14 Probable Cause
With Kaia tagging along with him and Asim, Cairn didn't drink too much before returning to the Church to wash up and sleep. The alcohol wasn't bad, but being the only one drinking in a group filled with minors was too awkward. Even more so when one of those minors was footing the bill...
"Huaaaaaaaaaa...."
Easing into the large communal bath used by all Neophytes, a contented sigh escaped Cairn's throat. He couldn't even remember the last time he had a proper bath, so the massive, open-air bath, reminiscent of a Roman Thermae, was like Heaven compared to the cold-to-lukewarm showers he was accustomed to. His only complaint, all but confirming he wasn't in the virtual world, was the sheer and utter lack of privacy...
"Shall I wash your back?" asked Kaia, seated next to Cairn with much of her lower half submerged in the murky, mineral-rich water.
Turning to meet the Karakut's gaze, keeping his eyes fixated on her face, Cairn replied, "Nah, I'm good..." in a flat monotone.
Noticing Cairn's discomfort, Kaia's ears drooped before she turned to Asim, offering him the same service. Unlike Cairn, however, the muscular Lionel gladly accepted her offer, presenting his notably scarred back for her diligent ministrations.
Staring at the scene from the corner of his eyes, Cairn furrowed his brows into a somewhat surly, contemplative look. He, Kaia, and Asim weren't the only ones in the oversized bath. Tristan and most of the other Neophytes were also present, casually conversing without a modicum of shame. For someone born in a country plagued by Political Correctness, where simply going to a pool frequented by kids or members of the opposite sex could get you taken in for questioning by the police, it was an extremely unusual sight...
Giving voice to the question lingering in Cairn's mind, Kaia asked, "How did you acquire these scars, Brother Asim?" while tracing her finger along an especially vicious mark running diagonally from his left shoulder to the small of his back, just below his ribs.
Adopting a proud expression, Asim replied, "I received them protecting someone I cherish deeply. We have momentarily parted ways, but once I graduate from my status as a Neophyte, I plan to reunite with them in the Capital."
Demonstrating she wasn't all that different from other young women, Kaia's ears perked up as she asked, "Is that person your lover...?" in a curious tone.
Unable to contain himself, Asim burst out laughing, startling the others in the bath. When he was finished, he caused Kaia to deflate from shame as he revealed, "She's my younger half-sister, Zarah, a genius in the study of Gemcraft and Runic Engravings. Any man would be fortunate to marry her. Unfortunately, I cannot count myself among her suitors."
Sparing Kaia the need to apologize, Asim shrugged his shoulders, adding, "Besides, my dream is to become a Paladin. To achieve that goal, I cannot be wed or have children. I may not be able to take the Sacred Pledge until I'm 30, but I consider myself married to my faith."
"Well said, Brother Asim!" shouted Tristan, raising his hand as if holding an imaginary goblet. The other Neophytes emulated the gesture and offered praise of their own, but Asim politely rebutted them, thanking them for their kindness but reminding them that it was not him that was great, but the Goddess they served...
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Though sleeping atop a prayer mat was barely better than sleeping on the ground, Cairn didn't wake until Kaia shook him, saying, "It's time to get up, Cairn."
"Ugh...." groaned Cairn, not wanting to wake up but pushing himself to a seated position regardless. His body ached from sleeping awkwardly, but it was nothing a bit of stretching couldn't fix.
Meeting the gaze of the Karakut girl seated next to him, Cairn asked, "Did Asim already talk to the Bishop...?"
"Indeed," replied Kaia. "We encountered the Bishop during breakfast and conveyed to her your intentions. In response, she gave us this."
Pulling out a palm-sized, predominately gold, gem-encrusted tablet with an obsidian-black surface, Kaia explained, "This is the Bishop's Holy Writ, a special identification card that allows anyone who possesses it to exert the authority of the Church. With it, we should have no difficulty entering any Dungeon within Cliabhaan, much less the city."
"Wow, she wasn't fooling around when she said the Church had our back, was she?" asked Cairn.
"Of course," responded Kaia. "You are the Champion appointed by Lady Restia. So long as you do not deviate from the path of the Light, everyone who serves her has an obligation to assist you."
"Does Asim know about that?" asked Carin, prompting Kaia to tilt her head to the side and ask, "Were you intending to keep it a secret?"
"No, but I also have no plans of advertising it," said Cairn. "I didn't exactly sign up to be something like a Champion, so while I have no intention of making enemies with your Goddess, I won't just accept a bunch of duties and responsibilities thrust upon me by the expectations of others. If some great evil appears, I'll do what I can, but my current objectives are to get stronger and have fun."
Punctuating his statement, Cairn rose to his feet, Kaia's eyes following him as he grabbed his gear and stored it in his Inventory, sparing him the effort of having to don it manually. Afterward, he turned to her and asked, "Where's Asim? Did he change his mind about accompanying us?"
Shaking her head, Kaia revealed, "Bishop Adranis had a task for him and the other Neophytes. They will be convening with the Neophytes of other Chapters to distribute alms to the refugees outside the Great Wall."
"Ah...it's good they got that sorted out..." said Cairn. "Did the Bishop ever discover what happened to the rest of the supplies?"
"If she did, she didn't feel the need to share it," replied Kaia, shrugging her shoulders as she added, "If I had to guess, it has something to do with the higher-ups administrating the city. Regardless, I'm certain that Bishop Adranis can handle it. If she can't, the Cardinal responsible for all the churches in Austral would have to step in. And that's the sort of thing that can get a Noble family stripped of its title."
