Chapter 107: Frozia

"A cave!" they exclaim in unison.

Mm. I nod to myself. I suppose it was a rather silly question to ask, after all, I just finished conversing with one such deity merely an hour ago.

It shouldn't come as a surprise that I'm not the only one these deities speak to. Lotar has several other Warlocks serving aside from myself, but I suppose it was a bit…odd that any other deity would do the same.

You learn something new every day indeed.

Leon and Matthias still fret over my confession that I came out of a cave. I've told them the main gist about it really; I woke up in a cave and discovered I had the powers of a Necromancer. 

At the time they were simply a tool for me to survive within the cave but now…well, they're the powers that keep me afloat.

I'm not sure if it's just because Matthias is brother to Leriva or my growth spurt in power and spells that feels me with confidence, but I find myself a lot less…stingy? With information.

Or maybe it's because I could simply leave him to his wolves out there once I've gotten all I need from him.

No, I don't think that's why. I think it's because I know he's important, far more important than he knows. He's also very convenient.

Ha. I'm finally catching a break after nearly going insane with hunger, it's about time too, I've had enough difficulties as it is.

Matthias is rather distrustful of the Synagogue, I mean, who wouldn't be in this situation. But the problem with him lies in the fact that he wants to be reinducted to the Synagogue.

For my purposes, I don't want that to happen. It's unlikely to happen either way but the Synagogue thus far is a rather ambiguous silhouette I've yet to pierce through.

I haven't the slightest clue how they think. From my perspective and that of many others, many of their decisions is quite foolish.

But it makes one think; what exactly is happening behind the doors of the Synagogue? Why so many sacrifices to the Cult? No matter how much a Noble has offended you, why would you cast the serfs in on their execution? 

The serfs are the gears and cogs of any power, the individual makes the collective. It's far too great a sacrifice economically.

But nevertheless, if I want to make a puppet out of Matthias, I'll have to make him rely on me.

This is where it gets easier and even harder.

By myself I can clear out the Cultists lingering out there, only two remain. But if the Synagogue, who may have some way of controlling the Cultists persists and keeps sending in more and more Cultists to squash Frozia…then it'll be a pickle.

Frozia will turn into a battlefield overnight and not the stepping stone to more power I now need it to be. On the Brightside, I won't need to travel far for Cultists to kill and I'll level up significantly by simply farming the Cultists they send.

But that hinders achieving the bigger picture. The bigger picture is what is important…I may have to abandon Frozia.

A hand falls gently on my shoulder as Matthias nudges me out of my thoughts, I look up at him, eyes now focused, "Hm?"

"You said the first village you encountered was Arak, and it had Cultists in there right?"

I nod.

"And the next village was Ioina where you met and killed the Mayor Perlman in challenged combat."

Again, I nod.

Matthias shares a look with Leon, it seems they've realized something, "What is it?" I pester, wanting to be in on the secret.

"That cave, your description of it…it's possible you were in the Theocracy of Veril?"

The Theocracy of Veril? "You mean?"

Leon nods, "Yes, the place where all matters of great importance to the Synagogue are handled, the place where the Synagogue was founded and operates from since centuries ago till this day."

"It's possible…they may have been aware of you. The Synagogue could be the ones who set you up as a Necromancer."

I let out a sigh of relief, which comes as a surprise to the two in my company. I shake my head lightly and review.

What they're saying is impossible, I told them the truth but not the full story of how I have a blue screen hovering in my eyes, tracking my progress and giving me new skills and powers.

I didn't tell them of my past life either, nor did I mention the fact that this body doesn't really belong to me. So, the Synagogue definitely didn't have a hand in me becoming a Necromancer.

Unlike many other things, I chose that of my own will and volition.

"No, it's not possible, the Synagogue has nothing to do with my being a Necromancer."

This has them perplexed.

"But you said-"

"I know what I said, I also know this for a fact, I'd like to blame the Synagogue for this but the fact remains, they had nothing to do with it."

Matthias sighs, "Fine then, but you have to admit, it is rather suspicious that you woke up in Veril and at the outskirts, near the border of another Kingdom. There's some other forces at work here."

Are there? I suppose there are. I never looked into the men that shut me in the cave, but if it's as Matthias and Leon say, they could have had a head start into either Ire or The Theocracy of Veril.

There's no point chasing after them. If I really wanted to know about this body and why Pluzur was tossed into a cave, I'd go around asking about Pluzur the Eternal Flame.

But that's far less important than what I've got sent to do.

The carriage soon comes to a stop, stepping out of the slick black carriage and onto the wisely salted snowy street I stand before yet another large mansion.

"It's been a long journey." I mutter, looking up at the white building that blended in perfectly with the aesthetic of the city.

Matthias smiles, "Welcome to my home…if the Synagogue will let me have it, that is."

With him at the lead we walk past the gates. Unlike the other mansions I've been to the courtyard and general compound lacks any sort of greenery.

Instead, the place is filled with beautiful ice sculptures of women, men, women and children, all of which were naked.

Leon stops at the largest and centremost piece. The ice sculpture of a woman caressing a crescent moon like a child. 

Her face is smooth and curved at the chin, giving her that oval look, her breasts are pressed against the moon but appear soft and plum despite being sculpted. 

Her hands are slim and her long legs crossed over, covering her modesty as she sat on what I assume is a spout of water and held her moon.

"This is Frozia."

I thought so.

"There used to be powerful priests serving in her Temple, priests that could perform cyromagics as a blessing from herself." His voice is low and wistful, as though recalling a fond memory, "But now…now there are only the desperate."

He straightens up and walks off. I spare a moment to stare at the quiet sculpture of a Goddess and a moon before chasing after.

"You think she's abandoned you." I say as soon as I stand by his side.

"I know she has abandoned us."

"How? Aren't Gods mysterious beings whose workings you can't understand?" 

He snorts, "Because of the hunt. It all started with the hunt."

I give him a weird look but keep shut so he speaks.

"When Frozia was present, the land…this winter land used to be blessed with creatures for us to hunt, so blessed that it was as though spring never left. Her harshest colds were always followed with a ripe bounty."

Now we step into the main building itself, where all the power lies. Like Leriva, Matthias has taken a liking to the luxurious colour red. The carpets splay all over and the stairs dead ahead have portraits of himself and an unfamiliar woman over it.

"But then that stopped. After the bounties stopped…so did the blessings. No more priests were called."

"Called?" I murmur, taking a moment from my sight seeing to ask a question.

"Frozia called her priests to worship with…tragedy and cold. They suddenly awaken with cyromagic and when they do, the ones closest to them are frozen…an honour truly, to be the first sacrifice to a Goddess."

Mm, sounds terrible to me.

"But years passed and devotion to the Goddess was wasted as all those who vied to become her priests soon realized there was no one listening to their prayers nor watching their efforts."

"Our worship of Frozia died within a decade."

We arrive at a large two-handled door. Matthias looks back pitifully at Leon and asks, "Are you ready?"

Leon breathes deeply and exhales, "Yes. All that remains is Anera."

Right…Anera.