile. “I’ve heard Francia’s countryside is beautiful this time of year.”

  Second rule: Remind them of the Diocese’s global reach.

  “The Church is preparing to send aid to the famine-struck regions in Gaulicia,” Carlos mentioned. “We’ve also dispatched agents to Slavonia to deal with the barbarian raids.”

  Third and most vital rule: Remind them of their tithe.

  “The Pope is considering building new churches in Berbera,” Dalia said sweetly. “An opportunity for all of us to help spread the light of God to those in darkness.”

  All part of the political dance and maneuver. Even though they’re Saints and only answer to the God and Pope, they’re also a church agent that needs to ensure the Diocese’s future and strength on the world stage. It’s not like they’re doing this because someone told them to, but they only wished for the church to remain strong and spread the word of God towards the masses. By having the power of the Diocese grow and their influence widen, they both ensured that the God teaching will spread continuously in the future towards every corner of this world.

  “Cardinal Faust has entered the banquet area!”

  Suddenly every eye is averted towards Faust who just came. He wore an imperial purple dress and diamond encrusted gold jewelry. He looked like a king instead of a Cardinal of the Diocese. Many of the nobles immediately swarm Faust from all sides, even the one from around Dalia and Carlos. The influence that Faust holds on this city and the noble are very apparent. They couldn’t even wait one second before they began to lick his feet with sweet words and business proposals.

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  Witnessing this, Dalia and Carlos know what Faust is doing. He’s showing off his prestige and power towards them both. Even though he’s just a mere Cardinal, someone who is supposed to be below Saints on church hierarchy. He holds this city by its throat and they both are beneath him. That’s a very bold move on his part and a very insulting move towards Dalia and Carlos. They both looked at each other briefly before letting out a small chuckle that was drowned out by the chatter of nobles. However their laughs are soon to be replaced by a shock.

  “Saint Sebastian has entered the banquet hall!”

  Gasps and murmurs spread through the crowd.

  Sebastian came with his full armor still on. His hammer is sheathed on his hip and his shield is firmly held on his left hand. He looked at Faust with a condescending look. Then he gazes at the nobles around him with such sharp eyes, everyone feels like they were cut by some kind of invisible sword.

  Dalia couldn’t believe that Sebastian would pull such a move and Carlos’ vein can be seen popping on his forehead. Wearing a full set of armor to a banquet is unheard of. Almost as if Sebastian sends a word towards everyone that he either doesn’t trust the security of this place or even a declaration of war. His appearance shocked every single person in the banquet area. Their gaze immediately directed towards Faust to see his reaction.

  The Cardinal descended toward Sebastian, smiling thinly.

  “Good evening, Saint. I’m glad to see you here.”

  “Good evening, Faust,” Sebastian replied, pointedly omitting his title. “That’s quite a gown you’ve got there.”

  Sebastian could feel the immense pressure that Faust directed towards him. Not only Sebastian mentions him by his name only, he also insults the clothes he wears. Never in his twenty year rule someone ever insulted him like this. If Sebastian wasn’t a saint, he would have his head hung on the city plaza before this Banquet ends. Sebastian on the other hand feels some kind of pleasure and rush doing this. His blood was pumping hard and he could feel the adrenaline hitting his head like a truck. This wasn’t that much different from his regular battle. Sebastian now understands the mind of politicians a little bit. This rush and euphoria he felt are really addicting.

  Carlos was about to approach Sebastian and gave him an earful, but Dalia put her hand on Carlos’ chest.

  “Let’s see how our junior handles himself,” she whispered. “After all, Faust was the first to draw blood.”

  Carlos looked towards Faust and Sebastian. It’s true that Faust is the one who started this, but he felt like Sebastian would not be a good match for him. While he praises Sebastian’s arrogance and bravery for doing this thing, Faust has a lot more experience on dancing in court intrigue and diplomacy. This either would backfire really bad or Sebastian managed to pull some kind of miracle with using his word and tongue.

  Faust began to circle him. “Is the Diocese so short on funds that they couldn’t provide you with a suit for the occasion?” he mused. “I could offer a donation. Perhaps enough to build a second Papal palace.”

  “I wear armor because I chose to,” Sebastian replied coolly. “And because I feel safer in it.”

  “Oh, is the ‘Patron Saint of Martial Arts’ afraid that someone might hurt him in this place?” Faust says as he looks at Sebastian’s eyes. “I can assure you there’s no bad man here that you need to be afraid of.”

  Sebastian let out a small chuckle. “It’s not the inside of the palace that I’m worried about. But the thing that’s happening outside right this very moment.”

  That word is nothing but a bluff on Sebastian’s part. He says that just to gauge the reaction from the noble around him. There’s a truth from behind all these lies and he knew it. One of these nobles would definitely crack and spill out information. Then the whisper came. The nobles began to whisper with each other while looking worried. They don’t realize that’s actually what Sebastian is hoping for. Sebastian sharpened his ears and began to filter out words from his surroundings, but then Suddenly Faust interrupted his concentration.

  “Oh? And what, precisely, is happening outside, dear Saint? Do enlighten us.”

  Suddenly the room fell silent. Sebastian could only manage to hear some kind of word that’s been spreading around before, but he wasn’t sure if that’s the truth of this situation. The room feels tense as every eye is now directed towards Sebastian. But suddenly, a sound pierces the silence as the door towards the banquet hall is spread open. Several soldiers arrived and walked towards Faust in a hurry. They whisper something before Faust looks at them with anger. He waved his hand and the Soldier began to walk out from the room, then Faust looked at the guest around him.

  “My apologies, dear friends. I am required elsewhere. Please, enjoy the banquet, the wine, and the company. Have a pleasant evening.”

  Faust began to leave the banquet area with his entourage. His eyes met with Sebastian and a small spark could probably appear by how tense they both looked at each other. Then he disappeared into the palace hallway. Dalia and Carlos approached Sebastian with a smile on their face. This is the first time they have seen this side of Sebastian’s personality.

  “You’re doing a good job humbling that horse’s face, but you kind of fumble at the last second,” Dalia said with a small thumbs up.

  “You need more practice. But a good job challenging him like that.”

  Despite the rare compliment from Carlos, Sebastian’s mind seems to be elsewhere. He heard what the guards were whispering to Faust a couple minutes ago. Then he also remembered the whisper of nobles from earlier. The puzzle pieces began to connect with each other, but it’s still not the full picture. Sebastian looked at Dalia and Carlos, wondering if he should tell them about this or not, but he decided there’s no harm in telling them.

  “I need you both to listen carefully,” he said in a low voice. “We have a problem—a very big one.”