After leaving Millie with Animo, Nova entered the men's bath. He was momentarily stunned by its grandeur. Polished marble stretched in every direction, and steaming pools of varying sizes were set into the floor. Ornate columns rose to a domed ceiling painted with scenes of divine providence. Though the space was currently empty, it could easily accommodate fifty people.

He quickly shed his sweat-filled clothes, eager to wash away the dirt and sweat of the cultivation. The hot water felt like heaven against his skin as he scrubbed himself clean. Even the lingering ache from the blood refinement seemed to ease.

Finally clean, he sank into one of the deeper pools, letting out a contented sigh. 'My first proper bath in this life... I'd almost forgotten what this feels like.'

His mind drifted as he soaked, pulled in different directions by his many responsibilities. The children back in Collport waited for his return. His deal with Newark needed to be honored. And somewhere in this grand cathedral, powerful figures were deciding his fate. Or, at least they would try.

'I need to start planning my next steps,' he thought, watching steam rise from the water. 'The fragment will give me a chance to forge proper equipment, finally. But I might need to consider if I should absorb the fragments soon. It would give me a boost in power. But there's a great risk of losing the most valuable traits. And in both fragments, I'd hate to lose either one.'

His thoughts turned to Millie. Her fear of magic worried him deeply. The trauma of the accident still weighed heavily on her young mind, and her connection to Paula and Kovu's souls complicated matters further. Would it be better to absorb them?

'One step at a time,' he reminded himself. 'First, we survive today. Whatever Sar has to say when she returns will let us know what to do next. She can't lie, after all.'

Eventually, he pulled himself from the water, finding a basket near the entrance with a fluffy towel and fresh clothes. The church's white and gold robes weren't his usual style, but they were clean and well-made.

He emerged from the bath to wait in the hallway, leaning against the wall near the women's entrance. 'It's her first proper bath, so I'll let her take her time. I doubt she has left without me.'

But when no one had emerged even ten minutes later, he started to worry. Millie never learned to swim, and she might be alone in there. However, the door opened before he could worry too much.

Millie and Animo stepped out together, both looking remarkably transformed. Their hair shone with health, and their skin glowed with the freshness that only a proper bath could provide. Even Millie's usual tension seemed to have eased slightly.

Nova couldn't help but smile. Sometimes, the simplest comforts made the biggest difference.

"I thought you were busy?" he asked, seeing Animo's somewhat helpless expression.

Her eyes turned sharp. "You're welcome. You can come to me again if she needs another bath, but I think she can manage on her own now, right?" She turned to Millie, pointing the question at her.

Millie nodded, moving like she was floating on a cloud of bliss. "I'll manage, Ani. Thanks for helping me."

"You're very welcome. I'll see you around!" She waved to them both as she started jogging along the corridor, truly looking like she was in a hurry.

"Did you enjoy it?" Nova asked as they started walking back, already knowing the answer.

Millie leaned against his neck, hanging from his shoulder. "It was the best! Smell my hair!"

The unmistakable smell of strawberries nearly assaulted his nose, bringing his mind straight back to Petiver's office. 'Is that what he was working on? Shampoo scents?'

"It smells great! Kind of fruity and sweet."

"I know! And look how clean it is!" She shoved her head even closer to Nova's face, giving him no choice in the matter.

"It's beautiful, just like I said it would be. But you still hated washing it."

"That wasn't washing! That was cold dirt water!"

"... Yeah, that's true," Nova admitted. It was all they had, but even he waited many days between each wash. "You should enjoy this week we're spending here, because Quinn doesn't have a bath like that."

"I will!"

Rounding the last corner, Nova saw Sar waiting outside of their room. Her expression was hard to read, but she didn't seem like she was fearing for her life.

'I guess we're relatively safe still? She seems unhappy, though.'

She spotted them as they approached, unfolding from her position against the wall and crossing her arms in what seemed to be mild annoyance. The usual air of authority around her seemed diminished somehow.

Millie pressed herself against Nova's back, gripping his sleeve. She still didn't feel safe around the powerful archbishop.

"How did the meeting go?" Nova asked.

"His holiness doesn't care too much about losing me, it seems." Her lips twisted into something between a smile and a grimace. "He is very interested in you, and wants to meet you. And whatever happens after is up to him."

"Hmm... Right away?" Nova felt Millie's grip tighten on his sleeve.

"If you're not busy." Sar's voice dripped with sarcasm. "He's only one of the three most influential people in the world."

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"Oh? There are people above even him?"

"The empress of Velomaris is probably close to equal, just based on military power." Sar started counting off on her fingers, some of her usual confidence returning. "Then there's the headmaster of the Academy of Knowledge. But they could all be considered to stand at the top, depending on who you ask." She gestured down the hallway with an impatient wave. "So, if you would be so kind."

"Millie as well?"

"I can't say no, can I?" Sar's shoulders slumped slightly. "He didn't allow it, but if you ask him very nicely…"

Nova sighed. "The contract would have activated if you didn't do your best to keep us together, so I know you did what you could." He looked at Millie with worry, squeezing her small hand gently. "Millie, will you be okay if I go to a meeting for a while? You can stay in the room."

Millie's blue eyes darted between Nova and Sar before she gave a tiny nod. "It's okay." "It's okay."

"Good. I'll be back before long. You go on ahead."

Millie let go of his sleeve and walked to the door, keeping her eyes on Sar the entire time. Then she slipped inside, giving Nova one final anxious glance before the door clicked shut.

Sar looked at Nova's new robe, raising an eyebrow and asking a silent question.

He chose not to answer. "Let's go meet this grand person."

"It suits you." A hint of genuine amusement crept into her voice.

