Chapter 31: Price of Faith
"Huh? Why do you suddenly look like you’ve always had a history with the guy?" Caterina asked with a suspicious squint after seeing Dante’s eyes go wide.
He turned to her, but rather than give an actual answer, he immediately changed the subject. "More importantly, how under the Goddess’s moon did you even figure out he was sneaking around with Aunt Lucia in the first place?"
Caterina exhaled and dramatically flopped onto her stomach, burying her face into the mattress for a second before looking back up. "I found his pocket watch sitting on the sofa in the drawing room. It turns out while I had gone out to visit you, he was using that time to visit her instead. Of course, Lucia tried to lie and said it belonged to some nameless friend, but when I picked it up, I recognized the crest engraved on the back right away. When I confronted her about it, she didn’t even try to deny it. She just laughed and told me I was being hysterical."
She sighed, staring blankly up at the ceiling drapery. "You know what? I’m now beginning to think that most of the time he came over, he wasn’t even coming to see me at all."
’I think so too. I mean... Lucia is far more alluring, experienced in the art, and well-endowed with a full, hourglass figure that fills out silk dresses far better than you, my dear Kate. But let’s definitely keep this thought inside my head.’ Dante looked away, feigning a somber expression to hide his thoughts.
After a moment, he exhaled and leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. "Look, just... let the guy go and move on. There are plenty of better men out there who would bend over backward just to share five minutes of your time."
He paused, and suddenly remembering a meme from his past life, he straightened his spine and said in a deadpan, dead-serious voice, "And don’t cry. A Fioravanti never cries."
Caterina scrunched her face in an instant grimace. "Ew. What is that corny ass line at the end there?"
Dante chuckled softly and stood up from the armchair. As he stretched his arms overhead, unlocking his stiff back, he asked casually, "By the way, where is Francesca?"
"The academy, where else?" Caterina muttered, rolling back over onto her side. "She’s been way too busy lately working on that project she claims she’s doing for you. She barely comes home these days."
"Hm. I see." Dante pocketed one hand while offering a lazy wave with the other. "Anyway, I’m off to bed. Night, Kate."
Caterina exhaled. "Night."
***
After getting into his spacious suite, Dante reached into his pocket and took out a pocket watch.
It was a golden pocket watch with a cracked face displaying the wrong time, and its hands were ticking backwards at odd intervals.
After dropping onto a plush armchair in the middle of the room, Dante pressed the small button on the winding crown. All of a sudden, the ambient noise in the room fell silent as time paused around him. His mind sharpened instantly, and his thoughts accelerated at breakneck speed.
The memory of reading the character wiki for Crown of Fates surfaced in his mind, crystal clear, as if he were sitting right in front of his gaming monitor.
Skipping past the trivial details like his age and height, likes and dislikes, Dante focused on the main entries regarding Julian.
’Unlike his sister, Julian Bellini was never an apostle. As of December 1887, he had managed to become a tier two mage and was working to increase his level.
’He was a wind-element mage proficient in medium-range area control and high-mobility spells.
’He didn’t have many personal relationships, and during his second year at the academy, rumors circulated that he had become increasingly secluded, fixating entirely on his research and training.
’Shortly after an unfortunate incident at the academy some months into his second year, Julian attempted to assassinate his sister, Annabella Bellini. The attempt failed because he couldn’t overcome her divine power, despite her being a full tier lower than him.
’Julian ended up dying tragically by her hand instead.’
Dante frowned. ’Tsk.’
The wiki had always been like this. It only gave basic information about events, but never included the important stuff. Like why Julian tried to assassinate his sister, for instance.
It would have been great if there was more than just surface-level lore and actual motives behind the scenes. But unfortunately, most of the entries were bare-bones summaries without much detail.
This was why Dante knew so much, yet felt like he knew nothing at all.
This was why he knew that Annabella was manipulated into killing Dante Fioravanti in the original timeline of the game, but couldn’t tell who was pulling the strings or why they wanted him dead.
’He tried to kill his sister and failed, huh. Why though? I’m guessing the unfortunate incident at the academy is the same incident that led to the deaths of some of the students, including the original Dante. So Julian dies shortly after that? Could he have tried to assassinate her after learning what she did? Isn’t that a bit too extreme for someone who loved his sister more than anyone in the world? Even if he suddenly found out what she did, I don’t think he’d go so far as trying to assassinate her.’
Dante sighed as he was left with even more questions.
Somehow, he felt that Julian was connected to this case far more deeply than he thought.
’I’m guessing the reason the wiki didn’t say anything about his relationship with my sister is because it never got the chance to blossom.’
Just then, the three seconds finally ticked away on the pocket watch, and time resumed around him.
Suddenly, he groaned as a sharp migraine split behind his temples, accompanied by a wave of heavy fatigue that made him feel as though he had just been running a long distance.
’So this is what the cost feels like. It’s not severe enough to completely incapacitate me in a crisis, but I definitely shouldn’t use it multiple times back-to-back.’
He closed the pocket watch with a soft click and slipped it back into his coat.
***
Early the next day...
——
Dante spun the dial of a metal box and opened it to reveal three flasks of blood.
’I’ll soon be out of blood. I need to start thinking of a way to personally get more,’ he thought as he took one out and tossed it to Edward, who was waiting by the side with wide, hungry eyes.
The boy caught it and began gulping it down like a starved child.
While that was happening, Dante took a look at his faith stat.
Faith: [0%——[38%]—————100%]
’It’s just as I thought. These small flasks don’t do much. The blood of a full human makes me resonate with my faith much faster. Ah. It’s no wonder the Mother of Blood is later classified as an Evil God. Imagine if someone without any morals suddenly became her apostle. They’d go on a slaughter spree just to build their faith. Wait, actually, I don’t need to imagine. I can still recall exactly the horrible things Marco and his cult did!’
Dante took the empty flask from Edward and retreated to the washbasin to rinse it out. When he came back, he placed it on the nightstand and walked over to the full-length mirror.
Reflected in the glass was a young man with wavy black hair, striking purple eyes behind a pair of gold-rimmed glasses, and skin that had grown a shade paler after becoming an Apostle.
Currently, he was dressed in the formal uniform of the Holy Imperial Academy. It was a high-collared shirt fitted beneath a structured, double-breasted vest with fine brass buckles, layered over by a tailored dark jacket with the academy’s gilded crest pinned to his lapel.
Atop all of it was a white clerical robe. After staring at his reflection for a few seconds, he stripped off the robe and aggressively tossed it onto the bed. He was in no mood to announce everywhere he went that he was a high priest.
With that done, he walked out of the room and headed down to the dining where he could see his sister already eating breakfast.
Unlike him, who had to wear a clerical robe, she had a dark blue cloak draped over her uniform to signify her standing as a mage.
"What took you so long?" she asked, looking up as he sat down.
"It takes time and effort to look this handsome," he replied smoothly as he began piling food onto his plate, earning an irritated glare from her.
’Okay. Note to self on fatal hazards to avoid at the academy. Number one and the most important: the main character! Just as you’ve been doing, Dante, avoid the main character like your life depends on it. Main characters are total trouble magnets. As long as they’re around, anything that can go wrong will go wrong. You won’t get to live the long happy life that you want to live if you get entangled with the main character.’
Dante quickly finished his meal.
Once they were done, both he and his sister headed out of the townhouse, where the Fioravanti family carriage was waiting by the front doors to take them to the Holy Imperial Academy.