「BEFORE LUNCH」
G6 emerged from the bathroom, dressed in her simple training gear, the quicksilver ring turning idly in her fingers.
"Troubled?" Daunt asked, a massive, relaxed form sprawled beside the bed.
"You see… why do you think the Holy Kingdom is trusted by all the other kingdoms not to betray them?" Daunt added, one eye opening to watch her.
G6 sat on the edge of the bed. "Killing them wouldn't be that hard."
"Perhaps not. But the reason is the Pact sworn between the Founding Kings of each kingdom and the Founding Pope of the Holy Kingdom." Daunt's voice was a low rumble. "Among the many All-Seers, three reign supreme: the Holy Trinity E. Eldrin, God of Life and Prosperity. Escar, God of War. Edith, Goddess of Death and Cycles."
"Keep talking. I'm getting bored," G6 said, though she was listening intently.
"The Kings and the Pope swore upon the names of the Trinity that whoever broke the pact—a vow of non-interference and mutual sovereignty—would be brought to ruin. It's a sacred, binding oath on a kingdom-level scale. It doesn't apply to individuals… like the three of you left alive here."
"So? Spell out your point."
"My point is, that Archbishop is desperate for answers. Use that. Make a Pact of Promise with him, sworn in the name of the Holy Trinity. It's a tool perfectly suited for this."
"I'd be staking my life to satisfy his curiosity? I'd rather just kill him. That kingdom-level pact doesn't cover this."
"Foolish. You're not giving him answers for free. You're going to use him. Milk him for access. Every major temple has a forbidden archive, repositories of knowledge even the royal libraries lack. Trust me on this."
A slow, cold smirk spread across G6's face. "Cunning. Alright. Let's put an end to this demonic shit."
「NOW—PRIVATE ALTAR」
G6's group and Tolentino's entered the solemn, elegant private altar. In the center stood a stone altar, bathed in light streaming through a grand arched window.
"This is where sacred oaths, such as the Pact of Promise, are performed," Tolentino stated, his voice echoing softly in the hushed space.
"About that. I want my men's lives weighed in this pact as well," G6 said, the sudden demand making Tolentino stiffen.
"I don't understand, Lady G6. Are you not concerned for your companions' lives? This is a sacred, lifelong bond," Tolentino replied, his tone grave.
"Do you see us blinking?" Zen asked, his face impassive. Edmund stood equally still beside him.
I see. Now I understand. Tolentino's gaze shifted to the three priests beside him—Dane, Kalia, and Felon. They want my people bound by the pact as well.
"You wish my retainers to be included, don't you?" Tolentino asked quietly.
"I'm delighted I didn't have to spell it out," G6 replied.
"Forgive me, but I cannot risk their lives in this. Is my own vow not sufficient?"
"Do you really want an honest answer, Archbishop?" G6's voice was a low, chilling drawl. "Let's be clear. The truth here is simple: you are the one weighing your life to keep silent. They," she gestured with a tilt of her chin toward the young priests, "are loose ends. If they're not in the pact, then…"
A flicker of shadow.
Zen and Edmund materialized behind the three priests, the cold edges of their blades resting against exposed throats.
"…they just have to die," G6 finished.
Tolentino stood speechless. The three priests froze, paralyzed by the murderous aura radiating from the men holding them. "Lady G6… must you always resort to violence?"
"Didn't I tell you earlier? I hate 'bothersome.' Those two kids have to die, after all…" She tilted her head, hands sliding into her pockets. "They're the ones who saw and heard everything."
Tolentino's frown deepened. "You are in the presence of the gods, Lady G6."
"I've never prayed to one," G6 said, a slow smile touching her lips.
Tolentino's knuckles were white with fury.
"Y-your Holiness…" Kalia's voice trembled, but her eyes held a startling resolve. "We… we don't mind entering the pact. R-right, Felon?"
"T-that's right, Your Holiness…" Felon stammered.
"I do not object either, Your Holiness," Dane added, his voice steady though his face was pale.
