Lady Mystral

The other guard was staring, taken aback, while Rick was tense. The goblins were restless too, and Matila asked me, "Did something bad happen, Rufus?" The girl was being more relaxed around me, as this was a good development because being called formally all the time was awkward, especially if she wanted to become a priestess. By the way, I will need to ascertain their will, both hers and Jel's.

"As anywhere we went, people judged us to before knowing."

"Sorry for being such a bother, sir Rufus." Jel apologized.

"No, I don't mean anything bad. You were victims here. If I had something to say, it would be to commend your good heart. Human necromancers destroyed your lives, but you do not resent them."

"Yes, but it was a human cleric that saved us and gave meaning to their deaths." Matila made me embarrassed.

"Matila is right. And we have a golden opportunity to receive that divine inspiration." Jel was so good with words that I don't know if it was because of my Authority, but she expressed herself so eloquently that sometimes I had trouble believing that she was a young goblin.

"You are fluent in goblin language. That is something rare!" Rick said while he was impressed by our natural exchange. I guess to onlookers, I seemed like a natural speaker.

"Yes, I can speak several languages. A blessing from my patron deity, Hermes."

"Hermes, huh? What a coincidence! Over there is his temple." The guard that was waiting with us commented.

"My guiding skills were not so good after all, I didn't know that was Hermes Temple." Rick lamented, laughing apologetically.

"And that one Rick, do you know?" The guard was now pointing to the other temple, which was across the street. The disposition of the temples was somewhat curious. The Baron Estate did not have walls, but there were some small buildings here and there, close to it. A stone building not in shambles but badly conserved was the Hermes Temple. I silently cast a dark vision spell to improve my vision, and I saw the remarkable details from Hermes. A caduceus could be seen right above the main entrance.

And right across the street, there was another temple, this one in shambles. It was a shame, as it was a little bigger than the other one. I could not identify to which god it was dedicated. I believe in old times, this temple had been the more important.

Rick was looking at the crumbling temple while he seemed to be racking his brain, but at the end, he offered nothing. The guard proudly told us: "Azshelpius, the god of medicine."

"Azshelpius? Do you mean, Asclepius." I corrected the boastful guard.

"Maybe, I am not sure of his name, but he is the god of medicine. That was what my grandmother had told me when I was a child."

"Well, if he is the god of medicine, then he is one of my patron deities. I am a cleric of his temple." I declared.

Both guards looked confused at me. Rick was the first one to shoot a question, "So did you come to reclaim their temples?"

"I don't believe reclaim is the proper word. They seem to be under the baron's jurisdiction, so I will need to discuss that with him at a later date."

Their confusion has increased now, they were astonished by my answer. "Did I say something inappropriate? I really came to Wheatstone to establish my gods' faith, but if the temples were abandoned, I would have to negotiate them with the responsible."

Rick would begin to explain to me, when the other guard returned, "Please, Lady Mystral said that she will receive you immediately. She said that your companions are welcome too."

"We can continue this discussion later. Thanks for your guidance, Rick. I hope our paths cross again."

"Thank you for your kind words, sir priest. See you later."

---

The mansion's insides were well decorated, but nothing that one could call extravagant. The furniture was in prime condition, and several portraits adorned the entrance. The guard requested that we wait in the waiting hall, then he returned to his post outside.

It was nothing like they were poor nobles, but they were intentionally modest in their details. The furniture gave a hint that they were of top-notch quality, and from touching it, I recalled the noble ones I have seen in Olympus. Naturally, my senses were dulled while in Olympus because of my soul form, but here the experience was really similar.

Well, I lack woodworking skills, so I kept admiring the well-finished stuff. The girls seemed to notice something, as they were also admiring parts of the furniture, especially the engravings on the benches where we were sitting. 

A few moments later, a butler appeared to greet us. He was a young man, maybe around 30 years old, slim, and with a somber appearance.

"My name is Harold. I am the butler of House Mystral. Lady Mystral received your message and would like to meet you. She would like to apologize in advance, as she was unable to offer a proper dinner for the visitors due to circumstances and timing."

