"So, how did it go?" Orochi asked, sitting on the long couch beside the mountain Lion.

He was in the Rain hall of the palace, a space known personally to Ymir. But none of the maidens interrupted Orochi.

"Couldn’t get much out of him," Ymir said as he walked in and sat opposite Orochi.

"You know you’ve got me intrigued in this detective work of yours," Orochi said, and leaned forward, picking up the glass of wine from the black marbled table.

"Hm," Ymir thought for a while.

"What now?" Orochi asked.

"He was your only lead, right?" he asked, sipping the wine.

"No, there’s one more," Ymir replied.

"So, there’s still a chance?" Orochi asked.

The mountain lion got up, noticing Ymir. It purred and snuggled beside his couch.

"You can say that," Ymir said.

"I’m curious," Orochi said.

"Fine then," Ymir nodded. "Let’s go chase the final lead."

"That’s what I’m talking about," Orochi smirked.

"Graves," Ymir called out, and Graves appeared behind his couch.

"Arrange us one more of this ring," Ymir asked, flicking the finger in which he had a black and silver ring.

"Yes, Your Highness, I already had a bunch of those ordered since last time," Graves said, and took out a silver box of rings from his coat’s pocket.

"I always keep one with me for your convenience," he said.

"That’s just perfect," Ymir took the box and tossed it to Orochi.

"Let’s go," he said.

.-.-.-.-.-.

Ymir was changed back to Marcus; his skin was now slightly tanned, his earrings were now needle-shaped, and his irises were black.

Besides him was Orochi, in a black suit, not too royal like. His hair was short, his eyes brown, and normal human-like. He had a fine scar on his face running diagonally.

But...

"You cannot be serious," Orochi murmured.

They were outside the gates of the Covenant.

"Concealing your demonic energy should be a cakewalk for you," Ymir said.

"..."

"Come on in, detective, we’ve got work to do," Ymir scoffed.

’Fucking psychopath,’ Orochi thought.

They walked in through the doors of the church. The sun was about to set in a few minutes. The covenant was silent at this point in time.

"Professor Marcus Rile?" A priest approached them, noticing Marcus.

"Good evening, Priest," Marcus said.

"May the goddess bless you, Professor, and your friend here..." He then looked at Orochi.

"Lar-"

"Lily," Marcus interrupted Orochi.

"His name is Lily, a commoner," He said.

’Lily? LILY? What the f-’ Orochi thought.

"Lily? That seems like the name of a woman...Oh, forgive me, Sir Lily, I’m not judging, just curious," The priest said.

"It’s alright, Priest. Nothing to worry about," Orochi forced a smile.

"Although I’m a devotee, Priest. But this is a matter of extreme emergency," Marcus said, and got near the Priest, lowering his voice.

"The thing is...my friend here, Lily, got into the rift near Marakana before the tower master, and he barely survived." Marcus lowered his voice even more.

"He’s been acting a little differently since then. I think my friend here needs to be baptised." Marcus said.

’Baptised? I’m a demon!’ Orochi thought.

"I see, well its good that you brought him here early before his symptoms intensified, Sir Marcus. As it turns out, the high priest is within the covenant; he’ll be happy to help your friend here." The priest said.

"Oh...goddess, how blessed I am. I will appreciate this gesture, Priest. I’m really grateful for this." Marcus heaved a long, exaggerated sigh.

’...’ Orochi was darting daggers at Marcus just with his eyes.

"I can see the demonic being taking over for him to look at his friend like this, Sir Marcus, don’t worry, we will save him," The priest whispered.

"Thank-thank you, Priest," Marcus said, gripping Priest’s hands.

"Follow me, Sir Marcus. I will take you to the high priest, he’s really powerful, and a true devotee of the goddess, just like our Holiness."

The Priest turned around and started walking through the corridors beyond the halls.

"Come, Lily, don’t worry, it’s going to be alright," Marcus said, barely holding his laugh.

"..." ’I’ll make him pay for this humi-’

"Lily?" Marcus repeated a little louder.

"Fuck-" Orochi grunted.

The corridor narrowed as they moved deeper inside the covenant.

There was utter silence here, except for the reverberating sounds of the boots.

The Priest slowed down, near a tall set of double doors.

He knocked on the double doors twice.

