Cultist of Cerebon
Chapter 26

It’s hard to imagine that I may have never learned how to properly use Meldorath’s Heart if I had chosen a different Class Evolution or Skill.

Zareth felt utterly fascinated as he poured a shimmering silver liquid into an open chamber of the pulsing organ located in the center of his laboratory. Meldorath’s Heart immediately began extracting the Ether from the Argent Leaf Extract before directing it into a separate chamber.

He observed as the contents of the chamber gradually mixed with other types of Ether extracted from other alchemical reagents which had been poured in beforehand, Skywhale Oil and Aether Quartz Dust in this particular case.

Zareth focused intently on the resulting mixture, letting out a sigh of relief once the Ether began emanating the impression of being… light and buoyant. It was similar in nature to the anti-gravity properties he had sensed within the Crystalline Songbird and was exactly what he was hoping for when mixing the ingredients [Alchemists] used to make a Floating Elixir.

Now comes the difficult part, Zareth mused as he let out a deep breath and closed his eyes.

The way it had been explained to him, the Etherveil was a sort of living tapestry which reacted to the minds of any sapient who connected to it, even to the point of possessing its own type of memory. Those with exceptional willpower or extreme skill in wielding the Etherveil could effectively ‘etch’ patterns and shapes into this tapestry, while also imposing meaning onto them.

Any person who then shaped Ether into one of these patterns, or Sigils as the Lorekeeper called them, would be able to summon a magical phenomenon related to the original caster’s intent. Each use of these Sigils would etch them more and more deeply into the Etherveil, making effective and reliable means of casting spells.

However, it was only the simplest of concepts which could be imposed onto each Sigil, which was why communities accumulated a variety of these Sigils and learned to build them atop one another over time.

According to Lore Guardian Othrik, the most complex of spells were akin to a meticulously crafted palace, built stone by stone by a dedicated [Architect]. The Tessik had several records that implied that Pre-System magical communities used to come together to construct these elaborate magical structures over generations, allowing them to call upon greater and greater spells.

Naturally, this kind of practice had fallen out of favor in the modern era. What community would dedicate decades or even centuries of labor to replicate a spell that a sufficiently leveled [Mage] could cast with a simple mental command?

In addition, the vast majority of Pre-System Sigils were now fundamentally impossible to replicate due to the phenomenon of Ether threads dissipating after becoming too large. Post System Sigils were much more fragile as a result, which obviously caused problems.

The Tessik only bothered to construct their own Sigils because they held an ideological reverence for the past and the concept of strengthening their community. Even the strongest of their Sigils could be cast by a mere level twenty [Mage]. It would require a community utterly dedicated to the creation of Sigils diligently and persistently laboring for a significant amount of time to compete with System aided [Mages].

If that was the end of the story, then Zareth would have never even considered choosing [Ether Attunement] over [Divine Essence Attunement].

At least, not unless he somehow gained access to a large number of modern Sigils for him to utilize.

Fortunately, Zareth had recalled that sapients weren’t the only ones capable of using structured magic in this world.

Refocusing on the task at hand, Zareth followed along as the anti-gravity aspected Ether was pumped into the largest chamber of Meldorath’s Heart. The Ether was then automatically pulled into fine threads and woven into various complex patterns by some unknown force, slowly forming it into a Sigil.

[Ether Attunement] had granted Zareth a far greater insight into the actual mechanisms of Meldorath’s Heart. It was like he had been like an ignorant child blindly using a complex machine’s pre-programmed settings and was only now understanding the machine’s true abilities… and limitations.

Even with the enhanced sensitivity granted by [Ether Attunement], Zareth found it difficult to sense the imperfections within the Sigil being woven by Meldorath’s Heart. Experimentation had shown that these minuscule flaws were the sources of many issues he had observed in previous attempts, such as occasional failures or weakened effects.

Zareth could now fix these imperfections as they happened, improving the overall stability and efficacy of his augmentations. He could now also understand why he’d had so much trouble achieving certain enhancements, such as in the case of the one he was attempting now.

Come on. Hold together you finicky little shit, Zareth silently urged as the Sigil was slowly being infused into the chunk of biomass prepared by Meldorath’s Heart.

Before acquiring [Ether Attunement], Zareth had never been able to understand why certain attempts at creating magical biomass would fail. The first thing Zareth did after he gained access to Meldorath’s Heart was to feed it the most powerful alchemical reagents he could get his hands on in hopes that he could augment himself into some kind of unparalleled being. S~ᴇaʀᴄh the ɴøvᴇlFɪre.ɴet website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of nøvels early and in the highest quality.

