Gharan nodded and hurriedly gave Hudson a small pouch of coins that contained more than twice what he usually charged and began to usher him out of the manor. Much to Hudson's unease, he could hear the distant sound of commotion and shouting as they made their way through the opulent halls.
The guard didn't waste any time, practically shoving him out onto the street and heading back into the manor without another word.
What the hell is going on?! Hudson wondered as he stood there, clutching the pouch of coins tightly in his hand.
Within just a few minutes, he had gone from celebrating his increase in Level to hearing that the city was descending into chaos. Even in the Sunstone Heights, Hudson could see panicked people rushing into their homes and raising their wards. The sound of shouting in the distance was growing closer by the second, and he suddenly realized that he needed to move quickly if he didn't want to be caught up in whatever was going on.
Being a [Cultist] wasn't illegal, but he had enough experience with Tal'Qamar's guards that he knew to avoid catching their attention.
Hudson quickly started heading back to his home in the outer sections of the city as quickly as he could, sticking to the back alleys and quiet streets that he'd grown so familiar with as a child.
His heart pounded in his chest when he spotted soldiers wearing the emblem of Tal'Qamar's military patrolling the streets or breaking into the houses of people he knew to be members of the Conclave.
Hudson kept his head down and continued on his way, praying that he wouldn't be targeted by any of the soldiers. He had known for a while that tensions between the Conclave and the city's government were growing, but he had never expected things to escalate to this level.
As Hudson reached the more familiar streets of his neighborhood he picked up the pace, desperate to reach the safety of his small and unassuming clay house. Unfortunately, he was greeted by a sight that made his blood run cold when he finally reached the street where he lived.
Exiting Hudson's home was an armored ogre wearing the emblem of Tal'Qamar's military, and they had spotted him the moment he'd turned the corner.
Fuck! Why are they looking for me of all people? I don't have anything to do with the Conclave!
He briefly considered running, but not only did the nine-foot-tall ogre have much longer legs than he did, but he likely had a physical class like [Dune Skirmisher] or [Dervish Warrior]. His agility stat would at least be somewhere in the mid-twenties! It would be like someone who had never run in their life trying to outrun a professional athlete. The soldier must have realized this as well because he didn't seem to be in any rush as he strode over to Hudson.
"Are you the [Cultist] named Hudson?" asked the ogre, his voice deep and rumbling.
"I am," Hudson hesitantly confirmed. "Why are you looking for me? I don't have any affiliation with the Conclave."
"General Nasrith has ordered all Tal'Qamari citizens with religious Classes to be brought to the palace. The Conclave is to be dismantled and its temples barred from the city. All religious groups unaffiliated with the Conclave must formally swear fealty to Tal'Qamar or be escorted out of the city."
Hudson's eyes widened in shock. "But I'm just one person! I'm not a member of a Cult."
"Doesn't matter. My orders were to bring you or send you out of the city, so that's what I'll do," said the soldier, uninterested in his excuse. "Which will it be, [Cultist]?"
Damn it.
Hudson took a deep breath to calm himself down and began thinking about his options.
He could fight or run, but he probably wouldn't last very long in either case. The soldier almost certainly had a Level advantage over him, and Hudson only had one Skill well suited for combat.
If Tal'Qamar was about to go through a period of political turmoil as it seemed, then it would probably be safer for him to simply leave. Hudson had saved up enough coins and it wouldn't be impossible for him to continue his business in a different city.
But… Tal'Qamar was where he had lived the past two decades of his life. It wasn't a pleasant city, but Hudson was loath to allow himself to be driven out of it. Besides, there was also a chance that the soldier would suddenly chop Hudson's head off as soon as he refused to swear fealty.
As Hudson calmed down and thought about what his life would look like if he stayed in Tal'Qamar, he suddenly realized something important.
This is an opportunity…
There were many aspects of his Class that Hudson couldn't exploit due to his lack of a Cult. If the Conclave was truly being thrown out of the city, then that opened up the opportunity for others to take their place.
After all, the General was asking them to swear fealty rather than just throwing them all out, and there was a good reason why very few nations completely outlawed the worship of gods. Most gods offered powerful Boons to those who worshiped them which would give any nation's citizens a sizable advantage.
If Hudson played his cards right, then this could change everything for him. The risks would be great, but the potential benefits were unimaginable. Cerebon would reward him very well if Hudson was able to convince people to worship the god.
He had long since given up becoming anything more than average, but it seemed that fate put this opportunity in front of him and Hudson would never be able to live with himself if he didn't take it.
With his decision made, Hudson turned to face the soldier and gave his answer. "Take me to the palace."