"Also, don't mind what your brother said," said Aaron, stroking her hair, "You didn't betray him by becoming my maid. Rather, you were being honorable to your former mistress too."

His words and actions were deliberate. Young mortals were especially susceptible to caring physical contact. He was using such contact and flattering words to take care of her in this vulnerable moment. Another day or two like this and she would be adequately comforted, as was his plan.

Then he would be able to stop, and that was a very important thing to do.

He wasn't stupid; it was obvious that she was pleasantly surprised by the new way he was treating her. In addition, her breathing had become agitated, her hands sweaty, and her pupils dilated while she healed him, clear signs of physical interest.

But he knew that such an interest was only possible because of her emotional state after being abandoned and cursed by her brother, and perhaps because of a rigid life in the Temple of Light. As soon as the novelty passed and she understood the enormous consequences of falling for the man who wanted to kill her brother, reason would return to her and the interest would disappear.

He had no reason to worry.

"Thanks, Patriarch," she said.

"That's all. Time to go" he replied. His next steps were simple and straightforward. He had a reward to claim for delivering the Sky Splitter Sword, a king to kill for crossing him, a clan to grow, and a business to start. "To the capital."

Lana pulled the liguru, trying to decide whether to use the carnal quenching skill from the goddess to purge the feelings that were blooming inside her. She knew she should, but the problem was, she was enjoying the attention. The warmth of the Patriarch's touch would cease to exist if she used the skill, and she wanted to enjoy that warmth just a little more.

She liked the sound of those words. Yes, just a little more. That sounded good. It was decided. She would let those feelings continue for a short while and then use the skill. The best of both worlds.

After all, it wasn't like she was going to throw herself into his arms at any moment. No, she was sure of that. No matter what the Patriarch did or said, nothing would change her obedience to the family on her marriage.

In a few days or weeks, she would use the skill.

The Patriarch went ahead of her and she watched his broad shoulders, remembering when she touched them to heal him.

"Confess your sins against the Goddess of Light," demanded the High Priestess.

The kneeling king paled even more. He had feared that more than anything else. The High Priestess could have demanded that in a private setting, but no, she had chosen to do so here, during the Ritual of Virtue, while all people in his capital watched.

There was nothing he could do but obey, not if he didn't want to irreversibly offend the Temple of Light and lose his life, so he opened his mouth and started to speak.

"I have sinned against you, O glorious Goddess of Light," he began, his voice low, but echoing throughout the city thanks to the magic of the ritual and the transmission crystals installed everywhere. "I conspired with the Yarns Empire against our beloved Thenor Empire, the Capital of Light in the World..."

He didn't stop talking for a long time.

"He really confessed everything," said Madame Selna, looking at the city from afar. "He confessed it to the entire empire. Even if the Temple of Light forgives him, we cannot. The emperor cannot. He's dead."

"We're leaving," said William Wolf.

Madame Selna turned so fast to the sullen man that her neck hurt.

"What?!" she said. "When did the Arcane Circle lose its spine?!"

He glared at her and she saw in his eyes that he wanted nothing more than to turn that city to ashes.

"The High Inquisitor contacted the Arcane Master a few days ago. The inquisitor ordered us to level this kingdom for treason. I was sent to accomplish that," he explained. "But the Goddess of Light intervened, and they reached an agreement. If the king did not confess, we were to do what the High Inquisitor asked. But the king did the smart thing. As of today, the Arcane Circle will be replaced in this realm by the Herald of Light Aaron Ironblood and his clan. He will decide for himself whether to punish the king for his transgressions."

He turned his back on the city and a cruel smile appeared on his face.

"But not even the goddess can repress the emperor's fury, and he refused the agreement that limits the High Inquisitor," he continued. "The closest Imperial Garrison is marching this way to carry out an Imperial Purge as we speak. They will first punish the equally treacherous Ralethean Kingdom and should arrive here within ten days."

Upon hearing that, Madame Selna's eyes widened, and her heartbeat sped up. She started walking fast towards the battalions camped nearby.

"What are you waiting for!?" she shouted. "Move, everyone!" She turned to her secretary nearby. "Send a message to all members of the Circle! No matter what they are doing, everyone must leave this kingdom and proceed immediately to the Upper Branch! Demand obedience at once!"

Only a small part of her regretted the loss of the mysterious plant and cubs because of leaving like that. Her largest and most intelligent part only focused on desperately fleeing the Imperial Purge. It didn't matter if they would still take ten days to arrive; she wanted her traces to disappear completely from that nation.

