"I got a job proposition from Sunbreaker's Church a few hours ago. It's better than anything the university can offer before or after graduation."

Merrywick had assumed that convincing them to not meddle in his future plans would be a difficult feat. But when the name of the Church was invoked, all three of them immediately dropped the matter and congratulated him. Helen cautioned him for a bit about unfair contract terms and ethics among Church clergy. Merrywick nodded along, his thoughts elsewhere.

He had six hours left until a new day began. Since accidentally killing Priest Edwards, he hadn't completed any of the daily or special tasks of his Progression System. 

Generally, most systems had a penalty for going too long without using magic, especially for beginner mages whose grasp of basic magic could be considered shoddy at best. 

As he got into her car to head back to the hospital, Merrywick summoned his System panel.

[ The Restoration System ] [Unique]

[ Carrier ID: H-U-1]

[ Daily Task: ]

Duel With a mage of equal rank or above for 12 turns (minimum) 

[ Reward: Hallucination Points (HP) based on any one of the opponent's spells. The amount of HP may vary based on overall performance. ]

[ Special Task: ]

 (+1 HP) Punish a Rank-1 mage for using magic

 (+2 HP) Punish a Rank-2 Mage for using magic

 (+3 HP) Cripple a Rank-1 Mage from using magic

 (+5 HP) Cripple a Rank-2 Mage from using magic

[ Total HP: 00/25 ]

[ Special Functions ] 

[ 1. Mastery Upgrade ]

( Use HP to enhance spellcasting mastery. Below the Acolyte Rank, the price of each Hallucination session to boost mastery is 3 HP )

[ 2. Spell Upgrade ]

( Use HP to further upgrade various aspects of your spells. At Tier-1, only inherent aspects are upgradable )

Out of all the data in the Principal panel, only the daily task row showed a change. The number of turns he needed to combat another mage for had gone from 10 to 12.

"Not as extreme as I thought it would be," Merrywick muttered to himself. 

Regardless of the mild nature of the penalty, he understood that delaying the accomplishment of the tasks would lead to highly unfavorable situations. The system was a blessing for mages, but it didn't grant everyone an unfettered mastery of nature's power. To rise to higher ranks as a mage and finally evolve past mortal limitations, not even a unique grade system would allow too many shortcuts.

An hour later, he was once again back inside the cabin. This time, it was the law enforcers who had come to run tests and interrogations for threat assessment. Merrywick provided them with the same set of data he had revealed to the Church of Sunbreaker.

A couple of independent adjudicators visited his cabin after the entire process ended. He was told that his comcell, network ID, and Bank account would remain under monitoring for a while.

"How long is a while?" he asked the adjudicators.

"Depends on your behavior, Mr. Merrywick," was the answer he got.

After they left, several men in formal suits entered the room. The leading man placed a briefcase on the desk beside his bed and introduced himself.

"I am Wyatt Farfield, a senator of the current National Parliament, and one of the ten representatives of Bastion District."

The memory of seeing this man's face on screen during the election hit Merrywick. If memory served him right, this man was one of the most powerful aristocrats of Bastion City, who happened to be allied with the federation rather than any of the twelve Churches.

"Since your linkage to the thirteenth deity has been officially recognized, the government has issued you some tools for convenience in maintaining close communication with the agencies. You've also received a government-funded internship offer, which you can use for a position in any field of jobs available. The terms and conditions..."

Merrywick was no longer listening. Inside the briefcase, the first object to greet his sight was a document file containing contract deeds and letters addressed to him from the high-ranked officials. Judging by the contents of the documents, Archbishop Wulfric would soon cease to be the highest person of authority Merrywick knew. The discovery of a thirteenth deity was enough to garner the attention of every player in the field of politics, both national and international. 

It was the same recruitment scheme as the Church. The government agencies were just more direct and upfront about it. Since he had already accepted the former offer, he had little interest in the latter-

At that moment, a sentence spoken by the senator caught his attention.

"Wait, excuse me for interrupting. Did you just imply that if I accept the scholarship in the Education and Research field, I can attend any class, participate in any curriculum, and maintain the same rights as an ordinary student for the next five years in any university of my choice?"

The man didn't miss a beat from the interruption as he drawled, "A gross oversimplification, but yes. If you agree to the terms and conditions set by the authority of the university of your choice, which can be both stringent and lax depending on their choice, you can have the official status of a student without many academic responsibilities such as earning some grades per session, lecture attendance, etc. Since you have expressed your interest in starting your own creed under the 13th deity's authority, it is natural that you would not have the time or opportunities to perform those ordinary responsibilities like your peers in the university." 

Merrywick's eyes shone as he considered the possibilities.

The University in each nation was under the full control of the government. Mages who wouldn't join any of the twelve Churches had to struggle to the best of their abilities after graduating from Secondary Education Academies so that they could earn a seat in the University. 

Between the completion of school and admission to University, the gap of half a year allowed the students to undergo their awakening, letting them discover their potential and those who got lucky enough to awaken the potential of a mage had the time to adjust to their Progression systems. They could busy themselves with various training programs and short-term diplomas. 

Merrywick's system, like most other progression systems, required him to be in frequent contact with other mages of his rank. Although he couldn't cripple anybody in the universities to meet the requirements of his special tasks, using his peers there to hone his skill and complete the daily tasks would be quite convenient. 

"So...you're accepting the offer, I take it?"

Merrywick met the man's squint with a disappointed expression. 

"My apologies. I've already accepted an offer of an internship with the Church. Unless you can figure out a way to let me retain the benefits offered by both parties, I can't see a way-"

"Mr. Merrywick, are you interested, or not?" The man interrupted him in an icy tone.

"Of course, I'm interested in your offer. But will the church let me accept it?" Merrywick asked.

"You belong to an independent Dominion, Mr. Merrywick. The Church of Sunbreaker, or any Church for that matter, will only have as much power as you confer upon their hands. Our offer isn't strictly a recruitment, unlike what any Church will offer you, nor is it an investment. We'd like to see you grow as much as we like the development of the other 12 Churches. Our interest lies in cooperation and mutual progression so that one day, we can unveil the glorious past of our ancestors who once conquered this solar system and glimpsed at the world beyond the shroud."

"...I see. Then please convey that message to the Deity Tower. As long as the schedules don't come to conflict, I'll attend to my duties both to the Church and to the Government."

The man nodded in acknowledgment, seeming satisfied by his quick decision to get out of the control of the Church. 

Twenty minutes later, having explained some of the terms and conditions listed on the deeds in the briefcase, the team of officials left his cabin. The case was left on his table, carrying a customized data terminal, a location tracker, a stack of data cards, and one strange-looking keycard which according to their claim, would get him the full assistance from any mid to high-rank government official. 

Merrywick leaned back on his bed and let out a small chuckle.

Given time, how difficult would it be to spark the first eruption of the clash between the two major authorities? The seeds of conflict had been developing beneath the surface for 97 years. How long could a unitary regime tolerate twelve other entities sharing its power and resources?  

All they needed was a tiny, innocent spark... And a fire would spread to every corner of the civilization. 

He was looking forward to that day.