"I prefer choosing my own clothes. Weren't you in a hurry?"

Sar smiled and retrieved a small black note from her robe, handing it to Nova. "Just put some essence into this and you'll meet him."

"More teleportation?" Nova took the note, studying its strange properties with skepticism. "...Guess I should be fine now."

"How so?" Sar's head tilted curiously.

"Not important." Nova glanced up from the note. "Will I see you later?"

"Probably. I'll stick around the city while you're here. Let me know if you plan to go out of the cathedral so I can make sure you're safe."

"Will do," Nova replied, waving as he sent a sliver of essence into the dark paper. The note pulsed once with an inner light, and then the corridor dissolved around him.

The darkness parted like a curtain, revealing Nova standing on a circular platform of pure gold. Stars glittered in the void around him, though whether they were real or part of some grand illusion, he couldn't tell. The platform's edge dropped away into infinite blackness, making the golden surface feel like an island in an ocean of night.

Across the platform sat a man in plain robes, perched on what looked like a simple wooden chair you might find in any farmer's kitchen. His unremarkable appearance stood in stark contrast to the magnificent setting—no ornate robes, no crown of office, not even shoes to mark his station.

Only his deep and knowing eyes hinted at something more. They carried the weight of centuries, like wells of ancient wisdom that had watched empires rise and fall.

'... I haven't considered it before now, but lifespans can probably be extended in this world, right? This man feels old despite his appearance—much like myself.'

Nova waited in silence, studying the man who studied him back. The Holy Signus—because this had to be him—merely smiled, saying nothing.

'Is this a test of patience? Or does he expect me to speak first?'

Finally, the man broke into a warm chuckle. "You're quite good at this game. Most children fidget by now, or blurt out questions."

"Most children haven't lived nine lives," Nova replied carefully. He didn't care to pretend when he knew it had been revealed.

"Indeed." The Signus leaned forward slightly. "You must have been quite a figure, then. Even wise men will tremble before me."

"I'm sure Sar told you I don't falter under pressure." Nova met the Holy Signus's gaze steadily. "And that I'm not interested in being one of your candidates. Can I leave once the week is over?"

The Holy Signus's lips curved into what might have been amusement or condescension. He leaned forward in his simple chair, folding his weathered hands in his lap. "Getting right to it, I see… She told me you wanted to change the church, if you were to take my place. What part is not to your liking?"

Nova's eyes narrowed. "Your hunger for talents is too great to be out of the kindness of your heart. You refuse to act on the most heinous moral crimes. You take advantage of young children, indoctrinating them into your system before they have a chance to know better. And those who won't obey are beaten until they will."

"Ah, well…" The Holy Signus spread his hands in a gesture of benign helplessness that didn't reach his eyes. "If we don't protect talents, who will?"

"I can protect myself, thank you very much. But still, I was dragged here against my will."

A knowing smile played across the Holy Signus's face as he studied Nova like a fascinating specimen. "You're a unique case, don't you think?"

"I am. Which is why you should let me leave when I want to."

The Holy Signus shifted in his chair, and for a moment, the simple robes seemed to ripple with hidden power. "Your wish will be taken into consideration, Nova." His tone grew more serious. "Now, for your second point, I assume you're referring to the children being killed for their souls in your kingdom?"

"That's the best example, yes. But I have only been to one city, so forgive me if it's not an exhaustive list."

The Holy Signus rose from his chair with fluid grace, and his shadow stretched across the platform. "Our purpose isn't to rule the world with an iron fist, saying what can be done and what can't. We have to be neutral. Otherwise, we can't fulfill our purpose."

"What purpose? Getting special privileges from your god? So you can continue gathering people's money and spread your useless influence? To what end?"

"We maintain the system." His voice rose defensively. "Is it a cause beyond your understanding? Maintaining order, helping our Lord continue his monumental task of keeping this world on the straight path!"

"What?" Nova's mind spun with sudden implications, each one more damning than the next. "And what would happen without it?"

"Chaos! Souls would disappear into the aether, giving everyone a chance at power! It would be pandemonium!"

Nova went utterly still. The temperature on the golden platform seemed to drop as centuries of concentrated rage emerged. His killing intent emerged like a physical force pushing everything down—not the calculated threat he had used on others, but the pure, unrestrained fury of someone who had fought injustice across nine lifetimes.

The Holy Signus's eyes widened slightly—the first genuine surprise he had shown. For the first time, his carefully maintained image of the simple holy man cracked, revealing something ancient and wary beneath.

Nova's voice trembled with rage. "You're the main trader of souls in every city in the world, you sell services to let families keep their souls in the family, you're too scared of retaliation to right the most horrible wrongs—and now you tell me you're the reason the system exists in the first place?!" His small fists clenched. "You've built an entire world where souls are commodities to be traded and stolen! Where children are murdered for power! And then you profit from 'protecting' the very people your system puts in danger!"

The Signus opened his mouth to speak, but Nova wasn't finished.

"I don't mind order, but your version of order is just control dressed up as virtue! You'd rather maintain your power than stop the slaughter of innocents! A system that can't correct its own injustice isn't order—it's tyranny!"

"The system requires—"

"And you dare speak of 'saving talents'?!" Nova's voice cracked with fury. "You created the very danger they need saving from! You built a world where children can be murdered for their traits, then claim righteousness for protecting a chosen few! How many thousands have died to maintain your precious order? How much blood is on your hands?"

His killing intent focused to a razor's edge, making even the stars in the void seem to dim. Nine lifetimes of watching the powerful exploit the weak, of seeing children suffer for the greed of others, of fighting systems that perpetuated cruelty—it was more than enough to ignite his wrath.

And right now, consequences could be damned.

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