Chapter 384

Brain and Zesshi waited patiently while the monks dusted off the chairs that sat at an angle facing the Scholar's door. They were comfortable things, carved of a soft elm and polished to a shine, with a stuffed leather cushion against both the back and the seat, complete with leather wrapped armrests to make them just right. The two chairs sat unused outside the door for the last year, as they were reserved for the use of the Emperor and Empress of Baharuth to better pass the time.

Time spent talking through the wooden door.

"Welcome, Emperor, Empress." The voice said from the other side. "You've been well, I hope?"

"Yes. We have been, thank you." Brain tried to make his voice as noble as the one on the other side, Zesshi's hand on his thigh a moment later got him to relax tension he didn't know was there. The voice on the other side chuckled a little.

"Please, be at ease, Emperor. I am but a door to your eyes and who would ever worry about a door's thoughts?" The Scholar said congenially, and Brain discreetly coughed into his hands.

"Given that I sound more at home boasting in a tavern… and that there's someone a lot smarter than me on the other side of that door? I would." Brain said openly, and the voice within chuckled gently.

"Your Majesty is Your Majesty. I am but a humble monk, you brought peace to an Empire on the verge of war, unity to disunity, and wealth to the poor. My Lord and Lady, if you both sounded like drunken tavern hobos, the Empire would still be better for what you have done." The Scholar offered his reassurance, and it was the turn of the royal couple to laugh.

The silence held after that for several seconds before the scholar spoke again. "May I assume, My Lord, My Lady, you have come to ask me to leave my place and come to the palace?"

"Yes." The pair said at once from their seats.

"Ruling is hard." Zesshi admitted, "There are… complications. Rumors fly between us all, the Kings and Queens of kingdoms… we don't know how to respond."

"Rumors of what kind?" The Scholar asked, the note of interest high in his voice and feet within shuffled a little closer.

Brain cleared his throat and began to explain, "The deification of the Allfather has been talked about for years, in the Holy Kingdom there are several different priestly sects that have already put up shrines, and the Lizardmen at the lake have had a statue up to him for worship since he saved them from the frogmen. But the rumors are going wild now. At our last dinner with Queen Renner she asked about whether or not we had any temples acknowledge him. She smirked when we didn't know."

Zesshi clenched her fists, "That little know-it-all is far too cocky for her own good. But she'd never ask a question like that, not unless-"

"Unless she knew something you didn't." The Scholar finished when Zesshi's words stopped coming. "And now you want my advice about what to do?" He asked rhetorically, their silence was his answer.

"If the gods are good for anything, it has to be to provide wealth and strength to their followers. If they can't do that or won't do that, then it is only common sense that we adopt a god that can and does. Why shouldn't you abandon the six and choose the one if the one is better than the six, and the one is here while the six are not?" It was so coldly pragmatic that Brain and Zesshi traded a glance at one another as if to ask…

'Is he really a monk of the gods?'

"Th-The temples may not react favorably." Brain tentatively suggested.

"If you do nothing because somebody will be unhappy about it, you'll never do anything. Do the temples have the strength to stop you?" The Scholar asked.

"No, not if they were a thousand times stronger." Zesshi answered, "But-"

"Then let them be offended. Make a few examples if they respond badly, but remember… if you do declare the deification of the Allfather, any opposition can be squelched by calling on the power that annihilated forty-thousand imperial knights and slew all four of our greatest champions in one hour." The Scholar pointed out, "If anyone makes trouble, you've identified trouble before it begins, consider incorporating the temples into the apparatus of the state. The priests appointed by you, loyal to you, and paid by you. If you were to end the cost of healing magic that they now impose, you would have the people behind you, and who is left to rebel but powerless old men?"

Brain and Zesshi leaned forward at the 'door's' revolutionary advice, coldly pragmatic, it solved every concern of theirs almost immediately and with minimal risk to all their hard work.

'Genius. Pure, unadulterated, genius.' The Emperor and Empress shared the thought at once, goosebumps rose on their skin when the cold practicality was laid bare, when it was over and The Scholar was finally finished speaking, the voice beyond the door took a deep breath and concluded, "That is what I suggest."

"Are you sure you won't consider coming with us? You know if we did as you suggest, you would be under our authority and we could simply order you then, to come and join us in Arwintar." Zesshi said it pointedly and the Scholar was quiet for a long moment.

"If you do that," he finally said, a note of sadness drawn like sap from a tree, slow, steady, and seemingly eternal, touching his voice, "then you command my death, Empress. Leave me here, let this be enough."

Brain and Zesshi were both silent, The Scholar's words never sounded so grave in their ears. 'Is he that afraid of leaving here?' Brain wondered, it certainly seemed to be the case. But there was no evident reason for it to be found.

Before either of the royal pair could ask more questions, they heard Layali's voice come muffled through the door. "Hey momma, papa! It's the old man from the painting! But he's bald!"

They heard The Scholar shoot to his feet and whirl on his heel, "How did you get up to that window?!" He shouted with a mix of confusion and fear.

"Standing on a horse out here!" Layali exclaimed, they could hear the mischievous smile even if they couldn't see it. "Hey, how come you turned white… are you sick?"

The Scholar's voice seemed to lose all life. "No." He said, "I am dead. I am dead and you have killed me."

Before they could say anything more, the sound of locks and latches being undone reached the ears of the Emperor and Empress, and within, Emperor Jircniv muttered…

"We might as well get this over with."