The sight of happy people would always be special to Sorey. He stood a bit to the side, watching warmly how men, women, and children celebrated as his flames washed away the Malevolence; they were farmers, one and all. Some had insisted they remain as orcs but they, too, shared in the joy. Regular children played with the few that were still kobolds, unable to even see the difference.

"It's odd," Rose commented at the sight. "But I'm starting to feel I did the right thing tagging along after all." She was smiling, much like Sorey and Mikleo. "It's kinda weird how fast word got around, though."

"Ten Gald says it's Alisha's group," Edna deadpanned at the redhead, earning a chorus of "No bet"'s from her companions. Dezel did not bother responding.

A wrinkled orc standing nearby inclined his pig-head at them reverently. "I can not say if this 'Alisha' is who told of your coming, gentle shepherd." He cleared his throat with a grunt, then motioned for the main road leading through various farmsteads. "What I know is that about three months ago, a woman rode through and called out to us. She never stopped and we barely saw what she looked like, but her mount was a giant fox, twice as big as any horse I've ever seen."

"I see," Sorey commented idly. "So you believed her because of that fox?" The elder nodded, clasping his hands in joy about being helpful.

"Indeed. Everyone has been looking forward to it, sir. Are you sure there is nothing we can give you for chasing away the darkness?"

"No need," Rose reassured him. "We're not in this for money or anything, it's the shepherd's duty to help people in need! Though I won't say no if you'd make us a good price on some supplies."

"Rose!"

The orc chuckled, which came out more as a series of squeaks; he merely made a dismissive motion. "It's the least we could do," he insisted before trotting off to locate his son and daughter-in-law. "Just let me see what we have in store; we can't part with too much in the middle of Winter." He left a slightly irritated Sorey, an unrepentant Rose, and four seraphim in various states of amusement.

"Just let them do it," Mikleo advised his brother gently. "They want to give back."

"It's human nature," Rose added impishly; she made a sweeping motion for the expressions of joy all around. "They'd feel indebted regardless how long you say it's fine. People don't like that feeling, so they try to return the favour somehow." Sorey heaved a sigh in response, only reluctantly accepting her reasoning; it took him a while to realise how expertly Rose minimised the amount they took as recompense.

"Anyway," Dezel interrupted, "now we know they're still ahead of us." Rose rolled her eyes at him, arms crossed in front of her red blouse.

"As if we'd overtake them with all the detours we made. It's been a month since we left Lastonbell, remember?" She grimaced at Sorey, whose turn it was to be unrepentant. "Ruin diving, exploration, purification on the way. I never thought we'd do so much off the roads. We'd have been here almost three weeks ago with two wind seraphim otherwise." Her musing received shrugs from Sorey and Mikleo, but even less from the others.

"It is how it is," Zaveid finally commented. "Not that I'm complaining. Cities and I don't go so well together."

Sorey sighed again, still unsure what to make of their entire situation. After some initial problems, he found he got along well enough with Zaveid, so that was one issue solved. At the same time, it appeared he continued to follow in Margaret's and Alisha's wake instead of forging his own path through the world. They moved so fast and so far ahead that he had been left behind, or something like that; none of these considerations were shared with the others, though. "I'm honestly still wondering why Alisha can turn into a fox. I never saw a hellion with two forms before, not to mention one that still looks almost human."

"Now that you mention it, that's true." Mikleo glanced from his brother to Edna and Zaveid, though neither of them appeared inclined to answer the question. After deliberating for a moment, he decided who to ask: "Hey Edna, did Symonne say anything about that?"

"Not really, no."

"Heh, doubt they were doing much talking," Rose teased with a wink to the earth seraph, whose expression turned stony. "Unless she or Laphicet are into that, eh?" It had been less than a week of travel before they coaxed the names of Edna's boyfriend and girlfriend out of her; Sorey was certain that she regretted telling them ever since. He quietly sympathised with his friend, but had his own fair share of worries in that regard. Such as the fact Rose propositioned him no less than three times by now.

Much to their joint surprise, it was Zaveid who interrupted the banter thoughtfully: "Long time ago, I met a few hellions like Alisha. Odd bunch, them. Mind, there's others who still look mostly human, but the two forms are only for therions. That's a specific type of hellion."