He’d also once paid the Pathfinders to capture the strongest monsters they could with the intentions of grafting their biologies to his own for similar reasons.

In both cases, Zareth found that these experiments would go catastrophically wrong more often than not, either not working at all once transferred to his body or backfiring in exotic ways. One memorable example was when he fed Meldorath’s Heart with the Essence of a Primal Fire Elemental that he’d purchased for a small fortune. It had resulted in the biomass sample melting away in less than a second.

This phenomenon restricted him to relatively weaker materials, and now he could see why.

Zareth grit his teeth as more and more flaws grew within the Sigil. It would be difficult for him to explain what he was feeling to someone who couldn’t sense the Etherveil, but the closest analogy was that it felt like he was trying to thread a needle with a rope. The Sigil was simply too large and complex to ‘fit’ within the biomass and was slowly beginning to unravel.

When the Sigil finally collapsed and Meldorath’s Heart failed to imbue the biomass with the intended properties, Zareth couldn’t help but curse and slam his fist against the ground.

While he’d had some success with anti-gravity biomass before, none of the samples he’d made were anywhere near potent enough to lift a humanoid. The best he’d been able to do was successfully create the flying cats he’d been working on.

“I assume that your experiment has once again failed? You would have more success if you weren’t so opposed to utilizing more traditional methods.”

Zareth sighed and glanced toward Vidhatri, who had begun assisting him with his experiments when she wasn’t busy elsewhere in the spire. While she didn’t have any expertise in the Etherveil, Vidhatri knew more than him about the biology of magical creatures and often proved invaluable in his research.

“The Sigil began degrading exponentially faster toward the end of the process,” said Zareth, ignoring her suggestion that he create magical biomass via sacrifice. She already knew what he thought about sapient sacrifices and was only bringing it up out of habit. “I thought that it might be possible to hold the Sigil together long enough for it to fully integrate into the biomass, but I’m beginning to believe that’s beyond my current ability. I either need to significantly increase my Control so that I can repair it faster, or learn how to increase the capacity of the biomass to hold more complex Sigils.”

Lore Guardian Othrik informed him that a higher Control Stat allowed for better manipulation of the Etherveil, but he didn’t have any idea how to change the biomass’ Sigil Capacity.

It seemed like that was the factor preventing Zareth from developing certain types of augmentations, such as humanoid flight.

With his experiment having officially failed, Zareth sighed and returned to his primary workbench. That was his closest attempt at creating a sample of biomass with anti-gravity properties potent enough for humanoid flight.

Although it hadn’t been successful, even failures were educational while conducting experimental research.

He was now confident that certain types of magical phenomena were simply too ‘complex’ for him to replicate via biology given the current resources at his disposal, regardless of what he did. Now that this was confirmed, he could focus his efforts on more attainable goals.

“It’s a shame that it didn’t work, but it’s doubtful that flight would have aided in the siege of Fal’Ashar regardless,” Rizok said from the corner of the laboratory, where he was watching his pet Radiant Serpent tumble through the air while play-fighting with a flying kitten. “The Talonfolk haven’t traveled this far south in centuries, but most cities still have some magical defenses against aerial threats. Your other experiments seem to have been much more successful.”

Zareth had seen plenty of races of people who weren’t native to the region, including even the fungus-like people from the Hidden Cities of Mu and an aquatic Adventurer from Narakanai, but he’d never been able to meet one of the Talonfolk. They were the only humanoids capable of flight as far as he knew, and Zareth would absolutely love to examine one of them.

Sadly, they were extremely isolationist and generally stayed within the Talons of Qahtan mountain range.

“Maybe, but I’ve begun to notice a similar problem there as well,” Zareth said as he activated one of the new abilities he’d gained.

With a snap of his fingers, Zareth caused a small spark of flames to appear in his palm. After studying the Ether of a Qahtani Fire Salamander, Zareth had managed to derive a Sigil from it that he’d named the Minor Pyrokinesis Sigil and promptly imbued it into a chunk of biomass using Meldorath’s Heart.

Zareth had then transformed that piece of biomass into something appropriate for a human body and grafted it into his fingers. Much to his excitement, this resulted in him having the ability to generate and manipulate small flames directly from his fingertips!

