Chapter 159: O Ancient Saint
Raine’s POV:
At the far corner of the Forge of the Ninth Bell, Raine and Ren sat together. The walls around them held a variety of weapons, decently arranged, but the massive axe just above their heads was another thing altogether. It stuck out like a sore thumb and held the attention regardless, unusual and intriguing in equal measure.
A gentle breeze blew steadily from their direction, unlike always, where the air conditioner teetered between broken and barely conjuring enough steam to fan the two of them. But this time, everything was new. The gas pipes and the plant itself had been replaced wholesale, with enough fancy machinery to speak of Tae, the blacksmith’s, recent boost in revenue.
"I will say most organisations are watching Souls of Cinder closely. However, the major ones still regard us as insignificant. This is largely because they assume we are connected to the Jester of the End and believe we are capitalising on his influence. Most smaller and mid-tier organisations already factor his name into their assessments. Even the largest organisations are aware of him, though they have little reason to fear him at present."
Ren said, reaching into her maid attire, pulling out a newspaper dated the 13th of May, 1855, from a few days ago.
"This means we should avoid being associated with the young master at all costs. His reputation is already dangerous enough, and the fact that he can somehow summon false entities only makes the situation worse."
Raine stared at Ren, eyes narrowed. Her crimson eyes never left Ren’s brown ones, and on the rare occasion they did, they were quick to dart back to where they’d started.
There was something different about Ren these days. Her presence had turned somewhat intimidating, and when Raine asked her how that had come about, it was obvious the answer was a lie.
Ren was only fifteen but had been serving for about six years and counting. When they first met, she’d been just nine, and Raine had mistaken her for a boy due to her appearance.
That small mistake was what brought them closer. The maid never treated her as though she belonged on a pedestal, unlike everyone in the St. Claire family. She always said what was on her mind, and for someone who’d had everything sugarcoated her whole life, this was something Raine genuinely appreciated.
She wasn’t sure what to make of it. Ren loved and respected her, just as she did her, she knew that well enough. Whether it was ever his choice was another matter entirely.
She came from the Runerth family, Leomaris’s. The engagement talks had barely started when they shipped Ren over to keep Raine safe. But Raine had already told Leomaris what had changed her, and that made it worse, somehow. What if...
"Hey, Ren. Be honest, did you ever want to work for Leomaris?"
Ren frowned. "Huh?"
Raine played it cool, despite knowing full well she was only asking because of what Ren had been lying to her about.
"If Sebastian trained you, and he served Duchess Rosemary, doesn’t that mean your true goal has always been to serve the Runerths?"
Confusion flickered across Ren’s face. Like she was wondering if Raine had gone a bit daft.
"Are you implying that I’d choose the young master over you?"
She didn’t wait for an answer. Let out a sigh, clicked her tongue, and moved on.
"I do not know whether you realise it, but serving as your maid is effectively the same as serving the young master. I have served him since the beginning. However, I believe I understand the true meaning of your question. You wish to know where my devotion lies. The answer is simple: it lies with you. I have no intention of placing the young master’s commands above yours unless our goals happen to align."
That sounded sweet enough. Her thoughts lingered all the same. She had her own secrets from Ren, but there was nothing fun about being on the wrong end of one.
Bitter truth, really. People kept their secrets close and still had the nerve to want honesty from the ones nearest to them.
After a moment’s quiet battle, she made her peace with it. Ren would come around when she felt like it.
Ren didn’t waste time. She moved the focus to the newspaper, one finger on the headline: Breaking News — The Church of Light, Rebirth, Divinity, and Leadership Has Formed a Temporary Alliance For The Plague In Two Years.
"I think we can use this opportunity to strike where it hurts. This alliance is nothing more than a political charade designed to win donations and secure the backing of the government and the high-ranking nobles."
Raine mulled it over for a moment. Five years since the last outbreak, which had made it easy enough to forget. But if the gurus of the twelve churches fancied using the next plague to their advantage, then she could as well.
"We can begin by dismantling smaller organizations affiliated with the churches. Within two years, we could become a significant threat to them and expose their darkest secrets to the world. Alternatively, we could eliminate them without ever drawing attention. Calamity Will can serve as our starting point."
Even as she spoke, her gaze drifted to the shop entrance. Then, without pause, she fished a plain white mask from her maid attire and slid it across the tea table to Raine.
"I think the members are here. We may only have three members right now, but I believe our numbers will grow with time."
Raine took it. The conviction came quickly, spreading across her face before she’d even made the decision consciously. Two years to sort it for her family and the Church of Change, and she wasn’t about to squander them.
She put the mask on and soon spoke. She said:
"I have no intention of hiding my identity from my followers, but trust must come first. Only then can I reveal who I truly am."
Her presence shifted to something cold and unyielding. The sort that made people swallow whatever doubt they had and leave it there.
Her allies filed in. Raine’s Divine Aura stretched across the room; she felt their heartbeats and saw the faint steam of their breath hanging in the air.
Two men emerged first, and both of them appeared collected. The first had dark hair and glasses he adjusted now and then, the sort of highly intelligent noble who always looked like he knew something you didn’t. The second was cocky, spiky brown hair, though the sight of Raine was enough to keep him in check. Neither looked scared. Not even close.
Only one heartbeat ran loud, the sole girl among them. She looked timid enough, sheepish even, but her steps landed heavily, and she held herself like someone who knew exactly what she was capable of. Raine could argue she was the strongest of the three, perhaps the most ruthless.
They bowed before Raine, heads down in a respectful manner. When they spoke, it was in equal measure — same conviction, same weight — as though the words had been rehearsed into them.
"Greetings, O Ancient Saint."
