The Runic Alchemist

Chapter 901: The Existence of Lies

The young Ashborn looked visibly shaken. The empire had already asked him several times about the activities the Dawnstar nobles were doing on Virestone Reach. Damian had stated clearly to the emperor that he wouldn’t stop them. But if they attack the empire, he won’t help them either unless they reach the gates of Sanctuary and beg to be saved.

This was not an issue for them. Both countries barely mentioned the pitiful force of Leon Goldflame.

Damian did not wish to lose the sword, New Dawn, that contained a fourth ranker runesmith’s prime spell. But the sword represented the spirit of Dawnstar. If he took it forcefully, the people of Dawnstar would never forget him. After hearing what Lightbringer was like, Damian was not too eager to get it either.

“Anything else?” Souldealer asked when the silence stretched.

“Yes,” The lady priest said. But did not add anything more, just glancing at Leon once.

Leon cleared his throat and said,

“As the representative of the true Dawnstar people who are devoted to their faith, I have to inform you, Lord Keeper, that your decision to open all dungeons for all commoners contradicts the divine commandments of the Sun Temple.”

Gloria took over from there,

“If you do not make some adjustments in this matter, the Sun Temple will have no choice but to declare you a heretic.”

Her piercing eyes were fixed on Damian without any fear. Saying such things to a transcendent, one of the strongest ones at that, could only be done by madmen or religious zealots who did not care for their lives.

“We are not beholden to your god’s commandments. People of Sanctuary saved Sanctuary, not a god. Declare us whatever you want, but do it outside our borders. Any priest I find spreading violent ideas among my people, which includes Virestone Reach, will be executed there and then. No questions asked.”

All people present in the office backed away for a second. Eyes wide, some even gasped, all valid reactions.

Most would expect him to try to push for peace with the oldest religion on the mainland. No leader would reject any organization just like that; they would play negotiation games and do their best not to lead it into open rebellion. But Damian did not have time for such games.

They sent this lady here just for that. Trying to make him fear the uprising that may follow if he did not give in slightly to their wishes. Her goal at best here was to secure some special dungeon access or money for their co-operation.

But they forget one thing.

’This is not the empire, and I am not the emperor.’

If the priests wanted to fight, he will fight. Those cowards hated demons and still kept hiding behind the mainland kingdoms instead of acting on their commandments. Even if they were hiding enough strength to topple a kingdom, Damian was more than prepared.

The biggest concern was public influence. But if there were people crazy enough to hate all the good things Damian had done in favor of commoners to join the crazy religious zealots, then there was no saving them. Better that they came out on the streets than spread their venom in his home.

Damian turned towards Leon,

“You want to take these cowards’ help who did not fight for their own homeland and against the common mainland enemies like the demons, then take it. But know it well that if the emperor spares you and you set foot in the Sanctuary again, I will execute you myself personally.”

“My lord..” Souldealer murmured.

Damian looked towards her. But after thinking for a second, she said nothing more and nodded, showing she did not have any issues.

“Stop them!” Maelor said suddenly, “You can do it! Just stop them all.”

Damian looked at the man. Crushed between the burden of family and friends. But it was personal, not a Sanctuary business. He was a keeper, not a tyrant.

Damian exhaled, “My job is not to force madmen to my will. I can only show them a better path. Deciding to walk or not on that path is a person’s own choice. It is in my power, however, to make you the rightful lord of Virestone Reach. That is, if you have the resolve enough to stop this foolishness at any cost.”

Maelor’s shaking eyes stared at Damian; he maintained the contact as well, not backing down. But Maelor did not accept; he glanced at his brother once and then lowered his head.

’Who knew loyalty itself could be such a poisonous trait..’

Leon and all nobles stood up, eyeing him, then walked away. But before leaving, Leon paused and glanced back at Damian. Then, surprisingly, he lowered his head slightly,

“This is the purpose of my life. But it doesn’t have to be the end of us. I request you, Lord Keeper, to shelter my only sister. She prefers this place anyway and probably for a good reason.”

“We do not judge the past; we guard every future.”

Damian reiterated the lines etched on the Sanctum building. Leon nodded and left the room.

Priest Gloria sent her fellow followers away as well. Now the office only had Damian, Souldealer, and Goria herself.

With transcedents in the building who could sense them, the leaving group knew better than to wander around suspiciously. The red mana thread had already shifted to Gloria. In a moment, her eyes lost the recognition of life, and the Sun God took over.

“Execution, hm? Aren’t you a gutsy one..” The possessed priest spoke in a haunting voice.

“As I said, I do not care who I serve as long as they guarantee the safety of my people,” Damian said without a pause.

“Astraea can’t do anything for you. I have enough influence that, without breaking a single code, I can make you the ruler of them all. Besides.. you owe me.”

Damian’s eyebrows lifted, hearing the last part.

“I owe you?” he asked.

“Yes,” Gloria said. “The boy who died and was then somehow reborn. You think a god doesn’t know when their blessings are rejected?”

A chill ran down Damian’s spine.

’Was it really the Sun God who summoned him to this world? The burned hand mage was Sun God? It can’t be! Right?’

But no one in the world knew other than Lucian, Sam, and Maelor. Could it be Maelor? How the fuck did he miss this one link!? It should have been obvious.

Of course, as a second-ranker, Maelor would be the target. Everything from the Pigman world and even that memory trap must have been revealed through him.

Now the thing was. Damian had no idea if this bastard Sun God was telling the truth or just playing him. He thought and overthought about every single thing, and missed this big an issue?

Lucian and Sam were right. He was indeed overworked. Since the moment Steelweaver opened his eyes, Damian was constantly doing this and that. He should have given more thought to what secrets of his could be leaked.

If this spreads in public.. It wouldn’t be the end of him, but it would indeed become a problem for the Sanctum’s long-term goals. Their faith in him as a leader will be shaken. That will make any wars that might start even more annoying to deal with.

But if it were that easy to blackmail him, Damian wouldn’t be running a country right now.

He looked straight in the eyes of Gloria and said,

“Even if you were behind that, I did not ask you to do this favor to me. I do not owe you anything. As for ruling them all? I am not the emperor. I do not own the sanctuary; bigger borders do not concern me.”

“Interesting,” A creepy smile formed on the eyeless woman’s face.

Then she added, “Fine, I do not care if you become my follower or not. I already know the true reason for this godless status of yours. You do not serve any purpose to me. Unlike others, I know this weird method of yours can’t be shared or learned. Just remember to never cross my path or even think about growing your borders. This sad excuse of a place will be gone in a few centuries.”

Damian had no choice but to nod along as the red mana thread disappeared and Gloria was herself again.

Without saying a word, she got up and left. Souldealer glanced towards Damian for a second, then followed behind the priest. She must have lots of questions. Damian was glad she did not voice any of them right now.

He got up from the chair and lay down on the couch facing the translucent wall. Staring mindlessly at the busy city that was growing every day.

To be honest, he could not say that the burned hand man was not the Sun God. The bastard was known for his schemes. And the Sunblade house was one of the oldest bloodlines that served the Sun God.

Could he be some messed-up result of Sun God’s attempt to create another Lightbringer?