Volume 1 – 27. Temple Vigil
After listening to the full explanation of how Lucien's purification worked, Ava wore a distinctly strange expression.
“Well, that's a weird skill.”
Lucien responded with an awkward chuckle.
“I know, but hey, you like having sex, don't you? Shouldn't you be happy about it?”
Ava frowned slightly and leaned back into the sofa.
“I don't know about that.”
Rather than happy, she just felt... strange.
Everything about it was strange.
Stranger still, she couldn't quite put her finger on why it felt so strange.
'Strange' was the only word that kept coming to mind.
If she dug deeper into her feelings, it was probably a mixture of amusement and bewilderment that the method was sex, confusion about why it had to be sex in the first place, and a faint unease over the fact that something like this was even possible. Over the course of her long life, this easily ranked among the strangest things she had ever encountered.
“I've actually been thinking about that,” Edric cut in, crossing his arms. His brow furrowed slightly as he gathered his thoughts. “The fact that Lucien's method requires forming a relationship with someone keeps reminding me of Syndésmos.”
“Same,” Seren agreed with a small nod. “The domain of the Weaver of Hearts encompasses all forms of connections between living beings. Friendship, romance, family bonds, diplomacy, trust, loyalty, mentorship, and things like that all fall under Syndésmos's authority.”
She paused briefly before continuing.
“However, the Uniters—or Syndésmos Themself—can't reduce Corruption. If anything, their abilities can sometimes amplify it under certain circumstances.”
Ava seemed noticeably more at ease after hearing a possible explanation. At the very least, it sounded less absurd than the alternatives. Still, her gaze eventually drifted back toward Lucien, curiosity lingering in her eyes.
“Then it's either that, or some kind of awakened bloodline ability.” She tapped a finger lightly against her arm as she thought aloud. “I'm pretty sure Inferni don't naturally have powers like this, but since you're only half Inferni, could one of your ancestors have belonged to another race?”
She tilted her head slightly.
“Even if your unknown father was human, humans are notorious for how many different bloodlines they can inherit. There are countless possibilities.”
Lucien considered that for a moment before giving a small shrug.
“That's possible.”
Lucien thought about that possibility from time to time. After all, his power had only appeared after the Eclipse. As far as he could remember, the Eclipse had also awakened dormant bloodlines throughout the population in numbers greater than normal.
“The question is what race could even do something like that,” Edric said with a sigh, rubbing his beard thoughtfully. “I can't think of a single one.”
Silence settled over the room for a while.
Ava's gaze drifted toward the papers scattered across the table, her fingers idly tapping against her knee as she considered her options.
Realistically, there would be no issue if she rejected Lucien's method altogether and relied solely on treatment from the Lifebringers of Zoḗgennis. She had priority access to treatment, after all.
At the same time, however, she couldn't ignore the reality of the city's current situation.
There was no guarantee those privileges would still be available tomorrow, next week, or next month.
Having a backup plan wasn't exactly a bad idea.
A small smile tugged at her lips.
“I don't mind being your chick,” she said casually, though amusement flickered in her eyes. “But are you planning to collect a whole bunch of women to ‘purify’? I don't particularly like the idea of waiting in line whenever I need treatment. Also, why even telling me this?”
Lucien pressed his lips together.
“I don't think I'll be doing that.”
He had no intention of collecting women like Pokémon.
After all, this wasn't some lighthearted isekai story where everything conveniently worked out in the protagonist's favor.
From a purely logical perspective, his ability made the idea tempting. More people meant higher sources of CP, and there was no denying the practical advantages that came with that.
In reality, though, things wouldn’t be that simple.
Relationships came with expectations, expectations led to complications, and complications had a habit of spiraling into problems that consumed time, energy, and attention.
Dealing with the emotional consequences—for both the women being purified and himself as the purifier—sounded far more troublesome than any additional CP was worth.
His current plans involved relying on a handful of Corrupted women as sources of CP, and even that felt like it had the potential to become complicated sooner or later.
Besides, there were other options.
He could still gain access to additional skillsets or establish reliable sources of CP through other forms of intimacy and emotional connection. There was no reason to only practice physical intimacy.
He was thinking about how to introduce his theory that purification might be possible through methods other than physical intimacy. In hindsight, he probably should have brought it up earlier when they were discussing Syndésmos, but that opportunity had already passed.
