Chương 144: Chapter 136 - Cathedral Photosynthesis

They left Freya's room and found Liam waiting in the hallway with Deceit and Suffering. Passion and Virtue had joined them while the family was inside, and all four Valkyr immediately turned toward Chelsea. Passion's attention moved over Chelsea's altered horns, feathered wings, and blonde hair.

"Havoc. You did evolve," she said.

"And if there's a Holy Knight here, I assume you became some big shot in the Holy City?"

"Great to see you too, Passion," Chelsea replied awkwardly. She wasn't sure if it was great to see Passion. The two tried to mend things several times but it never really seemed to stick.

"Yeah, I did."

"You evolved past Valkyr?" Virtue blurted.

"Bullshit. There isn't anything above Valkyr, and even if there was, Truth would evolve before you." Chelsea straightened and adopted the most dramatic noble voice she could manage.

"Sir Liam, I'm so very exhausted from such a long and challenging day. Might you do me the great favor of informing Lady Virtue here of my new class?" Liam stared down at her and sighed, already feeling the exhaustion that came from Chelsea Wixx. Then he turned toward the gathered Valkyr.

"She is the new Holy Empress of the Forgotten Children." Chelsea gave him a graceful curtsy.

"Thank you, Sir Liam."

"The new… Holy Empress?" Passion whispered. Her eyes widened. Deceit and Suffering looked equally stunned, while Virtue's mouth opened without producing another objection.

"I know, right?" Chelsea said with a laugh.

"And of orphans, no less. You guys gave me such shit for helping orphanages." Freya let out a quiet laugh beside her.

"But…" Virtue said. Her voice had lost most of its earlier certainty.

"You're a demon. You eat people." Chelsea shrugged.

"Thanks for the reminder. I haven't eaten since breakfast." She reached into her pouch and pulled out a human heart. Holding it toward Virtue, she turned the organ in her hand as though it supported the Valkyr's argument.

"You're right. I have no clue why I'd be the new Holy Empress as a demon. It's weird, right?" Chelsea took a bite. The instant her teeth sank into it, a foul metallic taste spread across her tongue. She spat the piece onto the floor and gagged, nearly dropping the rest of the heart.

"Chelsea, are you okay?" Fiona asked. Chelsea stared at the organ in disbelief.

"It… it tastes disgusting. It's definitely human." She looked toward Freya.

"Freya, what do blessed demons eat?"

"I've never heard of a blessed demon before you," she replied.

"Anyone?" Chelsea looked around the hallway. The Valkyr exchanged uncertain glances, but none offered an answer. Even Liam appeared completely lost.

"Go try some of the real food in the hall?" Suffering suggested.

"Maybe," Chelsea replied. She continued staring at the heart. It couldn't have spoiled. Even if it had, there should've been some trace of the rich flavor she had always enjoyed. Instead, the organ had felt like tough mush in her mouth and tasted almost entirely of iron. Her class evolution had changed her race. Apparently, it had changed her appetite too.

"I'll figure it out when I get back to the cathedral." Chelsea returned the heart to storage. After saying goodbye to the Valkyr, Freya transported the group back to Junstruce. They reached the manor without any further trouble. The royal family had already departed, which Chelsea considered a small mercy after everything else that had happened that day. She returned with Freya and Liam to Fiona and Dewey's room.

Amber was settled back in Fiona's arms, her infant face calm after the exhaustion of the soul communication.

"Are you guys good?" Chelsea asked her aunt and uncle.

"Can I get you anything before Freya and I take off?"

"No. I think we're good," Fiona answered. She looked down at Amber before smiling at Chelsea.

"Thank you both for today. That was more than we expected."

"It was our pleasure," Freya replied. Chelsea, Freya, and Liam left the room and walked directly into a waiting Beatrix. Bea stood in the hallway with her hands behind her back and a smile so pleasant that Chelsea immediately knew she wanted something.

"Chels, my favorite niece!" Chelsea slowed.

"I was wondering, with you being the Holy Empress and all…" There it was. Chelsea hadn't held the position for a full day, and Bea was already asking for something.

"Do you happen to have any job openings, specifically of the inquisitor variety?"

"Aunt Bea," Chelsea said, unable to hide her exhaustion.

