Zhen Liu didn’t actually have experience with religious power plays, but he had consumed enough literature and media to recognize the beginnings of one.

Also, he could recognize when the leader of an organization was more or less powerless in the face of bureaucratic nonsense...or worse.

"Let me take a wild guess: a member of the Ember Council has made a deal with the Erupting Dawn Emperor and is planning to steal the [Sacred Flame] in order to secure their future as some kind of nobility? Or maybe leader of a state-mandated that’s actually just a vague way for them to indulge in all of the world’s vices while inventing new ones?" Zhen Liu asked.

"Close, but not exactly," Serena answered with a slightly impressed tone of voice. "A member of the council, possibly more than one, has actually used the [Sacred Flame] to force the Erupting Dawn Emperor into continuing a war that should’ve ended several years ago and I don’t know who it is. Which is why I need your help."

"...okay, that’s a new one."

One would think getting enraptured by multiple conspiracies one after the other would make one used to such things, but the universe seemed to have a way of messing with Zhen Liu still even after all of this time.

"Would you mind explaining how you know this? Because that’s...kind of insane, even by Kaijin Lord standards."

"Fair enough," Serena nodded. "So, you know how this war initially started?"

"The Erupting Dawn Emperor initially wanted the Sacred Flame to elevate his cultivation to the next level, but is now suffering from a horrendous injury to turned that want into a need," Zhen Liu summarized. "I mean, there’s some historical debate over whether or not the [Sacred Flame] is actually some kind of ancient aether treasure that belonged to the original founders of the Erupting Dawn Empire, but that bit information was lost to the sands of time...more or less."

"That is mostly correct," Serena nodded. "But that second part, where the Emperor got horrifically injured...that’s where the conspiracy kicks in," Serena sighed. "And I know this because I was in the room when it happened."

"Say what?"

...Story Time...

When the war with the Erupting Dawn Empire started, I wasn’t the First Hearth Tender at the time. I was merely the attendant to the previous one, Lady Alfina.

Alfina had been the one to refuse the Erupting Dawn Emperor’s initial request for the [Sacred Flame],but she had also been the one to treat his injuries when his children came to beg for our help. 𝑓𝘳𝘦𝑒𝑤𝑒𝘣𝘯ℴ𝘷𝘦𝓁.𝑐𝑜𝑚

One of the champions who was assisting us at that particular time was a warrior known as the Blood Wolf Sword Saint, and he had been the one to injure the Erupting Dawn Emperor when the latter—

..."Hold up"...

"The Blood Wolf...Sword Saint?" Zhen Liu repeated, finding the title to be absurd. "Out of curiosity is he a Wolf Bloodliner?"

"He is, actually. I think he’s currently leading an offensive on the northern front of the war,, Serena honestly answered. "Did you want to meet him or something?"

"No, no, just...found the name to be interesting, is all."

"Right...anyways..."

...Back on track...

The wounds left by the Blood Wolf Sword Saint were vicious and carried a powerful curse to them, that could only be cured by potent aether medicines that were absurdly expensive...or with an application of the [Sacred Flame].

I thought it was absurd at the time, to help someone who had been our enemy for so long, but Lady Alfina was kind.

Perhaps too kind.

Then again, the Emperor’s children did promise that they would do all they could after treatment to convince their father to end this war for good.

She allowed the Emperor and his children to rest in one of the receiving chambers where we usually treated guests, and I was there to provide service to them.

They were surprisingly polite despite our allegiances, and honestly, their Fifth Prince was actually quite easy on the eyes.

But then, tragedy struck.

My memory of this was hazy but I remembered a figure shrouded in shadows, wielding a strange lantern that seemed to house a small part of [Sacred Flame] inside itself.

The figure used the lantern to blow away all of the Emperor’s children, and myself, and proceeded to enter the treatment room with the Emperor and Lady Alfina.

The emperor’s children were rendered unconscious almost instantly, but I was conscious enough to hear what happened next and to see the aftermath.

