It was early afternoon when the sun climbed to the height of the sky as the Viscount and his entourage finally reached Ravenscrest.
Their carriages rolled to a stop before the outer gates.
After informing the guards of their identity and purpose, the crooked-nosed assistant stepped forward murmuring, “why the hell is this god forsaken place so hard to find.”
Then he spoke with impatience.
“We need someone to direct us to the local temple.”
One of the guards nodded and volunteered to guide them through the town, while another immediately ran toward Ravenscrest Castle to inform the Baroness of the arrival of the royal auditors and await further instructions.
The small procession entered the territory.
As the carriages moved through the roads of Ravenscrest, the Viscount watched quietly from within.
His gaze was calm yet sharp, studying everything.
The streets were swept clean. The houses were maintained. Small market stalls bustled with quiet activity.
Children ran along the roadside while farmers carried tools over their shoulders.
He rested his chin lightly against his gloved hand.
Unexpectedly, it’s… neat.
His eyes narrowed slightly.
And prosperous.
The reputation of Ravenscrest described it as a poor and neglected backwater barony.
Yet the territory before him told a different story.
Soon the carriage stopped before a modest but well-kept temple dedicated to one of the sub-Gods of the Goddess of Light.
The Viscount stepped down from the carriage, accompanied by his main assistants and the priest from the Water Temple, entered the temple quietly.
Inside, the hall was calm and cool. Sunlight filtered through tall windows, illuminating the polished stone floor and the statue of the God at the front.
Joshua, the priest in charge of the temple, stood before the altar delivering a sermon.
The pews were sparsely filled.
Most of the audience consisted of elderly villagers and children. The younger adults were absent—busy with their work during the daytime.
The Viscount and his men quietly sat in the back without interrupting the sermon.
Joshua noticed the unfamiliar figures but continued calmly.
His voice echoed gently through the temple.
Joshua is telling the stories of the gods and saints. After some time, the Sermon reached its climax.
……..
….
“Light shines upon the world without choosing where it falls.”
“The sun does not ask whether a man is noble or common before warming his face.”
“The dawn does not refuse its light to the poor while granting it to the rich.”
He gestured softly toward the sunlight streaming through the window.
“Such is the teaching of the Goddess of Light.”
“All life stands equal beneath the heavens.”
“Every soul carries a spark of the same divine light.”
“To the goddess, we are not lords and peasants… not powerful and powerless.”
“We are simply her children.”
His gaze moved across the gathered villagers.
“If the light shines equally upon us all, then who are we to treat others with contempt?”
“If the gods show no favoritism, then we too must strive to live with fairness and compassion.”
“Judge others not by status or wealth, but by their deeds.”
“Offer kindness where there is hardship.”
“Offer justice where there is conflict.”
“And above all, remember that every life you encounter carries the same light that you do.”
“To honor the goddess is not merely to pray.”
“It is to treat others with dignity.”
“To act with fairness.”
“To remember that the same light that guides you also guides the person standing beside you.”
“Always remember, good will always win against evil.”
Joshua bowed his head gently.
“May the light illuminate your paths.”
The sermon concluded.
One by one, the villagers rose from their seats and approached the altar to offer brief prayers before leaving the temple.
Many of them cast curious glances at the unfamiliar visitors sitting among them.
Those glances were met by thinly veiled disdain from the Viscount’s attendants.
Meanwhile, the Viscount himself walked quietly toward the altar to offer his prayers alone.
Joshua waited patiently nearby.
After a few moments, the Viscount finished and rose gracefully.
He turned and approached the priest with a polite smile.
“My apologies for keeping you waiting.”
Joshua shook his head calmly.
“There is no need to apologize. Taking time to connect with the gods is very important.”
“You seem to be new here.”
The Viscount inclined his head slightly.
“Yes. We have only just arrived.”
“My name is
Lucien Duremont
. I am an Honorary Viscount sent by the Hall of Wealth to conduct a royal audit of this territory.”
“We will likely remain here for a month or two.”