"Huh." Sorey could not help but voice his surprise. "I've never heard those mentioned by anyone, not even gramps."

Zaveid huffed in response, throwing him a grin. "That's 'cause therions are so stupidly rare he'd never think you'd run into one. And here comes the old man." He nodded toward the returning elder, successfully distracting Sorey from the subject matter. Rose took over haggling for the supplies they bought, having added a decent amount of money to their admittedly anemic treasury when she joined.

Once they were stocked up, the six carried on into Pendrago proper, though they all stopped to marvel at its massive walls and vast size. Days were spent exploring the capital of Rolance, talking to various people about news, and purifying the surprising number of hellions living there. As they learned, a torrential rainfall a year and a half ago bred great amounts of Malevolence before Cardinal Forton successfully appeased the Great Lords with a grand sermon. Sorey decided to attend the next service she held, just for a chance to meet the woman.

In the meantime, he recalled the expedition Laphicet mentioned and went to inquire about it; just as the seraph boy expected, they were still preparing and meant to set out in Spring, once the cold winds had faded in favour of light breezes. The scholars were wary of a stranger just trying to insert himself, but he quickly found likeminded, inquisitve spirits among them. It probably helped that Sorey knew the books at least as well as they did. A quick display of Mikleo's powers was all it took to convince them of his identity after that. It was a good day, although he could have lived without Edna and Rose calling him a nerd for hours afterward.

With that settled, the day he waited for finally arrived; Sorey and Rose filed into the shrinechurch together with many locals. Their partners dwelled within them for the duration. A well-groomed elder pushed himself a bit to the side of his bench so Shepherd and Squire could sit next to each other; his smile held well-maintained teeth when Sorey thanked him quietly.

The sermon began but a few minutes later; a calming song filled the room, first sung by a soft alto and then echoed by the choir seated in the back. Sorey found himself relaxing into the somewhat comfortable bench; he recgonised the ancient tongue, but not which one this song was in. Then he took note of the woman passing by each row as she led the choir, dressed in fine robes of white. Her elaborate headdress made clear that she was more than a mere priestess; Sorey identified her as the cardinal, just moments before she fell quiet and the final syllables faded away.

"I am glad to see so many of you joining me once again," Cardinal Forton greeted the faithful; her faint smile portrayed great warmth as she spread her arms to encompass the room. "I am certain the Great Lords will be pleased with your faith." The words felt a little hollow to Sorey, who knew that none of this was actually necessary to appease the five. By now he learned that most people had no idea about that, however.

The cardinal continued her sermon reading from ancient texts and of events he was vaguely familiar with, although the tale of Artorius beholding divine splendor under a full crimson moon felt exaggerated in his opinion. Admittedly, Sorey always wondered if one could meet a Great Lord, but they were asleep most of the time. Even Zenrus only met them a handful of times throughout the eons he was alive.

He listened attentively nonetheless, trying to memorise every tale to reference with the Celestial Record later. Only when the cardinal fell silent did Sorey snap out of his own fugue; her smile had grown a fraction. "Before I release you back into your lives and the troubles you could forget for a little while as you joined me today, I wish to impart a piece of knowledge. Very recently, scholars deciphered several ancient texts that speak of more than just five Great Lords." The room took a collective breath as the announcement was taken in, even Sorey's eyes widened. Forton bowed toward the altar in front, her voice carrying across the room regardless: "We have found word of gods long forgotten in their slumber, forming a group with Maotelus. The gentle father is a being of resuscitation, of forgiveness and second chances. But to him belongs Innominat the golden, he whose might shall save the world from impending doom. And Minkkubi of darkness, by whose will we all are people and not mindless husks.

"It is these three that form a group that presides over our mortal lives, just like Eumacia, Hyanoa, Musiphe, and Amenoch preside over the very elements of earth, wind, fire, and water. It is my belief that knowledge of them should not be forgotten, regardless of whether they are awake to steer us clear of evil or not."

The cardinal hesitated for a long moment, giving Sorey time to work through his surprise; he had never heard of other Great Lords, from no one. The books did not mention them and neither had Zenrus; Mikleo quietly whispered that he had not known, either.

