Chapter 13: Chapter 13 - Lies Beneath Silver Light
Chapter 13 — Lies Beneath Silver Light
The moment Commander Lucien looked toward our hiding place, my heartbeat nearly stopped.
Not metaphorically.
Actually stopped for like half a second.
The candlelit chamber suddenly felt suffocatingly small.
Elena stood directly in front of me now, almost shielding me with her body instinctively.
Which honestly did not help my ability to think clearly.
At all.
Lucien slowly narrowed his golden eyes.
The spiritual pressure around him intensified slightly.
Not enough to attack.
Enough to test.
The man was probing the room carefully.
Searching.
Dorian stood near the doorway watching silently.
Unlike before, the merchant no longer looked relaxed.
Interesting.
Even he was cautious around this commander.
Lucien took another step forward.
My blue divine core pulsed dangerously hard beneath my chest.
I could feel it reacting instinctively to another divine authority nearby.
Like two invisible signals interfering with each other.
Not good.
Very not good.
Elena suddenly spoke calmly.
"This chamber is sacred ground."
Lucien’s gaze shifted toward her briefly.
"And?"
Her voice remained steady.
"Lady Seraphine does not appreciate invasive inspections."
Oh.
Nice move.
Using divine etiquette against him.
Lucien’s expression barely changed.
But he stopped walking.
Interesting.
Politics even between gods.
The commander folded his arms.
"We sensed an unknown authority manifesting here."
Elena met his gaze directly.
"Then perhaps you should ask Lady Seraphine herself why."
Tension filled the chamber instantly.
Honestly?
I was impressed.
Elena might not physically overpower this guy...
but socially?
She absolutely knew how to fight.
Lucien studied her silently for several seconds.
Then finally said—
"You protect something."
My heartbeat accelerated again.
Dorian immediately stepped in smoothly.
"Commander, surely accusing a saintess without evidence violates church courtesy."
Nice save.
The merchant really was useful.
Lucien glanced toward him coldly.
"You speak boldly for a trader."
Dorian smiled faintly.
"Boldness improves profit margins."
Honestly?
That was such a businessman answer.
The commander looked back toward Elena again.
Rain thundered softly outside while candle flames flickered between them.
Then suddenly—
Lucien stepped sideways.
Directly toward us.
Ah.
Nope.
Terrible development.
My mind raced instantly.
If he sensed my divine core directly, things could escalate immediately.
Fight?
Impossible.
Run?
Probably suspicious.
Lie?
Always possible.
The commander moved closer.
Five steps away now.
Four.
Three.
The blue energy beneath my chest became harder to suppress.
Like pressure building inside a sealed container.
Lucien absolutely noticed.
His golden eyes sharpened instantly.
"There."
The room froze.
Elena moved immediately.
Silver light exploded from the symbol on her hand.
A barrier of pale divine energy appeared between us and Lucien.
The commander stopped sharply.
Not because the barrier blocked him.
Because attacking it would become a direct insult to Lady Seraphine.
Political defense.
Smart.
Very smart.
Lucien’s expression hardened slightly.
"Elena."
Her blue eyes remained cold.
"Commander."
The atmosphere became suffocating.
Dorian quietly backed toward the wall.
Correct survival decision honestly.
Lucien looked toward the silver barrier carefully.
Then calmly asked—
"Who are you hiding?"
Silence.
Complete silence.
The rain outside intensified.
I could literally hear my own heartbeat.
Elena answered first.
"A guest of Lady Seraphine."
Technically true.
Lucien’s gaze sharpened dangerously.
"Then why conceal them?"
Fair question honestly.
Elena didn’t answer immediately.
And that hesitation?
Terrible.
Lucien noticed instantly.
The commander slowly placed one hand onto the hilt of his sword.
Not drawing it.
Just resting there.
Threat.
Clear threat.
The divine pressure inside the chamber grew heavier.
My instincts screamed danger now.
The blue core pulsed harder.
Almost angry.
Interesting.
Was divine authority emotional?
Or was my own fear affecting it?
Lucien suddenly spoke again.
"An unknown authority manifested within this village."
His voice remained calm.
Controlled.
That somehow felt more dangerous than shouting.
"Now Lady Seraphine’s saintess hides someone emitting unstable spiritual resonance."
His golden eyes locked onto Elena.
"Explain."
The silver barrier flickered slightly.
Elena was nervous.
First time I’d seen it clearly.
Not fear for herself.
Fear for me.
That realization hit unexpectedly hard.
Because honestly?
Nobody had protected me like this in a long time.
Back on Earth, survival was individual.
Everyone carried their own burdens.
But here...
Elena stood against a powerful church commander without hesitation.
