Alma 61 Getting The Band Back Together

"You should have just killed them on the spot, boy. Those worms know too much and it's almost guaranteed that they're a part of something worse. Whoever raised them — made those fakes — is likely in league with the Infestation. It is the only explanation I can think of. Nothing else fits as well this conclusion," said Lacrima a scathing voice.

With the Infested? How could those mindless abominations even help the Dragoncrest and Ashborn families? I thought all the do is kill and corrupt everything they touch.

Reed stared out in the void and easily tore the veil of reality with a single thought. Colors and shapes blended in furious mix until they settled down into something recognizable. His abrupt phase into reality sent out a small wave of Anima in the ballroom that crashed into its surrounding, frightening and shocking nobles who had not noticed the foreign intrusion.

"You have limited knowledge of the Scourge, boy. You know not what you speak of. Even they have a life-cycle as they progress through the path of Undeath. The Larvae are merely the youngest and weakest among the Scourge. Give them enough time and they will eventually mature into something else: Pupae — Intelligent Infested that are nearly mature, who have developed a spiritual link with the Outsiders, their eternal masters."

I see. So is one of those helping them behind the scenes? These smart Infested? But how? I thought the Heavenly Aegis made this place impenetrable from the outside.

"Who ever said they had to force themselves to get in here, boy? What if they were let in instead? Sometimes the easiest answer is the right one. No need to a solve a complex puzzle."

Reed's face twisted in disgust when he heard that. He found the idea of revolting to the core. To think that the Dragoncrest and Ashborn families had stooped so low in the pursuit of power.

This place can't afford traitors like them to live a single day longer.

This was something of national concern— no, even greater than that.

What ever these two families are two are planning will likely affect the whole of Mulia. Goddammit, I knew I shouldn't have fucking come.

He looked around the ballroom, ignoring the painful gazes of the people and quickly found Lu'um and Violett, staring at him as if he was the biggest idiot they'd ever seen. Although the reaction was justified, he still didn't appreciate how they immediately assumed he was in wrong.

Reed bitterly smiled and said, "Looks I blew it, guys. Royally. Let's go home, okay?"

Lu'um and Violett calmly smiled at him but he knew what those masks hidden beneath. Oh, he knew. It was a feeling, an instinct so ancient it was talked about in myths. Ancient Mulian scholars even debated whether the ability bordered the supernatural as a extension of precognition.

The coming of wrath. The strife a furious woman brought had a particular feeling to it that triggered the cerebral cortex in a mysterious way that was a subject of study even today…

And Reed was not exempt to this phenomenon. He, too, felt the spine-chilling coldness radiate down from the base of his neck down his body. It was a unexplainable fear so old, it predated his species…

After a long and painful ride home filled strife and despair, the trio returned home. Luckily, Reed's wardens were merciful, beautiful angels that afforded him some measure of compassion after he had explained everything that had happened with his meeting with the so-called Twilight Children.

"They're bold little rats, I'll give them that. I would have never thought that they would have tried to take you for themselves, even after I made you the Lord of Evergreen. I knew something was up, but I would have never thought they'd be this open about their ambitions," said Violett. The expression on her face was of the glacial variety, the kind that could freeze souls on the spot.

"Do you think that they've joined forces with the Holy Church, after all? I've heard rumors of the Ashborns contacting the Sacred Cathedral for something of utmost concern. If so, this will make matters difficult for you, given the delicate relationship between the Holy Church and your family," said Lu'um.

Reed greedily gnawed on batch of delicious pastries that Mira had brought to them and said, "What's the Holy Church? Wait, I thought people considered us to be like Gods in this world? You know, with what we can do and all. That's Astor told me back in the day, I think..."

Violett sighed in frustration and said, "That sounds just like him; always giving half-assed answers without thinking. Yes, the common folk do worship us, but not as Gods per se. They think of us as the Goddess's children, chosen people who have been allowed to wield Her awesome powers for Her sake. That is the Holy Church's belief and therefore, the general belief of the masses. As for the Holy Church, they are a... worrisome lot."

She suddenly felt a headache coming on; if the Holy Church was involved things would get much more complicated. The bastards had allied themselves with the worst possible enemy Violett cursed the Ashborn and Dragoncrest families from the bottom of her heart.

"What, you can't force a couple of old priests to listen to you? What are they going to do to us, scold us and threaten us with eternal damnation?" said Reed in a jovial tone. He found it hilarious that of all the possible things she could have been afraid of, it was a damn church.

"Her worries are well-founded, you fool," said Lu'um in contempt of Reed's naivety. "These old men you joke about are not the same as the ones you might've met in your original world. The priests of the Holy Church command a number of highly powerful contenders that have lived through the Unification Era, thousands of years ago. These ancient fellows are among the very first people to have ever been granted an Alma, so to speak. The Holy Pope himself is so old that he is reputed to have even lived before contenders and conquerors had risen."

"Oh. But even still, he can't be as frightening compared to Grandfather Ulbo and your mother, you know," said Reed in joking tone to Lu'um in a mental message.

Lu'um gazed at Reed with a knowing smile and he immediately said, "Ah, so the Church's really strong? It makes sense now why you can't just force them to spill the beans. Never would have thought that even the priests in this world could be so terrifying." He nervously chuckled in fear and stuffed a chocolate croissant in face, not daring to look at a certain direction…

"They've chosen the most annoying shield of them all to hide behind. The Holy Church has never once obeyed any of the orders that we, the royal family, have ever given them. Nor have they ever listened to anything the Four Empires have said to them. They do what they want, whenever they want, for good reason. I cannot even begin to imagine the bloodshed that would ensue if the Holy Church ever went to war against one of the Four Empires.

Luckily, we have the Four Sovereigns to keep them in check, otherwise, I've no doubt they would have already conquered entire continent for themselves— other rather, for The Goddess," said Violett.

"So what are we supposed to do? Let them walk around freely? They seem to be plotting something big and their end goal is to eventually conqueror all of Mulia. We have to snuff this plot out before things get out of hand," said Reed.

Violett shook her head and said," No, this is something that demands a deft touch, Reed. This is outside the scope of our reach, and will require the combined efforts of the Four Empires to be dealt with. I will have inform Father about this development and then send word of this to my contacts in the other empires." She stood up and said, "If those rats send you any more information, let me know as soon as possible. And please, do not attempt anything foolish in the meantime, Reed."

As she slowly vanished into motes of light she said, "I trust you'll keep him out of trouble, right?"

Lu'um looked at Violett's disappearing figure and said, "Naturally."

We'll see about that soon enough… I have to get Astrid and Sebastian as far away from their families as I can before the Four Empires eventually strike.

"Looks like I'm going to have to work overtime hours for the foreseeable future," said Reed as he fiddled with a half-eaten biscuit. "And here I thought I'd get to enjoy slouching off for a little bit longer…"

"What are you going to do next, boy? The clock has already started ticking. How are you going to save them? You might be strong enough to handle than those silver worms, but it won't be as easy as that," said Lacrima, amused with Reed's drive to finally do something interesting.

Reed smirked and said, "First thing I'm going to do is call up some friends. It's time to get the band back together."

Chapter end