Chapter 128: One of Us, Don’t Fight

Chapter 128: One of Us, Hold Your Fire

The White Tower had been buzzing with celebration over the past few days. Aether, who had been presumed dead, had miraculously returned and been conferred the title of Cardinal of Sacred Rites. The entire Tribunal was overjoyed, and Chief Inquisitor Elhart was beaming with pride, looking ten years younger.

Although they'd failed to find any trace of the mysterious organization in Seven Lamp City (the intel from "Minister Lutz" had arrived way too late—they were long gone by then), they'd found Aether at the critical moment (Krell had dramatically recounted to everyone how dire the situation was, as if the knights would have torn Aether limb from limb if he'd been any later). So "Minister Lutz" got a pat on the back too.

Lyman used the bonus to buy Mrs. Lutz and the kids a few new outfits, picked up some new furniture Mrs. Lutz had been eyeing, and even got the kids a new puppy.

Maybe that would keep Mrs. Lutz off his back for a while. Since he'd been insisting on sleeping in the study lately, refusing to share the bed with Mrs. Lutz, she suspected he had a problem down there, always giving him that look—like she wanted to say something but couldn't.

His work at the White Tower was pretty dull. Honestly, Lyman couldn't even make heads or tails of most of Lutz's work; at best, he'd approve paperwork, basically signing wherever the secretary pointed.

Bossing the Inquisitors around to hunt for the mysterious organization was way more fun. Lyman had the Elven Saint Sylvira send out elven messengers to spread cryptic, very elven-flavored rumors in human towns.

When these rumors reached the White Tower, Lyman would send Inquisitors out to investigate with a "grave" expression. Of course, they'd come back with nothing.

Then Lyman would "very regretfully" report the failure to the Chief. The bigwigs of the Tribunal would sit around the conference room brainstorming, trying to figure out what dastardly plot that blasted mysterious organization was cooking up.

Back home, he and Lunast (well, 1.5 people, technically) would laugh so hard they'd fall over in the study, kicking their legs in the air.

But the thing that really blew Lyman's mind was the Tribunal's observatory. It sat on one of Mount Gargarg's peaks, staring right at the First Temple from across the way. The researchers up there watched the skies day and night, tracked the movements of the stars and planets, and worked out the calendar for the next year—and of course, there was one most important task—

—keeping an eye out for the Stellar Conjunction.

The observatory had this insanely complex, gorgeous contraption called the "Stellar Orbital Instrument," forged from an adamantite-mithril alloy, with crystal-inlaid star charts all over it. When it spun up, hundreds of gears would click together with a low hum. The researchers would carefully log the movements of the ecliptic, equatorial, and star rings, calculating when the Stellar Conjunction was due to hit.

Dangling from the bottom of the thing was an obsidian "pendulum." When it started swinging, that meant the Conjunction was here; the harder it swung, the bigger the Conjunction would be.

The markings above the pendulum were in time increments—10 years, 50 years, 100 years, going outward... Right now, the obsidian pendulum was swinging from one side of the ecliptic ring to the other, hitting the very end of the scale every time—1,000 years.

"A once-in-a-thousand-years conjunction." Lyman stared at the pendulum stretching across the whole room and couldn't help but marvel.

"Indeed, Minister," a researcher said behind him. "Based on the readings from the Stellar Orbital Instrument, the Conjunction is about to peak."

"How much longer?"

"No more than three months."

Lyman's face turned serious. When the Stellar Conjunction hit, monsters and demons from other worlds would pour into this one. The last big one, a thousand years back, had dragged in the evil god Angonam. Who the hell knew what would crawl through this time...

The Dawn Church should have some way to handle those otherworldly demons, right? And if it came down to it, the God of Dawn could always charge in himself, fight to the bitter end, and off himself in a blaze of glory—that'd work too...

"Minister Lutz, there's a letter for you." A low-level researcher jogged over and handed Lyman a letter.

The envelope just had Lyman's name on it—no return address, no sender. Lyman ripped it open and was shocked to see it was from Aether.

"What does he write?!" Lunast shrieked in Lyman's head like a teakettle about to blow.

Lyman quickly read through it and replied telepathically: "He's inviting me to his villa out in the countryside tomorrow. He says he found some weird relic in Moltalia and wants me to take a look at it."