"During the days of ceaseless rain," Forton continued softly, "I saw great Innominat's light and gentle Minkkubi's darkness. They visited me not in slumber, but in waking times." Her gaze seemed to meet everyone's eyes at once; Sorey hung on every word she spoke, much like the entire audience. "It was then they told me how to end the plague we had unwittingly drawn, and I became an instrument of their will." A shining, golden light shrouded the cardinal's figure on those words, turning her into little more than a silhouette; the room reacted with shocked surprise, even Rose joined the mesmerised outcries. "And this be your sign that our gods watch over us always," Forton closed her sermon as the light faded again.

"Behind her," Edna whispered into Sorey's awestruck mind; he blinked, shaking off his dazzled state to follow her directions; the altar behind Cardinal Forton was no longer empty. A chubby cat with gorgeous white fur sat on it, an arte circle rotating in front of them almost lazily.

As it became clear that this was it for the day, people slowly began to talk; few were more than hushed whispers as everyone discussed what they just saw and heard. The elder next to him sighed happily and rose to leave, passing him with a friendly nod that Sorey returned absently; he sought Rose's gaze, but found her as bewildered as himself. "You never heard about this before either, did you?"

"Nope, only ever knew about five."

"But we heard about this Minkkubi before," Mikleo added as he materialised next to them. "That huntress we met on the way here, she mentioned her."

"I don't remember that."

"That was before you joined."

"Ah. Oh, I see."

Rose kindly did not further go into the matter as it would have reminded them of their loss again; Sorey barely noticed, busy as he was trying to put all those little pieces together. Something did not add up, but he could not say what; his gaze lay on the cardinal, who was watching her flock trickle out of the room. When their eyes met however, she delicately arched an eyebrow and waved him over.

Sorey followed the invitation immediately, only realising he left his friends behind when Rose and Mikleo caught up with him moments later. The cardinal inclined her head as he neared, a gesture Sorey returned reverently. "Thank you for the sermon, ma'am. I learned a lot."

His earnestness earned a soft chuckle; Cardinal Forton's eyes strayed from him to Rose and back before she spoke. "It is a pleasure to impart knowledge on those who seek it. But even greater a pleasure is to finally meet the gentle shepherd; word of your rise to the title in Hyland reached us long ago." Sorey stiffened, clearly aware of the renewed excitement among what was left of the crowd; gazes bored into his back that he did not dare meet right now. He laughed weakly and scratched the back of his neck.

"Ah, well, I was held up a bit. You know, making detours and helping out."

"Commendable. I understand."

"How'd you recognise Sorey just like that, anyway? Did they distribute sketches or something like that?" Rose's quip earned a sideeye glance, although Forton apparently accepted her question as valid; she never got to answer it herself, though. The cat seraph chose that moment to jump onto her shoulder and coax out an involuntary twitch of her eyes.

"Word travels fast among us seraphim," the cat told them gently in a dark, female voice. "We, too, were looking forward to your arrival."

"Holy crap the cat's talking!"

In the odd pause following Rose's exclamation, Forton pushed the cat seraph off her shoulder; she landed safely on all fours, staring up at her previous perch in mild annoyance. "Must you always do this?"

"We had an agreement about this kind of thing."

The feline's head tilted. "You decided we had," she returned with audible amusement. "I agreed to nothing." Forton just heaved a long-suffering sigh while her companion began to approach Sorey on foot. "Regardless, it is a pleasure to meet you in person, young shepherd. There are few in this day and age who would take up the title." She brushed around his legs, then went over to Edna, who crouched to pet her.

"You mentioned that Minkkubi was asleep for a long time," Mikleo joined into the conversation to bring it back on track. "But we recently met a huntress who met her, and she said Minkkubi is young." The cardinal inclined her head at him, hands folded curtly.

"A minor embellishment," she admitted quietly. "An old goddess returning after long slumber inspires more confidence than a newborn."

Sorey nodded, more to himself than her. "That explains that. But I have to admit I never really heard of Innominat before. There is a mention or two in the Celestial Record about a seraph by that name, but nothing about him being a Great Lord." He hesitated then, unsure if his desire would not be too overbearing. "What is he like?"