"You want to be an inquisitor? Really?"

"I do, and I can give you several references." Bea furrowed her brows.

"Though they aren't alive anymore." She paused to reconsider the offer.

"Scratch that part. Come on, Chels. You know I'd be perfect for it."

"Why do you think I'd have an inquisition?" Chelsea asked as she closed her eyes and shook her head.

"Because all of you empresses always have an inquisition."

"Since you've known me, have you ever known me to be the inquisition type?"

"Fuck, Chelsea, make an inquisition for me! This is my calling, and you have the power to help me reach my true potential!" Chelsea opened her eyes and looked at Bea's eager expression. There was no point trying to explain that most people didn't consider torturing prisoners to be a calling.

"Okay. How about this? I'll make you my lead inquisitor or… whatever it's called, and if I need someone tortured, you'll get first dibs."

"Yes! Exactly! Dibs, fingers, toes, whatever it takes. Thanks, Chels!" Bea turned and hurried toward her room before Chelsea could reconsider.

"Your family is…" Liam began. He watched Bea disappear down the hallway, then apparently decided there was no safe way to finish the sentence.

"Yeah. I know." Chelsea started toward the stairs.

"Hey, Liam, out of curiosity, do you have the Brutal title?"

"I do not, Miss Chelsea," he replied as he followed. They reached the top of the stairs, with Freya walking beside Chelsea and Liam maintaining his place a few steps behind them.

"So, explain more about the Crystal Cathedral, Freya. You left off, I think, that it feeds off other gods?" Chelsea asked.

"Yes. While there's no empress, it needs gods to visit it. Minor gods are usually the ones who sustain it because they need it to remain active." They began descending the stairs.

"Not all gods feed on prayers related to their concepts. I do with battle, and Sophiana does with love. Some gods require giving blessings instead. The more powerful a person's soul is, the more the god gains from blessing them. I'm guessing that's why Doorways threw hers at you. She sensed that your soul was delicious." Chelsea looked up at her.

"Can you tell?" she asked as they continued down the stairs.

"Like, if someone has a strong soul?"

"Yes and no. Not nearly as well as someone who needs to give blessings to survive, but I can kind of tell. It's hard to quantify." Chelsea nodded as they reached the bottom of the stairs. She still didn't fully understand what made one soul stronger than another, but Freya's explanation at least clarified why the Goddess of Doorways had blessed her without knowing anything about her.

"Okay, continue. Why do the gods need the cathedral to stay alive?" Chelsea asked.

"Because when it's out of dormancy and fully awake, it strengthens the souls inside the city to a huge degree. They hang around the city feeding the building until an empress arises. Then they give blessings out like crazy to feed off the souls that have been strengthened." Chelsea pictured the glowing figures she had seen throughout the Holy City. They hadn't gathered there only because it was the center of the Church. They had been keeping the cathedral alive while waiting for someone like her to appear.

"I know you can only give out so many blessings. What about those minor gods?" Chelsea glanced around the lower floor.

"Huh, where did Ivy and Rose go?" She turned toward the sitting room, expecting to find the two elves resting inside.

"Usually, it's fewer than me. Some can give more, but unfortunately, a lot are limited to fewer than three each."

"Ouch. Why don't they all just get together and load one person with a super-strong soul up with all of their blessings?"

"The blessing has to be their active blessing for them to gain anything from it."

"Ah, yeah. Duh, that makes sense." Chelsea looked into the sitting room. It was empty.

"Nope, not in here. Oh, Ivy probably took her to the tree." She led Freya and Liam toward the back of the manor.

"Where do I come in? How do I wake it up?"

"When you're near it, or even better, inside the cathedral, it feeds you divine life force. Your body, class, or something else filters that life force and emits its own version. That light you give off is feeding the building." Freya paused as she tried to remember the exact term.

"Mortal divine light is what I've heard it called, but I don't know whether that's an official term or something I made up years and years ago." Chelsea considered the exchange as they crossed the hall.

"So basically, the cathedral and I are like a plant and a human? I breathe out carbon dioxide and breathe in oxygen, while a plant does the opposite. We live off each other."

"A plant?" Liam asked. Chelsea looked back at him with immediate enthusiasm.

