Chapter 121
Rayne did not bring up the lycans again after that, choosing instead to leave the decision to the others without pushing them any further. He made it clear that there was no pressure from his side, and that they could refuse if they wanted.
Even so, his words about reaching the first wall and possibly breaking through it had clearly left an impact.
Bran had gone quiet after that, his usual steady demeanor turning more thoughtful, while Jason had not dismissed the idea outright. Only Kesh reacted the way Rayne expected, laughing it off and saying there was no way he was anywhere close to that level yet.
The conversation soon shifted away from the topic. They spoke about other things—ale, weapons, and what Haven City had to offer. Jason grew animated while talking about drinks, while Kesh seemed more interested in finding a decent shield at a cheaper price.
Bran added to the conversation here and there, keeping things grounded. The mood lightened, and for a while, it almost felt like they were just soldiers enjoying time off.
The evening also ended in a way that was almost predictable.
Jason drank far more than he should have, and by the time his words started slurring, he had already made up his mind about what he wanted to do next. He wandered toward the reception desk and began speaking to one of the women there with far too much confidence for someone in his state.
It did not take long before Bran and Kesh intervened, dragging him away before he could create a scene. The receptionist did not even look annoyed, only mildly tired, as if this was something she dealt with regularly.
Rayne did not leave with them.
Instead, he stayed behind and made his way to the reception desk himself. He did not want another party taking the lycan quest before him.
When he brought it up, the receptionist he spoke to looked clearly surprised after learning he was part of the Valerian army. She warned him that it might not be worth it and repeated the conditions that Kesh had already told him about—higher commission cuts and the guild handling the sale of any extra materials.
On top of that, she added a warning. If he failed to complete the quest within a week, the guild would file a complaint against him to the Valerian army.
Rayne agreed without hesitation. The warning meant little to him. He had no intention of failing.
After that, he left the guild and returned to the longhouse. The rest of the night passed quietly.
He ate, rested, and avoided drawing attention to himself. Before going to sleep, Nate asked him about the lycan quest, likely having heard about it from Kesh.
Rayne explained his reasoning simply, expecting mockery as usual, but Nate only listened, nodded once, and went to sleep without saying anything more.
Rayne did not question it, even if he wanted to, too tired for it.
The next morning came quickly. After breakfast, Rayne planned to gather more information about lycans. He wanted to understand what he was dealing with before moving towards their pack.
But before he could act on that plan, a message came for him that Captain Edran wanted to see him.
Rayne immediately made his way to the upper levels of the longhouse, where rooms had been set aside for captains and commanders. The difference was noticeable immediately. The halls were quieter, less crowded, and far more orderly than the lower floors where soldiers moved constantly.
When he reached the captain's door he knocked once. “Come in,” Edran’s voice came from the other side.
Rayne pushed the door open and stepped inside.
Captain Edran was seated on a sofa, looking far more relaxed than he had in the past few weeks. One of his legs rested over the table in front of him, and a pipe sat between his fingers as thin smoke curled into the air. It was the first time Rayne had seen him like this, without the usual tension of writing reports weighing on him.
He stepped forward and bowed.
Edran removed the pipe from his mouth and set it aside before he said, “Rayne, I called you here to speak about our journey to the capital.”
Rayne straightened, heartbeat quickening in seconds.
“I’ve already filed an official request to Mage Seraphel,” Edran continued. “He has agreed to establish the teleportation network to the capital, but it will take six days before everything is ready.”
Rayne froze for a brief moment, his thoughts stalling before the tension that had been building inside him loosened almost instantly. That was more time than he had expected. Enough time to hunt down the lycans without any rush.
But before he could respond, the captain continued.
“There’s something else,” he said. “House Lanrice has been granted permission for a truthsayer trial. I learned about it when we entered the city, but the request was approved three days ago.”
Rayne’s focus sharpened immediately.
“That means,” Edran went on, “by the time we reach the capital, you may be dragged into it right away. These trials usually happen within seven days of approval.” He paused briefly before adding, “Don’t be surprised when that happens.”
“What do you mean dragged, captain? Are they going to pick me up from the teleportation network itself?”
“Precisely,” said Captain Edran. “For now, they are just gathering every bit of information about you they could use.”
Rayne again wondered what type of questions they might ask. He and Captain Edran had already gone through the common ones, but with his luck, there would definitely be some surprises.
After a few seconds, another question appeared in his mind.
“So, does that mean it's already decided who's going to chair it?”
Captain Edran nodded. “Truthsaysers Jakab and Lana will be heading the trial. The former is an old and experienced one that has sat in all sorts of trials, and the latter is his apprentice.”
“Are they just?” said Rayne immediately.
The captain did not answer right away. He leaned back slightly, as if considering how to phrase it, before finally nodding.
“They are fair,” he said after a second. “They won’t lie about their findings. You don’t have to worry about that.” He paused briefly, his gaze settling on Rayne. “But they can be harsh. Not because of anything else, but because of your blood.”
Rayne almost frowned at that.
His bloodline always felt like a noose around his neck, tightening a bit every time someone mentioned it, something he couldn’t escape no matter what he did.
Still, he kept his expressions in control, and simply nodded.
“I understand,” he said quietly, before asking another question. “Who will be overseeing the trial, captain?”
At that, Edran gave a small shrug. He reached for his pipe again, bringing it to his lips and taking a slow breath before letting the smoke drift into the air.