Forton hummed, studying Sorey while she considered his question. "Magnificent, I would say. Golden and grand. Though on a personal level, the Great Lord Innominat struck me as a reserved, highly intelligent, and kind individual." Morgrim chuckled from where she was clutched to Edna's chest; the earth seraph hid her face in the soft fur. Zaveid snorted as well, which drew attention to him; the cardinal frowned. "Is there something you wish to add, sir?"

"Nah."

He left it at that and obviously did not care to elaborate; after sizing him up a moment longer, Forton changed the subject: "You seem quite knowledgeable about the past. Were you perhaps a scholar before taking up the mantle of shepherd?"

"Oh, er... something like that? I read a lot of books and explored all kinds of ruins over the years." Sorey could not quell his excitement about finding another inquisitive mind to talk to. "There is just so much wonder in our past, so many great things and people! I really wish Mayvin's Encyclopedia had more than three parts, it was the most comprehensive work I know of."

"I agree, although most people have sworn on the Celestial Record the past few decades."

"Well, it's small and easy to carry." Sorey quickly dug out his own, dog-eared and marked copy for emphasis. "Mayvin's books are a bit bigger and about twice as thick, so I couldn't carry them around easily. We actually had to leave my copy at home... wait, do you have the Encyclopedia here?"

"Psst," Rose stage-whispered to Mikleo, "who's Mayvin?" Sorey's eyebrow twitched at the blatant lack of common knowledge and Forton appeared just as annoyed.

"Mayvin is the historian," he told his squire curtly. "She compiled the knowledge of history from the dark period to several hundred years into the Age of Chaos. Everything that's relevant, put into words and drawing for future generations to learn from. We still know about Eleanor, Artorius, and Claudin because of her work."

"Much of the church's lore builds on Mayvin's writing as well," Forton came to his aid before dismissing Rose and turning back to Sorey. "Regardless, you are quite the curious character. Would you be amenable to compare notes one of these days?"

The surprised shepherd needed a moment before he could nod. "I'd love to!"

Needless to say, the remainder of the day included a lot of teasing from Rose for meeting with an older woman, most of which he simply shrugged off. Sorey was looking forward to studying ancient lore he never saw before. Thus it was that they spent another few days in Pendrago instead of heading out after the sermon; no amount of teasing could bring down Sorey's mood.

The day they did leave however, something peculiar happened; just at the gates, a loud voice proclaimed the crowd to part for 'the shepherd Malfore'. Sorey stopped in surprise, watching a well-dressed man strut into the city while continuously proclaiming his title; he was escorted by a group of knights.

"Huh, I didn't know there were other shepherds around."

"That's because he isn't, nerd." Rose clapped his shoulder a few times, watching the nobleman vanish down the road. "But from what I heard, whenever there's a shepherd, there's also imposters. Let's get going for now."

Sorey let himself be led, unaware of and indifferent to 'Shepherd' Malfore's goals and actions. In fact, the man pretending to be Glenwood's promised saviour continued his path through the capital. He had not yet begun to believe he was the shepherd, keeping his mind sharp and his eye open for potential threats to his claim. He gradually relaxed upon entering Bidmu district, where the nobility dwelled; as always upon returning to Pendrago, he meant to dine with General Tuller, his patron.

Much to his surprise, it was not just him and the general's family that evening; rather, upon entering the parlor, he found himself face to face with two esteemed visitors. Cardinal Forton had dressed in a conservative robe, foregoing her usual headdress in favour of an elegant updo; she exchanged pleasant conversation with an old man in pristine, dark robes. His regal features were unmistakable, the neatly trimmed beard and alert eyes. Malfore took a knee at once, keeping quiet until he was taken notice of. "Your Majesty," he greeted reverently, "I was not aware you would be joining us tonight."

Emperor Doran offered a pleasant smile in response. "Ah, the gentle shepherd. Rise, you ought not to bow to anyone, not even Us."

"I could never accept such disrespect upon your person," the 'shepherd' returned without missing a beat. He straightened up. "Your wise rule has seen the empire prosper over the past decades." Bowing his head once more, he offered the other guest a smile as well. "And Cardinal Forton. It is rare to see you in anything but your ecclesial robes; you look quite lovely."