"Well, not like we could do anything at our current Levels," said Cairn. "For now, let's focus on reaching Level 40. It might take a year a two, but that's the minimum Level we need to start intervening in incidents like this without being a burden."
Recalling from their initial conversation that Sophia was only Level 47, a wry smile marred Kaia's face as she advised, "You should measure your expectations a bit. Even if we spent every waking moment in a Dungeon, it would be difficult to reach Bishop Adranis's Level within twenty years, much less two."
Shaking his head, Cairn confidently asserted, "That might be the case for others, but we have the benefit of knowing the approximate difficulty of Dungeons and the monsters inhabiting them. So long as we pick suitable training locations, our Levels will increase rapidly. If they didn't, there's no way we could enter the Tower of Ascension within ten years."
"Ah..."
Remembering the 'oracle' that Cairn had received, Kaia promptly decided to believe he had at least a basic understanding of what he was saying. It was difficult to envision herself surpassing figures like Bishop Adranis and her father in such a brief period, but Kaia was prepared to give it her best. After all, just as Cairn was chosen, she was personally appointed by Lady Restia to serve as his guide. That had to mean something.
Thoroughly convinced, a look of conviction developed across Kaia's face as she asserted, "Then I will trust in your judgment and dedicate my all to ensure we meet Lady Restia's expectations."
"You do that," said Cairn, smiling as he felt a strange compulsion to reach out and caress Kaia's head. He managed to resist it, but he had a feeling it was only a matter of time before her adorably earnest nature compelled him to praise or try to pacify her...
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After two and a half hours on foot, Cairn and Kaia found themselves at the entrance to Austral Castle Town's slums. The area's architecture matched the city's general theme, but many of the red-tiled roofs appeared to be one bad storm away from ruin. Furthermore, much of the plaster covering their outsides had been covered in graffiti or stripped away, exposing the brick and wood used in their foundation.
Seeing the tremendous disparity between the condition of the slums and the comparably pristine residences just a few blocks away, Kaia couldn't help frowning. The splendor and abundance of Austral were such that if she attempted to put it into words, it would sound like poetry. Yet, in a city where some leisurely strolled around without a care, bellies hanging over their belts, others looked like they hadn't eaten a proper meal their entire lives...
Shaking his head, Cairn's expression and tone softened as he said, "If you really want to change things, become someone with power and authority. Sticking your nose into other people's business before that is a good way to end up with a knife in your back, often placed there by the very people you set out to help..."
Looking up at Cairn, Kaia asked, "Do you have experience with this kind of thing?"
"You could say that," replied Cairn. "But that isn't important right now. Our priority is to Level up and grow stronger. Just as you can't purchase a meat skewer without money, you can't bring about lasting change without the power to enforce and uphold your ideals."
Finished with what he had to say, Cairn stepped into the slums with his hand resting on the pommel of his sword. Kaia followed soon after, their passage drawing considerable attention, but nobody tried to stop them. Not because they were particularly threatening but because they stood out too much. Almost like they were deliberately trying to draw attention...
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As Cairn and Kaia drew nearer to the entrance of the Gnawing Burrow, the condition of the buildings noticeably improved. There were even armored guards patrolling the area, resulting in the duo being stopped rather aggressively before being escorted to their destination the moment they produced Sophia's Holy Writ.
"I apologize if my men caused you any trouble," said the Knight Captain responsible for the security of the Gnawing Burrow, a Level 45 man with black skin and rather stylish dreadlocks fashioned into a ponytail at the back of his head.
Shaking his head, Cairn activated his [Sophistry] and replied, "If anything, it's good they're so alert. Especially during this time of crisis."
Though he felt something was off with Cairn's demeanor, the Knight Captain, named Luciano Merkava, did his best to appear courteous as he returned a smile and said, "Your words honor us. But, if you don't mind my asking, what brings representatives of the Church to this particular region of the city? I'm told you wish to enter the Dungeon..."
"You heard correctly," replied Cairn, unabashedly talking out of his ass as he claimed, "There are concerns that the incident underground is part of a larger plot. Ordinarily, the Church would be happy to entrust the matter to the Knights, but due to the recent mismanagement of supplies, the Bishop felt it was necessary to send a proxy to investigate."
"Aren't you a little young to be Inquisitors?" challenged Luciano, shifting his gaze to Kaia as he added, "And this one...is she truly a representative of the Church?"
Furrowing her brows, Kaia motioned to produce her totem but stopped when Cairn raised his hand, the smile on his face not quite reaching his eyes as he calmly stated, "The Second Tenet says that all of Lady Restia's children are held in equal regard. That a person's worth is not tied to the circumstances of their birth but the quality of their character and actions. Tell me, Captain, since when did your position give you the right to decide who can or cannot be a representative of the Church?"
Feeling slightly unnerved by the smile on Cairn's face, Luciano promptly bowed his head and said, "Please forgive my lack of discretion. I did not mean for my words to offend. And as a follower of the Light, I would not dare to question the Tenets set forth by the Goddess..."
"Good," said Cairn. "Then, once you confirm our identities and that the Holy Writ in our possession is legitimate, my companion and I will enter the Dungeon to conduct our investigation. I trust that won't be an issue?"
"Of course not..." replied Luciano. However, the clenching of his jaw made it clear he wasn't fond of how things had played out. He felt like his pride and honor were being trampled, but with the opposite party representing the most powerful organization in the Central Continent, he had no choice but to comply...
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(A/N: The power of bullshit is strong with this one...)