I heard Lady Alfina’s scream of betrayal.

I heard the sound of roaring flames.

I saw how the Erupting Dawn Emperor was guided out by the lantern-wielding shadow, his wounds healed, but there was now a strange tint to his eyes.

I passed out shortly after.

...Flashback over...

"A day later, I was marked for execution. I was apparently charged with conspiracy and sedition due to the Council declaring that Lady Alfina’s death was due to my negligence," Serena bittrlerly stated.

"Scapegoat, got it," Zhen Liu nodded in understanding.

"But before I was sent back to the Embers of Origin, the [Sacred Flame] suddenly chose me to be it’s Hearth Tender," Serena sighed. "Not sure why it did, but I wasn’t going to refuse the gift...and all of the caveats that came with it."

"Hmmm."

"Anyways, you can imagine how the Council felt about the fact that I was suddenly chosen before they could dispense ’justice’ on my sorry ass...wait, I never swear, why did I just..."

As Serena continued to simultaneously vent and explain her need for assistance, Zhen Liu consulted Blazejudicator about the truthfulness of her statements.

...

’Is she telling the truth?’

[I think so...or at the very least, she believes it to be true. There’s one inconsistency, though.]

’There always is.’

...

"Serena, before you continue, there is something I need to ask," Zhen Liu interjected as Serena began to explain how the council made her life miserable until she proved herself.

"Uh...yes?"

"When you were attendant, I’m assuming you were about the strength of an Aether Master, right?"

"That is correct. My formula at the time wasn’t anything too powerful, but it was enough to get me this attendant job," Serena answered.

"In that case, how the fuck were you able to remain conscious against an attack that rendered, I’m assuming a half dozen warriors, at the Aether Lord rank at least?" Zhen Liu pointedly asked. "I have done my reading and none of the Erupting Dawn Emperor’s children are push overs to say the least."

"Ah, that," Serena nodded, giving off the impression that she was expecting this question to be asked. "Firstly, it’s because I got lucky. I was positioned in a place where the initial blast of energy only knocked me into a wall to my immediate left. I didn’t suffer from any additional momentum."

"Okay, that kind of tracks," Zhen Liu verbally said while mentally adding the word, "not", to the end.

"And secondly, I actually forgot about the details of that night...until about a week ago," Serena answered while sighing, sounding as if she knew she sounded absolutely bonkers. "Which is when the [Sacred Flame] gave me three back-to-back visions for the price of one."

"Oh?"

"The first vision was that of a bunch of tools used to tend to a fire being claimed by some weird...thing that the [Sacred Flame] depicted as a friendly demon of some kind. Which I assume is you."

"Pleading the fifth until more information is given," Zhen Liu replied.

"I don’t know what that means," Serena said in a tired voice. "The second vision was that moment where Lady Alfina died. I wasn’t sure why it showed me that...until the third vision."

Serena paused as she took a breath, remembering the details of the vision that made her nervous.

"The third vision was that of the Theocracy being destroyed by a weird lantern."

"Ah."

...Curator comments...

<On the one hand, churchly conspiracy and corruption is older than time itself,> Pathos commented as she and Logos parsed through the Hearth Tender’s words. <On the other hand, seems a bit cliche, doesn’t it?>

=To be fair, we’re only saying that because we’ve lived long enough for some of these historical stories to repeat themselves,= Logos pointed out. =We have been through several rebellions, a couple dozen church reformations, and I remember at least three different succession wars. Hell, we had to deal with a incest affair at least three times.=

<I...I don’t think that instant where our Lord was having an affair with their sister and then transferring ownership to them counts as a separate instant. I think they just collectively count as one.>

=This feels like the clone question again.=

<Kind of is.>

=Back on to important matters, do you think the Hearth Tender is playing us?=

<I don’t think so...but emotions can make one lie to themselves in ways they never thought possible.>

=Hmmm.=