hauntedwritings

I know, it's been a while between chapters lately. Part of it is because I've been busy with other things in life, and partly because I had to think more about the future of the story than I expected to.

It was late at night when Amin sneaked into the city lord’s mansion. Over the years since the first conference that was held when the armistice was declared, the mansion had been refurbished and expanded with two new wings. Previously, the mansion had simply been too small to house the sudden wave of foreign dignitaries and many had been forced to live in the inns inside the city. 

Climbing the wall with the help of a rope that had been thrown down from one of the windows on the second floor, Amin made his way up as quickly as possible. By using his Silent Step class skill, he didn’t need to worry about making any noise that could alert anyone nearby. And with little reason or opportunity to fight or infiltrate after becoming a prophet, he wasn’t afraid to expend mana on such a trivial task. 

As soon as he got through the window he was met with a familiar face. “You really have become an expert at sneaking into ladies’ bedchambers.”

Amin snorted at Teacher’s jest and turned around to pull the rope up after him. “Don’t mistake your own disturbing habits for mine.”

Teacher chuckled as he watched, ignoring Amin’s retort. “I think this is the first time you responded to an invitation to one, though.”

Amin’s lips twitched as he closed the window. “You know, I thought it might be good to see you again. But I was sorely mistaken.”

“You tell yourself that.” Teacher grinned and slapped his student’s shoulder. “Come on, she’s waiting.”

Entering the adjoining chamber with his teacher, Amin saw the second person who he expected to meet. In stark contrast to Teacher, who always seemed to reduce his presence to blend into the surroundings, the woman with bright red hair seemed to exude an energetic aura that would catch one’s attention like a bonfire during the autumn. Together with a confident demeanor and chiseled face as if it had been sculpted by Alarice herself, many would mistake her for a fire sprite that had walked straight out of a fairytale.

Amin crossed his arm over his chest and bowed before her. “Your majesty.”

The room was silent for a few moments as Celene put the documents in her hand on the desk before her and looked him over. “...Prophet, is it?” Letting out a sigh which seemed to contain faint amusement, she continued. “Frankly, I don’t know whether to be glad or troubled.”

A smile tugged on Amin’s lips. “I’d say this development is greatly beneficial to the kingdom.”

“I didn’t say it wasn’t.” The queen appraised him with a gleam in her eyes as she supported her jaw with her fingertips. “Did you bring the information?”

Amin nodded and unbuttoned his shirt, pulling out the stack of documents he had brought with him. Most of the information in them were things like spells, knowledge and weapons that Amara had provided - with the intention to be used as bargaining chips to convince the leaders of the different countries to follow her will. Other parts were Amin’s recollections of their conversations, with Amin’s deductions over things like their new goddess’ personality and possible strengths and weaknesses.

Receiving the pile, Celene started flipping through them at a frighteningly fast pace. “Is Amara aware of this meeting?”

Amin shook his head. “I don’t think so. Amara is able to spy on us without us knowing though. But even if she were to be aware, she is unable to contact any mortal other than myself.”

Amin merely reiterated what he had already said when he first used Make A Call to contact his teacher. Despite the fact that he could have made daily reports, the following day his teacher had told him not to contact them again before their arrival for the conference, with the simple instruction of collecting all the information he could. Amin wasn’t sure what had led the queen to such a decision, but he suspected it had to do with that he would behave more naturally without any specific orders and therefore didn’t intend to question it. 

“...I see.” Celene replied thoughtfully without taking her eyes from the documents in her hand. “Well then, you may deliver your report.”

Amin spent the next hour detailing the events that had unfolded since his departure from the Alarice Kingdom, as well as providing context to the information in the documents. The queen mostly sat silently, flipping through the documents while listening as Amin was telling his story. 

When Amin finally finished, Teacher spoke as he was looking out the window. “What about the otherworlders? Will they be a threat?”

Amin crossed his arms with a conflicted expression. “The elves are individually far stronger than us. While they aren’t directly hostile...they seem to want to keep us, the races of Teyrin, at arm’s length due to our differences.”

