Chapter 1 | The Assassin Accepts a Lie
I headed for the cathedral, where I was to meet the cardinals. It was located in the center of the holy city and was one of the symbols of Alamism. Just setting foot inside this place was something you could brag about for the rest of your life, as was the case with the House of the Divine, too.
Tourists were not allowed inside the cathedral. They could only observe it from afar or offer their prayers in one of the many other churches in the city. Many dreamed of earning the privilege to enter the cathedral by doing good in the world.
A tall and polite young deacon guided me. “Sir Tuatha Dé, you will speak with the cardinals. Please do your best to avoid offending them,” he cautioned.
“I understand,” I responded with a smile.
Hierarch was the top position in the Alamite Church, followed by the cardinals, patriarchs, archbishops, bishops, priests, and deacons. Priests and deacons worked as ministers for an individual church, bishops governed all the churches in a town, and the higher positions were executives who made decisions for the entire Alamite Church.
The Alam Karla was not a part of the church’s hierarchy, just a symbol with no real power.
The cardinals who summoned me were second only to the hierarch. They were people I’d ordinarily never speak with. I’d always held a decent amount of respect for them, but my opinion dropped considerably after they publicly branded me a criminal.
I’m an Alvanian noble, though. I have to behave myself.
I was representing the Alvanian Kingdom in this meeting. I’d heard that Alvan had sent a negotiator qualified for this occasion, but I’d yet to meet them. This discussion was going to influence the fate of our nation—no one wanted to entrust that to a child like me. I would’ve preferred to meet the negotiator and learn about the kingdom’s wants beforehand, but it sounded as though they’d arrived only just before the discussion.
All I had to do was figure out what this negotiator wanted and align my words accordingly. It was better not to make any independent decisions, no matter what the cardinals asked of me. If there were an instructor with me. That would have helped me relax. Unfortunately, the instructors were told they weren’t qualified to enter the cathedral.
That was probably a calculated choice. Sure, the claim that teachers weren’t qualified was plausible, but I saw what the cardinals were up to. They figured that winning over a child would be easy, no matter how strong I was, and they wanted to get me as close to alone as they could. They’d likely pay more attention to me than the negotiator, hoping to wring out accidental promises from me.
Facing the cardinals would be tough. Large religious organizations were essentially collectives of elite merchants. It was impossible to climb to the top of such an organization without political skill, an intelligence network, connections, and money; virtue and faith had nothing to do with it. You needed to be a monster to become a cardinal.
A familiar face waited for me in the hallway.
“Hello, Lugh. Thank you for your service in the holy city. You can relax now that I’m here.”
The man addressing me was inhumanly handsome. He wore a splendid purple outfit few could hope to pull off so well. It matched the color of his hair. He was the head of a noble family that had spent hundreds of years performing selective breeding to create the ultimate humans. It was the duke of House Romalung, patriarch of one of the four major dukedoms.
“It is nice to see you again, Duke Romalung,” I responded.
“Same to you. I’m glad to see you’re well after your latest ordeal. I wouldn’t be able to face Baron Tuatha Dé if anything happened to you.”
“If that’s how you feel, you should have done something to help me escape execution. Your information network surely knew of the church’s plans before I was summoned here.”
I’d been invited on the pretense of commendation for slaying demons, but the real intent was to execute me for misappropriating the goddess’s name. My head was nearly cut off. I could have died.
“Yes, we knew. But this is you we’re talking about. You could’ve contacted me through Nevan, but you didn’t. Instead, you marched to your trial knowing it was a trap… I believed you’d escape without my help, and that’s precisely what you did.”
I couldn’t believe my ears. Constructing my telecommunications network cost me as much as purchasing a small nation, but it was worth it to gather information at unprecedented speeds for a world that relied on physical letters. Somehow, Duke Romalung acquired the same amount of information as I did, without that advantage. I definitely didn’t want to make an enemy of him. I was glad the duke was an ally in the upcoming meeting. No one was better equipped for this situation.
“I’m glad the kingdom sent you. I can follow your lead,” I said.
“Yes, please do. You’re brilliant, but you’re a man of action. You’re not ready for politics,” the duke responded.
He spoke the truth. I was adept at gathering information, using my intelligence network, and analyzing situations, and I could grasp the current situation, but only those entrenched in government could properly speak on political matters. Something I judged as the right course of action could be seen as the wrong move by someone with knowledge of the bigger picture.
