Candice didn’t notice anything and kept explaining, “Apparently, they wanted to thank us personally. You stopped one of their knights from rampaging, after all… After the Crimson Ritual Incident, only the knights that were being controlled and the elven perpetrator of the massacre survived—the rest of the puppets ended up… Well, you know what happened.” She scratched her neck and sighed.
“Anyway,” she turned to face Cassia and smiled, “The Silver Valkyrie showing herself personally must mean that she’s extremely thankful for what you and Tyrel were able to achieve! Make sure to mind your manners—the Valkyrie is a higher up of the church, so we can’t afford to offend her. Joyce should be serving them Selkian Tea at the moment.”
Even though Candice was talking, Cassia heard none of it. Her mind was twirling with countless thoughts and theories—plans of escape or battle. Sweat poured out in droves as she stood there, frozen like an ice sculpture. It was only then that Candice noticed something was off.
“Cassia?” She asked casually but no response came.
“Cas..sia?” Again, nothing.
“Cassia!” Candice finally shook her awake.
The little girl jolted—her cone hat fell to the floor. “Y-yes?!”
Candice frowned. “You’ve been acting off since a bit ago. What happened?”
Cassia looked around her surroundings once again, as if to confirm whether she had moved at all or not. Her breath was uneven and her skin looked pale.
“If you’re sick I can mo—”
“No need,” Cassia interrupted. “The Silver Moon Valkyrie right? Let's go meet her.”
In actuality, Cassia seriously wanted to use the excuse of being sick to not attend the meeting. Facing her enemy so soon—it terrified her. Especially since the conversation she just had with Soren was still fresh in her mind…
Such horrible timing! She grit her teeth.
The trauma was slowly returning to her, making every sliver of her movement sluggish—something that Candice noticed instantly. It was as if her body was resisting to head in the direction of the lounge.
But even so, Cassia knew she had no choice but to soldier on. Currently, Star Fate Guild was practically defenseless. Aside from her, there were no other powerhouses available—Joyce and Candice were both regular people. As for Soren? He had yet to even reach the Junior Initiate rank.
That left only her as the guardian of the guild—a newly ascended 3rd Circle Magus. It was her responsibility to keep everyone else safe while the mistress was away.
Be brave, Cassia! Brave! We are now an officially recognized guild! Not even the SIlver Moon Church can mess with us easily! Be confident! She reassessed her resolve and stormed ahead.
Candice looked at the pitiful girl and sighed. She already knew that Cassia had a strange history with the Silver Moon Church. Although she didn’t understand the details completely, the reaction she was showing told her a lot.
And yet, as selfish as it was, she knew she couldn’t stop her.
The emissaries from the SIlver Moon Church were important figures that represented Staterra’s power here in the capital. Even though their arrival was unannounced, the guild had no authority to stop them from visiting.
Even though their reason for the visit was to give thanks in regards to what happened on the night of the Crimson Ritual, Candice knew they must have had an ulterior motive. Cassia was currently the only magus available in the guild that could confront them.
The pair navigated the maze-like labyrinth for a few minutes before reaching their destination. The wooden door that led into the Guild Lounge always loomed high above Cassia in stature. But this time, there was even more pressure hidden beneath its half-rotten texture.
She gulped down her hesitation and opened the door.
Countless familiar and unfamiliar faces greeted her within. Sat at the center of the leather sofa, the figure of a woman sculpted into perfection reflected in her amber eyes. As if the light of dawn was shining upon her, she sat gracefully—her unwavering matte-black eyes staring ahead.
The Silver Valkyrie.
Above her crown of violet hair, a brilliant silver halo could be seen—a symbol of the Silver Moon Church that’s only granted to the highest paladin order of the diocese—the Silver Wing Valkyrie Battalion.
The battle dress she was adorned in was fashioned from pure silver, shining radiantly even in the dimly lit room. Even while wearing gauntlets, she held gracefully to the tea cup in her hand. All of it made her seem otherworldly compared to the humble backdrop surrounding her.
