Quoted By:
''His lordship ancient will does not supersede the church and present-''
''Ssh!'' Augustine almost touched the man's lips with her finger.
The acolyte breathes in loudly and starts.
''Let it be known that the creatures known as Monsters who come in peace to our great and blessed Kingdom of Fallerin shall be met with dignity befitting the spark of humanity they bear. Though their true place within the divine order of our Parent Gods remains yet to be revealed, extinguishing that ember of reason and kinship—be it through cruelty or callous disregard—is to stain our own souls before the judgment of Father Sky. We are strong; thus it is our duty to nourish the weak.''
''<span class="mu-s">Callous disregard.</span>'' You repeat, hands on the altar, putting as much of your height and weight forward as you can...which isn't much, unfortunately. ''What else would you call your stubbornness.''
''May I...continue?'' The boy asks and, unfortunately, you back down.
If only this single sentence was the whole decree.
''Yet; while they may toil upon our lands, till our fields, partake of our harvest, and earn their keep by the sweat of their brow, they shall not be counted among the citizenry of our realm. No Monster shall claim noble titles, own property upon Fallerin soil, nor conduct trade as a merchant within our hallowed lands. They are yet to be kin.''
So were born the enclaves. Monsters aren't slaves but they aren't ''people'' either. They labor for the good of the land and are paid a wage, but where else can that money go aside from the nobleman coffers?
The boy cleared his throat one last time.
''Let all men take heed: whosoever among our noble bloodlines seeks matrimony with a Monster shall, by this decree, relinquish all rights to his name and inheritance. No gentle house of Fallerin shall be bound in blood to such unions, and those who forsake their station for such paths shall do so without the mantle of their birthright.
<span class="mu-s">So I have spoken, so it shall be done.</span>''
A thick, tense silence followed, the young acolyte promptly ran away inside the church to return his scroll.
''You are a good doctor, Augustine but you do not belong to our hallowed church of Unity.''
''There is!'' Belmont continues, trampling the pinkish godtouched interruption. ''Important cooperation between the house of Eisenhart and our church, of which Seyraphal participation is required. My refusal does not insult our Survivor King!''
''I don't care. <span class="mu-r">I know she'll be sacrificed by winter's end</span>, I have the knowledge and power to help her woes; so I must. So demand Father Sky.''
<span class="mu-i">Sacrifice...Think about that later, Rey.</span>
''Nothing more than an interpretation of his will...'' Belmont is good at wiggling around, you'll give him that.
