Chapter 67: The Inquisitor’s Offer
The grand hall of Lucian's palace buzzed with activity. Courtiers, advisors, and guards moved in and out, each carrying a task or message vital to the reconstruction of the empire. Despite the noise, Lucian sat in silence on his throne, lost in thought. The weight of the empire pressed down on his shoulders. Rebuilding after the church's defeat had proven harder than anticipated. While his innovations had fortified the kingdom and bolstered its economy, new threats were always on the horizon.
Today, however, was different. A strange request had come to his attention—one that required his immediate focus. A former Church inquisitor, a man once steeped in the doctrines of the very organization that had sought to destroy him, had requested asylum. The message claimed the man was disillusioned and had valuable intelligence to offer, secrets that could expose the remnants of the Church still working in the shadows.