United Kingdoms

With a powerful blow, the flimsy door flew wide open, nearly flying off its hinges, letting a sliver of light into the meager chamber where two people in identical robes tumbled in. After lying motionless for a few moments, one of the fugitives finally sighed heavily, with effort pushed away the lifeless body of the second that had fallen upon him, rose to his knees, and hastily scrambled toward the far wall of the room. The dim glow seeping from outside also changed in intensity; an uneven increase in brightness served as a reminder of its artificial origin and the approaching source. Reaching a table cluttered with some paper junk, the stranger swept away the top rows of old dusty books with one sweeping motion, searching for hidden valuables.
Following the sound of heavy boots, the doorway was almost entirely blocked by the figure of a own brute in iron clothing. In his right hand lay the hilt of a morning star, whose pale radiance dimly pierced the nocturnal gloom. In the other hand, the warrior firmly gripped a simple teardrop shield, and his face was not visible behind a closed steel helmet.
—Die, you scum! —shouted the pursued man, finishing his casting with a precious scroll. A tiny spark of fire emerged from the paper parchment, which in an instant turned into a powerful pillar of flame that completely consumed the knight. As if reflecting an attack by a fire-breathing dragon, he only had time to hold up his shield before him, causing the flame to briefly lose its integrity and burst in all directions with a deafening crack.
The blast wave threw the fugitive back, slamming his back against the wall with full force. Somehow coming to himself, whether from pain or shock, he paid no attention to the room engulfed in flames around him, and only stared aimlessly at the charred scraps of the teleportation scroll kept for a retreat.

Axhelsiy, unable to look at the smoldering remains of the decrepit shack, lowered his eyes guiltily. The warrior towering silently beside him in dented, burnt pieces of armor somehow pulled the remnants of the helmet from his head, revealing a dark, broad face with a short blond haircut, and then patted the priest on the shoulder.
—You did the right thing, Brother Axhelsiy. These people were sinners, sorcerers, and traitors who intended to undermine the integrity of our faith in this settlement. And let their fate and lives not trouble your mind, for having chosen this difficult path of searching for and correcting those lost in the darkness, we must be prepared to make great sacrifices for the future of thousands of people who have trusted us. Perhaps, by giving the lives of these sinners over to the sacred judgment today, we together saved hundreds of innocent lives. So lift your eyes, my brother, and with pride look upon and accept as own your pious feat!
—Yes, yes... I understand. You are probably right. —The inquisitor's speech cheered Axhelsiy up a bit, but there was still room for doubt in his soul.
—I will report your investigation to Emey Yahion. —the knight added, preparing to leave. —I think he will want to give you some of his attention during a personal meeting.
—Could it be Father Yahion himself?.. —out of surprise, Axhelsiy even forgot his manners. —Oh, I mean, thank you. —he bowed his head again in a respectful gesture.
—It is nothing, brother. Today you are a hero here. And may this day be remembered by you for the rest of your life as the day when you personally helped this world achieve absolute harmony a little bit faster, and left a tiny bit less evil in it. May the Guide be with you.

—Show your faces! —a raspy male voice ordered crudely, after which fabric bags covering the heads of a dozen people shackled in irons and lined up on their knees were pulled off. Some of them groaned wearily; others, squinting from the morning light, looked around in fear at the squad of clergy looking down upon them with silent reproach. The servants of Astromeria stepped aside, letting Axhelsiy forward in a new, clean cassock. Afraid even to look around, the priest pulled his head into his shoulders and gazed with reverent horror at the group of prisoners before him.
—Which of them is guilty of soul-shaking sins against the church, the Guide, and the Council of Enlightened, Brother Axhelsiy? —followed the question he both feared and craved simultaneously. His entire short life flashed before his eyes like a fleeting gust of summer wind.
Seconds of hesitation seemed to him like endless hours. Attempting to speak, he felt that for some reason he had lost his voice. With difficulty calming the tremor that seized his hands, the priest broke the numbness with one giant effort and awkwardly extended his hand, now determining the price of a human life with a single movement of his index finger.
—But, but this is some kind of mistake! I am seeing him for the first time, I swear by the Guide! —the gentleman in a rumpled business suit with a thin dark beard rattled on in fear.
—Axhelsiy, buddy, you must be confusing me with someone else! You remember, I'm just a simple shopkeeper; maybe it's my good-for-nothing brother who did something wrong and you just mixed us up, eh, eh?! —the second one made pleading eyes.
—I thought we were best friends. —quietly whispered a thin young man with fresh bruises on his face and a split lip. He mechanically pinched the blue, unnaturally bent fingers of the other's motionless hanging hand.
The last of the chosen companions in misfortune, a graying sturdy middle-aged man, remained silent the longest. Finally, raising eyes full of rage at the priest, he hissed through his teeth, "I raised you like my own son!", then tried to spit at him, only slightly hitting the new walking boots.