To the left and right, Cassia observed two knights that she recognized. One was a woman with silk-like hair tied back into a ponytail. Her beautiful face was both graceful and elegant, yet hid a dangerous and calculating allure beneath the surface. Not even the noble ladies of the capital that prowl the streets from time to time could match her in terms of skin care, which annoyed Cassia for obvious reasons.
She stood proudly behind her master while holding a shining and intensely cold glaive that she had firmly planted into the ground.
On the other side—a knight wearing full body silver armor stood with his hands crossed. Two curved blades were sheathed at his hip that seemed to thirst for blood. But out of the two, the woman with the glaive was arguably more dangerous.
During their intrusion on the guild a while ago, she had personally seen that woman battle against Noctharn to a tie, something which she had deemed impossible for the longest time.
Cassia then glanced at Joyce who was in her usual place at the minibar, holding a somewhat surprising frown.
Seeing this, she gulped down her hesitation and sighed. Stepping into the room, she bowed respectfully and curtsied, lifting the sleeves of her skirt.
Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.
“I Cassia, greet the Holy Light of the Mother.”
The woman coldly nodded and placed the teacup back on the table. “You have no last name?”
The question made her lips flinch slightly. She quickly suppressed her anger and smiled warmly. “I come from an orphan background. I have no family.”
“I see,” the woman nodded. She stood up and bowed in the same manner as Cassia. “Then I might as well introduce myself.
“I am Ilythia of House Azrathiel. Fifth Valkyrie of the Silver Wing Sisterhood. It is an honor to greet the esteemed daughter of the last Star Fate Witch.”
Cassia tilted her head, “You know me?”
“Indeed,” Ilythia nodded. “How could I not recognize the apprentices of one of this century’s most renowned Magisters? Even some Archmages are less widely known than your master.”
Cassia chuckled, “My fame hardly compares to yours. Graduating from the First Lunar Sanctum of Nuns at the mere age of 18, entering the Eternal Hall of the Blessed by 20, and then joining the Sisterhood three years later, rising to the fifth rank… These are monumental achievements, Miss Ilythia.”
The Silver Valkyrie looked into Cassia’s eyes. “It seems you know a lot about our order.”
Cassia’s smile widened. “How could I not? The Silver Moon Church has always fascinated me.”
Ilythia nodded. “Mhm, it is too bad our faith is reserved only for humans. Even though you belong to the Drakar race, your brilliance would be a welcome addition under my wing.”
“Thank you for the compliment,” she chuckled. “But I must ask,” her tone turned serious, “what could have possibly brought an esteemed figure like yourself to our humble guild? Surely it is not a request to meet my mistress?”
The woman shook her head, “Nay, I’ve already met up with the Witch of Star Fate during the expedition. I’ve come to fulfil a much needed task.” She glanced at the knights behind and then back at Cassia.
Surprisingly, all three of them bowed deeply. “Miss Cassia, I must thank you for saving the lives of my knights… That extends to all the members of your guild.”
Cassia frowned. “I see, but you are somewhat mistaken. Our goal was mainly to save one of our own—neutralizing the knights that were being controlled by the Whispering Dream was simply a duty we had to fulfil… The civilians in the area were also in danger…”
“Still,” she insisted. “Even if it was simply an afterthought or an accident, the result remains the same. I thank you deeply for your efforts. Henceforth, let it be known that I, Ilythia of the Azrathiel house, owe Star Fate Guild a favor of equal worth. If ever a time comes when peril reaches your doors, we will be there to assist you.”
Cassia bowed. “I will forward this message to my mistress when she arrives.” She then glanced at Candice who was standing beside her and nodded.
“Miss Ilythia, if I may… This isn’t the only reason for your visit, is it?”
The woman looked into Cassia’s eyes for a moment and sighed. “Like teacher, like student, you’ve certainly inherited her wits. Indeed, I have other reasons for my visit.”
Hearing this, Cassia nodded and sat with Candice on the opposite sofa.
“Miss Cassia,” she announced, “I’ll get straight to the point… We believe that a member of your guild might have a large connection to the Crimson Ritual Massacre, as well as its perpetrator—the Whispering Dream.”
Cassia frowned. “That is a very heavy accusation to levy against us.”
