Magic was an important part of life in this world, everything from cooking to cleaning to combat to healing, if it needed to be done well and quickly, magic was the go-to. This is what Lissana had taught me. In the few instances where she wasn't busy, she told me a little more about the world. She didn't have to, she easily could have had a servant take care of that for her.

The most common place and times for speaking was in the dining hall, though she was nowhere as vulnerable as that day when she spoke with her ancestor. Always the noble, she spoke evenly and always carefully enunciated her words without seeming like she was indecisive. It was a skill I wish I had.

"Ugh, I'm stuffed." I said, covering a belch. "I wish I could cook as well as your chefs."

"Is the food on your world not as good?" She asked.

"No, there's a lot of really good food on my world, it's just I'm not a good cook when it comes down to it. I usually buy pre-prepared food that I have to heat up."

"You can just buy dinner fully made?" She asked, her eyes lit up with wonder.

"Yeah, but freezing it can make it taste bad." I replied. "And nothing beats a home-cooked meal. Still, having the convenience when you have a busy day can be good. Though, I really miss pizza. That's the only thing I really know how to make properly."

"Peet-za?" She asked.

I nodded. "Yeah, It's basically meat, cheese, and tomato sauce on a thin circle of bread, though you can pretty much put whatever you want on it as long as you don't overburden the dish." I nodded. "Yeah, I could write a list of ingredients, and if there's an adequate replacement, I could try making some pizza."

I talked about the process for making a pizza, but I noticed Lissana was distracted.

"Is something the matter?" I asked. "Is my talking about pizza boring?"

"What?" She asked. "No, I just have a lot on my mind."

"Is it something private, or is it something that can be spoken aloud?" I asked.

"A host should never burden her guest with their anxieties." She replied.

"Alright." I said. "But if you ever need a non-biased listener, I will always be available to listen. Well, at least as long as it's not the dead of night. Nash has me exercising and training when I'm not cleaning. I haven't gotten a chance to do any writing."

"The eighth day of the week is coming." She said. "Every week, a group of priests come to deliver a sermon of their deity, and by law, I am required to allow them to do so." She took a small bite of meat. "They are critical of non-believers, and I am afraid they may take offense if you were to voice anything..." She trailed off.

"So I just have to sit through a sermon without falling asleep." I said. "Got it."

She looked surprised. "What?" She asked.

"I can imagine how it'll go, they'll ask me if I'm faithful, I'll tell them I am a foreigner and know little of their god, they preach, and I pretend that it was wonderful and so on and so forth." I said. "I'm not going to do anything that would unnecessarily jeopardize you or your household. Hell, I sat through three years of it before, this shouldn't be an issue."

"They may find you are lying." She said.

"'Oh, woe is me, woe is me, I am but a poor cursed soul who seeks succor and solace.' Does that sound like something they'd be willing to overlook?" I asked.

"Not if you are that dramatic about it." She said.

"If there is nothing that I need to worry about too much, then I'll play the part of a poor unfortunate soul who was taken in under the graceful charity of my Lady. It shouldn't sound too suspicious." I set my fork down. "Besides, with the eighth day of the week tomorrow, I can't exactly practice, right? I've been here seven days, so..."

"You were taught such?" She asked.

"It's an assumption." I replied. "Assuming an eight day week, since I didn't encounter any priests before, it would make sense that tomorrow's the day."

She nodded. "It is so." She replied.

"By the way, is a last name common, or do only nobility have that privilege?" I asked.

"A last name... Ah, a family name." She said. "Only nobles have such names, most commonfolk use their father's name or mother's name if necessary."

"Good to know." I said.

We continued eating, but it was an uneasy meal from then on...

The day started with Cier getting me out of bed for the day. "Today will be a rather difficult day, considering the nature of your being here." He said. "No matter what you do, try to keep your abilities, such as they are, to yourself. As far as anyone is concerned, Lady Lissana is studying the curse that is on you that prevents you from being seen as truthful, and nothing more. As such, you are a guest as a result of this and only this."

