They sat within Grey’s cottage, the barrier activated, while Corvin finished explaining everything that had happened, carefully avoiding the more complicated details regarding his powers.
“Corvin, how the fuck do you always find yourself in these situations? I haven’t even known you for that long, and you always end up at the center of some nightmarish scenario.” Grey muttered.
Before Corvin could crack a joke, Grey continued.
“This is bad, Corvin. They will be looking for Graves, and they won’t stop until everything is covered up. Corvin, not even the head of the Association can stop Konst once he sets his mind on something.”
“Grey, you’ve done a lot for me, more than my own father ever did. I cannot let you become more entangled in all this. From now on, you are merely an Association Manager, and I am a simple raider.” Corvin said seriously.
“Don’t be foolish, boy! If you think that I will stand by and watch as the damn Empire tears down my best guild and my strongest rookie, then you are dead wrong. To hell with them!” Grey shouted.
“Lord Corvin, Mister Grey is right. Once you have lived as long as I have, you come to understand that some people will never stop taking. Someone needs to stand up, even if it means risking everything. Sometimes it is harder to stand by and do nothing, and trust me, I have been in both positions.” Khrol said, his voice low and cracking as he recalled his life.
“Fine, but don’t say I didn’t give you a way out. Alright, before anything happens, I need to finish some tasks that I have been putting aside. If everything goes smoothly, I will be much stronger. Maybe even stronger than you, Grey.” Corvin winked, a smile spreading across his face.
“You cheeky bastard. Don’t act as if you aren’t already stronger than anyone else in this damn town.” Grey smiled, amused.
“I need a favor. Can you go check with Roger and see if he has any holy relics he can sell or lend? I need as many as I can get. After I meet up with Alistair and the others, I will have to leave for a while. If anything happens while I’m gone, fight, survive, and wait for me.” Corvin said.
“Hah, what do you think is going to happen? An invasion? Don’t worry. We will hide Graves and lay low until all of this blows over.” Grey said.
“Give me your hand.” Corvin suddenly said and grabbed it.
He activated Runic Inkworld and inscribed a letter C in the shape of a crow’s head. The rune sank into Grey’s hand and merged with it.
A surge of dark light passed through him as Grey’s muscles grew larger and the veins across his body became more pronounced.
“What did you do?! I feel as if I have trained for a decade.” Grey gasped.
“This is my gift to you. It should give you a boost, but it won’t bind you to me in any way. Well, if I die, the boost will disappear.” Corvin replied simply.
Khrol spat on the floor. “Don’t say such ominous things!”
“Haha, the wolf is right, Master.” Lucian chuckled.
“Thank you, Corvin. This should help me protect everyone!” Grey bowed before turning toward Khrol. “You received this boost as well, and something else on top of it?” He asked.
“I did. Lord Corvin blessed me with great power.” Khrol nodded.
“Alright, show me your Icon,” Grey said.
Khrol stood and transformed into a gray werewolf. Upon his chest rested a small luminous glyph of a crescent moon shaped like a crow's head.
“Oh, this is new!” He gasped.
“That should be the mark Master left upon you. It is feeding your Icon with power.” Lucian added. “Young Master, that would indicate that Malphas had something to do with the werewolves, or perhaps even their cult,” Lucian whispered.
“I see. Khrol, could you tell me the location of your mother’s cult?” Corvin asked.
“Yes. It was deep in the south, within the Orc lands. She fled there from the Empire and moved the cult with her,” Khrol explained.
“Alright. That could be a clue to the remaining parts of the legacy. Thanks. We will visit it when the opportunity presents itself.” Corvin nodded.
“Grey, what about his test?” Corvin asked.
“There is no need. I will award him Silver rank directly. You can register his Icon normally. We do not care about Icon types, as you already know.” Grey said as he stood up.
“Let’s go. I will visit Roger immediately. What about you?”
“I’ll go check on Carl. Can you take Khrol with you for now? Things could escalate.” Corvin winked.
“Haha, I don’t pity that old fool whatsoever. Go torture him for a bit.” Grey laughed.
“Grandpa, come. We are going to tease a rabbit. I would like you to show him your Icon as well.” Grey burst into laughter and walked outside.
***
Corvin made his way through the city and arrived at the cathedral.
Lucian, with your increased resistance, there should be no issues, but keep quiet, alright?