"It's science!"

"Actually, that's a great comparison," Freya said. Chelsea opened the back door and stepped into the sunlight. Her eyes moved across the field until she found Ivy and Rose sitting beneath the large tree. Rose rested with her back against the trunk while Ivy sat beside her in the shade.

"Ah, yeah, there they are." A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. Chelsea started toward them, with Freya and Liam following.

"Okay, so I'm the battery for the cathedral. Why does that give me ultimate power over everyone there?"

"Chelsea," Freya said with a laugh, "you can literally summon gods. You're the reason so many people are about to receive blessings. The Holy City is going to get a huge influx of people, all hoping for a chance to get one. Not to mention, you have access to the Holy Empire's status and skill tree." She glanced at Chelsea.

"But more than the summoning gods or the empire's status, the average person could end up with a blessing. Those can change yo…" Freya stopped herself and laughed again.

"Okay, a blessing can change a normal person's life. Plus, what gives a king his power? The understanding that he's the king. His class, profession, and title are all king." Chelsea supposed that was true. Most rulers held power because the kingdom, its institutions, and the System itself recognized them as rulers. Her authority was simply far more direct than anything she had encountered before.

"I guess that does all make sense. It just seems so weird to be okay with me, someone with no training or background in politics, being made the ruler of a city."

"Empire," Liam corrected. Chelsea slowed.

"Empire," she repeated more sheepishly.

"I'm in charge of an empire? Seriously? I thought it was just the Holy City."

"Yes, Miss Chelsea. Our empire is one of, if not the most powerful entity on Palonda."

"The awakening of the cathedral will give rise to stronger monsters, and the labyrinths within our territory will enter higher difficulties. This will lead to higher levels across the entire empire. Merchants will sell higher quality goods from monster parts. These same monster parts will be used by craftsmen to make higher quality goods. Thus, leveling them higher." Chelsea released a slow sigh as they approached the tree.

"How many people am I currently in charge of?"

"The Empire of the Holy Church's population is currently estimated at just under eighteen million, but that number will likely double with the cathedral waking up." Chelsea stopped walking.

"Fuck," she whispered, drawing the word out. Nearly eighteen million people already depended on her decisions. Soon, millions more might enter the empire because her presence made the land more dangerous and more valuable at the same time. Chelsea forced herself to continue toward the elves.

"You two know what you want to do? Want to head back to the city with me, or stick around Junstruce?" Rose carefully pushed herself to her feet. Her movements were steadier than before, though she still used the tree for support. Once she was upright, she lowered herself into a bow.

"I've decided to take you up on your offer, Your Grace. Thank you for this opportunity." Chelsea smiled at her, relieved that Rose had chosen something for herself after spending so long without any control over her life. Ivy leaned back and looked up through the branches.

"I'm going to miss this tree, but I'll head back with you. Life was so boring without you around." Chelsea's smile widened.

"Oh, I have a pocket version of this tree. Remind me to show you." Ivy looked toward her, but Chelsea had already turned back toward the manor.

"Getting back on topic. Hypothetically, what would happen if I chose to stay in Junstruce?"

"Yeah," Freya said with a sigh as she fell into step beside her.

"That's the problem. You can't." Chelsea looked up at her.

"I'm not sure which one does it, but either your class or profession will kill you. And this isn't a Chelsea Wixx can tough it out sort of kill you. It'll drain your life force until there's nothing left."

"Ah," Chelsea said. So I have to live there for good now?" Freya nodded. Liam did the same.

"It's not all bad," Ivy said as she helped Rose away from the tree.

"You have to remain within the walls of the city. That means you can explore the city. You can do work with the orphanages there."

"But I have to schedule when I do that, according to Liam." Chelsea looked back at her bodyguard and pouted.

"Your Highness," Liam began, "a queen can't casually stroll into a market. She would need to wear a disguise, and even then, it's risky. You can't even wear a disguise. You glow with the light of the Holy Empress." Chelsea frowned as she considered his words. He was right, which only made the restriction more frustrating. A king couldn't wander through a market dressed in his crown and ceremonial robes without attracting attention.

Within the Holy City, Chelsea would be permanently dressed in the divine light of her position. Everyone would recognize immediately.