"Understood." I said. "What if they ask about my background?"

"You are a traveler who caught afoul a curse, my Lady saw you were in need, and sought to remove your curse. You may speak of your arrangement to clean within the household as thanks to my Lady. Lastly, though you have an aversion to it-"

"It would be weird for me not to say it." I replied. "By the way, does the word 'Salem' hold any negative connotations?"

"It does not. When interacting with any priests, be sure to greet them properly. Like this." He clasped his hands together and bowed his head. I copied the movement. "Always do this before speaking to them, even if they address you first. Above all else, remember this is my Lady's estate, the Temple cannot make you do anything without the express permission of my Lady or the King."

"Do I need to make the gesture every time I want to speak with them, or..?"

"Once per individual." He replied.

"And the name of their deity?" He asked.

"The Dragon God, Bahamut." He said.

"Seriously?" I asked. "Platinum-scaled dragon, lawful good, that sort of thing?" I asked.

"I suppose those would be accurate descriptors." He remarked. "You are knowledgeable?"

"Just another interesting overlap." I replied.

I got dressed and picked up the cursed mask, which got an eyebrow raise from Cier.

"It may be more believable if I wear a cursed item." I said, slipping it on.

"That is a fair point." He remarked. "But bear in mind that they may try to uncurse the mask, and if divine providence is enough to dispel it..." His eyes widened. "I see, you are hoping that your resistance will influence the mask as well, limiting the effect of divine magic."

I nodded. "I would present a moral quandary, a Human who can nullify magic as a result of a curse, to be pitied and allowed to stay, or to be exploited at the potential wrath of their god."

He nodded. "Devious." He said.

The bell began to ring. "Let us make haste, they will be arriving shortly." We rushed to the main hall, where literally everyone was gathered. Cier strode toward the doors and opened them. Five men in gold and white robes strode into the room, their hands clasped together. Only one looked up, the other four had their heads bowed, with incense holders on chains swinging as they walked.

Everyone began to bow at the priests, so I made the gesture as well.

The priest who had his head raised was Lacertian, and he made the gesture as well. "Lift your heads, faithful." He said. "Let us gather to hear the divine will of Bahamut."

He looked at each of us carefully, his eyes lingered on me. "You. Why do you hide your face in the presence of a holy man?"

I made the gesture again. "I am sorry, this mask is cursed and will not come off." I kept a close eye on his face, but he did not react.

He approached me and said, "I do not tolerate lying." He said and grabbed the mask. With a forceful pull, he pulled me forward, this time, his expression was shocked.

"With permission, may I explain what I know of my curse?" I asked.

He let go. "Speak." He said.

"Thank you." I bowed my head. "I was given this mask as a gift, but when I wore it, I found it would not come off. All who saw me, who could sense lies, saw me as a liar, even when I spoke truthfully. When asked my name, I could not speak it, lest the words choke me. It is by the grace of my Lady that I have been given comfort, and it is by her charity that I have not starved."

"You are Human..." He remarked. "From where do you hail?"

"The village of Salem." I said. "I have been traveling far to see my brother."

"I see..." He said. He cupped his hands around my face and spoke with an air of authority. "By the Dragon God, Bahamut, I pray he revokes this fel curse upon you, to free you from these dark shackles." His entire body glowed, and then he pulled on the mask, which remained firm on my face. The shock on his face was enough that he fully expected it to work.

"I thank you for the earnest effort." I said. "My woe should not distract you from your holy work, please, pay me no mind."

A big show and a guilt trip. Why should a priest focus only on one person when there are a lot of people who preach at? Even as a holy man, focusing solely on a commoner in the presence of a Noble would be a huge gaffe. To risk potential patronage, or to help the less fortunate.

"Your concern for the Lady Wyrashe is noble." He said. "Were I not in her presence, I would work night and day to free you of your curse." He chose the middle ground, to give supplication to save face with Lissana.

