Capítulo 11: Chapter 11: Completing the Sacrificial Hand and Meeting Father Louis
Over the next three days, Su Nan continued applying the Sacrificial Hand Potion. Simultaneously, he worked tirelessly to brew ten more bottles of the Emissary version of the Lycanthropy Transformation Potion.
Since the transformation amplified the strongest emotion within the subject, Su Nan needed to ensure the ten hounds were utterly loyal to him. If their dominant emotions were anything other than loyalty, they could spiral out of control.
Fortunately, hounds were far easier to manage than human hearts.
Three days later, Su Nan finished applying the three doses of the Sacrificial Hand Potion. A crimson inverted cross now adorned the back of his left hand.
The mark, however, could vanish at will, only appearing when he activated its powers.
Su Nan was about to test the Sacrificial Hand when an unexpected visitor knocked on his study door.
Upon receiving Su Nan's permission, Father Louis of the Peter Barony stepped inside.
Father Louis was a member of the religious nobility in the barony and also a distant relative of the Peter family. Despite his position as clergy, he bore the Peter surname.
In the kingdom, nobility was divided into secular and religious branches. The latter, such as abbots or high priests, were technically not allowed to marry or have legitimate heirs.
Secular nobles often placed their lesser branches into religious roles to maintain influence over local religious institutions and prevent losing control over their territories.
Father Louis had long been a protector of the barony, using his religious authority to rein in Mapleleaf Town. His interventions kept the town from overstepping its bounds and openly challenging Su Nan.
The elderly priest regarded Su Nan with a stern expression. "Lord Su Nan, I've recently been hearing strange rumors in the territory."
"Some claim to hear wolves howling late at night."
Su Nan raised an eyebrow, his expression casual. "Uncle Louis, what's strange about that? It's likely just a pack of wolves wandering into the barony."
Being part of the Storm Church, Father Louis's true stance was hard to discern.
The priest frowned. "Indeed, there's nothing inherently strange about wolves. But around my church, the wolf population has noticeably increased. Perla has grown younger, as has Warwick."
"I'm not a fool."
"For months now, I've been asking Perla how she regained her youth. Her excuses have grown increasingly inconsistent, even contradictory."
Father Louis fixed Su Nan with a piercing gaze. His weary eyes sparkled with a rare intensity. "I've also heard whispers of your research into sorcery, Lord Su Nan. Could it be… you've made progress?"
The elderly priest coughed in excitement. "Many lords across the kingdom have dabbled in secret gatherings, some even turning to heretical cults like the Mad Sea Goddess's sect in their quest for youth."
"For me, family comes before faith."
"If you've found a way to reclaim youth, don't forget your uncle."
Su Nan lowered his gaze, contemplating the situation.
Father Louis had indeed been a great help. Since Su Nan's arrival in this world, Louis's influence had shielded him from Mapleleaf Town's more aggressive actions.
But Father Louis was still a member of the Storm Church—a church that had issued anti-witchcraft edicts annually for the past two decades.
While these campaigns likely targeted innocent scapegoats, they revealed the church's deep-seated hostility toward sorcery.
The priest took a seat, his excitement uncontained. "If your discovery is truly effective, I have many friends who would benefit from it. Imagine how strong the Peter family could become!"
"We could forge ties with earls, dukes, even the king himself—and perhaps the cardinals of the church!"
Su Nan immediately realized he could never share the Lycanthropy Transformation Potion with Father Louis.
It wasn't that he feared betrayal but that Louis's ambitions were too grand.
Ambition often leads to disaster. And in his current state, Su Nan couldn't afford to attract the kingdom's high-ranking attention.
As a minor player, stepping into the realm of the powerful would only mark him as prey, not a peer.
After a moment of thought, Su Nan said, "Uncle Louis, you're overthinking things. Sorcery, if it even exists, is far too dangerous for me to study."
"My duty is to the Peter family. I can't risk our territory by delving into such perilous matters. If the church were to declare me a heretic, I'd lose my claim to the barony."
Louis appeared chastened, as though doused with cold water.
"You're right, family comes first," he admitted. "I've been rash, asking you to tread such a dangerous path."
"Forgive my impetuousness. It seems you don't trust me enough to share the truth. Very well, I'll leave it at that."
The priest rose, his expression a mix of disappointment and acceptance. "One last thing, Lord Su Nan. You should visit your cousin Julia. She's been troubled lately. As your father's niece, she deserves your concern."
Su Nan recalled Julia Peter, a distant relative who had sought refuge at his estate.
She had inherited a tea plantation and a modest villa from her father, only to have them usurped by her father's former subordinates.
Such betrayals were commonplace in the Storm Kingdom, a young nation built on the ruins of a two-thousand-year-old empire.
The fragmented, tenuous rule established by the conquerors' generation had left countless cracks for conflict to seep through.
Some rulers managed to consolidate their power, while others faced inevitable collapse.
After seeing off Father Louis, Su Nan left the study, heading toward the castle's residential wing to visit Julia.
As he passed the armory, he halted abruptly.
From behind the heavy wooden doors of the storage room, he heard the sound of someone rummaging through crates.
"Who's in there?"
The noise ceased immediately, but Su Nan's sharp ears detected slow, deliberate footsteps approaching the door.
An intrud
er in my own home?
Su Nan raised his left hand, ready to test his newfound power.
(Chapter End)
Estado de energía semanal
-- Ranking de
Poder 
-- Piedra de
Poder