Lucan finally had enough of the mystery of it all, dragging Justinian to a secluded area of the courtyard, away from the prying eyes of the men and the servants.
"My duke... tell me, what... are you?"
He spoke, his usual confident and rash behaviour gone; there was no way he could maintain it after the sudden increase in skill.
The men themselves may not have realized it themselves, but for masters like Lucan and Cassia, they noticed it immediately.
"I-I need to know as well."
Cassia reinforced Lucan's question; they both finally had enough of his omniscience.
Unsure if they should be impressed or afraid, everything pointed to divinity, but which one?
Evil? or Good?
Lucan stepped back slightly, unsheathing his sword and pointing it at Justinian's throat.
"Speak!"
But Cassia immediately drew hers as well, blocking his sword and pushing him back away from Justinian.
"Have you gone mad!?"
She yelled out.
"Mad!? Quite the opposite! for all we know, the duke's been possessed by the devil!"
Cassia knew Lucan's words made sense, but she had already sworn to be Justinian's second; her honor demanded that she keep it even with the uncertainty.
"You've seen his actions firsthand! he has done nothing but help!"
Justinian saw the ruckus and decided to intervene. He knew this would happen, but he didn't expect Lucan and Cassia to figure it out in this way.
While this world has real living gods, they weren't fickle, nor intervene in every mortal affair, so he decided to make his biggest lie yet.
"I... am."
Justinian spoke, catching both of their attention.
"An arcanist..."
His words struck the two of them immediately.
In the novel, Arcanists were powerful individuals who managed to inherit divinity from the gods, granting them abilities beyond comprehension.
It was similar to Lucan's flaming sword, but also not.
Of course, Justinian wasn't an actual arcanist, but... they can't really confirm that.
"I see..."
Lucan grumbled in a low voice, sheathing his blade, freezing for a moment.
Cassia sheathed her as well, seeing Lucan backing down before looking at Justinian with a newfound awe, one that even surpassed her previous respect.
But she didn't get to contemplate that as Lucan's sudden shout surprised her.
"Lucan Halward... at your service, my lord..."
He placed a hand on his chestplate; his steel eyes were resolute. He had now made his decision, having become a marshal who obeyed Justinian due to his blood.
To someone who will obey him even if it costs him his life.
"Aha..."
Justinian was in disbelief. This was his last resort, but it worked well, and now he just needed to make sure it didn't go off the rails.
"Keep it a secret, and make up an excuse if someone gets close to the truth."
"Of course, I'll do my best!"
Justinian nodded at Lucan's response before urging him to continue the training.
"Man..."
He leaned on the wall, contemplating his current situation.
'This is going better than I expected!'
Instead of fatigue or stress, Justinian instead felt euphoria and a tension leave his body. Lucan completely accepted his excuse and even swore his total loyalty to him.
It was a miracle beyond compare, even more than previous miracles.
"Justinian..."
"That goes for you as well."
Justinian addressed Cassia as well, seeing the visible awe in her eyes.
"Of course!"
She responded in clear devotion, the title of Arcanist holding prestige beyond compare.
"Treat me as normal, will you?"
Justinian gave her a pat on the shoulder before returning to Lucan, forgetting to talk to him about one more important thing.
The preparations for the raid itself.
Cassia merely stood frozen on the ground, Justinian leaving without her to talk to Lucan; it wasn't far after all.
And Justinian allowed her to have time to think about his sudden proclamation.
"So that was the reason...?"
She murmured, then she began theorizing.
An Arcanist held power beyond compare, which would also mean the mortal body needing to adapt to it, so Justinian staying cooped up in his room for years? Being cruel to servants?
It wasn't because he was neglectful; it was him suffering and adapting to his newfound abilities.
"It seems I really did misjudge him... more than I initially thought..."
To her, it now completely made sense. Justinian's overwhelming skill, power, and even kindness were now answered.
And just like Lucan, her loyalty was now unshakeable. To be able to serve a mortal with the power of the divine would do that to someone.
"Right!"
She shook her head, clearing her mind out of the haze before catching up to Justinian, deciding to work even harder now.
[The Book of War Responds]
[It Is Pleased By Your Actions]
[Trait Granted]
+False Divine
-You may grant miracles once a week.
-The Gods notice your existence.
'...'
Justinian took a second to process the notification before biting his lip.
'I'm not sure if I should be happy or be inhumanely afraid of that second description...'