Hero candidate Vinaas Nullka

The Cathedral had become unusually quiet.

Saint Rerisa had left shortly after receiving word of an emergency council, leaving me alone once again.

"..."

I wasn't particularly tired.

Nor was I hungry.

So...

Without thinking much about it...

I found myself wandering through the Cathedral's endless corridors.

The evening bells echoed across Saintess Anima City.

Normally...

At this hour...

The western sky would still carry a faint shade of orange.

Today...

It was different.

I stopped beneath one of the Cathedral's stone balconies.

"..."

The sky had turned an unsettling shade of gray.

Dark clouds swallowed the last remnants of daylight, spreading across the heavens like an ocean without end.

The wind had grown colder.

Much colder than yesterday.

A distant rumble rolled across the sky.

"...Thunder?"

The first flash illuminated the Cathedral for only an instant.

Then...

Darkness returned.

One drop of rain landed against the stone railing.

Another.

Then another.

Within moments...

The rain poured relentlessly across the city.

The streets below emptied as merchants hurried to shelter.

Children who had been laughing only moments ago disappeared beneath nearby roofs.

The flags above the Cathedral towers fluttered violently beneath the growing wind.

"..."

For some reason...

My chest felt strangely heavy.

Not pain.

Not fear.

Just...

An uneasy feeling.

As though something...

Was about to change.

I quietly laughed at myself.

"...I'm probably overthinking it."

Yet...

Even after saying those words...

The strange feeling refused to disappear.

Another bolt of lightning tore through the heavens.

Its white light reflected against the Cathedral's stained-glass windows before vanishing into the darkness.

I watched the storm silently.

The heavy oak doors closed with a deep echo.

BOOM.

Outside...

Rain continued beating relentlessly against the Cathedral.

Inside...

The official council had ended hours ago.

Royal envoys gathered their documents.

Military advisers rolled up maps of the northeastern frontier.

Several nobles exchanged respectful bows before taking their leave.

One by one...

They departed.

Razel Standford rose from his seat.

The Head Court Mage offered a respectful nod toward His Holiness.

"I shall return to supervising the Heroes' training."

Pope Benedict inclined his head.

"Thank you, Lord Razel."

Without another word...

Razel disappeared beyond the chamber doors.

The last of the guests followed soon after.

The enormous doors slowly closed shut once again.

Another flash of lightning illuminated the chamber.

This time...

Only members of the Cathedral remained.

The Pope.

The Saints.

The Cardinals.

The Bishops.

The chamber suddenly felt much larger.

Much quieter.

The storm outside seemed louder than before.

Pope Benedict slowly removed the reports from before him and folded his hands.

His eyes moved calmly across those gathered.

"...Now then."

"With the matters concerning the allied kingdoms concluded..."

"...let us proceed to the Cathedral's internal affairs."

No one spoke.

"The first matter."

He looked toward Bishop who is responsible for Hero's training schedule.

"Report."

The elderly man stood.

"The Heroes continue adapting well."

"Basic mana circulation has been mastered by nearly all candidates."

"Combat instruction has officially begun."

A faint smile appeared on the Pope's face.

"Excellent."

"And their progress?"

The instructor opened another report.

"Most Hero Candidates are progressing beyond expectations."

"Aion continues displaying remarkable leadership."

"Emiia andrison possesses extraordinary magical aptitude."

"Several others have begun demonstrating specialized talents."

The Pope nodded approvingly.

"Very good."

Then the Bishop hesitated.

"...However."

The single word immediately changed the atmosphere.

The Pope noticed.

"...Speak freely."

"There has been... a disagreement."

"A disagreement?"

"Yes, Your Holiness."

"It concerns Hero Candidate Angelica."

The room became quiet.

A Cardinal slowly looked up.

"What about her?"

The Bishop answered honestly.

"Her attendance is good some what."

"However..."

"Her concentration during training has noticeably declined."

"Several instructors have also reported repeated absences from afternoon sessions."

The Pope frowned slightly.

"...Has a reason been given?"

"No."

Silence settled over the chamber.

Then...

One of the Cardinals slowly rose from his seat.

"I believe..."

"...I know the reason."

Every eye turned toward him.

He calmly folded his hands behind his back.

"The cause..."

"...is Hero Candidate Vinaas Nullka."

The room fell silent.

The Pope searched his memory.

"...Vinaas..."

He quietly repeated the name.

"The Common Class Hero."

The Cardinal inclined his head.

"Indeed."

The Pope remained silent for several moments.

Outside...

Lightning flashed once more.

Rain struck violently against the stained-glass windows.

Finally...

He spoke.

"...Very well."

His expression slowly hardened.

"...Then let us discuss..."

"...the matter concerning Hero Candidate Vinaas Nullka."

The thunder outside answered first.

The Pope's words faded into silence.

For several long moments...

No one spoke.

