Cynthia

"So you are leaving us already? You have so many lives already. Thank you, James." Outside a medical tent, many medical staff all bowed to an old man.

"HAHA! No need to worry so much. So long as you learned how to truly treat those inside you should be fine. I am sure you all will be able to truly save everyone you need." Waving goodbye James didn't even look at them as he headed towards the other side of the battlefield.

No one noticed where he was headed until he was far out of view.

"Hey isn't that the direction of the enemy?"

"Yeah... I hope those barbarians don't attack the great man..."

As for the man himself, he found himself outside another medical tent by the end of the week.

"Hello, I heard there is a war going on here?"

"Old man you are obviously too old to fight, please leave."

"I am but a humble doctor."

***

"Lord." A woman completely covered in black cloth bowed towards another who sat in a chair. The only signifying feature being a brooch of a black orchid with red highlights on the tips of its petals. The other woman wore an all black dress with a similar brooch.

"Vanessa I told you just call me Cynthia."

"Lord Cythntia, I have finished your task. All nobles that showed the signs are dead."

"Good... Vanessa? Can you read this?" 

"Lord Cynthia, I only see squiggles on the paper. I am sorry."

"Don't be. You are the sixth one today..." Cynthia looked up to the ceiling while holding a book. The title read, "Basics of Manipulating Humans." 

"Lord? Do you wish to have someone translate it?"

"No. I already know what it says. The problem is how bad our language is at describing its contents. Then comes the fact that no one else paid. Only I paid so only I can read it... Was it worth it to sell my soul for this?"

The woman bowing didn't say anything and allowed her master to mumble to herself.

After a while Cynthia calmed herself and put down her book before picking up another book and showing it to her follower. "Can you read this?"

"No."

"Figures." The book read, "Politics and How to Keep Power."

After mumbling to herself for a while Cynthia stood up, "Although I can't tell how useful it would be to follow these books, but they make enough sense to implement them immediately... So, Vanessa, I need you to set up a banquet and invite every high noble we have left. After the banquet I want you to do the same for the middle nobles. And set up ten different banquets for the lowest nobles after that. These banquets need to have enough space apart to allow me to comfortably attend all of them."

"Lord Cynthia? May I know why you are doing this?"

"Hmm..." Looking at the books in her hands Cynthia walked over to the fireplace. Looking at the covers under the flickering red light of the fire, she waited for a moment before speaking, "I received information so far advanced from what I knew and was told it was the basics. So I plan to implement it in the hopes to achieve our purpose."

"But Lord! Weren't we already on route for our purpose to be completed?"

Turning to her subordinate she flashed a warm smile, "If what I received is true, then it is likely..." Sadness flashed through her eyes as she spoke in a softer tone, "Everything that we worked for will not last..." Her warm smile faded as she looked into the distance with a look of longing, "If it is true... If it is true then using this information we will be able to make an empire lasting at least a thousand years."

***

"The city sure is going through many changes hasn't it?" A man leading a family of three, walking in loose clothes, asked a random passerby.

"Oh? Yes! Ever since the Church of Knowledge made itself known, everything has been changing. Granted it mostly has to do with the homeless. Now any beggar is working under them under the promise of free food!"

"Sounds like a great place. If I can truly get more food, I would gladly join them!"

"Oh? I thought I didn't recognize you, are you perhaps from somewhere else?"

"Yes, I am David. I come from the main town of Juniper. You see, when the baron invited the church to help protect himself, their new church buildings destroyed my place of work! Now with two children I can't do anything but move in the hopes of making something of myself."

The passerby looked at David with sympathy, "I understand. Coming here must have been rough on your family." Looking at the weary faces of the children and wife, "Just a little farther and you can get the free food and shelter." The passerby pointed in a direction and explained, "Just down this path and to the right is the center of town where they are recruiting. You won't be able to miss the giant orchard they have started growing."

"Thank you." Bowing to the passerby he grabbed his wife's hand and one of his children's hand. With a deep breath, he led the way.

Quickly he saw the place the passerby was talking about. The giant green trees were indeed impossible to miss. Especially with the glimmering red dots in between the leaves. 

Soon, he saw a table where two women were setting out food. Not knowing what to expect he walked over and spoke, "Hello? I hear there is work here."

The women look up at the same time before one of them stands up straighter and starts talking, "Oh, yes. Welcome to the Church of Knowledge. I am Renee. Yes, so long as you work for us we will provide you with enough food for everyone in your family so long as you are ok with them working for the church temporarily."

"Having my children work for the church? Sounds like you are trying to get free labor."

