**********************************************************


    *** 2 hour before, unity hall dissolved, ***


    Lucas was getting ready to go and join the Aerius family, as they were the only faction in church’s congregation who don’t care much about bloodline.


    He exited the room for first time and came to the ground floor, as the innkeeper looked at him strangely. Lucas didn’t care and ordered a sumptuous lunch and sat close to the gate, as he asked a waiter to go and order a carriage. Though he soon remembered his pocket are empty, and soon asked nano if he can borrow it from organization.


    [oh you want money, how much and let me tell you our interest rate are very low. Also we can manage your money for you all you had to do was submit the money to your nano AI and you can withdraw it anytime you want.]


    [oh than borrow a 90 Flamos and 100 spark. I will return it by next week] said Lucas as he affirmed the loan


    [loan processed successfully, you have loaned a amount of 100 Flamos in total, on next week Monday, you have to return 120 Flamos and if unsuccessful in paying, a penalty of 5 Flamos will be applied for each successive day. Enjoy, 95 Flamos have been credited to your account.]


    “Enjoy my ass you call this low interest, I have to pay 20 Flamos for a week, and the penalty and you didn’t even credited the full amount you scammer.” Roared Lucas as he, clearly had never fell for a scam before.


    He completed his food which he couldn’t finish as each bite felt like a bitter medicine, while feeling aggrieved as to why this guy was like this, and now he had to pay so much money, if he didn’t receive it from Noel by the next week. He became more sorrowful, then completed his lunch and arrived at the carriage standing outside the inn’s door.


    **********************************************************


    Lucas was sitting in the hall of Aerius family while waiting for Miss Rosalyn to arrive.


    Deacon Rosalyn, herself will process his application, as Peak Tier 1 priest were still rare and a considerable force in any family.


    Lucas waited for half a hour, as Rosalyn arrived.


    “Nice to meet you mister Lucas, I am Rosalyn, and in quite hurry so let’s leave, formalities, I would like to ask why would you like to join our family, as you also know our condition.”


    “I have no where to go deacon Rosalyn, I am a scholar, who will accept me, and I don’t want to join those sorcerers as I am weak and don’t have any noble blood in me.”


    “I see, I appreciate your honesty, very well, a person will bring to interview you, I hope you pass the test, I apologize but I will have to take my leave. We will talk later”


    “Joining Aerius family will be my honor, I understand, as a deacon miss Rosalyn must be very busy, I understand.”


    Rosalyn leaved and a person came quickly and handed him a sheet of paper, filled with questions related to some subjects unknown to him. So he quickly dumped this work to nano, and topped the test in that investigator''s words.


    [how easy was that test, they were asking where is the headquarter of water god, obviously in Nereidia, and then to analyze the essence pattern used in air spells of peak tier 1 priest.]


    “Yeah you have already mentioned this, I know nano is the smarte— after creation god, link and his majesty Wyatt, now can you stop.”


    [hehe, good you understand, also my name shall be Rex nano. You are not going to ask why I chose this name] said nano smugly


    “No why would I ask” said Lucas hurriedly, before he start his mouth again.


    “Start a game of chess. Let’s play but you are not allowed to cheat”


    [I never cheat.]


    Lucas was currently waiting for Rosalyn to arrive as he had met some tier 1’s of Aerius family. And gain there approval.


    But a piece of news arrived with Rosalyn, The Unity Hall which was part of congregation, has been dissolved as fire and ice family had join under fire and water church respectively.


    That left Aerius family, now light church can’t let other churches poach from their capital city. So they have sent an ultimatum either join the church or die.


    Rosalyn entered the main hall as she looked at Lucas bitterly, “Looks like you are now stuck with us”


    Lucas smiled bitterly while thinking, don’t tell me it is because of me, wherever I go ruins follows.


    However he quickly posted this information to Noel, what can be better than to create a chaotic situation.


    Soon 1 hour passed and they had contacted sorcerers, to which sorcerers had agree, but there conditions they didn’t liked but they were not in any position to negotiate. And about 30 minute before the soldier’s had barricaded the entire territory of Aerius family. This move was made by Alger, his motive must be the territory. The building and the things were still in excellent situation, and so that Aerius family doesn’t destroy anything in desperation that’s why he sent his army.


    However the Aerius family didn’t had any mood and time to destroy anything.