Many hundreds and thousands of times afterward, he would replay in his head that single moment when he finally decided to turn for help to the Inquisition of Astromeria. And no matter how strong the faith strengthened by years of diligent service was, occasionally his soul would still betray him with a moan, as if questioning the correctness of the act he had committed. Raised in the family of an aging carpenter who lost his wife and own son during times of famine, he undoubtedly replaced the latter's own child. Having learned nothing for sure about the fate of his biological parents, Axhelsiy became accustomed to work early and knew the hardships of a simple life; but despite his willingness to help and industriousness, his good-naturedness and mercy over time led to a certain detachment and alienation from the simple villagers with their amusements and diversions.
The spread of ikigaism became a real outlet for the growing boy and an opportunity to learn an ideology close to him, which placed at its head the desire to help those in need without reward in their hour of hardship, helping them also find a piece of spiritual purity and harmony. As for his few acquaintances, conflicts with the church became just another source of trouble for the villagers, which they may have reconciled with in words, but secretly continued to fear and despise, as simple folk fear and despise everything alien and incomprehensible to their constructed tiny world.
"No good can come from weirdos who have a woman at the head." —Axhelsiy's adoptive father often said. "Women lead to no good. Or do you not remember what happened to our previous prince? That's just how it is."
Axhelsiy tried to argue angrily, but no one took the youth's quiet speeches seriously. However, his guardian was respected in the settlement. Over time, the villagers began to help opponents of the spread of church power—for a reward, of course. Axhelsiy knew the meeting places and shelters of the hiding heretics, and a good memory helped him fleetingly capture their names and faces. He tried many times to talk with the carpenter who had replaced his own father, but it was all in vain.
"Get that ik*gaist nonsense out of your head. You're not old enough yet to tie your life to these fanatics. We lived perfectly fine without them for centuries, and we'll live now."
After one of the usual quarrels, Axhelsiy received a good smack on the back of the head. Almost crying, he broke away from the table and, throwing open the door with a jerk, ran away. Until morning, the old carpenter did not close his eyes, waiting for his son's return. Only upon hearing the sound of approaching footsteps did he hurry to open it, running through an apologetic speech prepared in his head. But on the threshold of the modest shack this morning, he was met by someone other than Axhelsiy.

—You did the right thing, my son. —The strong voice of Father Yahion, which penetrated the soul, always calmed the heart and gave strength and inspiration. —Your parents would be proud of you. And this man, is he truly worthy of such a high title? By his deeds, actions, and his entire existence, he and his henchmen blackened our great church, questioned all reforms and projects undertaken for the enlightenment of this country and its inhabitants, which undoubtedly helped many of them finally break free from the dark shackles of sin and ignorance. People like you, Axhelsiy. Do not be afraid, my son. Now the church will become your true family. Your pure soul and kind heart must serve the prosperity and bright future of this world. We will help you strengthen your faith and know the true essence of the covenants of the Enlightened. And soon you will undoubtedly be able to help thousands of suffering people from the post of Emey, just as I do. And there, who knows, perhaps even the ranks of the Council will be open to you...
—Do you really think so, Father Yahion? —Axhelsiy asked enthusiastically.
—Of course, my son. But let us go. There is no point in you listening to the sentence of these impious heretics. Do not worry about your old home. Now the church is your home. And wherever you are, know that any servant of the Guide will be a brother or sister to you, a monastery or temple—a native home, an abbot—a father. And you will see that only in this way is it possible to defeat evil and expel the darkness, granting true happiness, harmony, and prosperity to the people living in these lands.

Origin:
Eilia
+4 skill points;
Character can teach others what they know themselves (equivalent to 1 EXP per month).

Characteristics:
Strength — 5
Agility — 4
Perception — 2
Intelligence — 8
Will — 6 -> 10
Charisma — 5

Specialization:
No Armor III

Profession:
Priest III

Religion:
Ikigaism (Expert)

Perk:
Magic Affinity
+4 to magic power

Inventory:
Clergy cassock, volume with the covenants of the Enlightened, wooden figurine of the Guide, money.



I'll be playing lazily depending on how I feel