Renee smiled a soft smile as she spoke with certainty, "Yes it might seem to be free labor for us, but we only require a week of work before we set you up with a fixed meal time for your entire family. As for money, I am afraid we are not so rich to pay everyone, but we can certainly feed your whole family."

David spoke with a skeptical look on his face, "Oh? And how am I going to be sure you feed my family? I don't have the greatest experience with churches. I would like some form of confirmation."

Renee showed a slightly surprised expression but still smiled as she pointed to the table she was setting up, "You see here. We are setting up a place for everyone to eat." She paused for a moment before her tone became more jubilant, "As per instruction by Priestess Alma you can get some leftovers to eat now and wait until after the workday to eat with everyone else. So long as you follow instructions we will make sure you and your family will remain full! That is our guarantee!"

David was surprised, but still nodded. Pausing for a moment he looked to his children's weary faces and then to his equally weary face of his wife. Nodding to her he waited until she nodded back before he turned his attention back to Renee.

"Alright. We are willing to work with you. If you can truly keep your promise I will stay and work until there is no longer any work to be done."

Renee nodded and showed a gentle smile, "That is all we can ask for. Thank you for your help."

Nodding David asked the one question that was always at the back of his mind, "So what do you all think of the Pantheon Church?"

Renee raised her eyebrow as the woman setting up the table also paused and looked over. The surroundings became quiet for a moment before Renee sighed sadly.

"Well I can't say we have the greatest relationship with them, but I will tell you this. I personally don't have anything against the gods of Neven or the gods of Azeneth. Yet the people who have taken place to represent the gods have truly become worse and worse."

David couldn't help but smile widely as he spoke, "I am happy we share similar thoughts. I am David, former guard of the city of Juniper. This is my wife, Daisy, a seamstress. Lastly, these are my two children, Balsic and June."

***

'What is happening?! Everything was going as planned.' "Hahhh- Hahh~ WHAT DO YOU WANT!" 

A man dragged a woman along as he ran through the darkness with fear and confusion clouding his face. Holding her hand tightly he made sure to keep her close by. The woman herself had her other arm wrapped around a baby. 

Their extravagant bright colors showed their status as nobles, yet, the dirt which smeared the colors, could not hide the luxury they were accustomed to. 

"PLEASE I HAVE A CHILD!" The woman screamed into the darkness with her voice becoming hoarse showing her fear. Still, her voice gave way to deep breaths as she desperately tried to recover from running for longer than she had ever run.

A seductive voice came from the darkness speaking as if she was describing some great tragedy, "Oh~ The birdies left their cages and can't seem to find the ability to fly~? O~h how tragic! The Birdies so used to bully others- In the cages they built no less? But now? They are forced to leave and realize don't know anything. Oh~ It brings a tear to my eye..."

'No this isn't meant to happen. They thought I followed their orders... NO they KNEW I followed their orders... WHY?!!'

"Please, Miss Cynthia! Please listen! Please don't do this!"

Suddenly, out of the shadows the woman appeared dressed in all black with a beautiful black orchid brooch with red highlights signifying her organization on her collar. She shoved her dagger straight at the man's throat, but stopped before cutting him.

"Mr Vincient, do you know why I personally decided to come here myself?"

"Please tell me! So I can prove otherwise!"

"Oh please~ Like you don't know what you did." Cynthia looked away from the man letting him go as she turned her back to him as she spoke with a sad tone, "I looked for the signs and when I heard you were one of them I didn't want to believe it... I so badly wanted to simply say it wasn't true... yet... *sigh*" 

Turning back to the man she looked at the woman and man simultaneously while giving them a look of pity as she continued, "I said specifically to investigate more... and when I heard nothing was found I thought it was safe~... yet again the nagging feeling that I was missing something haunted me, so I searched myself..."

She paused as her eyes became watery, "Three thousand children sold. Not one. Not two. Not three. NOT A HUNDRED! NOT A THOUSAND! BUT! But... THREE THOUSAND!" Her eyes cleared as she moved like a ghost and grabbed Vincent by the collar before slamming him to the ground!

This time the confusion in the man's eyes disappeared as he now knew why this was happening. He was caught doing what he wasn't supposed to. Yet that didn't stop the fear from overtaking his body as he started shaking.

Coughing up blood from the impact he shook as he refused to accept his death as he yelled, "PLEASE! Please! Please please p-please ple-"

"Wait!" Suddenly the woman who had been terrified the entire time kneeled down beside her husband.

Cynthia paused as she looked at the woman in disappointment as she spoke, "Miss Demetre. Your husband had dismantled thousands of families and sold their children separating babies from their mothers, much like yours. Are you sure you want to defend a monster like him to the very end?"