Chapter 961: The Hero and The Saintess

Vask watched him pass, waiting for a question or some further remark that might explain the first. Mot offered neither. He seemed less interested in the arrival of a Hero than the gate guards had been.

A bishop called after him.

"Mot! Have you heard? The Sacrosanctum has acknowledged a new Hero!"

Mot lifted a hand without turning.

"I noticed."

He disappeared into an adjoining corridor, leaving Vask with no useful way to interpret the encounter.

Had he recognized Hoyo beneath the new face? Had he seen through Clementine’s disguise? Perhaps he had sensed something unusual about the transfer of the divine obligation, or perhaps he simply enjoyed making strangers uncomfortable.

The Council had struggled to classify several of his abilities. Some seemed related to perception, while others were difficult to describe at all. Vask could not dismiss the possibility that Mot knew exactly who had just walked into Solania.

Still, he had looked at them and continued on his way.

If he recognized them, he had chosen not to expose them in front of an audience already gathered to hear him. That offered a little reassurance, though Vask knew better than to mistake silence for friendship.

He would have preferred an accusation he could answer to a smile he could not understand.

Pedri resumed walking, and Vask joined him. Neither mentioned Mot with half the Sacrosanctum close enough to hear.

The inner halls were familiar through Hiro’s memories. White marble, tall pillars, and religious imagery still filled the vast spaces, though the amount of gold had diminished. Empty alcoves marked where several statues had stood, while simpler banners hung from the upper balconies.

Practical furnishings occupied places previously given over to displays. The building remained impressive, but it seemed designed to accommodate people now rather than make them feel insufficiently wealthy.

Pedri noticed every alteration. His eyes moved between the alcoves and furnishings with a precision that would have been difficult to explain if anyone had been watching him as closely as Vask was.

Several bishops hurried ahead as they approached the central hall. Behind them, a cardinal cleared his throat.

"His Holiness should be informed immediately."

"Her Holiness."

"Of course. Forgive me."

The corner of Pedri’s mouth twitched before he brought it under control. Vask looked ahead, wondering how many more reminders the old man would endure before they finished their business.

He expected Titania to be waiting near the elevated seat at the far end of the hall, perhaps surrounded by attendants or receiving reports. Instead, he found her beside one of the walls, helping a maid clean beneath a pedestal.

Pedri stopped so abruptly that Vask slowed with him.

Titania’s long white hair fell down her back, and her clothes were far simpler than the ceremonial regalia worn by several of the people following them. Both hands rested beneath a heavy carved pedestal, holding it clear of the floor while a young maid wiped the marble underneath.

"Almost finished, Your Holiness."

"Take your time."

The maid glanced toward the gathering visitors. Her cloth moved faster.

"But they’re waiting."

"They can wait a moment."

The girl finished wiping beneath the pedestal and pulled the cloth clear. Titania lowered the stone carefully, then stepped back to examine its position.

"Does that look straight to you?"

The maid hesitated before looking properly.

"A little to the left, Your Holiness."

Titania shifted it.

"Better?"

"Yes. Thank you."

The maid bowed repeatedly, still holding the damp cloth. Titania smiled and gestured for her to stop.

"You don’t need to thank me for helping you clean."

Vask glanced toward Pedri.

The old priest’s smile had almost disappeared. Anyone else might have mistaken his expression for surprise at finding the head of the Holy Order occupied with something so ordinary. Vask suspected Clementine was struggling with several objections at once.

The Pope represented the will of the Four Gods, commanded armies, and received monarchs. Clementine had spent years maintaining the dignity of that position. Titania had just made a room full of cardinals, bishops, soldiers, and a newly acknowledged Hero wait while she moved furniture for a servant.

She had even asked the maid where to put it.

For a moment, Vask wondered whether watching the reforms outside had been easier for him than this.

Pedri recovered his smile before Titania turned. He had to. A humble provincial priest would have little reason to be offended by someone helping a servant, and Titania had lived long enough to notice when an expression failed to fit the man wearing it.

The Council treated her cautiously for reasons far more serious than her position. Clementine could afford to dislike her methods. Allowing her to become interested in why he disliked them was another matter.

Titania’s gaze passed across the clergy, then found Vlad and Harven among the arrivals. She looked toward Pedri before settling on Vask.

He met her eyes and waited.

She seemed attentive rather than impressed. After the reception outside, Vask found that almost refreshing, although it also meant she would be harder to lead through the conversation.

A cardinal hurried forward.

"Your Holiness, the Sacrosanctum has awakened! This young man crossed the threshold, and the Beckoning of the Hero manifested above the dome!"

"I noticed."

The cardinal hesitated. The bells remained audible through the hall, making it difficult to imagine how she might have missed them.

Another bishop stepped forward before the silence could become uncomfortable.

"We believe the gods have appointed a new Hero."

Titania continued looking at Vask.

"Do you?"

"Yes."

Several bishops glanced at him, perhaps expecting a more reverent answer. Titania seemed content with its length and began crossing the hall.

Nobody announced her approach or called for those present to bow. She simply walked toward him, leaving the maid to gather her cleaning things beside the pedestal.

She stopped a short distance away.

"You’re the young man who caused all that light outside?"

"Apparently."

"And your name?"

"Vask."

She repeated the name quietly, then looked him over. Her attention moved from his clothes to his sword, lingered briefly on his posture, and returned to his face.

The gathered clergy waited. Some wore expressions suggesting they expected a formal acknowledgment, while others seemed ready to begin arranging the celebrations before she had finished examining him.

Pedri stood beside Vask with his hands resting on his staff, his patient smile restored. Vask could feel the old man waiting as carefully as everyone else.

Titania folded her arms.

"Well, Vask. Let’s just hope you’re not as bad as the last one."