As Aaron carried a heavy wooden box through the empty cathedral hallways, he heard an odd sound from the entryway.
The long arched corridors echoed with a faint shout accompanied by a rush of hurried footsteps in the distance.
What's going on?
Furrowing his brow and placing the crate on the ground, he turned his head back, shouting down to Alicia, who was locking up the storage room.
"I'm going to go check something out. I'll be back."
Without waiting for her affirmation, he walked ahead, making his way through the maze-like building with the assistance of his Mana Vision.
If there was a wall in his way, he could simply gaze past it, noting where it went and if it was the cause of the noise.
A short while later, as he entered the church's sanctuary, he heard Father Braun himself yelling angrily outside the main doors.
"You have to leave immediately! This is private property of the Church of True Earth!"
Listening carefully, Aaron frowned again, summoning his blade to his side only to sheath it out of respect for the holy place.
Taking a deep breath, he made his way towards the entrance, his footsteps resounding through the chamber loudly.
Placing his hands on the thick door handles, he pulled hard, feeling the massive construct move under his strength.
The creaking left in the wake of his pull erupted through the area around the entrance, silencing the arguing voices.
Piercing rays of sunlight bathed Aaron's face in gold; however, as he adjusted to the sight, he noticed a man draped in long red robes facing the priest.
His hood was pulled just past his forehead, revealing a face framed with crimson hair and featuring crimson eyes that seemed to gaze into the blond boy's very soul.
Father Braun himself turned around to see who had appeared from inside the building, his eyes widening when he noticed Aaron.
"What seems to be the problem here, sirs?"
Deepening his voice and speaking firmly, the examinee addressed the two bickering men.
Opening his mouth to speak, the robed man almost shouted, yet stopped himself after noticing the blade attached to the challenger's hip.
Penelope's liquid-like structure that was able to shift to whatever-sized weaponry he required pulsed slightly as the hooded figure gawked.
Taking a small step back, he seemed to be weighing his options as Father Braun spoke up, explaining the situation.
"He is one of the cultists who give us a bad name. He has been trying to access the sanctum for prayer; however, his very presence spreads corruption."
While speaking, he pointed down to the hooded man's feet, the signs of blackened and dry dirt clear for everyone to see.
Tapping his temples slightly, Aaron enhanced his vision to the maximum, watching as layers with different visualizations stacked atop each other.
Dark magic… Father Braun isn't exaggerating. This man has ill intent.
Stepping forward towards the cultist, the blond glared into the crimson-haired man's eyes.
"You aren't a member of the Church of True Earth, nor do you seem to have an intention to join. Therefore, you must leave."
Standing firm, unblinking and steady, Aaron watched as the robed man took a step back, reaching into his drapes.
In response, Aaron tightened his grip around Ocean's Bane, pulling it out slightly as if to say he could cut the man down anytime he wished.
As he did that, he also released a small amount of force, which made the cultist freeze in place before scurrying away, never looking back.
"Don't return here again."
The turquoise-eyed boy moved his leg forward one last time before the man ran off, his scarlet robes fluttering in the wind as he vanished behind a cliff.
Sighing deeply, Aaron turned back, facing Father Braun with an embarrassed grin.
"I'm sorry if I caused you trouble…"
Scratching the back of his head, he bowed slightly before moving to leave and return to Alicia, who was still inside.
"Wait."
He froze at the priest's word, glancing back slowly.
"That blade you carry—"
There was a silence as a shadow passed over the black-haired man's face, a bead of sweat collecting on his brow.
"Never mind, it's of no importance. Thank you for your assistance."
Tipping his head towards Aaron, he smiled and signaled for him to return to his work, which made the blond boy quite pleased.
Maybe he'll say good things about me in my report!
Practically beaming with glee, the boy walked away and returned inside the building, leaving the priest alone.
Looking towards the sky, the man sighed, thinking deeply about what he had just seen.
