Eryl's Answers

Eryl contemplated. Should he answer? Should he feign ignorance? Or should he just straight up regress what he said? It was a slip of his tongue, a thought that managed to get out. Should he introduce a son of the most important person in the city to that side of the world? However, since he already mentioned it to an innocent party, there's not much use of hiding it anymore. Along with Ayre's insistence, his answer was...

"Swear to the Lady Above, our Goddess, The Libra, that you will not mention anything that you will ever hear in this conversation."

Ayre readily answered.

"I swear to the Goddess of Balance, Lady Libra, that I will not say anything about what I will hear from this point onwards in this conversation to anyone."

After a short pause, he continued.

"Does swearing alone works? Do we need some kind of like contract?"

Ayre was skeptical about it. After all, they were all verbal contracts. There even was no action whatsoever for the swear so how can it be so effective?

"You identify yourself as a devout believer but you don't even believe the power of the goddess?"

"Wait, a power? That ambience is also related to it right?"

They were still in their respective positions since earlier. Ayre was seating straight while Eryl was leaning on his table.

Eryl slowly closed his eyes. He moved away and got himself a chair to sit on. While putting his two hands on his thighs, he started explaining to Ayre.

"All I know is that the pleads to the Goddess works. I don't know if ambience has anything to do with it. I don't know much so you don't have to take this so seriously."

After a short pause, he started talking again.

"Yes. There are supernatural things that are present in this world. Ambience is the cause, the medium and the product making all of these possible. It is basically like an energy one can wield with their own hands on their own respective ways. At least that's what I'm taught after becoming a cardinal. Personally though, I have no such experience. You can call me a failure in that sense. Though Flinn wasn't."

"A failure?"

"Training in manipulating that. To be honest I don't really know. I just know the concept."

"Then how does that explain the candle?"

"I didn't knew of the candle because of ambience itself but there's some history in that. And with the person you described earlier, it just clicked to me that those events weren't a coincidence. A letter of the church that's supposedly secret was decrypted because of a candle and a black-robed person appeared, with a curious ability of 'separation'. I am not a detective but even me with those clues will come up to the conclusion that they are after that candle. What's to get from a useless summoning letter?"

"Well, you do have a point. But from the perspective of a normal person, an invisible ink of some sorts is already a weird thing. I don't really blame myself for that."

"I suggest you don't keep that candle with you anymore. It will bring dangerous people like that one last night."

"Why are they after the candle though? I mean, they themselves can wield or use ambience so what's the use of a candle emitting one...?"

"Use in itself is not that much. They are after it's potential. By potential I mean its value towards non wielding people like me. Another is that it may evolve to be something later. I am not sure of the last parts though."

"Then how about the person last night? Who was he?"

"Oh yes I have to warn you too about that. It's not a single person. It's an organization. I don't know what they call themselves but a fact is that they are blasphemous extremists coming from the north. You should be careful for possible future encounters. That's all I know. I believe I answered all of your questions already. You may leave now."

"That... that is a lot of information to digest. So let me confirm this. Ambience is basically what power is constructed from. The candle was the target of an extremist group and that candle is on my grasp. Are these correct?"

"Yes. I advice you also to live like a normal person. It's not like you'll have a chance in getting to know ambience deeper but if an opportunity appears, that's not an opportunity but a devil's whisper. I am telling you to turn back towards the other side and forget anything about it. Good day, Ayre."

Eryl wanted to end the conversation right there. Of course, Ayre, who was still busy processing the information he received but still grateful to Eryl for the answers, left without looking back.

...

After a few minutes of thinking, Ayre found himself on the hallway of the church. He directly exited the premises and looked for Dan. Dan was getting bored from waiting and when he saw Ayre stepped out, he hurriedly prepared the carriage.

"Where to now?"

"Hmm. I think I'd like to get some work done I guess. Got nothing to do. What a wasted day off. Well, actually not."

"Aight."

"By the way, pay extra attention to your surroundings when driving. Especially to robed individuals."

"I've been driving for you for three whole years and you still don't trust me? What a master you are..."

"Whatever. Just do as I say."

"Aight, aight. Pay extra attention it is."

...

"I am a failure. But Flinn wasn't..."

Eryl frowned. It's unclear if it's jealousy or bitterness but he has something against Flinn. The poor guy was sent to the "domain " to do something. As someone he doesn't really like, he was glad when he heard he'd replace him and Flinn would go to a potentially dangerous place but now that he think about it, it's just a dumb way of telling himself that he's eating Flinn's leftovers which didn't sit well with him.

"Tch."

"Cardinal Eryl. The church is ready."

"All right. I'll be heading there now. And Min."

"Yes?"

"Pay attention to the Bushnell estate. As a deviation, you can clearly observe that place right?"

"Yes. What should I do if something happens?"

"Hmm. Help Ayre but without no compensation of course. After all..."

"Alright. Will do. If you'll excuse me."

The ending of the cardinal and assistant's conversation marked the start of the ringing of the bells as the church continued it's day masses of the current revolution's second day.

...

Ayre arrived at his office. He was actually wondering if he'd get attacked on the way but it seems like his worries were pointless. What he was planning on doing now was not really official work but instead investigation. Eryl gave him a clue after all.

"A blasphemous extremist terrorist group. If it's with such a description, then there may be possible incident that involves them these last few years. Especially when Eryl said that they just came from the north. Why would they come here though? Well, it doesn't matter."

Although as a member of the foreign affairs he has no power or authority to handle papers from the judiciary branch, he was still after all, a chief and, well, with perks of being the governor's son, his clearance was easily approved. He started investigating from noon and planned on doing it until the end of the day. It is apparently what he calls "using time as efficient as possible".