Chapter 16 - Pray to Someone Else

  Franz looked far more tired than he had the day before, like he hadn’t slept a wink. Dark circles hung beneath his eyes, and his usual crisp posture had disappeared entirely.

  But the moment Franz's gaze found Daniel across the cathedral, every trace of exhaustion vanished. His spine straightened, his jaw widened, and religious awe filled his eyes.

  Daniel's stomach dropped.

  Damn. So he really knows who I am. Don’t tell me he’s thinking of revealing it to anyone.

  His mind raced through contingencies. If Franz started proclaiming the return of the messiah in the middle of a cathedral, things would get complicated fast.

  "Franz, old pal." Daniel kept his voice casual and friendly, but he was already moving closer to the exits, just in case. "What are you doing here?"

  The three priests flanking Franz shifted to the sides. All three studied Daniel with the mild interest of clergy encountering an unfamiliar face. Nothing more. Yet.

  "A-Ah, Daniel!" Franz's voice cracked slightly. “What a surprise.”

  Daniel saw the man's trembling hands at his sides and watched his eyes dart between his own face and the altar behind him, as if comparing what he saw to the religious artwork.

  "Right? What are you doing here, buddy?" Daniel stepped closer, repeating the same question once more. The patriarch would have to make a choice.

  Franz's breath hitched, and his already pale complexion went a shade whiter. “I was… just thinking of brushing up on my religious history a bit.”

  "Ooh, good idea. I'm here for the same reason, actually." Daniel smiled warmly, but his eyes carried an edge that only Franz would understand. "Did you discover anything new you'd like to share with anyone?"

  "No! No, I…" Franz's voice pitched higher, and he cleared his throat, visibly trying to regain his composure. "Just wanted to brush up. Me and history, old friends."

  One of the priests raised an eyebrow at Franz's suddenly manic tone, but didn't comment. The youngest priest took a half-step forward, as if considering joining the conversation.

  "Good, good." Daniel’s smile widened, but his eyes stayed locked on Franz's face. "Sharing new theories would just make things difficult, you know. Sometimes the old stories are better left as stories."

  Franz's Adam's apple bobbed again as he nodded frantically. "Of course, no intentions of sharing anything at all." The words came out in a rush. "Just... personal interest. Academic curiosity."

  That's more like it. Daniel felt the tension in his shoulders ease slightly. He got the message.

  "Good man! Well, I should get going." Daniel stepped back, but kept his voice pitched to carry to the priests. "These old cathedrals are fascinating, but I've got other plans for the day."

  He turned to leave, but Franz’s voice spoke up again.

  “Is, uhm… Is Felicia okay?”

  Hmm, so he does worry. Good.

  "Oh yeah, better than ever actually." Daniel's tone warmed, became more natural. "She's more talented than I expected. Have a good one, Franz!"

  "You too, Daniel!"

  That might have been overly heavy-handed, he thought, pushing through the doors and into the afternoon sunlight. But at least he got the message.

  The fewer people who knew the truth, the better. Especially in a place like this, surrounded by religious fanatics who would start screaming about prophecies and disasters if they realized the truth.

  Daniel sighed as he walked down the stone steps. The trip hadn’t gone quite as well as he had hoped. Leaving this city would have to happen sooner rather than later.

  Now that he had a divine mission. Maybe.

  It didn’t take him long to get back to the hotel, since he finally figured out how those automated carriages worked. Just like a taxi, basically. Raise your arm while looking at them, and soon you’d find yourself sitting comfortably in a well-maintained carriage while speeding along to your destination.

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  The formations that power these things are quite elegant. Simple propulsion enchantments tied to directional controls. Although far from the detailed engineering of a modern car, it is not much worse than a Ford F-150. Less noisy, though.

  The magical transportation network was impressive in its own right. No horses to feed or maintain, no emissions, and the rides were smooth as silk.

  But as the carriage pulled up to the hotel, Daniel immediately knew something was wrong. No one was manning the desk, despite several people sitting in the lobby waiting for a room. And it seemed somehow darker than it should be, as if someone had dimmed the magical lighting.

  Strange… I don’t see any workers, actually.

  Daniel's eyes swept the lobby more carefully. The few guests in the lobby looked nervous, shifting in their seats and whispering to each other in hushed tones. One woman kept glancing toward the stairs with poorly concealed fear.

  He made his way up the first set of stairs and soon reached his room. But after a glance at the door to the neighboring room, his blood froze.