Tolentino turned back to G6, who stood before him with shameless, chilling calm. I walked right into her trap. The moment she accepted my invitation… this was her true purpose. Not shelter, but silence.
"So the purpose of this Pact of Promise is to ensure our silence, whatever we learn. And your side of the bargain… is simply not to kill us. Is that it?"
"You read my mind like a cheap fortune teller," G6 replied.
Tolentino drew a slow breath. "I have received my retainers' consent. I will allow the binding of a group pact."
G6 gave a slight nod. In unison, Edmund and Zen lowered their blades and stepped back.
The three priests exhaled shakily. Tolentino offered them a look of deep, pained apology and reassurance.
Dane risked a sidelong glance at the trio standing so casually nearby. What kind of devils has His Holiness invited into this holy place?
A cold shiver shot down his spine as G6 turned her head toward him and smiled, as if she could see straight through his thoughts—and through the tinted glasses, he imagined predatory eyes staring back. He quickly averted his gaze and followed Tolentino to the altar.
-ˋˏ✄ - - - - - - - ♡
Now the seven of them stood before the altar, the air thick with sacred tension.
"We now commence the Pact of Promise, in the name of the Holy Trinity E," Tolentino declared, his voice steady despite the troubled look in his eyes. "This is a holy dagger. Each of us will shed a drop of blood upon the Star of Light and Hope."
Oh, come on. That's a Star of Solomon, G6 thought, her internal commentary dry and unimpressed.
"A final reminder," Tolentino added, his gaze sweeping over them all. "We must use our true names. If a lie is spoken, the symbol will not ignite."
'He's telling the truth, Reise. This isn't a trick to pry.' Daunt's voice was a low hum in her mind.
"Whatever. There's nothing you can do about it anyway," G6 said aloud, her casual tone grating on the nerves of the solemn priests around her.
"I will begin." Tolentino took the dagger, made a small cut on his fingertip, and let a single crimson drop fall onto the central point of the carved star. "I, Tolentino Xyril, orchestrate this binding group Pact of Promise. I speak on behalf of my retainers: Felon Gretyn, Kaila Gretyn, and Dane Forsy. We vow never to utter a word of what we have learned or will learn. Should we betray this promise, our lives shall be the price."
One by one, the three priests followed, adding their blood to the symbol. Priestess Kalia then offered the dagger, handle-first, to G6.
She took it without ceremony, nicked her own finger, and let her blood fall. "I, Reise Worthon…"
The name landed like a physical blow. The priests stiffened, their eyes widening. The woman who had just threatened to slit their throats—the one Tolentino had guessed might be some distant relation to the Duchess—was a Worthon. Not just any Worthon. The youngest, the only daughter of the ducal house itself, one of the kingdom's most formidable powers, second only to the royal family.
"...am the second party in this pact. I speak on behalf of Zen Nocturne and Edmund Saiden. We vow to keep our promise to not take the lives of the other party. Should we fail to comply, our lives shall pay."
Edmund and Zen added their blood in turn.
Nocturne…? The name of the Second Pillar's ducal house echoed in Tolentino's mind. And Saiden… the fallen Sword Knight clan? His composure fractured for a second. He felt as if he'd swallowed something cold and heavy. Worthon, Nocturne, and a Saiden. What have I entangled us with?
"Do we really have to wait while you dramatically process who we are?" G6's voice sliced through his stunned silence.
"Forgive me," Tolentino managed, refocusing with an effort. "As the Pact of Promise has been completed with the blood of seven, witnessed upon the symbol of the Holy Trinity… In the name of Eldrin, God of Life and Prosperity; Escar, God of War and Resolve; and Edith, Goddess of Death and Cycles… we hereby seal this pact. Whoever breaks it shall succumb to death."
As he finished speaking, the star engraved on the altar ignited with a bright, golden light. Wisps of shimmering, dandelion-like motes drifted up from it, floating through the air before dissolving into the chest of each participant. The blood upon the stone vanished as if absorbed.
The pact was made. It was irrevocable.