This was something that couldn’t easily be replicated through pure biology without using strange and dangerous methods, such as creating sacs of flammable gas within his body. More than that, it proved to Zareth that there was an avenue to explore magic despite the many restrictions that prevented direct manipulation of the Etherveil from being a popular practice.

Zareth would simply need to rely on studying the Sigils derived from studying the abilities of magical creatures and incorporate them into his own body, rather than a spellbook like a generic mage. It wasn’t too different from what he’d already been used to doing, and it even seemed to synergize well with [Veterinary Knowledge] given how natural it felt for him to understand these creatures.

Unfortunately, there was no such thing as a perfect solution.

“No matter what I try, it seems like all living organisms have a kind of ‘Sigil Capacity’ which limits how much magic they can safely integrate,” said Zareth as he idly moved the flames through his fingers and thought back to his previously created augmentation templates.

He had needed to actually form a sort of magical organ within his wrists, an uncomfortably warm spherical chamber that somehow gathered Ether, in order to gain this ability. Trying to fit in too many led to… poor outcomes.

“Hmm. I suppose that makes sense,” Rizok muttered thoughtfully. “I’ve fought many magical creatures, but all of them seem to have very specialized abilities, though those belonging to [Beast Tamers] have always been an exception.”

“This phenomenon is known to the Dehkshetra temple,” Vidhatri confirmed, looking up briefly from the biological monstrosity that she was slowly creating. Apparently, she wanted to convince a few of the [Cultists] to specialize in flesh golems and thought that displaying their lethal potential was the best way to do so. “The monsters of Zumair are far more impressive than the pathetic creatures that wander your desert, but even the strongest among them remain specialized.”

“It explains why I had so much trouble granting the Mirage Stalker template additional augmentations given the complexity of its pseudo-invisibility,” Zareth muttered to himself. “I just need to figure out what exactly dictates this Sigil Capacity so that I can learn how to enhance it.”

The only thing he knew for certain was that his own body had an abnormally high Sigil Capacity. He guessed that this was due to [Ether Attunement], given the Skill description said that it would ‘Infuse the body with Ether and enhance its ability to channel the Etherveil.’

Zareth also suspected that one of the Stats offered by the System could potentially influence this capacity, perhaps Vitality or Spirit.

Given his discovery that Control directly influenced how finely he could influence the Ether, he felt that there was a good chance that the other Stats might also have some sort of fundamental connection to the Etherveil. He’d already confirmed that using a Skill created some manner of disturbance in the Etherveil which vaguely reminded Zareth of Sigils, but it was… difficult to clearly sense what was happening for some reason.

There had to be some sort of mechanism that the System used to make Skills, Stats, and Classes work, so this was an avenue of research that Zareth was very interested in.

Sadly, he didn’t exactly have a way to immediately test that hypothesis without going full mad scientist and experimenting on sapient test subjects. He would simply have to wait for his next Level and look for any measurable difference in his body’s capacity to hold Sigils once his Stats increased.

Luckily, he could feel that all of the research he’d been doing lately had brought him fairly close to leveling, which meant he wouldn’t have to wait long.

“I’ve no doubt you’ll manage to solve the matter eventually,” said Rizok, tone confident and eyes soft as he playfully swatted away the two animals attempting to chew on his tail. “What you’ve already accomplished is impressive enough.”

While Zareth had managed to create a new template that he was confident would help with the siege on Fal’Ashar, he had a feeling that wasn't exactly what Rizok was referring to.

“I’m glad you and Glitterfang are enjoying the company of your new little friend,” said Zareth, chuckling at the sight of a heavily armored soldier playing with two cute animals.

“If all of these creatures are as friendly as Skywhisker, then I’m certain your cult is about to enjoy a very lucrative business,” said Rizok, eyes still locked onto the kitten as she clumsily tumbled through the air. “I expect I’ll be seeing these little guys all over Tal’Qamar soon enough.”

Zareth imagined flying cats fluttering through the rooftops of Tal’Qamar and couldn’t help but smile at the idea. He was glad that one of his [Cultists], the young ogre named Nog, had indicated an interest in animals. He would make for a good [Aesthetic Beastshaper] one day.

“I hope that you’re right. I’ve always found animals to be fascinating,” said Zareth, deciding there was no harm in sharing a bit about himself. “I even once considered becoming a type of specialized animal healer when I was younger.”

“Truly? I’ve never heard of such a thing,” said Rizok, sounding genuinely interested as he glanced at Zareth. “What sort of Class would that have been? [Animal Healer]? [Beastmender]?”