“But will those differences lead to an invasion?” Teacher asked as he turned his stern eyes to Amin. 

Amin chose his words carefully as he met Teacher's gaze. “It seems unlikely, if their leaders are as reasonable as their ambassador. However, I can’t deny the possibility. The ambassador did say that they will be here to fight the demons when the time comes…without our approval, if they must.”

“Hmm.” Teacher looked at Amin for a while longer after he finished speaking before turning back towards the window. 

Is he assuming that they will be our enemies? I get that it’s common sense to be careful, but...

“What is your relationship with the elves like?” The queen, who had finished reading the information, suddenly spoke and drew Amin’s attention away from his teacher. 

“I’d say I’ve managed to establish an amicable relationship with them.” Amin shrugged as he added. “That is, if you don’t count the warden.” 

Celene’s displeased eyes narrowed at his response. “Did you offend her?”

Amin shook his head. “I don’t think so. She seems quite dedicated to her task of escorting the ambassador, and therefore views everyone as a threat. I guess I just got considered high-risk since I can get close to the ambassador as Amara’s mouthpiece.”

“I see.” The queen rested her cheek against her fist as she looked at him. “And what is the relationship between the elves and Amara like? Do they approve of her?”

Amin fell into thought as he recalled how the elves behaved with regard to their new goddess. “The elves do seem quite pleased with Amara and are willing to curry favour with her. They too were supposedly abandoned by the gods, so it is likely they feel like they can relate with her.”

Celene twisted her lips. “And Amara’s view on the elves?”

“She seems to place a lot of hopes on them. She wants the elves to continue traveling to other worlds in search of more allies.” (Amin)

The queen thoughtfully tapped the armrest with a finger as she looked at the pile of documents Amin had brought. “...Is there any possibility that Amara has been lying to you?”

Amin frowned in confusion. “About what?”

“About anything.” Celene turned her eyes to him. “About the circumstances of the armistice. Her view on demons. Or about what she hopes to achieve. Anything.”

Amin let out a chuckle and shook his head. “No way. The telepathic bond is quite strong when she speaks to me. Sometimes I hear the thoughts she didn’t intend to voice, so I’d say she has been honest.”

The queen narrowed her eyes after hearing his response. “I see.”

Amin hesitated before grasping the opportunity in the pause that arose. “...I don’t think we should consider Amara or the elves as enemies. After all, they are on our side in the fight against the demons.”

Celene tilted her head with an amused smile. “I suppose you were thinking that if a conflict between us and the otherworlders were to happen, that we wouldn’t be able to win.”

Amin shook his head. “I wouldn’t know about that. But they claimed to have held the line against the demons for a century, so I don’t think their power should be taken lightly. While I don’t believe they would invade us, it could be different if we gave them just cause.”

“And what would they consider to be just cause?” The queen smiled faintly. “You said it yourself, that they think differently from us. While we don’t intend to start a conflict, we need to be prepared that the choice may not be up to us. Are we clear?”

Amin bowed his head. “Yes, Your Majesty.”

Celene nodded at his response. “Do you remember what stance I taught you about politics?“ 

Amin nodded. “I should avoid giving an opinion of any kind regarding matters that are related to politics. Even when requested.”

“Especially when requested.” The queen corrected and gave him an intense look. “That will be even more important for you now that you have become the prophet of our new goddess.”

Amin bowed his head to the queen once again. “Yes, Your Majesty.”

“It’d be better if this troublemaker just kept his mouth shut altogether.” Teacher muttered. “After all, the faith is all about reassuring the people and healing their wounds. Not pouring salt in them.”

A smile was tugging on the queen’s lips as she spoke. “I’m sure Amin isn’t that bad.”

“You’re right. He’s even worse.” Teacher snorted as he turned to look at Amin. “I wonder if there’s anyone the boy’s ever spoken to that he hasn’t offended in one way or another.”

Under the inquisitive gazes of the other two, Amin resisted the urge to scratch the back of his head. “...I don’t think I’ve offended the elves?”

Teacher threw his hand up and shook his head. “Yet, anyway.”

