Juan walked out of the cathedral while in possession of Eveās body.
The cathedral didnāt exist at the time when Juan had been alive, so it took him some time to find his way out of the building.
Still deep into the night, he was worried about potential guards as the sun still hadnāt risen, but he had a guide with him.
āAlright. Heāll show you the way.ā
The black priest followed Juan with a distorted face. His hand had already been healed, but the feeling of pain etched into his brain was something would last.
However, the most frightening part was the saintressās face, who didnāt show any sign of emotion upon breaking his fingers.
āā¦ā¦ā¦Itās been a long time. A lotās changed.ā
Juan muttered to himself as he marveled at the large square and buildings next to the cathedral.
Outside of having the imperial palace, the capital didnāt hold any special place in his heart.
But having been so long since heād last seen the place, he felt a flutter inside even though he was seeing it through someone elseās eyes.
He recalled the countless incidents that heād gone through in this city. It was difficult to find anywhere that had stayed the same.
āWhereās the palace?ā
āPa., palace? Itās located northwest, not far from here.ā
The black priest stuttered. His behaviour gave the impression that he wanted to be relieved but Juan had no intention of letting him go just yet.
Juan promptly headed for the palace.
He couldnāt sustain the connection for too long. The longer he did, it would have a greater strain on his body.
But seeing as he could freely move, he wanted to check on something.
āWhat will happen if I find my old corpse.ā
Even if he couldnāt transfer into his old body, if he could see it while connected to Eve, something could happen.
And even if nothing happened, he would at least get to see the state of his body.
From what heād heard, his body hadnāt rotted, nor drained since the day he had been stabbed so if there was any clue to the questions he had, Juan felt like he find them there.
āPossibly even have a look at the traces that were left on the day I died.ā
He also needed to find a way to protect the saintress.
While he couldnāt feel his āgraceā from this saintress, most other priests were doused in it.
The amount of mana she had available was slim to none.
Although Juan could adequately control Eveās body for now, there was a limit to what he could do with Eveās weak body.
āWith luck, I might find some magic.ā
There were many items and potions hidden inside the palace. But he wasnāt sure if it still remained in place. All in all, it wasnāt a bad idea for him to head over the palace.
Just like the black priest had said, the palace didnāt take long to get to.
As he neared towards the palace, several buildings and land that were familiar to him appeared in his sight.
The area around the palace wasnāt too different from the past. It was dark, silent and solemn.
Juan stopped in his track upon reaching the vast open square surrounding the palace.
The buildings around him werenāt tall, nor glamorous but they were impressive without a doubt.
Twelve towers stood around a massive pyramid dome. There were no walls around the palace. The palace was secure enough by simply existing.
Juan looked down at the rocks in the square that made up the floor with runes written into them.
As Juan approached closer, a wall of golden light appeared in front of his eyes, stopping Juan from proceeding.
āSa, saintress. Perhaps this is your first time seeing it, but this is the famous barrier called āthe veil of benevolenceā. Only those allowed may enter. The barrier is so strong that even one of the six apostates Hamon Helwin, couldnāt leave after taking part in the emperorās assasination. He was confined inside for 4 days.ā
ā4 days? What happened after the 4 days?ā
āThe head of the Helwin family and the emperorās third child General Dismas managed to enter and cut Hamonās neck. Still to this day no one but the emperorās children and few selected imperial guards can enter. Even if itās General Vares or the Pope, they will notā¦ā¦ā
The black priest couldnāt finish his sentence. Juan approached the veil of benevolence and stretched out his arm.
The black priest shook his head knowing any actions were folly but soon found himself wanting to scream.
The golden wall bit by bit cracked and a door opened.
Not once had the priest seen the veil of benevolence open from externally.
Whether itād be the Pope whoād entirely inherited the emperorās grace, or the General who was the acting emperor today, they had only managed to enter the palace after the imperial guards had opened the door from inside.
But this saintress had opened the veil of benevolence as if she was simply opening the door to her home.
āNice to see that it still works.ā
Juan let out a sigh of relief. The veil of benevolence could only be opened by injecting a complicated pattern of mana into it.
Because it was impossible to mimic nor replicate what Juan just did, heād given magic items to his children and a few imperial guards so that could also have access. Juan made it so that only he would be able to get through simply with mana.
āNothing has changed inside I suppose?ā
Juan turned around to ask the black priest. But the priest wasnāt following behind. He was bowing with his head down on the floor just outside the veil.
āWhat are you doing?ā
āSai, saintress nim. Iā¦.I dare think of myself not worthy enough to enter the palace. Only the most noble may enter, and saintress nim has proven herself by personally opening the door. Pl, please give out your punishment for the impious acts I had shown you tonight.ā
Every word that came out of the black priestās mouth smelled of desperation.
The word had spread that the new saintress was extraordinary but still, the Pope held the absolute authority in the church.
The black priests were a private sanction group that specifically only took orders from the Pope.