Well, I'm sure I can bring it up another time.
“As for why I'm telling you this, I'm mostly curious about whether it produces different effects with different races—or even with people of the same race but different personalities and experiences,” Lucien said with a small shrug. “The Nephilim and that noble Weaver sound like perfect examples. If they agree, I don't think I'll add anyone beyond them.”
He paused briefly before adding,
“I'm also interested in seeing what effects it might have on me.”
Sooner or later, he would have to come clean about part of the System’s abilities.
Ava paused for a moment, considering his words, before eventually giving a small shrug.
“Then I don't have a problem with it.”
Leaning forward slightly, she rested an arm on the table.
“Let's make another contract. One that specifically lays out what happens if you break that promise—or at least if you stop making me a priority. And also, you’ll tell us whenever you gain something from this.”
***
Afterward, Lucien recharged his Deflection Band with Edric's help—free of charge, of course—and repaired some of the wear and tear on his leather armor.
Once that was done, he and Ava spent most of the day back in the Garden District, continuing their efforts to map out the Hollow Knight's patrol route.
Unlike yesterday, they ran into no major problems. By the end of it, they were even fairly confident that they had managed to chart the Hollow Knight’s entire patrol pattern.
The process had taken a considerable amount of time, however, so they hadn’t been able to properly double-check other variables to determine whether the route changed under certain conditions.
Still, Lucien considered their progress more than satisfactory.
“Good work.”
Inside Razor’s room, the two of them received their payment for the assignment.
Razor leaned back in her chair afterward, her sharp gaze settling on Lucien.
“After this, head to Temple Vigil,” she said. “You should already be close to Stage 1-B at this point.”
“Understood.”
Lucien himself neither felt nor saw any signs that he had reached Stage 1-B yet, but it made sense for Razor to think purification was necessary, knowing his prior missions and the last time he was purified.
After all, once someone entered Stage 1-B, treatment became increasingly difficult. Using his professional privilege to treat himself while still at Stage 1-A was simply the smarter choice.
When Lucien glanced sideways at Ava, he noticed that her Corruption had already risen a couple percent from yesterday’s one percent. While it didn’t sound like much, stacked over the course of a few weeks, she’d be toast. Compared to the average half-year time most residents had, it was obvious why that is worse.
“Dismissed.”
With that, Razor waved them off.
Rather than leaving the district immediately, Lucien and Ava made their way down to the Market Floor and lingered there for a while.
Ava casually surveyed the bustling marketplace before one of her eyebrows lifted with interest.
“Oh?”
She lightly tapped Lucien’s arm and tilted her head toward a nearby stall.
“Hey, look.”
Following her gaze, Lucien found himself mildly surprised as well.
At the weapon stall, Grimm—the half-dwarf shop owner—was speaking with two customers. One was a short, broad-shouldered man who appeared to be either a dwarf or a half-dwarf like Grimm himself. The other was a woman dressed noticeably more elegantly than most people on the Market Floor.
In fact, several people were openly glancing her way because of it.
The woman seemed completely indifferent to the attention, but maybe because Lucien’s gaze lingered too long, she happened to look in his direction. The moment their eyes met, her expression twisted into unmistakable disgust. Without the slightest attempt to hide it, she turned her head away and dismissed him from her attention entirely.
Lucien blinked.
Well.
That was certainly a reaction.
A second later, she leaned toward the dwarf-like man beside her and said something quietly. The man spared Lucien a brief glance before returning his attention to Grimm. After exchanging a few more words, the pair turned and began leaving the stall.
Seeing that reaction, Lucien couldn't help letting out a short laugh.
“Don’t tell me those are the two people Edric mentioned this morning?”
Ava looked equally amused.
“Could be.” A grin tugged at the corner of her lips. “We probably should’ve asked that merchant a few more questions earlier. If our future teammate are anything like that, we're going to attract trouble.”
Lucien watched the elegantly dressed woman disappear into the crowd before shaking his head with a faint smile.
“I guess we’ll see soon enough.”
With the amount of jewelry she was wearing, it was inevitable that she would attract the attention of people with less-than-friendly intentions. Since the Eclipse, even many nobles had deliberately hidden their wealth to avoid becoming targets after losing much of the protection they once enjoyed.