"I understand," she finally said, defeated. They continued through the streets of Junstruce. Chelsea turned them down a familiar corner, her pace slowing as one of her favorite buildings came into view. She didn't know when she would be allowed to return. She couldn't leave without seeing them one more time.

"Miss Wixx! Such a wonderful surprise seeing you again," Lindsey exclaimed. The young caretaker had replaced Miss Harlo at Chelsea's favorite orphanage. She hurried to the entrance and opened the door wider for them.

"Hey there, Lindsey. Just dropping by to see them, and I have a few things I need to do for all of them."

"Oh? Like what?" Lindsey watched as Chelsea's unusual group followed her inside. Ivy and Rose entered first, followed by Freya and Liam. Her attention settled on Liam's dragon-scale armor, and she immediately bowed her head.

"It's an honor to have you in our presence, Sir Knight." Liam acknowledged her politely before stepping aside, allowing Chelsea to move farther into the orphanage.

"Miss Chelsea!" Erin, one of the first children who was curious enough to approach Chelsea on her first visit exclaimed when she spotted her.

"You look different, Miss Chelsea." The older girl hurried toward her, followed closely by several of the younger children. Chelsea laughed and lowered herself to her knees. The children crowded around her almost immediately. Small arms wrapped around her shoulders and waist while others pressed in close enough to touch her new feathers and blonde hair. Chelsea allowed herself to sink into their affection. She had missed this more than she realized.

"I have some news," she announced once the children had settled enough to listen.

"First things first, obviously pick out the sweets you want." She reached into her storage and pulled out a large bag filled with wrapped candies and small boxed cakes that she always had on hand, just in case she popped into an orphanage impromptu. The room filled with excited voices. Each child carefully chose something while thanking her, though several continued looking at Chelsea with open curiosity.

"What's the news, Miss Chelsea?" Erin asked. Chelsea looked up into the girl's brown eyes and smiled. Erin was around ten years old, with short dark hair and a practical manner that made her seem older whenever the younger children were around. Chelsea glanced toward Lindsey and gestured for her to come closer. Once the caretaker stood near the children she assigned The Mother to the Motherless. The title confirmed her suspicion almost immediately.

The word UNLOVED appeared across Lindsey's face, along with the mark identifying her as Motherless. Chelsea's expression tightened. The caretakers were probably former orphans themselves. It made sense that those raised within the Church's care would later become responsible for the next generation of children. Chelsea assigned The Inspector as well before returning her attention to the room.

"So, the news. I'm going to be leaving for the Holy City for the foreseeable future. I've accepted a position in the Church." Complaints came from every direction. Several of the younger children clung tighter to her, while Erin's face fell. Others immediately insisted that Chelsea couldn't leave or asked when she would return. Lindsey, however, brightened.

"Are you going to become a matron too? You would be perfect for this job." Matron. Chelsea hadn't known that was what the caretakers were called.

"Unfortunately not. This job puts me in charge of all of the orphanages the Church has under it. It also comes with an awesome perk." The protests quieted as the children tried to understand what that meant.

"So, being an orphan unfortunately comes with a not-great title. Who can tell me what a title is?" Chelsea asked the younger children. They exchanged confused looks. One child glanced toward another for help, but no one answered until Erin raised her hand slightly.

"It's something that appears after your name to people who have The Eyes, right?" she asked.

"Sort of. They can be some of the most powerful things in your life. For example, I have one called The Baby Bird. I got it when I fell out of the sky while I was first trying to learn to fly. It now makes me better at flying if I have it behind my name." Several children giggled at the idea of Chelsea falling from the sky.

"I also have one called The Greater Dragonslayer. I got it for defeating a greater dragon." The room erupted. The children began asking how large the dragon had been, what color it was, and how Chelsea had managed to defeat it. Several wanted the entire story immediately. Chelsea laughed and raised one hand, quietly shushing them until their excitement settled.

"Your titles can paint a picture. They can tell the story of your life. You all unfortunately have one from such a young age that just isn't fair." The smile left her face. She looked over the children gathered around her, seeing the same red word across every one of them.

