An Arcanist's Citadel 16 (Patreon)

An Arcanist’s Citadel

Chapter 16

-VB-

Vicar Emiliano. 

Those outside of the Roman Catholic Church rarely knew about him, and those who did were often biased by their own intelligence committee and agencies’ bias to consider him as anyone worth talking to.

He knew what others thought of him. They called him a fascist. They called him a violent upstart. That he put a fracture in the Systems Alliance’s foundation. They called him a religious demagogue who threatened the democratic process and the “neutral” judiciary.

‘Neutral, my ass,’ Vicar Jose Emiliano thought as he got off of the spaceship and got into the car prepared by the Exorcisia Militant. 

The legislature, justice system, and the enforcement system of the Systems Alliance all held the same religious-shy nature of the United Nations it originated from, and went out of its way to “discourage” certain religious figures - not official but those who were simply known for their piety - from taking any significant office within the Systems Alliance. 

A person didn’t need to be a statistician to see that the Systems Alliance went even further to support colonies that were agnostic or athetistic. 

They pursued legal action more against religious orders than they did against the bloodthirsty corporations. 

‘Oh, it’s perfectly alright to leave entities whose literal motto is “profit over everything” and prod and poke others whose job is “we take care of our people.” And they wonder why I exist.’

As the Shanxi City blurred past him beyond the car’s windows, Jose couldn’t help but wonder if he would be fighting this battle for the rest of his life. Instead of devoting himself to God in smaller ways as he first intended when he became a priest, he found himself jockeying through politics and meaningless dribble. 

What’s worse, he didn’t even have a successor for his position within the Exorcisia Militant. 

Mostly because everyone he trusted would sooner point a gun at the Systems Alliance for the perceived and actual threat they posed to the order rather than talk it out with the largest interstellar organization keeping humanity together.

Because, as loathed as he was to admit it, even if the Systems Alliance was not fond of religions, it was at least an organization that kept ever bickering humanity from turning their weapons against each other. The Corporate Wars taught them all exactly why the Systems Alliance was necessary. Otherwise, shortsighted fools will nuke garden worlds like they did with Gallery IV, a once verdant garden world that was now an ever smoky lava spewing barren world. 

He just wished it would be equal in its enforcement of the laws. 

“So tell me about Alan Marris,” he spoke up. 

There was a pause as the members of the Exorcisia Militant around him fell into a stupor for a second. 

Then the one sitting across from him in this limousine spoke up. 

“Lieutenant Bruhdensky, vicar.”

He nodded. “Well met.”

One could not climb the ranks of the Exorcisia Militant without community service. There was no paperpusher within the order’s ranks because that was not allowed; one either served ten thousand hours between each rank in non-combat roles or a thousand hours in combat roles at a minimum before they were considered for promotion. No ifs or buts. 

So when he said well met, he meant it. The man across from him was someone who had served his community and God in one shape or another. 

“In my personal opinion, Your Grace, Marris is a terrifying monster.”

“... How so?”

“He actively takes punishment of the soul into his hands and makes them regret ever being alive.”

A heavy pause settled into the limousine. 

“So what I read about the enslaved batarian souls was true?”

“Yes, Your Grace.”

He hummed. Slavery, in any shape or form, was not accepted. He did not accept it. At the same time, Marris was shown to not be xenophobic against any particular race. 

“Have you tried to explain to him that slavery is illegal, even if most of the people cannot see it in action?” 

The lieutenant grimaced.

“Lieutenant?”

“Your Grace, he made it a point to tell us that souls do not have legal status that even animals have.”

That made him pause. 

And he laughed. 

“Cheeky little shit, isn’t he?” he chuckled. 

But that was true. Souls did not have a legal status because no one thought there was a need for it. Only religious orders of certain “status” knew that souls above a certain strength could influence reality. 

Of course, souls wouldn’t have a legal status. 

No one even considered it seriously before. 

“Then remind him later, after my visit, that souls are sentient and thus the laws of sentience apply to the souls of the batarians.”

“... What if he reacts negatively?”

Jose shrugged. “Then we are dealing with a man whose mindset is on par with the likes of corporations,” he replied coldly. “And we should think about nuking this world.”

That made the entire group tense up.

And then he laughed. “I’m joking, of course! About the nukes. But if he truly does not adhere to what is morally and ethically right, then we will not work with him for long.” He then paused. “But I do not condemn quick conversion of souls into energy like how we do it.”

The lieutenant nodded. “I will be sure to get the message across, Your Grace.”

“Thank you. Now, how much longer until we arrive?”

-VB-

“So,” Alan Marris began. “What brings you to see me, Jose?”

“What else?” Jose asked with a smile. “I’d like to hire you.”

Marris blinked. 

“... Hire me.”

“Yes,” he replied. “What would it take for you to teach the Exorcisia Militant?”

The reaction was telling. For someone who held as much power at his fingertips, Marris was a very expressive person. 

But it made Jose question whether that expressiveness itself was a facade or the honest truth, because if one spent as long as he did dealing with politicians, corporate dogs, and journalists as he had for the past two decades, then suspicion came naturally over small details like these. 

“What would you ask me to teach?” he asked. 

“My people,” Jose gestured after a moment. “Told me that you are adept at a number of spiritual fields. I would ask that you teach us as deep and wide as you will. The Roman Catholic Church will, of course, compensate you for your time and knowledge.”

Alan leaned back and didn’t say anything for a while. 

“I have no need for more money, and if you are offering friendship, then you already know that I am friends with the emperor of New Qin. I have friends in place that I care about, not the Systems Alliance. So what can you offer to pay me for my expensive time and knowledge?” 

“If money and connection aren’t what you are looking for… would land and status work?” he tried. 

“The church has enough of both?”

“Well, we do, of course. In fact, the Roman Catholic Church maintains the right to veto laws that the Systems Alliance can pass.”

He looked at Jose in shock. “You do?”

“Major Kim, can you explain it in detail?”

“Of course, Your Grace,” he replied and stepped up. “The Roman Catholic Church, in conjunction with the Interstellar Reformed Churches Alliance, holds the right to veto laws passed by the Systems Alliance. However, due to the constantly fractitious nature of the IRCA, the Roman Catholic Church usually exercises right on its own, which we did have to exercise it a number of times over the course of the Systems Alliance’s existence. I offer you one of those vetoes. Just one.”

Alan looked at them in surprise. “You are offering me political power.”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“Because knowledge is worth that political power,” Jose replied. “And we will use that knowledge to better serve and protect our flock. That is all there is to it.” 

“And you believe that you can offer me this when you aren’t a cardinal? Or the pope?”

“I have the ears of the pope, and I have earned enough favors that I personally possess the right for that veto call.”

“... you’re offering me your political power.”

“Yes.”

“Because you want to protect.”

“Yes.”

“And how would my knowledge protect you better?”

Jose took a deep breath in. “I am sure by now that you are aware of the … average spiritual might of a human.”

“Almost none.”

“Exactly. However, this does not change the fact that there are others out there that seek to devour the flock. Maybe they were once good. Maybe they were once human. None of that matters because the only thing that matters now is that the average human cannot survive such a spiritual assault and the average spiritually aware individual, like the ones you see before you, are incapable of fighting off anything stronger than an elephant.”

“... Yet you yourself do not have spiritual awareness.”

“No, I do not. But I see what those spiritual attacks do to people. So I trust in my people and have faith that they serve the flock as I do.”

Alan seemed… impressed. 

“Well, I’m also not after political power. How about this? You know the Shanxi System? It has two rocky worlds, including Shanxi itself, and two gas giants. Get me ownership of any of these worlds. A full and total ownership.”