“It’s called [Veterinarian],” said Zareth, unable to hide the wistfulness in his voice as he remembered his former passions. “It's a relatively rare Class as far as I know, and the closest Guild for them is in the Eldamiri capital, which is why I gave up on it. They primarily work for wealthy people who need unique creatures kept in good health.”

Zareth could still remember how dejected he’d felt once he learned that fact after bribing a foreign [Merchant] for information. Perhaps he could have still returned to his old profession if he’d kept at it, but it wouldn’t have been easy.

“It’s a shame that you and many others are unable to follow the paths that truly call to them,” Rizok said with a melancholic tone. “I believe you would have been well-suited for such a role, if your expertise in studying and creating these magical creatures is any indication. But there are few in this world who are offered the opportunity to pursue their dreams.”

“Ha! If that is the case, then I must be even more fortunate than I realized,” said Vidhatri, laughing cheerfully as four of her hands expertly molded a bloody pile of biomass in front of her into a new form. “Such people would be more comfortable if they submitted themselves to Cerebon, and allowed him to guide their paths! Who wouldn’t be satisfied if they were allowed to live as I do?”

Rizok rolled his eyes, but Zareth didn’t miss the trace of fond amusement he saw in the lizardkin’s eyes. Vidhatri certainly had a… unique way of seeing the world, but she made for surprisingly good company for a zealot.

Zareth had expected her to be much more unreasonable when he first met the shivarath, but he supposed that there were perks to having Cerebon’s explicit approval.

Zareth tuned out his two companions as they began to bicker over how much the average person would enjoy spending their days elbow deep in gore and returned to his work. High Command had called another meeting of the Hierophant Council later in the evening to deliver them all a new set of orders, and Zareth wanted to finish his experiments before then.

He had no idea what new burdens his cult was about to be saddled with, so Zareth felt it was best to assume his attention would be fully occupied in the near future.

Using his newfound knowledge of Sigils, Zareth had maximized the efficiency of his templates and added several new abilities to them. One of most useful regarding the siege was his changes to the Plaguebringer, allowing that template to both control its noxious gasses and produce them indefinitely.

He’d accomplished this through a careful examination of the Venomshade Vipers that he’d used to create the Plaguebringers in the first place. It’d been quite the pleasant surprise to discover that the serpent wasn’t a mundane animal and actually had minor magical properties from which he could derive a Sigil, which he’d named the Toxic Cloud Sigil. The line between normal animals and magical creatures found in this world was often more blurred than Zareth would like.

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The new Plaguebringer wouldn’t outright win the siege on Fal’Ashar given that the city’s magical shields would easily prevent any form of gas or biological attacks from breaching the walls, but it’d still have a significant effect. After all, it wasn’t hard to imagine the effect on morale that would come from living in a city surrounded by a cloud of deadly gas that completely blocked out the sky and plunged the streets into perpetual darkness.

In addition to the Plaguebringer’s Toxic Cloud Sigil, Zareth had managed to derive a few other Sigils that mostly focused on attacking Fal’Ashar’s morale. Since the city’s defenses were so formidable, that seemed like the most feasible approach.

Zareth had also managed to add all of his new Sigils to his own body. Even though he wasn’t that fond of combat, Zareth sometimes regretted that he didn’t have an opportunity to make use of them aside from during his spars with Rizok.

Of course, he would never say something like that out loud. There was no need to tempt fate.

Several hours later, it was nearly time for Zareth’s meeting with the rest of the Hierophant's Council when Vidhatri suddenly decided to approach him.

“Before you depart, I’ve been giving some thought to the issue of ‘Sigil Capacity' based on your descriptions of the problem,” said Vidhatri, instantly drawing Zareth’s undivided attention. “I know little of the Etherveil, but I have something which I would like you to examine.”

After receiving a nod of understanding from Zareth, Vidhatri calmly opened a wound in her thigh and retrieved a familiar object. It was the same coin-shaped object which Vidhatri had referred to as a ‘Flesh Rune’ and used to create a magical ward of privacy for the Rite of Flesh Liberation.

I can’t believe I completely forgot about that thing, Zareth silently chastised himself as he took the Flesh Rune from Vidhatri. I’m pretty sure she said that these were made by [Flesh Scribes]. I’d love to see one of them work…

It was immediately clear why the shivarath would associate the Flesh Rune with his current experiments, given it directly related to imbuing magical effects into biomass. A cursory scan of the object’s magical presence revealed that it had an effect on the Etherveil, especially when it was activated. It was somewhat similar to the vague impression he felt whenever someone used a Skill, though significantly more clear.

