"He needs to be mentally strong to handle that," Eve revealed.
"What's the job?" Morris asked.
"Given the light of the recent event, the mass kidnapping, which happened mostly from the spies hidden amongst the ranks of the eight orthodox churches, the fellow cardinals, with the permission of His Holiness, collaborated on a project to cleanse the churches internally."
Eve explained, analyzing everyone's expression on this, before she continued further.
"All eight churches have already given this a green flag, and the recruitment would happen through recommendations and then a series of tests and interviews."
'What rat hole am I being pushed into?' Raven dreaded internally.
Just as he thought he had survived falling from a cliff, he was now surrounded by them.
And this time, with no hope to escape.
A deer working in the den of lions?
His nervousness shot up, which Dorothy, Morris, and Eve immediately picked up.
But they misunderstood the reason for it.
"That's all I am allowed to reveal without an Oath of Secrecy." Eve finished her explanation.
"How safe is it?" Dorothy asked immediately.
She couldn't bear seeing Raven sad anymore.
"Very safe, actually," Eve replied enthusiastically.
'Fuckkk!' Raven screamed mentally. 'Whyyy?'
Had she said it was dangerous, Dorothy would've fought the entire house to keep him from going.
But why is it safe?
"The members would act in groups, and they all would be highly capable because of the screening process." She explained.
The enthusiasm in her tone was understandable, since she worked for the Church.
And she was most likely involved in its decision-making.
"Then it's decided," Morris said, without giving Dorothy any chance to interrupt anymore.
"Raven would go through the screening and do this job."
Morris's decision was final, and it didn't look like there was any room for negotiation here.
Dorothy was glaring at him, but logically, she couldn't say anything.
'I will just fail deliberate-.'
"Ah! There's no need for screening for him," Eve said, and continued, "Being a Cardinal, I can just directly admit him into this."
Thump!
A sudden sound of a bang against the table pulled everyone's attention.
It was Raven.
"What happened?" Eve asked.
She thought he might be elated by this piece of news, since he had an easy way out.
"O-Oh, nothing." He answered, "I was just curious if this nepotism would cause a blemish on your character or not."
Eve chuckled and replied, "Don't worry about that. They gave us this privilege as a token of gratitude. It's my given right."
'Never thought I would be against a nepotism case that I am involved in.'
Watching Television shows and pieces of news related to nepotism always made him jealous.
But now that he was about to 'benefit' from it, he wasn't happy in the least.
"That would be our last option in case he fails."
Morris turned his head around and stared at Raven, "If you were to pass this on your own, I would provide you with additional allowance."
Dorothy chimed in immediately as well, "I will also gift you something special."
Jennifer, who was watching this all unfold, had her eyes widen.
She couldn't bear it anymore and barged in, "What about me?"
Her tone was urgent.
"This is an incentive," Jennifer had asked Dorothy, but it was Morris who answered. "Something to be earned, that you earned a few years ago."
Raven instinctively glared at Jennifer.
When he landed the position of a professor, her allowance was doubled as well.
And it was the original Raven who had prompted the same question.
And Jennifer had just given him a smug.
Morris beckoned Dorothy, asking for her final decree in this.
To which Dorothy gave a defeated response, "Then, it's decided."
"And-"
"And the topic is over." Dorothy cut Morris off mid-sentence, "The lunch is getting cold."
Everyone nodded, followed by Morris.
It was time for the actual lunch.
'All my appetite is basically gone now,' Raven grumbled.
"Raven, meet me in the Gazebo behind the manor after lunch," Eve said before Raven could pick up his cutlery, "I will inform you about this job further."
…
In a well-trimmed, well-maintained garden full of different sorts of eye-pleasing plants, stood a Gazebo.
Its arches had beautiful patterns carved out, and its dome was covered in turquoise blue tiles, with matching wooden chairs around a small coffee table.
"Take this," Eve handed Raven an intricate golden mirror and said, "Look at the Sun in the reflection, and take the oath of secrecy."
She handed him a piece of paper with the oath written on it.
Raven followed the instructions and looked at the bright sun indirectly in the mirror.
"I, Raven Marlowe, take the oath to keep what is said in this Gazebo for the next 5 minutes a secret."
As he finished the sentence, a bright light suddenly assaulted his eyes.
Shatter!
The mirror fell on the ground and shattered.
Eve immediately supported his body and flipped an hourglass with the other hand.
"Are you alright?" Eve asked.
"Mhm!" Raven nodded as he limped on the wooden chair.
"Anyways," The mood shifted, "Your job would be called an 'Arbiter'."
"You, along with your group, would be deployed to missions in different churches, sometimes normally, and sometimes undercover."
Gulp!
Raven didn't like the sound of it.
Being around so many churches?
"You would basically be given political powers equivalent to a Bishop, as a 1-Star Arbiter, and your team would have to capturethe heretics…."
She paused and looked him in the eye, "Dead or alive."
"..."
'So fighting is involved.' He brooded, 'And my life would be on the line.'
'It's completely safe, my ass.'
"This is why I said you would need to be prepared mentally, too."
Eve inspected his face for any reaction, but there wasn't a drastic one, unlike what she expected.
She had expected him to be scared since it involved a human life on the line.
After a few moments of silence, she took out a small diary.
"Here," She passed it to him and said, "Read it for more details and burn it afterwards."
Raven nodded and started walking out of the Gazebo, but was stopped by her.
"Meet me tomorrow in the training grounds, 6 AM sharp."