“Even I don’t know,” he replied. “They’ve kept it hidden so far, so my sources haven’t been able to find anything.” He exhaled another stream of smoke before continuing, “But I don’t think it changes much. You just need to be truthful.”
Rayne remained silent, listening.
“Commander Evans has already assured me,” Edran added, “that you won’t be given a punishment that is too harsh.”
Rayne almost spoke that not too harsh still meant harsh. But he stopped himself.
He knew he wasn’t in a position to push for more. The fact that Evans was even involved in ensuring some level of fairness was already more than he could have hoped for.
So he simply nodded again. “I understand,” he repeated.
The room grew quiet after that.
Edran leaned back into the sofa, taking another slow drag from his pipe, clearly done with what he had to say. The conversation had ended, and Rayne was about to bow and take his leave.
But then he paused, realising he still had something to ask.
“Captain,” he said, drawing Edran’s attention again, “I wanted to ask if I’m allowed to take on a quest from the guild while we’re here.”
“The Adventurer’s Guild?” he asked.
Rayne nodded. “Yes, I found a quest to hunt lycans. I thought it might help me gain some real experience with my new mana skills. I don’t know when I’ll get another chance like this with the trial coming.”
Edran did not respond immediately.
He studied Rayne for a few seconds, as if weighing his words and intentions. The room fell silent again, the only sound being the faint crackle of the pipe as the herbs burned.
Then, finally, the captain let out a quiet breath and shook his head slightly.
“If you really want to throw yourself at lycans,” he said, “then talk to Casper about them first. And you are not allowed to go alone. I know you won’t run, but that won’t stop others from accusing you of it if you leave the city by yourself.”
Rayne understood that well. With the trial so close, anything could be twisted against him.
“I understand, captain.”
The request hadn’t been rejected, and that was all he needed. So, he bowed and turned towards the door.
But as he took one step out of the room, he heard Captain Edran mutter under his breath, just loud enough to be caught. “These battlebornes are always the same.”
Rayne did not understand what Captain Edran meant by that last comment, but he did not dwell on it for long.
His thoughts were already moving ahead. He needed to find Casper and get more information about lycans before making any move. With that in mind, he stepped out into the hallway and made his way down the stairs toward the ground floor.
But the moment he reached the first floor, he stopped, finding his whole party there.
Bran stood at the front, arms crossed as always, while Kesh leaned slightly to one side with a grin on his face. Nate stood beside him and behind them were Heins, Jason, and even Quinn, all gathered in one place.
They all looked at him at once.
Nate spoke first. “You’re here. We’ve been looking all over the longhouse for you.”
Rayne blinked once, slightly confused. “Why?”
Kesh answered before anyone else could. “We’re heading to the Church of Henrexa,” he said with a grin. “Thought we’d take you along.”
Rayne frowned faintly. “I don’t really have time to pray.”
Jason immediately let out a laugh. “Do I look like a religious nuthead to you? We’re not going to get baptized or anything.” He leaned slightly forward, his grin widening. “We’re going to get our levels checked. See what we’ve gained over the last few months.”
Rayne’s eyes widened slightly as he understood why they had gathered.
Unlike him, the others couldn’t check their status whenever they wanted. They needed a soul shard for that, the same one he had used on his first night in this world. In Valeria, the churches held a near monopoly over them, but they allowed anyone to come visit and check their status, once a month in any branch.
But before he could say anything, Bran spoke.
“Let’s not waste time,” he said, already turning around. “More soldiers might already be there. I don’t feel like standing in a line.”
With that, he started walking down the stairs. The others followed immediately, and Rayne, after a brief pause, moved along with them, despite knowing where they stood in levels.
After all, he had never visited any of the churches of this world.
***
The Church of Henrexa stood not far from the city gates, set apart from the rest of Haven City.
The area around it was wide and open, with no shops or houses nearby. The land itself had been donated by Count Dorne as a goodwill to the church, and it showed in the sheer space the building occupied.
White stone rose in smooth, towering layers, shaped into tall arches and pillars that stretched toward the sky. Long windows lined the sides, their surfaces reflecting the light in faint colors, while banners bearing the symbol of the goddess hung neatly along the walls.
But what stood out the most was the statue above the entrance. A woman stood carved into the stone, placed right above the gates.
A red blindfold covered her eyes, her expression calm and unreadable, while one hand was raised slightly, as if judging something unseen. The details were incredibly fine, from the folds of her clothing to the strands of her hair that seemed almost real.
It was the picturisation of Henrexa, the goddess followed by most of the kingdom.
When Rayne reached the front, he found himself stopping without realizing it. His gaze remained fixed on the statue for over a minute, taking in every detail.
It was… impressive.
“Impressive, right?” Jason who had stepped besides him said, taking him out of his thoughts about the statue. “They say the people who carve these statues get their hands cut off after finishing one, so they can never make another.”
Rayne turned to him immediately, his expression shifting to horror. “Really?”
Jason stared at him for a second before chuckling.
“Of course not,” he said. “This isn’t the Church of Hathras. And even they aren’t that bad.”
Rayne let out a breath, shaking his head slightly.
Jason grinned before turning his gaze toward the entrance. The large wooden doors stood open, allowing people to walk in freely.
“Either way,” the burly man said, “let’s go. I’m curious to see where I stand compared to you all.”
With that, he started forward, and Rayne followed him with the others, but not before giving another glance at the statue.