Vernie hugged her arms around herself, her fingers twitching nervously. “I didn’t read it; I swear! I was going to give it to you… when you were alone,” she appealed to me, still avoiding my gaze as she spoke.

“That… makes sense…” I said absently, holding the document out at arm’s length.

“What is it?” Nora demanded, reaching her hand forward with an eager twitch.

“My will, apparently,” I replied, and her hand froze in mid-grab, her breath catching slightly.

“Oh Rae…”

I dropped my hand to my side, still clutching it. “I mean… I should read it, right? It might be important. Maybe I’ll remember something.”

Vernie turned, her eyes filled with unease. “We can take our leave and—”

“Don’t bother. Just give me a minute or two.” I took a deep breath, reminding myself I was most definitely alive and not dead, given all the emotional turmoil I was feeling. I unfolded the will and took the plunge, thankfully finding it terse. There were no declarations of any extreme feelings, no long-winded speeches, no calls for the praises of worship of a fallen hero. Instead, it focused on something I hadn’t even realized Raelynn had.

Assets.

Last Will and Testament of Raelynn Lightbringer

I, Raelynn Lightbringer, being of sound mind and body, do hereby declare this to be my last will and testament.

• Disposition of Estate: I hereby bequeath my entire estate, including any funds, property, and possessions in my name, to be managed by Councilman Vetus Sagax should I not return from my quest against the Demon King.

• Purpose of Bequest: It is my wish that these assets be used to aid those in need, particularly hybrids and practitioners of dark magic, who suffer unjust treatment in our society. I entrust Councilman Vetus Sagax to distribute these funds wisely and with compassion, ensuring they reach those afflicted by marginalization and oppression.

• Appointment of Executor: I appoint Councilman Vetus Sagax as the executor of this will. It is my hope that he will oversee the faithful execution of my wishes as stated herein.

• Other Provisions: Any funds donated to the church in my name shall also be directed towards the aforementioned charitable purposes, as per the discretion of Councilman Vetus Sagax.

In witness thereof, I have hereunto set my signature this 3rd day of the first month of Winter, 3515.

Captain Raelynn Lightbringer

“Pfft…” A relieved chuckle escaped my lips, but I quickly covered it up with a cough. I glanced at the two of them and saw their eyebrows raised in disbelief at my reaction.

“Uh… Rae?” Nora questioned carefully. “You ok?”

I nodded. “It’s nice to know that I wasn’t as much of an adolescent jerk as I thought I was, that’s all. Here, you guys can take a look.”

They shared the document between them, reading it simultaneously.

“That’s your signature, alright,” Nora concluded, pointing at the bottom of the document. “With your telltale loop over the i.”

“The rest of the form seems pretty standard,” I added. “I’m sure someone else came up with the words.”

“It appoints Councilman Vetus in every paragraph,” Vernie noted with a frown. “Funny thing is, I thought you only met him once?”

It's also interesting that he went by his first name and not his last.

“Uh… you mean, when he referred Oliver to the party?” I asked. “That was the only time I talked to him?”

Vernie took a seat with a heavy sigh. “That’s the only time I know of.”

I had a lot of questions for this Vetus fellow… but they’d never be answered.

Nora’s nose began to twitch. “What about the assets? How much did she have?”

“You’re asking me?” Vernie replied, scratching her cheek. “Well… she only kept pocket change on her. Whenever someone tried to give her a gift or reward, Raelynn just said something like…” Vernie trailed off. “Donate it to the local church in my name…”

I held up a hand. “Hold on. If someone did that, then most likely, that church used it all, right?”

Vernie straightened. “No. There’s a tithing law about this! Forty percent of the donation had to be remitted to the Holy City, with half of that to be used according to the designated recipient’s discretion!”

Nora squinted at her. “You’re quite knowledgeable about this particular mandate…”

“Aha…” Vernie laughed nervously. “Don’t ever try to use a small church as a front… doesn’t work out…”

It was our turn to give Vernie a look, to which she held up her hands defensively.

“H-hey now…” she stammered before swiftly changing the subject. “Why don’t I try to track these assets down? You could very well be rich!”

“Or we could find out Pravum used them to do the exact opposite of my wishes,” I muttered.

“Then we’d have more evidence to keep him out of his position permanently,” Nora noted. “Judging how the General Assembly acted this morning, we’re going to need everything we’ve got to sway them fully.”

“You went to the meeting this morning, too?” I asked, feeling left out.

