Chapter 206 - The village jester
Raimond gazed at Crowcairn before him, shrouded as it was by an unnatural grey barrier that shielded it from the outside world.
The past day had been a relentless series of unexpected and illuminating events, but he had certainly not anticipated finding himself back here, and under these circumstances. Just moments ago, he had been locked in battle with creatures hailing from the Blazes, alongside his temporary allies, within a manifestation of one of the six Vile’s strongholds. Yet, now, here he was, back where he had started, puzzled over what had caused this abrupt return.
The baleful area that had enveloped him and his companions prior to his transportation left little doubt about the perpetrator’s identity, but it offered no explanation. If the Vile’s manifestation had already reached a level where it could perform such feats within its citadel, he doubted it would have stopped at merely removing its intruders. There was indubitably more at play, and Raimond supposed he would have to work his head to deduce what that might be.
His first task was to uncover what had transpired on Baroness Hartford’s end of things. Her absence upon their return to the chamber where they had parted ways was not entirely surprising, but Raimond had hoped they would catch up to her still. Regrettably, progressing through the citadel without the woman’s aid had proved somewhat tedious, even when he had begun using some of his more potent incantations.
Perhaps Raimond had been a tad too lax in the approach he had chosen to employ with the noblewoman. Although he was now convinced her involvement in these events was far from simple, he had opted to observe while circumstances still allowed him to do so. The details about what was happening remained something he could only speculate on, as did the Baroness’ motivations, and he preferred not to decisively act under such uncertainty. He did not believe that she held malicious desires.
However, in hindsight, a more proactive approach may have been best.
Turning his gaze, he contemplated the massive structure that towered over the overcast horizon. The Vile’s citadel stood intact, and presumably, the threat it represented remained undiminished. In normal circumstances, Raimond would interpret his forcible expulsion from it as a sign of impending danger, warranting an immediate return to oppose whatever the citadel’s master was planning. But in this case, he was not quite so confident that was the best course of action on his part.
Looking back at the village of Crowcairn and the faltering Sanctum barrier protecting it, Raimond furrowed his brows. He couldn’t speak entirely as to why, but he had a feeling that something significant was about to unfold. The Phantom Sanctum obscured some of his senses, yet he detected an odd, unfamiliar presence within, which held a noticeable weight to it.
As he pondered, the barrier shook, becoming increasingly transparent. It wouldn’t be long before it collapsed entirely, granting Duke Valentino’s people unrestricted access to the village — a fact that boded poorly for Crowcairn’s inhabitants.
For a brief moment, Raimond considered whether this was an opportunity for him to intervene and prevent unnecessary bloodshed, but he quickly dismissed the idea. He was all too familiar with the deep-seated animosity between the Tribe of Sin and the empire, fueled by centuries of fighting and ideological differences. Even if he were to make use of his authority as a deacon, he could, at best, stay the hand of some of the duke’s men, while the villagers were unlikely to heed the counsel of someone they deemed an irredeemable sinner.
And he supposed they were right to, in a manner.
Though it pained him, he acknowledged that his focus should remain on the Vile and the mysterious presence within the village, rather than on the villagers themselves. That matter had to be resolved before he had the luxury to worry about anything else.