Compared to them, she was practically advertising herself.
He shifted his attention toward Ava, looking at her curiously.
“So, what’s your plan now? I need to head to Temple Vigil for treatment, so I doubt there’s anything interesting about that.”
“I agree. That sounds pretty boring.” She let out a small sigh and brushed a strand of silver hair behind her ear. “I’ll just head back to that merchant’s place.”
“Then let’s go together for now.”
“Sure.”
The two of them left the Market Floor and made their way through the maze-like streets of the Eastern Slums.
As they walked, they occasionally caught people watching them from doorways, alleys, and roadside corners. Some were adults. Some were children. The looks were familiar enough that Lucien barely paid them any attention anymore.
They were being evaluated.
People were judging their equipment, their posture, their awareness, and whether they looked like worthwhile targets.
Of course, no one actually approached.
Whether it was Lucien's weapons, Ava's confidence, or simple common sense, the onlookers ultimately decided against testing their luck.
Ava seemed to find the whole thing mildly entertaining. A faint smile lingered on her lips as she watched another group quickly look away after being noticed.
“You know,” she said suddenly, tilting her head toward him, “I'm curious. Would you be willing to sleep with someone of the same sex too?”
A low groan escaped Lucien before he could stop it.
“No.”
The answer came immediately.
After Lucien had explained his ability to purify, he knew perfectly well what she was actually asking.
Ava's smile widened slightly at how quickly he had answered.
“Not even if it was necessary?”
“No.”
“You didn't even think about it.”
“Because I don't need to.”
She let out a soft laugh and clasped her hands behind her back as she continued walking.
“Such conviction.”
“I prefer women.”
“A very tragic answer for all the handsome men of the world.”
“You say that as though there are crowds of them waiting for me.”
“You never know.”
His expression flattened.
Ava laughed again, clearly enjoying herself far more than he was.
“Well, personally, I’m somewhat interested in women too. They can be pretty attractive.”
“Well, everyone has their own preferences.”
“Fair enough.” Ava's lips curved into a smirk. “Just don't forget tonight.”
Lucien could only respond to her amused look with a wry smile as he raised a hand in farewell.
“I won't.”
Since Lucien needed to continue west toward Temple Vigil while Ava was heading north toward the Merchant Quarter, the two parted ways at the next intersection.
Ava gave him one last lazy wave before disappearing into the maze-like streets, her silver hair quickly fading from sight.
Walking alone again, Lucien let out a quiet sigh and tilted his head upward as he continued down the street.
The sky was unusually clear today.
Without the reddish cloud cover obscuring his view, he could easily make out the two stars hanging overhead: the large yellow dwarf, Istraebso, and the smaller red dwarf, Pleibdun.
At the moment, Istraebso still dominated the sky, its golden light drowning out everything around it, while Pleibdun remained little more than a faint crimson presence beneath its larger counterpart.
In a few months, however, that would change.
Pleibdun would gradually become the more prominent of the two stars, and when that happened, the agricultural systems that still formed the backbone of the Asterian Empire—even after the Eclipse—would be significantly affected.
The transition wasn't anything new. The cycle had existed for countless generations, and since the phase in which Istraebso dominated was the longest of the four, he assumed Vel'Sharim had developed more than enough contingencies to handle such changes long ago.
Because of that, he wasn't particularly worried.
Even though, realistically speaking, he probably should have been.
The thought lingered briefly before he dismissed it and returned his attention to the road ahead.
After another stretch of walking, the buildings gradually changed, and Lucien eventually arrived at the eastern side of Temple Vigil.
The area consisted of broad plazas and temple grounds that had long since been converted into sprawling tent settlements. Makeshift shelters occupied nearly every open space between the buildings, while people of all ages moved through the crowded pathways, weaving between rows of canvas and patched-together structures.
“...?”
As Lucien's gaze swept across the refugees, one of his eyebrows rose slightly.
Their expressions weren't nearly as bleak as he had expected.
There was exhaustion, certainly. Worry as well. He could see it in the tired eyes of adults returning with supplies and in the worn faces of people sitting outside their tents. Yet alongside that, he spotted things he hadn't expected.
A significant number of people were chatting casually around cooking fires.
Several children darted between tents, laughing as they chased one another through the narrow paths.