Celene smiled faintly as she gave Amin a strange look. “If they are the only ones you claim you haven’t offended, it makes me wonder why.”

Amin’s expression froze. “Well...they are envoys from another world. And they are strong, so I thought it would be best for us to be on their good side.”

The queen looked at him with a warm gaze as she replied with amusement. “Oh, I see.”

Amin averted his gaze as he felt his face heat up under the gazes of the other two. 

Teacher suddenly cleared his throat to divert the topic. “Your Majesty.”

The queen exchanged a glance with Teacher and let out a sigh. “Right.” Leaning back in her chair, Celene looked at Amin with a sorrowful gaze. After making Amin endure the weight of her gaze for a while, she finally spoke. “I’ve tried hard to keep you away from the political stage and avoid an uproar among the nobles. And yet, here we are...the prophet of Amara.” The queen let out a self-deprecating laugh. “Fate must be laughing at me right now.”

Amin felt somewhat guilty for causing trouble, even if he wasn’t directly responsible for how things had played out. “My role is only to convey Amara’s words. The pope will be handling most of the work as her representative.”

“Although you say that, you have become an important figure.” Celene sighed and looked at him seriously. “You will be a prime target for assassins and opportunists alike.” 

“...I’ll be careful.” Amin replied thoughtfully. “But since both me and Amara intend to let the pope handle most things when it comes to the public, I think that interest in me will quickly fade.”

The queen appraised him silently. “...I suppose time will tell. But if Amara says anything that will cause waves, you’ll inevitably be forced to weather the storm on your own.”

Amin smiled wryly. “Fortunately I know how to swim.”

“Spoken as if all the sailors that have drowned at sea didn’t.” Teacher muttered.

As he left the mansion the same way he came, Teacher decided to accompany him. Teacher mumbled under his hood to further make them harder to identify in the dark streets. “I suppose it goes without saying that you shouldn’t do work in the shadows anymore.”

“Yeah.” Amin smiled wryly as he took long strides to keep up with his teacher, nudging him with his elbow. “Looks like you’ll need to get your trophies on your own.”

“Do you need to keep bringing that crap up?” Teacher snorted as he led them down another dark alleyway. 

Amin chuckled. “It’s one of the few perks of being your student.”

Teacher’s lips rose into a disturbing grin. “Indeed...indeed it is.” 

“Just...no. You’re revolting.” Amin retorted and shook his head. “If she ever finds out you’ll be in trouble.”

“Oh, she’s aware.” Teacher chuckled as they took another turn. 

“What, and she allows it?” Amin’s eyebrow rose skeptically.

Teacher shrugged as they walked silently to the next turn before he replied. “Well, I guess it’s more like she doesn’t really care. As long as we don’t cause issues for her, we can do what we want.”

Amin snorted. “And of all things, you choose to hoard undergarments.”

“We all need hobbies that keep our skills sharp.” Teacher replied with a chuckle. “Why not let it be something that-”

“Because it’s disgusting.” Amin cut him off. 

Teacher let out another chuckle. “A few more years in our line of work and you’d change your mind about that.”

“I doubt that.” Amin retorted as they continued walking the streets down the gentle slope that the city laid on. We’re taking a roundabout way back to the church. I maybe shouldn’t be surprised, since this will likely be the last time we get to talk alone. A wry smile spread on his face as he glanced at his teacher. “Didn’t think you’d be sentimental.”

Teacher snorted. “Who says I am?”

“Well, it seems evident.” Amin shrugged. “After all, we’re not heading straight to the church.”

Teacher stopped in the narrow alley between the wider streets and looked at Amin with an amused smile under his hood. “And sentimentality is the only reason I could have to divert the path?”

“Well, it’s either that, or you're luring me away in order to kill me.” Amin teased with a grin as he patted Teacher’s shoulder. “Don’t worry. I won’t tell anyone if you tear up.”

Teacher gave him a sad smile as he grabbed Amin’s shoulder in return. “Of course you won’t. After all, no man alive has seen my tears.”