“You’re right. I’ll just do my best not to get in your way during the meeting.”
“I knew you were special. I hope you will consider impregnating Nevan. I know your seed will produce the greatest Romalung to ever live. We’d finally achieve our family’s long-held ambition of creating humanity’s ultimate masterpiece.”
“Let’s table that discussion for now.”
We walked to the conference room where the cardinals waited. What were they going to throw at me?
I looked around the conference room. The church called it something different, but the deacon guiding me thought that title would be easiest for us to understand. The space was impressive.
It’s designed to influence the minds of those who enter.
Ninety percent of the information processed by the human brain is visual. This means you could influence a person’s feelings by manipulating what they saw. This room was constructed perfectly to inspire awe in those who entered. That was evident from the desk alone. Its shape, placement, and the intensity and color of the light illuminating it had all been meticulously planned.
As far as I was aware, psychology didn’t exist in this world. This layout must have been the result of trial and error. The tenacity of working to this end was admirable. It was clear that the Alamite Church didn’t become the world’s most prevalent religion simply because its leaders had a girl who could hear the goddess’s voice; the religion grew because its leaders were clever.
Seven people sat on the church’s side of the table. Each one was a cardinal who managed the churches in multiple countries and had the power to manipulate believers under their jurisdiction.
The Alvanian Kingdom was a major power, but from the church’s perspective, Duke Romalung and I were nobles from one of many nations. The cardinals’ eyes and attitudes unmistakably communicated a feeling of superiority.
“Greetings, Sir Tuatha Dé. You have served us most splendidly.”
I understood that the cardinals supremely outranked me, but I was amazed they still remained haughty after screwing up so badly during the Puppeteer demon incident.
“Thank you for your kind words.” I kept my thoughts about their attitude to myself and sat down after the deacon motioned for me to do so.
“Thank you as well for coming all this way, Duke Romalung. You may be seated.”
Duke Romalung smiled and obeyed without a word.
“Let us discuss the demon attack. Anyone ignorant of the true events will think this incident to be the fault of the Alamite Church. This is despite our efforts to fool even those closest to us in an effort to eliminate the demon that supplanted the hierarch. That misunderstanding would be most deplorable.”
The cardinals all looked at me. The message was loud and clear. They weren’t asking me to align my story with theirs—they were insisting that their version was the truth. The difference was subtle, but critical. Asking me not to lie but to make that falsehood the truth changed everything.
How should I answer?
Duke Romalung simply smiled and signaled for me to be silent. Alvanian nobles shared a set of unique signals that came in handy for communicating information quickly and wordlessly while abroad.
I see. That’s what we’re doing. I smiled and did as Duke Romalung requested. The cardinals’ surly faces twitched.
“As you are aware, we knew the hierarch was possessed by a demon. If we said anything, however, the demon would have revealed himself and rained fire upon the holy city… Only the hero or a Holy Knight could defeat him. Openly asking for help would have also led the demon to destroy the city. We had no choice but to summon you as a criminal to be executed. We knew the demon would welcome your execution, as you’d killed several of his brethren already. Your capture would allow him to eliminate a threat.”
The duke was still signaling me to remain quiet, and I acquiesced.
“Word of your demon-killing exploits gave us a very high opinion of you. It wounded us to brand you a criminal, even though it was a temporary measure. Still, it was the only way to fool the demon!”
There was real passion in their acting. I expected nothing less of cardinals—they all knew how to appeal to the heart. They’d likely convinced themselves to the point that they weren’t aware they were lying.
“You more than lived up to our expectations. I knew we were right to name you a saint! We must let the world know you are the eighth saint to ever live. The truth of this incident must be made clear first, however. Can we count on your cooperation?”
They dangled bait before me while presenting their lie as truth. Becoming a saint wouldn’t grant me any direct authority, but I would be able to get away with anything in countries where Alamism was the official religion. I’d be treated as a god. That was worth more than all the money in the world. My words would carry the power of a king’s. I wasn’t interested, though. That sort of power only brought disaster and trouble.
I watched Duke Romalung from the corner of my vision without moving my eyes. He gave me a new sign commanding me to agree.
“I understand. I will follow your orders,” I said.
“We’re glad to see you understand. We will make a spectacular show of your canonization as a saint. There shall be a grand festival with nobles from across the continent, members of the church, and major businesspeople. It will be held in a week, and we shall do our best to make yours a celebration of unprecedented glory.”
