Published at 26th of July 2026 10:42 am

Chapter 165: Hierarch Talk

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So, Ive heard youve been asking about the contracts between gods and their favourites. Johnathon Rakenhal smiles, leaning back in his plush leather chair across the robust yet ornate block of a wooden desk. The sort of desk you could take cover behind if youre being shot at by enchanted light crossbows. Hes in his dazzling white and gold robes of office, flowing voluminously from his two hands raised into a finger steeple.

I shrug, trying to doff the aura of ceremonial authority he placed on the meeting by holding it in his official chambers for his role as supreme hierarch rather than those for his role of teacher at the academy. I was curious. I didnt realize it was a matter of such intimacy, and I stopped when I was informed.

Oh? And youre certain this doesnt have anything to do with your assignment to form a new divine contract, which I notice you still havent completed?

I scoff, making an offhand gesture and closing my eyes briefly in an attempt to indicate utter amusement at the notion. What? You think Ive failed to gain a basic contract, so I thought, why not skip to the hardest option and try to become a favoured instead?

Not exactly. He leans in with a predatory grin that makes me feel like Ive walked into a trap when a moment ago I had thought I had avoided one. I doubt its true, so its a neat trick if its an intentional bluff. Still, it did make me wonder why you havent gone to me for advice. Either to give my experience as a favoured contractee or for your assignment. After all, surely you know Im always ready to help students in need of aid. He smiles as if a cat with a mouse in his mouth. Well, cats have been known to be careless with their prey, especially those as used to luxury as him.

I havent gone because I do not yet need your assistance as grateful as I am for your offering it. As I said, the favoured contract inquiry was a passing curiosity. As for the assignment, I still have until the end of the semester until its due. Plenty of time.

Certes, he concedes with a precise nod, if doing it for the assignment is all you cared about. But the assignment isnt for its own sake, but yours. Surely you recognize that making the contract sooner rather than later will be better for you. From accelerating your magic growth from the associated spells if nothing else Unless youre having some difficulty finding a suitable contract?

I shrug, unconcerned of the sly tone his voice takes at the end. I have several contracts that Im considering between. However, their associated spells are ones that I plan on learning after the set that Im presently pursuing. So, I figured it would make the most sense to wait until I started learning them, to make the best use of the time under the boon in case I have to abandon it early.

Oh? he says with an eyebrow raised in mock surprise, and here I thought you might say youve already found a new contract. After all, you do have a different level of enhancement than the last time we met.

Boost spells, I say without missing a beat.

I didnt realize you knew any.

I learned them specifically to annoy you.

He chokes back a laugh in genuine surprise at the obvious yet clever lie. He knows every time I lie. Even the Sun Gods intermediate boon grants some truth seeking ability. Mostly its just the largest boost to perception of any divine contract. Supposedly though, they will occasionally experience some phenomenon when a lie is spoken in their presence. The liar glowing red or something similar. Probably operates similarly to divination, but automatically. With intermediate boons its only supposed to activate for direct and flagrant lies. The gods favoured can probably sense even lies of omission.

So, I lie both directly and flagrantly. I did not learn the boost spells to annoy him. I learned the boost spells because Im an Anar cultist who needed to conceal the cause of irregular boosts to my physical abilities. However, if I tried to claim that my reasons are benign, he would almost certainly catch that and could technically charge me with a minor crime (lying to a public official in the pursuit of their duty). Just his testimony as the Sun Gods favoured would be enough to see me punished, given the prohibition against lying in his contract. However, since my actual claim is itself also minor crime (deliberately vexing a public official in pursuit of their duty), he would have to accuse me of not committing a crime (since he cant accuse me of the vexing since he knows it to be a lie and so would be in breach of his contract), which would be absurd. No judge would convict me with such a testimony just for the pettiness of it, or if they did, it would certainly be no more than a minor fine.

Of course, he will doubtless pursue further with the knowledge that I just lied to him, but thwarting him fully wasnt the goal. The goal was letting him know that I find him annoying and that Im perfectly willing to be just as annoying back. Which, unfortunately, he seems to find comical.

Fortunately though, he hasnt seem to have caught me in any other lie. I have been careful not to lie overtly, but lies of omission are hard to avoid. The closest I came to something flagrant was my explanation for my asking about favoured contracts being an idle curiosity. It is somewhat true since I never truly thought it would lead me anywhere helpful for my relationship with Anar, contrary to Allans hope. Still, theres a chance that his ability might even trigger for technical truths, but its simply the best option I have right now.

Well, no matter, he smirks, I didnt call you here to discuss your spell selection but to offer my aid as a teacher in your pursuit of knowledge either for your assignment or your idle curiosity.

I narrow my eyes suspiciously, masking my reaction from him so obviously knowing that I lied about the emphasized words. I mean, of course he does. Even if his truth sense didnt trigger, it would have been a slim chance of beating his perception, even with my practice gambling. Still, he seems content to leave it at that, so I might get out of this unscathed if his continued curiosity about my boons outweighs his curiosity about my curiosity about favoured contracts.

And what would you ask for satisfying said idle curiosity?

He guffaws most convincingly. Why, it would be unbecoming for one who has already accepted the privileged position of teacher to charge for individual lessons. The Sun offers its light freely.

