"Your Excellency, I respectfully disagree. Neither of us was inside the control room. Therefore, we lack real-time information regarding the undead hunt on the ground. I'm confident that Commmander Karlson made his decision to attack the source of the miasma without consideration of possible harm to your subjects. The longer he delayed in destroying the portal, the harder it would be to eliminate," Demetrius defended his subordinate. "We certainly don't want to ask the Godson to sacrifice himself at this early juncture," he pointed out.
The duchess grimaced because she wouldn't hesitate to sacrifice her subjects to keep Luka safe. Thus, Juliette couldn't refute the man's logic. "Luka is going to be upset when he learns what happened. He spent time with the Izan residents and probably feels protective of them," she warned.
The church leader nodded solemnly. "I ask that you avoid mentioning the destruction of the territory when you return home. Please allow me to deal with his anger; I will try to convince him of the necessity to act sooner," the pope requested.
"I truly hope that you can convince my stubborn child. Otherwise, he may break off relations with you and, by extension, the church organization," Juliette nodded.
"I understand." Demetrius smiled. "It's getting late. If you linger in my bedroom for too long, the servants will gossip," he joked.
Juliette rolled her eyes. "Good night, Your Holiness." She gave a perfunctory bow and departed from his room.
When the pope stood alone in the room, he frowned. Demetrius agreed with Juliette's prediction that Luka would blame him for the deaths of the Izan residents. The church leader started brainstorming ways to keep the boy tied to the church. Suddenly, the godfather had an inspiration. "Luka is already fifteen, but he still doesn't have a fiancée. It's time he gets one," the man chuckled.
* * *
Luka awoke the next morning feeling refreshed. The familiar sensation of his mattress contributed to his improved mood, and the heir no longer felt angry at the needless deaths of his subjects in Izan. Luka quickly dressed and quietly left the family manor for morning exercise. He jogged around the estate ten times before starting his sword practice.
Bel and Gripper soon arrived and fought Luka in a mock battle. Since the animals were familiar with their master's fighting tactics, they quickly saw through his feints.
The loud noises attracted the attention of house servants who were uniformly shocked to see their young master. Wasn't Luka supposed to be in Lumina for two months? If so, why did he run away from the church?
The steward quietly ordered the workers to prepare a sumptuous feast to celebrate Luka's unexpected return to the estate. James didn't need to know why the young master came back early because the butler's responsibility to the heir wouldn't change. The steward returned to the manor and began his detailed inspection of the mansion's interior.
As a precaution, James checked with his staff and confirmed that the duchess wasn't present. The butler then sent a message informing his employer of her son's presence at the manor.
James suspected that Luka came back without telling her. But since Juliette was Luka's mother, she had a right to know his whereabouts. Thus, James made the sensible call and informed her via a magical text.
The head butler continued making his rounds through the mansion. James became angry when he noticed dust gathering in various corners and barked orders at the maids to clean those areas. The steward stood attentively in front of the entrance and waited for Luka to finish his morning practice.
Luka had activated his Spatial Sense to track his opponents' movements during the spar. Thus, he already knew James stood on the doorsteps.
When Luka finished his exercise, the butler handed him a towel. "Thank you."
"Breakfast will be ready shortly," the steward said with a deep bow.
"I'm looking forward to it," the young master replied.
The head servant opened the door for Luka, who entered and climbed the grand staircase to reach his bedroom. He quickly bathed with Hanna's assistance and changed into a fresh set of clothing.
When Luka arrived in the dining room, he was shocked to find his mother sitting at the table. Luka grimaced as he took his seat to her right. "Good morning, mother," he greeted politely.
"Good morning, Luka. It was rather improper for you to leave Lumina suddenly without notifying your mother. Please tell me why you did that?" Juliette inquired in a calm voice.
"I awoke when Lumina's main cannon activated and produced a shockwave which shook the guesthouse. I investigated the ground and discovered Lumina's attack destroyed villages surrounding the forest and couldn't find a single survivor. I became upset over the church's callous disregard of our subjects and decided that I could not remain in Lumina. So I returned home," Luka explained.
The duchess sighed. She didn't expect her son to learn about the destruction of Izan so soon! "I'm equally to blame," Juliette declared abruptly.
Luka's eyes widened in surprise. "Why would you claim responsibility? The church is at fault," he protested.
Juliette shook her head. "I am the feudal lord responsible for protecting my subjects, and I failed to do so. When Lumina left its perch over the capital city and flew to Izan, I should have foreseen a direct assault on my domain."
"Additionally, I learned that the commander in charge was part of Archbishop Milstein's faction. I should have considered the possibility of revenge using the destruction of the Netherese portal as cover. My lack of foresight harmed my subjects. Therefore, I'm equally guilty due to my incompetence as a feudal lord," she concluded.
"With all due respect, mother, you aren't omnipotent. Since you serve as a valkyrie captain, you are out of the chain of command. Even if you stood inside the control room, you couldn't stop the commander from activating Lumina's weaponry. You are too harsh on yourself, mother," Luka admonished gently.