Nearby, a small group was carrying crates together, exchanging jokes that earned a round of tired but genuine smiles.
The eastern district of Temple Vigil was known as the Refugee Fields.
A similar settlement existed on the western side of Temple Vigil as well. Over time, the refugees had developed their own block committees, systems for settling disputes, and methods for distributing food and supplies. The Vigil provided the structure; the refugees built the community within it.
Yet despite those efforts, poor sanitation, inadequate nutrition, constant stress, and simple overcrowding had pushed Corruption levels to an alarming thirty percent—roughly the same as those found in the Eastern Slums.
With that in mind, Lucien had expected the refugees to look far worse, much like they had during several of his previous visits.
But that wasn't what he found.
A slight frown touched his face as he continued walking, trying to figure out what had changed.
Then a melody drifted through the air.
The sound floated above the usual noise of the settlement, threading its way through conversations, footsteps, and the distant clatter of cookware.
A warm voice soon followed.
“When the road grows dark and long,
And the stars forget your name,
Keep a spark within your heart,
For dawn and hope are much the same...”
Lucien's steps slowed unconsciously.
The singer's voice wasn't especially loud, yet it carried surprisingly well across the plaza, drawing attention without demanding it.
Lucien followed the sound and soon found its source.
Near the center of one of the larger plaza squares, a bard stood atop an overturned crate, playing a stringed instrument while singing with a surprisingly beautiful voice. His fingers moved effortlessly across the strings, weaving the melody through the plaza as naturally as conversation.
Around him, several people had begun putting on performances of their own. None of them were particularly sophisticated—simple tricks, dancing, and improvised acts meant to entertain the crowd—but that only seemed to make them more enjoyable.
A young woman spun through the open space with exaggerated grace before deliberately wobbling and nearly falling over, drawing a chorus of laughter from the children gathered nearby.
“Watch closely, everyone!” a man announced dramatically while attempting a juggling routine with three pieces of fruit. “I only drop them half the time!”
“You dropped one already!” a child immediately shouted.
The man pointed at him without missing a beat.
“That one was intentional!”
The crowd laughed.
“Sure it was!” someone called back.
Nearby, an elderly woman sat on a crate and clapped along to the rhythm while several children attempted to copy the dancers, with varying levels of success.
“Again! Again!” one of them yelled, nearly tripping over his own feet.
“Only if you sing too,” the dancer replied with a grin.
The child's face immediately scrunched up.
“That's not fair!”
More laughter followed.
Children sat around the plaza with wide-eyed fascination while adults gathered in loose groups nearby, some chatting quietly among themselves and others simply listening to the music as they rested from the day's work.
Many of them looked calmer and lighter. The exhaustion and anxiety that normally weighed down their expressions seemed less visible beneath the bard's song.
Ah. That makes sense.
A faint look of understanding crossed Lucien's face as his gaze returned to the bard.
He might have been overthinking it, but the bard likely possessed a blessing from Syneídēsis or Syndésmos—the Dreaming One and the Weaver of Hearts. Both held authority over aspects of the mind and emotions. Alternatively, it could have been some variety of Soul Loom thread that Lucien simply hadn't encountered before. The distinction wasn't particularly important. In practice, the two often produced similar results.
A quiet breath escaped him as his gaze drifted across the plaza once more. Just then, someone slammed into him from the side.
“—Urk.”
“Ah, my apologies!”
The impact was strong enough to make him stumble half a step before he caught himself. Turning toward the source, he found a woman a few years older than him staring back with an apologetic wince.
Her blonde hair was tied into a practical ponytail, and heavy iron armor covered most of her body from neck to boots.
No wonder that hurt.
But more than that—
“...Lynn?”
She was a paladin and a devoted follower of Aléthris, Herald of Dawn.
“Lucien!”
Her eyes widened, and her entire face brightened instantly.
“What timing!”
Before Lucien could properly process what was happening, Lynn stepped forward and grabbed him by both shoulders.
“Hey, what are you—”
The difference in their physical strength made it nearly impossible for him to pull away before she leaned in closer.
Her expression abruptly shifted. The cheerful surprise vanished, replaced by grim urgency. Lowering her voice so only he could hear, she spoke in a quick, serious tone.
“A group of Hollows is attacking the district.”
Her grip tightened slightly.
“I need your help.”