Then after a moment, the doors opened inward. They were heavy enough to make a loud creaking sound, but surprisingly, they had smooth hinges.

It wasn’t a grand office, or the ceremonial excess of a man who wanted his position visible.

It was just a simple working room. Quite odd considering the personality of Ferrey.

A desk of dark wood with papers arranged in order, bookshelves along two walls, a single window draped with violet curtains.

Ferrey was sitting in his workplace; he had a sheet of paper in his hand, but his attention was drawn towards the gates. Marcus, to be precise.

"Professor?" Ferrey tilted his head.

"It hasn’t been long since we last met, High Priest, how have you been?" Marcus spoke, and the Priest bowed and left the room, closing the doors behind.

"Just caught up in some mild workload, and you are?" Ferrey then looked at Orochi.

"L-...*Sigh*" Orochi couldn’t even bring himself to speak of that name.

"His name is Lily, High Priest, he’s a friend of mine," Marcus said, walking towards the centre of the room and sitting on the sofa.

"That is certainly an odd name for a man that size. How can I help you, Professor?" Ferrey asked, looking at him patiently.

Marcus just sat silently, fiddling with the ring on his finger, and Orochi also took a seat on the sofa beside him.

What followed was just silence. No one uttered a single word.

Ferrey was a little confused at that gesture.

"Professor," Ferrey said. "You haven’t answered my question. How can I help you?"

Marcus said nothing.

Ferrey looked at Orochi, who seemed to know what was about to happen, and had decided the correct response was stillness.

"Professor Rile," Ferrey said.

He was slightly more measured and careful than before, but it still carried an edge of his pride.

"If you have a purpose here, I’d appreciate---"

Marcus took the ring off.

It came off his index finger as if he had removed it many times. And he set it on the low table in the centre of the sofas.

*Tink*

The tanned skin returned to its usual natural pale, the needle earrings transformed into glistening crescent moons, and black irises gave way to the illuminating red. His facial features turned fine in an instant.

Ymir Celestie was sitting in Ferrey’s office.

"M-Marcus Rile---?" Ferrey couldn’t produce words for the revelation.

Ymir let out a quiet breath of laughter and gestured at the seat opposite him.

"Take a seat, High Priest," he said.

Ferrey was still in shock; he followed Ymir’s instructions and took a seat opposite him. His steps had turned extremely cautious.

"Wait---that means that-that, all this while, the genius professor, or a humble man, the transcendent strategist, all of it...was you, Your Highness?" Ferrey didn’t ask it; he just kept mumbling.

"That-that explains how you were able to kill that many people in the covenant, why...what’s the reason for hiding your identity?"

Ymir leaned back into the sofa, one arm resting against the edge as his finger tapped against the cushion.

"Do you always talk this much," Ymir said quietly, "When you don’t understand your position?"

"Your questions are wrong, really out of line. I expected a strategist like you to be more aware," he said.

"What do you mean, your highness?" Ferrey asked, trying to laugh it off. "It looked like there was some kind of misunderstanding."

"There might be," Ymir replied. "A misunderstanding."

"Maybe my suspicions about you are wrong, maybe I drifted slightly away from the path, maybe I made a mistake...is that what you expect me to say?" Ymir scoffed.

"Although I’m never wrong, I don’t think anyone in my shoes would think that you’re completely innocent of colluding with demonic humans. For you dispersed your knights in a way that they will be easy to get past and assassinate, you left the Saintess alone, which a high priest like you has never done, and you return as if you had expected something worse."

"Ha---ha, your highness, I think that’s a little serious accusation. Are you really accusing me, a High Priest, who devoted all his life, his soul to the goddess, of colluding with demonic humans?" Ferrey straightened up, but his laugh was filled with unexpected accusation and despair.

"You’re still not asking the right question, High Priest," Ymir said. "You’re still not paying much attention to your surroundings."

Ferrey furrowed his brows and nervously tried to understand what Ymir was saying.

’Wait,’ it then clicked to him.

He looked towards Orochi, who didn’t seem surprised at this scene. That means he already knew.

In other words, right now, Ferrey is the only man in this room who knows Marcus is Ymir, and the only man who can use this information against him.

"Wha-what is the right question?" he then asked.

"The question that you should be asking is... ’why am I still alive?’" Ymir said.