  It was ruined, barely hanging on to its hinges, and with a deep footprint imprinted by the handle. The wood around the lock was splintered, and dark scuff marks on the floor suggested a struggle.

  Someone had broken into Felicia’s room.

  "Shit," he breathed, feeling adrenaline course through him instantly. His mana responded to his emotional state, pressing outward in waves that made the air heavy.

  If someone hurt her—

  It was best to leave that thought unfinished.

  He rushed over, opening the door in a hurry. The room almost seemed fine at first glance, except for a chair that had fallen to the ground by the vanity, books scattered across the carpet, and the unmistakable metallic scent of blood.

  And then he saw Elizabeth, lying in a heap behind the door.

  "Elizabeth!" he yelled, running over to her and pulling her up. Blood was spreading from her abdomen and spilling onto the floor—not much, but enough that it could be dangerous if left alone. Her usually pristine maid's uniform was torn and stained, and her breathing was shallow and labored.

  Her eyes were out of focus, but she was alive, and at least half-conscious.

  “Elizabeth, what happened?!”

  "Some... took her... napped." Her voice was barely audible, rasping out of her throat.

  “Where?! Where did they take her?”

  She just shook her head weakly, then her expression twisted into sorrow. A sob escaped her, but it was raspy and hollow. She was gravely injured.

  If whoever did this was willing to go this far, there was no telling what they might do to Felicia. If these were normal kidnappers looking for a high-profile target, then there was little cause for worry. But if they were hired by some of the bastards in her family…

  They would want to get her out of the picture for good.

  Okay, fine.

  Daniel stood from the spot next to Elizabeth, focusing his mana on the floor below her. The formation came to him instinctively, being the same type used in the seal that lasted a millennium.

  “I’ll save her. Just relax.”

  The formation activated with a soft chime, and suddenly, Elizabeth froze. Time had stopped inside the cylindrical barrier that rose from the formation, keeping her both safe and alive for as long as it would take. Even her blood stopped flowing, suspended in crystalline droplets around her wounds.

  It had taken more of his mana than Daniel expected—maybe one percent—but it was not an issue. He still had 99% left, which he might need now.

  Now for the hard part.

  Daniel closed his eyes and reached deep into his core, into the vast ocean of power that made him perhaps the most dangerous being on this continent. He'd been holding back, trying to blend in, but Felicia was in danger. Screw subtlety.

  Sorry, everyone. Bear with this for just a few seconds.

  A pulse spread from his chest, traveling through the walls like a shockwave. It passed through stone and wood and flesh as if they were air, spreading outward in an ever-expanding sphere. Out to the streets, onward through the nearby blocks, through every stall, every shop, every home, every space there was or wasn't room, reaching outside the city walls and ever onward.

  And every single living being froze in place.

  The wave of raw mana was so overwhelming, so fundamentally terrifying on an instinctual level, that every creature within miles was paralyzed. Birds stopped mid-flight. Cats crouched low to the ground, fur standing on end. Even the rats in the sewers pressed themselves flat against the walls.

  Dominated by the sheer mana spread throughout the city, everyone was paralyzed with some primordial instinct that told them not to move a muscle.

  One second, two seconds, three…

  Then the pulse changed, transforming from a wave of oppression into something far more useful. Every particle of his mana shifted, becoming incorporeal, spreading like gas through every crack and crevice within his range.

  The sensation was overwhelming—like suddenly gaining the vision of a god.

  Living rooms where families huddled together in inexplicable terror. Bedrooms where lovers held each other close. Shops where merchants stood frozen behind their counters. Toilets where people sat in confused panic. Kitchens where cooks dropped their knives, suddenly unable to concentrate on their work. Storage rooms, cupboards, chests, safes, drawers—all laid bare before his omniscient gaze.

  He saw humans, dogs, cats, rats, mice, bats, and everything else. Every heartbeat, every breath, every flicker of thought and emotion painted in perfect clarity across his consciousness.

  A tsunami of information, entire streets in focus at any one time.

  He saw people shocked by the sudden wave of mana—confusion and fear written across their faces. He saw others falling over as their legs gave out beneath them. He saw someone dropping expensive goods to the floor, hands shaking uncontrollably. He saw guards reaching for weapons they couldn't quite remember how to use.

  And then, in a warehouse near the docks, he saw exactly what he was looking for.

  You'd better pray to someone else today, you fucks!

  And he flew.