Chrysalis of Love

Calla Lily scoffed, and walk away with a dramatic 'Hmph!'.

"I only came by to say hello to my beloved prince, not receive a sermon. Sermons disgust me to the core, ah! They are absolutely horrendous!"

She grabbed 'Lazan' by the arm and went out of the Temple.

"Come now, Lazan! Lunch is almost over, and staying longer with these priests and priestesses will either get us chased with branding irons or receive poppycock about kindness!"

Marigold just smiled and waved goodbye to them.

"Oh please do not fear about branding irons! We do not brand people, that is just a myth!"

Calla suddenly became even more infuriated. She stopped on her tracks.

Her tone went cold, and she turned to the priestess with a fake smile.

"That myth happened to my father though. Branded with the rune for 'repel' right on his handsome face, right on his forehead."

"Never allowed to step near any temple again to ask for blessings to the gods because of his 'wickedness'."

Marigold blinked and quickly apologized.

She was so shocked as if she was the one who branded Calla's father by accident, her eyes tearing up a bit as she reached out to the actress' shoulder.

"Oh, I'm deeply sorry about that! But I promise we do not do so anymore, you can come to the Temple in peace and pray---"

Calla just pushed her hand away roughly.

"Do not bother. There is no praying for the 'wicked'.

She continued to walk briskly, dragging 'Lazan' with her. 'Lazan' looked back at the others.

Cermin was still conflicted about how fast his heart was beating just from seeing Marigold. This sudden conflict made him even more confused.

On one hand, he pitied Calla for her experience and wanted to console her.

On the other hand, he wanted to talk to Marigold more. Get to know her and maybe become friends....

(Agh, this is like choosing between two routes in a dating sim again!) Cermin complained in his head.

But in the end, he chose Marigold.

After all, Marigold possibly needs consoling too. She looked like she was a bout to cry because of being lashed on for something she didn't do.

Her hands were shaking, and she didn't know what to do.

Cermin placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Let's give her some space, it's up to her if she wants to go to the Temple of not. It's not your fault, or anyone in this room."

He frowned as he watched Calla leaving, and he momentarily locked eyes with 'Lazan'.

'Lazan' just gave him a 'Whatchu looking at?' kind of glare, and he awkwardly looked away.

"The Artisans just had old grudges with the Monks, and it's the fault of the older generations." Cermin told her.

"They are to blame. If not for that, you and Calla may have even gotten along."

"So Calla is her name...." Marigold's eyes fluttered with some tears that looked like dew drops over her long lashes.

She rubbed her eyes and wore a determined look on her face.

"I shall try to make amends with what the older generations did to her. To her father. To all the Artisans as well."

Calla Lily scoffed at this, veins still popping out of her neck.

She and Ronin had gone out of earshot from the trio now.

So Ronin or 'Lazan' had to watch everything from his mirror connected to the peeping stone he planted again.

There was also one in Cermin's pocket, which he placed by commanding a Warriors student to put it there. He can't see anything from this angle but at least he could hear.

Calla turned to him watching in the mirror, and sighed.

"You still insist on watching all these boring nonsense they speak? You really are too obsessed with him."

She walked away and 'Lazan' didn't really care about her opinion enough to follow her.

His figure eventually changed, and he went back to being Ronin. The Fool's Eye skill has run out.

He pulled up his cloak and continued listening to the conversation just right outside the Temple of Gods.

"That sounds like a good plan already. The thought itself speaks a lot about your kindness, Mari." Cermin smiled, patting her shoulder. "You'll get through her soon, I know it."

Zeriav meanwhile scoffed. "In my opinion, we should just leave the Artisans be. They're all just a bunch of heathens."

Cermin chuckled nervously. "H-Hey now! That's not true at all, Zeriav..... And there could be exceptions---"

"Even if that is true."

Zeriav's tone was harsh as a great blizzard that destroys all crops when he said:

"Why try to mend a bridge that the other side had no intention of fixing? When they rather keep on burning and burning it?"

Cermin doesn't know how to respond this time. Because he does have a point.

For the old grudge between the Artisans and Monks to be resolved, it has to go both ways.

Yet Marigold turned to Zeriav and responded firmly:

"Then I will fly over that burned bridge and try to meet the other side even when they are reluctant to do so. Because I believe...."

"That all hearts change when faced with love."

'Lazan'/Ronin cringed when he heard this. But it does make sense for Marigold's character as Goddess Seele's priestess.

Goddess Seele is the Goddess of Love, Kindness, and Change after all.

It reminded Ronin of the term 'Metanoia'.

In Christian theology, this means the change of the heart, or spiritual conversion. Repentance and redemption.

Goddess Seele also had this metanoia-like aspect in her religion's teachings, her 'scripture'.

It always speaks of how anyone can have a 'Chrysalis of Love'. Her imagery was always close to butterflies and she was said to have butterfly wings.

Marigold recited this scripture's litany to the boys:

"When one crawls into this world alone like a caterpillar

Downtrodden and blinded, only reaching for the light

It is our duty to surround them in a chrysalis of love

So that they may turn into a beautiful butterfly"

Cermin had heard this only now, so he was amazed by it and a little caught by surprise.

He said genuinely. "That's very beautiful, Sister.... And it's true. I agree 100%!"

But Zeriav had already heard this from Marigold and the other followers of Seele several times. And he does not find it beautiful nor agreeable.

"I respect your goddess' belief, Sister Rozenaur..." He said, as his voice became distant, possibly walking away.

"But some people never change."

"Or if they did, they only change for the worse. Not every caterpillar turn into a beautiful butterfly."

"Some of them turn into terrifying, hideous moths."

And Ronin found himself agreeing with that.

No 'Chrysalis of Love' can ever change him.

He was a moth. And he aspires to be the most terrifying, hideous moth of them all.