Bab 67: Unwilling to bow (1)

The captain of the town's guard was a red-haired man with gray streaks in his hair. His eyes were sharp and his jaw square. He exuded an aura of firmness and discipline.

'I didn't expect him to be swayed by the Dawnbringers. He used to be a stern man, unwilling to bow to anyone.'

Having lived in the upper district for a while, Hex was familiar with the captain. He was a strong Knight, in charge of the city's patrol and peace. Even the elites didn't dare to cross him easily.

"Thanks, brother Herman," Sloan's father said solemnly. His eyes were fixed on the crowd below the platform.

"Many of you may know me but I don't know many of you. All my life I have been a strict person, unwilling to bow to anyone."

The captain's voice was calm. He looked straight into the crowd's eyes.

"Coming from a long line of guardsmen, I believed it to be my calling to become a guard. As I wished my son to be. I believed it to be Heaven's will."

Hex noticed the captain's voice soften towards the end. His gaze seemed less focused.

"But I never realized that my son wanted something else. He wanted to be free. To roam the wide world. And that dream drew Heaven's ire. His wish to live a free life caused the end of his life."

The captain seemed to have turned into an ordinary man with regret. Hex noticed the elderly people in the crowd tear up.

'This is bad,' Hex felt worried. The guard captain was gaining sympathy. And with sympathy, he would soon win their trust. At that point, it would be easy to convert them.

The middle-aged captain suddenly raised his head, once again looking into the eyes of the crowd.

"But just as I lost all hope. Just as I was drowning in regret, I found help. Not from the Temple, not from the Heavens but from the Divine Lord. He sent his sons and daughters, who helped me see His Benevolence. And once my heart held Him, my son returned."

At the end, he shouted and turned with open arms towards the group behind him.

One of the robed figures stepped forward and embraced him.

'That should be Sloan,' Hex thought with a groan. And to his dismay, he soon was proved right.

After a short hug, both turned towards the crowd. When Sloan lowered his hood, loud gasps and murmurs spread through the hall.

Hex and Althea could only look at each other before looking around. At this point, they knew that many in there would convert if they didn't prevent it.

'He is not alive,' Hex thought when he focused on Sloan's eyes. The guy he knew was haughty, stubborn, and always expressive. The guy on the platform looked lost. His eyes didn't seem to have any spark in them.

His heart sank. He was never friends with Sloan but he didn't wish such a fate to befall even his worst enemy.

'They say the Heavens don't allow free will but I doubt Sloan ever wanted to be used like this. They even broke his father's will by using his corpse.'

The act on the platform might have won the hearts of others but it only served to anger Hex.

Soon, more people stepped forward. Each with a different story. Each with a different reason to be part of the Divine Residence. But each claimed their loved ones had returned.

'They are using victims to win over other victims,' Hex shook his head, seeing the lifeless eyes of the resurrected people.

"Necromancy," Althea said, leaning into his arms, acting as if she wished to wipe her tears using his robes.

Hex nodded. He knew that already.

"How long have we been here?" He asked, putting his mouth as close to her ears as possible.

"Hard to say. The flow of time could be altered in such dimensions," Hex heard her say. It made him frown.

But Hex didn't panic. He continued to listen and note each and every person down who came forward. They were all part of Dawnbringers, valuable clues to look into.

Through observation he noticed something. None of the speakers were targeted at the same audience. If one speaker won the sympathy of parents, the other focused on teenagers, spouses, or even pets.

By the time the last person had spoken, Hex didn't see anyone with fear or wariness on their faces. People seemed to be filled with…hope.

'I have to do something or else I will be fighting against everyone I am trying to save,' Hex thought, unwilling to remain passive. He knew it would be risky to disturb things but doing nothing wouldn't achieve anything.

The hall was silent. People were waiting for Herman to take over. But just as Herman stood in the front, a loud voice echoed through the halls.

"I have a question!"

As one, people turned to the owner of the voice. Hex felt everyone's gaze land on him but he didn't flinch. He looked calm and at ease.

He noticed Herman scrunch his brow for a brief moment as if he didn't like the disruption. But soon he gave Hex his usual warm smile and nodded.

"Why haven't any of the resurrected spoken? Aren't they happy to be back?"

A soft murmur went through the crowd. They were too lost in the miraculous stories to notice anything strange. But once someone asked, they too started to give the resurrected a closer look.

The crowd's gazes didn't escape Herman. But he was an experienced preacher and con man. He didn't lose his calm.

"You will find out that soon enough. As dawn is approaching, we need to hurry," Herman said with a smile. "I am sure people wish to know what they have to do to receive his grace, right?"

Without waiting for the crowd's reply, Herman continued. "It's very simple. You only need to bow and touch the Lord's idol. If your heart is true and without malice towards him, you will receive his blessing."

Herman was about to give more instruction when once again he was interrupted by a loud voice.

"And if I am unwilling to bow?"

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