"Light? Templar Light?"
I nodded frantically. "Exactly. That was what he called himself."
Tristan looked at Nisha with an incredulous smile.
"How in the world did you guys escape the White Lion?"
She looked at him with slight confusion.
Tristan belatedly explained. "That’s what he’s popularly known as, especially around the church."
She sighed. "Well, it was all his summon’s work. Honestly, I never would have matched him, but she fought him and his wyvern like it was child’s play... if we were on an even field and didn’t have to protect anyone, it was only a matter of ti before she destroyed the two of them and made them run. In fact, I think a large part of why he couldn’t chase us further was the damage he’d received from the fight."
Tristan, still folding his arms, sighed and laughed.
"Of course, of course! The Blood Conqueror!!"
Nisha’s eyes widened. She glanced between Tristan and Levi, who was also nodding with his eyes closed. Then looked back at Tristan.
"The Blood Conqueror? As in ’The’ Blood Conqueror. Blood of the First Empire, Blood Conqueror... the stories, that one?"
Tristan nodded.
"Yes. It’s no surprise you don’t know. Not like anyone knew what she looked like. It wasn’t until he told us."
Nisha placed her hands on her head, eyes wide.
"What the fuck... accursed Spirit Summoners! How in the world—" She shot a glare at and swiftly arrived beside , close enough that I could sll sothing floral mixed with leather and sweat. "Summon her, summon her right now. Please, I want to take a proper look at her. Please!"
"Hey, Nisha. Stay away from the boy. Why are you rubbing your breast on his arm with style? Stay away right now!"
She chuckled shyly, like a thief caught trying to be slick yet again.
"We both know you don’t really give a shit about history, drop the act. You’re always taking advantage of younger boys, especially if they’re handso like Cade."
’H–handso? Is he blind?’
This guy Levi, he was a sweet talker. I wouldn’t let him get to . Certainly wouldn’t!
She shifted away begrudgingly.
"Still, if it’s the Blood Conqueror. That’s a big deal, little wonder she was so strong... and her body. Holy Damnation!"
’I know. I feel the sa way too.’
"I’m quite surprised myself. It’s not everyti you see an F-rank summon a Calamity-tier spirit."
Nisha shook. I also felt the trembling of Octavia beside . She had been silently taking it all in, but now she looked like she was about to fall.
But she was holding on. She sat rigid, looking down, her gaze desperately avoiding .
"C—Ca—Calamity?!!!"
The room almost ca down with her shouting.
"Shut the hell up, you—" Levi almost threw her a kick from where he sat, but she got so lucky that his leg didn’t reach and he didn’t put any real effort behind it.
She dropped to a low whisper and looked at intensely.
"Your summon is a Calamity-tier? And you... are F rank???"
I nodded and looked at Tristan. Lira had cleared him to — that was why I’d revealed all these things to him and Clara. He knew how confidential it was, and so if he had told Levi, I wanted to believe he did it for good reason and also trusted him.
His gaze confird it. He nodded curtly, as if to assure that it was safe.
For a brief mont, I considered telling them about the second summon.
But I decided against it almost imdiately. I didn’t know how they were going to take it. First of all, I didn’t even know if it was a normal thing to summon multiple spirits — at least with what I had observed so far, I didn’t think it was possible. And revealing too much, too fast, to people I’d only just t? That was how you ended up dead in a ditch sowhere. Or worse, on a church pyre.
So I just refrained from saying anything about it.
Tristan sighed.
"Anyways, you guys were fortunate and unfortunate at the sa ti. But if soone such as The White Lion was in Aetheris, sothing really fishy is going on. Solaris Empire to Aetheris is three whole kingdoms apart. Now, what is that spirit rot looking for all the way here?"
The room was silent. The question had provoked deep thoughts, most especially between Nisha and Levi. Octavia and I were just rather observant.
Amidst the silent atmosphere, her voice hesitantly broke out.
"Uhm, uhmm... I’m supposed to go now?"
Tristan looked at her.
"Ah right... your uncle, isn’t it? Let’s go find him together, alright?"
She nodded and stood up. I also stood. "Can I go too?"
I knew I had to rest and, most importantly, stay hidden, but this might be my only chance to be alone with Tristan.
He looked at , and I gave him a beaming smile.
"I just want to take a look around the city with you. Besides, I’m burdened by what happened at Rivermarrow. I want to make sure Octavia finds her uncle."
Her countenance fell at that mont, but she suppressed it. And I silently nagged myself for such insensitivity.
’Nice going, Cade. Remind the traumatized girl about her trauma.’
Tristan looked at Levi and then . "Alright then. You can co along."
Together, we walked out the door.
The street hit with noise and motion — rchants hawking, children darting between legs, the clatter of cart wheels on uneven stone. I kept my head slightly down, painfully aware of how exposed I was out here. Any one of these faces could belong to soone who’d seen the church notices. Any one of them could be counting coins in their head, weighing my bounty against their conscience.
We walked amidst people, with Octavia holding a paper and keenly examining her surroundings, searching for landmarks that matched whatever address she had.
"So... how are you?"
There were a lot of things I had been thinking about before Tristan spoke. The most important one being what Kassie had said to about being insignificant in the grand sche of things, and the probability that Lira’s death might not even have anything to do with . That thought should have been comforting. It wasn’t. If anything, it made everything worse — the idea that she might have died for reasons completely beyond my understanding, caught in currents I couldn’t see, let alone navigate.
"Tristan." My voice sounded with seriousness. "Can I ask you a question... so questions, actually."
He looked at . The usual playfulness on his face was gone, replaced by a stern seriousness.
"I know what you want to know. Why I think Lira was killed."
I nodded. "That. And why exactly she would need to see the Queen."
He frowned.
"Lira went to see the Queen?"
The expression on his face told he knew nothing about this, was surprised by it, and sohow deeply believed it shouldn’t have happened.
Maybe I was overthinking it at that mont, but I just knew there had to be more beneath the surface of that expression.
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