"Why, thank you. An acquaintance of mine does keep nagging me to accept such an invitation once in a while; it is quite fortunate I did, now that most larger issues have been taken care of." Malfore carefully kissed the back of her hand, making sure not to actually touch her skin as was proper. All the while however, he pondered that the cardinal was clearly not born into nobility; she did well with her speech and mannerisms, but he still noticed.

Greeting the general's wife and son went just as smoothly, followed by appetisers to soft music. Malfore refrained from joining the conversation at first, being quite curious himself when His Majesty spoke: "Earlier you mentioned that 'most' large issues were resolved. Is there something giving you trouble? Perhaps We can be of assistance?"

The cardinal calmly finished sipping on her glass of fine wine, one hand sitting in her lap. "Your majesty is too kind," she deflected modestly. "I do not wish to burden you unnecessarily, although your counsel would be greatly appreciated as we seek to unmask the false shepherd." At once the atmosphere changed; tension entered the room and everyone present; some gazes went to Malfore, who almost choked on a bite of venison.

"Rest assured there is no need for the church to get involved in this matter," he scrambled immediately after swallowing. "I shall see to administer justice in person!" The Tullers all applauded his declaration while Malfore fought down his internal dread; Runette Forton sized him up rather curiously, though. Then she smiled without any warmth.

"I am certain you will," she agreed, cutting off the emperor's impending praise: "And so swiftly as well, seeing how you delivered yourself already."

The table fell into shocked silence, first from the clear affront toward his majesty and then from the accusation levied against his person. Malfore quickly caught himself, though. "Pardon, but I believe such insinuations are unfounded and quite rude. Such crude jokes are not well-received in the circles we dwell in, Cardinal."

"I am well aware, which is why this was no joke." She did not even react to his jab at her credibility in any notable manner.

"This is a strong accusation, Cardinal," Emperor Doran interrupted, breaking up their argument before it could really start. His gaze had firmed up now, its entire weight resting upon Runette Forton. "Do you possess proof?"

For a moment, Malfore thought himself safe; he had meticulously ascertained that there was nothing concrete to expose any falsehoods. Then Forton smiled again and his hope died. "Why, I do. In fact, I have not arrived alone; it is quite curious that the gentle shepherd, a station known to be held by those who can see that which most do not, would miss the kind seraph standing right next to me." Malfore stiffened during the general surprise; if there truly was a seraph, then he had lost. But how would she convince everyone of that?

Before he could formulate a new plan, a new voice broke the pregnant silence: "Not to mention that Shepherd Sorey has left Pendrago just earlier today." There on the table sat an ethereally gleaming cat, her fur white as snow. "Runette enjoyed his presence quite a lot as they discussed the church's ancient tomes the past few days." She began to groom herself under the flabbergasted eyes of everyone in the room; even the servants forgot their duties to gape.

"How peculiar," the emperor muttered, leaning closer to inspect the seraph. "How would we see when only Cardinal Forton appears to hold the resonance it takes?"

The cat paused to peer at him, chuckling. "A friend from Lastonbell is near to make it so."

"Ahh! So the elusive seraph that allows the Crowe's Nest tavern to be possible?"

"Why, indeed. It sounds like you were there before."

Malfore had heard of that tavern; he actually visited it several times before deciding to take the gamble of proclaiming himself shepherd. Seraphim were not the demigods some saw them as, they appeared to be people like anyone else, if with odd ideas at times. He almost spoke up, barely remembering that interrupting the emperor of all people was bad. Forton just kept smiling.

As the minutes dragged on, Malfore clearly understood that he was done for. He did not dare meet General Tuller's eyes.

Much later that night, the cardinal sent Laphicet Crowe back to his divine sister with news of these events; the false shepherd was convicted and stripped of all titles and wealth. He was labeled a liar in addition, for all the proof he claimed of others he wished to take down with him mysteriously vanished. The Bloodwing Butterflies could take over extorting those deserving, while destroying proof of wrongdoing for those who had only done so to survive. The last bit of information Runette sent with him was something curious, though; Morgrim coaxed out of the emperor that he sometimes dressed up as a common man to walk among his people unnoticed; he was more aware of current events than expected.

All in all, it had been a fruituous evening.