Most importantly, Zareth could sense that the magic imbued in the Flesh Rune was far more complex than any Sigil he’d created with Meldorath’s Heart. It also had seemed to faintly emanate Cerebon’s Divine Essence, which he suspected could be potentially related to its abnormal Sigil Capacity.

“Fascinating. It almost makes me wish that I could stay here and continue my research,” Zareth said regretfully as he stored the Flesh Rune away. “But at least I have a new avenue to look into in the future.”

After spending a few minutes asking Vidhatri questions, Zareth made his way out the laboratory with Rizok following closely behind him. High Command had extended Zareth’s leash a bit by no longer ordering Rizok to constantly follow him and report on all of his activities, but he still enjoyed having the soldier around.

Both because Rizok often noticed things that Zareth didn’t, and also because there was always the remote chance of him being targeted by [Assassins].

Zareth wasn’t one to take his safety lightly.

The walk to the building allocated to the Hierophant Council was… interesting. He was dressed in the formal twilight-colored ceremonial garbs crafted by Onara, and combined with his distinctive third eye, everyone Zareth passed recognized him instantly.

Zareth found himself being stopped frequently by people who had benefited from his cult’s expanded healing and body modification services. He’d expected it would be popular, but Zareth heavily underestimated just how much the people of Tal’Qamar would appreciate what his cult had to offer. Every single morning since the services started being offered, a crowd of eager people would gather outside of the spire hoping to be seen by one of Zareth’s [Cultists].

Demand was so high that his cult had to prioritize those with the highest need first, such as those with birth defects or minor injuries. Significant injuries were still directed to the Healer’s Guild because Zareth wasn’t ready to make an enemy of them for little benefit… yet.

That might change once he had more [Cultists] and they weren’t already completely swamped with their current workloads. However, the [Healers] contributed to a big enough industry that the backlash was beyond what Zareth could currently handle.

Regardless, Zareth and Vidhatri had taught the [Cultists] on how to handle birth defects and had been almost exclusively focusing on these cases. Zareth vaguely remembered that birth defects appeared in approximately three percent of the population, so he could expect around three thousand patients given the number of people living in Tal’Qamar.

The reaction from these people and their families was overwhelmingly positive. It was understandable, but Zareth couldn’t help but feel shocked by how many times he was stopped by grateful people while walking through the streets. Every tear-filled expression of gratitude was the result of someone having the entire course of their lives changed.

It was a stark contrast to the ambivalence or open suspicion that his cult had been treated with in the days immediately following the Conclave’s exile from Tal’Qamar.

By the time Zareth finally reached his destination, he was nearly prepared to break into a run to escape all of the people who sought his attention. He didn’t think he’d ever feel comfortable with receiving so much praise.

Unlike the last time the Hierophant Council had been called to gather for a meeting like this, they were meeting in their own designated building rather than High Command headquarters for reasons unknown.

The structure itself was nothing all that special, having once been a modestly sized administrative building near the former palace. The Hierophant Council hardly ever had reason to gather here, so nobody had bothered furnishing it with anything more than the minimum necessities to ensure the organization’s reputation wasn’t harmed.

Zareth was greeted by several military guards stationed here by High Command as well as several administrators who managed the building and received messages for the Hierophant Council.

Not that he’d ever actually heard of that happening.

Once he entered the actual meeting room, Zareth found that the delays he’d faced meant the other members of the Hierophant Council had already arrived. Farida and Borak were both engaged in quiet conversation while Kinta had her eyes closed and appeared to be silently meditating.

Zareth half-expected Kassan to make some sort of sly remark like he did during their last meeting, but the naga chose not to say anything this time. Instead, he simply offered an annoying little smirk, seemingly satisfied to leave things at that.

Zareth was glad to return the favor by ignoring the naga as he took a seat as far from Kassan as possible, and Rizok went to stand quietly with the other bodyguards. He regretted that he’d allowed his emotions to get the better of him last time as a public spat hardly benefited him.

It was always better to deal with enemies quietly when possible, rather than in the open.

“Ah, you have good timing, Apostle Zareth. The Priestess and I were just discussing you,” Borak said with a friendly smile.

“Oh? I didn’t realize that I’d done something to draw your attention, Grand Shaman,” said Zareth as he raised a questioning eyebrow in Farida’s direction. “I hope it’s nothing… negative.”