    Soon another 2 hours passed without any decisive decision, it’s not that the family doesn’t trust matriarch Rosalyn, it’s that they trust her too much, so all responsibility fell on her shoulder, she was still only 30 years old, who had spent most of her time increasing her power. Unlike other family member. So the Elders of family were still discussing things.


    in this time period they had almost packed their things to leave any minute


    **********************************************************


    Linus was about to go to meet Aerius family to negotiate. He is currently doing nothing just sitting there, talking to link about some thinks from his hometown. As this was the first time he had taken so much interest and had time in a while.


    “Hey link let''s mark our entry with some swagger” said Linus as he entered the inn room he booked in Luminara in which Lucas was staying


    Linus’s face returned to his original appearance, but this time he has charming smile adorning his face, with a formal suit, his hair artificially messy, with the two upper button opened of his shirt, he looked anything but sick even with his slender build. Linus created two organic body and made them similar to the two deacons, Noel and Zach and gave their control to link, while repeatedly saying him to not go overboard.


    Linus went to the ground floor while the innkeeper’s eyes widened upon seeing Noel walking behind Linus. As his poster had been circulated in every corner of Luminara or even whole of continent, as there were not many secret deacons even in congregation or consortium.


    Linus didn’t thought much about his reaction as everyone was reacting the same way


    He chuckled and walked out of inn, and a torrent of metal came from inside his body and formed a carriage, noel and Zach sat inside the carriage moved in the streets of Luminara.


    Soon they reached in front of a mansion but there was a blockade of Aurelian soldiers and some priest from light church.


    A priest came in front of the path of carriage and said arrogantly “return this place is off-bound for indefinite time.”


    But seeing the carriage didn’t stop, priest narrowed his eyes and used his spirit power to try to stop the carriage but, abruptly he felt the sensation of death, if he tried anything disrespectful, his end will be horrible. The priest quickly used all his reserve of spirit and essence power to back-off from the carriage’s path. And he hurriedly ordered the soldier’s to give way.


    Seeing the priests exasperate reaction, the soldier’s quickly removed themselves from the carriage’s path. And soon the carriage came in front of the mansion’s gate.


    A familiar man with a scar on his face came in view with two man following behind him exited the carriage, everyone was in shock by seeing the young boy took the lead and him being followed by two peak tier 2 mages.


    The priest, from before quickly contacted the church, as soon as he saw that man.


    ***********************


    Linus entered the main hall, followed by Noel and Zach on both sides. While everyone was having a debate regarding a subject unknown to Linus.


    Everyone looked to the uninvited guest and their gaze fell on the scarred man following the boy.


    That deacon is following a young boy as a servant, and what is with this boy’s contradictory fashion sense,


    Linus walked toward the center where most of the main family member were seated, Linus eyes fell on Lucas seated on the furthest seat from center his eyes wide open and mouth wide he was looking at Linus who discarded him and arrived in the main seat and bowed, while saying, “I am Linus, and am here to talk about an alliance.”The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.


    “Nice to meet you Mr. Linus, I am the current matriarch of Aerius family, Rosalyn Aerius ” Rosalyn Aerius said as she stood up and gestured the three to take a seat.


    Rosalyn was the only peak Tier 2 that is a deacon they had in the family. Everyone else was either low tier 2 bishop or tier 1 priest’s.


    “May I know, what mister means by alliance, with what conditions” Rosalyn asked with a faint smile, looking very exhausted.


    “Our organization ‘Psion’ would like to form an alliance with Aerius family, our conditions are very simple, we will protect you and even help you take revenge, you will have full autonomy but you have to become a subordinate of Psion, however we definitely wouldn’t treat you any bad than sorcerers will” said Linus calmly,


    Rosalyn’s eyes narrowed, as to why did he knew about them seeking sorcerers, however she didn’t want to dive deep and offend him, he definitely isn’t simple, how can be someone being followed by  deacon simple.


    “Why would you think we will, join you when your conditions are similar to those of sorcerers.”


    “They will definitely not give you autonomy, miss Rosalyn should understand, your situat——” Linus was interrupted by Deacon Samuel, who also entered uninvited just like Linus


    “Miss Rosalyn should know who this boy’s organization has offended, and as for sorcerer, do you really wish to join those heretics. And become the enemy of congregation.” Samuel said with threat laced in his words.


    “Samuel dog Blake, your habit of barking still hasn’t gone yet.” Rosalyn said as her eyes narrowed, she didn’t liked how everyone was entering her house like this, and that boy was fine as he still appeared polite, but this deacon who was weaker than her is jumping in her house like a fly. If light church and Nereidian duke weren’t behind him, she would definitely have killed him.


    The room laughed as they heard matriarch’s words, they have accepted their situation, and this was the bastard who was constantly tried to threaten them to join their church.


    Hearing their laugh, Samuel just chuckled and sat opposite to Linus.