“Don’t worry, I’m just a cat,” Lucian whispered, amused.
Corvin went around to the back and knocked. “Sir Carl, it’s me, Corvin.”
Creak.
The door opened, and a Red Knight in full plate armor and helmet appeared, visibly shaking.
“Your Holiness, please come with me.”
Corvin nodded and followed the knight deep into the cathedral, eventually reaching a large sacral office where Carl and two priests in golden ornamental robes stood.
Small golden swords hung around their necks, radiating divine might.
Corvin’s eyes lit up greedily as he entered.
“Master Carl, the Holy Son has blessed us with his presence.” The knight said reverently, bowing as deeply as he could before leaving and closing the heavy wooden doors behind him.
The spacious chamber was illuminated by colorful light streaming through the mosaic-filled windows, while a grand chandelier hung elegantly overhead, shining with light crystals.
“Your Grace!” Carl stood and hurried forward to kneel before Corvin. “To what do I owe this visit?”
“Carl, stand up. I need to speak with you about some dire matters. It involves your grandson and the Empire. It would be best if we were alone.” Corvin said coldly.
“Oh.” Carl stood and immediately grew serious.
“These are envoys personally sent by Bishop Leon to meet with you. They also bring gifts.” Carl smiled proudly, as if to say, see what I have done, all for you!
“Alright. I see that the gentlemen do not trust me yet.” Corvin said as he observed the suspicious bald priests standing with their arms crossed.
Corvin raised his left arm and activated his Stigmata while channeling Holy Lightning.
Golden lightning erupted from his arm as arcs of divine power spread across the room, climbing toward the ceiling before dissipating and leaving behind a small dagger-like energy blade within Corvin’s hand.
He tossed the weapon to the priests.
The moment they caught it, they fell to their knees as Corvin dispersed the weapon and reabsorbed its energy back into his Stigmata.
Carl stood to the side, his eyes shining. “My Lord, you have grown stronger! Such glorious news!”
“We greet the Holy Son of Uriel. Please forgive our improper behavior, but we had to be certain. The Bishop will be thrilled. After so long, Divinity has finally descended upon us once more.” The priests bowed.
Well, that is not good. We do not need the Bishop involving himself in our affairs right now, do we?
“I would prefer this matter to remain secret. Soon you will understand why.” Corvin walked forward and sat in a soft burgundy chair lined with white velvet cushions, clearly reserved for the highest members of the clergy.
“Carl, the Crown Prince has decided to take your grandson’s head.”
“What?!” Carl roared, making the priests twitch and frown.
“The mission to exterminate demons was not what we had been told. The Empire’s forces trapped us within this.” Corvin tossed the barrier relic onto the table.
“And while we were trapped, they used a demonic relic to summon hordes of demons to kill us. Thankfully, I was there and managed to destroy those despicable creatures… Naturally, I also dealt with the Empire’s soldiers, but after we escaped, the full might of the Empire descended in search of us.”
His expression darkened.
“They even butchered an innocent fishing village, one that held many altars dedicated to my brethren and even to Archangel Sariel.”
Corvin mixed a little truth with a little deceit to strengthen the story.
A tear rolled down his cheek.
“The poor souls. Children, women, entire families. They all died at the Empire’s hands simply to hide the fact that they had used demonic powers to hunt a Son of the Church!”
Corvin slammed his hand onto the table. “Tell me, is this justice? Is this what the Empire has become?!”
He lowered his head and whispered, “Is this the Empire the Church has been working with? Do I need to get my Father involved? What treachery is this?!” He roared, golden lightning arcing from his body.
“Hehehe, holy shit, Master. You’re a natural.” Lucian spoke through their link.
“I told you, didn’t I?” Nera roared with laughter.
“We would never condone such deeds!” One priest spoke furiously.
“If I may, do you have any proof?” The other priest asked.
“I do.” Corvin took out the Abyssal Eye and tossed it onto the marble floor at the priests’ feet.
They screamed and stumbled back as darkness clawed at their bodies, trying to devour the light, while their pendants lit up, attempting to scorch both the relic and the priests alongside it.
Corvin used Mage Hand and swiftly pulled the relic back into his grasp before storing it away, careful not to let it detonate.