He and Farida had been on relatively neutral terms ever since the Desharin had helped him find the temple of Meldorath, but that didn’t mean he trusted her.

“No, nothing of the sort,” Borak was quick to reassure, his eyes sincere even as Farida rolled her own. “I simply wished to learn more about you in light of your cult’s achievements. Your recent curing of the Rukmar has caused a bit of a… stir within my community.”

Zareth had never heard that word before, but context clues made it clear that ‘Rukmar’ likely referred to ogres with birth deformities. He’d tended to enough ogres by now to have learned that their culture didn’t look well on those individuals.

“I see. Is that going to be an issue?” Zareth asked cautiously. He had no intention of stopping, but he also didn’t want to create a rift with the ogres if he could help it.

The ogres were less populous than the Desharin and generally kept to themselves, but making an enemy of the community filled with muscular, eight-foot-tall behemoths didn’t seem like the wisest decision.

“Unlikely. There are some among my people who are particularly resistant to change, but it is not as if your cult are the only ones capable of curing the Rukmar,” said Borak, causing Zareth to let out a sigh of relief. “It is merely the ease of access that you offer which has caused some discussion. Few among my people are wealthy enough to hire a sufficiently leveled [Healer] or purchase the elixirs necessary for such cures. So far as I’m concerned, we owe you a debt.”

Zareth could tell from the elderly ogre’s expression that he was sincere in his gratitude and very serious about repaying him. Out of all the communities in Tal’Qamar, the ogres took matters of honor and debt the most seriously.

“The Grand Shaman is correct, bo– Apostle Zareth,” said Farida, her tone somewhat reluctant as she at least attempted to speak to him respectfully. “Your cult has contributed well to the wellbeing of our people… so far. I hope to see this continue.”

Farida regained some of her irritable nature toward the end of her statement, but Zareth took it in stride. That was the closest thing to praise that he’d ever received from the bitter old Priestess and he knew not to expect any more warmth than that.

Zareth once again realized that he’d underestimated how far his cult had come in terms of integrating itself into Tal’Qamar, and how much goodwill they’d earned.

Having his efforts acknowledged was… more gratifying than he had expected.

“You’re very welcome,” said Zareth, attempting to project calm even while subtly using his powers to keep blood from flushing his cheeks. “Do either of you know why we’ve been called here?”

Thankfully, Farida and Borak allowed him to change the subject.

“The specifics haven’t been disclosed to me, but I believe it’s safe to assume that it's related to the war,” said Borak, a trace of concern lacing his voice. “General Nasrith’s recent victory is a welcome one, but this conflict is still in its early stages.”

“Hmph. I’ve no doubt the military intends to exploit us as much as they can get away with,” Farida said with a disdainful scoff. “So long as they keep their promises once this war is over, we’ll simply have to tolerate whatever troublesome tasks they have for us.”

Despite Farida’s ornery tone, Zareth could sense that both she and Borak were relatively optimistic about the war’s progress as he spent the next few minutes speaking with them. While the western front had effectively stalled at Fal’Ashar, Tal’Qamar had significantly expanded the territory that fell under its influence to the Southwest.

Most of that territory was utterly devoid of anything worthwhile, of course, but there was a smattering of settlements and resources that had been captured. Even if none of them were actually large enough to be considered a city-state on par with Tal’Qamar, the very fact that they existed meant their land was capable of sustaining life.

Developing them wouldn’t be easy, but the Desharin and the ogres would gladly devote their resources and labor to make it happen if it meant controlling their own autonomous territory.

Farida and Borak both attempted to sound out Zareth regarding what stretch of land his cult had their eyes on, but he rebuffed their inquiries by saying it was too early in war to make such decisions. In truth, the Tessik had already made clear what territory they wanted him to acquire in exchange for their support, but Zareth had no intention of sharing that information, especially within hearing range of Kassan.

Tal’Qamar still hadn’t conquered that territory yet anyways, so he might as well keep his cards close to his chest.

Eventually, their conversation was interrupted as Garrison-Commander Tholin finally arrived, assistants following behind the gray-bearded dwarf as usual. Everyone promptly straightened in their seats and Kinta emerged from her meditation, preparing themselves for the meeting ahead. This was Zareth’s third time meeting with the gruff Garrison-Commander, so he wasn’t surprised when Tholin decided to skip the formalities and immediately get down to business.