For an Imperial Purge did not forgive anyone, and there were reports of the Imperial Garrison following powerful fugitives just for fun. Even though she was a Four Star Sorceress, resisting the Garrison was not an option; that they could purge another kingdom and reach here in ten days was proof of their enormous power.

The millions of people at the One Star level or higher in that realm didn't know it yet, but they were all dead.

The High Inquisitor was kneeling in the huge and spacious, albeit empty, Imperial Throne Hall with his eyes turned to the floor. He had removed his helmet, revealing his long black hair in a bun and his precisely trimmed beard, both with gray strands. He looked to be in his early fifties, but he was much older than that. Without the helmet's formations, his voice sounded little more than a whisper, for he dared not speak louder than that in the emperor's presence.

"Your Divine Mandatary," he said, "as your loyal subject, I beg you to reconsider. Going against the Holy Will of the Goddess of Light can bring nothing good."

The emperor was hidden by a skill that made him look like a shadow sitting on the throne, but the voice that answered was unaffected by it. It was that of a teenager, although the emperor was older than the High Inquisitor. He had stopped aging before the inquisitor, evidencing his superior talent in cultivation.

"The bitch ordered her fanatics to kill people in my empire, Razas!" said the Emperor in an altered voice. "In my empire! How dare she?!"

The High Inquisitor responded as submissively as possible, even though his words went against the emperor.

"Your empire is the Capital of Light in the World, Your Divine Mandatary. Eliminating heretics is the prerogative of the Goddess of Light."

"Screw that! This is my empire! The agreement the Second Ancestor signed with the bitch makes it clear where her influence begins and where it ends, and inciting civil disobedience in one of my vassal kingdoms is not part of the agreement. Now, change the subject before I send your Inquisition to help the garrison in the purge. I still can't believe you made such a ridiculous deal you made with the bitch."

"As you wish, Your Divine Mandatary," said the High Inquisitor, thinking of the irony of addressing the emperor that way when he was going against the very goddess who had given him such a title.

"Anything else?" demanded the emperor.

"Yes, Your Divine Mandatary. The Red Hand sent a report from the Kingdom of Illyria. The king summoned a Hero recently. I suggest your Great General send word to the Imperial Garrison."

The emperor took a moment to reply. "A Hero, is it? Do you know their name?"

"Aaron Ironblood, Your Divine Mandatary."

"Aaron Ironblood," repeated the emperor, as if he was tasting the name. "It has been what, fifty years since the last king was stupid enough to summon a Hero? This is slightly interesting." He tilted his head to the side. "Eldor, call the World Diviner," he ordered one of the Imperial Pages within earshot.

Even the High Inquisitor's heart skipped a beat when he heard that name. The World Diviner was here, in the capital of the Thenor Empire?! He had not been informed, but it wasn't a surprise, since she could divine anything. Dodging the Inquisition was easy for her, and it was what made her so dangerous.

The High Inquisitor had repeatedly begged the emperor not to deal with such a dangerous figure. However, the emperor simply said that if the World Diviner ever wanted to hurt him, no distance would stop her. Therefore, it was better to use her gifts than to antagonize her.

"Can I leave the room?" pleaded the High Inquisitor. This was so urgent for him that he even forgot to pay due respect to the emperor in his words.

One of the World Diviner's only known weaknesses was that she could only guess things about those whose name she knew. However, one of her strong points was being able to divine the name of anyone in sight. As long as she didn't see him, the High Inquisitor would have a tiny advantage against her if they needed to clash in the future.

"Of course," said the emperor with a smile in his voice. "We don't want my great High Inquisitor to tremble in fear in front of a little girl, do we?"

The High Inquisitor's only response was, "Thank you, Your Divine Mandatary."

After saying so, he moved on all fours, until he was ninety feet away from the emperor. Then he got up, bowed, and walked backward until he left the throne hall. At no time did he turn his back on the emperor.

As soon as he left, he whispered to the empty anteroom, aware that his men were listening.

"Inform all units, the World Diviner is here. Engage the Shadow Protocol."

That protocol would have the Inquisition interrupt all operations and hide in the shadows, so that the World Diviner would not see the names of the agents of the Inquisition while she was walking around.

That done, the High Inquisitor went as quickly as possible to one of his most secret safe rooms.

The World Diviner wasn't the greatest potential threat to the Empire, but she was the one he feared the most. For he would willingly die in glorious battle against the Butcher or the World Dragon any day of the week, but she was an enemy his sword might never even reach.

Her power and schemes terrified him.