Lissana made the gesture. "Your concern for my guest is inspiring." She said. "Though I lack the divine gifts you bear, I shall endeavor all the more to ease his suffering, and to one day free him."

"Then let us gather in the shrine, so that I may speak the Dragon God's will."

We followed the Lacertian to a massive room with a giant dragon statue inside. The four priests walked throughout the room, filling it with incense, while the Lacertian took his place in front of the statue. We all sat in benches that weren't quite pews and he began to preach.

The experience was unlike a Baptist sermon. You didn't sing a handful of hymns before the service started, nor were any sung when he finished. He spoke of how the Dragon God took the form of a commoner to seek an honorable noble, and was turned away at almost every household save one, who then became the progenitor of the Empire.

At the end of the sermon, Lissana hosted the priests for lunch, which was expected. I took a seat at the far end of the table, since the seat closest to Lissana was reserved for honored guests. Though the Priests thought it was weird, I handwaved it by saying, "I am not worthy enough to sit next to my Lady."

That didn't mean I couldn't overhear what the priests were saying, though.

"Have you any suitors, Lady Wyrashe?" The Lacertian asked.

"I do not." Lissana stated. "Nor do I have any consorts."

"Yet, you are not a virgin." The Lacertian stated.

"I am not, nor do I have any heir to give over to the Temple." She said. "Nor would I dishonor the Temple by bearing an illegitimate child so as to have something to give."

"Then perhaps the Human?" He suggested. "You have given much to help him, and though I am one man, the Temple has many Priests. We would work night and day to help him."

Lissana looked at me, her expression unreadable. "By my honor, I could never give a life that is not mine to give. You may ask him, certainly, but I would never consign any man so that I may not be bothered by the Temple." She took a bite and chewed it before swallowing. "I would sooner bleed upon the Altar to Bahamut, I would sooner deface it, as such an action would be an affront to the Dragon God."

The Lacertian nodded, seemingly pleased with the answer. "If he does come with us, it will be seen as your obligation being paid." He said. "And if in three days we cannot remove his curse, we will allow him to leave and to return here, where you may care for him for as long as you deem necessary."

I realized now why I could hear them. The Lacertian wanted me to hear. A man who should be as grateful as I should be would offer himself up without question. 'I've been out-gambitted.' I thought to myself.

A rock, a hard place, and myself caught in the middle.

If I did not leave, I would be seen as unfaithful or even disrespectful and potentially carried off, or as a freeloader who takes advantage of the kindness of Lissana. On the other hand, they would certainly find out that I was resistant to magic no matter what.

Dinner finished and we all gathered to say farewell to the priests before they left. The Lacertian approached me. "Human, it pains my heart to see you suffer so." He said. "I would offer you to join us, so that we may work night and day to free you from your curse."

"I greatly appreciate the offer." I said. "But I owe much to my Lady, to leave with so great a debt unpaid... I could not bear to do it."

"Then, perhaps, you could repay her by volunteering to be sent in lieu of a first-born?" He asked. "You would only need stay three days, after which you would be free to return or leave as you desire."

I looked at Lissana, who shook her head slightly. She knew it was a trap, that they would likely never let me leave.

"Before you leave, please make an attempt to remove this mask." I said. "And then I will accept these terms."

"Then this contract is sealed." He said.

I held both of my hands to the mask and pretended to strain. He spoke the prayer again, and the moment he pulled, I did as well, so that the mask came off. He smiled, pleased.

"I will accompany you to the Temple, and in three days' time, if I do not feel compelled to stay, then I will return on my travels to my brother." I said.

"May I know your name?" He asked.

"My name is R-" I pretended to be shocked and dismayed. How ironic that the moment of freedom would be taken so rudely? The Lacertian displayed shock as well, what an unprecedented twist! My sardonic inner-commentary aside, this presented them with a similar quandary. A man cursed, to let go or to exploit?

I left with them, the Contract that the Lacertian had made with me compelled me to go with them...