Theapan Temple (Part 2)

Vorbuk could see the environment had become still for a moment.

"You want to adopt Chase?" Prince Leo asked the question that was floating in the back of everyone's minds.

"Yes. That is what I just said." Vorbuk said bluntly once more.

Although he was calm on the outside. Internally he was swearing to himself because a certain voice was calling out to him again with something rediculous.

[ Warning! The stone on Zoe needs cleansed soon. It is becoming very unstable. ]

[ Mission: Gain Temple Support ]

How am I supposed to gain support from the pope? That man can not stand against the gods. Vorbuk felt as though he could cough blood at the impossible request. I feel like the gods are toying with me. At first he gets a warning about the stone. Then he is given mission impossible to complete.

[ Invalid ] The voice said to his inner contemplation over the pope being unable to help him in the war against Chynir.

"A beast adopting a beastman," Prince Leo contemplated over the idea he had just heard. "although it seems strange it shouldnt be impossible in the future.."

"Right. Once I sit on the Theapan throne I will need an heir regardless in the future." Vorbuk explained simply.

"You would be incapable of having one of your own in the future." Daryl said as he understood. Everyone having a look of realization on their face.

Royal families were required to have an heir to continue on their family names. This would eventually become a threat to Vorbuk once he obtained the throne. Since he was not a mortal he could not bear a child with a mortal. Even if he could take on a mortal form it was only thanks to his ability to morph. He could lay with a mortal as if he was human but his companion species would never allow him to bear a child with a mortal. It was a fine line between reality of being a companion and being a true mortal.

"They wont be able to revolt with claims that I have a dead bloodline. Chase will become my heir when I take the throne." Vorbuk verified it for them while placing his hand down on the child's head.

"Young master, Chase." Ashley was the first one to respond by giving Chase a respectful bow. If his master was going to adopt the child he was quick to understand what that meant. The child in front of him would become his young master in the future.

"I will be going now because I have things I must do so you can all figure out the rest on your own." Vorbuk was tired of talking circles with them.

Pacing himself over to Zoe he leaned in closer to her ear so that nobody could hear them. She stood still as he tried to understand what was going on. It only took her a moment to understand that Vorbuk did not want others to hear his words.

"Pass it to me. I will take care of it." Vorbuk's words were calm but cut deep. There was no misunderstanding that he meant the stone she kept hidden away.

Even if she wanted to refute his words to hand it over she couldn't. There was no wavering in his eyes as he took the situation seriously. It was difficult not to take it seriously when the system in his head was warning him so clearly about it. There was no jokes when it came to that voice in his head that appeared when it wanted to. No is it really a system at all? That became more unclear as time passed by.

"Be careful with it." Zoe whispered back worried as she slipped the stone into Vorbuk's hand.

As he took the stone he slipped it inside his own clothes and left the others standing there to talk amongst themselves. He could hear the sound of them growing distant. Entering the temple where the world tree rested.

Closer he got to the tree he could ear the faint sound of the mana dripping like water into the water that surrounded it. It gave off a very tranquil feeling to be around. A calmness that could bring someone a sense of bliss. To the world who did not understand the tree like those who protected it the water was considered holy water. Water that could purify and even extend life for those who obtain it. It was enough to drive some people to madness if it meant obtaining it.

It's crazy how something that could grant such wonderful favors like purifying evil could also cause such disasters due to mortals failing to let go of their greed.

But in reality there is no mortal who is truly exempt from greed. Every living thing has their own forms of greed. That is simply a part of being alive.

Greed for food, greed for love, greed to live longer. All forms of life has some form of it.

"What are you doing?" A soft voice called out to him from behind as he was dazedly staring at the tree.

As Vorbuk turned his head he saw a half elf girl. Her hair was long and beautiful red that faded to yellow at the ends like a sunset. Her eyes a sky blue and her dress a sparkling white. At a glance it would be enough to make any man's heard race. It took him a moment to recover himself but the girl was not fazed in the slightest. She seemed use to others reactions to her.

"Pardon. I was simply looking-" Vorbuk felt like he could guess her position among the temple. "I heard there is quite a story behind this tree."

"You mean the resting god?" The girl smiled faintly as she understood his meaning. The man was not interested in the tree at all. He was referring to the god itself that had disguised itself as a god. However that was not the real reason he was standing here at all. She was a light user so she could sense that dangerous thing Vorbuk was holding onto.

"However, I don't think you have time to worry about the resting god." She bluntly asked himself.

"Pardon?" Vorbuk was caught off guard to her question.

"That stone," She asked once more. "You're looking for help to purify it?"

"How-?" Vorbuk was flabbergasted.

"Allow me to introduce myself. I am Priestess Mai Lovette. This temple's strongest light mana user." She bowed herself kindly in his direction.

"Mai Lovette? Like Pope Johan Lovette?" Vorbuk was curious.

"I was named after my father." She responded simply.

Mai Lovette was the daughter of the pope. Johan Lovette had once fallen in love with an elf. The result of his love had been Mai. She was a half elf that was raised among the temple with him and became the temple's priestess. Under the care of her father she grew up trained to survive just like those who worked for the temple.

Her ability in controlling her light mana became strong even though her father often scolded her to be careful with her light mana because she would secretly use it to heal others. Healing with light mana was something that was considered to go against the gods because it could be seen as defying death itself if used at its most powerful.

Mai's mother, the pope's wife, had died in battle one day when she was young. She did not have many memories of her mother because she had been too young to hold on to them. If she did maybe she would have been a bit different but she simply felt no need to mourn something she could not recall ever having. Her father was enough for her and he accepted her choices. One could even consider her the second in charge of the temple because her father was constantly put at a loss on how to reject his daughter's decisions.

There was no way for her to not understand the intent for someone like Vorbuk to hover near the world tree with that stone hidden. She had seen many come and beg the temple for help over the years to cleanse dangerous items.