I was in Seclusion for so long that everyone forgot about me [Arc 1] Chapter 39 – Zary’s Decision

“Do not force to take further actions,” the Saintess hollered across the parvis.

I had planned to visit the World Church today, yet unexpectedly encountered this scene. At first I’d hoped it would escalate, but then was reminded of how utterly grueso this monster was. No doubt she’d kill all the bystanders because she couldn’t care less who her spells hit.

I was about to step in—since I already had a few run-ins with the Herald of the Light—when the Saintess graciously handled the situation for . No matter how often I saw her abilities in action, I was always stunned at how easily she’d handle divine powers that were about to get turned against her. Probably the reason why the tropolitan didn’t destroy this church so far—it would only turn against him.

So when the Saintess entered the Church followed by the monster and her little fae, I simply had to add insult to injury.

“That didn’t quite go as planned now, did it, Herald?” I said, with a shit-eating grin on my face.

“Keep your mockery to yourself, moon elf. Your father’s murderer is running around scot-free and here you are, a paladin, taking pleasure in us failing to detain her,” the Herald replied, unnervingly calm.

A snort escaped my mouth. “Father, you say? Lord Elmaris was a plethora of things, but never a father. Knowing him dead brings a pleasure unimaginable to your kind.”

The other paladins seed to tense up at my words, yet the Herald appeared more shocked than angry. “Do you not care, Silver Sister? The Matriarch conspired with demons!”

I clicked my tongue, “The Saintess dismissed your claims as falsehoods, and so will I. How far you have fallen, Herald. Trying to rile up a Matriarch… what insanity.”

The squad leader stepped up to , “There is no insanity in the will of our Goddess! That even the Saintess got deceived just proves how deeply the roots of evil have already spread and curled their way into our city!”

That caught my attention. What will was he talking about? Did they have a connection to their Goddess? No, I really doubted that. The tropolitan was a power-hungry man and it wouldn’t have been the first ti that they falsified the word of their Goddess for their own gain.

I decided to ignore what he said, instead, I was more interested in this mansion they had talked about with the monster, “Herald, if your words truly hold no deceit, lead to the mansion that you claim demons have taken under their control so I can investigate this matter myself.”

“You doubt the will of our Goddess?” he said angrily.

I shook my head, “I doubt the words of humans. But our Goddesses share a bond, so as a Paladin of the Silver Sisters, I have to uphold my creed. If demons have indeed taken root inside of your capital, it is my duty to eradicate such vile creatures.”

A blatant lie, in more than one way. Still, the Herald seed to be happy with my answer. It must feel weird for them to suddenly receive support from a moon elf of all things after the initial pushback from the Saintess. But the hatred of demons ran so deep in their veins that even the help of a moon elf was welcod. I had my doubts this fleeting feeling would last long, but I’d decided a while ago that this was the best course of action. It also gave so outside justification to enter the mansion without drawing too much suspicion.

Of course, I already knew that the monster worked together with demons—Tulsi was a dead giveaway. She hadn’t even bothered to change back to her human form when she ca back out. And Deidre… Deidre’s aura broke through the disguise she had put on herself. Sure, she still looked like a kitsune, but it was impossible to fool a paladin like .

But different from what most humans thought, the Silver Sisters were made up of various races; many among them demons. Our temple didn’t discriminate against races, our belief in the moon goddesses was all that mattered. Also, the kids told that Deidre saved them, so I was more than willing to hide her identity.

And yet, the true reason why I wanted to enter the mansion was the glimpse of a person I thought long dead—Drask. Him being here was a bad on…

It took the human paladins a few minutes to reorganize themselves. A lot of the original bystanders had vanished, afraid to be reprimanded and fined. At the sa ti, a steady stream of adventurers left the church. Whatever the reason for the monster's visit, the church was forced to close down for the day. Much to the dissatisfaction of everyone present.

“Our squad will escort you through the gate so that you won’t be stopped by the High Guards. They've been on high alert since last night not to let anyone into the Royal District who shows signs of heavy fatigue. Luckily, we were quick to react,” the Herald explained.