The only sound inside the chamber came from the relentless rain striking the stained-glass windows.

Lightning briefly illuminated every face around the semi circular hall before darkness reclaimed the room once more.

Saint Rerisa quietly observed those gathered.

No Cardinal seemed eager to begin.

No Bishop wished to be the first to speak.

"..."

Then...

One chair slowly scraped against the marble floor.

Rerisa's eyes shifted toward the source.

...Cardinal Mantis?

A flicker of surprise crossed her expression.

Why is he here...?

That single thought echoed through her mind.

Mantis Woper rarely attended Cathedral councils unless the matter directly concerned politics.

Most routine meetings were beneath his interest.

He preferred influencing decisions after they were made.

Yet today...

He had remained until the very end.

Why...?

Of all meetings...

Why this one?

The Cardinal calmly adjusted the sleeves of his crimson robes before stepping into the center of the chamber.

He neither rushed nor hesitated.

His movements carried the quiet confidence of a man who already knew everyone would listen.

He bowed respectfully toward the Pope.

"Your Holiness."

"If I may."

The Pope inclined his head.

"You may speak."

Mantis slowly turned.

His sharp eyes swept across the Cardinals, Bishops and Saints seated around him.

He smiled.

Not warmly.

Simply...

Confidently.

"I believe..."

"...we have all overlooked a rather unfortunate truth."

Silence.

He continued.

"When the Heroes were summoned..."

"Our hopes were renewed."

"The kingdoms rejoiced."

"The people believed salvation had finally arrived."

Several Bishops nodded.

Mantis allowed the agreement to settle before continuing.

"But..."

"Among those chosen..."

"There exists one exception."

He deliberately paused.

Long enough for curiosity to spread through the room.

"...Hero Candidate Vinaas Nullka."

The name echoed quietly.

Mantis clasped both hands behind his back.

"The weakest among the summoned."

"The sole bearer of the Common Class."

"The one upon whom no visible blessing has manifested."

His voice remained calm.

 And Measured.

Every sentence carefully chosen.

He wasn't speaking with hatred.

He was speaking with precision.

That made him far more dangerous.

"Our instructors report..."

"...that Hero Candidate Angelica's training has begun suffering."

He slowly turned toward the Bishop responsible.

"Is this report accurate?"

The Bishop reluctantly nodded.

"...It is."

Mantis looked around the chamber once more.

"There."

"The facts speak for themselves."

"The influence of one Hero..."

"...has already begun affecting another."

He took another step forward.

"If such distractions continue..."

"How many more Heroes shall we lose before they even reach the battlefield?"

No one interrupted.

His words flowed smoothly.

Like water finding every crack in stone.

He never once raised his voice.

He never once insulted Vinaas directly.

Yet...

With every sentence...

The image of the young Hero became darker.

More burdensome.

More dangerous.

"The Goddess..."

"...bestows blessings according to Her divine will."

He looked upward toward the towering statue carved into the chamber wall.

"If Hero Candidate Vinaas received none..."

"Who are we..."

"...to question Her judgment?"

It looked as though.

He's twisting it...

Every statement...

Every pause...

He's leading them toward only one conclusion.

Several Cardinals quietly murmured among themselves.

Mantis noticed.

He had their attention.

Now...

He delivered the final blow.

"Our resources are finite."

"Our healers are exhausted."

"Our soldiers die every day."

"Our people starve."

"And yet..."

"We continue spending precious time..."

"...upon one Hero..."

"...who offers nothing in return."

The room fell silent.

Not because they agreed.

But because no one immediately knew how to argue against him.

Mantis slowly lowered his head.

"I therefore submit a proposal."

His voice remained composed.

"The Cathedral should acknowledge Hero Candidate Vinaas Nullka for what he truly is."

"...A burden."

"...One abandoned by the Goddess."

"...And therefore..."

"...a danger to the hope of humanity."

Another flash of lightning exploded beyond the stained-glass windows.

Its brilliant light briefly illuminated Mantis' face.

His expression never changed.

He looked toward the Pope.

"I request permission..."

"...to purge Hero Candidate Vinaas Nullka."

Silence.

Complete.

Utter.

Even the thunder outside seemed distant.

Then saint Rerisa slowly rose from her seat.

"...Your Holiness."

"I wish to speak."

"You may."

Rerisa stepped forward.

Her expression remained as gentle as ever.

She first looked toward Mantis before lowering her head respectfully.

"Cardinal Mantis."

"I agree with one thing you have said."

Several eyebrows rose.

Even Mantis himself looked mildly surprised.

"The Cathedral..."

"...cannot allow this matter to spread beyond these walls."

Soft murmurs spread through the chamber.

Rerisa continued calmly.

"If the allied kingdoms learn that one of the summoned Heroes bears no visible blessing..."

"They will question the Goddess."

"They will question this Cathedral."

