"No, I haven't heard any rumors. Why do you ask, High Priest?" Floutt replied.
These nobles really know how to lie, Julius thought. Now I'm not sure if he actually knows something or not. Doubt started creeping into Julius's mind.
No, no, no, I can't let him manipulate me.
"Oh, it's nothing, just something I heard. So how's the war been affecting your lands? I can say with certainty that it's changed everything in Calistoga," Julius continued his "inquiry," disguising it as casual conversation.
Liar! He definitely knows about the relic! Julius fumed inwardly as he prepared to leave the stone mansion of Floutt. After I get to that village and ask the soldiers and peasants who sent them there, I'm sure they'll say his name. I'll order his immediate arrest.
Just as Julius was about to depart, he spotted a cleric walking nearby.
"Good morning, brother."
The cleric looked over, surprise evident on his face. "Good morning, High Priest! May God bless your day, sir."
"Amen. Now, could you please bring me to your High Priest? I need to speak with him."
"I—I'm sorry, sir, but our High Priest isn't receiving visitors in his room. He's very sick, and the healers have said he needs rest and silence."
"Really? Well, I'll pray for his recovery then."
With hours left until midday, Julius and his group ate before continuing their journey toward the village, their final destination.
A minute after they left the city, a scout rushed back to the mansion. Granted entrance to the luxurious room where the Baron had just met with the High Priest, the scout knelt immediately upon seeing Floutt.
"Report, sir. The High Priest and his group have left the city from the east side, heading toward that village."
This bastard is asking for trouble! I can't let him ruin everything now... So be it...
The scout left the mansion in a hurry, carrying specific orders to the barracks.
Julius arrived at the village late at night. I'll see the relic tomorrow morning. There's no rush. Exhausted from the journey, the old man only wanted to sleep.
Rafael woke up, another day of his punishment ahead. One month... One damn month cleaning filth. Okay, calm down. I just have to wait for Julius to return. He'll release me from this suffering and might even unban the distillation process.
He sat on the edge of his bed. The worst part is that I won't be able to introduce new ideas because they'll just ban them, calling them heretical, blasphemous, unholy, and all that crap.
A foul odor reached his nose. I really need a bath.
He requested two buckets of water from a servant and, once they were placed in his room, used a cloth to clean himself. Rafael left his clothes on the bed, making sure the window and door were closed.
Right! The old man had soap. He retrieved the piece of soap from the shelves and used it to better cleanse his body.
Ahhh, this is so good. Basic hygiene. The only thing missing was a toothbrush, a necessity Rafael couldn't go without for long.
Task four: create the first toothbrush, urgently. Now that distillation is banned, task four will take its place as task three.
A few minutes later, as he was nearly done with his bath, a knock on the door startled him.
"High Priest, Cleric Robert, are you there?"
Rafael recognized the voice—it was Aaran, Julius's previous apprentice. Before he could respond, the door opened.
"Good morning, I hav—" The door stopped halfway and quickly shut.
"What the hell! You can't just open doors without permission!"
"I'm sorry! Please forgive me! God is my witness, I'm deeply sorry for this. I just came here to—" Aaran's voice faltered.
Rafael quickly dried himself and began dressing. "You came here for what?"
"...Ah... I came to deliver a message to Cleric Robert. The head chef of the mansion has called for you in the kitchen. He says it's of extreme importance and urgency."
"Tsk. Fine, I'll be there in a minute." Rafael heard Aaran walking away.
Damn it. Wait, they won't accuse me of being gay just because someone saw me naked, right? It was his fault; he entered without asking.
Rafael made his way to the kitchen, where the chef and a female servant awaited him. "Good morning, Brandyc. How are you?"
"Good morning, Cleric Robert! You won't believe this, but do believe it, heheheh... I made those recipes you taught me for Frederic, and he loved them! He praised me all afternoon and said his favorite food now is pizza! I thanked him for the praise, but I couldn't take all the credit. I told him you were the one who taught me those recipes, and now he wants to meet you!"
Oh no...
"So? This is great! Few get to meet and talk with the Baron," Rafael said, though he noticed the servant's brief expression of disgust.
"Haha, yeah, of course it's great. But I don't know if I have time for that because I have—"
"You don't have a say in this. The Baron wants to meet you, so you're going to see him. Follow me." The woman's voice was neutral as she turned and walked away.
Shit, what do I say if he asks where I learned the recipes? Rafael followed the woman, noting that she, like many of the female servants, was quite attractive.
Should I say I learned them in the capital? But what if he asks for specifics? If he knows the capital well, it'll be easy to catch me in a lie. But I don't think it's wise to claim divine inspiration either. Damn it.
They passed through highly decorated corridors filled with doors, vases, paintings, and other ornaments. The woman opened a door and stepped inside.
"Baron Frederic, Cleric Robert is here," she announced.