“Only as a temporary guest. I was introduced as the newest member of the Golds. It was… not the most pleasant experience, and I was ordered to undergo training with that…” She paused, gritting her teeth. “Monotonous, monotonal mage.”

Try saying that three times fast.

“Ah, you got assigned to Master Landon?” Vernie asked knowingly. “You’re going to need coffee!”

“There’s coffee in this world?!” Nora and I both shrieked.

Vernie looked at us in bewilderment. “Well, yeah… but it ain’t cheap around here… Imports and all.”

“Forget the other stuff we talked about. Get us coffee!” I demanded.

Vernie shrugged. “Sure?”

“We’re waiting,” Nora warned, folding her arms.

“What, you mean, right now?”

“Coffee!” I begged, my hands clasped piously. “Do you know how long it’s been since I’ve had it last?”

Vernie stood up with a sigh. “Let me get this straight. You want me to get you coffee now, then to track what happened to all your money, and afterward, I’m supposed to figure out a way so the three of us can spend a day touring Chairo without being recognized?”

I turned to Nora. “Sounds about right to me. Just normal girl stuff, right?”

Nora rubbed her chin. “I want a gold staff. Maybe find out where I might be able to get one?”

Vernie’s eyes went flat. “Anything else?”

I coughed. “Something sweet always goes good with coffee—” I saw her lip start to curl. “But I’m sure you already knew that!”

“I’m leaving! Don’t ask for anything more!” Although Vernie was pouty, she did bounce a bit on her way out, suggesting she wasn’t as upset with the situation as she seemed.

Nora stared at the door briefly before whispering, “Are you sure you’re okay?”

“Yeah. I was worried the Will would be full of bitter rants, but it was pretty short and to the point.”

“You must have had full faith in Vetus,” Nora observed. “You put all your assets in his hands and brought Oliver into your fold just on his recommendation.”

“Yet I don’t really remember anything about him,” I admitted. “And I don’t need to ask; I know he wasn’t mentioned in the story.”

Nora rubbed her head. “Speaking of councilmen… Inutilis is missing. He didn’t show up at the meeting.”

“I wonder if he was in with Pravum and Procul.” I hesitated. “He might even know something about the assassin.”

Nora made a rueful face. “That’s the part I just don’t get,” she said with a sigh.

“The assassin?”

“Right. Why would you bother to kill Father Irijah of all people?”

“He was the last person Relias needed to call for the Crisis of Faith,” I responded dubiously.

Nora leaned forward, then gave the room another suspicious glance before once again summoning her bubble of silence. “Okay, but think about it. Let’s say the assassin was successful. Father Irijah dies. He becomes an instant martyr for our cause, and everyone now suspects someone is trying to hide something and doing it poorly. It certainly wouldn’t have stopped any internal investigation; it would have practically guaranteed the opposite. Either way, the attempt itself was what sealed the deal for Relias, not its outcome.”

I gasped. “You’re not suggesting that Relias had anything to do with..!”

Nora waved her hands. “I’m not, I’m not! What I’m saying is I don’t think there are just two sides here. We have to be suspicious of everyone, especially those who benefit from this Crisis of Faith.”

“Like demons feeding off the general chaos…” I sighed.

“And those vying for the position of councilman,” Nora added. “Although they’re elected, the term is usually for life.”

I blinked several times. “Oh my… And there’s now what, potentially four openings? Five if they ever decide to allow any representation from the Northern Wastelands…”

“If we can’t find Inutilis safe and sound, yes.”

I pulled out my journal and jotted down a few notes to avoid forgetting. “Looks like yet another sidequest...”

“Look at you, trying to be organized!”

“There’s just too much for me to remember,” I grumbled. “Guess we’ll have to ask someone for a description of this missing councilman.”

“I’ll ask Relias,” Nora assured me, picking up on what I meant by ‘someone.’

I started doodling in my journal. It was nothing impressive, just some flowering vines in the corner. “I’m gonna have to try talking to him soon, aren’t I?”

“Eh, let him stew for a little bit longer,” Nora said with a wave of her hand. “Make him come to you.”

I toyed with the idea of telling her that Relias had called me a disappointment. It was so tempting to unleash that nuclear option and rally her to my defense, to have her rage and storm with me until I felt vindicated. But I refrained, aware that such an act could irreparably damage the fragile trust growing between them—a trust I couldn't afford to lose.

He was probably just overwhelmed. It was a crazy day, and emotions were running high.

“Yeah… I guess that should be enough,” I agreed quietly. “He won’t be able to ignore me for long.”