8 Realization

The trip back to Laemno's chambers was relatively silent.

Aspasia and Charis were still processing Father Agathon's suicide. Adonal Virgins were assigned in a rotation of four years to take care of the Celestial Offering, and they happened to be in their fourth year. With the elder ascetic's position as Laemno's teacher, they had ample time to know him, meaning such an abrupt death must have come as quite a shock to them.

Laemno, on the other hand, was more worried about the consequences of this event. If the Temple of Stars were careful enough, they would consider the possibility of magecraft being involved. That would lead to increased security, thus reducing his chance of escaping.

Aside from the Hallowed Sovereigns, the greatest human powers in this world are the religious Temples. If magi truly exist in a way that could be exploited, they're sure to be part of these institutions. This can be further confirmed by the fact that most Temples work hard at repressing any sign of occultism.

They are opponents I'll have to face if I want to survive the Sacrificial Ceremony. The problem is, I have no idea what they're capable of.

Laemno turned around the last corner leading to a familiar hallway, where two strange temple guards stood in front of his quarters' entrance, talking with an even stranger young man.

Usually, temple guards dressed in a short white tunic fastened at the shoulder and draped under a loose cloak with silver designs. They would carry silver-pointed spears that matched their featherless helmets and often patrolled the Outer Monastery, rarely coming near the Inner Monastery or the Luminous House.

However, these guards wore golden, bell-shaped breastplates over flowy, white tunics and silvery mantles that dangled gracefully above their forearms. Their Corinthian helmets displayed ashen plumes and hid most of their faces, but Laemno could still feel their stares as he approached.

The young man they were talking to had an even more peculiar appearance, revealing a white tunic, a golden cloak filled with starry designs, and a silver mantle wrapped around his shoulder. He had short, curly black hair, brown eyes, and an average, clean-shaven face.

Still, his bearing felt more overpowering than the taller, armored guards next to him.

Star-shaped brass earrings swayed as he beckoned them to approach with a pompous expression. Upon getting closer, Laemno noticed that he had faint stigmata on his pale face, spreading in a straight, thick line up his left cheek and ending with a half-circle underneath his left eye.

"Greetings, Honored One." The young man started with a respectful bow, prompting the armored guards to do the same.

Laemno froze for a moment before nodding in return. "Greetings... uh..."

"My name is Stolos of Priene. I am sorry that we meet in such tragic circumstances. I heard that Elder Agathon was like a father figure to you."

"Indeed he was... I would have never guessed that he would give up on life this abruptly. To be honest, I still can't believe it." Laemno answered in a somber tone, though his eyes were dry of any tears.

"Neither do we. I am a Novice from the Luminous House. We were sent to investigate the circumstances of Father Agathon's death."

Laemno's chest tightened.

He used the term "death" rather than "suicide." Are they already aware of something? Moreover, their response was abnormally quick. We haven't taken any detours from the library, yet they've arrived in my chambers before us.

"May I know why the investigation started with my quarters?"

"It's only a measure of caution. With the day of the Sacrificial Ceremony coming upon us, your security is our utmost priority."

Until you butcher me at the altar. Laemno inwardly added, stifling his grimace with all his might. "I understand. If there's something I can do to help, please ask."

"Of course. If you allow it, I'd like to borrow your caretakers for a moment. Then we'll need to ask you some questions. A Priestess is currently inspecting your chambers, so please wait here."

Stolos quickly gestured to his guards before leading Charis and Aspasia deeper into the hallway. The two armored men stood still on each side of Laemno, subtly implying that he couldn't move for now.

After a few minutes of excruciating silence, the door to Laemno's chambers opened, and a delicate-looking young woman greeted them.

She had intricately braided chestnut hair that sat on her left shoulder, woven around an ornate, gilded pin. Unlike Stolos' attire, her white tunic went past her knees, and her mantle was a tantalizing shade of red with feathery golden edges. She wore the same brass, star-shaped earring, but only on her left ear. Her stigmata were more pronounced, resembling a yellow-colored tattoo with elegant patterns that enhanced the natural beauty of her flawless copper skin.

Hiding her initial surprise behind a smile, the young woman spoke in a melodious voice. "Greetings, Honored One. My name is Lyra Elcmene, a Priestess from the Luminous House. I hope you'll excuse us for bothering you after such a sad occurrence."

Laemno soundlessly nodded, his mind drifting elsewhere.

Naming structures in Hierapetra are different than what I'm used to. It seems like only women can bear the family name, while men need to identify with their birth city instead. That's quite strange. I wonder what purpose it serves.

"Did your investigation yield anything, Priestess? If it's something related to Father Agathon's death, I want to know."

"Well, I don't know about the ascetic's death, but..." Lyra paused momentarily before revealing a cracked table mirror she was carrying under her garments. "I found this mirror underneath your bed. Do you know anything about it, Honored One?"

Damn it! I knew I should've thrown it away instead of hiding it! Laemno could feel his back drenching with sweat. He did his best to hide his panic and faked a pondering look.