"He's totally up to something! If it's a relic, why not just bring it to you? Why make you go all the way out there?"

"Maybe it's a relic the Tribunal isn't supposed to know about?"

"I know what he's planning!" Lunast said indignantly.

"What?"

"He's got dirty intentions toward you—he wants to lure you out to some godforsaken spot and do unspeakable things to you! I mean, those Dawn Church guys have a thing for pretty young boys! This is also recorded in Captain Dorian's autobiography!"

Lyman was silent for a long moment, then said slowly and seriously: "Would you care to open that one eye of yours and take a look—I'm currently 'Minister Lutz,' aren't I?"

"...Oh!" Lunast had a small epiphany. "Then never mind!"

Lyman shook his head vigorously and tucked the letter into his pocket. Aether and Minister Lutz had no deep connection—just ordinary colleagues. Perhaps he genuinely wanted to consult about the relic.

Besides, someone as upright as Aether—what ill intentions could he possibly have?

The next day, Lyman took advantage of an outside assignment, rode out of the city on horseback, and followed the address written in Aether's letter to a secluded valley far from human habitation.

The scenery was beautiful—hills and waters alike—but as far as the eye could see, there was only a dilapidated cottage. If it were renovated, it might qualify as a cozy countryside vacation villa, but in its current state, it only made Lyman think of the words "haunted house."

Lyman took out Aether's letter and read it again, confirming he hadn't come to the wrong place.

Lunast suddenly spoke up: "Lyman, your 'Death's Neighbor' is ringing."

Lyman warily eyed the cottage: "There's danger there?"

Did the danger come from Aether? Did he bear ill will toward "Minister Lutz"? Lyman searched through Lutz's memories but found no grudge between the two.

Could it be that he'd seen through the fact that Lutz had been replaced?

But in all the days Lyman had been impersonating Lutz, even his colleagues at the Tribunal who worked with him daily hadn't noticed anything amiss. Aether had just returned from Moltalia and wasn't familiar with Lutz—how could he see through him?

Though deeply puzzled, Lyman still trusted "Death's Neighbor." This relic's warnings had never been wrong. He had nearby birds monitor the cottage's entrances and exits, and tossed a Little Straw Effigy into the grass nearby, ready to control it as a helper if needed.

As a last resort, he could dispel "Spirit Domination" and escape. It would be a pity to lose the identity of Minister Lutz, but survival was paramount.

Lyman dismounted in front of the cottage, tied his horse to the rickety fence, and gently knocked on the door—he didn't dare knock too hard, afraid he might break the door and have Aether make him pay for it.

The door creaked open. Aether's figure emerged from the shadows behind it. He wasn't wearing his ornate white holy robes, but rather ordinary riding attire, with a plain longsword hanging from the belt of his riding breeches.

"Please, come in, Minister Lutz." Aether stepped aside to let him pass.

Lyman put on Lutz's characteristic arrogant demeanor, critically inspecting the cottage's worn carpet, moth-eaten curtains, dust-covered furniture, and cobwebs everywhere.

"Your villa is quite... distinctive."

Aether closed the door. The interior fell into dimness, lit only by a single candle.

"This isn't my villa," he said in a low voice. "It was Nashel's."

"Ah, Inquisitor Solaris. We were all deeply saddened by his passing." Lyman said flatly. "However, is it really alright for us to trespass in someone's villa? I know Inquisitor Solaris was your close friend, but..."

"This villa was a congratulatory gift from Nashel's family when he entered the Seminary. When we were young, we used this place as a secret base. Later, he spent years on missions abroad, and the villa fell into disrepair." Aether's voice wavered for a moment, as if recalling memories of days gone by. "He left this house to me in his will. So we're not exactly trespassing."

"I didn't know Inquisitor Solaris had a will."

"We all do. We write one every time we go on an outside assignment." Aether paused.

Lyman chuckled lightly: "I see. No wonder. Someone like me who stays in the rear doing research has never written one. Speaking of which, what is it that you wanted to show me that's so unspeakable you had to arrange this meeting in such a place?"

As he wandered around the room, he covertly checked the blind spots behind the curtains and sofas for hidden assassins. The danger might not come from Aether, but from someone else.

Aether's gaze followed him. "Do you remember Layman Vichard?"

—How could I forget! He's standing right in front of you!

