DRAGONBORN SORCERER-Chapter 36: Discussion Before Destruction

Hellen served the tea and left the room quietly. In Leonardo’s office, next to the tea–table, Skyler and Vitra sat passionately, their impression somewhat serious as though they were about to discuss something crucial.

Only Leonardo, Rose and McVill were inside the room. They looked concerned. Darkness shrouded their face, and sweat trickled down their foreheads.

"Lord Skyler." Rose broke the silence. Her voice was steady yet inquisitive "I don’t understand. The Xion problem as already been resolved. So, what is it that soon will devour our nation?"

"Or are the Xions still alive, plotting something again?"

"That’s not it, clan leader." Skyler replied with a hint of worry as his expression shadowed with concern. "The Xions are indeed all dead. You witnessed Vitra reduce them into ashes, didn’t you."

Vitra took a small sip of the tea, and stared at them. Her eyes silently warned them not to doubt her strength. Without a word, she continued sipping.

"I didn’t mean that, my lord." Leonardo’s voice panicked in fear as he spoke, "I’m just eager to know what is still out there, that could possibly harm this nation."

"Then allow me to explain." Vitra placed her teacup gently on the table and spoke. "The reason I’m here not because of those flame sorcerers. It’s not even possible for any living human being to open the door of ’Agni Realm’."

The weight of her words settled heavily in the room. The situation grew more tense as she continued her explanation— a fabricated story that Skyler had come up with.

"It was our lady— Saranavia’s order to assist Lord Skyler on his journey to free this world from corruptions. Thus we’ve decided to start from this nation."

No matter how disgusting she felt deep inside to refer Saranavia as Lady, she didn’t have no choice but to do that.

"My lady..." Leonardo murdered, his eyes widened, "Are you implying that our nation is also corrupted?"

"Indeed." Skyler replied, " It’s Rosevill that drew our attention. And it needed to be resolved as soon as possible."

"But my lord." McVill said, looking at them curiously, "What corruption are you talking about? We don’t see anything lingering in Rosevill it is why we left the palace and devoted our bodies to protect everything."

’So they are royal after all.’ Skyler thought as he stood up. He slowly approached McVill who was standing just behind Leonardo.

"Sins are inevitable. One can commit sins by knowingly or unknowingly. That’s why people atone for their deeds." He gazed at McVill’s doubtful eyes, and smiled a bit, then said again, "Now tell me, McVill, have you ever atoned for your deeds?"

"Yes, I have."

"How did you atone?"

"By visiting the church where Father Fredric guided us to receive our redemption from those deeds."

The trap Skyler created, McVill unknowingly fell for it. This inquiry was not actually an inquiry. Rather a manipulation to create self-doubt. And it was just the begging.

"So you got redemption, eh?" Skyler chuckled with a low tone, hearing McVill’s words, "And you’re guaranteed to go heaven in your afterlife? Am I right?"

McVill hesitated. He could not comprehend what Skyler implied. He was clueless but told him the answer he was sure of.

"I don’t know. That is something what will be decided on the day of judgement."

"But you’ve already received your judgment. You got redemption, so you’re free from all the sins— all the shackles that would prevent you from entering heaven. Since there’s no sin left on your shoulder, you’ll not be having issue from entering heaven???"

"But that’s—" McVill stammered, "I don’t know."

Seeing McVill’s uneasiness, Leonardo spoke up, "What are you trying to imply, my lord."

"Lord Skyler is simply making a point—that true redemption cannot be given before the day of judgment." Vitra replied, leaning slightly.

She continued, her eyes flickering with knowing amusement.

"However, people may atone for their sins as much as they wish. But atonement does not mean instant redemption through mere purification rituals. As long as one lives, atonement serves as a reminder of their sins. And true forgiveness? That is something only Lady Saranavia can grant—whenever she deems it fit.."

"And besides..."Skyler joined, "If redemption were so easy, then people would sin, receive redemption, and sin again, over and over. A never-ending cycle. Wouldn’t they?"

"I see." McVill answered after thinking it deeply, "So Father Fredric and the other priests— they didn’t helped us in our atonement?"

