Chapter 144 – Guidance
Joseph spilled everything, secrets that they knew, and secrets that they didn’t.
The major points from what they were able to learn were: Jerry’s second attribute was Guidance and was likely the reason for this kidnapping; an important figure recomnded by the central church was supposed to be coming soon, but Joseph had no idea who it was; and they were still unsure where Jerry was. The only clue to the latter point was that he was likely locked away sowhere where Alen, the blond man who captured him, was near.
[Luna, what the fuck is the Guidence gift?] (Syrus)
[I’m trying to rember…] Luna had read through many attributes, and she believed the knowledge had to be sowhere in her head.
[We…know so of the specifics of it?] Eva suggested. [By the na and what we know of it, with its abilities of aim assisting, which we have seen with his Lightning test, and I would assu, when we played bowling with last year… the attribute’s focus is about ensuring what a person aim’s at is hit, but I don’t know who it would work in practice.]
[When it’s said by a church idiot the na really conveys a lot of bullshit.] (Syrus)
When an attribute held the na of Guidance and was said by a mber of the church, the connotations, even if untrue, were blatant.
This internal conversation happened quickly, and they gave Luna a mont to think.
She tried rembering possible answers for Jerry’s attribute before, but she had no luck then. There was no clear answer to what it could be, and so she had no clear fra of reference to find a solution last ti.
But now she at least knew the na of the attribute, so she tried.
However, she still gave no response to the group.
Still, she was coming up short, reaching dead end after dead end.
[I…] (Luna)
[It’s fine, we can get more answers out of Joseph. If you didn’t know of it in the first place, it makes sense you wouldn’t know it now.] Syrus wasn’t doubting Luna’s abilities. She simply believed Luna didn’t know everything, while it had been proven ti and again that Luna had a wide range of knowledge that covered areas that neither Eva nor Syrus possessed information about. Her information was still limited to only one massive library.
However, not wanting to fall up short, she dug deeper, and before hitting another rock in her path, she decided to change her approach.
How would Lilly do it?
The best way to describe Luna’s and Eva’s thinking processes when it cos to information. Luna used her past experience and knowledge as reference points, while Eva first investigated the situation and tried to co to a solution. Both these ways were born out of how they lived their lives; Luna collected knowledge but had no way to use it; Eva knew what was relevant to her field of study, which was about studying and learning about the world, but also had to the deal with the challenges of the common thods not always working for her due to her constitution, so she had to figure out patterns and create her own solutions.
Luna asked, “Intervention, was it not?
“That’s… is one of the public-facing nas…” Joseph sighed in physical pain as he found difficulty breathing.
[You figured sothing out?] (Syrus)
[Yes… I couldn’t think of any attribute nad Guidance, and none of those attributes that were considered good for aiming were cutting it.] Said Luna. [Sight, and the other extra sensory attributes, couldn’t be the answer as Jerry’s aim is not just him having an advantage; his projectiles are guided to where they need to go.]
[By your wording… You believe Guidance has been disguised as one of multiple attributes?] (Eva)
[Yes… despite how absurd it might sound.] (Luna)
[No, if you believe it so, I trust you.] (Syrus)
[Thank you.] Luna replied. [There are a few, what the church considered divine attributes; these are what I believed to be complete fabrications.]
[More divine than the basic holy ones?] (Syrus)
[Yes, these are so-called attributes–Intervention, Heavenly Judgent, and Minor Miracle, to na a few. These were written down in books, non-public ones, but ones that also aren’t hard to get if a person was wealthy, noble, or a mber of the church. None of these had appeared in centuries, but were still considered true.] (Luna)
The church already considered the light-based attributes integral to its image, but even they weren’t referred to as divine attributes.
[Why were they hidden to that extent?] (Syrus)
[I don’t think they really were hidden. I had experience in not accessing the truly important docunts, and these were considered that. I now believe that they were kept in a spot where only certain levels of people could access, so people would think they were real.] (Luna)
[You're still missing the main point. How do these relate to Guidance?] (Syrus)
[That I am. Sorry for getting off topic; I should’ve saved that for later. These divine attributes are likely simply a combination of attributes, used in tandem to create effects that seem more magical than they are.]
[Just like our mana recycling ability…] (Eva)
[Yes…] Luna paused for a mont before continuing. [In a number of these attributes cases, they are believed to be powers given by God or one of the lords and contain their will and judgnt. Heavenly Judgnt was said to only strike the guilty, Intervention was said to be able to change one's fate with the toss of a coin, and so on. The idea behind many of these was a force that ensured only what was found wrong was targeted. Even the coin toss could be a more advanced version of guidance with enough practice.]
[The guilty are those whom the church picks, huh, sounds about right. Though I would assu this plan would work better if the ones using it were loyal or ran the church. Jerry doesn’t seem like a good choice; the best case for them is to get another Luna.] (Syrus)
[I will take that as a complint.] (Luna)
It took a mont of explaining, but Anlesa finally felt they had an idea of what Guidance was supposed to be. They didn’t believe it had anything to do with an actual otherworldly power, and Eva felt she had a better way to test it now, once Jerry was back in their safety.
[Why didn’t Joseph use one of the fake nas then?] (Eva)
[Could be too tired to lie about that, didn’t think about it, or was betting Luna wouldn’t know that attribute. All he would need to say is that he doesn't know what its effects were, and we would gain no information.] (Syrus)
[Do you believe that is the case?] (Eva)
[It’s irrelevant either way.] (Luna)
Their internal debate was quick, but they still left Joseph on the ground for a few monts.
“Well… Joseph, if that is the case, it might be best for to remove the child from his miserable life.”
His eyes widened, despite everything she had done, what she said felt too far, “How could you…”
“I am simply doing the child a favour. I can feel it, he was dragged against his will, kidnapped from his family, all to be enslaved.” Luna’s raw emotions flashed in her eyes, as simply speaking those rages brought forth a rage.
However, she stopped herself and closed her eyes. Thinking happy thoughts. She didn’t want a repeat of their emotional cyclones.
“As you said, I am simply a ghost, a spectre living off a gudge.”
“Grudge..?”
“Yes, a grudge, if I had it my way, no matter what life I lived, even if I ca back, I would want nothing to do with the church again, but no, my grudge is too deep, too fresh to forgive or forget.”
Luna said, “Goodnight, tell your sister I said hi bitch.”
In a flash of light which disrupted Joseph’s senses, Syrus sucker punched him in the face knocking him out.
[That should keep him down for a while. Let’s go rescue everyone.] (Syrus)
It wasn't spoken, but through their emotions, they knew tonight had to be the night to free them. That was decided the mont they chose to do the assassination attempt.
Even with Jerry’s location being unknown, they had more clues this ti, and Luna had so ideas where to look, but it was in more risky locations.
There was still one more topic Joseph ntioned that could be important.
[Should we be worried about the individual coming to the church in a few days?] Eva asked.
[No.] (Syrus)
[Yes.] (Luna)
Luna and Syrus answered simultaneously.
[Oh why?] (Syrus)
[Central never cos down unless for routine inspections, and the few tis they had co without months of warning ahead, they said which mber of their church was coming down. The fact that it is apparently soone recomnded is scary. No one is simply recomnded to visit from central…] (Luna)
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