Unholy Player

"Did I say that?"

Sevrak gave a grin that feigned surprise. "I thought I’d made my intentions clear from the beginning."

It was an obvious lie, and he didn’t seem to care. He knew there would be no consequences—power had made sure of that.

"Besides, my grandson is the pride of the Umbraen race. He just turned 35 and has already reached Rank 2. Serving someone like him should be considered an honor for a mortal. Aren’t you the ones always preaching serve, obey, and sacrifice? Well—here’s your chance." His tone dripped with mockery.

"Those words are the teachings of the Astra Church. How dare you say that so shamelessly?" Liora looked visibly enraged. Even if those words weren’t directly spoken by the gods, they still embodied the people’s faith.

But Sevrak remained indifferent. "I’m just stating facts."

Disrespecting other gods and Paths was something utterly unacceptable—unthinkable, even. But to him, it was nothing more than a belief system the people had made up.

"Hmph." Liora seethed at his condescending tone and the way he belittled the Velari people. The others likely felt the same—neither Lucen nor Mirela attempted to interrupt. They simply listened.

"So what if your grandson reached Rank 2 at 35? That’s hardly impressive." Liora scoffed and glanced at Malrik—but immediately met his uneasy gaze.

Malrik had only reached Rank 2, approaching the age of 100. He couldn’t compare to a so-called genius.

Liora faltered, unsure how to continue. Her eye twitched. She couldn’t use Malrik as an example—but then her gaze landed on Adyr. A slow, sly smile spread across her face.