“Good evening, members of the Hierophant Council,” Tholin addressed them with a stern, businesslike tone as he took a seat at the head of the table. “I’ve called you here to deliver new directives for how your organizations will aid Tal’Qamar’s ongoing war effort. These duties relate much more to your… religious aspects than your previous orders to assist in combat operations, so I felt it appropriate to discuss them in this setting. But first, I would like to detail how each of you have played critical roles in furthering this city’s prosperity so far.”

Zareth could tell from the expressions of his peers that he wasn’t only one curious about how these new directives related to their religions. Before they could ask further, the Garrison-Commander began publicly listing each of their organization’s achievements.

Zareth assumed that this process served multiple purposes. It allowed High Command to explicitly acknowledge their contributions and make them feel valued while also stirring a sense of competition among the Hierophant’s Council.

After all, they were all competing for the same limited prize.

Zareth was already aware of most of the accomplishments that Tholin highlighted, either from the Tessik or from his occasional communications with House Vhelan. HoweverAlthough, a few of them did surprise him.

“High Command expresses its gratitude to the Order of the Serene Path for its assistance in weakening Tal’Qamar’s criminal element,” Tholin recited tonelessly, nodding toward Kinta in acknowledgment. “Their ability to offer Class changes to any individuals sincerely seeking redemption has served as a valuable tool for social stability.”

Zareth glanced toward Kinta in surprise as the female lizardkin returned the Garrison-Commander’s nod with a composed look. He hadn’t been paying as much attention to Kinta or the Order of the Serene Path compared to the rest of his colleagues. Kinta was about the same age as he was biologically and had no significant backing from any factions in Tal’Qamar, as far as he knew.

This meant that he’d subconsciously discounted the [Monk] and the Order of the Serene Path as a serious rival or ally.

All he knew about Kinta’s religion was that the Serene Path held the divine domains of Redemption and the Mind. If she could truly offer Class changes without the excessive cost or hassle of the normal ritual, then that was a surprisingly significant capability.

It meant that her religion could potentially recruit and reform individuals from a variety of backgrounds. Zareth had no doubt that they would be more devout than the average convert as well.

Considering that many of the new converts to his cult were from the Sunrise Slums, Zareth made a mental note to keep a closer eye on the [Monk] as he turned his attention back to Tholin. Tal’Qamar had no shortage of criminals, which meant that her Order had a high potential for growth.

There were few other surprises in Tholin’s speech, other than the Circle of Ghisara sabotaging Anket’s ability to pay some group of mercenaries. Kassan frowned slightly at having his activities publicly announced, but wasn’t in a position to stop the Garrison-Commander.

When Tholin was finally finished with all of his announcements, one of his aides unrolled a large map of the Qahtani Desert and he finally began to address why they were all here.

“As you all are no doubt aware, several populated settlements have been conquered by Tal’Qamar in recent months,” Tholin said as several markers were placed on the map to indicate the current locations of various military forces. “The most populous of these is Tal’Hadin, while the rest are generally small villages built around the occasional sources of water spread throughout the Qahtani Desert.”

Zareth was no geographer, but he suspected that the Qahtani Desert held more smaller villages than any comparatively sized desert back on Earth. He’d read a lot of history books recently and learned that the Nephalan Dynasty had gone to great lengths to expand the arable land within its territory using [Mages] and [Artificers].

That didn’t surprise him all that much. If the Desharin were once able to create temporary oases, then it made perfect sense that an empire which once spanned the majority of the continent could accomplish something similar if they put their minds to it.

The Nephalan Dynasty’s collapse meant that there was nobody to continue funding these projects, and the vast majority of these artificial settlements had disappeared with them. That being said, there were still many more small spots in the Qahtani Desert which could support life than Zareth would have expected.

“With control over these settlements established comes the duty that they be properly administered. It is there that High Command has faced some… challenges,” Tholin admitted reluctantly. The dwarf glared at the map as if he was attempting to get rid of these ‘challenges’ through sheer force of will. “We intend to deploy you and your organizations to these settlements.”

It took a moment for Zareth to process what Tholin meant. When he did, his eyes widened and he couldn’t help but lean forward in anticipation.

“Are you implying that High Command intends to send us outside of Tal’Qamar, Garrison-Commander?” asked Zareth, feeling a confusing mixture of surprise, apprehension, and excitement.

“That’s correct,” Tholin confirmed, expression slightly annoyed at being interrupted. “The Conclave’s influence grows stronger the farther west you travel. The civilians living within these settlements are particularly loyal to the Conclave’s deities. This is a problem which we’d prefer the Hierophant’s Council to address, before we are forced to do so ourselves. The frontlines have been pushed far enough beyond these settlements, making them relatively secure.”

