lina never imagined that she'd be having a dinner together with Amaris Heiliger out of all people. While Sienna was glaring daggers at the woman from lina's shoulder and Mango was staring at her distrustfully, nonetheless. She could sense that the little fox would have loved to run free and probably gnaw on the bishops ankles a bit. The option was tempting, but for the ti being lina decided to keep a tight hold on Mango.
"So what did you want to talk about?" lina asked.
"There are many, many things I'd love to discuss with you. But why don't we grab so food first? I'm sure you're hungry after work," Heiliger offered graciously.
lina didn't want to admit that the eting with her had killed any appetite she had. But nonetheless, she followed after the bishop and put so stew for herself and so cooked chicken for both her familiars. The bishop went for the most extravagant and expensive shrimp dish.
"Your treat right? Since I'm a guest in Sunglow," the woman batted her eyelashes innocently.
lina barely held herself back from snapping no. The woman was already trying to rile lina up and make her lose her composure. But she wouldn't fall for his tricks so easily.
"Of course," lina said with a smile. "I wouldn't have it any other way."
The expensive dish did hurt her wallet and even the cafeteria worker who took paynt for the food, gave lina an odd look. In fact, many people seed to be watching their every move, leaning closer to hear their every word. She understood their curiosity, but it was additional pressure on lina's shoulders that she'd rather do without.
When they returned to their table with food in hand, Heiliger reached into the purse she was carrying with her and pulled sothing out of it. lina nearly dropped the plates in shock. Was she going to attack now when she had her guard down?
But the device that the woman placed on the table was familiar to her. Small and unassuming round sphere in a green mana crystal in the middle. The bishop pressed her hand against it, activating the device. There was no visual cue that anything had changed, but lina knew that with it nobody around them could hear anything they were saying.
"I hope you don't mind a bit of privacy, lina. I'm afraid people might take the things we talk about the wrong way," she said innocently.
"I don't mind. Makes it easier, in fact," lina replied. She had intended to put up her own privacy ward, if the Heiliger hadn't done anything.
While lina loved Sunglowers and trusted them, she suspected that her talk with Heiliger might include a lot of information that it would be better for the general populace not to know. For example, the things about the previous tiline. Did Heiliger rember things now?
"Lovely, then I'm not going to beat around the bush. It's frankly exhausting and you always have been a straight-forward kind of person. That's why I like you so much. That's why I chose you to be my Archmage," Heiliger said and took a bite of one of the large succulent shrimps.
lina narrowed her eyes. So she rembered after all. It had basically been confird by the spy, but it was still good to hear it from the horse's mouth. "So you rember."
"I do. It was tricky, trying to trigger my mory when initially I had nothing more than these disorganized visions. Only my belief in the System God, helped through those difficult tis. For I am sure that it was them who bestowed this chance to rember the past," she said fervently.
This did make lina wonder who decided which people could rember the past tiline. So far the only ones who seed to rember were in so way related to lina. But were those really the only people who rembered? And why would Heiliger be among their midst? She certainly was never lina's friend. Even if she tried to appear that way in the beginning.
"So you rember everything?" lina questioned.
"Likely not in the sa sense as you. I rember most events and most of what I did. But these mories are more akin to reading scriptures. I know the most important events, but there is no way for to know every fine detail. Those are beyond , even after reaching Rank A of my was still at Rank B, however he seed to rember most events perfectly. He never said that it was like second-hand information, but rather like he really had lived the mont and the skill was just refreshing what was forgotten.
Why was it different for Heiliger? Why even at Rank A was her mory more like a recollection of events rather than sothing she had actually lived through? But then lina paused her thoughts. There was no guarantee that the woman was even telling the truth. Her skill might be at a completely different rank and she might just be trying to fish lina for information.
"I see," lina replied dryly, deciding that it was best that she didn't react strongly to her words.
"You've changed, lina," Heiliger said, shaking her head. "I do rember how much you craved knowledge. Asking for every detail and trying to figure out every mystery. What's with this lackluster reaction?"
"I'm a baker now. I live a simple life," lina said, feeding a bit of chicken to Mango. She offered so to Sienna too, but the wyrm was too busy glaring at Heiliger to eat.
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Heiliger smiled. "A simple life? Your life seems anything but simple. Your pastries have such powerful magical effects that the mont noble society finds out about them, they would wage a war on each for who could claim you. You gather magical monsters to aid you while also enticing more and more powerful people to join your cause. You, my dearest lina, are once again becoming a power to be reckoned with and at much faster speed than last ti."
lina tensed up, but helped her maintain a neutral expression. It appears that Heilger was already well aware of her activities. No doubt thanks to that spy. He must have been sending updates to her regularly.
"I'm rely trying to protect this town that has given so much," lina said calmly.
Heiliger smiled. "Of course, of course. There's nothing wrong working hard for your community. But you shouldn't forget where your power ca from. Who was the one who helped you gain all that magical knowledge and power?"
lina narrowed her eyes. No doubt that this woman was convinced that it was only thanks to her efforts that lina beca an Archmage. After all, Heiliger was assigned to watch over lina's progress when she first arrived. She was constantly pushed by lina, coming up with more draconic and harsh training thods.