How shameless. They were clearly doing this for the church, not for me. The spectacle was a distraction to bury the scandal and to help their version of events pass unquestioned. This plan would likely succeed; the people wanted the demons gone, and a demon-killer becoming a saint would stoke tremendous joy.
“We have prepared a speech for you since you lack experience in such matters. Please read this verbatim at your ceremony.”
The deacon handed me a thick bundle of papers. A quick scan revealed it was quite thorough. It was written in the church’s best interest, of course, but none of it put me at a disadvantage.
“This concludes the meeting. Thank you for your cooperation.”
How abrupt.
Duke Romalung raised his hand just as I thought that. “The Alvanian Kingdom agrees with Lugh’s decision to cooperate. I cannot allow you to have his support for free, however. He is taking a risk by spreading your lies, so I expect appropriate compensation.”
He pulled documents out of a bag and distributed them to everyone present. I looked them over and nearly laughed. The duke was really toeing the line. The paper outlined conditions beneficial to the Alvanian Kingdom that the church had the power to grant. The cardinals would be very reluctant to approve these demands… But given the risk of their predicament, they had to agree. Duke Romalung played this to perfection.
“What do you mean by ‘lies’?”
“Exactly what I said. The demon had you all dancing on his strings. Lugh’s quick wit allowed you all to escape with your positions intact. I am fine with telling your story publicly, but the truth must remain the truth between Alvan and the church.”
Duke Romalung’s smile was impossibly beautiful, but looking at it gave me the chilling sense that he could see into the soul.
“We have told no lies. What we say is the truth.”
“You’ve all been careless. I know that every one of you secretly tried to gain favor with the hierarch while the demon had you under his thumb. Your hunger for glory caused you to leave behind plenty of evidence that disproves your story. Lots of people from other countries have noticed this as well.”
Duke Romalung produced more papers, and more surprises. These documents were based on information collected by Natural You’s information network. And I could tell from the files’ presentation that Maha wrote them.
Did Nevan tell her father about the telecommunications network and that Maha managed it? No, there’s no way. Nevan wasn’t that kind of person. I was confident she’d keep that secret, as promised. However, that suggested Duke Romalung learned of the telecommunications network and traced its management back to Maha on his own.
My poker face felt ready to crack. I knew the duke was a monster, but this was beyond reason. The cardinals shared my sentiment, turning pale when they read the documents.
Duke Romalung refused to let up, saying, “I take it you realize how bad it would be for you if this information were made public? Especially the multiple assassination attempts on the Alam Karla after Lugh rescued her. You did a poor job covering your tracks in your efforts to earn favor with the hierarch. Tracing the orders back to you all was simple. Alamism may be the most influential religion in the world, but some countries will be glad to be rid of it. You don’t want this information to get out.”
“Such insolence! Do you really think a noble representing a single kingdom can threaten us?! We could crush Alvan in three days if we so wished!”
The cardinals’ saintly skin had been torn off to reveal them for what they were—small men obsessed with power. The problem was, they genuinely could destroy Alvan. Most major countries on the continent would attack if the church gave the command.
“You’re missing my point. I’m saying the Alvanian Kingdom will support you. We’ll help spread your lie and erase the evidence you left behind. I’m confident that your story will collapse without our assistance, leaks or no leaks. Acknowledge the lie for what it is.”
Alvan wanted the cardinals to recognize the lie to put the church in its debt. The kingdom couldn’t accomplish this by agreeing to propagate the “truth,” but agreeing to spread a lie carried a sizable risk, giving Alvan something it could hold over the church. The value of that was immeasurable.
This was a dangerous negotiation. Push the cardinals too far and they’d decide that Alvan needed to be destroyed. Duke Romalung was treading a tightrope. He was confident he could pull it off, but this was beyond my capabilities.
I could probably have pushed the cardinals to this point. After all, it was my subordinate, Maha, who had gathered the information the duke presented. However, I lacked the courage to take on this kind of challenge, and I wouldn’t have any confidence in success.
After a long silence, one of the cardinals forced himself to speak through a dry throat.
“Very well. We accept your conditions. Please cooperate and spread our sequence of events.”
The cardinals were too stubborn to admit their story was false. Still, Duke Romalung won this meeting. He’d successfully crossed the tightrope.
“Thank you very much. Let us work together for the prosperity of the Alamite Church and the Alvanian Kingdom.” The duke grinned.
Geez, he’s unbelievable. I had to speak with him later. I needed to know how he intended to use his knowledge of Maha.
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