Chapter 42: The First Throne

Taxar slowly lifted his head.

His formidable appearance made the atmosphere particularly oppressive. The voice of the Magistrate was neither hurried nor slow, exceptionally calm, each word resonating through the air in an unknown manner, as if announcing a death:

"How many survivors are there?"

"Only Ms. Jeanne and Mr. Sarsel," Astolfo answered subconsciously, his tone also becoming serious.

"Sarsel? There was no such individual in her team," he continued to ask, "Please, provide me with his full name."

"Sarsel Bettrafio," Astolfo replied.

"I possess no memory of such a person." 

"Well, Miss Jeanne informed me that he is the knight who valiantly rescued her from the dungeon, and in gratitude, she conferred upon him a baptismal name and secured his oath of eternal loyalty."

"Ha! Is this some sort of romantic tale?"

Astolfo stared in astonishment at Taxar.

"I've grown so weary of the monotony here that it's begun to irk me, yet I never anticipated that the Inquisitor woman, whom I assumed would only add to the dreariness, could actually provide a moment of levity. It's been ages since I've seen such an occurrence. Ha! The bestowal of a baptismal name, the performance of a loyalty ceremony—these customs are scarcely practiced within the church these days. Ultimately, it's merely due to the excessive mortality rate of her team and the repercussions of the numerous nobles executed that she resorts to these measures as restrictions."

"Yet, I find the ceremony to be quite beautiful," Astolfo countered gently, "Why then, do we label it as a restriction?"

"Certainly, it may sound enchanting to those enamored with knight tales, but in truth, the ceremony of the guardian knight is merely an antiquated spell. Its singular purpose is to compel the oath-taker to safeguard the one they've pledged to serve; as the oath-taker, one is bound to never deceive their master on crucial matters, and should their master perish, so too must they—in essence, it serves as a sacrificial proxy."

He approached the deceased Brother Brunold, observing the corpse through a method completely unknown to Astolfo, and then continued to inform him:

"Regarding its origins, it's rather intriguing—there once existed a king and a queen; the king was Duke Valikov, and the queen was the Principality of Valikov. An individual decapitated the king and then wedded the queen to himself. This man and woman subsequently bore two daughters; one daughter is the guardian knight ceremony, and the other daughter is the present Principality of Vamar. Observing the Algalia spear in your grasp, it feels as though I've encountered their second daughter, and now, witnessing La Pucelle, it's akin to seeing my own daughter. I find myself deeply moved."

Astolfo was somewhat shocked by the frankness of the Magistrate's speech. Honestly, he felt some beautiful illusions shatter in his heart, like a crystal ball smashed on the ground.

Then, after the Magistrate confirmed the corpse’s condition, Astolfo told him about Sarsel's demonization, their discovery of Hood's priests, and what Jeanne and the others had learned about how to leave the Warren.

"Ah, demons—nothing of great concern; the church has delved into the study of demonic Warrens for more than a century. However, concerning the demonization of souls..." He paused momentarily, gesturing to his knights to attend to the corpse, and then continued, "Upon your next venture into the dream, convey this: Magistrate Taxar commands Jeanne and her knight—Sarsel Bettrafio—to proceed to Cast City upon exiting the Warren, to seek out a nun positioned in the Central City District. Um... what was her name?"

Taxar pondered for a while:

"I remember now—Caren Hortensia, a nun in service. Due to her inadvertent release of a frenzied Korvalah demon, the city was nearly obliterated... had it not been for the intervention of the Dark Elf lord who vanquished the beast, she would have faced the gallows three years ago. I am certain the Inquisition would not have had a single dissenting vote. Her precise whereabouts... are in a small chapel adjacent to the Barghast-owned tavern on Carcia Street. Instruct Jeanne and her demonized knight to present themselves there for examination and evaluation, and they must remain in Cast City until a formal report is prepared."

"But they're also accompanied by a little girl..."

"Hmm! A little girl, you say? To conceive and bear a child for her knight within merely three days—that is indeed quite remarkable."

"Eh? What! Did they have a child here!?"

"Merely jesting. Young knight, endeavor to consider and assess others' words with rationality; there exists no human capable of conceiving and delivering a child within a mere three days." Taxar proceeded, "Regarding the girl: Cast City hosts mage schools, and the Holy City boasts church schools; whether they choose to retain the child or bring her along—it is of no significant consequence, and thus, I hold no concern over the matter."

"What about Hood's matter..."

Mentioning Hood, the air around them grew oppressive.

Taxar paused for a moment, then took out a scroll of parchment from his pocket. The parchment was slightly yellow but looked new, as if it had just been made. A light blue ribbon was wrapped around the middle, tied into a simple knot. He asked:

"How do you plan to meet them after falling asleep?"

"We've set up camp in a safe place."

"Very well. I shall link this with Algalia to your soul, and upon your entry into the dream, ensure that you deliver it to Jeanne."

"What about you?"

"We shall remain here, making preparations for various matters; you need not concern yourself overmuch."

Astolfo took the scroll of parchment from Taxar's hand.

"This is the token of the First Throne," said the Magistrate.

What!?

Astolfo almost stumbled to his knees. He carefully held the scroll of parchment—the blue ribbon on it looked extremely fragile—and brought it to his chest, but suddenly stopped, as if afraid it might suddenly shatter.

He made the sign of the cross on his chest.

"T'lan... Imass?" He managed to gather his wits and asked.

"Indeed, T'lan Imass," Taxar informed him, "I trust you will keep this information confidential, Mr. Astolfo; the church's connection with the Logros T'lan Imass is not intended for premature revelation."

"I'm most afraid of these undying..." Astolfo muttered to himself. He made the sign of the cross again on his chest.

Taxar continued:

"Listen carefully; present this to Jeanne, and she will know how to open it. Our understanding of the current circumstances remains unclear, hence the subsequent course of action will be hers to determine. As she has brought her knights to pursue the Hound Troops here, she bears the obligation to carry out all that is required."

"But their responsibilities..."

The Magistrate tapped the handle of Algalia's spear, the crisp clanking sound interrupting his speech:

"Spare us the delay; I know what you want to say. That Inquisitor stands apart from some of my knights; she is capable of shouldering the responsibility.”

This decisive tone made it difficult for Astolfo to express his own opinion.

Taxar continued:

"Let us proceed with the discussion regarding Algalia's matter; at the very least, I must ensure your survival. You have to understand: this artifact is by no means intended as a mere tripping snare; the manner in which you activate the Warren within it will also dictate..."

...

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