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“Ungh... Wh-Where am I?”
The stale air of the magic-sealing prison acted as a smelling salt. The mage’s guild leader, Glydel, shook his head and slowly opened his eyes. The feet of a slender woman entered his field of vision. When he looked up to see whose they were, he was met with a familiar face.
“Miss Katarina. I see, so I lost...” He sounded full of regret, but his voice carried a tone of admission.
Katarina thought this was strange. “I’d expected you to curse at me more than that. You’re quick to admit defeat, aren’t you?”
“Why, yes. If I lost the battle, then that means my skeleton king must have been defeated.”
“Are you certain? I’m quite good at running away. I might have just fled the scene.”
“No, that would be impossible. I gave the skeleton king direct orders to kill you. It would have gone after you no matter what. And it would be impossible for a mere noblewoman to escape from an undead being with inexhaustible endurance. The skeleton king must have been defeated by someone.”
Katarina sighed. “It pains me to admit it, but you certainly have earned your position as mage’s guild leader, the size of Midrogue notwithstanding. You have terrific insight. Yes, you’re correct. The black skeleton king was defeated.”
“Which leaves me curious as to who did the deed. Was it that boy and the canine beastmen? Who are they? Would you give me an answer?”
“As much as I’d like to, that depends on your behavior. First, I need to know exactly what you were doing there.”
“Hm... Well, I’m sure you do. However, I’m sure you have a general idea already. We’ve been on opposite sides for so long.”
“You wanted the reins of power in Midrogue? I can’t say I don’t understand that, but...”
The two of them had constantly quarreled over that, so it seemed the most likely motivation. But Katarina had an indescribable feeling about this, one she couldn’t quite put into words no matter how long she ruminated over it. Surprisingly, Glydel helped her out.
“Does it seem peculiar to you?”
Katarina nodded, a little surprised. “Yes, if you’ll permit the expression. I don’t believe you would need to do something this outrageous just to wrest control from a fourteen-year-old political opponent. I may have the backing of my father, who is a leading figure in this country and state, but the mage’s guild has plenty of power to contend with that. As a member of such an organization, you could have eventually surpassed me through honest means of struggle. You knew the position I’d been placed in.”
“Heh. For a mere girl of fourteen, you’re quite a tough little lady. Indeed, I understood your position. If you didn’t get results here quickly, you would eventually be replaced by another suitable man from your family. If I just waited patiently for that day to come, Midrogue would have fallen right into the palm of my hand.”
“Then why?”
“Simply because I didn’t have the time. That’s all.”
“Time? Time for what?”
As soon as Katarina asked this, madness took over the eyes of the formerly rational mage’s guild leader, Glydel. He then exclaimed, “I hardly need say. For the salvation of souls! The world will one day be destroyed. We must guide all humans to the promised land in preparation!”
When she heard this, Katarina understood why he had instigated this incident. “I see now. You’re an adherent of the Sect of Forneus.”
The Sect of Forneus was a religious organization which had been spreading through Urizen in recent years. It hadn’t even been a decade since its existence had first come into the light, yet it had garnered quite a following. The majority of devotees were average citizens, but it was infamous for having extremist and fundamentalist troublemakers. It seemed Glydel was one such person.
“Exactly so. Surprised?”
“Yes, I am. I had thought you were a more rational person than that. And yet...”
For one to align themselves with the Sect of Forneus wasn’t particularly problematic by itself. However, their teachings ran counter to logic; Katarina saw them as more like fairy tales. At the core of their beliefs was the duty of chosen ones to guide people to the promised land before the world’s inevitable destruction. Well, this was common enough. But for someone like Glydel to believe this implicitly...
Glydel read her expression and laughed. “You find it unusual for a person such as myself to join a religion that preaches the end of the world?”
“Yes, I do. Of course, I believe people cannot cast aside religion entirely, no matter how strictly logical they may be.”
Even after growing and maturing into an adult, it would be difficult for one to abandon the core faith they had been raised with since childhood. One might even be afraid to do so. It had laid the foundation for everything, so denying that faith might even seem like denying oneself. There wasn’t much helping that.
But Glydel didn’t give the impression of having such a human weakness. He seemed like he could cast aside anything if it was necessary. He possessed that kind of stoicism which could hardly be complimented up front. That was how they’d stayed in opposition so far, and why she’d thought him so formidable. She found it peculiar that he’d turned out to be such a disappointment, so to speak.
Perceiving how she thought of him now, Glydel spoke resignedly, “You should understand. You’re the child of a politician, so surely you comprehend the true nature of religion...but I belong to the sect because I believe in it sincerely. I’m not just another member of the ignorant masses.”
Such a sentiment could have come from a believer of any religion. But as Katarina was a nonbeliever, the mage’s guild leader’s words were lost on her. Katarina sensed that it would be pointless for her to keep questioning him. “Very well, I understand. That’s all I wanted to ask. However, we still need more answers out of you...so I’ll let the specialist handle it. I recommend you cooperate with them; you will suffer less that way.”
“You may look like you wouldn’t hurt a fly, but you’re a noble through and through. Well, isn’t that how they all are? I’m sure I’ll be able to bear it. Until we meet again, Miss Katarina.”
Though what Glydel said unsettled her, Katarina knew she wouldn’t get any more answers out of him. She left the prison without stopping to look back, even after the interrogator stepped in to replace her and screams of pain began to ring out.