"The seven gods…" he whispered.
"The Seven Gods whose power was disturbed by their death."
He turned the thin page, his eyes following the faded script.
"God of War, the Ember Lord. The symbol of the Sanctum of the Ember Lord is a burning sword. God of War blessed mankind with the powers of the Ember Current. The god is widely worshiped on the continent of Vaelora, with most of them being found in Varen."
"God of Depths, Tide Mother. The symbol of the Sanctum of the Tide Mother is a spiral shell. Nerathis gave humanity the gifts of the Tide Current. She is a goddess of depths and is a Tide Mother. The region where she is mainly revered is in the Ashen Isles and the coastal states of Vaelora.
"God of Secrets, the Veiled One. The emblem of the Sanctum of the Veiled One is the hooded eye. She granted humanity the powers of the Veil Current. She is revered on the continent of Vaelora, primarily in the Republic of Aurel."
"God of Knowledge, Allseer. The symbol associated with the Sanctum of the Allseer is the sunburst motif. He is the deity who blessed mankind with the use of the power of the Aether Current. He is primarily worshipped within the southern region of Vaelora, although his devotees can be found worldwide seeking secrets and knowledge."
"God of Death, the Pale Shepherd. The icon of the Sanctum of the Pale Shepherd is a skull lantern. The Grave Current is the gift that he gave to mankind. The continent of Elyndra is where he is revered; specifically in the Darth Empire, it is also known as the Graveyard of Empires."
"God of Instinct, Beastfather. The emblem of God of Instinct is the "horned dragon." He brought the Beast Current to mankind. His worship is pretty much confined to the State of Sarn and a few smaller nations."
"God of Void, the Fallen. He has no sanctum but the symbol of the Fallen is the Black Crown. He is the one who has blessed mankind with the power of Hollow Current. He is worshiped in evil cults that repeatedly try and resurrect him.he is often considered 'Evil God' among the other Seven."
Ilis swallowed his tongue. A chill ran down his spines as he read the next line.
"Even though these Gods are dead as far as mainstream society is concerned, a group believes they have moved on back to whence they came and are currently watching humans and monitoring the use of their gift."
He flipped a few more pages, though the words started to lose their meaning. Finding nothing of interest, he shut the book with a soft thud and a weary sigh.
He relaxed slightly in the seated position, gazing up at the ceiling. Thoughts began to formulate in his mind.
"So essentially, I have to choose which of these Currents I want to channel," he grumbled. "There are plenty who have perished attempting to channel into their power. There are serious side consequences that can be expected, but this book doesn't reveal what those are.or how to begin a path towards it."
He rubbed his temple in exasperation.
"Ugh… I couldn't make a bold decision now. I had to see the effects of these two items myself by visiting the Cathedral."
Ilis stood up after a brief moment of silence and began walking towards the exit. It felt heavy, the air thick and the room hushed.
He reached for the doorknob but did not get a chance to grasp it when the door opened. It crashed into him and knocked him backward. He fell on the floor.
"Ugh…" groaned, rubbing his forehead.
"Oh! Excuse me, young lord!" Afrel cried out as he realized what was occurring.
Ilis wiped the dust off his clothes before giving a faint smile. "It's okay. Next time, be more careful. What are you doing here?"
"You asked me to go with you to town yesterday," Afrel answered, sounding worried.
Ilis blinked in an effort to recall the memory. Right. he wanted to meet with his friend, Bast. Not a noble, but a "commoner" who happened to have knowledge of arms combat tactics.
"Oh yes, I completely forgot about that. I was taken up with some matters of… importance," Ilis said, making a feeble attempt at a laugh.
"Ah, I see. Lord Julius is summoned to Parliament, you see, so I thought I'd remind you."
Hmm. Parliament. How interesting. If I were to learn more about the way things actually worked, I would have to become involved myself sooner or later, once I was of age. But channelers were no longer permitted to seek politics. A rather inopportune time I am transmigrated in. Ah, Now that I considered the implications of my presence here, the elections would be coming up soon. It was perhaps two months away. Julius would have to work hard to get the votes; he was no doubt very busy.
"I see. Do you think we'll be able to win this time?" Ilis asked.
"Of course. Lord Julius is very diligently at work but sometimes fate reserves certain cards for itself," Afrel replied curiously.
"Heh, what does he mean?" Ilis mused, curling his lips slightly.
"Anyway, it's time for us to leave. My friend is waiting," Ilis said, straightening his coat.
"Alright, I'll have the carriage ready," Afrel replied and left the room. The Dowager's plan was
Ilis changed into lighter clothing and set off towards the city along with Afrel and some ordinary soldiers as well as one of the Channelers of the Ember Current. They were quite common in the Varen Empire. There were ten Channelers and one hundred and fifty-seven soldiers under the control of the Damas family.
The carriage soon arrived at the town. It was vibrant and full of color. People thronged to watch street performers, while laughter rang out between the stone-lined streets. Children ran through the streets with ribbons and sweet bread in their hands. The carriage halted before a hotel with flowerpots dangling from it and brass signs that sparkled.
