Bab 142: Valar Morghulis!
Kai sighed inwardly, remembering the discussion he had had with his servant.
Was it as they had discussed? Meg had told him that swearing the Soul-Blood oath must have already infuriated the top clergymen of the Temple. Not only did the oath mean Kai had now absolute power over Meg's soul and flesh, but it also meant that the Temple could never claim her back. The locked memories and secrets of the Temple in her mind didn't help their case, either.
Or was it him having a Glitch?
Nothing could be more disastrous than the Temples finding his greatest secret, he knew.
However, Meg had also added that such a thing was impossible. No matter how much and who sacrificed, the Systems would never reveal it.
Kai doubted her belief, though.
Everything had a price, he had learned.
Not to mention, Kai didn't trust anyone, including the Systems.
-/I do not know,/- Kai said finally. -/I can tell you that the Temple had made her life miserable. So when she came for my life and failed, I made her take a Soul-Blood oath and made her my slave./-
Truths within lies. They were of the best kinds. And, yes. The most dangerous ones as well.
Meg's face was down, and not even once did she show any expression that suggested she wasn't pleased about Kai revealing this detail.
Kai nodded to himself upon noticing that. The major issue right now was to hide any indication that suggested any potential cause other than what he had given because it was his Glitch that had swayed her heart in the first place.
The Faceless man looked at Meg, his mouth pressed into a thin line. Then he smiled. "Yeah, that ought to have done it," he whispered. "Even among the fallen, you must be the weakest for you to be forced into enslavement by a 1st-Set Contestant. Of course, a man does not deny that Red is an extraordinary Contestant, given him having two Abilities after his resurrection. Oh, yes. A man knows of it too. No less than that could have qualified to be considered for HIS service. Still…"
The Faceless man left the words unsaid, but Kai could tell that unspoken part stung Meg the most. It made him wince, learning that his Abilities had been noticed during the Initiation mission itself. But Kai took solace in the fact that Simon from his mission was a Contestant from one of the higher floors, and it would have been impossible to prevent that Faceless man from noticing his use of Abilities, especially when he needed both of them to survive.
-/OK. That should do it, then,/- Kai told him. -/You have given your warning. What now?/-
"Forget about the Mission for a few weeks," the Faceless man, for the first time, said seriously. "You must have enough time. Go to the House of Black and White. Red's slave knows all the pertaining details. With the blessings of the Many-Faced God, we will take care of your not-so-insignificant problem awaiting you on the 4th floor."
Meg snorted. "How's that different from the Temple of Hastur, pray tell me, one-eyed rat?!" she rebuked hoarsely. "Oh, I know all about you Faceless men! Humph! Spare me from that look. What are you asking is nothing but another form of slavery. At least, our enemies are not being hypocrites about their threats."
The Faceless man said nothing for a while. He just ate the food, loudly chewing the hard bread with an open mouth. Fearing that the soup would go cold if he waited any longer, Kai too helped himself to a few bites, and a few bites in his case meant both his and Meg's portion. She, on the contrary, kept herself on the edge of her seat, ready to bring down the wrath of some unknown god onto the Faceless man, given one good reason.
"You know nothing," Simon blurted, looking at Kai. "HIS mysteries are not revealed to anyone other than us. Much less needed to be said about trying to fathom the nature of HIS secrets from a mortal's perspective. Our High Priest has invested so much in you, Red. The sacrifice, time, and the prospects of open war. When has a man ever asked you anything in return?
"Becoming a Faceless man, and HIS priest is a choice, not an obligation. That's where the Temple of Byagoona differs from the Temple of Hastur. Not to mention, you are just a Candidate. Whether you will be a priest, that's out of anyone's hands."
Meg wasn't pleased, and that was an understatement. She harrumphed, slamming the mug onto the table. "Are you suggesting that you guys did all that just because my lord has the potential to become a Faceless man?" she grumbled. "You really want us to believe that? Outrageous!"
Yet, Kai could see the pretense behind Meg's words. She already believed the priest, he could tell. All priests of Byagoona were already known for their repulsive eccentricities and unpredictabilities. Whatever Simon had told them until now seemed in line with those traits.
The Faceless man smiled and was about to open his mouth when Kai cut him off.
-/No need to say anymore,/- Kai said coolly. -/I appreciate the goodwill of the Temple of Byagoona. But I won't deviate from the Mission. Nor do I fear what or who is awaiting me on the 4th floor. I would rather visit your Temple in the Primordial Tower than waste my time voyaging to unknown places that have nothing to do with my mission's objective./-
It was all a ruse. Kai felt it was extremely stupid to even think of visiting any place that this Faceless man was recommending him to go to. If this person were to become his slave too, then that would have been another matter. Without it, he trusted him as much as he trusted Broke Valeheart from his previous life.
But he also couldn't ignore the free help he was getting from them.
No point in giving a brusque refusal, for now, he knew.
The Faceless man sent a deep look to Kai and nodded. "If that is your wish, then a man won't press you further," he told Kai, smiling. "A man expected you to say something like this. So, the High Priest of our Temple has sent you a gift."
Kai's eyes narrowed as Simon, the Faceless man, took out a worn iron coin. Meg's emotions stirred. Kai could feel them becoming chaotic as if someone had thrown an enormous boulder into a calm lake. His emotions, though locked, weren't far from her state, either. He knew what this coin meant. Its purpose and presence, however, were nigh impossible to guess.
Kai still had the iron coin in his MRB, given to him by Simon at the end of his Initiation Mission.
Somehow, the coin in this Simon's hand felt different.
The Faceless man put the coin on the table near Kai. It had heavily blurred markings as if something once had been imprinted on this side of the coin. "It's the Iron Coin of Many-Faced God," he said solemnly. "Keep it on you and break it before entering the 4th floor. A man will come to help you and escort you to the safety of our Temple."
Kai lifted the coin and felt the cold iron markings rubbing against his fingers. He flipped it and saw the blurred relief of a hooded figure. It was the same coin alright, Kai reflected. Though it was neither an Artifact nor an item, he could tell it had its own mystery infused in it.
"And now, a man will leave you to your mission," the Faceless man told Kai, pushing himself off the chair. "Not handing over the proof letter will count as you being unavailable. So, the System will send me back to the Primordial World after the completion of my Main Mission's Time Limit, despite it not being triggered."
That makes sense, Kai thought. Still, a doubt, birthed by his insatiable curiosity, lingered at the tip of his tongue. -/Are you Simon?/- he asked, not hiding the curious tone a bit. -/If not, then who exactly are you?/-
The Faceless man guffawed, but no sound came out of his mouth.
"No one," he answered, bowing his head a little at Kai. "Valar Morghulis!"
Not waiting any longer, Simon scampered off, his gait looking like some pheasant darting and dancing. Kai stared at the Faceless man's back as he left the inn. For the first time, he permitted himself a smile, and flicked the coin towards Meg, wording out slowly, but clearly.
"Valar… Dohaeris!"
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