Sylvester wondered what else was written by the sick man on the tree. It was likely impossible that he'd have remained sane even after becoming a Clergyman. "Before we start looking around in the countless records, let's launch a silent inspection of the entire tree. Who knows where else he scribbled down."
"Indeed. Perhaps the special guards stationed at the Soul Peninsula can take this task," Aurora suggested while scraping the words off with her dagger. "It's better this filth is removed from the Soul Tree. They're rare to begin with. Let's not tarnish it with despicable deeds."
'I'm afraid the tree has already been tarnished.'
"Let's do that then. In any case, I conclude this meeting of ours. You will all be handed a task book in the coming days. They're meant to be finished in under ten months so that I can leave for the Demon Realm with peace of mind," Sylvester ended their little walk in the park as he had something else in his mind. "It's been years since I sat here and meditated, and I would like to do that again. So I won't be seeing you off."
"I shall wish for your rewarding meditation in my evening prayers. May the light guide you to your chosen stairs." Lord Inquisitor bowed his head and respectfully walked away to continue doing his job in the Inquisitor camp. He also dragged Aurora along as she was his trainee.
One after another, the Guardians left after bidding their salutes. Each firmly reaffirmed their pledge to support him.
"Can I speak now, Maxy?" Miraj boredly yawned and voiced from his shoulder. "I felt so itchy in my tummy trying not to talk."
"Come here." Sylvester grabbed the furball and squished him against his chest, something he hated. "You can even shout now, Chonky. But first, let me see if you're smelly."
"Nyooo… I'm not smelly. No squishes, please!" Miraj groaned while getting his face smacked against Sylvester's chest. The poor fur ball wasn't strong enough to escape Sylvester's mighty claws.
"Come and sit with me. It's time to meditate." Sylvester made Miraj sit beside him on his hind legs, supported by his tail, making him appear as if he was sitting like a human. "Close your eyes and do what I do. No more escaping. If I can see Solis like this, you should be able to see some cat god of yours."
"I have a cat god?" Miraj exclaimed, looking up at Sylvester's face while still being squashed against his chest. "But… I thought I was the cat god."
Sylvester felt a little speechless at that. 'At this point. I don't think I can even refute that.'
"In that case, you should try to act like a god and meditate to hear the cries of your cat people." Sylvester still forced him to sit down, "Now, copy what I do word for word. Close your eyes… No peeking. Then take long breaths and feel the solarium around you or the air flow through your body. Slowly, clear your mind of all thoughts and only focus on your breaths with an empty head."
Prrrrrr…
Sylvester opened his eyes and glanced. The cat had fallen on its back and was currently in the middle of heavy snoring. 'As always… He falls asleep.'
So, he focused on his own meditation. He hoped to find some answers. He needed them to find a direction—one which he could feel completely confident in.
Like many times before, he flushed all the thoughts from his mind. He made sure to look for Solis this time as he tried to imagine the flickering of light inside his mind and focused on it specifically. He didn't know how long it took him, but he eventually felt himself lost in the flickering light.
"What you need…"
"Solis?!" Sylvester suddenly exclaimed. But to his dismay, he didn't find anything around him. He didn't see any endless space of light, any throne, or any god sitting on it. There was just the voice, a familiar and frightening voice.
"What you need, you already have. The guidance you desire. To be what you aspire. You have what it requires. Do not waver in your strides, or the doubts shall lead to many divides. You possess my blessing—go, it's time for conviction, not guessing."
Sylvester kept focusing more on that voice. However, beyond that voice, he saw nothing. "I already knew that. What I needed was something more concrete. You told me to be ruthless, to pay whatever cost it may require. Now I stand having lost Sir Dolorem, and so many more. I need more than just your words… I need your guarantee."
"This path you walk upon is not for me, you foolish, misguided soul of destiny. This is your battle for a change, or see the repeating history. To let the truth remain shrouded in mystery. No longer am I to hold your hand and be a guide. You are the wave now, and it's time for your tide."
Sylvester felt the words were useless and lamented on the hopelessness. He sighed and allowed the flames that came with the voice of Solis to vanish. Meeting with Solis turned out to be utterly pointless.
"You're turning into a god as useless as I thought gods would be," Sylvester mumbled and opened his eyes. Surprisingly, it was still night, and Miraj was sleeping beside him, meaning it hadn't been that long since he sat down.
So, he just picked Miraj up and made his way back home. Today, he didn't feel like working at night. He just wanted to go home and rest beside Xavia and hear some words of comfort from her.
Thud!
He landed directly in front of the fifth-floor door to his house. But, to his surprise, Felix and Gabriel were there, standing in clothes that didn't belong to the clergy. They were wearing regular, brown robes of commoners.