"I did have a similar mirror, but I remember losing it quite a while ago. Is it important?"

Lyra raised an eyebrow. "There's a lingering scent of blood on it. Furthermore, it must've been hidden there recently since no dust has settled on its surface yet. Apart from the Adonal Virgins, did anyone enter your chambers these past few days?"

"I... don't think so," Laemno answered truthfully.

The Priestess frowned, a golden swirl briefly glistening in her jet-black eyes as she stared at Laemno. She retracted her gaze soon after, glancing at the two armored guards.

"You'll both stay here tonight. I'll send ten more guards to cover this entire wing of the Monastery. No one enters or leaves without express authorization from the Luminous House. There must be at least four people stationed in front of the Honored One's chambers at all times, and he doesn't move without a three-man escort. Understood?"

"Understood!" The two guards hit the ground with the blunt edge of their spears, their grunts low and synchronized.

"Priestess Lyra! Did you find anything?" Stolos hurried back after he heard her voice. His tone was much more polite with her, and there was no sign of his arrogant expression.

"We'll talk about it later. What about the Adonal Virgins?"

"I sent them to the Luminous House. They had signs of hypnosis magecra-..." Stolos realized that Laemno was still within earshot and quickly hushed himself.

Lyra stared coldly at the Novice, then shot a glance at Laemno. "We'll be on our way now, Honored One. Please rest in your chambers until new caretakers arrive from the Caphygae Palace. May the Firmament protect us all."

She traced the holy symbol of Adonaios—the Luminous Spear—on her chest before dragging Stolos along with her.

"May the Firmament protect us all."

Laemno did the same thing out of a strangely ingrained habit from his remnant memories. He then quietly entered his bedroom.

To his surprise, it looked exactly as he had left it. The Priestess had most likely used some occult means to fish out the cracked table mirror underneath his bed.

This is bad. They might not suspect me for now, but they're definitely aware that something is going on. With the Sacrificial Ceremony at risk, they've already taken measures to tighten security. I'm afraid this is only the beginning...

Laemno cursed his bad luck as he walked towards the silvery table in the middle of his room. He took out the triangular mirror and the decrepit-looking notebook from under his tunic, placing them next to each other atop the ornate surface.

To summarize, there are possibly two assassins lurking within the Inner Monastery right now. The first one gave the real Laemno the triangular mirror and suggested a "question" to ask, which led to the boy's suicide. He's careful and very methodical, but that's terrifying in and of itself. At the very least, I won't have to expect an attack from him now that the security has been tightened.

The second one somehow usurped Father Agathon's identity after killing him, then chose to openly interact with me before staging his suicide. He's rash and enjoys the "process" of killing more than the result, explaining why he didn't murder me when he had the chance. No, wait...

Everything that I've deduced about him right now stems from the few moments when he had acted "out-of-character" while impersonating Father Agathon. I only noticed it because it contrasted greatly with the ascetic's usual personality, but why would the killer do that? I don't believe an assassin would be so dumb as to give himself out that easily.

He wanted to frighten me, perhaps? He enjoys this "game?" But that would've backfired on him had I chosen to seek help from the Luminous House. He's in unfamiliar terrain within a secluded area controlled by one of the strongest powers in this world. There's no way this is a plausible explanation.

Laemno's gaze locked onto the notebook as his thoughts raced.

What if... he wasn't an assassin? My perception has been skewed by my first night in this world—the aftermath of an elaborate murder attempt. Not everyone who tries to establish contact necessarily wants me dead. He's aware that he's in a highly dangerous situation, but he still willingly broke his cover for...

Laemno's eyes suddenly widened, coming to a realization.

The second "assassin" is actually an ally! He broke his cover to help me establish an initial goal for my escape route. I only discovered the anomaly when he spoke about the Sethian Empire!

Furthermore, he openly staged Father Agathon's suicide to draw the Luminous House's attention. He wanted them to increase the security since it would impede the first assassin's plans! He's protecting me!

Laemno paced around, growing more and more confident of his hypothesis.

Everything matches. Thanks to Stolos' blunder, I know that Charis and Aspasia were under some kind of hypnotic magecraft. In normal circumstances, there's no way the caretakers would leave me alone in the solarium to search for help.

Also, when Father Agathon's corpse strolled back inside the library, he didn't show any hostility—instead, he smiled and bowed. I overlooked the significance of such simple actions merely due to the creepy nature of the encounter.

As the puzzle assembled itself piece by piece in Laemno's mind, he approached the silvery table.

However, by causing such a stir, my "helper" put himself in danger too. He can no longer act openly, but he ensured it was worth it by giving me this notebook.

The notebook's leather binding was severely worn down by age. It had no title and no sign indicating its origin. Aside from those few points, it looked completely normal.

Laemno stood still for a long time, hesitating as his eyes darted between the two items on the table.

Finally, he made his decision... and immediately reached for the triangular mirror.