Chapter 79: Conspiracy

"I have received a divine revelation that you all will be involved in a conspiracy," Deacon Eider said smoothly, his creepy, ever present smile never wavering behind the shadow of his golden hood.

The words hung heavy in the air, instantly bringing a tense, freezing silence right over the group standing outside the tents. Every freshman nearby stopped what they were doing, turning their heads to watch the exchange. The surrounding grounds became incredibly quiet as the weight of the statement settled over their group.

"A conspiracy?" Julian asked, his voice sharp as he adjusted his silver-rimmed glasses. "What kind of conspiracy?"

Deacon Eider let out a soft, hollow chuckle that sent a cold chill straight down the spines of the freshmen. He slowly turned his head to look at everyone in the group, his unseen eyes passing over Ryan, Mina, and Lina, before locking his gaze right back onto Thomas.

"The light does not speak in vague terms, child," the deacon whispered, his voice carrying a heavy weight that made the ground feel cold. "The revelation is absolute. A hidden rot is preparing to spread through our kingdom and it has already begun spreading its defiled roots."

Sabrina crossed her arms, her violet eyes staring straight at the golden hood. She did not back down or lower her head. "And what does this revelation have to do with this hunting group, Deacon?"

The deacon slowly raised his left hand, revealing the unblinking eye tattoo on his pale palm, pointing it directly at them.

"The divine host is saying that you must all be aware of anyone amongst your group who will try to poison your thoughts," Deacon Eider murmured softly, his tone dripping with a chilling, fatherly concern. "There are entities walking among you who carry a dangerous desire for change. They pretend to be your peers, but their very existence is a sickness. If you allow their words to take root in your minds, you will be ground into dust when the light executes its purge. They have already begun to sow their seeds of discord by directly challenging the natural order, and making a mockery of it."

It was completely obvious to everyone present that the deacon was marking Thomas as a walking plague, using the authority of the revelation to try and isolate him from the other students. The students from the alternative classes were murmuring now, their eyes shifting between Thomas and the golden-cloaked divine servant.

Thomas remained completely motionless, his face calm and unreadable. He stayed silent, keeping his mouth shut as he watched the deacon. The Church was stepping past the shadows, using their words to try and break his foundation right here in the open camp. He did not show any signs of fear, keeping his posture perfectly steady on the dirt path.

Ryan shifted his weight beside him, his fingers tightening slightly, but he kept his composure under Thomas’s silent signal. Julian side-eyed the golden cloak, his jaw clenching behind his lenses as he realized exactly what the deacon was trying to achieve by confronting them publicly.

"We hear the words of the light, Deacon," Julian said coldly. "But we answer directly to the academy instructors during this excursion. We will maintain our perimeter according to the school rules."

Deacon Eider slowly lowered his hand, his golden garments fluttering slightly under the wind currents of the dome.

"See that you do, children," the deacon whispered, his voice fading into a low hum as he began to step backward. "Remember the revelation. Do not let your thoughts be poisoned before the harvest begins."

With those final words, the spotless figure turned his back on their tents and walked calmly toward the main stone building, leaving no trace of mud on his golden cloak. The heavy pressure in the air vanished, leaving the group standing entirely alone in the quiet twilight of the campsite.

The silence lasted for a long time after the deacon disappeared into the building. Thomas turned around and gestured for the group to follow him back inside Julian’s tent. Julian drew back the canvas flap, and everyone filed inside quickly, wanting to get away from the staring eyes of the rest of the camp. Once the last person entered, Julian immediately drew the purple runic symbol in the air and chanted the command to seal the space once more, cutting off all outside sound.

"That bastard," Ryan spat out, slamming his fist into his palm as he paced the small dirt floor. "He basically just warned the entire year one student body that Thomas might be a traitor. Everyone was looking at us."

Mina and Lina sat down on the foldable wooden chairs, their faces pale from the lingering stress of the confrontation. "He’s trying to make sure no one associates with us," Mina said quietly. "If the other studdents think the Church is going to purge anyone near Thomas, they will completely avoid him."

Sabrina dropped back down onto the ground, crossing her legs casually as she looked at Thomas. "It is a standard psychological tactic. The Church uses divine revelations to eliminate targets without ever having to draw a sword. They label you a source of poison, and the system does the rest of the work for them. The other classes will treat you like a corpse now."

Julian stood near the center pole, his bare ebony eyes cold behind his glasses. "It means they are getting desperate. They cannot legally execute a student under the Headmaster’s direct jurisdiction without triggering a war with the academy, so they are trying to break your spirit first, Thomas."

Thomas sat down on the edge of the small wooden trunk, his face remaining entirely calm. He looked at Julian and then at Sabrina, his voice flat. "Let them talk. It is not as if i need all of those students out there to reach my goal."

Sabrina smiled lightly, her melodic laughter returning for a brief moment. "I like your attitude, Thomas. But you need to be careful. Deacon Eider isn’t the type to stop at just warnings. He sowed the seeds of distrust out there for a reason. He is setting the stage for whatever is coming next."

The internal matters of the camp were becoming increasingly volatile. Thomas knew that the instructors were still arguing about whether to cancel the trip, and with the deacon publicly executing a psychological strike against him, the remaining hours under the dome were going to be exceptionally tense.