"I don't want you to see the Divine Church of Light as your enemy. There are competing factions within the organization, just like the aristocracy. In this instance, Archbishop Milstein's group saw an opening to harm their enemy and took it. We will rebuild Izan province and make it stronger. I promise you," she reassured him.
"Yes, mother." However, Luka felt determined to remove the Milstein faction's remnants from power before they could harm the Heavensfell domain again. But to achieve this goal, he must remain in the church and push for changes from within.
Although this path was fraught with danger, Luka felt a duty to Sister Chenda, Dagobert, Hildru, and the other Izan residents he met recently. Additionally, Luka saw an opportunity to prove his mettle as a feudal lord. "Mother, may I ask for a favor?"
"Yes?"
"I wish to take responsibility for rebuilding Izan," he responded. "I plan to summon Alraune and use her power to make the land fertile again. Once this happens, we can convince peasants to settle and develop the fields. Also, if I take direct governance over this province, the church would be more reluctant to unilaterally attack this territory again because of my status as Altima's Godson," he explained.
"What's your opinion, James?" she solicited the steward's advice.
"Your Excellency, I think this is a wonderful idea. If this reclamation project succeeds, our young master will receive tremendous credit and elevate his standing as the heir. If the plan fails, we can blame the difficulty on Lumina's powerful attack. The young master's proposal is a win-win situation," he praised.
The duchess nodded. Juliette felt inclined to accept her son's proposal but worried that her relationship as his mother colored her judgment. Thus, the feudal lord asked for her steward to assess the idea independently. "I will agree under two conditions. First, this work cannot interfere with your schooling at the Morninglory Royal Academy. Once the winter break ends, you will return to school. In other words, you have only five weeks to devote to this reclamation project."
"Second, you will return to Lumina and live in the guesthouse for the duration. I know that you can teleport to Izan at your convenience. But prom
ise me that you won't visit at night because the undead are more active after dark, and your chances of encountering them would be much greater."
"I accept your terms," Luka agreed.
"Excellent," his mother nodded. "My valkyrie squadron will carry magic items to detect undead and fly all over the province. Once they confirm that all the zombies are gone, James will arrange for settlers to enter with my guards and live in Izan."
Luka nodded in appreciation. When the heir finished his meal, the mage teleported to his private Alaife Dungeon. The owner fed Alraune's energy to the core and then made the relic split into two parts. He left the larger piece in place while taking the smaller magic stone with him.
The mage teleported back to Izan. To be precise, Luka returned to the former site of the forest. He activated his Spatial Sense to confirm that he was alone and then used Spatial Blade to cut a hole deep within the earth.
Luka held the secondary dungeon core in his hand and issued a command. "Create a small chamber ten feet in diameter." The owner dropped the magic stone into the hole and buried it.
Luka used his Spatial Sense to observe the relic carry out his order. Once the core finished this task, he teleported to its location and issued several commands directing the dungeon core's expansion underground.
Luka decided to set up a secret dungeon in Izan for two reasons. First, he wished to create a base of operations unknown to the Heavensfell family servants. Luka assumed many spies belonging to the royal family, other nobles, and the church were among these employees. Only his mother and the head steward knew that Luka owned a private dungeon.
Second, he needed to borrow the dungeon's strength to rebuild Izan quickly. After all, Luka had only five weeks to work on his land reclamation project. Using Alraune's power was risky because Luka needed to conserve his mana to deal with another possible contagion elsewhere in the kingdom. However, the teenager planned to use Alraune to enrich the topsoil; thus, he didn't lie to his mother about using the nature god's power to reclaim and develop the province.
Luka focused on expanding the dungeon's territory downward because he wished to move the controlling core deeper underground to protect it. When the chamber reached five hundred feet below the surface, Luka ordered it to stop.
Luka noticed that dusk had arrived, and he needed to return home soon. The dungeon master gave the core additional instructions to expand horizontally to a specific size before he departed.
Chapter 99
Reconciliation & Intrusion
When Luka returned to the family estate, he wasn't surprised to find the pope's official carriage parked in the driveway. He politely nodded at the templars guarding the vehicle and entered his residence.
Hanna welcomed him and accompanied the young master upstairs to his room. She already prepared a hot bath and chose proper clothing for the young master to meet the pope.
The personal maid used scented soap to wash away the accumulated sweat and dirt and dried his body with a thick towel. Once Hanna finished helping Luka put on his garments, the young master checked himself in the mirror and nodded his approval for his appearance.
Luka strolled down the staircase and entered the dining room. "Good evening, mother and godfather," he greeted and took his customary seat to Juliette's right.
"Thank you for permitting me to join your family dinner," the pope replied with a gentle smile.
"Your Holiness, we are blessed by your presence," the host responded. After the maids brought the food to the table, the host raised her glass. "To peace and prosperity," Juliette toasted.
"To Altima's everlasting love," Demetrius offered.
"To life," Luka proposed.
The three glasses clinked. While the duchess and pope drank red wine, the heir sipped on fruit juice. The trio ate their meals while observing aristocratic etiquette.
Juliette glanced at her son on occasion to assess his posture while eating. She gave him passing marks.
The visitor heard chomping sounds coming from a corner. He was surprised that Juliette would permit Luka's pets to eat in the same room.