When he unsheathed his blade, I felt something…
He shivered even under the blazing hot sunlight beating down onto his flesh.
It warned me. Stay away or die. The divine are not welcome.
Exhaling heavily, he stared off into the heavens, wishing for an answer from their god, the one whom they worshipped for eons without reply.
Other churches had received messages through the central pontiff before, yet throughout the two millennia that the Church of True Earth existed, there had never been a single one.
"Oh, God of Nature, why have you forsaken us in this dangerous time?"
Waiting a moment for the response that never came, he turned his head away, a light frown deforming his lips.
Yet in a world beyond their own, far past the barrier that encapsulated the Dimension of Waves, a single star in the night sky twinkled ever so dimly.
…
Running his hands through his medium-length blond hair, Aaron frowned as he noticed Alicia's annoyed expression.
"What took you so long?"
Twitching her lip slightly in irritation, she watched as the boy placed his hands up in front of him in defense.
"T-There was some cultist I had to remove from the entrance."
His voice was no longer the firm and steady one he had used to deter the robed man, but resembled that of an ashamed child getting scolded by their mother.
Placing a finger on her chin to think for a moment, the black-haired woman nodded slowly, a sigh escaping her tightly closed lips.
"The 'Cult of True Earth' fools who ruin our good name. Pathetic individuals who should be struck down by the heavens, in my opinion."
Furrowing his brow at her words, Aaron spoke up, confusion evident in his voice.
"Cult of True Earth… Someone I know talked about them before. But who are they, really?"
Looking up into Alicia's eyes, he noticed a flicker of annoyance behind them again, causing him to shift nervously.
I don't want to get on her bad side again…
"If you wish to know about the Cult, then you would need to know the full history of the Church itself. If you want that, then I could tell you."
Facing the boy sternly, she awaited his answer, while his eyes darted around nervously.
"That would be nice."
Nodding his head slowly, he sat down on the box he had previously carried, waiting for Alicia to begin.
Taking a long breath, she began her story, the sunset outside the windows casting shadows throughout the chamber.
"We are one of the oldest Churches left in the world, with our formation occurring during the unnamed era in the year 1106. The central pontiff at the time, a false angel from the Sea of Wishes, relayed the principles of our doctrine from the God of Nature directly. His words were absolute, with our only goal being to welcome his arrival to this world when he descends."
She paused, taking another long breath and then following up.
"When the First Sea King entered the Abyss, and the new era began, there was division within the highest reaches of the Church. Some argued that we had waited long enough for our god's arrival and that he had been killed or faded out of existence. Others argued that he was simply in a slumber, similar to how the Church of Depths believes that their god lives under a seal."
Aaron's eyes widened at the mention of Eleanor's faith, the young blonde priestess appearing in his mind.
"After the First King returned, a portion of the Church split off, taking refuge here on this island in this very cathedral. The priest at the time welcomed them with open arms; however, after corruption was found within the central sanctum, they were kicked out."
"They left peacefully, yet, throughout the coming years, they would form their own group under the rule of their High Sanctormis, who was chosen by the new deity they worshiped in our god's stead."
Stopping herself for a moment and taking a seat of her own, she watched Aaron's eyes twinkle in the sunlight as he listened intently.
"From then on, they have plagued our Church repeatedly, threatening our members, attacking residences, and even stealing our food. They aren't doing this in isolation, either, with various other outposts of theirs located throughout the world, garnering the bad name that is reflected onto us. Their current leader is a man known as the Crimson Sanctormous. He is said to have a direct link with their god, and their band of villains continues to attack our Church even to this day."
Finishing her story, she waited for the blond boy's response; however, he simply sat there, taking in all the new information.
"Who is their new god?"
It was the only question Aaron posed, one that surprised the black-haired woman, yet she answered it all the same.
"Perhaps my terminology was too broad. It isn't exactly a god; however, the creature they worship is treated as a deity all the same.
She turned her gaze to the boy firmly.
"They worship a creature of the dark, the Pale Messenger."