Ilythia nodded. “Indeed, but do not misunderstand. We are not claiming that Star Fate Guild is responsible. We just believe that a member of your guild might be secretly connected to that vile villain.”
Cassia gripped the seams of her skirt tightly. “And who… do you believe is that person?”
“Soren Andersen,” the name reverberated across the dimly lit room. “There is a person living here under that name, correct?”
“.....”
“Our evidence is somewhat flimsy… However, from the fragmented memories of my knights who were being controlled that day, the visage of that boy appeared numerous times. He was believed to be with the perpetrator on the night of the massacre. Further reports of the incident from both the Church of Nature as well as the Aelloran officials confirmed the authenticity of this information. It is therefore under my authority as a member of the Sisterhood serving both the most Holy Mother of Silver and the Union of Six Divines to investigate this matter of possible heresy.”
Union of Six Divines! She Invoked that clause?! Cassia’s frown deepened. At the dawn of the Fourth Age of Fantasia, the Church of Nature, the Dragon Communion Monastery, the Silver Moon Church, the Church of Brilliance, the Endless Shrine, and the Spirit Blossom Sanctuary had come together in a historic agreement—formally canonizing their place as the rightful religions of the continent.
Under the Union of Six Divines, these factions had bound themselves by oath—that should a threat ever arise against one of the churches, all other factions within this alliance must come to their aid.
Cassia already knew that the Whispering Dream’s actions had certainly invoked this ancient clause. Not only were his dealings with the Nameless Mist in Yadria already known to most of the high clergy across the various factions, but his role in the Crimson Ritual Incident sparked colossal levels of outrage. Not being able to catch the perpetrator themselves, the Church of Nature had no choice but to rely on this oath to bring him to justice…
Under the tacit approval of all six orthodox faiths, Illythia’s current actions were indeed appropriate… Cassia had no authority to stop her from investigating.
Sensing no protest, the Silver Valkyrie nodded. “Forgive me for this, Lady Cassia. Please stay where you are, this will end quickly.” Just as those words left her mouth, a large, brilliant white circle appeared on the floor beneath them. It radiated in a holy aura that drowned everything in its brilliance.
“Expand,” she spoke softly, but the effect was mesmerizing. The holy circle began to inflate rapidly, encasing everything within the dungeon in its brilliance.
Cassia, Joyce and Candice watched in bated breath as the Silver Valkyrie analyzed everything within her reach. Cassia specifically was the most angry out of all of them. The woman before her… She stood no chance against her in the slightest. Her worry for Soren, combined with her utter helplessness, made her grit her teeth. She bit down so hard on her lips that she almost tore them, struggling to contain the sheer rage bubbling within her.
Suddenly, all of them noticed something strange. Illythia’s eyes had widened in surprise.
“This is…” Her tone was that of absolute confusion. “He’s not here? Did that young man leave your guild by any chance?”
“Ah?” Cassia’s brows knit. Soren isn’t in the guild? But I just came back from his room… She readjusted her pose and nodded.
“I apologize, he might have left to fulfill some errands…”
“Do you know when he will be back?”
Cassia shook her head. “I am not sure. He had his own things to deal with as well so he might not return all day…”
Just stay hidden! Don’t fucking return! Her heart raced.
Hearing this, Illythia sighed and deactivated her ability. “It seems fate didn’t favor me today…” She stood up and walked toward the exit of the lounge—her knights followed her.
“I apologize for today’s intrusion, Miss Cassia. I won’t be able to continue this investigation for now… Farewell.”
Inwardly, Cassia sighed in relief. After hearing about Ilythia’s real goal, she had hoped to stall her until the mistress’ arrival a week later… But who could have predicted that the lady before her could also command a powerful Searching Mystery? And its powers were that of the Mystic Grade…
If not for Soren somehow vanishing, things would have turned out differently…
Cassia stood up to show their guests out of the guild when Ilythia stopped in her tracks, as if remembered something.
“By the way, Miss Cassia. I have one last message to forward to you specifically from someone I… knew…
“Your ancestral home is an eternal pillar. You should seek out what remains for the answers you seek.”