350. Upgrading in the Ruins

Administrative Office, Dearshore City, Kim Dukedom, Kim Island, Acorna Empire

“Though the Head of Administration, Miss Alice Gustav, is famously of the Solious Faith, it’s still a smart move to convert to the Herptian faith if you want to move up into high-ranking roles,” Rafael listened quietly as his team leader shared the advice over a cup of tea.

“Hmm,” Rafael hummed neutrally.

The team leader continued, leaning back in his chair. “Look at me. I arrived in the Kim Dukedom just six months ago as a slave, and now I’m a team leader. I was originally a follower of the Florea Faith. They might not say it openly, but that background definitely made it difficult to move up the ladder until I finally converted during the Festival of Lust.”

Rafael finished his tea, weighing the options carefully in his mind. “So, even though the official government stance is to never force anyone into changing their religious beliefs, the administration is subtly encouraging the spread of the Herptian Faith...”

“I mean, I heard that was the original deal Her Highness made with the Herptian Church when she first started building up the poverty-ridden region of Jola,” the team leader chuckled, crumpling his paper cup and throwing it into the dustbin. “She agreed to help them spread their faith to the mainland in exchange for their backing.”

Tapping Rafael on the shoulder, the leader finished, “It’s really not a bad deal. Living in the Kim Dukedom and sharing the faith allows you to be more in tune with the locals and become a true citizen. Besides, you don’t have any family outside the dukedom anyway, right?” With that, he walked away, leaving Rafael to his thoughts.

Rafael nodded to himself and went back to his desk to complete his daily tasks. Once his work was finished, he sat in the dimming room, pulling a specific document out of his drawer. He stared at it intently as the sun began to dip below the horizon.

“Leo must be home by now...” he muttered, his thoughts drifting to his younger brother and the future they would have if they permanently settled here.

The document was titled: “Invitation for Management-Level Position Examination.” At the very bottom of the page, written in small text that most applicants would overlook, was a short disclaimer: “Note: Applicants can be dismissed for failing to meet internal standards during the initial filtration of applications.”

Rafael knew exactly what that "internal standard" meant. It almost certainly required being a follower of the Herptian faith. Several of his colleagues, whose families still lived on the mainland and held strictly to the Solious faith had refused to convert before applying, and every single one of them had been summarily dismissed without much detailed explanation.

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“Unlike them, it’s just me and my brother here,” Rafael muttered, his gaze hardening as he made a definitive choice in his heart. “There is no pressure on me to hold onto my late parents' beliefs if letting go means giving Leo a better life.”

He grabbed the document, slid it into his coat, and walked out of the empty office just as the moon began to glow in the night sky.

The Next Morning. A Vacant Room, New Lord’s Castle (Partially Completed). Kim City, Kim Island, Kim Dukedom, Ancorna Empire

“You look a bit distressed, little Raven. Is everything alright?” Faldeus asked, his sharp old eyes tracking her movements as he securely placed both of the Odyssey Rings into a padded wooden box.

Ravenna pulled her cloak tighter around her shoulders, masking her exhaustion. “It’s just one of those days, Master. Let’s focus on heading down into the ruins and having Marie absorb the two rings.”

Marie looked at her mother, a flicker of concern crossing her features. However, as they all stood up to leave the chamber, the young girl forced her usual bright, cheerful smile to break the tension.

“Yes...! Let's go, Mother!”

With that, they arrived at the Cathedral of Herptian, where a visibly anxious Junior Priest Finn was already waiting to guide them underground.

The rhythmic sound of their footwear clicking against the solid, ancient stone echoed sharply against the invisible walls. The staircase felt agonizingly steep and narrow, producing an eerie, claustrophobic sensation as they ventured deeper into the dark earth. A cool subterranean draft brushed against their exposed skin, the shifting wind indicating a cavern so vast that it was generating its own micro-atmospheric currents just as before.

When they finally reached the bottom landing, Marie stopped dead in her tracks, her jaw dropping as she glanced back up toward the ceiling. The entrance they had walked through was hundreds of meters above them, reduced to a faintly visible, microscopic speck of light in the distant roof.

The three of them followed the Junior Priest through the eerie, silent streets of the abandoned castle city, eventually emerging into the vast, circular plaza at its center. There, towering over the square, the massive obsidian altar stared down at them, its dark, reflective stone seemingly absorbing what little light their lanterns managed to cast.

“This is the perfect place,” Ravenna commented, her eyes scanning the sprawling, empty void of the cavern. “The enormous divine light will be contained. It won't engulf the entire island if we perform the ritual down here.”

Marie looked up, her head tilted completely back as she tried to map the ceiling. “The place is really huge!” She took a step back in sheer awe, stumbling slightly over a loose stone, but Faldeus caught her by the shoulder before she could fall.

“I am really curious now,” the old former Khan chuckled, steadying the girl. “They say the entire Imperial Navy completely backed off their advance just from seeing the light from the last absorption. Let's see what happens when there are two.”

Ravenna nodded. Stepping toward the base of the altar, she unlatched the wooden box and held it open toward Marie. The Glinto and Umbra Odyssey Rings rested inside, humming with a heavy, restless power.

“Are you ready?” Ravenna asked, her voice echoing slightly in the vast plaza.

Marie smiled, a brilliant sparkle returning to her eyes as she reached out her hands, ready to grab the divine artifacts.