The Silent Temple

Early the next morning, Theus and several others headed to the chief clerk's residence.

Conditions on the island were rather primitive. Theus's estate had taken a lot of work to renovate, but the residences of Alexei and the others were much worse.

Fortunately, the island had no shortage of land. The royal family paid for it, and soon a number of simple wooden houses had been built.

Theus had not been assigned to Castel Island for long. The surrounding wall had only just been completed, and at first glance, the place felt a little like a modern-day housing estate.

Connor had already reached out beforehand, and both sides had hit it off. From there, everything had fallen neatly into place.

Theus and the others brought some gifts and paid a visit to the chief clerk, Alexei. After exchanging a few pleasantries with him, they "happened" to run into a lady who was taking a walk just outside.

She was one of Alexei's relatives, so he naturally stepped forward to introduce her. Theus took the opportunity to invite them both to visit his estate, and Alexei and his sister gladly accepted.

Unfortunately, the chief clerk had just caught a chill and wasn't feeling well, so Theus promptly sent someone to escort him to a nearby room to rest.

Butler Connor led Alexei away.

And so, thanks to a series of perfectly reasonable coincidences, Theus was now sitting across from Alexei's "younger sister" in the reception room.

Theus glanced toward the door. A servant nodded to him, then closed it.

Only then did Theus breathe a sigh of relief and look the girl sitting opposite him up and down.

Her hair was pure white, as were her eyebrows, like frost and snow caught on the branches.

Theus had heard that this was a characteristic appearance among the people of the White Crow Duchy. Unlike the silver-white hair that came with age, the girl's long hair had not simply lost its color. It was a rich, pure white, like snow.

She was much shorter than Theus, with a petite frame, but she was wrapped in a thick coat. Her scarf covered almost her entire face, and she wore a hat as well, doing her best to keep others from seeing her.

Now she took off the clothes she had used to conceal herself, folded them neatly, and set them aside. Then she stood and lightly curtsied, holding the hem of her skirt.

"Hello, my name is Theus."

Theus held out his hand. It was a new habit he had picked up, inspired by Brother Kaeschi. Now, whenever he met someone new, he shook their hand and took the opportunity to check whether they were made of flesh and blood.

The girl held out her hand and shook his without changing her expression. "Nora."

Despite her thick clothing, Nora's hand was icy cold. The power of the Symbiotic Pact stirred deep within him. Theus checked and found nothing wrong. She was human.

Maybe she was naturally prone to cold hands and feet. Or perhaps it was a trait of the Burier?

Speaking of the Burier, Theus narrowed his eyes. He still didn't understand exactly what the title referred to. Connor had given him a detailed set of documents, and he had read through them, but they seemed a little vague.

"I heard you're from the White Crow Duchy. I'm rather interested in the customs and culture there. Would you tell me about them?"

Nora glanced at him and nodded. She hopped down from her chair and took out a strange metal sphere.

A series of narrow slits ran across the sphere, and a fine chain was attached to the top. It looked a little like a Meteor Hammer, but far more delicate.

Theus had initially thought it was some kind of mechanical device, but when he searched his memories, he was surprised to discover that it was a Portable Censer.

Strange. Why would a censer need to be portable?

Nora offered no further explanation. She simply lifted the censer to show it to him.

Theus glanced at Nora quizzically. Did the "Silent" in Silent Temple mean they didn't talk? The girl had been quiet and sparing with her words from start to finish.

But how could they preach without speaking? Theus found it a little amusing.

Setting his scattered thoughts aside, Theus steadied himself and looked at the censer in Nora's hand.

It was delicate and small, engraved with a white crow spreading its wings as if about to take flight. But on closer inspection, the crow had neither flesh nor feathers. It was made entirely of white bones.

Like a corpse buried in a snowstorm.

As Theus looked at the white crow, he felt a sudden, inexplicable sadness, as if he were watching a life slowly pass from this world.

Nora moved her hand, and a wisp of smoke curled up from the censer.

A faint incense fragrance, the dry scent of woodland, like the first snow of winter.

Theus's mind wandered for a moment.

Before he knew it, images had appeared before him.

It seemed he had arrived in the far north, where the Empire's lush woodlands and flowers were nowhere to be seen.

Snowflakes fell. He heard the wind howling by his ears. When he turned, he saw a group of people gathered in a hazy circle with their backs to him, watching something he couldn't make out.

They wore thick fur clothing, and unruly white hair stuck out from beneath their hats.

Were they people from the White Crow Duchy?

The wind and snow howled, but the people stood in silence, not saying a word as they gazed ahead.

Theus leaned forward curiously to see what they were looking at.

There was a newly erected gravestone. A thin layer of frost and snow covered the rough stone. Behind it lay a shallow pit, where a plain coffin rested.

A robed figure stood at the front. He wore a fur hat, and a thick book hung from his waist. Its spine and corners were fitted with copper caps, and a chain held it in place.

Theus recognized the holy radiance about him. He was a priest of the Silent Temple.

He held a shovel in his hands. The frozen earth of the tundra was as hard as mountain stone, yet he dug into it with ease, as if cutting through cake.

The frozen earth, mixed with frost and snow, covered the thin wooden coffin. It gradually formed a mound. The priest gently smoothed it with his shovel, then set the tool down and prayed in silence.

The people mourned before the gravestone, fell silent in the snowstorm, drank around a fire indoors, and brought their game home from the forest. They lived on this land, and in the end, they were buried here.

Gravestones stood side by side. The living paused here, while the dead slept here forever.

The wind and snow suddenly grew fierce, blotting everything from view. Theus shook his head and, in a daze, saw a church.

It had no spire, no huge doors, and no beautiful stained-glass windows. Only thick, cold, sturdy stone walls.

The final image was of the great bell atop the church, with a line of text carved into it.

"Wind and snow bury the past; the Temple never forgets."

Theus closed his eyes and took in the images in his mind. The history of the Silent Temple surged into his thoughts like a flood, yet it wasn't painful. It was as if the memories had always been there, deep in his heart. As if...

It was like watching a movie, Theus thought. The overwhelming solemnity and gravity of it all made the hairs on his body stand on end and his scalp tingle, as if he had been struck by lightning.

"Truly awe-inspiring." Theus fell silent for a while before speaking.