"Well, these past few days, only one cleric has been coming here. He's a friend named Robert."
"Robert..." she murmured, "... Thank you. What else do you know about him?" Brandyc found it odd that Frederic's daughter wanted to know more about a simple cleric.
"Ahh, well, he became a cleric recently and is even the High Priest's apprentice. That's something to be proud of." The chef spoke with a touch of pride in his voice.
"The High Priest's apprentice?!" The more she learned, the more intrigued she became.
"Yes, and you know pizza and hamburgers? Those were his creations too."
"Wait, you're saying my favorite foods were made by him?" She was taken aback. "The recipe is his, but it was I who prepared and cooked them." She stood in silence, processing this, while Brandyc felt a twinge of sadness that she ignored his role in the cooking.
Why did Father tell me that he's his property? The High Priest and the Church wouldn't accept that...
"What's your name?" she asked. If the chef was hurt by her not knowing his name, he didn't show it.
"It's Brandyc, milady."
"Brandyc, please answer my question. What are your thoughts on your friend Robert?"
"Hmmm, he's young and has a promising future ahead of him. He's intelligent and kind." The chef recalled when Rafael taught him and his apprentice how to make pizza and hamburgers, patiently explaining the recipes until they understood.
Ella thanked him, said her goodbyes, and left to find a certain room for the first time. Umm... Where is it? She asked a servant for directions.
As she approached the room, she heard a loud conversation from behind the wooden door.
What's happening? Shouldn't clerics be gentle and calm? Opening the door, she found the room full of men talking animatedly, some even shouting. Three old men seemed to be the center of attention, surrounded by many clerics.
Normally, it would be rude, even punishable, for the daughter of a baron to be ignored at the door. After a few seconds, someone finally noticed her and alerted the others.
"Milady Ella, what brings you here? I've never seen you here before," one of the priests quickly greeted her. The only things that set him apart from the others were his aged appearance, white hair, a beard, and a green strip around his arms.
"Good afternoon, priest. Yes, this is my first time here. May I ask why the conversation is so lively?"
"Oh, it's noth— Ahem, Milady Ella, have you seen a young cleric inside the mansion recently?" He cut himself off, cleared his throat, and threw a question back at her. I could use her to discover what Frederic did to that criminal and maybe even influence her father to return him to us.
"Yes, I've seen him! Priest, I heard he's a dangerous criminal, but how could that be if he's a cleric? I even heard he's the High Priest's apprentice." The room grew quieter, though the conversations continued.
"Oh, my dear, may the Lord forgive his soul, but he is indeed a criminal. Not a small one at that—a murderer, a heretic..." He listed all the crimes and accusations against Rafael, even adding new ones. "God gave us free will, so it was bound to happen someday."
"What about the High Priest? What does he think about this?"
"He's on an important mission to the south, so Julius will only learn what happened when he returns. I assure you, the High Priest is unaware of that man's true nature." Ella seemed a bit frightened by everything she heard.
"When you saw him, how was he?"
"I only saw him once, and he was being followed by a soldier." The old man listened intently. "Anything else? Were his hands tied? Did you see where he was taken?"
"N-no, his hands were free, and I didn't see where he was taken." Ella lowered her head, recalling her encounter with Rafael. The priest mistook her silence for shame at not being able to provide more information, so he comforted her.
"Don't worry, milady. Our beloved Creator will protect us and bring punishment to the sinners. Dear Ella, your faith is strong, isn't it?"
"Y-Yes," she replied, looking up at him.
"Help us then. Help the light triumph. I'm asking you to be our eyes and ears. We will bring justice to that demon." He placed his hands on her shoulders. She felt a bit of fear in the situation, hesitating to answer. Who should she trust—her father or the Church?
Since childhood, religion and faith had been instilled in her. If you sinned without repenting and confessing, you would suffer eternally in hell. However, a few years ago, her father distanced the family from these teachings. No one ever told her why, but she suspected it was related to the death of her baby brother.
During the silence between them, Ella overheard a cleric say something that caught her attention.
"He's the one who came up with paper, liquid stone, and the printing press? This can't be! We should ban all that!" No one knew who spread the rumor, but now every cleric believed that Rafael had given those ideas to the Church.
"What?!" Ella asked, dumbfounded, and the nearby clerics looked at her. "What did you say?" She stared directly at the man who had spoken.
"I heard that paper, liquid stone, the printing press, and even some already banned knowledge were all given to us by him," the man answered, noticing it was the baron's daughter.
"Don't listen to them, milady; they don't know what they're talking about!" The priest gave a stern look to the cleric, who gulped and walked away.
"No, why do you say that?" Ella wanted to ask more, but the cleric had already left.
"It's just a rumor, and that's it. Actually, I'm almost certain it's a lie."
It's not a lie! I've seen how Father seems happier and more energetic these days with these new discoveries. Paper, yes! I heard Mother mention something about paper. And the printing press this morning! she thought, piecing it all together in her mind. She looked down.
"My dear, our God is calling us to act! We cannot let evil prevail. We need your help to make that sinner pay for his deeds. What do you say?"
Her eyes rose from the floor to meet the old man's gaze. "Yes."