Dangerous feelings.
Very dangerous timing.
Lucien’s hand tightened slightly around his sword hilt.
"Step aside."
Elena didn’t move.
"No."
One word.
Completely firm.
The commander’s expression darkened.
"You would oppose the Eternal Light?"
Ah.
Religious authority escalation.
Classic.
Elena lifted her chin slightly.
"I oppose unlawful intimidation."
Dorian quietly muttered—
"This is getting worse."
Understatement of the century.
Lucien took another step forward.
Silver and golden divine energies collided softly within the room.
Pressure spread everywhere.
The candles nearly extinguished.
And unfortunately—
my divine core reacted violently to both energies at once.
Blue sparks suddenly flashed beneath my shirt.
Ah.
Oops.
Lucien’s eyes widened instantly.
Everyone froze.
Because for one brief second—
blue light illuminated the chamber.
Visible.
Unmistakable.
Silence followed.
Absolute silence.
The commander stared directly toward me now.
No uncertainty left.
He knew.
Slowly...
Lucien removed his hand from his sword.
Interesting.
That somehow felt more dangerous.
The commander looked genuinely shocked.
"...Blue divine resonance?"
Dorian’s expression changed too.
Confusion.
Recognition.
Disbelief.
Apparently blue authorities weren’t common.
Good to know.
Lucien stepped closer to the barrier carefully now.
Not aggressive.
Curious.
Very curious.
Then quietly asked—
"Who exactly are you?"
Well.
No point hiding anymore.
I exhaled slowly.
Then stepped out from behind Elena.
The moment Lucien saw me clearly—
his expression changed again.
Not because of my appearance.
Because of the pressure around me.
Even weakened and unstable, my authority felt wrong compared to theirs.
Too fluid.
Too alive.
Blue energy flickered faintly around my fingers before fading again.
Lucien stared intensely.
"You’re newly awakened."
Not a question.
Observation.
I kept calm outwardly.
Internally?
Complete chaos.
"Yes."
The commander studied me silently.
Then suddenly frowned.
"...Your authority has no identifiable structure."
Interesting.
So divine powers normally followed recognizable patterns.
Mine didn’t.
Lucien’s golden eyes narrowed further.
"What domain do you represent?"
Dangerous question.
Very dangerous.
Elena subtly moved beside me again.
Protective.
Again dangerous for my emotional stability.
I answered carefully.
"Technology."
Silence.
Lucien blinked once.
Dorian stared blankly.
Even Elena watched my face carefully.
The commander finally spoke.
"...What?"
Fair reaction honestly.
"There is no established divine domain called Technology," Lucien said slowly.
"I know."
That answer somehow made the atmosphere worse.
Lucien observed me more intensely now.
Then unexpectedly—
the commander laughed once.
Short.
Disbelieving.
"A self-created authority?"
Oh.
Interesting.
So that was rare.
Very rare.
Lucien folded his arms thoughtfully.
"You’re either insane..."
His golden eyes sharpened.
"...or extraordinarily dangerous."
Honestly?
Probably both.
Dorian suddenly interrupted carefully.
"Commander, perhaps this matter deserves diplomacy rather than hostility."
Lucien glanced toward him.
Then back toward me.
The commander became silent for several long moments.
Finally—
he asked something unexpected.
"How old are you?"
I blinked.
"...Twenty-five."
That answer visibly stunned him.
Interesting.
Apparently most gods awakened older?
Or after longer preparation?
Lucien exhaled slowly.
"Ridiculous."
Honestly fair.
The commander looked toward the glowing blue energy around me again.
Then quietly said—
"You don’t even understand what you are yet."
That sentence hit harder than expected.
Because unfortunately...
he was absolutely correct.
The room became quiet again.
Rain softened outside.
Lucien’s expression slowly returned to calm professionalism.
Then finally—
he stepped away from the barrier.
The tension eased slightly.
Elena relaxed almost invisibly beside me.
Lucien looked toward her.
"You concealed an unregistered divine authority from the Church."
Ah.
That sounded bad.
Very official bad.
Elena met his gaze firmly.
"I protected Lady Seraphine’s guest."
The commander remained silent briefly.
Then unexpectedly nodded once.
Interesting.
Respect?
Maybe.
Lucien turned back toward me.
"The Eternal Light will investigate this matter."
Of course they would.
Fantastic.
"But..."
His golden eyes narrowed slightly.
"...I advise caution."
I frowned slightly.
"From your church?"
The commander answered honestly.
"From everyone."
That matched Seraphine’s warning exactly.
Lucien moved toward the doorway slowly.
Then paused.
Without turning around, he quietly added—
"New gods rarely survive long."
And with that—
the commander left.
