They had exited the Tormoul estate after meeting with Harold Tormoul once more, thanking him for allowing them to proceed with their handling of the supernatural occurrence, quickly adjourning from their home before he could discover how rowdy the event had truly been in a room full of priceless artifacts. It was important to keep a good relationship with the Tormoul family, as they would need to present their evidence against the Argyle and Cattleya Families to the Consul Laevus.
As soon as they entered the quiet streets of the high borough outside of the estate, Ainsworth and Dietrich removed their clergymen attire and placed it in a satchel that Dietrich had brought with him. Underneath, they were wearing fanciful outfits- three-piece suits with fine stitched lining, silken ties and buttoned-up shirts as white as clouds.
This was the second step in the plan to infiltrate the Cattleya Family's Printing Company. It was imperative that they blend in as well as they could. Of course, in such a place, this meant being as gaudy as they could afford. Due to the decay of Heaven's Roses as an organisation, the funding they had been able to receive from the Church had dwindled. Due to that, the funding that allowed them to purchase such clothes was borrowed in a loan from the Church itself; it would have to be re-payed back in full.
Their plan was entirely dependent on what they were able to accomplish from this point forward. While the supernatural matter that had been assigned to them in place of Saint Selaphiel had gotten them into the high borough, their main task at hand was now finding a suitable cover for the infiltration of the Printing Company.
Of course, it wasn't just that they were dealing with the Cattleya Family. They were likely going to have to go up against the Lord of Ried. That man was rumoured to be behind the movements of the Peacekeepers. If that was really the case, then the corruption might have spread far deeper than they had first assumed. Either that, or Allenette Cattleya was deftly manipulating such a powerful party with sheer cunning. That is… if he even remained 'Allenette Cattleya' anymore.
Ainsworth glanced over towards Dietrich, raising a hand to block the glaring sun from his eyes. Out in the High Borough, free from the clouds, all that was left was sun and blue sky. It was strange, almost endearing.
Now that Ainsworth was looking at him in such a bright light free from dreary clouds and rain, Dietrich looked… far different. Once he was able to get a true look at him, he looked quite old, a bit haggard, but also a bit more stoic in comparison to his usually-gruff attitude. Ainsworth had first assumed that his aversion to working with a team was because he was still a hot-headed young man, but that might have been far from the truth in reality.
He had never really thought about it until that point, but unlike him, who had been groomed by an Archangel for a high position, someone like Dietrich had made it to the height of the Blue Roses by trial of time and expense of effort. This man was likely far older than Ainsworth was, perhaps in his mid-thirties or even nearing his early fourties.
He had fine, numerous wrinkles beside his eyelids, and lines on his cheeks that suggested he had smiled so much and could no longer. Shouldn't a man of his age be a bit more accomplished? Of course, that wasn't to say that he was a failure of a person; it wasn't a critique. Rather, just an observation. Someone a bit older than him would be present in the upper echelons of the clergy. Even Ainsworth's Red Rose peers were about the same age as Dietrich. So why was he still a Blue Rose?
"Why haven't you ascended, Mr. Reiche?"
Dietrich glanced over towards Ainsworth, finally noticing his staring, before sighing.
"You know that the Labyrinth becomes inconsequentially harder the higher you go, right?"
Ainsworth nodded his head. Of course, this was something he had been told over and over. The dangers within the Labyrinth would become far more apparent or aggressive, whether it was monsters or mental hazards, it was certainly true that the strongest faced the most.
"I tried to ascend, once. I journeyed to the depths of the labyrinth… but it just wasn't enough. You can't just try, I'm sure you're quite aware of it yourself. The older you get… the harder it becomes. Although, I suppose that should be obvious. Unless you manage to cross that Ascendance Boundary like Mr. Selaphiel, you might not live much longer than any normal person… for me, I think that time has passed. I will forever stay a 'magician'. The upper brass aren't quite willing to give an older man like me another chance. I simply took too long out of apprehension."
'Ah, a sixth-ascended, a Magician. I recently just became a seventh-ascended, a Sorcerer. Is it really that hard to get through the Ascendance Boundary? Because of recent events, I've pushed myself to work hard towards it and get through the Labyrinth, but at the same time, maybe I've been allowed into the Labyrinth so often as a special privilege from Mr. Selaphiel! I see, so the reason it takes so much time to ascend, just like in Mr. Reiche's case, is because of time itself! He took too long, and so they won't risk his life, when he is perfectly good at the top of the Blue Roses. It's quite sad.'
"Why haven't you sought a higher rank in the clergy, then?" Dietrich replied casually. His gruff demeanor had vanished, at least when speaking towards Ainsworth. Initially, it was just his apprehension to treat such a young man with respect, but he had overcome it to an extent. At least, he could speak to Ainsworth somewhat genially. "Red Rose, yet still a Priest, isn't it a little too far out of the ordinary, even for a student of an Archangel?"
"Well, recently, too many events have happened. I couldn't even consider applying for a rise in rank. Not to mention the studies that come along with it… even though I've been able to ascend Heaven's Roses so quickly, becoming such a prominent figure in the Church wouldn't be so easy. It's better left where I am for now. I can always try later, as long as I don't die in this endeavour. Since we've only been facing Nameless recently, it didn't seem important."
Dietrich stopped in his tracks, raising a hand to halt Ainsworth as well.
Soon, they had arrived at the Cattleya Family's Printing Company building, not too far from their main estate in the high borough. It was time to find a way inside. Ainsworth grimaced, feeling as if anxiety had begun to overtake his heart. After all, they were likely walking into the hive of the enemy.
'If we get caught, not even our capacity as Heaven's Roses could save us from the Peacekeepers…'