Chapter 15 - Saint Valkor

  The grand cathedral was even more impressive up close than it had been on the way down from the mountain. Easily taller than any holy building Daniel had seen on earth.

  The design was almost alien. Clean, geometric curves stretching upward into the sky, with minimal ornamentation, and an almost stark whiteness that made the building blend with the white clouds in the afternoon sky.

  The only thing reminiscent of churches on Earth was the giant circular window in the middle, likely glowing with beautiful color from within.

  Daniel recognized the scene depicted in the window, unfortunately.

  Artorias, standing with his arm raised, holding back a corrupted beast wreathed in shadow. A massive formation of white lines was visible below their feet, while the background was filled with purple crystal. Three figures were visible in the back, heading towards an exit. One was being forcefully dragged by the two others.

  Elania.

  Another pang of guilt twisted in his chest, though this time it felt softer somehow, tempered by his own promise. Wherever she was, he would find her.

  I don’t have anything else I need to do in this city, so I might as well leave today, if Felicia agrees. The sooner the better.

  Crowds flowed in and out of the cathedral's massive doors in a steady stream, families and pilgrims and curious tourists alike. Daniel followed the current of people inside, letting himself be swept along.

  He understood immediately why everyone craned their necks upon entering. The sun streaming through the great window painted the entire scene across the opposite wall in colored light.

  But what really struck him was the sheer height of the central spire. Decorated with magnificent paintings, it stretched so far into the sky that the colors turned faint.

  The light bouncing around the walls on the way down gave everything a sense of holiness. Despite the faith itself being misguided, the beauty and passion put into the building were genuine. It felt like a celebration of humanity itself—their capacity for awe, devotion, and creating something beautiful in honor of what they held sacred.

  God, I hope no one is spreading hate in my name… Artorias’s name.

  After absorbing the architecture and art for a while, Daniel began looking for someone who might answer his questions. A priest would surely be able to tell him about the origins of their faith.

  A man in pristine white robes and a purple ceremonial hat stood near one of the supporting pillars, carefully lighting a row of candles. As good a place to start as any.

  Does that hat have anything to do with the purple crystal chamber?

  "Excuse me," Daniel said, approaching cautiously. He wasn't sure if 'Father' would be appropriate here.

  The priest turned with a genuinely kind smile. “Yes, child?”

  "I'm new to Javos, you see—recently arrived from Velomaris. So I was wondering if you could tell me a bit about the origin of your religion?"

  "Aah, a new face! Of course, of course." The priest's eyes lit up with the enthusiasm of someone who clearly enjoyed sharing his faith. "Well, according to our calendar, it has been just over a thousand years now since our Lord sacrificed himself and everything he held dear for our sake. Do you know of the Hero, Artorias?"

  Do I know him? I am him. Or was him? Or...

  "Yes, I know him, and his three friends. I've heard stories of how they sealed the corrupted spirit, but I'm more interested in what happened after that. This city didn't exist at that point, did it?"

  "Exactly right, exactly right!" The priest nodded approvingly, pleased with Daniel's knowledge. "The city of Artorias formed around the Artorian church, near the bottom of the holy mountain. Since you know of his three friends, you surely know of Saint Valkor?"

  Saint Valkor.

  I should have known he was behind it… I did know, really. Who else?

  Valkor Evergood. The fourth and final member of their little group, and the kindest character Daniel had ever written.

  Valkor was the best of them. The strongest, the kindest, and the wisest.

  The gods had tested him since birth, giving him more raw strength than anyone else. And he had passed that test, never using his strength to harm a living soul. It made him mostly useless in combat, but that didn’t matter.

  Through the lens of Artorias’ memories, Daniel could see him clearly. Always at their backs, ready with advice or comfort or simply the strength to move literal mountains when the path ahead seemed impossible.

  This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

  The party had to stop giving him any of their money, because it would be donated to the nearest orphanage or soup kitchen by day's end.

  He'd won every character popularity poll Daniel had ever held, the bastard. Readers couldn't help but love him.

  “I know Valkor Evergood, yes. But mostly from the time before the great battle.”

  "Oh, I see! Yes, he was a marvelous figure." The priest's voice took on the cadence of someone recounting old scripture. "After Artorias sealed himself in the mountain, it was Valkor who told the world of his majestic deeds. And, of course, he told us about how Artorias would rise again one day, when the world needed him most. To quell the forces of evil."

  Sweat started beading on Daniel’s forehead. "...Yes. You believe he survived the millennium of being sealed away, and will return when the time is right?"

  "We know he will." The priest's voice was filled with conviction. "That is why we are here, waiting. If the heavens one day open up, if the mountain shatters to reveal a golden figure, then we know he has returned."