Being the underling of the Pope, usually the saintress wasnāt much different to him or any other dog of the Pope.
But this saintress was different. She was someone that could open the veil of benevolence with her own power. There hadnāt been a saintress like such in history.
And only a few hours ago the black priest had attempted to taint the saintress. There was nothing else he could do but go to the ground and beg for forgiveness.
āIāll accept death if thatās what you demand. But if youād give me a second chance, Iāll serve you to the best of your wishes with my life. With kindness and forgiveness, please consider the emperorās graā¦..ā
Feeling no presence, the black priest looked up. There was no one in front of him.
The saintress had long left, and the veil of benevolence had already closed.
Seeing the empty square in front of him, the black priest planted his bottom to the ground in disbelief.
It felt as if he had woken up from a dream.
*****
The palace was the same as when Juan had died.
It was exactly how it looked on the day he said goodbye to his friends before leaving for the northern border.
So much the same that it felt as if his breath still lingered in the air.
At the time, it had been a lively place. A place filled with the sound of gentry, nobility, people employed by Hamon and ragged knights.
But now, it felt like a dead space with heavy air and no sign of life.
A space that has clearly been isolated from the world ever since.
Juan could immediately feel the presence and location of his corpse.
In the center of the palace, where his throne sat.
Juan blankly made his way over as if heād been bewitched.
His corpse was calling out to him.
āKenosis.ā
Between impressive giant stone pillars, he saw sculptures and murals, pieces of history that he had accomplished in the past.
The devils, creatures, evil kings, gods that heād killed and sealed were displayed as art.
They had looked down upon humans with arrogance, but eventually they met death in the hands of the emperor.
The gods decided to erase all humanity.
And in defiance, humanity fought back.
Through that defiance came hope. An emperor rose.
The emperor cut down the gods into pieces, scattering their remains in forests and rivers.
The famous history of the emperorās slaughter of gods was engraved into the wall as art.
Taking this all in, Juan began to walk with the feeling of being restrained by the neck like a dog.
Who could deny this glory.
Who could give up this power.
Come!
As his accolades on the wall came to an end, Juan was left standing in front of an enormous iron door.
It was where humanityās saviour, the emperorās absence was recorded.
Where his eternal rule had begun.
This iron door hadnāt existed when heād been alive. Juan guessed that it was made when heād gone into his eternal slumber.
If we were just comparing size, the door was as big as a castle gate.
While Juan was being wary whether the door would even budge, he noticed that not even a speck of dust was on the door for it was kept very clean.
Beyond the iron door, an enormous amount of mana and power was felt. But instead of it being dangerous, this power felt like home. As if would finally get to lie down in his home bed.
The iron door stood in the middle but even so, Juan was left feeling disorientated.
He wanted to enter.
Enter and become one.
Become one with this enormous mana.
Juan looked at his portrait engraved on the iron door. A middle aged manās solemn face looking down.
For some reason the solemn and authoritative looking face felt unfamiliar.
Something that looked like a black branch was penetrating his heart.
Juan remembered. The day Garad stabbed him, the black knife had been protruding out from his back, his chest pierced.
Garadās young face filled with despair, looking down at him and the blood flowing out his chest.
Juan suddenly placed his hand on the iron door.
And then.
āWho are you.ā
He heard a voice from behind his back. Juan whoād been deep reminiscing about that day got his senses back. Even if he was distracted, Juan was surprised to know that he hadnāt noticed this figure sneak up on him.
Having got his act together, Juan only now noticed that his mana was fast depleting. Sweat formed on his forehead.
Come.
Lets become one.
āIts wanting to come back together as one again, huh.ā
Body and soul, the two were wanting to merge together. If Juan had mindlessly walked in, he would have been sucked inside.
Even now it felt as if he was fighting a current that was sweeping him in. If he didnāt cut his connection with Eve soon, he was unsure what would happen after being swept inside the door.
In his current condition, he wouldnāt be retrieving his lost body but rather help add on to the violent power that was circulating beyond that door.
āI asked who you were.ā
At hearing this repeated question, Juan turned and saw a man in ragged attire. In his hand was a bucket and wet cloth. His clothes were in tatters.
āA Janitor?ā
Juan tried to think who this man could be but it was getting difficult to hold the connection with Eve. Even now, his mana was getting sucked into the vortex beyond the iron door.
If he stayed here any longer, he may not even have mana to sustain his current self.
āIf you donāt answer, Iāll assume that youāre here with intent to harm the emperorās resting place.ā
The man asked again. Juan didnāt have time for a long talk. He realised that the saintress would be questioned if he returned without saying anything.
Although heād made the black priest bow in submission, he didnāt know whether he could be trusted.
Before he cut the connection, with his last bit of strength he squeezed out his last words.
āProtectā¦ā¦this woman.ā
The manās eyes widened upon hearing the emperorās voice come out from the saintressās mouth. Juanās connection had ended.
For any errors and issues contact me through discord:-Ā https://discord.gg/Q3dStgu