Days doing nothing but flinging fireballs, only to not reach her expectation and then be forced into cleaning duty until lina's hands turned raw from all the scrubbing. Days morizing magic books from front to back and reciting spells until her voice turned hoarse. Even illness wasn't an excuse, rely grounds for more punishnt.
"What do you want from ?" lina growled, unable to hide her irritation. "Because I'm not returning to the Church."
Heiliger blinked at lina for a mont, then laughed. "My dearest lina, but of course you are. You are one of us."
lina snarled. "I am not!"
Heiliger shook her head. "I understand. It's been hard for you. Being blad for the famine that followed after the realms were split. It wasn't your fault. Nobody knew that the reaction would be so harsh. But don't worry. I have a way to make things right. Nobody will bla you this ti. You will be a hero! Beloved by all."
"What are you even talking about? I'm not—" lina nearly scread, but then she noticed the many eyes on their table. Her expression must have been terribly twisted, so she took a mont to calm herself.
Heiliger took advantage of that. "Shush, shush, child. It's painful. I know. We've made so mistakes. But we've been given this wonderful chance by the System God to fix it all. This ti before you split the realms, we're going to ensure that the Human Realm doesn't get hit by the horrible curse that the Monster Lord laid upon us with his dying breath. We'll be prepared. Our world will never be invaded by any monster again. Humans will finally live in peace. Doesn't that sound wonderful?"
lina shook her head. "No! No, it doesn't. Don't think for a mont that I'm going to join your bloody crusade against the Monster Realm. I will do everything in my power to you!"
Heiliger burst out into laughter. "Oh, dear, dear lina. It appears that living in this place has scrambled your young, naive mind."
"My mind is sound! Sounder than it has ever been before!"
"Shush! Shush! It's alright. I know that the vision these people are trying to sell is wonderful. People and monsters living in harmony. Wouldn't that be lovely?" Heiliger said, looking at Sienna and Mango. Then her eyes turned cold as ice. "Except the mont we turn our back on them they sink their teeth into our flesh, destroying everything we hold dear."
Mango fearfully buried herself deeper into lina's lap, while Sienna hissed defiantly, hot flas bubbling in her throat.
"Sienna, no!" lina held her hand to her wyrm. She was likely reacting to the agitation lina was feeling.
"See! The mont sothing displeases them, they turn on us," Heiliger said, pointing at Sienna as if she had proven her point.
"I'm not joining you!" lina repeated sternly.
But Heiliger just shook her head, looking at lina as if she was a child throwing a temper tantrum. "You will. There is sothing important we must acquire in the Monster Realm with this expedition and you're going to help us get in. The expedition will depart in a week. You must be ready by then. Close your bakery for the next week, prepare your best pastries as supplies for other System users."
"I will—"
Heiliger raised her hand, not allowing lina to speak. "I'll send sobody to get you. You will co or I will get rid of these pests. It's about ti you understood that they are not pets, but vermin that need to be exterminated."
Her gaze was so cold, that lina could help but clutch Mango closer, trying to shield her from the woman's gaze. Heiliger reached out and grabbed the privacy device, deactivating it.
"Have a wonderful day, lina!" She said with a bright smile and left.
lina sputtered as the woman left, slumping into her seat. Her fists clenched and she had the strong urge to burn the unfinished plate of shrimps that Heiliger left behind.
The woman was toying with her. She thought that she already had lina firmly under her control. That lina would just do everything she pleased. She had to take several breaths to calm herself. There was sothing valuable she gained from this exchange.
Heiliger would definitely attempt to tear the realms apart again, but this ti they were going to do sothing to supposedly prevent the Human Realm from dying. But what exactly was she planning on doing? Was there really a way for the Human Realm to remain fine while being separated from the Monster Realm? Or was this another one of Heiliger's delusions?
"lina, are you alright?" Erina asked, putting a hand on her shoulder. Barrett was close behind her.
"Yes, I'm alright," lina said with a sigh. "I might have just underestimated her a little…"
Erina cocked her head at that. "If you need us to against the—"
"No," lina shook her head. Involving Sunglowers in a direct conflict against the Church was asking for a massacre. While Heiliger had claid that her mories were sothing more akin to reading a book, she had no doubt that the woman had rembered how to use her Archbishop powers. Which ant that besides lina there wasn't anyone who could stand up to her directly.
No, direct conflict will likely result in Sunglow's destruction. lina had to navigate this smartly. She had to be careful in her approach, and make sure that nobody would get caught in the crossfire. Most importantly, lina couldn't allow the Church to do what they ca here to do.
Then an idea occurred to her. Wouldn't pretending to work with them willingly be the best way to accomplish that? She doubted Heiliger would reveal exactly what they were trying to do. But lina could try to get the information out of her. And if she didn't reveal then she could pretend to return to the Church and then stop them from reaching their goal while hiding among their midst.
lina nodded. "I know what I have to do. Don't worry, Erina!"
"Sohow that makes more worried," Erina said. "Whatever you do, don't do it alone! Rember that all of Sunglow is with you!"
"Of course," lina smiled.
That is exactly why I have to protect everyone in any way I can.
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