“So the miasma I’d encountered in the morning was no coincidence…” I mumbled, just loud enough for him to hear.

The high paladin looked at , “Do not worry, we have already sent priests through the streets to find the traces of miasma and purify them. The upcoming festival is a wonderful excuse without worrying the common folk.”

I eyed him, “Should you be telling this?”

“There’s no harm done in telling you what you know. So the best I can do is to tell you that we are doing our best to eradicate the miasma so the words you might spread won’t incite panic,” explained the Herald as he signaled his squad to get going.

Lots of eyes were resting on us—more out of sheer surprise that a Silver Sister was walking amongst human paladins. It was more than easy to spot in the group, since my armor was inherently different from those the Church of Light wore. My armor was darker, less decorative and had navy blue dyed dragon leather covering the joints which made it overall less full plate, but lighter without losing much protection. Dragon leather was hard to co by, so being able to have worked so into the armor was a sign of trust and carried expectations.

But the most striking difference was the closed helt of polished azurite steel, with a sweeping plu in the sa color as the leather adorning its top. Even among my sisters, mine was special which—honestly—made feel pretty great. I liked my armor and I took good care of it; as though it were part of .

So being watched by people who could see the glory and honor the order had bestowed upon was a truly gratifying feeling. Most of them being human made it considerably less so, though.

But it was what it was, so as the Herald led the way through the crowd in prideful silence, I admired the slow change the city was going through as preparations for the festival to usher in the harvest season. I knew that many races had different ideas of how to celebrate it, but the human customs were by far the weirdest to .

Even now, so-called ‘Wheat-n’ were roaming the streets with kids trying to land a braided ring on top of a pointed hat they were wearing. That hat was made out of wheat and the closer the start of the festival drew nearer, the more the Wheat-n clad themselves in straw until they were completely covered. I’d actually never stayed long during this ti of year so I had no real idea of what happened next, but Cynthia told that there was so kind of parade and a giant straw puppet on a wagon that they burned on the last day.

My mind drifted away for a second, thinking of the beautiful beast-kin girl and the talk I had planned later that day. I gulped, I really dreaded this talk and what it might cause.

I shook my head, now was not the ti to think about this. Talking to Drask was much more important right now. The good thing was that everyone made way for us, so that the walk through the gate was fast and without incident. Even the High Guards who would normally turn away only gave a wry smile and let us pass through.

On the other side, the Herald stopped and turned to .

“Da Kalista will accompany you and also lead the way to the mansion. We will report to the tropolitan about the situation and your help in this matter. We thank you as always for monitoring Marika.”

He bowed, and everyone but one paladin left.

“Da Kalista, I assu?”

“Here to serve, Da Zary,” she answered in a rather friendly manner.

“I appreciate your help,” I said, matching her tone.

Today was a weird day. For the first ti, I was actually treated as a fellow paladin. The enemy of my enemy is my friend, I thought and had to suppress a laugh. If they only knew that I didn’t care for demons.

Still, there was another thought I simply had to ask, “Why exactly didn’t you go to the mansion?”

Da Kalista was quiet for a second before she started, “This part of the Royal District lies under the jurisdiction of the Academy since most of the houses belong to students and their families. The headmaster and the royal family worked out so kind of deal that makes it difficult for us to act without their permission. Especially when we want to raid said mansion.” She took a breath and continued, “But since you aren’t part of our church and soone that ca with the Matriarch, you are not impeded by such a rule.”

“Is being so overly nice to also part of this?” I dug deeper.

“...yes. We can't let bureaucracy interfere with our creed. So the Herald did what would be the best for the city. I apologize if you find offense in our behavior, but a real demon threat shouldn’t be trifled with over the fact that you are a moon elf. You are, first and foremost, a paladin. Everyone knows your dedication to your goddesses. We trust in that.”

“I appreciate your honesty, Da Kalista. I won’t disappoint your trust in and investigate this matter thoroughly.”

Da Kalista struck her armored chest with her right clenched fist in a thankful gesture, “You have our utmost thanks, Da Zary. Please follow .”

With that, she turned around and led the way.

