"Father who art in Heaven, hallowed be Thy name..." Julius and the clerics prayed as they followed the path before them. Both guards were sweating profusely, realizing there was no way to escape. "I don't want to die, no, no, no..." one of them whispered, louder than he intended.
"Don't be afraid, for God is with us," one cleric tried to reassure everyone, relying on his faith. Behind them, the sound of soldiers following the same path could be heard.
After what felt like hours, though it was only minutes, they saw a yellow light ahead, filtering through the tree trunks and the undergrowth. Julius stepped in front of the group, being the first to enter a wide, open area lit by several torches.
A small group of soldiers waited there, but Julius and the others barely glanced at them. Their attention was immediately drawn to something else.
In front of them, 20 meters away at the base of a small hill and in front of a shallow cave, stood a massive metallic object surrounded by torches. It was supported by four round legs and topped with a giant glass dome. Wooden structures were built around it, with ropes tied to the contraption.
"Incredible, isn't it?" Knight Lothar, who was standing closer, observed the time machine. Everyone, even the soldiers who were already there, couldn't help but stare at the otherworldly object.
"Is that the relic?" Julius asked, his eyes wide with disbelief. Something so big, made almost entirely of polished metal with that single glass dome...
"Hm? So you know about it, huh? Yes, this is the relic. No one knows how it appeared here, what it is, or where it came from. Come, take a closer look." Lothar waved for them to approach.
"Knight Lothar, what are you and all these people doing with it? What is Floutt's objective?" Julius and his group remained where they stood.
"Can you see it? There's a chair. A chair there! You know what that means, right?" Lothar ignored the old man's question, fixating on the machine as if expecting it to reveal its secrets.
"The locals even mentioned something about a young man appearing the same day as this..."
"That thing cannot be left here! It is a diabolical relic, something unholy that defies the heavens! Can't you all see that?" the high priest shouted angrily, but the others remained still, unmoved.
"Hahaha, don't make me laugh! Look at it! Do you really think it's something from hell? Quite the opposite, I'd say." Lothar turned to face them. The area was shrouded in a light mist, a gentle breeze stirring the flames of the torches.
"We've tried to lift it, but not even a dozen men could budge it. After days of work, we finally managed to push it a bit with dozens of horses, and now we know how to move it. You asked about our objective—well, it's simple. Survival." He waved his hand, and the soldiers drew their weapons, closing in around the group.
"Stop! You can't kill the high priest!" one of the clerics shouted, his voice trembling with fear.
"Our brothers will notice our absence, and they will discover everything! They'll send an army to kill the heretics who murdered us!" the other cleric warned, desperately trying to change their fate.
"Hahahaha... Believe me, they'll have bigger problems to worry about than your disappearance."
"What do you mean by that?" Julius asked, his voice calm and steady. A faint smile played on his lips.
"There's no point in talking with the dead. Kill them."
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Rafael followed the baron back to the same room where they had met earlier that day. The sun was low on the horizon, signaling the end of the day.
"Sit," Frederic commanded, and Rafael sat again in one of the comfortable chairs. Two soldiers stood nearby, ready to react to any sudden movements. The baron walked behind the table and took his seat as well.
"First, let me say that I'm not going to kill you, nor will I punish you for any of your crimes... if you tell me everything you know. I was surprised to learn that you didn't just know about paper but also three other innovations."
Rafael was still sweating profusely, though he was less pale now. "I'm no criminal. A man attacked me, and I only defended myself."
"Maybe, but one thing is certain—you killed someone, and that's not something to take lightly. As a detained criminal under my jurisdiction, I can do whatever I want with you, and no one would question it after I inform them of all your supposed crimes. But I don't want that. I'm offering you a deal. Do you accept it?"
"Could you remind me of the terms of this deal?"
"You are going to tell me everything you know, and in the future, if you receive new knowledge from the heavens, you will share it with me. In exchange, I will provide you with a place to live inside this mansion, and you will have freedom within these walls."
"...Why are you doing this? You're going against the church."
"I have my reasons. Now, do you accept?"
"You said I would be free inside the inner circle, but won't the clerics try something?"
"You don't need to worry about that."
"...I accept." Rafael realized there was no other choice but to join the baron. In the end, it didn't seem so bad—he would be living in a better place and could introduce new inventions sooner.
Damn! What will happen when Julius comes back? He has more authority than the baron, and if he sides with the priests, I'm dead!
"Baron Frederic, what will happen once the high priest returns? I heard he has more authority than a baron."
"He does have more authority but won't be able to do anything because I have backing. Hmm, why did you ask that? Wait, I'll add a new clause to our deal. You are obligated to speak the truth and only the truth. With that in mind, tell me, are you really a religious man?"