    “Why are you chuckling Deacon Samuel, don’t tell me you like being abused.” Said Linus while making a goldfish like mouth.


    Everyone laughed raucously. While Rosalyn looked at him, this time with admiration.


    “Laugh while you can, soon all of you will die serve under the church, then I will laugh. As for you boy, don’t even think about leaving from here.” Said Samuel with a glint flashing through his eyes.


    “Oh why would I escape, I wasn’t the one escaped from the execution with tail tucked between legs.”


    “Your mouth is very sharp, you should keep it in control.”


    “So as I was saying miss Rosalyn, you can see our sincerity, unlike sorcerers we at least sent a deacon to contact you.” Said Linus as he completely ignored Samuel’s old words.


    Rosalyn looked at her people in the room, mostly filled with females, as a scholar family and because of the curse placed by some unknown god, at any given time the Aerius’s will not have more than 300 family members at any given time, and 80% will be females. And just as this curse was weakening for years, and they were rising, this situation happened.


    Rosalyn knew the sorcerers didn’t cared enough about their family, and the only reason they were taking them in was because of her, as a deacon she was the most precious asset their family has. As before this, the most powerful person in their family was a mid tier 2, then she became a peak tier 2 and got the title of Deacon of air, for the first time in ages.


    Although what this boy says sound better than those sorcerers but, can they even save themselves. She doesn’t know, the lives of her entire family lies in her hand, one wrong move and death is a luxury. As slaves were still common, despite bans from the congregation, but world isn’t owned by them.


    Rosalyn looked at her family their eyes same as hers, desperate to live, with little hope to see the sun tomorrow, yet they had enough trust in their leader, enough to place their life’s decision in her hands. Rosalyn looked at the uninvited guests and looked at them and said “I have to talk with my family, before making a decision, I hope mister understands.”


    “I hope you make your decision soon, and no I am not trying to threaten you, just a friendly reminder, you should take your decision quickly as even dogs have entered and even blocked your house” said Linus as he stood up


    Rosalyn nodded and looked at Samuel with narrowed eyes and said “you can leave now, or do you want to stay forever.”


    Samuel chuckled and stood up to go outside. “I hope you—”


    “stop barking and leave” said Rosalyn clearly pent up with rage, as she swung his sword at Samuel, who hurriedly used his source power to deflect the sword strike but just as he was about to retaliate, he felt a sudden strike from behind, that strike was too sudden and Samuel couldn’t react in time and a huge gash appeared in his back, Rosalyn quickly used this situation to cut a hand of Samuel, though Samuel was not very himself, just as his attack was about to hit Rosalyn, someone appeared and deflect it too. While turning his hand which was cut by Rosalyn into dust


    Samuel hurriedly exited the encircle, and looked at them angrily, this two were sitting behind that bastard, but Samuel didn’t thought both of them will be a deacon and comparable to Rosalyn.


    “Get out or I will definitely kill you if you even made a sound while walking” said noel as he smiled at Samuel.


    Samuel just gritted his teeth, and turned around, to left to escape from this humiliating situation


    “I will take my leave miss Rosalyn, however be careful that man is weak but very dangerous.” And both of them started walking toward Linus.


    Rosalyn looked at now bloodied room and her family members as she said directly. “My decision, is leaning toward Psion. ……” she raised her hands to stop uproar and continued “we will discuss it further but listen to me first. My reason for this is because of Noel, do you think everyone can escape from here alive ?.”


    Hearing this now everyone understood matriarch’s reason. But they still can’t trust them completely, and can they even keep them safe, they are self conscious as to how weak they truly are. However it wasn’t because of laziness or anything but the curse there bloodline had, at first their family was a mage family and was even very powerful but they became weaker with each generation, so they turned to become a scholar, to


    Break the curse.


    “Also, if we chose sorcerers, we will have to leave from here on our own and I don’t know how many of us will die by the time we arrive in Arcanea. And what about after arriving there, what will there reaction will be. They weren’t the one to contact us first after all, I would much rather have all of us alive then some of us. Now if you have anything to add please stand up”


    Everyone thought for a while, and then one person stood up and said, “I will follow matriarch’s orders.”


    Rosalyn stood up and said “let’s have vote, everyone who thinks we should follow Psion raise their hand.”


    Almost all of them raised their hand, they had no choice but to agree with matriarch’s analysis.


    Rosalyn smiled and called Linus and others inside as she dismissed everyone to pack their things as soon as possible.


    “So what have you decided, miss Rosalyn,” said Linus as he sat.


