Chapter 176 - Hidden under your nose
Scarlett and her party trailed Shrine Custodian Stanway down the now-illuminated stairs, venturing into the undercroft below. The descent led them into a long, dimly lit rectangular chamber hewn from stone, its walls bearing intricate carvings depicting various religious scenes. Soft, flickering candles ignited from sconces hanging from the stone—Scarlett noticed Stanway subtly motion with his hand before that—and painted playful patterns on the cool, dark floor.
Within the heart of the undercroft were a row of arched alcoves, each housing what appeared to be tombs adorned with thick inscriptions at their base. At the far end of the chamber stood a modest altar dedicated to Ittar, the wall beyond it covered with murals of writing. The air carried a subtle scent of incense mingling with that of undisturbed dust.
“Please observe proper reverence while in this place,” the shrine custodian said as he led them deeper into the room, pausing briefly in front of the central tombs. “Some of our most venerated and esteemed brethren and sisters who trained at this shrine rest here, and I will not tolerate any tarnishing of their legacy during my watch.”
“Fear not, Reverend Stanway, for I hold nothing but the utmost respect for those at rest here.” Raimond’s eyes seemed to scan the inscriptions on the tombs. “You have my word that we harbor no intentions of disrespecting these revered figures.”
With a gesture resembling a prayer, the man joined his hands and momentarily lowered his head. Scarlett eyed him for a second before doing the same. It didn’t hurt to make a more favorable impression.
Then they moved ahead, past the tombs, and approached the altar.
As Raimond continued studying their surroundings, he spoke again. “If I’m not mistaken, before this underground area became a resting place for esteemed members of our order, its original purpose was a mystery, correct?”
The shrine custodian had his hands folded behind him, occasionally casting a glance at Scarlett and her party to ensure they didn’t engage in any objectionable activities. “Your memory serves you well, Reverend Abraham. The venerable Deacon Emberwood constructed this shrine as a place to impart his teachings on the order’s young minds. However, the undercroft was not part of the initial plan, as far as we are aware. In fact, it remained concealed for the first few generations after the shrine’s construction, and the deacon’s writings made no mention of its existence. It was only during the fourth shrine custodian’s tenure that it was discovered, and the fifth decided to make it the final resting place for devoted followers.”
Scarlett glanced back at the tombs. So, those were possibly a century younger than the rest of this place?
Considering that the original ten deacons lived before and during the founding of the empire, a period known as the ‘Renascence’ to the Followers—when the faith of Ittar experienced a resurgence after being abandoned for generations—it meant the tombs were likely a bit over two hundred years old. The empire itself was founded nearly four centuries prior, but some of the original deacons lived to a ripe old age, and Scarlett knew that Donovan Emberwood had been quite elderly when the shrine was built.
“If this undercroft was hidden for so long, who’s to say there aren’t more secrets beyond that?” Allyssa asked. “You seemed pretty confident we wouldn’t find anything today.”
Stanway turned to her, eyeing the young Shielder for a moment. “Because since then, each shrine custodian has dedicated at least one year of their initial term to delve into the history of the shrine and search for any such secrets. I am no exception. It has become somewhat of a tradition, yet so far, it has yet to yield any results.”