- - - - - - - - - - -

As we reached the mansion, it was bustling with workers. Repairing, polishing, renovating—fixing everything that the obviously dreary old mansion needed.

Da Kalista had said her goodbyes. She would send a courier tomorrow to the Dancing Tails so I could report my findings to the Church. A lot of the slaves that I’d seen yesterday were now here, working.

It didn’t take long until one of them noticed and ran inside, clearly not used to their new and modest maid uniform. Before I even reached the gate, Deidre hurriedly ca outside to et .

“Zary!” she greeted in a friendly manner with a slight curtsy, tails swaying behind.

“Suits you,” I smiled, gesturing at her erald dress that lower nobles of the capital often wore.

“My, thank you! My new role requires to run around a bit less… scandalous. I also haven’t seen you with your helt on yet. Mighty impressive piece of work,” she returned the pleasantries.

I let out a light laugh, trying to appear interested. Her aura seed more stable now, sowhat refreshed. I nearly couldn’t see what she really was; if I hadn’t known I would probably overlook it. I would love to know what she was…

Deidre cleared her throat, “So, what brings you here?”

“You probably already know what is supposed to bring here, judging from your expression. But truly, I am not here for that,” I answered honestly.

“So, what are you here for?”

“Drask.”

“Drask? Why?”

I took off my helt, “You might say he is an old acquaintance of mine. May I speak to him?”

“You may. He decided to work as a butler for now and is currently reorganizing the food supply. He should either be in the larder or butler’s pantry right now,” Deidre explained.

…

We looked at each other.

I frowned. “Do you expect just to walk in and find him haphazardly?”

Her gaze drifted off for a mont before it snapped back. With an apologetic voice she replied, “I’m sorry. There is so much to do and I barely had any sleep. Matriarch Asche wants so many things changed at once that it is hard to keep track of everything. And many of the new servants never worked in a mansion, not to ntion for a noble, and it is just a big ss and… sorry, yes, Drask. Just enter, past the door in the middle of the imperial staircase, turn right, and then through the left door and then you should be able to sll the food we’re preparing currently for the servants. Follow the sll and you’ll end up in the back kitchen… I think. The layout of this mansion is confusing.”

“Alright,” I said slowly, trying not to forget her jabbering.

Dazed, her eyes lost themselves into sothing behind . Carefully, I walked around her. She really was in need of so rest. I couldn’t understand why she’d overexert herself like that for that monster; hopefully, I’d never find out.

The back kitchen was old and dirty. Half of it in use, the other torn down and replaced. Maids and workers left and joined in a constant stream—I’d fallen into an ant’s hill. Surprisingly, no one even gave a look. They were all way too busy. What a wonderful morale!

Another thing I had noticed was that no servant so far was human or tried to play pretend. It was odd to be in the human capital inside of a mansion without any real humans. A welco change. To my dismay, Drask was nowhere to be seen in the back kitchen.

Not wanting to interrupt anyone, I tried to find the larder on my own which proved to be difficult thanks to all those winding rooms and floors, just like Deidre said. Where the hec—

“Princess?”

A male voice sounded behind . With a sweeping motion I turned around and found myself face to face with Drask.

“Handsoly dressed,” I said with a shy smile.

He smiled back, “This old thing? I’m happy you think it looks good on . For a normal butler attire it is quite sleek.”

With a leap, I jumped into his arms and was welcod with a bear hug—my armored self feeling like a feather to him.

We remained like this for several seconds, until he broke the embrace and took a good look at .

“Little Zary, look at you! What fine paladin armor and, “ he took a look behind at the helt I’d let fall to the ground behind , “helt.”

I blushed, quickly picked it up and looked back at his face that barely suppressed a laugh. Oh, how I have missed him.

He put a hand on my shoulder. “I didn’t think I’d be allowed to see you again, princess. You have no idea how much this mont ans to right now.”

I put my hand on his. “No, I know. I feel the sa. Ever since that day I wished I could see you again.”

