The priest kept his position in the middle of the room with practiced ease; his posture stood tall, with his hands folded in front of him. He spoke once more, his tone friendly and welcoming, but there was more behind it.
The feeling he gave Morena was an irregular one; she didn’t trust the man, even though his face held a smile. He was like a snake, one that hid in the grass waiting to snap at anything that lowered its guard.
She found him distrustful almost instantly and didn’t want to interact with him. But that wasn’t an option she had at the moment.
"I do hope you fine ladies and gentlemen excuse the rush in calling this meeting, as well as the lack of procedures. Tonight isn’t one for pleasantries, but instead for the safety, not just ours, but for the people as well. Safety of the city, safety of the faithful."
He spoke with a tongue coated in honey, yet no one believed a single word that left his mouth, but no one spoke against them either.
Behind him, the hooded figure stood still, their head lowered slightly. The fabric swallowed them whole, yet the weight of their presence in the room was much harder to ignore.
Morena couldn’t help but keep glancing at them, even when the priest was speaking.
The priest’s smile was polite, lips thin, but the tone beneath it was not.
"I am sure you have all heard the whispers. A criminal, a heretic, slipped through our net and now runs wild within our city. He has already killed one of our men. Worse still, we believe that he’s not acting alone."
Murmurs stirred along the edges of the room. Nobles exchanged looks, but no one raised their voice.
’Have they caught on already?’
Morena raised an eyebrow at his words, her thoughts worried that they had already caught onto the fact that she was aiding him. But soon enough, she calmed herself.
If they were certain of her involvement, they wouldn’t have bothered gathering this meeting or inviting her; they would have used some excuse to barge into her home and demand answers.
This was more like a guess, one made under the assumption that the man couldn’t avoid detection as he had so far alone.
The priest raised a hand to silence the murmurs in the crowd.
"Your loyalty must be clear. If any among you harbors suspicion, it will be known. We will search every street, every hall, and every estate if we must. But it would be better if you, the city’s pillars, stand with us."
The words were coated with courtesy, but the threat lay bare. He obviously didn’t trust the nobles and made it clear that if they didn’t do as the church desired, then they would fall victim to the church’s gaze.
The hooded figure tilted their head slightly, not speaking, just watching the room. Every time someone shifted, their unseen gaze seemed to move with it, covering the entire place.
Lord Carrow was the first to step forward and voice his thoughts.
"Of course, Father. House Carrow has nothing to hide and serves with open arms. Our gates remain open for your inspection if need be. We want nothing more than peace."
A few nods followed his words, though Morena noticed the strain at the corners of his mouth. His eagerness was less about faith and more about fear, and everyone knew that; he couldn’t afford to get on the bad side of the church.
That was why he tried his best to butter up favor, being the first to step forward and bend his head, like a loyal dog.
The twins from Estholm spoke next, voices soft, echoing each other in rhythm.
"We support the search. Whoever this man is, he brings danger with him. But we are certain that you will find nothing of value."
They offered empty words, allowing the church to search their estate, but nothing more. They didn’t promise to lend any men, coin, or even time, but they had shown their support in words.
The church couldn’t demand that they give up something, and they knew that much.
Lady Brenle drifted closer, emerald pin catching the light.
"We only want stability, Father. Our coffers are strained, but coin can always be found for what ensures peace."
Her words were smooth, but her meaning was plain: they would pay to stay out of trouble and to have the church not bother with searching their estate.
The priest seemed to hesitate at the words for a second, as if contemplating whether to accept them or not. His eyes moved just slightly, enough to gaze at the cloaked figure beside him.
Morena picked up on the tension in his shoulders easing as the cloaked figure moved their hand.
"Your offer is generous and sure to aid in finding the heretic. House Brenle is one of noble value after all."
He praised her with nothing but empty words, ones that neither party cared to hear. The matter had been settled and that was all they cared about.
Marset, bolder than sense allowed, lifted his chin.
"And perhaps, Father, if the inspections of the merchant supplies were lightened, we could direct more of our resources toward helping in this matter. Coin moves quicker when hands aren’t tied."
The priest’s smile thinned further, but he did not answer the man. He let the silence do it for him.
Morena stayed still, cup in her hand. She spoke only when the pause stretched long enough that silence might draw attention.
"House Ravenscroft stands ready to hear what the church requires. But you already know the state of my house. Our men are strained enough securing what is ours. We cannot spare more without weakening our walls."
A ripple of acknowledgment moved faintly through the nobles. It was true, and everyone knew it; her father’s condition was no secret.
The priest gave her a single look, unreadable, before turning back to the room.
"We understand each house has its burdens. That is why we do not ask for what you cannot give. But loyalty is not always measured in swords or coin."
He glanced at the hooded figure.
With all focus on them, the hooded figure stepped forward and took the main floor. They didn’t reveal their face, but instead spoke. The voice was low, steady, and from the tone, Morena could tell it was a female.
The oddity, however, was the way the voice carried itself. Like a wave across the room, while it wasn’t loud, no one could mishear it, echoing in the minds of all that heard it like church bells.
There was an unusual sense behind it, so much so that Morena, who had been investigating mana and elemental energy in depth, could tell that there was something off about it.
And it seemed like she wasn’t the only one.
[Unknown Energy Detected.]
’Unknown? Is it neither mana nor elemental energy?’
[Energy Signature does not match the recorded data for either Mana or Elemental Energy.]
’Can you figure out what it is based on existing data?’
[Inconclusive. Energy Signature is completely unlike other energy.]
Morena widened her eyes in shock, but quickly returned to a plain expression to avoid standing out. Her surprise was evident, this was yet another energy source that she had come across so far in this world.
And this one was completely different from both elemental energy and mana, making it something completely new.
’Record it and save it for later. Maybe we can figure out more.’
The conversation with the AI took no more than a few seconds. In reality, the figure had just started speaking, everyone in the room paying keen attention to them.
"Loyalty is measured in truth."
The nobles shifted uneasily as they spoke, some even gazed with glossy eyes.
The figure continued.
"Each house will speak with us. Individually. Tonight."
The murmurs returned, and this time grew. Many were confused, some were nervous.
The priest spread his hands, as if to soothe, yet it did little to counter the nobles’ discussions.
"Only to ensure no shadows linger where light should be. A formality. Nothing more. In the eyes of our Lord, you are all welcome flames. You will all pass with flying colors, that is what I believe."
No one believed that either, but no one argued.
Morena’s gaze lingered on the hooded figure. It was clear they held a position in the church that was much higher than the priest, and they held some sort of unknown power that could be used through their voice.
She wanted to know more about them, and perhaps she could use this one-on-one meeting as a chance to do just that. While they asked her questions, she could have the AI scan their body and try to figure out what the energy source was.
Maybe even ask some questions of her own to probe into the church and its purpose.
Soon enough her turn would come, and when it did, she would need to be prepared to deal with them.