G6 removed her tinted glasses, finally revealing her eyes fully to them. They were a striking, cool grey, sharp and utterly devoid of the sacred awe that filled the room. Her lips were curved in a faint smile, but her eyes held a different message entirely—a silent, predatory warning that the hunt was not over; it had merely changed terrain.
"Shall we," she said, her voice clear and cutting in the newly settled quiet, "get down to business?"
❈.❈.❈
They moved to an adjacent room off the Private Altar, its walls lined with a subtle sound-dampening enchantment. They arranged themselves around a long table, Tolentino and G6 seated at opposite heads like rival monarchs, their respective followers flanking them.
"I'll allow your questions," G6 began.
"Then, are you truly Lady Reise Worthon, daughter of the Ducal House of Worthon?" Tolentino started, his tone careful.
"Yes."
"And the two with you? Are you all nobility, then, merely… pretending to be adventurers?"
G6's gaze flicked to Edmund. Hmm. Looks like someone's past is getting dug up.
'You find it amusing.' Daunt murmured.
"Pretending? Are commoners the only ones allowed to be adventurers?" G6 countered.
"Forgive the assumption. It is only… I cannot fathom why scions of such powerful houses would pursue such an exhausting line of work."
"You keep tangling us with the houses we come from," G6 said, her irritation plain. "Do you think if we killed you right now, our families would know? Of course not. They don't even know we're playing at being adventurers." She let out a short, controlled sigh. "What I'm trying to say is: stop prying into our reasons. When I said you could ask questions, I didn't mean about our personal lives, motivations, or pasts."
"You are right. I apologize." Tolentino bowed his head slightly. "Then… was your claim of being from Scutum a lie?"
"Yes. Never been there. But our knowledge of dead zones is real."
"Now listen, because I won't repeat this," G6 continued, leaning forward. "We first encountered a dead zone just outside the Capital, at Oak Village. The source was a new-type demon, a hobgoblin. When it died, the shallow, man-made dungeon it occupied crumbled, and…" She pulled the first demonic script from her dimensional vault and placed it on the table. "…we found this. But killing the boss didn't solve the dead zone. This script was what siphoned the mana. By pure coincidence, a drop of my blood fell on it and dispelled the effect, restoring the natural mana."
"By the heavens… right outside the Capital? How could such a thing go unnoticed?" Tolentino's face paled. "And did the same process work with the Venomous Spiders?"
"Yes. But we learned a new variable: when the boss dies, its underlings perish as well. Not gonna lie, this one was a bother. There were too many." G6 produced a second, similar parchment. "We also found this when the nest collapsed."
"I see… I must determine if this is isolated to Einston, or a wider threat. I will make discreet inquiries, of course, without violating our pact." Tolentino's eyes were fixed on the scripts. "May I examine them?"
"Suit yourself."
Priestess Kalia carefully passed the parchments to Tolentino. He studied them, his expression growing graver by the second. "No deception here… This is indeed a blasphemous tongue. A true demonic script!"
"This is where our business with you truly begins," G6 stated. "I want access to whatever texts you have that can help decipher this."
"The archives containing demonic linguistics are forbidden," Tolentino said slowly.
"Fuck it. My blood works against this magic, and you're telling me it's forbidden?" G6's voice dropped to a dangerous calm. "I have enough questions swirling in my head. Don't make me ignore your pleas for help the next time your precious Grail goes dark."
"Goodness… is she truly a noble from a prestigious house?" Priest Dane murmured under his breath.
"I understand the source of your worry, La—Captain. And you have a right to know, even if this knowledge is restricted. I will help you. We benefit from your success as well," Tolentino conceded.
"Call me Captain G6. If you were using your brain, you'd realize we're trying to conceal our identities."
Tolentino sighed. "I will remember. Forgive me."
"Damn it. I hate it when people apologize like pushovers. Tsk. And I'm not 'worried.' I just want to fill in the missing data."
"Yes… I understand, Captain."
"Speaking of which, why don't you lead us to that archive already? We don't have the luxury to sit here talking all day."
