The execution was quick, precise, and a whole lot less brutal than in my memories. Back then, I distinctly remember a lot of blood, possibly a few screams, and a whole lot of screaming.

  Actually, the last one still happened, Nogjaf didn't stop begging for help and his sobs continued even in his last moments. I swear if he wasn't getting killed, the man would have gotten a sore throat in the morning with all the screaming he's done so far.

  His head did roll in the end, and I made eye contact with it for 10 seconds after it got decapitated. Nogjaf should have been awake during that short period and I wanted him to see me— and only me. — during his last moments, a final reminder for all the things he's done in the past.

  Nogjaf's death signalled a new chapter for Flotol, one where the people get to pick who becomes the person who will be leading them from now on. Everyone, and I mean everyone, will help in deciding the new leader.

  That way no one can complain about Flotol's future when it is them who chose it to begin with.

  Before that happens, I wanted to make sure that Folsan doesn't even get the chance to fight for the position, let alone get close to it. Him becoming Flotol's leader would be problematic for me and my family, he's definitely gonna be scheming behind the scenes if he gets the position, and that will make it impossible for me to live peacefully like I originally wanted.

  Seeking him out wasn't easy, the man knew how to hide himself if the situation called for it, which I think is pretty impressive. Maybe I shouldn't be impressed by something like this and instead treat it like the threat it actually is?

  Folsan knowing how to hide means he'll be able to evade me in the future, and I don't want to ever deal with that. Ever. Does he have a skill that hides him somehow? I feel like it's the only explanation that made sense.

  A priest shouldn't be able to hide this well right? Or am I wrong? Do priests play hide and seek too or are they all just as nerdy as I thought they would be? The answer is definitely the latter, right?

  Hm, is it actually a perk? Does Folsan have a perk that turns him into some kind of hide and seek prodigy? It would be hilarious if he did, still, I managed to find the person I was looking for and now I'm getting cold feet because Im not exactly excited to have a talk with Folsan again.

  Judging by his reaction when he first saw me, I'm guessing that he must feel the same way.

  "Rontress, what do you want this time?" The head priest was glaring at me with hostility, he didn't even try to hide it this time. "Can't you see that I have things to do? You just executed a man and now I have to be held responsible for holding it, the amount of work that takes will—"

  "Eventually make you the head of Flotol, yeah, yeah." I glared at him, who was this guy trying to trick? Definitely not me, I saw through it eventually. "Paperwork is nice and all but you know what's better?"

  "Having the entire village hang on your every word?" Folsan put down the ledger he's holding and looked at me, the way he talked was strangely calm, like he had given up and is now resigned to do whatever I want.

  "Nope." But I know better than anyone that someone like Folsan wouldn't just give up, he'd keep trying until he gets what he wants. "It's having enough power that no one can say no to what you want, whatever influence you have on Flotol, I can easily remove just by threatening them."

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  "And you think that's a good thing?" The head priest chuckled, the heat in his eyes was hot enough to increase the room's temperature. "I was right about you, wasn't I? That you'd eventually get over your head and would want to take Flotol for yourself, children like yourself shouldn't be so blessed, they kill their siblings and make their families suffer."

  Wait, was he talking about Ifira? Oh my god...

  "Why are you laughing? Have you finally lost it?" Folsan shook his head. "Don't answer that, I don't care what's your reason for laughing so maniacally, I won't also ask you to stop."

  "Fine, then." My causal dismissal of his retort must have pissed him off because Folsan's face turned red seconds later. "I also won't bother replying to your claims of "being right" or all the other things you've implied so far."

  Like deciding that he's somehow a good leader for Flotol, or the one where he thinks he knows best about everything, including whether I should live or die.

  "Let's just talk about the elephant in the room: you know you're going to get replaced soon, right?" I let the words hang for a few seconds, even if he knew about it, Folsan still needs time to digest such devastating news because he's been denying it all this time.

  "Yes." Ah, so I guess my words got through to him? Did he lower his ego out of necessity? His eyes scanned me, I did the same. "I am aware of that, Flutt is the most likely candidate and soon, he will act as Flotol's head priest."

  Whatever expression I was expecting, a weird feeling of satisfaction? Pride? Was not it. Folsan is definitely bitter, I can see that much in his eyes, but at the same time, he's also proud? I guess? He doesn't hate Flutt like I expected, I can even say that he's proud of the guy.

  "Don't be mistaken," Folsan wiped his hands with a clean white towel. "Flutt is gullible but he is not stupid, I think that he will become a fine head priest."

  "Uhuh." Why is he so calm? This doesn't make sense doesn't it? He should be panicking right now, screaming at me for ruining everything— even though it was his paranoia that did it. — and saying things like I'm stupid not something, that I shouldn't exist maybe?

  I dunno, whatever is fine, just not this strange sense of calmness I'm getting from him, it's weirdly unnerving. I don't like it. What is he planning now?

  "Are you happy, Rontress?"

  Obviously, is that even a question? I feel like there's something hidden under his words though, something I'm familiar with yet can't parse at the same time, out of fear? What would I be so scared of when it comes to my psyche that I'm not willing to acknowledge it when it's right in front of me?

  Does that fear apply now? Is the reason why my head is coming up blank because my mind just refuses to think about it? Even for a moment?

  "You know, I've been in Flotol for longer than you can imagine." Folsan stepped down and moved to the closest window. "Your parents were just little children when I got here, your mother wasn't even in Flotol yet."

  Great, a backstory. Or is it a backstory? What is he trying to say?

  "Everyone starts out somewhere, and their goal, simply put, is to live. Or get some kind of clarity in their life." Yeah, no, I don't understand what he's trying to say. "That wasn't the case for me, of course, do you know why a lone church was constructed in the middle of a swamp?"

  "What?"

  "You're smart, aren't you Rontress? Do you know why this church was built?" He looked expectant, like somehow, this single piece of information will let me understand him. "Flotol didn't come out of nowhere, other villages were built because they had resources close to them. Kapatyan, the city, is a giant mine, is it not? Wealthy families fill that place, the poorest of which can still buy an army of mercenaries like it is nothing."

  "I don't follow, anyway, I don't know what's up with the church or why it's built, I don't care either." Whatever backstory this place has, I'm not curious enough to know.

  Also, just how many of these secrets are there? First the mender's set is actually capable of turning someone into an inhuman, the next is that there's a Warped in the forest, and then there's the church.

  Feels like any of those could have turned the original Rontress into the Queen of Misery Swamp, failing the mender's ritual can make her go insane, fighting the Warped because she got the wrong impression after she got the first piece of the mender's set as well.

  "A pity, then." And whatever is going on with the church would probably result in the same thing as well. "If you will, I have things to do, so can I leave?"

  "Yeah, sure." I came here to taunt him anyway, and then ask him if he can leave Flotol for good, he doesn't seem like he wants to do that so I might as well stop expecting him to.

  Or so I say, and yet, when morning came the next day, Folsan was nowhere to be seen.