Amin replied with a chuckle. “You’re not that petty-”

His body tensed up in agony as he felt the cold blade pierce between his ribs. Forcing himself to look down in his shock, he only needed to see Teacher’s forearm to understand what had happened; but it still didn’t make sense. 

But...why? 

“I’m sorry, Amin.” Teacher said in a low voice filled with regret as he withdrew the blade from Amin’s chest while squeezing his shoulder. “I guess this lesson came too late.”

Hearing his teacher’s voice combined with the feeling of warm liquid spilling out periodically, Amin’s chaotic thoughts came to a halt when adrenaline filled his veins. Survive.

I need to survive!

Amin already knew that he was no match for his teacher in a straight up fight, and he was already mortally wounded. And his training had taught him one thing; if faced with a fight he didn’t want or couldn’t win, his best choice was to run away.

Instinctively, Amin made up a plan in his mind. Divine Regeneration!

Amin felt his body heat up painfully as the skill he was given by Amara activated, temporarily counteracting the wash of cold that had been spreading through him previously.

Teacher seemed startled as he noticed how Amin’s body heated up through the hand on his shoulder. As Teacher moved the blade again with his other hand, Amin prepared himself and grabbed his own blade.

As he attempted to make his move, he realized that his arms felt unresponsive and numb. He wasn’t surprised that Teacher had used a paralyzing poison, but it was still a miscalculation.

Activating his body strengthening to make up for the loss in time, he moved as fast as he could while twisting his body to escape his teacher’s grasp. Teacher’s dagger ripped across his chest, creating a long gash as Amin grabbed Teacher’s arm and thrust his own dagger.

From the resistance that the blade met, Amin knew his dagger had plunged deep into Teacher’s stomach. The low hiss confirmed it, and the old assassin quickly separated from him. 

Amin wasted no time and immediately used his body strengthening to jump onto a roof. Without sparing a glance backwards to see if Teacher was following him, all he thought of was putting as much distance between them as he could. 

Divine Regeneration!

Despite trying to activate the healing skill a second time, he didn’t feel his body heat up - nor did the pain across his chest fade. 

Damn. Did he use anti-healing poison as well? It’s not supposed to work that fast! After jumping from roof to roof for a reasonable distance while fighting the increasing numbness of his body, Amin got down on the street and activated Erase Presence. Running along the streets with body strengthening still active, he continued to put as much distance from his Teacher as he could.

He knows I prefer to use anti-healing poison myself, so he probably prepared himself with an antidote and healing potions. He might already have treated himself by now-

As he ran out of mana, Amin stumbled and fell flat on the cobble stones. Damn it! I’m not even close to the church yet- 

Wait, I can’t go back there either! They are the only ones who can heal me now, and Teacher knows it. Teacher will have someone keeping eyes at the church.

Realizing his situation was worse than he had first thought, Amin muttered some curses and forced his numb arms to push him up, making them shake in the process. Once he was standing, he also felt the increasing difficulty to breathe. Looking down at his chest, he could see that he was bleeding. Although the gash over his chest seemed severe, it was superficial and it would take a long time to bleed out. Rather, he was more concerned about the poison that made it even more difficult to breathe. But he knew he couldn’t do anything about it without either an antidote or a specialized priest. I can’t do anything about the poison, but even if I survive that part I’ll bleed out unless I’m healed. 

Divine Regeneration!

After trying to heal himself once again without a result, Amin grit his teeth as he forced his numb body to move again. Damn it, nothing at all? Can I only use it once? Status!

Ah...divine power. So that’s why. 

Amin remembered that Amara had said divine skills required divine power in order to be used, just like his class skills required mana. But he thought that with over ten thousand divine power, he should’ve been comparable to a senior priest.

Why didn’t she say anything...ah. That’s right, she might have said something about inefficiency.

Amin stopped and leaned on one of the houses as a wave of dizziness washed over him. As he felt weaker as time passed, he knew he had to do something.

I need more divine power.

Make A Call: Am-

“Peeping drunkard!!” (?)

[Dong!]

Amin felt pain explode at the back of his head, and saw the cobblestones suddenly rushing closer for a second time that night as everything faded into darkness.