Tolentino rose, the weight of forbidden knowledge and sacred oaths settling on his shoulders. He led them out of the chamber and deeper into the temple's guarded heart, where the air grew colder and the light dimmer, descending into the silent, stone-lined passages that housed the truths the Holy Kingdom had sealed away.
「FORBIDDEN ARCHIVES」
They entered a small, hidden library, its air still and thick with the scent of old parchment and dust.
"Please, be seated," Tolentino offered, gesturing to a small, sturdy table. "Priest Dane, please retrieve the locked tomes." He handed over an ornate key.
G6, her shades back in place, looked profoundly bored.
"This place suffocates me," G6 announced. "All these books full of boring content… makes me want to kill myself."
"Not me… I'd like to read every single one," Zen said, his eyes practically sparkling.
"Look at the geek. His Nocturne side is slipping out," G6 whispered to Edmund.
"Uhm… Captain?" Priestess Kalia called, fidgeting slightly. "How are your eyes?"
"My eyes are perfectly fine," G6 replied, her tone dismissive.
"But they still look a bit red. I'm sorry, my healing prowess is still novice," Kalia said with an apologetic smile.
"I don't care." G6 crossed her arms. "Don't you fear me? I almost got you killed earlier."
"W-well… weren't you just trying to protect your own life, too? I understand. It would be a huge problem if your involvement in these… odd events were revealed."
"Fuck off," G6 said, turning her head away.
Priestess Kalia offered an awkward smile and sat back down next to Felon.
'Do you really have to be so mean?' Daunt chided internally.
Why should I bother playing nice?
'I don't know. It doesn't hurt to treat her the way you do with folks back at the palace.'
I don't know what you're talking about. You must be delirious.
'Am I? With that child, with your servant, with that noisy woman Brenda… You're even friendly with that noisy kid, Keith.'
They're just pieces on my chessboard. Kindness always has a motivation behind it.
'You really believe that?'
It's not belief. It's an observation. Don't try to make me like those stupid humans with their destructive emotions.
Their internal banter ceased as Priest Dane returned, carefully carrying two ancient, heavy books.
"I have them," he announced, laying the tomes on the table with reverence.
Tolentino carefully unrolled the two demonic scripts. G6 moved to stand behind his chair, and he glanced up, his posture becoming guarded.
"Relax. I won't bite you," G6 said flatly.
Tolentino cleared his throat, consciously easing the tension from his shoulders. "Alright. Let's begin. It appears we must decipher this letter by letter."
"Fetch a quill and paper, Priest Felon."
Felon stood and retrieved the supplies from a nearby drawer.
"Then, let's begin," Tolentino said, his voice assuming a scholarly focus.
For the next thirty minutes, Tolentino meticulously cross-referenced the alien symbols in the scripts with the archaic dictionaries, calling out matches. Priest Dane transcribed each one with careful precision.
All the while, G6's silent presence loomed behind Tolentino like a shadow. Behind Priest Dane, the pressure was no less intense—Edmund and Zen peered over his shoulders, their focused curiosity almost palpable.
Finally, Priest Dane let out a long sigh of relief. "It's done!"
He slid the transcribed page toward Tolentino. "Here, Your Holiness."
"Read it," G6 commanded, the atmosphere suddenly feeling less like a scholarly pursuit and more like a forced confession.
"Alright… This is what both scripts say:
"We are the debt the soil remembers,
The price the sky refused to pay.
We sleep in blood, We wake in silence,
And in our name, the light decays."
"THIS FUCKING—ANOTHER STUPID MESSAGE HIDDEN IN PRETTY WORDS." G6's tone is low and calm, but her anger can be felt inside the room. Her hand, resting on the back of Tolentino's chair, clenched. The solid wood cracked and splintered under her grip.
The room fell into a stunned, brittle silence. The cryptic verse hung in the air, charged with her fury. Behind her shades, G6's eyes were wide. We are the debt the soil remembers. A ghost of a memory—the scent of blood and frost, the weight of a purpose not her own—flared behind her eyes and was gone. She felt like she knew this voice. Like she had heard it before.
—To Be Continued…—