Bab 68: What he knows? (1/2)
"Sir, recently the priests decided to punish me by making me clean all the churches. Could you perhaps release me from that punishment?" Rafael asked, his voice tentative. Hearing this, Frederic smiled broadly.
"I'll see what I can do. Now, excuse me, I have reports from the north to read. May God and the Lord Jesus be on our side. Thank you for coming; you may go now." He waved dismissively at Rafael and returned his focus to the parchments on his table.
Wow, I thought he wasn't attached to religion, but I guess I was wrong, Rafael thought as he left the room.
Once the door closed, Frederic stopped pretending to read the parchment. He leaned back in his chair again.
Hmph... 'Cleric Robert...' Not once did he react when I mentioned God or Jesus's name in vain. Any other cleric would have said something, even if I was of higher status. And from what I know, no other cleric would accept something directly from nobility or go against a decision made by the priests...
"Hahahah... Servant!" he called out. The girl who had brought Rafael entered the room.
---------------
Aaran, after fleeing the small church, left the inner circle and wandered aimlessly through the city. Some people waved at him, offering greetings or wishing him a good morning, but they received no response or even a glance in return.
No, no, no, this isn't right... It must be a misunderstanding, yes... But... what if what I saw was true?
He stopped and looked up at the sky. "Father, I pray to you. I'm lost, confused! Please, show me the way. Show me the truth." He closed his eyes, waiting for any sign.
People passed by, chatting with each other, and some children laughed in the distance.
I seek your guidance now more than ever, Father! After a few minutes, he began walking toward the nearest church.
Maybe this matter is so insignificant that it's up to us, His servants, to decide how to proceed. I can't hold this secret.
Upon reaching the church, he met the priest in charge and asked for time to confess. They walked to a confessional.
"Tell me, Aaran. What are your sins?"
"...Sir... I'm confused..."
"Well, as far as I know, that's not a sin."
"No, it's just... I saw something. Do you know about the murderer hiding in the city?"
"Of course I know. Everyone's been looking for him, and I don't know how or who did it, but the news about an assassin on the loose spread among the commoners. Sigh It's been hard to maintain order and keep everyone calm."
"...Priest, I think I know who this man is."
"You know that accusing someone without proof is a crime and can put an innocent life at risk, right?" The priest's tone grew serious.
"I know, sir, that's why I said I was confused. I need guidance."
"Tell me, who do you think the criminal is?" The priest leaned closer to the wooden wall separating them, his curiosity piqued.
"This morning, I saw Cleric Robert cleaning himself, and his clothes were nearby. I saw the white robe and black pants, exactly like the description of the person we're looking for."
That afternoon, a meeting was held with all the priests to discuss Aaran's accusation against another cleric, the High Priest's apprentice, no less.
Aaran sat in a chair in front of a table, with all the priests seated behind it. "How certain are you of what you just said?" one priest asked after hearing Aaran's account.
"I know what I saw, sir. I swear."
"We can't make a decision based solely on his words."
"I agree, which is why we should call Cleric Robert here and see for ourselves."
"But what if he's the sinner we're looking for? If he has a knife, he could kill us all!"
"Then send guards to bring him here."
"Aaran, go with the guards and bring him here."
As Aaran stood up from the chair, a knock came from the door behind him. He opened it and saw the last person he expected to see today.
"Excuse me, Cleric, I need to speak with the priests." Baron Frederic stood there with a servant and a soldier on each side.
Aaran hesitated for a second before stepping aside to let him in, then walked away to carry out his orders.
Frederic left one soldier and servant outside while the others followed him inside, standing by the entrance.
"Baron Frederic, what a surprise to see you here. I can't remember the last time you visited this room," one priest remarked with a hint of mockery.
"I've been quite busy these past few years, so I just couldn't find the time." Frederic walked and stood behind the chair Aaran had just vacated.
"But it seems you finally found time. Tell us, are you here just for a visit?"
"Perhaps you missed seeing us, no? Haha," another priest joked.
"Huhuhu, fortunately not. I'm here to talk about Cleric Robert."
"What?!" Two of the older priests spoke in unison, while the others quickly showed expressions of surprise. Frederic noticed this.
Why such a strong reaction? What's happened?
"What about him?" the priest seated at the center asked.
"Recently, I've come to know a few things about him." Frederic watched as the older priests shifted uncomfortably in their seats after hearing that. What do they know that I don't?
"And? Care to tell us what these things are?"
Frederic was hoping they'd say something that could reveal the cause of their unease, so he tried to prolong the conversation.
"Hmph. That cleric who just left—wasn't he the High Priest's apprentice? Oh wait, ex-apprentice." He walked past the chair.
"Yes, that was Cleric Aaran. You still haven't—"
"But why was he being questioned? I thought he was the favorite among some of you to become the new priest." Frederic cut off the older man before he could finish, now standing just two meters from the table.
Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
stone