An Arcanist's Citadel 6 (Patreon)

An Arcanist’s Citadel

Chapter 6

-VB-

“They were who?”

“The Catholic Church.”

I nodded slowly. “Since when did the church have a freaking army?” I asked.” Or rather get an army again?”

“Again?” James, Amy’s boyfriend, asked me.

“Research up on the Papal States,” I replied. 

The boy had rushed to see my family and Amy as soon as he heard that the Catholic Church had visited us with their Exorcisia Militant, and the most in-depth scan of his emotions revealed that he had only worry and fear for Amy, which was a point to him but not enough to convince me that he was the right guy for Amy.

After all, teenagers had crushes and brief loves all of the time. While I wasn’t completely sure about it, I gambled on the fact that Amy’s “love” for James might grow cold sooner or later. Him rushing to her in what could have been a potentially bad scenario probably didn’t make that crush any colder than before. Probably the opposite, in fact. 

Ugh.

Well, whether or not Amy loved him and he loved her, they were going to wait until she was eighteen for anything serious! 

Now, where was I?

Oh, right. 

I pulled out my ringing phone and answered. “Yes?”

“{It’s Jeffery. Are you alright?}”

I chuckled. “You make it sound like I was the one who would have had a hard time with the, ah, inquisitors,” I drawled.

“{You still had to face them, right? Is anyone hurt?}”

“Fortunately, no. The exorcist in charge of the lot proved himself much more reasonable than I expected for reasons that … you might not understand.”

“{... What might I not understand?}”

“I mean you saw me do things that make no sense, right? Things that can’t be explained by biotics.”

It took him a moment to respond. “{Yes.}” Oh, he sounded scared, still. 

“It seems to me that the exorcists weren’t named that for no reason.”

An even longer pause. “{You mean there are actually ghosts and demons that need exorcists?}”

“I don’t know,” I responded bluntly. “All I know is that I’ve yet to encounter demons around here, though that could be due to the colony’s young age. But they saw me for what I truly am, got scared, and ran after getting told no.”

“{... I see. I’ll… let the others know that you have this well in your hands.}”

“Wonderful! You don’t have to give them hard time. Aight?”

“{Sure.}”

I hung up on him after that. 

Well, that was nice of him to check up on me and my family!

… Wait. If I say that’s nice of him to check up on us, then I also have to say that about James, because I ain’t no double-standard bitch.

“Ugh,” I grumbled before turning to where Amy and James were being lovey-dovey. 

Tatsuki looked a bit disgruntled by his presence but Orihime was more than happy to see our daughter happy. 

“... Thanks for checking up on us, James,” I grumbled out. 

Everyone looked at me in surprise.

“What?”

Orihime giggled without a comment and Tatsuki huffed. Both of them probably knew what I was thinking. James and Amy looked both surprised and pleased… but I gave them the stink eyes quickly. 

I still didn’t trust James, especially because of his associates and his family. I also doubted that he manufactured this entire visitation from the Catholic Church just to be able to look like a knight in shining armor. 

Not that Amy was going to see it that way when she could crush his bones with her bare hands.

I huffed and turned away.

Now, I wondered what the exorcists were going to do after they’d met me. 

-VB-

“NO!” Major Kim shouted at the Alliance snoops that had been attached to them. “Absolutely not! 

“We have to understand what happened, though!” “Sean,” a supposed friend of Vicar Emiliano, insisted. “We can’t just let a weapon of mass destruction walk around!” 

“Then you go and talk to him! I want nothing to do with that monster playing house husband, business owner, or whatever else he’s taking a liking to!” The major stopped, closed his eyes, took a deep breath in, and let it out slowly. “Look. I get it. You can’t see what we can. I really do. I couldn’t either before I got inducted into the order. But I’m telling you right now, I would rather be tortured to death than go back to face that monster. On the off chance that the dead batarian souls lugging around shit on this world is because of him, what do you think will happen to my immortal soul if that monster gets pissed, hmm?” 

Then he grabbed his rosary and thrust it to the agent. “Here. Go ahead. Wear it and look around. Please, wear the fucking rosary and look around.”

Sean reluctantly took the holy item and wore it. 

And took it almost immediately.

“... Why the fuck is there a batarian with half of his head missing in this transport?” he asked hoarsely while not looking up.

“It’s been here since we got back to the city!” Major Kim hissed. “For all we know, it’s reporting back to the monster every single word we’re having. It’s been following me and you around!” 

“Can’t you do something about it…?!” Sean hissed out. 

“And piss off the monster?!” 

“Aren’t you supposed to fight monsters, human or otherwise?” 

“That is not something you can fight anymore than you can stop a rolling boulder with your hands.”

Sean finally stopped and stared at Major Kim. 

“So you’re just going back off and leave?” 

“... No. We’ll investigate the cities where the defense actually took place. We’ll keep out of that monster and his family’s business, and do everything above board. Follow the local laws, not the Alliance ones. And once we get everything we can through legal channels, then we’ll leave with our report.”

Sean let out an exasperated sigh. “And you’re going to be satisfied with that? When literal headless souls are staring you down?” Sean hissed out after a long pause. “Do you think our superiors will accept this? I know my superior won’t. What about Vicar Emiliano?” 

“If the vicar wants to talk with the monster, then I’m more than happy to let him. From orbit and a dozen mass drivers pointed at the planet.”

“Major!” 

“I doubt those guns will do anything considering the strength of the barrier over the major city and the surrounding area.”

“... What barrier?”

“The one that’s powered by the dead batarian souls that monster harvested.”