Chapter 9

Chapter 9: Church of the God of Knowledge and Wisdom

    A castle with magnificent pillars within the gray fog. In the castle covered by the mysterious fog was a hall that was surrounded by those magnificent and grandiose pillars. The hall has a long table and various chairs place within them.

There are a total of 22 chairs. The same number corresponds to the Tarot Cards. Some chairs are occupied by people and some are vacant. He can't see the faces of the people since they are being covered by the Gray Fog. But Yareth was certain that they are those people.

He knows the identity of every one of them.

Suddenly, he heard someone tapping his finger on the table. He look in the direction of the sound and stared at that seat. Yareth realize who was the being that he was looking at. His head suddenly feels that it was being filled with a headache. He turned his head down.

He was looking at 'that' person. The head of that organization. One of the most important people in this world. One of the Chosen ones. The Protagonist... with various Identities. The Lord of the Mysteries. Mister Fool.

" I am waiting for you, Mr. Ivory Tower. "

He heard Mister Fool muttering those words. Yet, Yareth knows that it was a message for him.

Yareth feels his consciousness being pulled up.

He was leaving in this dream.

-------------------------

     Today was June 25, 1349, of the 5th Epoch. It was the last Monday of June within this year. And it was also a few days before the Canon started and the arrival of the Protagonist in this world.

Time passed so fast. Yareth feels that he wasn't still prepared for the things that would happen. Just the other day after meeting his older brother again, he heard from the rumors of the servants that his older brother and parents have some disagreement about something.

And he has a feeling that it was about him again. Later, he finally learned what was the topic of their disagreement that centered around him. Yareth then remembered what his Father have insinuated when his father agreed for him to become a Beyonder of the Reader Sequence that day. And now, Yareth would be suffering the consequences of his decision.

He was in the throne room again. Facing the main gate of the throne room. At his back was the elevated Throne Room of the King. Beside it was Queen's chair. Yareth urges himself to don't look at his back and just stare at the gate. It was hard to stop the urge of his body to tremble from the pressure and anxiety.

But Yareth remembered that he wasn't alone with his parents and the guards in the throne room. A few distances at him were his tutor Levan Septimus and his older brother Wendell Castiya, along with his attendants and servants.

They were here. It was enough. Even he knows that his older brother has argued with his parents when he learned what would happen to him. It wasn't enough to stop their parents with their decision. Yareth's fate was decided.

He wouldn't feel so alone and helpless with them watching what would happen to him. Yareth was startled out of his thoughts when the gate opened and one of the guards shouted.

" Announcing the presence of Archbishop of Masin and the Archbishop of Lenburg. "

Yareth gulped as the subject of his anxiousness and worry has finally arrived. Two Archbishops from the Church of the God of Knowledge and Wisdom. One from the Masin and the Lenburg– The main domain of the God of Knowledge and Wisdom.

He also noted that there were also five people accompanying the two Archbishops. One of them has glanced at the guard and scowled. Yareth knows that person was displeased. What was the guard was thinking when he introduced them?  Is it his parent's instruction? He wanted to see if that was the case. Yareth wanted to confirm it but he can't lower his guard towards these people. His parents would also be displeased if he look at them.

2 Archbishops. From the knowledge of his past life, they are probably a Beyonder at the sequence level of 3 to 2. Yareth didn't expect that an Archbishop would arrive. What's more, it was 2 Archbishops. He didn't know that they would take the matter seriously. He was just the least favored by his parents after all.

But maybe they thought that he would still have some use just like his parents. A tool that can he use for bargaining. A commodity that has its worth being measured.

It was so sick. Yareth felt that he wanted to throw up. He took a deep breath. His fist clenched.

The Church of God of Knowledge and Wisdom. Their status in the Feynapotter Kingdom is less than the Church of Mother Earth. But since the battle of the violated Oath in 738, traces of the religion has been minimized by the Church of Mother Earth. Until now, the remaining religion in their kingdom has been making efforts on erasing the Church of the God of Knowledge and Wisdom in their kingdom. Just learning his Father's attitude towards them, Yareth understands that the Church and his Father haven't the best relationship. It was shaky, frail and possibly, hostile.

But since learning that he would become a Beyonder of Reader Sequence, his father saw this as an opportunity to at least appease the officials of the Church of the God of Knowledge and Wisdom. And maybe, establish a good relationship between him and the Church of the God of Knowledge and Wisdom. Yareth can't understand why would he pursue a good and cordial relationship towards the former religion of their kingdom. What would even the Church of the Earth Mother say in this? Yareth's father was a complicated man that was hard to understand. But there is one only thing that he was certain of.

Yareth was a sacrifice.

" Archbishop Nayeli. Archbishop Alvis, I am glad about your arrival... Yet, I only expected Archbishop Nayeli to arrive. I apologize if I find your Presence surprising Archbishop Alvis. "

Just like the guard, his father didn't bother to greet the companions of the Two Archbishops. The guard's address earlier was intentional.

" Don't worry about it, King Roland. Such trivial matters don't affect me. "

" I see. I am glad. Then we should get over the pleasantries and discuss the important matters, shall we? "

He brought down the rising feelings of resentment towards his parents as he heard his Father's words. Yareth then instead focuses his attention on the two Archbishops and their companions. He decided to observe them... like a reader imagining a scenario of the story that he was reading.

He was a reader. Nothing more, nothing less in this world that was a story.

Archbishop Nayeli the designated Archbishop of the Masin. She looks like a middle-aged woman. Dressed in white robes adorned with some purple. A robe was on her head but Yareth can see her dark brown locks. There are stress lines on her face like his instructor Levan Septimus. He mused if it was common for the White Tower Pathway to have signs of stress and look old. He wasn't looking forward in the future to look old like them beyond his current physical age.

On the other hand, Archbishop Alvis has his hood down. Strawberry blond locks. Angular and sharp face shape. Prominent cheekbones, beautifully carved nose, and manly eyebrows. Lastly, he has unusual bright golden eyes that you wouldn't commonly see among the people of Feynapotter Kingdom. He looks so young despite being an Archbishop of a Church.

Archbishop Alvis looks like a handsome young man. Yareth knows that in this world, appearance can be deceiving. Real gender and age weren't visible on the appearance of the body. He then observed the 5 companions of the 2 Archbishops. 3 male and 2 female. Unlike the 2 Archbishops, they aren't wearing a white robe with hoods.

They look like your typical ladies and gentlemen of the Victorian area. The 2 ladies look composed and elegant. Just like a refined noble lady. The 2 ladies are wearing a dress that reaches past their knees. It was a dress that was currently popular with the ladies of the Northern Continent. The dress they wore was different from each other. Yet one noticeable thing that was common among the 5 companions of the two Archbishops was the white coats that they wore with varying designs. Other than that, they were also wearing something on their chest that looks like a white hooded owl with glowing golden eyes.

These people were probably members of the militia of the Church of the God of Knowledge and Wisdom. If the Evernight Goddess has the Nighthawks and the Red Gloves, the Church of the Lord of Storms has the Mandated Punishers and the Church of the God of Steam has the Machinery Hivemind. Then, the Church of the God of Knowledge and Wisdom has this person as their Beyonder teams that were responsible for solving the supernatural issues of their believers.