"What's the occasion?" He asked.
"Gab sent word. He wanted to celebrate the night with us," Felix shrugged, being as clueless as Sylvester.
'Happiness?' Sylvester noticed the scent and looked towards the stairs.
"Let's go to the terrace."
Soon, the three boys and one dazedly waking up furball went to the terrace and lit a small bonfire. It was slightly cold, but it was nothing for them. And surprisingly, Gab came prepared with a few snacks of various salted nuts and seeds, and some soft drinks.
Once they all sat down, they began talking about the mundane.
"How's the new love life with Isabella?" Sylvester asked his experiment subject. "I hope it's working fine. If you ever feel even a hint of pain there, come tell me as quickly as possible."
But Felix was just smiling widely as he revealed a thumbs up. "Hehe… Almost three times a day, even five times on some rare occasions. For the first time in my life, I look forward to going home after work and spending the night doing nothing but talking with a person."
"And a lot more," Gabriel commented. "You got your dream fulfilled. I'm happy for you, my brother. But I wonder what Max's dream is. I don't think you ever talked about it."
As the two boys looked at him while munching on snacks, Sylvester reminded them what he had told everyone. "Nothing… I just want peace in my life. Such a peace that I can just buy myself some land in the countryside and live peacefully with my family. Nobody coming to challenge me because I'm a Supreme Wizard, nobody coming to rob me because I'm rich."
"Hah, good luck with that. As long as there are humans, there will be chaos." Gabriel scoffed, but smiled in the end, "However, I have to thank you this time. Because of you, I was finally able to catch that bitch."
It was rare for Gabriel to curse.
"Which bitch?" Felix asked rather excitedly.
"Cruella Lampart. The one who used to steal the money I'd send to my sister, and kept her malnourished. Some time ago I had put a wanted notice in the newspaper. Surprisingly, I received a reaction right away. A few villagers tied her up where she was living and informed the monastery," Gabriel explained, finally finding some relief to one of the long-forgotten memories. "With that, I can now bid farewell to my past for good."
"Kill her," Felix suggested.
Sylvester wasn't against that idea either, "But after a trial. If she was truly evil, it would come up in the trials."
"That's what I plan to do. I don't want this to be a power trip. I want her to know what she did was wrong. To assault and abuse a young child out of greed… Ah, forget it. How did the meeting with Guardians go?" Gabriel changed the topic, not wanting to get emotional by remembering his family.
Sylvester picked up a piece of almond and munched it while feeding Miraj some as he had woken up. "They believed me and wished to follow my guidance. I just hope I'm right… Ever since I was born, I had actual, tangible goals and reasons to fight. I had a pathway set for me to follow. But now that I sit at the top, I find myself having to create new paths for myself and those around me—there are no fixed goals. It's all uncharted territory, and somehow… I'm worried."
"That… is a lot," Felix muttered, sympathizing with his brother.
"Serves you right," Gabriel scoffed. "Working for you is the most stressful thing I've done in my life. But, considering my magical abilities. I'll die long before you two. Then I'll just look over you two with Markus."
"You never know," Felix argued.
Sylvester nodded firmly. "Gab… The stronger you are, the harder you fight, and the faster you fall. That's how the story has gone on for most of those who have reached the pinnacle."
"And now I'm depressed." Felix lowered his head, the scent of real sadness coming from him. "Isabella… I don't want to lose her. See her grow old as I remain the same."
"I understand that… very well."
Sylvester remembered Xavia once again. Defeating the Primordial Gods was now one of the goals in his path to gaining the ability to change the fate of mortals.
If those gods could pull his soul from one reality to another. He hoped to at least be able to extend someone's time.
"I don't have much going on in my life when it comes to relatives. My wedding is in a few days, and now I can't stop thinking about death," Felix continued to spiral into depressive what-ifs.
Pat! Pat!
Chonky suddenly went behind Felix and patted his back.
"I-Is that… the Guardian angel?" Felix asked as Sylvester had introduced Miraj to them that way.
"It is. He's telling you to shut your bitching."
"..."
Felix suddenly laughed, "Haha, then I think I'd get along with this as good as my other pus—."
"I'm going home," Gabriel immediately stood up. "I can't taint my ears with this unholiness."
"Me too," Sylvester got up. "What if it's contagious?"
"..."
Left alone, Felix simply laughed and got ready to go home. "Ah, you two… I'd die for my brothers… I wonder what Bella is doing."
That was the attention span of a horndog.
If one had heard their conversation. They'd surely have questioned the faith and the three abysmally high rankers in the same faith.
Thank you for reading. Gifts and GT votes are highly appreciated.