Once the patrons finished their meals, Pope Demetrius began the discussion in earnest. "I apologize on behalf of the Divine Church of Light," he said and lowered his head to Juliette. "Lumina launched its light cannon attack without my permission, and this resulted in many casualties on the ground."
"692," Luka interrupted harshly.
"Pardon?"
"Your weapon killed 692 of my subjects," the heir explained in a cold tone of voice as he glared at the church leader. "I devoted my time today burying them and made a headcount," Luka added. He ordered the dungeon core to locate all the human bodies and buried them in a mass grave. The magical minion gave him a final count.
"May I provide the deceased with an official funeral service?" the pope offered.
"No need," Luka declined curtly. "I already buried them with my magic. Moreover, it would be a mockery for the murderers to eulogize the victims," he added.
Demetrius sighed at the biting remark. "I already demoted the commander who ordered the attack along with the officers who executed his command. Additionally, I changed procedures in the control room; I have the sole authority to fire Lumina's main cannon. I admit this was an oversight on our part as an organization."
"Regardless of the changes you make now, the fact is that my subjects died needlessly. The problem lies with the church culture and its low valuation of the commoner lives," Luka issued his pointed critique. "When I fought with Trevor, I was surprised by his low regard for the boy and his mother despite being a man of faith. I dismissed his attitude as an isolated incident."
"But when your commander fired the cannon, it confirmed my fear over how the church views the commoners. The Divine Church of Light exists to protect Altima's children, not just a select few privileged persons. Unfortunately, the church members, especially the previous Enforcer of Church Doctrine, don't seem to share this perspective. That's why I'm wondering if I should resign from the church effective immediately," Luka declared.
The pope shook his head. "I apologize for my failure of leadership over the church culture. How can I convince you to remain in our organization? I'm willing to resign and let you install my replacement," Demetrius offered.
Juliette's jaw dropped because she couldn't believe his words. Moreover, the mother understood the cunning fox's motivation for offering his resignation. "Your Holiness, my son is grieving for the lost lives of his subjects in Izan. But he has no interest or intention to entangle with church politics."
"As Altima's Godson, Luka stands apart from your church management. He cannot call the shots and decide who takes what position within the organization," she protested firmly on Luka's behalf.
"But Luka lost faith in the Divine Church of Light. How can we regain his trust and confidence?" the church leader pointed out the crux of his problem.
"Luka has asked for and received my permission to take over the Izan Province as governor. He plans to spend the remainder of his winter break revitalizing the land. I'm sure he would appreciate the church rebuilding its branches within the territory," Juliette suggested.
Luka nodded. "I admired Sister Chenda greatly for her dedication to the people. If the church returns to the territory and rebuilds its facilities, I think this would give my subjects greater confidence to migrate to Izan."
"Okay, I will marshal church resources to rebuild in Izan ASAP," the pope agreed.
"Thank you for accepting my selfish request," Luka replied and bowed.
"This is the least I should do to make amends," the older man replied. "I realize that you will spend the daytime hours in Izan, but what about the evenings? I don't feel comfortable with the notion of you sleeping there at night due to the possibility of undead surviving Lumina's assault and roaming the land. Although you could sleep here in your family manor, I encourage you to come back to the guesthouse. What are your thoughts?" Demetrius probed.
Luka looked at
his mother, who nodded her encouragement.
"Yes, I will return to Lumina in the evenings as long as my mother is willing to join me," Luka replied and added a condition.
"That's fine," Juliette agreed. She hadn't completed her rotation in the valkyrie squad. Thus, she planned to go back anyway, regardless of where Luka planned to stay. But having her son spend his evenings in the guesthouse would allow the mother to keep an eye on him.
Frankly, Juliette worried about his mental health because her son didn't have many friends. Therefore, Luka would take the deaths of Sister Chenda, Dagobert, Hildru, and other Izan residents harder than the average person.
The guest felt elated because Luka's stay in Lumina would provide additional chances to pull him back to the church. The pope's initial worry of Luka breaking off all ties with the Divine Church of Light failed to materialize. This resolution was a victory in itself.
Demetrius finished his drink and said, "Thank you for giving us a chance to make amends to the Heavensfell dukedom. I should return to the city." He slowly rose from his chair.
The mother and son stood up. Luka offered his arm and helped his godfather walk out of the mansion. The young man continued to accompany Demetrius straight to the carriage.
"I'll see you tomorrow!" the pope said and climbed inside.
Luka stood with his mother and waved goodbye as the horse-drawn vehicle slowly drove out of the driveway and entered the magic gate back to Lumina.
"You acted like a proper noble," Juliette praised.
"Thank you, mother."
The uneasy truce between the church and the dukedom took hold as Luka spent the next several weeks working to revitalize Izan.
Contractors appeared and began to construct church buildings in their former locations. Pope Demetrius gave the workers instructions to build everything back to the way they were previously.
Luka was surprised but held his tongue because he didn't wish to interfere with the construction work. Moreover, he had no authority to modify how the church rebuilt its properties, even though Luka harbored some notions to improve their facilities.
The Divine Summoner: Godson of Altima Page 80