Alma 81 The Truth

They kept coming out until the Sacred Cathedral's entrance had been filled to the brim. There were more than a hundred of them, give or take, but it felt like they were more than that. The sight of them all together was awe-inspiring and terrifying to behold.

Each one was capable of causing an unspeakable amount of destruction and possessed thousands of years of experience in the art of war.

They, together, were metaphorical sleeping dragon that the Four Empires feared to disturb.

Friendly. Positive. Neutral. Play it cool, Reed. You got this…

"Hiya, fellas… How are you all doing today?" said Reed as he stepped out of the hovercraft. A small mountain of flowers spilled out of his seat when Reed walked out, something that he had not accounted for when he got out.

The flowers spilled out and littered the steps of the Sacred Cathedral like a colorful torrent of puke. Reed cursed himself and said, "Oh, sorry about that the mess. Let me clean this up…" He hurriedly turned around and started lifting the flowery garbage he'd dumped with Anima and then pushed it all back into the car.

It was then that the old clerics noticed what he had been wearing and immediately fell to their knees when they caught sight of it. The entire congregation suddenly started praying in silence like madmen — some even started crying in tears as they clasped their hands together in prayer.

"…There…we…go! Phew… Sorry about the mess, really…" said Reed. "Talk about a warm reception am I rig...ht?"

Oh, my god… Shiiit! It's been, like, TEN fucking seconds!! Please, no…

Reed's looked dead inside as he gazed at the sobbing clergy. He turned toward Lu'um and then said, "Why does it always turn out like this? Even when I try my hardest, it always ends up… like this."

Lu'um looked at Reed with a resigned expression and said, "I don't know what to tell you… It's become a universal law now, I suppose. Reed's law…"

"That's not funny."

"I thought it was a bit funny," said Lacrima.

Reed ignored the peanut gallery and then said, "Come on, everyone… Let's stop with the waterworks — it's depressing to look at and uncalled for." He walked over to the closest elder and started raising them off the ground, one by one in an attempt to end their hysterical nonsense.

I'll be damned if someone sees this… They'll say that I abused the elderly! I need to fix this NOW! Before things get even worse!

"Come on gramps, get up. Look, it's fine! You don't have to pray, okay?!"

"You too, grandma! Kneeling is bad for your joints, you hear me?! Come on, upsy-daisy…"

"Enough with the praying, guys! No more praying! Ah! I saw that! Don't start kneeling again, gramps! Don't make me come over there, you hear me!"

Reed rushed around like a madman as he personally pardoned and raised every single elder in the congregation before they did something else — probably something even worse.

Before he even knew it, his objective had completely changed. He had gone from the boy scout to the grandparent whisperer and had become a priest wrangler of sorts in a matter of minutes.

It was a fascinating spectacle to behold as Reed sped around the Sacred Cathedral's entrance like a shepherd dog. His hell-bent corralling had completely enraptured Lu'um and Poe in a state of amazement as they mutely observed Reed work his magic.

"Alright, no more praying, okay? Come on, everyone, let's go inside! Nice, straight rows — let's not crowd the entrance!"

And just like that, the boy and his elderly flock had left into the Sacred Cathedral...

Lu'um and Poe dumbly stared at the Sacred Cathedral and felt as if they had witnessed a miracle unfold before their eyes.

"D-Did… that just really happen? U-Um, is Prince Leon always like tha—"

Lu'um sighed and said, "He's always like that. Always." Then she hopped out of the hovercraft and started walking towards the entrance in pursuit of her no-good rancher. The last thing she needed was for him to suddenly disappear here or get into further trouble…

Poe quickly clambered out of the hovercraft and yelled out, "W-Wait for me, Lady Maya!" He had initially thought that he had been given an easy, but important job to perform but now he just wanted to go home.

The interior of the Sacred Cathedral was a magnificent sight to behold. It was elegant in design at its core. Stained glass portraits of various saints lined the walls and paintings that depicted famous historical scenes were hung on beautiful frames made of gold.

But they were not what caught one's eye when you entered the cathedral. No, what drew your attention stood front and center at the end of the cathedral, right behind the pastor's stand…

There she was, all alone.

It was a beautiful rendition of Her, probably made by a true genius, an artist of sublime skill.

Although a shroud covered her face, it felt as if you could tell what her expression was behind the veil. Her lonesome, distant figure evoked a sense of loss that made one feel her sorrow.

Despite that though, it seemed like nothing more than a momentary pain for her. In spite of everything, she cared not — for her attention had been captured by something else…

It was the babe she held in her arms. She was focused solely on the child that was wrapped in a blanket.

Reed gazed at the blanket and stood there motionless, rooted in the ground like a statue.

It was undeniable.

That blanket bore the symbol —— the same shimmering, golden sun that Lacrima possessed.

He could no longer deny what he had long suspected.

"...Listen, boy. Hear me ou—"

Reed didn't want to hear it. Not right now. All he wanted to do right now was find somewhere quiet, somewhere he could be alone. His heart thrummed anxiously like a drum as he gazed at Her. He could feel his heartbeat slowly getting faster and felt like he couldn't breathe properly.

He stumbled backward and he clutched his chest in pain. The sound of his racing heart pounded in his ears as he struggled to breathe. It was as if the world had come crashing down upon him — he couldn't do anything as he drowned in his own cascading thoughts.

When the elders noticed the abrupt change, they immediately rushed over to Reed and began to support him.

"—————————? ——————!!"

"——!—————!!——————? ——-!!"

"——————! —————!"

Odd. I can see their mouths moving and I can hear them, but I can't understand them. What are they saying? Why can't I understand them?

Reed couldn't do anything and that confused him. His legs had suddenly turned into jelly. The strength in his arms had disappeared. All that was left was the sound of his pounding heart and the unidentifiable pain in his chest.

Suddenly, Lu'um appeared out the crowd of crimson robes and grabbed Reed out of the crowd in a flash. She hurriedly checked his pulse and then the mark on his chest. She looked frightened out of her mind — that surprised Reed. He had never seen her like that before.

"————!! ————! —————-—!!"

I can't hear you. What are you saying? Why are you making that face?

Reed weakly grabbed Lu'um hands and shook his head — that was the only thing he could do. He grasped them with all his strength and tried to say, "I'll be fine," but the words wouldn't come out.

"——! ————!! ————!"

"—————! ——! ———!!"

The clamoring elders seemed to be saying something to Lu'um but he couldn't make it out. The expressions on their faces were somewhat hostile toward Lu'um, so Reed raised a single hand to them.

Heaven forbid… they try to threaten her…

It was then that a large spatial tear opened up in front of elders. A tall silhouette emerged from the void and slowly walked toward the Reed and Lu'um.

It was an elderly man who looked old enough that he could have passed off as Velvund's grandfather if he wanted to. He wore a simple, white robe and shoes that looked older than time itself.

"——? ————. ——————."

"——. ———————. ————."

He spoke to Lu'um and the clergy as he gestured at both of them with small gestures. Whatever he had said seemed to have worked because both parties calmed down after that.

After that, the old man approached Reed and knelt down beside him. He stared at Reed and said something to Lu'um. She looked hesitant but eventually nodded.

The old man put one of his hands on Reed's head and spoke something unintelligible.

The world suddenly started to grow dim and Reed opened his mouth in protest but nothing came out. He felt his eyelids grow heavier by the second until he could no longer keep them open anymore.

Darkness enveloped Reed and before he could even put a fight, it had consumed him…

And then, he was gone.

Chapter end