Hecate's temple was almost identical to its counterpart in Mayfeld – one of the only familiar things in the entire city. Matt was surprised that Mayfeld had managed to reconstruct something like this so precisely. That said, the temple looked even more holy in its original setting. There were numerous temples flanking this one, each of them devoted to the deities who chose mortals the most frequently. Artemis' temple, a small building with dozens of columns supporting an open pavilion, sat directly next to Hecate's. A few women sat within, praying to their patron goddess.
"Come, young Matthew," Mana said, gliding through the entrance to the temple with grace. Matt tried to follow her footsteps, but he was given quite a few unusual looks from the other people walking the streets. It didn't bother him all that much, as he was in the building moments after Mana was.
Upon entering, Matt was greeted by an eerily familiar place. Not only was the exterior of this place nearly the exact same as the temple in Mayfeld, but so was the interior. The only difference was the group of women that stood in the center of the space, as if they had been expecting Mana and Matt. All of them were dressed in the blue and gold garb that denoted a servant of Hecate, except for the woman who greeted them. She alone was wearing a silver robe.
"Welcome back, Mana. Is this the young man you wrote about?" she asked, hugging Matt's companion. Mana, for her part, returned the hug with fervor. It looked like the priestesses of Hecate remained close to each other, despite living a month's travel apart.
"He is. Have you been able to find anything on this Iapetus, Head Priestess?" she followed up with a question of her own as she returned to Matt's side.
"We have not. If Iapetus is a god as young Matthew claims, then his name has been stricken from the records. Similarly, there is nothing about 'the Piercer' or anything of the sort," she answered, causing Mana to frown. The atmosphere became pensive, as if the very air were thinking alongside the priestesses.
"His voice came to me in a vision, Head Priestess," Matt offered, figuring that his hopes of entering the Academy of Paladins would come to a premature demise if Hecate's priestesses sent him back to Mayfeld.
"But you did not see him?" the Head Priestess questioned, her fingers running through her grey hair as she tried to piece the puzzle together.
"I didn't. He told me he was too weak after expending his strength before leaving Earth with the other gods," Matt explained. Mana already knew this, having traveled with him during the past month. For the other priestesses, the words came as a shock.
"Perhaps that would explain it."
"I believe Matt is Iapetus' first chosen, Head Priestess," Mana said slowly, drawing the women's attention to herself. "He is not a warrior, and yet he managed to stab a man through the stomach – through that man's chainmail armor. I don't believe an untrained boy could do the same, not unless he was chosen by the gods."
"Do you swear to that story, Mana?"
"I do. I witnessed it from the carriage."
The Head Priestess approached Matt. "What is it you hope to accomplish, young Matthew?" It was a simple question, but Matt could feel the gravity of those words. Was she testing him?
He had options. The first was to make up some righteous cause that he wanted to pursue. However, he didn't really understand what was all that righteous about the battlefield anymore. That left him the second option: telling the truth.
"I would like to attend the Academy of Paladins," he said, his voice echoing in the empty chamber of Hecate's temple. Mana looked at him, for this is the first she had heard of his end goal. Matt smiled at the priestess before turning his attention back to the person who asked him the question in the first place.
"I am not certain that is a good idea," she replied. The words sent Matt's heart into a frenzy. Did he come all this way to get no answer about Iapetus, to get sent back?
Mana saw the worry on his face. "Head Priestess, I think we should give him a chance. We do not know what type of god Iapetus is, or how his patronage will affect his chosen. Should he be a minor deity, Matthew will discover it soon enough. If, by chance, Iapetus is stronger than we give him credit for, then it is all the better that young Matthew is learning to master his powers."
Matt looked at her in surprise. She had come to his rescue remarkably quickly, and her words had a profound impact on the Head Priestess. The elderly woman shook her head back and forth, as if thoughts were wrestling with each other inside her skull. "I am not sure if I can guarantee him a spot, but I will see what I can do."
He sighed in relief. That was enough for him. "Thank you so much, Head Priestess," he bowed as much as he would for his lord, not that he had ever had the chance to bow for his lord.
"Do not thank me yet, young Matthew. The school is a place where heroes are born, that much is true. However, those who attend the Academy are pushed beyond belief. For those who do not belong… I do not wish to imagine what that might be like. Are you certain you would like me to inquire?"
Matt gulped. He hadn't quite thought through all the implications of attending a school meant for the most powerful of individuals across the entire empire. He resolved himself before answering, the steel in his voice brooking no changing of minds. "Yes."