I thought he had a serious tone, but when he started speaking, I redefined formality with his face in my mind. The eloquence and way that he spoke made my Authority of Language have chills. I guess that it has found a kindred soul in the butler. When I faced the undead, the Authority of Healing gave me a chill, saying that these creatures were its anathema. Now the Language was telling me that he was the man.

"Thank you, Mr. Harold. I thank Lady Mystral for her gentleness and patience in receiving us on such short notice."

We followed the butler to a dinner hall. There were some cups, and a hot tea was being served. The furniture, likely in the other rooms, was of high quality. Besides us, in the room were a woman, who I assume was Lady Mystral given her fancy clothes, and two maids that were setting the tableware.

"Welcome. I am Mary Mystral, Lady of House Mystral, vassal of Duke Iris. My butler might have said that, but I would like to reinforce my deep regret for being unable to offer you a proper reception," said the woman. She rose from her seat and made a short invitation to join her for tea.

"I appreciate your uttermost graciousness at this reception. We are unfit to be in your presence, and for that reason, we would kindly ask for your patience. My name is Rufus Costa, priest of Hermes, Athena, and Asclepius, they are my faithful companions, Jel and Matila" I replied, trying to be as polite as I could.

Lady Mystral made a slight movement with her eyebrow, as if she were impressed by my politeness. Fortunately, I did not mess up, so I think the conversation will sail smoothly from here.

"Clerics are a rare sight nowadays, and one that preaches for three deities. I must say that I am baffled. Especially that you are a cleric of Hermes and Asclepius simultaneously."

"I understand your concerns, as it is not usual for a cleric to hold many gods in esteem. But, in my situation, I work for the pantheon of those three greater beings."

"Even more curious is that a priest, accompanied by two goblins, whose temples are in this countryside town," she sneered. I guess the pleasantries are finished.

But, I was not going to deny that this was a nice surprise for me. Two temples, even if they are abandoned, are still there. However, presently, my worries fall elsewhere: "Lady Mystral, I would be delighted to discuss the temples' issue later; now I have a more time-sensitive matter."

Her reaction was odd, as she seemed confused. I guess she was not expecting me to deflect the topic of the temples right off the bat. "And which matter would you like to discuss first?"

"I met with your husband on our way to Wheatstone. We exchanged some brief information regarding the road, and I warned him to take care because I have faced several undead. He requested that I come as soon as possible and discuss this matter directly with you or his cousin. He also requested that your son, Gerus, guide us until Wheatstone."

Lady Mystral was about to drink her tea when she stopped midway and returned the cup to the table. She gently cleaned her mouth with a handkerchief and said, "I beg your pardon, but you said that you faced the undead? And where is Gerus?"

Her calmness was remarkable. Then, I answered her question. "Yes, the tribe of these goblins was destroyed by a mob of undead. They were the sole survivors. Moreover, on my way here, we fought with those monsters again. We decided, your son and me, that Baron Mystral might be in danger, so I provided him with some blessed staves to arm them against. Then your son returned to the caravan."

"Blessed staves? Did you conjure them?"

The question made to me sounded off because blessing weapons and creating temporary ones are basic divine spells, although I used my Authority to make them more lasting. But the difference would be noticed only by trained eyes.

"Yes. I did. Is it odd?"

"Certainly. Sir Cleric, your story is too incredible. I don't feel any ill intent from you, but this is too far-fetched. My son had been with you, then he went back. You have conjured blessed weapons and lent them to my son to take to my husband."

Again, I believe that I was lacking some common sense again. The way she pointed out some things as if they were completely alien. I think the creation of the staves was an oddity here, so I will try to solve it first.

"I can do it again, if you don't mind, Lady Mystral."

She looked at me as if I were a madman who was saying some random absurdity. She held back a small chuckle and said, "Yes, please go ahead."

I pondered for a moment whether I should use my Authority or the divine spell casting. But I decided on the Authority of Healing staff because this way I would replicate what I had done on the road earlier. So, I went and summoned a new staff.

Everyone in the room widened their eyes when the staff appeared out of nowhere. Even I and the goblins were a bit surprised because the weapon that was summoned had some small and delicate inscriptions. I didn't recall that when I mass-produced them for Gerus.

"Harold, summon Stephan here. Tell him that we are going to rescue Baron Mystral."