"And eventually..."

"They will question every Hero standing on the battlefield."

She slowly looked around the chamber.

"Our greatest weapon against the Demon lords..."

"...is hope."

"If hope shatters..."

"...our soldiers will fall."

Several Bishops quietly nodded.

Mantis folded his arms.

"...Continue."

Rerisa inclined her head.

"However..."

"I cannot support an execution."

The room became silent once again.

Mantis narrowed his eyes.

"And why not?"

"Because..."

"He is still one of the summoned Heroes."

"If Hero Candidate Vinaas were to disappear inside these sacred walls..."

"The remaining Heroes would demand answers."

"They arrived together."

"They trained together."

"They would never quietly accept the sudden death of one of their companions."

Several Cardinals exchanged uneasy glances.

Rerisa had struck precisely where the Cathedral was weakest.

Trust.

"If they begin doubting us..."

She continued.

"...our relationship with every Hero will fracture."

"And if that happens..."

"We risk losing all of them."

The Pope slowly closed his eyes.

"...Go on."

Rerisa took a slow breath.

"I therefore propose another course."

She deliberately paused.

Allowing every eye in the room to settle upon her.

"We announce..."

"...that Hero Candidate Vinaas Nullka requires long-term treatment."

Mantis remained silent.

"We inform the Heroes..."

"...that he is being transferred to Lionheart Domain."

"The physicians there possess techniques unavailable to this Cathedral."

One Bishop frowned.

"Lionheart Domain?"

"That route passes through the Forest of Death."

Rerisa nodded.

"Precisely."

Another Cardinal immediately objected.

"That forest is filled with monsters."

"It would require an armed escort."

"Even then..."

"Many would not survive the journey."

Before anyone else could continue...

Mantis slowly smiled.

"...Exactly."

He looked toward Rerisa.

"So..."

"You propose risking our own men..."

"...for someone you yourself admit possesses no value?"

The chamber became quiet.

Rerisa calmly met his gaze.

"I propose..."

"...that the Cathedral bears no responsibility for what occurs beyond its borders."

Several officials looked at one another.

She continued.

"The escort shall accompany him only until they reach the forest."

"Should monsters attack during the journey..."

"...it would be regarded as an unfortunate tragedy."

"The official report would simply state..."

"'Hero Candidate Vinaas Nullka perished while being transferred for treatment.'"

Silence.

Utter silence.

The words were cold.

Almost merciless.

Even mantis looked toward Rerisa in disbelief.

Mantis slowly began walking around the chamber.

Considering every possibility.

No witnesses.

No political scandal.

No responsibility.

No evidence.

A slow smile spread across his face.

"...Elegant."

He turned toward the Pope.

"The Saint's proposal protects the Cathedral."

"It protects our political standing."

"And more importantly..."

"It prevents unrest among the remaining Heroes."

Several Cardinals immediately voiced their agreement.

"It is the most practical solution."

"I concur."

"As do I."

One after another...

The chamber began leaning toward Rerisa's proposal.

The Pope remained silent.

His eyes rested upon the rain striking the stained-glass windows.

"..."

"..."

Finally...

He spoke.

"...Very well."

The words were heavy.

"As painful as this decision may be..."

"...we shall proceed accordingly."

Rerisa lowered her head.

"Understood, Your Holiness."

"The arrangements shall begin immediately."

The Pope slowly stood.

"In two days..."

"...Hero Candidate Vinaas Nullka shall depart the Cathedral."

"The matter discussed within this chamber..."

"...shall never leave it."

No one objected.

The meeting was over.

Silence.

The chamber finally became empty.

Or so it seemed.

A faint breeze slipped through one of the narrow windows overlooking the Cathedral gardens.

The curtains swayed gently.

Rainwater trickled down the stained glass.

Then...

A shadow moved.

Saint Rerisa quietly stepped from beside one of the towering pillars.

She hadn't left.

Her emerald eyes drifted toward the storm outside.

Lightning illuminated the distant forests beyond Saintess Anima.

Somewhere beyond those endless woods...

Lay the Lionheart Domain.

She remained silent for a long time.

"..."

"..."

A lonely hawk landed upon the stone railing outside the window.

Its feathers were soaked from the rain.

The bird tilted its head, watching the Saint.

Rerisa slowly approached the window.

She rested one hand upon the cold stone.

The hawk spread its wings.

A faint smile appeared upon her lips.

Neither warm...

or cruel.

Simply...

Certain.

She looked toward the endless forest hidden beyond the storm.

Then quietly whispered...

"...May everything proceed according to plan."

The hawk let out a sharp cry.

With one powerful beat of its wings...

It disappeared into the rain.

Rerisa continued watching until it vanished beyond the dark clouds.

Only then...

Did she quietly close the window.

The chamber returned to silence.

Outside...

The storm continued.

Inside...

The conspiracy had already begun.