    “Yes, we would like to follow Psion, and serve as a vessel under the organization.” said Rosalyn while bowing to Linus


    Hearing Rosalyn’s words Linus was very surprised but not too shocked as he had thought they might do to show their fealty. However this soon wasn’t something Linus had thought.


    “It would be our honor miss Rosalyn, however I had suggest you only bring your family and not those who joined you, or if only those who you can trust.” Linus suggested,


    “I understand, mister can rest assured, everyone in the family is trustworthy, except the person who joined us today, though he seemed unreasonably knowledgeable to be a spy.”


    “Oh don’t worry about him he’s my subordinate” interjected noel.


    “I see, now may I know more about organization, and where we will be staying what our work will be.” Asked Rosalyn, as her face had gotten more solemn. Clearly worry reflecting about the unknown future.


    “We don’t have any headquarter yet, so I will take you to Duskshire’s mansion for now. Don’t look at me strangely, your family will be fine don’t worry” said Linus, as though consoling Rosalyn.


    [Master even some scammers sound more believable than you] heard link’s voice in a while


    Linus summoned a crystal ball in his hand and handed it to Rosalyn and asked he to bury it somewhere where it will harm the most enemies. Rosalyn just took it and went herself to complete the task.


    “So may I know what was that metallic ball” asked Rosalyn after completing the task.


    “That’s a surprise, you will really like it.”


    Linus waited for a quarter of hour. And everyone arrived with their luggage in their hands. Noel opened a rift as everyone quickly entered the rift, as Linus has already warned them, that this place is going to become a war zone very soon. However they still looked reluctant to leave from there.


    Just as everyone disappeared, Linus and the others also followed behind and arrived in Duskshire’s mansion. However


    Everyone was standing before a castle surrounded by dark grassy patches and tall trees, though the sky appeared dark, the same color as the castle bricks. They were standing in front of mansion’s gate.


    They entered the gate and arrived in courtyard. As Linus with Rosalyn he created the same translucent screen in sky as noel, while saying, “didn’t you asked what that shiny ball was” Rosalyn nodded as she looked at the screen,


    The scene was playing of soldier’s entering like flood in there family estate of Luminara. Then they soon reached mansion and started to search for anything valuable, they didn’t even try to search for people as that noel person can just open a rift then take everyone from there, and he has some unknown method from which he can disturb essence, so that no one can follow him.


    At this time Linus smiled and said “If you don’t like flashes, just shut your eyes.”


    Rosalyn nodded while looking at the screen, and just as she was looking at it, a loud noise started coming from the center of the mansion, and suddenly a flash appeared and they had no choice but to squint their eyes. And as they opened their eyes they were astonished to see … nothing every thing had turned into dust in the diameter of 200 meter, everything from mansion, soldier''s to horses had turned into a crater of 100 meter.


    As a small mushroom cloud appeared. With loud noises coming but were subdued by the person who suddenly appeared in sky, floating in the sky with a white luminosity, his robes fluttering in his hand a staff, almost equal to his height, his aura working on the blast to reduce the effect, he looked at the mess the blast had created. Not finding anything, not even the soldier’s remains. Not any use of spirit and essence power.


    He just looked at it and opened a rift and disappeared.


    “You can close your mouth miss Rosalyn” said Linus, as Rosalyn quickly recovered.


    “How did you did it, I examined the ball and it didn’t possessed any type of power.” Rosalyn chirped excitedly.


    “You will know it in due time.” Said Linus as he chuckled and invited Rosalyn inside and entered the mansion.


    Linus sat on the main seat created in the hall, he called to steward Jude over and ordered him to settle down the guests. While ordering Noel to go and remove the curse for Lucas.


    “Miss Rosalyn should take rest, we will talk later.” Linus said as he turned to Zach and said “go and investigate Malcolm’s.”


    “May I ask Where you are going,” asked Zach, as link was really feeling uncomfortable, this was the first time he had called Linus without adding master. He would be fidgeting if he had a body.


    Linus just smiled and looked at Zach, he knew if he even made slight fun of link now, he will revert to the old self, ‘heh and he call me thin skinned’  “to visit Nasha. I will have dinner with her.” And he disappeared.


    ******************************


    Noel was sitting in front of Lucas who appeared a bit absent minded, even after his curse has been cured


    “I have treated your curse, now spend some time and think about that matter with a calm mind, and don’t think too much” said noel while standing up. But he soon heard Lucas say “can I mee--” “no, I don’t think its time yet and he’s not here. Also don’t worry, and keep trying, like you did in past” said noel as he patted Lucas on his shoulder.


    ******************************