My voice felt weak. I had to try my best not to start crying—that would be very unbecoming of a paladin. But oh my goddesses, did I feel like it. Even when I saw him yesterday, there was still an inkling of doubt in my mind that this man was just soone with the sa na who looked like him. But no, it really was him…

“Princess, are you okay?” asked the man who had been like a real father to , his voice gentle with concern.

“I am, Drask. I am. I simply couldn’t believe that it was you. I was afraid it was just another sick ploy, just another—”

He cupped my cheeks and stopped from spiraling, “I’m real, little Zary. I am sorry it took so long.”

I leaned into his hand, “It was so hard. So very, very hard.”

A tear left my eye but before it could roll down Drask wiped it away with his thumb. “Oh Zary, I know. I have heard so many things about you; when the news of you becoming a full-fledged paladin reached , I was so proud.”

I lightly blushed, “I’m just happy that you’re still in one piece. When I heard what happened between you and that demi-god… I feared for you.”

Drask pulled his hand back and let out a loud laugh, “Did you really think he could defeat fair and square? He used so many underhanded tricks that I was afraid he would lose the favor of the gods instead. Alas, he and his forces got the better of eventually after all those years of hunting down on the orders of that piece of shit. Although I heard dear Lord Elmaris t his end by the hands of the Matriarch.”

I frowned, “This might be true, but…”

He furrowed a brow, studied my expression for a breath and erected a sound barrier around us. Hopefully, this was enough.

“For you not being happy about your father’s demise sothing must be really wrong here,” Drask said, squinting his eyes.

My lips opened, but no words left them. Just where should I start? How should I explain it to him? I didn’t want to hurt him and bring back unpleasant mories, but there was no other choice right now.

“I know you are vastly favoured by the divine, even now, after the oath broke. But… can you tell if you can feel any connection to them? If you’re getting any responses from them?”

He sighed, “No, I can’t. And by the way you’re asking this, sothing seems to be amiss.”

I nodded, “It started a while ago, ever since I t that monster—that Matriarch. The goddesses have kept quiet ever since.”

“Monster?” Drask asked skeptically. “What are you talking about?”

Aghast, I looked at him, “Don’t tell you didn’t notice…”

He didn’t say anything, my response seed to have him caught off-guard. His face changed; his body shifting into a stance I rembered well—he was pondering deeply. Then, without ntioning anything further, so gears inside his head began to turn.

“I think it first started when this tremor shook the entire capital. The clergy was fast to announce it because of the heroes and them receiving yet another blessing but the truth was that it ca from the center, from the temple. Since then, my connection to the divine seed to be even more obstructed than it usually was in this divineforsaken town.”

Sothing finally clicked, “I’d heard about it, but to this point I hadn’t made the connection.”

Drask raised a brow, “ What connection?”

“Around the sa ti the tremor had happened, that monster appeared before us,” I explained.

“Why do you keep calling her monster?” asked Drask, seriously concerned now.

My expression drew grim, “Because that is what she is, a monster disguised as a Matriarch. We saw what she was, every moon elf present saw it. A monster, a vixen with thirteen tails.”

"Thirteen?! No, that can’t be right. None of those have that amount of tails; it is unheard of,” Drask dismissed it, not believing the truth I’d just spoken.

“But it is exactly that. On the next day, she had already assud the form of the Asche Matriarch. She is even able to perform her magic. I do not know what her spiel is, but Marika has blind faith that she was sent by our goddesses. Sothing I couldn’t confirm; my connection to them had been silenced”

“When I got rescued,” Drask started slowly, “ her soul bound—the royal fae—was already frightening. So when I saw who she was connected to, I feared the worst. But nothing. "I felt: nothing.”

“That doesn’t make sense…” I murmured.

Drask shook his head. “No, it does. She is masking her aura, in a way I never thought it to be possible. Yes, you can feel that she is powerful, yet you can’t grasp the depth of it. Not being able to feel this, to have divine reassurance… It is a very unnerving feeling. And now, with the things you said, I might finally have a clue.”

“Oh?” I said, honestly surprised.

“There are not many beings capable of polymorphing like this plus using ash magic. On this continent, only one creature could be capable of that to such a degree that I couldn’t grasp its true power—a dragon deity.”