  "Of course." Daniel's mouth felt dry.

  A large part of what the priest said was wrong, but Daniel still felt nervous. Valkor was really blessed by the gods, so it wasn’t impossible that they had given him a real revelation about the future. But if that was the case…

  Was he here to quell the forces of evil? What forces?

  He had created plenty of threats that still lay dormant at the end of his book, but some of them only existed in his head, never even mentioned in the story.

  The World Serpent? The queen’s egg in the deep? The world seal? The chance that the Sovereign was still alive?

  It had always been his plan to investigate these dormant threats after settling in Novanny, after reuniting with Elania and properly establishing himself in this new life. But now he started to wonder…

  Was that why I was summoned to this world? Because I'm the only one who knows what dangers need to be investigated?

  “Child?”

  The priest's gentle voice snapped Daniel back to the present. He realized he'd been standing in silence, lost in increasingly dark speculation.

  “Ah, apologies. Thank you for teaching me about your faith, Father.”

  “Of course, my child. Go forth with your new understanding.”

  Daniel bowed respectfully and began making his way toward the cathedral's exit. The weight of potential cosmic responsibility sat heavy on his shoulders as he navigated through the clusters of worshippers and tourists.

  Then he saw a face that made him stop dead in his tracks.

  ...What are you doing here, Franz?

  “This is the best day ever!” Felicia exclaimed, trying to steady her hand as she applied mascara by herself for the first time. The tiny brush felt strange between her fingers, and she kept blinking reflexively every time it came near her lashes.

  Elizabeth stood beside her at the vanity, occasionally reaching over to guide her movements. "I'm so happy for you, Felicia. I really didn't trust him much at first, but now..."

  "I told you! Daniel is super nice, and he knows a ton about magic." The mascara wand wobbled dangerously close to her eyelid as enthusiasm overtook coordination.

  "Yeah, I guess he really does." Elizabeth gently caught her wrist, steadying it. "That's too much shade, dear."

  Felicia dabbed at the excess with a cloth, studying her own appearance through her mana. It was a strange thing to see oneself from the outside like this, but mirrors weren’t very different, she supposed.

  “Is makeup really the most important thing, though? Shouldn’t I be learning other things first?”

  “Being presentable will always be important. Cooking and cleaning can be learned once you have those down, if you're really firm on not getting a maid.”

  “I want to at least be able to do them myself. But I don’t know what Daniel has planned for me. Maybe he’ll take me to Velomaris?”

  “I thought you didn’t believe he was from there?” Elizabeth challenged, looking somewhat sceptical. At least that’s what Felicia thought her expression meant.

  “Well... He's not from here, I'm pretty sure. Not originally."

  “Heh, maybe he really is Artorias.”

  “What? The sealed hero?”

  Elizabeth's expression shifted, becoming more serious. "Oh, it was just a joke he told me this morning. Ehm, we had a talk about you..."

  Felicia barely heard her.

  “The sealed… hero?”

  "...Felicia?" Elizabeth's voice carried a note of concern, probably seeing something in her expression.

  A man who seemed to have fallen from the heavens suddenly appeared on Artorias Mountain. The mountain where the hero had supposedly been sealed for a millennium.

  He had tricked her into telling him the current date, which had triggered that violent coughing fit. Like someone learning devastating news.

  He was stronger than any ordinary archmage, overpowering her grandmother with ease.

  And most importantly…

  “He… asked me to call him uncle.”

  Artorias was her uncle, only forty-two generations removed. And he had told her right after learning who her mother was—a direct descendant of the Grifantes family.

  That’s not possible…right? Not Daniel.

  “You’re not actually considering—”

  Knock knock knock.

  The sound of someone at the door cut through Elizabeth's protest.

  Perfect timing, Felicia thought. She might have to ask Daniel a few questions—if that was his real name.

  “Who is it?” Elizabeth asked, walking over to the door.

  “Someone ordered refreshments for this room from the reception earlier.”

  Elizabeth's hand paused on the door handle. "Daniel did?"

  Wait. Felicia extended her magic sight instinctively, feeling something was off. The technique was still new, but becoming more natural by the hour. Her mana seeped through the cracks slowly, giving her a faint image. A wrong image.

  "Wait, Liz!” she whispered sharply, feeling her heart start pumping faster. “There are five people outside the door!"

  “What?!”

  Felicia’s voice hadn’t been quiet enough. The door burst open, knocking Elizabeth forcefully to the side. She hit the wall hard, crying out in pain as she slumped to the floor.

  “Liz!”

  “Grab the girl, and keep her alive.”

  The voice was cold and professional. The voice of someone who did this for a living.

  Oh no. Oh no no no no.

  I'll probably hold a vote in the future to lock it.