A lord? Unexpected, but Leomaris knew better than to act stupid. Whoever Lord Trinity was, he had inherited their will the moment he defeated the entity with illusions. And whoever the person kneeling before him was, definitely knew more than he did.
'I just need to play the role of a lord, get some answers out of her… and maybe even find a way back to the real world.'
He settled his gaze on the shadowy figure before him and braced himself to play omnipotent.
"What brings you here?"
Hazel trembled as the voice echoed with such threatening intensity that it stirred a deep, unsettling feeling within her.
"I am the descendant of Black, who served you. We served your line for generations until the Realm of Authority brought about our downfall 120 years ago."
Leo smiled. This was getting far more interesting than he thought. She had mentioned a few things, and that was all he needed to draw a quick conclusion.
If a Realm of Authority existed, this had to be the Realm of Illusions. Lord Trinity was connected to illusions, after all. But Black? Was that a code name?
Hazel mistook the long silence for Lord Trinity's anger toward her. Perhaps it was because she had given up and stopped praying all those years ago.
"Please forgive me, Lord Trinity. I should be punished for losing faith in you. You are the Sovereign of the Veiled Three; there is no way the Realm of Authority could be your end. Please… don't abandon me."
Leo furrowed his brow. That was more than he'd bargained for, but he was glad she was honest. What held his attention more, though, was the possibility that Hazel might not be the only servant out there.
Being rational, he arrived at a few conclusions. Gabriel had relied on supernatural abilities when he captured him, and if other realms existed beyond his own, Gabriel had to belong to one of them.
This pushed him toward allies for the time being. Rosay had hired Gabriel, which meant she knew about Tricksters, or maybe she was one herself. He couldn't go up against her without knowing what they could do. He would keep this girl for now and dig for more answers.
"Where are the others?"
"The others?"
Hazel swallowed hard, a bitter gulp that reflected the growing tension thick in the air, causing her to break out in a sweat.
"Since the Realm of Illusion was disbanded after Emperor Alastair III's death, only a few, myself included, Lord Trinity, still retain faith in you. Some have likely joined other realms, though I do not know their identities. If required, I can use my position as an honour student at Billy University to gather intelligence. However, now that knowledge of you is spreading, worship may soon resume."
Hazel said too much, but what caught Leomaris off guard was the mention of Emperor Alastair III. The best emperor in the history of the Culter Kingdom, if you asked him.
Alastair had introduced technology and led the Culter Kingdom to victory against the Virelune Kingdom, though it cost him both his children. In the aftermath, he managed to bring violence down by sixty percent.
Alastair's assassination came quickly and without a clear explanation. The mystery of it stuck with Leo, he brought it up constantly during his tutoring sessions.
'To think Emperor Alastair III was connected to Trinity.'
He smiled and reconsidered everything Hazel had said. More realms? The thought alone made him uneasy.
Hazel was the only servant he had, and he wasn't even sure he could leave this realm yet. By the looks of things, none of the realms were particularly friendly. He had to be careful.
"What is the current state of progress in the Realm of Authority?"
Hazel responded in kind.
"I regret to inform you that your servant Leomaris Runerth has been executed. He did not die without a fight. I believe the Realm of Authority was responsible. Their ability to issue commands likely allowed them to manipulate the masses."
Hearing about his own death was strange, but he saw no reason to correct anyone just yet. He might need to reveal his identity someday. For now, the shadows suited him.
'An ability to issue commands, huh? Gabriel issued commands and even made me fall asleep on command… He must belong to the Realm of Authority. I need to keep an eye on them.'
For now, the information he'd gathered was enough. Push too hard with questions, and he'd expose himself. He might make it obvious he knew nothing, that he wasn't the Lord Trinity she worshipped.
"What brings you here? Is there anything you desire of me?"
Hazel exhaled in relief. She'd spent the whole time paranoid that Lord Trinity might kick her out. Now there was a chance she'd stay.
"I wish to stand by your side and help make this world a better place. However, I would require you to grant me sufficient power to avenge my family. In this world, kindness is always repaid with cruelty. I would rather deliver cruel judgment than receive it."
Leomaris smiled. He loved every word of it. If he was going to get his revenge, people like Hazel were exactly what he needed.
Before he could utter a word, the bronze status materialized.
[ You've acquired a devoted servant. Would you like to accept them into the Realm of Illusion? ]
A smirk played on his lips.
"The world is cruel only to those who let it be. Serve me, and I'll give you the strength to take everything you were never meant to have… starting with what's rightfully yours."
[ Congratulations! You've acquired your first servant. Would you like to give them an alias? ]
Leo listened to Hazel's praises with half a mind. The other half was on her alias. Her predecessor had gone by Black, but those people were gone now, and using the same name would be too obvious to anyone who knew of the Realm of Illusion.
"From this moment onward, you will answer to the name Unlit."
[ You've selected the alias 'Unlit' for your first servant. Unlit starts her First Task in two minutes. ]
'Wait… what?'
He didn't know what he'd expected, but Unlit taking trials wasn't it. Worse, her actions made it obvious she'd known about the Tasks long before arriving.
"I will not disappoint you, Lord Trinity. I shall ensure my success and serve faithfully at your side."
This changed Leomaris's perspective entirely. If his servants could take Tasks and receive Tricks just as he did, then he was both a ruler and a player. But how many Tasks were there?
"This will be your first task, the easiest of them all. And the rest? The second… the fifth? Do you have enough faith to meet the requirements?"
"Yes, Lord Trinity. After my first task, I will no longer need to perform the ritual. I shall only recite the prayers, which will grant me easier access. With the second task in ten days, I will prepare by mastering my ability."
'A prayer… ritual?'
Unlit's prayer had been accepted, not that he knew it. He'd simply struck a light he mistook for a firefly. But the prayer mattered to him regardless. He was a player too, and leaving this realm depended on it.
"Would you like to recite the prayer now?"
Hazel was confused but shrugged it off easily enough. Lord Trinity was asking for a show of loyalty before him. She recited it without pause, and Leo, for his part, memorized every word.
When she was done, she vanished to take her First Task. While she was gone, Leo took the opportunity to learn about his own ability.