"That’s something you need to seek clarity on." Skyler said, moving towards Rose. He leaned his face towards her, saw her dithering eyes and panicked face, then... then he said, "Tell me Rose, have you ever tried to seek clarity behind atonement, or have you ever tried to see the relevance behind atonement?"

Skyler’s words began to impact on her mind. Hearing all of his explanation her mind twisted as multiple thoughts tangled with one another, delivering a mental trauma on her mind.

’What?’ She thought as her body shivered, ’His words are valid. Then why did Father Fredric did all that stuffs. Was that not for our redemption? Then what could be the reason behind it? And why did I not even seek clarity when I’m also the chosen one by the goddess? I don’t know. I don’t want to know. O goddess what’s happening to me.’

"Tell me Rose..." Skyler said it again only to deepen her thoughts, "Have you ever tried to seek clarity or did you keep you mouth shut in the name of ’Faith and Devotion’. Tell me."

"Huh?" Her conditions worsen and she couldn’t answer. She fell on her knees. Her tears started rolling out. Her face paled and her impression dried out. Her body began to feel cold.

McVill hurriedly caught her. Seeing how worse she got all of a sudden, he freaked out— so as Leonardo as he stood up.

Only Vitra was still sitting there, enjoying her tea while watching the show Skyler started.

"Was that all a lie?" She cried, "Tell me my lord. All the things he has done with me... was it all a lie? Was it only to satisfy his own motives?"

"Rosaline!" McVill nearly shouted, "What happened?"

Skyler laughed in his mind while making a sad and pitiful face, his impression solemn.

The iron was hot, it was time for him to strike even harder.

"Let me tell you." He said, "The priest, Fredric is selling you big pack of lies while taking advantages of your bodies only to fulfill his lust."

That remark was bold yet undeniable. But it was not the end. Skyler intended to speak everything he heard form those adventurers. In every way possible, he tried to convince them.

"Also whom you think to be Fredric is actually Hyndall Wiseman."

It was beyond shocking. Leonardo jumped in surprised. His voice trembled yet somehow ha managed to speak.

"But he’s long dead. He couldn’t possibly be Fredric." He stammered.

"Not when you made a deal with Shadow Realm— with the demons, who helped him to retain his immortality."

"What?" everyone’s face blanked out is utter surprise. The realisation was yet to occur. And seeing how shock they were, it was time for him to explain more. It would help him to convince them easily.

"Long ago, Fredric or Hyndall to be accurate, sold his soul to Shadow Realm for immortality. And he succeeded. However, the pact he made with them wasn’t completed."

Skyler stood near the window, his impression solid as though to increase the weight of his words— to deepen the value of his information.

"For that to happen, he needed bloodshed through which demons could manifest into this world. And they did. The slaughter you caused, helped them in their manifestation. Not only did you killed many innocent lives, you helped the demons to emerge in this world. The individuals you saw in the church were nothing but demon, hiding in human form."

Skyler laughed as it was a flawless manipulation—a carefully orchestrated game of control.

First, he subtly tilted the odds in his favor, crafting an environment where doubt and fear festered beneath the surface. He planted seeds of uncertainty, watching as their minds unraveled, forcing them to cling to any certainty he offered.

Then, like a masterful puppeteer, he struck with calculated precision, delivering one shock after another, each revelation designed to strip them of their confidence and force them into his narrative.

But it wasn’t enough to simply convince them—he had to make them complicit. He turned the blade inward, accusing them of being part of the very corruption they despised. Guilt is a powerful weapon, after all. Once the weight of their supposed sins crushed them, they would desperately seek redemption. And who else could provide it but him?

Their minds, fractured and desperate for relief, would no longer resist—they would submit. And in that submit, they would belong to him.

It actually happened as he predicted. They began to blame themselves for following the church blindly without seeking clarity. And the burden the felt— only Skyler could release them from it.

Meanwhile, Vitra keeping her composure, thought,

’How amusing! I never thought human could be this interesting— makes me wonder why I never saw them up close before. Haa-haa."