Lyman suppressed the urge to quip, feigning thought for a moment: "That prisoner from Cape Prison?"

"You actually remember me? I'm surprised."

"Anyone with Supernatural Ability would remember. And his appearance is hard to forget." Lyman subtly tooted his own horn.

Aether stepped forward, his tall figure entering the candlelight, his handsome face looking like it was covered by a strange yellow mask, the scar on his cheek looking especially fierce and menacing.

"And yet, you turned him into slag."

Lyman's eyebrows shot up in surprise. Was Aether... sticking up for him?

What the heck was this guy's deal?

"Too bad the experiment failed. But I've learned a lot that'll come in handy for future experiments." Lyman started to wing it, "Weren't you gonna show me a relic? Where is it?"

Aether turned to face him, slowly drawing the longsword from his belt. At first, Lyman figured the sword was the relic, and wondered if he should pull out the Spirit Sight Mirror to check it out, but then it hit him: Aether was about to kill him!

"A relic? Isn't it right on you?" Aether grinned, "Once you're dead, everything on you becomes a relic!"

And with that, he swung his sword!

Lyman cursed under his breath, ducking to dodge the swing.

What the hell! What did Aether have against Minister Lutz, anyway? Lutz, what kind of crap did you pull that I don't know about?

"Have you lost your damn mind, Cardinal Orolan!" Lyman shouted, "Are you gonna betray your own people like Antonella did?"

Aether thrust his sword at him again. Lyman quickly stepped back. The sword hit the sofa, sending a big clump of gray-black stuffing flying.

"Betray?" Aether grinned like he'd just heard the joke of the century.

He grabbed Lyman by the collar and yanked him close.

"You're the one who's betrayed the teachings of the God of Dawn! How many people have you hurt over the years! I've turned a blind eye all this time, telling myself it was a necessary sacrifice for the greater good! Bullshit! There's no such thing as the greater good!"

Lyman stared at him, dumbfounded. They locked eyes. Aether's blue eyes were bloodshot and swollen, with hatred and rage burning in his pupils.

He shoved Aether back and said, each word deliberate, "You're gonna kill me—Lutz—for those test subjects?"

Aether raised his sword: "Go to hell!"

"Wait, let me explain..."

Lyman was at a loss for words! What did Lutz's deeds have to do with him, Layman Vichard? Aether, don't you know the person you're trying to kill is the person you're trying to protect!

The sword came swinging down. In that split second, Lyman made his decision—

He quickly pulled out the Shadow Play from the Divine Casket.

*

Aether raised his sword. His heart burned with rage, and only one thought remained—he would use his own sword to personally punish this black sheep of the Tribunal!

Just as the blade was about to strike Lutz, a flash of pitch black passed before his eyes. The sword didn't hit a solid object, but seemed to slice through something like smoke.

Minister Lutz had vanished. In his place stood a figure draped in a tattered black cloak.

Beneath the hood, there was no face—only a deep, boundless darkness, as if under the cloak was not flesh and blood, but night and shadow.

"Stop, Aether Orolan! It's me!" the black-clad figure said irritably.

Aether stared blankly at the figure before him, his stalled brain trying to restart and make sense of the situation...

"You... you're the one from that mysterious organization..."

The Shadow Transcendent he had crossed paths with on that terrifying, chaotic night on Ninoville Island!

How could he be here? Wait, he was Minister Lutz?!

Aether felt like he could hear the sound of his worldview crumbling. He half-wondered if he was dreaming—a very absurd, illogical dream...

"Yes, it's me." The Shadow Transcendent said impatiently, "Put down your sword. I mean you no harm. I even saved your life, remember?"

Aether's lips trembled. His mind was a whirlwind of thoughts, and he had so much to say but didn't know where to start, so he just lowered the tip of his sword. Indeed, he still owed the Shadow Transcendent his life.

"How could you... you're Minister Lutz? All along?"

If that were the case, then Aether understood why the mysterious organization was so resourceful. From the very beginning, the Tribunal had been transparent to them. The Tribunal had long been riddled with their spies.

"I only came to the Holy City after the Ninoville Island incident, killing Minister Lutz and taking his place. Whatever Lutz did before has nothing to do with me." The Shadow Transcendent said, "Don't worry, Layman Vichard didn't become slag. He's my informant now, gathering intelligence for me within the Temple."