Julian and Lucius waited until the afternoon, their hunger finally outweighing their patience. As they walked through a lower transition corridor, Lucius suddenly tugged on Julian’s sleeve, pointing toward a side door.

An acolyte was scurrying away from a service lift, clutching a bundled white cloth to his chest as if it were a precious relic. He was moving frantically, his eyes darting left and right. As he brushed past them, Julian’s nose flared. 𝑓𝘳𝘦𝑒𝑤𝑒𝘣𝘯ℴ𝘷𝘦𝓁.𝑐𝑜𝑚

It wasn’t incense. It was the sharp, metallic scent of raw meat. Yes, he could tell the smell of raw meat because he roasted barbecue a lot when he was still Kim Jowoon.

"Master, something smells?" Lucius whispered and Julian looked down at him. "It smells like... meat.’

The boy might be able to identify raw meat because he went around with nanny Martha and she might’ve taken him to the kitchen a few times.

"Did you smell that?"

"I did," Julian muttered.

This meat... where was that acolyte taking it to?

Well, only one way to find out.

Curiosity, and a very empty stomach, led them to follow. They trailed the boy through a series of increasingly narrow hallways until they reached a heavy iron gate tucked behind a stack of broken marble pedestals.

On the gate, a weathered wooden sign hung crookedly: KEEP OFF. CONDEMNED STRUCTURE.

The gate was slightly open. Julian didn’t hesitate. He knew ’condemned’ in this city usually just meant a place the light didn’t reach, but the smell coming from inside was definitely not decayed. It was the smell of fat dripping onto hot coals.

He pushed the gate open.

Inside was a small, messy courtyard with a makeshift grill in the middle. Three high-ranking priests—including an elder who had lectured Julian on ’purity’ just yesterday, acting all stuck up since he was an advanced member of the council—were huddled around the fire.

One was by the spit structure, turning it so the fire could reach every part of the meat, while another unwrapped raw steaks from a white cloth.

The room went dead silent. The Elder froze with a pair of tongs in his hand, his face turning white.

He’s going to report us to the Pope. the Elder thought, breaking into a cold sweat. The Pope seems to favor this Saint. If he tells Clement we’re eating meat in a forbidden zone, we’re finished.

Julian didn’t look angry though. He just looked at the grill and then at Lucius, who was staring at the meat with wide eyes. Julian stepped forward and sat on a mossy stone stool.

"It seems," Julian said quietly, "that this place is only ’condemned’ because it lacks a chimney."

The Elder swallowed hard. "Saint Julian... this is... a spiritual test. We were—"

"I’m a scholar, Elder. Do not insult my intelligence," Julian interrupted. He signaled for Lucius to sit. "But... I will not report you. Instead,"

The priests immediately scrambled to find plates, Julian felt a wave of common sense. He hadn’t promised anyone he’d stop eating meat.

He wasn’t part of their Church, and he wasn’t bound by their rules. If the Pope asked him, he’d tell the truth—that the body needs protein. But if he wasn’t asked? He wouldn’t say a word.

Joining them wasn’t a sin for him, but it gave him a way to keep these men quiet for the next two months.

"I think Lucius and I can help you ’dispose’ of this evidence," Julian said.

They ate quickly and quietly. The taste of salt and real meat was incredible. For the first time in days, Julian felt full.

The priests watched him warily, but realizing they were all in this together now, they eased their shoulders and continued eating.

A few days after this incident, life in the Sanctum had settled into a boring routine once again.

The meat feast was a once in a few days activity since if they ate the meat every day, it would show on their faces and they couldn’t risk getting exposed.

Julian could not complain either. It was already a miracle they got to eat meat in the first place. So he would make do with these few days’ arrangement.

On a normal Tuesday, Julian stumbled upon one more secret. First, it was the meat being eaten by high members of the church, and this time... ah, it was something he definitely didn’t expect to see.

It was evening, and Lucius had fallen asleep early after a long day in the archives. Julian felt restless and decided to take a walk alone. He stuck to the dim, quiet hallways where the vines grew over the pillars.

The wall was peaceful and he was able to clear his mind, but then as he rounded a corner in a lonely wing of the building, he stopped short.

In the shadows of an archway, two acolytes were pressed against the wall. They weren’t praying. Their faces were locked together, and they were making soft, breathless sounds.

Yes, they were kissing.

Julian’s eyes widened. Seeing such a thing going on in this ’pure’ city, felt like a slap in the face to the Church’s rules.

To think that they would go against the one thing that defied their so-called purity.

Promiscuity.

"Are we really okay doing this here?" One of them asked in hushed breathless whispers.

"It’s fine. No one comes here often. And besides, it’s not like we’re the first to do this. Let’s hurry up, I’m very hard."

Ah! It’s so absurd I can’t even laugh. Julian thought. I better leave before they find me.

He tried to turn back quietly, but his boot hit a loose stone that just happened to be there and made a sound.

Clack.

The two broke apart instantly, turning to look into the dark with terrified eyes.

"Who... who’s there?"

Julian’s breath got caught. This was the one studoid situation he did not want to get involved in.

He couldn’t report them and he couldn’t tell them to carry on either while pretending not to have seen them.

Both options will put him at a serious disadvantage if they get caught and trialled later.

I should run.

But before Julian could move, a hand reached out from behind a heavy curtain and pulled him into a narrow hiding spot.

"Easy, Julian," a familiar voice whispered. "Unless you want to join the face-eating contest."

It was Castor. He was sitting in a small gap behind the wall, chewing on an apple.