"Wait for me here," Ilis said, getting down from the carriage. The atmosphere in the hotel was warm and inviting, with a hint of spice and wood polish in the air.
He looked around the room, identifying his friend, Bast, sitting at a table near the window, winking at a girl in the other part of the room.
Ilis sighed. Some things never change.
He walked over to the table and sat across from him, his chair scraping a little. Bast hadn't noticed him yet.
"What would Rella think?" Ilis asked offhandedly
"What?" Bast turned to him, raising his eyebrows before relaxing into a smile. "You took your sweet time arriving."
Heh. He looks just like an old buddy I had back on Earth.
"How have you been?" Ilis asked with a tender smile.
"Doing just fine," Bast repeated in a weirdly proper manner.
Oh yeah. he has a younger brother too. I forget what his name is. Oh yeah. Jossep.
"How's your little brother?" Ilis inquired.
doing good. He's been going to the academy for a year," Bast said.
"Ah, the academy."
Ilis's father did not send him there either. He believed that the academy stifled innovation and that actual skill was greatly constricted there. He trained him himself. Perhaps it was a sound decision on his part, Ilis mused.
"I heard your father is aiming for Grand Minister?" Bast asked.
"Yes, you heard right," Ilis admitted. "Of course, we can only hope we'll be able to defeat them this time. However, the General has a particular dislike for us."
" Damn. is there a reason for this hatred?" Bast asked curiously.
"Well, not that I know of. But I heard it's some personal grudge in the past. I never asked J— I mean, Father," said Ilis.
Ilis was clearly hesitant, almost saying "Julius" instead of "Father." Bast picked up on this, noticing the hesitance in Ilis's voice, the way he almost stuttered "Julius" instead of "Father."
"Well, are you standing up for us?" Ilis asked sarcastically.
'Meh, I don't care about politics and all that stuff,' Bast said, waving it off.
"Politics is what shapes our daily lives, Bast." Ilis replied
He then leaned forward. "Now hear me out, Ilis,"
"I'm listening," Ilis answered, resting his chin on his fist.
"It is because I have an invite that I asked you here," Bast explained with eager emphasis. "An opportunity for becoming high-level Channelers."
Ilis furrowed his
"The evil cults in Elyndra. They are said to be evil, aren't they? But no, they are not. They are just misunderstood. Their God is a righteous one and they are giving us a rare opportunity to try a current. The Hollow Current. I have been invited to the ceremony and I can take one person with me. I do not trust other people but you."
Huh? What's weird is. aren't the evil cults only found in Elyndra? Are they found in Vaelora too? That's not good. But Ilis couldn't understand what Bast was saying.
"Tomorrow, meet me at Sherhold Grove right after sunset," Bast said as she stood up. "There is a gathering. There we'll get the truth. And don't tell the officials about this."
Before Ilis could get a word out, Bast stood up and walked away, his drink unfinished and Ilis's jaw still dropped in shock.
"What the f**k was that? Evil cults?" Ilis muttered to himself. He was thinking furiously. The cults were rumored to know the location of the path of the Hollow Current. The idea made his blood run cold.
"I have to report this to the authorities!" he said.
hmm and then something suddenly crossed his mind.
He took a deep breath and left a 2-pias note on the table and stood up to leave the hotel. The carriage was there, Afrel in casual conversation with the Ember Channeler.
"Free so soon, my lord?" Afrel asked with a small smile.
"Yes," Ilis said, climbing into the carriage. "I want to go to the Cathedral."
"Cathedral? Why's that?" Afrel asked, raising an eyebrow
"Some important matter. Just take me there," replied Ilis firmly.
"Alright," Afrel agreed, nodding his head. "To the cathedral," he commanded, leaning forward.
The carriage moved through the busy streets, leaving behind the laughter and sounds of the town. As they drew closer to the center of town, the towers of the cathedral came into sight through the distance, rising higher with every turn of the road.
Soon, the cathedral loomed before them, a monolith of ancient stone and majesty. Its walls were etched with intricate carvings of the forgotten gods, and the brightly colored rays of the stained-glass windows illuminated the marble steps below. The two bell towers stretched towards the heavens themselves, with the golden rim of each tower glinting in the sunlight. The thick oak doors were inscribed with depictions of battles and favors of the First Flame.
Ilis disembarked from the carriage, the whispered chorus of hymns blowing with the wind. He proceeded into the grand hall, his nostrils detecting the scent of incense and melted candle wax. At the end of the hall stood a luminar, an elder scholar clad in deep blue robes and accompanied by scrolls and sacred texts. Luminars were the guardians of godly knowledge and the interpreters of holy writings.
The luminar looked up, his eyes widening with surprise. "Oh, welcome, my lord! What brings you here?" he asked, bowing slightly.
"I want to know about something," said Ilis, with a face that was tranquil yet profound, and a voice that echoed through the high ceilings.