I gulped, “I-I’ had never heard of an ash dragon that beca a deity…”

“ neither, but this world is vast. Everything makes much more sense now. It being here, the tremor, all those small signs. Even demons and beast-kins are already working under her in the heart of the human empire. It is clear what she wants—influence. This is a slow challenge, sothing risky, but what she truly wants is to ascend even further. To beco a pillar,” Drask explained, the dread visible in his eyes.

My mouth opened, and closed. I didn’t know what to say. If, by accident, we stumbled into such a scenario, then everyone would be in danger. A power-hungry deity thirsting so much that it would plan to rival the High Divine of this world to take even a fraction of their brilliance was insane. Every ti it was done in our known history, whole landmarks vanished.

I pulled myself together and asked, “What are we supposed to do now?”

Drask bit his lower lip. “Observe. And finding a way to slow her plan while seeking to contact the divine. Maybe being here with you in this very town was divine will after all. The divines might have sensed sothing all along and trust in us to solve this.”

“H-How? Neither of us is strong enough to defeat a deity—this is insane!” I urged.

"Definitely. I doubt our purpose here would be to defeat her, but rather sothing else. We will need to observe more. I am in a rather favourable position right now. Still… don’t forget that those are just speculations. The best thing you and I can do is find out more and look for clues inside the city. With the Royal Ball coming soon, we might be able to gather more information.”

I looked into Drask's eyes, conviction reflected in their green depths. “Fine. But please, be careful.”

He smiled, “Of course.”

…

An uncomfortable silence fell and when I was about to break it, Drask cleared his throat.

“So… your mother. Is she staying at the Dancing Tails too?”

A laugh escaped at the sudden shift of tension, “Yes, yes. She is still there. You should visit her as soon as you have the ti. Sothing tells , we’ll stay here longer than planned.”

Drask rubbed the back of his head, “Y-Yeah, I probably should. Is she—”

“—seeing soone?” I ended his sentence. “No, she is not, you old buffoon. I will tell her you’ll co and visit her. She’ll eagerly wait for you~”

“You rascal!” he joked. “Do you have anyone you’re seeing at the mont?”

I looked down, “It is complicated. There are so things she and I need to discuss. We’re actually having a talk about this later. I am afraid it won’t go well.”

“Why?”

“She is working at the Dancing Tails,” I replied with a ek voice.

“Oh—Ohh, I see. You don’t want to share her with anyone else?”

My mood dropped. “It’s… how can I be with soone that is willingly selling her body like this to others? As a paladin, faith is important. How can I trust her if she can’t be faithful?”

“Listen, Zary. I can’t say that I know everything, but I know that the Dancing Tails work hard to help and support the suppressed beast-kin that are treated as slaves in the human empire. All I can see is soone that is willing to sacrifice her own body’s wellbeing for the cause. You don’t have to like it, but you can’t deny her dedication to do everything she can for her people.”

His soothing voice hit harder than he might’ve wanted. Fuck, I knew all this. I knew I was being unfair. I knew I didn't have to like what she was doing and that she wouldn’t change what she was doing for anyone.

“It hurts,” I started. “Seeing her with them, with humans. Pleasuring those that are hurting her. She could do sothing else—anything else—but she refuses. I just don’t know if I could handle that.”

Drask pulled into a hug and whispered, “And this is sothing you should talk about with her. Open your heart, before it is too late. With the looming threat above us now, please don’t make the mistake of waiting. Even if it hurts, try to have closure and maybe more.”

We stayed like this for a while, until I decided it was ti. I had to talk to Cynthia; everything else could wait. I broke the embrace and looked into Drask’s eyes with new resolve.

“Thank you, for your advice. I will follow my heart now. Please stay safe, and for now, let's wait for the Royal Ball for more information. I’ll try to get an invitation for myself. Everything else we’ll discuss after.”

He broke the barrier around us and smiled, “Stay safe, Lil Zary. Go and get her.”

“I will.”

And with this, I put my helt back on and left the mansion.

I had my decision. For the better—

—or worse.