Epic Of The Demonic Sage

Priest Maleck's head was wrapped up in a fervent desire to bow to Young Lord Asher, the cut on his chest bleeding and seeping his robes red, a sign, but he also didn't forget to respectfully answer the Count.

"However, it is quite possible that only the Grand Cathedral of Etara might have the ability to check Young Lord's Asher gift if he wishes to go there." Priest Maleck replied.

"Is that so?" Count Gabriel said.

His expression grew a lot more thoughtful compared to his wife. His thoughts on the matter was once again made with the thought of how things might change for Asher if his status was revealed.

'Asher is no longer a child though, Gabriel. You've even passed the Inanis heirlooms to him because you trust that he is now an adult and capable of making decisions for himself. Even with this sudden news of him being Etara's apostle shouldn't make it any different, but this is quite big news no matter how much I think of it.'

Count Gabriel couldn't help but be lost in his thoughts, thinking back on all the recent events and successes that his son brought to them in the time after the war with Gisir.

'It's a little blasphemous to think of this, but is the reason why Etara blessed our son was for this purpose alone and not simply because she wished to reward him for all that he had done or as something of mercy for his suffering in the past years? Asher has become more and more like a suitable heir for the Inanis family, but now I can't help but think that it might actually be a different path for him depending on how things happen from now on.'

"Um, Priest Maleck… pardon me for my words, but you are still bleeding." Kiana politely pointed out.

Countess Lita who was also wrapped up in her own private thoughts stirred to attention and cleared her throat.

"Priest Maleck, would you like us to call for Healer Delia at once? I understand that this has been done as an act of fealty towards our son and goddess Etara, but your wound has not stopped bleeding, I believe." Countess Lita said with a kind smile.

"Oh, I am quite fine. Please do not worry about me, Countess." Priest Maleck shook his head with a smile, the blood still visible on his forehead. It had dried up slightly, but it was still there.

While the Countess and Priest Maleck were going on their small conversation, trying to insist that Kiana should go for a healer while the Count also thought about this new situation, something else was happening for Lucius.

Lucius had already stopped the Veil of Terror, confident that it was no longer necessary but then some strange energy cloaks him all of a sudden.

'What is this…? I couldn't have casted the Veil of Terror on myself, so this is an unknown energy instead.' Lucius' brows creased together.

The energy's feeling was not at all pleasant to deal with, not entirely hostile, but it was still an uncomfortable sensation as it didn't belong to him at all.

The moment that Lucius tried to sense the foreign energy, it quickly disappeared and left him stunned as it was something that he couldn't identify in the short amount of time.

'Was that Aether? No it wasn't at all…' Lucius frowned.

"Young Lord Asher, would you like to go to Grand Cathedral of Etara?" Priest Maleck asked. "It would be a great blessing if the cathedral was informed of what has happened today."

Previously, Priest Maleck thought it was simply an unknown gift. Even though this had never happened in all of the years that Priest Maleck had appraised people, it didn't mean that it was completely new.

'There was probably a time where everyone had gifts that were still unknown to the church as Etara's followers simply started on gathering information about gifts… but this is Etara's apostle! Ordained by herself, this is different from last time.' Priest Maleck thought.

The words of Priest Maleck made both Count Gabriel and Lucius to pay attention to him.

Even though they were not truly related, Lucius and Count Gabriel's line of thoughts were made around the same thread and made evident when Lucius finally supplied an answer.

"The thought does honor me, Priest Maleck. However, it would certainly bring too much attention on me which is something that I am not looking forward to. I've already had a lot on my plate at the moment and bringing this to the light will bring a lot of unexpected things for me to deal with. I hope that this is something that you would understand." Lucius said with a smile.

"O-of course, Young Lord Asher!" Priest Maleck immediately nodded his head. He placed a hand on his bloodied robe and then lowly bowed. "Whatever it is that you've gauged as your best judgment, it is what I will listen to. Etara herself has blessed you and so your knowledge is akin from hers as well! I have vowed my life in order to serve Etara and her apostle."

Lucius knew that if Etara herself was present now, she would have probably struck down Priest Maleck for saying such blasphemous words.

However, as Lucius already knew from his experience with the lack of Divine Pull and the amount of people in Grantz Kingdom and across the entire world, it was much unlikely for her to have heard it.

Meanwhile, Count Gabriel himself was also relieved to hear Asher's words. He did not know if it meant that Asher was fully committed to the idea of being the next Inanis heir, but there was no one else but him whom he could pass it onto.

'Perhaps Asher has taken that into account and rejected it?' Count Gabriel thought. In the past, it was much easier to determine what was on his son's mind by virtue of how he acted and talked, but now it was like Count Gabriel was dealing with a completely new person.

"However, there is something that I would like to ask…" Lucius said.