I Thought I Was Collecting Systems, Not Overpowered Wives

Chapter 63: Saga 63: Aftermath and Questions

The Cardinal arrived with reinforcements minutes after the masked figure’s escape, surveying the ruined archive with an expression caught somewhere between relief and mounting horror at how close the attack had actually come to succeeding.

"Casualties?" she asked, voice tight.

"Two guards, unfortunately," Sylvia reported grimly. "We lost them before we arrived. The rest of us are shaken but intact."

The Cardinal’s gaze settled on Ari, still visibly trembling despite Kael’s steadying presence beside her. "Your Holiness, you shouldn’t have been anywhere near this. I specifically—"

"I know what you specifically instructed," Ari cut in, some of her composure returning despite the lingering adrenaline. "And I’m glad I ignored it, because without my interference, Sylvia would have taken a considerably worse hit than she did."

The Cardinal’s jaw tightened, clearly torn between gratitude and continued worry, before finally relenting with a tired sigh. "We’ll discuss the wisdom of that decision later. For now, I need a full account of what happened here."

Kael relayed the details methodically—the masked figures, the corrupted creatures, the name dropped in the heat of battle. "Cardinal Vane. Does that name mean anything to the Church?"

The Cardinal’s expression shifted, something like genuine shock passing behind her composed exterior. "Malrick Vane. That name hasn’t been spoken within these walls in over fifteen years."

"You know him?" Sylvia asked.

"Everyone of a certain age within the Church knows that name, though few speak it willingly." The Cardinal’s voice dropped, some old grief surfacing beneath the professional composure. "Cardinal Vane was once among the Church’s most promising leaders, groomed for eventual ascension to the highest ecclesiastical authority. He vanished under mysterious circumstances fifteen years ago, along with several confidential archives detailing the Church’s most sensitive historical records."

Ari had gone very still beside Kael, something troubled crossing her features. "Cardinal Vane," she repeated quietly, almost to herself. "That name feels familiar somehow. Like something from very early childhood, before I fully understood what my position meant."

"You were quite young when he disappeared," the Cardinal said carefully, watching Ari’s reaction closely. "It’s possible your paths crossed during that time, given the nature of his former duties."

"What duties?" Kael pressed.

The Cardinal hesitated, some old instinct toward secrecy warring with the clear necessity of full disclosure given everything that had just happened. "Cardinal Vane was, for a time, personally responsible for overseeing the early education and training of Saintess candidates. Including, I believe, Ariandel herself, before her formal ascension."

The revelation landed heavily in the ruined archive, scattered parchment still drifting in the disturbed air, and Kael watched Ari’s expression cycle through confusion, dawning recognition, and finally something that looked uncomfortably close to genuine grief.

"He taught me," Ari said slowly, memory clearly surfacing despite years of deliberate forgetting. "Combat magic. The training Sylvia tested days ago. I remember now—a patient man, kind in ways the rest of the Church never bothered to be, before he simply vanished one day without explanation."

"Ari," Kael said gently, watching her process the weight of this connection. "Are you alright?"

"I don’t know," she admitted, voice barely above a whisper. "The man who tried to have me killed tonight taught me everything I know about defending myself. I don’t know how to feel about that yet."

The Cardinal watched the exchange with visible discomfort, clearly uncertain how much further to press given Ari’s fragile state. "I can have the sealed archives on Vane’s disappearance brought to you, if it would help. There may be answers there that could ease some of this uncertainty."

"I’d appreciate that," Ari said, gathering herself with visible effort. "Whatever the truth is, I’d rather know it than keep guessing at shadows."

"I’ll have them delivered within the hour." The Cardinal turned to address the wider damage, barking instructions to the gathered guards about securing the archive and beginning repairs, leaving Kael, Sylvia, and Ari alone amid the wreckage for a rare quiet moment.

"For what it’s worth," Sylvia said, "whatever Vane was to you once, the man leading Umbra Black tonight chose to send assassins after a woman he apparently taught to defend herself. That’s not the action of someone who still cares about your wellbeing, whatever fond memories remain."

"I know," Ari said quietly. "Logically, I know that. Doesn’t make it hurt any less."

"It’s not supposed to," Kael said. "Grief doesn’t usually care what’s logical."

Ari looked up at him, something grateful in her exhausted expression. "You have a strange talent for saying exactly the right thing at exactly the right moment."

"Years of practice consoling Yuki after his terrible jokes fall flat. Considerably lower stakes, but the muscle memory transfers."

That earned a small, watery laugh from Ari, exactly the reaction Kael had hoped for.

The Cardinal returned shortly after with a promised folder of records, considerably thinner than Kael expected given the significance of Vane’s former position. "This is everything the general archive holds on his disappearance. I’ve requested access to the more sensitive sealed records as well, though that will take additional time given the protocols involved."

"Thank you," Ari said, accepting the folder with visibly steadier hands than before. "I’d like some time to review this privately, if that’s alright."

"Of course, Your Holiness. Take whatever time you need." The Cardinal hesitated, something almost gentle entering her usually stern demeanor. "For what it’s worth, I’m sorry you’re having to confront this now, on top of everything else. You’ve handled the past two days with considerably more grace than anyone had a right to expect."

Ari nodded, throat visibly tight with emotion she was clearly working hard to contain in front of the assembled guards and clergy. Kael squeezed her shoulder gently, a silent offer of support that she leaned into gratefully before finally straightening and reclaiming her composed public bearing.

"I’ll leave you both to your review," the Cardinal said, gathering her attendants and retreating to oversee the ongoing archive repairs, leaving Kael, Sylvia, and Ari finally alone with the thin folder of records and the weight of everything the night had revealed.

"Where do we even start with this?" Ari asked, staring at the folder like it might bite her.

"One page at a time," Sylvia said gently. "That’s usually how these things go."

—

End of Chapter—