That made sense to Zareth once he considered it. In Tal’Qamar, the Conclave had several other factions that they needed to fight with for influence. The Great Houses were especially powerful given the relative size of Tal’Qamar, and the native religions of the Desharin and the ogres restricted the Conclave as well.

There had been many people in Tal’Qamar who were genuinely loyal to the Conclave’s gods, but likely far fewer and far less zealously compared to other city-states under their control. This was one of the reasons why there was relatively little domestic strife once the Conclave was exiled from the city.

Well… that and the obvious methods through which a military dictatorship treated dissidents.

High Command tended toward pragmatism over unnecessary cruelty, but they weren’t shy about dealing with problems decisively if they felt like it.

“What of our safety?” asked Farida. “Tal’Qamar has only recently been made secure from the Conclave. While I’m sure you’ll offer us protection, it will be impossible to fully prevent [Assassins] from approaching us once we leave these walls.”

Zareth nodded in agreement. While he was much more resilient now compared to when he’d first been attacked, he had no doubt the Conclave would attempt to kill him given the chance.

“You’re free to allow cowardice to dictate your actions if you wish, but I suspect you’ll regret it,” said Tholin, entirely unsympathetic. “High Command places a high importance on this matter. We wish to avoid depopulating these settlements, but that outcome will become unavoidable if they remain excessively loyal to enemy forces. We will not tolerate a security threat behind our frontlines. I suggest you see this as an opportunity to grow your followings and act accordingly.”

Zareth couldn’t help but wince. He’d long grown used to the casual cruelty of this world, but he really didn’t want to know how High Command intended to ‘depopulate’ the settlements.

“I’m certain that we all have subordinates who we can send in our stead,” said Kassan, not seeming particularly threatened by the idea of facing [Assassins]. “I doubt the Conclave will go through the trouble of arranging the deaths of anyone aside from ourselves.”

That was true, but Zareth didn’t have anyone appropriate to send for a task like this. Not only would they need [Devotion Perception] to pick out those who were loyal to the Conclave, but they would also need to be able to defend themselves. Kassan was right that the Conclave was less likely to target less important subordinates, but there was no guarantee of that, and there were other potential threats.

Zareth wouldn’t be able to look himself in the mirror if Tamir was killed in some remote village because he decided to be a coward. Besides, the existence of his flesh golem meant that Zareth could maintain some sort of presence in Tal’Qamar even if he was away.

Moreover… he wanted to go.

In his twenty-three years of living in this world, Zareth had only left the city he’d been born in during his short-lived adventure to the temple of Meldorath. While that had been fairly exciting, there hadn’t been much to see beyond the temple itself. The only piece of civilization in that direction was a city named Qarasan, but it had been too out of the way to justify a detour.

Zareth had earned a decent salary as a veterinarian and loved using it to travel the world during his occasional vacations. He was endlessly grateful that he’d chosen to have those experiences while he was young, given that he’d died in his late thirties.

While his priorities had changed a lot since then and he was no longer as carefree, Zareth would still love the chance to see the world beyond Tal’Qamar. After all, what was the point of hoarding power if you never used it to do the things you enjoyed?

He’d been reincarnated in a magical world filled with fantastical sights, and he didn’t want to die never having seen more than the tiny corner he’d been born in. He wanted to one day see the Kingdom of Mount and Vale’s underground cities, the exotic fungal cities of Great Mu, and the legendary Hall of Heroes in Eldamir’s capital city.

Even if the settlements around Tal’Qamar were unlikely to be as impressive as any of those locations, Zareth was excited about the prospect of seeing more of this world.

The Cult of Cerebon was on a good path to becoming relatively well-established in Tal’Qamar, he had nearly finished creating his contributions to Fal’Ashar’s siege, and his personal augmentations were as powerful as ever. Zareth had never felt more confident in his ability to protect himself, and he now genuinely trusted Rizok to handle anything he couldn’t.

He’d miss having access to his laboratory, but this was his chance to spread his influence beyond the city walls while simultaneously expanding his horizons.

Zareth’s mind began to drift as Tholin began discussing logistics. If he was truly going to do this then he had a lot of preparations to make, such as purchasing high quality enchanted equipment, vetting his protective detail, and planning all of his activities beyond the city.

Zareth’s instincts told him that this was the start of something new for him, and he intended to do it right.

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