I make an indifferent, offhand gesture. Then by all means, please illuminate me.

Oh, Im sure I will, he says far too ominously, but quickly changes his tone back to that of the affable and helpful teacher. You regretfully did not take my theology class, and while your scores on the entrance test were impressive, it was sadly basic in its questions. That is to say that I dont know how much you know about divine essences.

Like domains? The aspects of the universe whose instantiation grants a god power?

He smiles with a hint of distaste, shaking his head. A crude word for the concept. A king has a domain, but a king who acts against their domain is not wounded as if they stabbed themself with a knife. A god, in contrast, who acts against the concepts that granted them divinity does harm themselves as surely as if a mortal plunged a blade into their own gut.

I nod. Like how breaching a contract harms the deity who made it?

He shakes his head, but much more affably. A common misconception. We say the deity suffers harm, but only in the way a merchant might suffer harm if a cargo is lost. Its more a reduction of their power than a direct wound that would take much to heal. Even with a major boon, its merely the loss of an investment rather than the existential threat that their acting against their own essence would be. A faoured contracted though isnt like an ordinary one. They become their deitys presence in this world. There is a metaphysical merging, though their minds and souls remain separate. Simply put, a favoured contractee breaching their bond would harm their god in the same way as if the god acted against their essence themselves. To a lesser degree, certes, but in the same kind of harm.

I see, I say, stunned by the revelation. Then that would explain why none of the favoured I questioned would tell me anything. Any information they gave about their contracts would be an existential threat to their deity if they were somehow tricked into breaching their contract.

Tricked or, even worse, seduced from their god. Yes.

I suppose I should be glad I never figured out how to subvert his bond then. The Sun god might very well have chosen to smite me no matter the cost if things are as he says. Why are you willing to tell me this when none of the others were?

He shrugs. I am the favoured of the sun, am I not? It is my nature to spread knowledge. Though its not as though what Ive told you is very dangerous. Im not telling you the details of my contract nor anything I havent told my students in the first couple weeks of class.

I see, well, thankyou for relieving my curiosity at least regarding why they wouldnt talk to me, I say, standing as if to leave.

Hold on, he raises a hand to stop me with a slight chuckle. We still havent discussed your assignment.

I shrug, barely glancing back. I still have half a semester to complete it.

Yes, but you shouldnt let things pile up. Most of your other classmates have already completed it, and those who havent all have some reason for the difficulty. Of course, if you would tell me I somehow refrain from glaring at him, but in a manner that seems to have the same effect. No matter. I have some general advice that should be applicable. Sometimes, when someone has difficulty gaining a boon that they are for some reason set on, they may offer something of unusual value to start the relationship off. What that something is usually an object dedicated to their temple varies from god to god. Sometimes its something of rarity with symbolic value only to the particular deity. Other times, its value will be of a more general nature, though it should still be conceptually linked in some way. A magic item of moderate power will usually do the trick. As it so happens, there is an auction for which I have an extra invitation which will have a plethora of worthy offerings.

I freeze and my blood does the same. Surely, hes not talking about the same auction Ive been trying to get into. How would he even know that I No, thats just paranoia. Admittance to the auction is valuable in general, so theres no reason to believe that he knows that I have a particular interest in it. Still, I should try to find out.

Just to be clear, I say with a strained yet technically polite smile, we are talking about the same auction that the Ocean Stone armour is being sold?

Oh His voice lights up as he senses my interest. Annoying to give that away, but at least I know that he wasnt aware of it before. Are you perhaps trying to become a mage knight then? Was that perhaps your true reason for learning the boosting spells?

No, I I shake my head hesitantly, not wanting him to know how much I want it or why, then smirk as a thought takes me, No, nothing like that. I want it for well, the usual thing one might buy such a thing for, I suppose.

His face narrows in confusion at the statement as his truth sense likely has trouble deciding on my claim. Though he quickly recovers, likely deciding that my claim was intended as so vacuously broad as to be lacking a truth value. Ill have to remember that trick to annoy him more.

Regardless, its not likely that youll be able to acquire it, but there will be several items up for bid which should solve your problem, if youre willing to go that route.

I pause to consider. I obviously will only be there for the armour, but I wont tell him that. I cant trust him Ironic, given that I can technically trust everything that he says. I suppose it wont hurt to ask. And youre willing to just give me an invitation with no strings attached?

He laughs. I have no idea what you might mean by strings. Though Im not seeking compensation.

Why not? Its a highly sought after thing, is it not?

He scoffs. Why would I ask for payment for helping a student? I already expressed my distaste for such a notion. Besides, its not that costly to me. My position as Supreme Hierarch grants me the authority to extend invitations to whomever I choose, and surely you see how its fitting to use such a power to aid a student.

I resist a sigh, searching for a phrasing that will let me be sure. Some way that he cant weasel out of either speaking directly or obviously refusing to. You dont intend to use this invitation to force me to reveal my contracts with you then?

He hesitates for a brief moment before smiling with far too much amusement for the simple word that follows. No.

I inhale sharply, hesitating only for a moment before nodding with a polite smile. Okay I thank you for the invitation then, and graciously accept.

My stomach protests, but I cant think of a good reason to refuse. Terry had better be grateful.

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