Joshua nodded in understanding.
The Viscount gestured toward the man beside him.
“This is my friend, Marcell. He serves as a priest at the Temple of the Water Goddess.”
Joshua smiled warmly.
“Hello, friend. May the Light illuminate your path.”
The priest of water returned the greeting with equal warmth.
“Hello, friend. May the waters pacify your troubles."
After a few moments of casual conversation, the Viscount spoke again.
“If you do not mind, may I ask you something?”
“Of course.”
Lucien studied the priest carefully.
“What kind of lord is the Baroness of this territory?”
Joshua paused.
A trace of suspicion flickered across his eyes before fading.
After a moment of thought, he replied calmly.
“As far as I know, she is a good person.”
He gestured faintly toward the town outside.
“You have seen the territory yourself. That alone should tell you something.”
The Viscount nodded slowly.
Joshua continued.
“She governs well.”
“In truth… she is one of the very few nobles these days who still remembers what responsibility means.”
“She is also a devout follower of the goddess.”
A small smile appeared on his face.
“Despite being a commoner, she is more noble than those nobles.”
“People here respect her deeply.”
“If you ask the villagers about their Baroness, you will find very few who speak ill of her.”
“In times like these, a person like her is… rare.”
Lucien remained silent for a moment. After some casual conversation, he glanced toward his assistant.
The crooked-nosed man immediately stepped forward and handed him a small pouch.
The Viscount extended it toward Joshua.
“Please accept this as a humble offering on our behalf.”
Joshua gently shook his head.
“Offer it to the gods instead.”
He gestured toward the statue.
“Place it at his feet.”
The assistant obeyed reluctantly, though the disdain in his eyes was impossible to hide.
Joshua bowed his head slightly.
“May the Light vanquish your darkness.”
The Viscount inclined his head in return.
“Then we shall take our leave.”
Joshua watched quietly as the visitors departed the temple.
Yet his mind remained vigilant.
Something about them felt… unusual.
Copyright © [April] [2026] [The Rainy Imp]. All rights reserved.
The Viscount and his entourage returned to their carriages and continued toward Ravenscrest Castle guided by the gate guard.
After some time, the crooked-nosed assistant finally spoke.
“My lord… I do not understand why you waste so much money donating to temples every time we enter a territory.”
Lucien smiled faintly.
“It is tradition, for one.”
“It is polite to pay respects to the local temple before conducting official duties.”
He leaned back in his seat.
“Secondly, temples possess influence.”
“If we treat them well, they may be willing to assist us should we encounter difficulties.”
The assistant nodded slowly.
Lucien continued.
“It also allows us to observe something interesting.”
“The attitude of the temple toward the lord of the territory.”
He glanced toward the temple slowly fading in the distance.
“Most Priests tend to speak more honestly than nobles.”
Then his voice grew quieter.
“And finally…”
The carriage suddenly felt colder.
“If something happens to us, the duke or the investigators can trace us through the temples to this place as the last place we visited on our journey.”
A heavy silence fell inside the carriage. Their expressions turned solemn as everyone understood the implication.
Soon the carriages reached the outskirts of Ravenscrest Castle.
As Lucien looked toward the fortress rising in the distance, something strange happened.
His expression stiffened.
A faint bead of cold sweat slid down the back of his neck.
His eyes widened slightly.
His hand tightened unconsciously.
The priest of the Water Temple noticed immediately.
“Is something wrong?”
Lucien returned to his senses, his mind a bit confused, he inhaled slowly.
After a brief moment of contemplation, the tension faded from his face.
A flicker of interest gleamed in his eyes, a small smile carrying a hint of curiosity crept on his face.
“Nothing,” he said quietly,
The carriage rolled forward.
Soon the gates of Ravenscrest Castle opened, where Baroness Sera and her entourage waited to receive them.
****************
Copyright © [April] [2026] [The Rainy Imp]. All rights reserved.
No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. For permission requests, contact the publisher at [
therainyimp@gmail.com
].