“Gregory, John! Contact the Bishop and let him know that I am invoking the Third Edict. I require a hundred Red Knights and a full investigation. Working with demons? Trying to kill my only legacy?! I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THEM TRY!” Carl roared.
“Please, hold on!” The two priests nodded, pale as the floor beneath them, and hurried to retrieve two large satchels from the back of the room.
They each took out a piece of a mirror and pressed them together while chanting.
The mirror ignited with holy light, and a moment later, a man wearing blood-red robes, a pointed hat, and a large scar crossing his blind right eye appeared.
“For you two to call upon me like this, the matter must be urgent.” The man spoke, his voice raspy.
The two priests released the mirror, which continued floating in the air, and bowed as they quickly explained the situation.
The Bishop frowned. “Carl, is this true?”
“Your Excellency, it is. We have more proof than we could ever need.” Carl bowed.
“I see. And who is this young fellow behind you?” The Bishop asked, noticing that Corvin had lowered Lucian out of sight.
“My name is not important, my son. It is my mission that matters.”
Corvin raised his left hand and repeated the same lightning trick as before.
The Bishop nearly choked on his own saliva. “Those are the Arcs of an Archangel!”
The man fell to the floor, the floating mirror following his movements.
It took him a moment to recover, but when he finally stood again, his expression had turned serious.
“I understand. If you were merely a Holy Icon holder or even a Saint, I would not be able to sense your power through a mere mirror. But those arcs... my very soul ached when I saw them. You truly are a son of an Archangel.” The Bishop muttered.
The two priests and even Carl gulped.
With Corvin’s identity fully confirmed, any doubts they had vanished.
“What is it that you wish me to do, my Lord?” The Bishop asked.
“What is your name, child?” Corvin asked, his voice carrying a Sovereign’s authority as he called forth Nera.
Nera emerged from his shadows like a beacon in the night, her divine wings bathing the chamber in holy light.
“L-Leon!” The Bishop screamed as Nera locked eyes with him.
“I am Solaria. It is nice to meet you. I would need you to get your act together. This is, quite frankly, embarrassing. An Empire under our protection using demonic arts to hunt a son of the Church. I might just have to purify you all myself.”
She spat a small holy fireball onto the floor.
All four men screamed.
“Leon, was it? Make sure that the Empire leaves Graves Dudley alone. He did nothing but try to protect his guild members. And I expect to hear through Carl that this matter was investigated properly. I do not wish to come there myself and exterminate the darkness with my own hands.” Corvin spoke coldly.
“Yes! Yes, Your Holiness. We shall deal with the Empire. Do you know who ordered the strike?” Leon asked.
“It was Alexius,” Carl spoke coldly.
“I see. That complicates matters. But worry not. I will speak with the Cardinal. We will investigate this properly. Is there anything else I can assist with?” Leon asked fearfully.
“You see, fighting all those demons has exhausted much of my energy. I would require a few divine relics to replenish myself.” Corvin said.
“A small matter, Your Holiness!”
Leon clapped and hurried away, the mirror floating after him.
A dozen minutes later he returned, now standing within a golden vault containing dozens, if not hundreds, of relics of varying rarities.
Seeing it, Corvin gulped.
“I can gift you these, which fall under my authority.”
Leon presented a shield with a closed eye engraved in its center, a pair of vambraces as pale as winter snow, and an arrow with a golden shaft and a silver tip.
“I will take them all.” Corvin declared.
“Naturally. A small matter!”
Leon bowed and poured mana into the mirror, opening a small spatial tunnel through which he passed the relics.
Carl accepted all three and presented them to Corvin.
Corvin stared at them in amazement. How can I get my hands on that storage?
[Corvin… Don’t be greedy.]
Omega teased suddenly.
[Those should be enough for our experiment.]
She added.
Corvin made all three relics vanish into storage, drawing shocked looks from everyone present.
“I expect this matter to be handled promptly. Carl, walk with me.” Corvin stood.
“Wait, please.” One of the priests hurried forward carrying a medium-sized pouch filled with common divine relics.
Some were broken pieces of armor and weapons, while others were simple defensive relics.
Corvin accepted the pouch along with his barrier relic and stored everything away.
“I thank you. With these, I can be of greater service to us all.”
He smiled before leaving with Carl, while the priests and the Bishop remained behind, shocked and pale.
Nera slithered after them and winked at the trio before disappearing through the door.