The members of the council remained silent as they heard the words of the emperor.
It can't be... How can The Only One exist if Ilandrus has confirmed the existence of other gods? The tanned skin Enoch thought to himself, as he twirled a strand of his black hair in his fingers.
Bartholomew, the older inner council member with a ruffled beard, had the same thoughts. Is the Emperor bluffing, or have we all been misunderstanding the events of these past two weeks?
Erwin simply sat there, watching his friend Leonard as he wondered what he was playing at.
The outer council members dared not speak up, and waited for Leonard to continue.
"I'm sure you're all confused and have been ever since Ilandrus appeared with wings above our city. After all, if the man's claims are true, then all that my Father, Alexander, built, will crumble." Leonard spoke, his tone more confident than he truly felt.
"But I'm here to tell you that Ilandrus' claims are false. I am aware of his new religion, The Sect of the Holy Skies, and I can declare now that it is false. No god walks with Ilandrus."
The faces of the council lit up with shock, and it appeared that they were all eager to ask questions. But Leonard was not yet done speaking.
"In truth, the man walks with devils."
The mere mentioning of the words was enough to fill all who heard with fear.
Devils were not only entities spoken of in The Only Religion but also in all religions of the past. Before Alexander spread his rule to the six islands, all major religions shared one common belief.
That devils were the harbingers of evil.
"Do you speak the truth?" Bartholomew spoke, voice hoarse and rough due to old age. "How do you know that he speaks with devils?"
Leonard was waiting for the question. It was now his time to reveal his new secrets.
The Emperor reached his hand towards his face and slowly unravelled the bandage from his eye. All members of the council had been expecting a mere injury, but when their eyes laid sight on the glowing red eye of Leonard...
The groups recoiled in their seats and muttered prayers to The Only One. They couldn't help but feel fearful.
Leonard fought against the pain that he felt in the eye, due to the pressure drawing him towards The Right Leg, where Ilandrus resided.
Instead, he gestured for silence with his hands.
"In my meeting with The Only One, I was gifted the Red Eye. It might seem terrifying, but I can assure you that it is sacred. With this eye, I'm able to sense the location of devils and demons."
The council members quieted down, now considering the words of the emperor. There was no denying that the eye held a magical essence unconnected to the six Mageways, but was it truly as he said?
Doubt spread across some of the faces, filling Leonard with worry.
I need them to believe me. If not, not only is the empire at risk but so are all of my followers. Not to mention myself.
Just as his mind raced with desperate thoughts, a voice spoke up from the council.
"He speaks to truth. I sat beside him during his entire slumber." Erwin spoke, earning himself a surprised look from the other members. Leonard tried his best not to join them.
"During his two-week slumber, Emperor Leonard mumbled sentences that were clearly being directed to the one true god. I know this, as he addressed him as all believers of our religion do. As The Only One."
Erwin's words swiftly removed the doubts from the minds of the council members. After all, the young sceptic was knowledgeable in all scholarly areas. If he believed the words of the emperor, then they would be fools not to as well.
Did I truly whisper in my sleep? If so, did Erwin hear that I spoke to a god that was not The Only One? Did I speak to Arcus and expose my secret?
He met eyes with Erwin, trying his best to figure him out. But the man simply nodded his head to him, showing his respect.
For now, I'll have to assume that I'm safe. After all, he's done me a great favour.
Leonard cleared his throat before continuing.
"With this eye, I can sense the location, birth and deaths of demons and devils. No evil can pass underneath my watch."
His words were spoken with false certainty, as he knew they were only half-truths.
In reality, he knew that they were not demons, but rather gods. And he knew not whether he would be able to sense their births or deaths.
But still, Leonard told them what they needed to hear, and it seemed to be enough.
"Well this is incredible!" A member of the outer council spoke. He was a feminine young man with short oily hair. "Those of the capital city will be glad to hear this. It will dispel all those that chose to follow this false religion during your absence."
"You're right. I plan to deliver a speech to the nation this evening in hopes bringing The Heart back under control. However, I know not whether my words will touch those of the surrounding islands. Have we managed to gather any information from our governors?" Leonard responded.
Bartholomew spoke up, as he was in charge of communicating with the empires leaders spread across the realm through magical means.
"I have not heard from the other islands, which suggests that things are fine. However, Governor Mercy is of course having trouble on The Right Leg. Ilandrus religion is spreading fast."
Leonard let out a sigh, as he covered his eye with his bandage again, the subsiding pain bringing him satisfaction.
"Call for an Emperor's Hearing this evening." He announced, putting an end to the council meeting. "It's been far too long since the empire has heard from me."