"I'm not going to sugarcoat it. I'm just going to tell you what it is. After a while without someone loving you, you receive a title called The Unloved." The children grew quiet. The youngest didn't seem to understand the full meaning, but Erin and several of the older children did. Their earlier excitement faded as they looked toward the floor or at one another.

"Miss Chelsea, do I have that title?" asked a child slightly younger than Erin. Chelsea reached out and placed a hand gently against the child's arm.

"I'm sorry. You all have it." The answer settled heavily over the older children.

"But I do have good news. Having the title doesn't mean you're unloved. I love you all very much." Their expressions changed almost immediately. Several of the younger children smiled, while one leaned forward and hugged Chelsea again.

"Though I'm moving away, I do have a gift. I can remove your Unloved titles completely. I can even give you a new one." The sadness disappeared beneath sudden excitement. The children crowded closer, eager to know what their new titles might be and whether Chelsea could remove the old one right away. Lindsey watched them with open joy. Chelsea looked up at the matron.

"I can do the same for you." Lindsey's smile vanished in surprise. She pressed one hand against her chest and stared at Chelsea, clearly having never considered that she might be included.

"How did you know I have it?" Lindsey asked. Her hand remained pressed against her chest. The joy she had shown for the children was still there, but it had been joined by a nervousness Chelsea understood immediately. Lindsey had spent so long caring for others that she hadn't expected anyone to notice the burden she carried herself.

"I can see specific people who do," Chelsea explained.

"Can you remove mine first?" a little girl asked. Chelsea looked down and found one of the younger children standing directly in front of her. The girl stared up with such open hope that Chelsea couldn't help smiling.

"Sure. Form a line." The children scrambled into place. It wasn't the neatest line Chelsea had ever seen, but they did their best, nudging one another into order while arguing quietly over who had arrived first. Chelsea began with the little girl who had asked. She pressed her palm gently against the child's temple, opened her information, and removed The Unloved. The red word vanished from Chelsea's sight. The girl touched the side of her head afterward, though there was nothing physical to feel..

Chelsea repeated the process with every child. Some stood perfectly still beneath her hand. Others squeezed their eyes shut or held their breath. One of the smaller boys giggled nervously the entire time, while an older child began crying the moment Chelsea told him the title was gone. Chelsea never rushed them. The red markings had disappeared from every face around her. Finally, Chelsea looked up and reached toward Lindsey. The matron leaned down without hesitation and pressed her temple into Chelsea's palm.

Chelsea found the title and removed it.

"You actually did it," Lindsey whispered in disbelief. Her hand rose to her mouth. She stared past Chelsea for a moment, trying to understand what it meant to have something that had followed her for years simply disappear. Chelsea smiled up at her and nodded once.

"Now for the title."

"What is it?" the little girl who had gone first asked. She had already returned to the front of the group, practically bouncing as she waited for the next surprise.

"It's a title that, when applied, gives you two things. More attribute points and one other thing." Chelsea looked over the children. The younger ones were impatient, but several of the older children watched her every movement.

"I don't think even Miss Lindsey knows this next piece of news. There is a new Holy Empress." Lindsey drew in a quick breath. She bowed her head immediately and clasped her hands together in front of her chest. The children looked toward her, taking their cues from the sudden seriousness in her posture. Chelsea continued before anyone could interrupt.

"By accepting the title, you'll officially, in the eyes of the gods, be adopted by her. This will most likely change your last name as well." Adults might have needed time to consider what that meant. The children didn't. Excited voices burst through the room at once. Several began crying, though they were smiling through the tears. The smaller children crowded against Chelsea again, asking whether the Empress really wanted them and whether they would all become siblings.

"Okay. Okay. If you do want the title, form a line. If not, there's no pressure. You can stand off to the side over here." Chelsea gestured to her right. Not a single child moved in that direction. Instead, they hurried into another uneven line. The little girl who had asked Chelsea to remove her title first once again claimed the front. Chelsea knelt and placed her palm against the girl's temple.

"The title, The Child of the Holy Empress, has been acquired. Assigning it will have her adopt you. Is this what you want, Nina?" Nina nodded so quickly that her hair bounced around her face.

"Yes." Chelsea assigned the title.

"Congratulations. You're no longer Motherless." She leaned forward and kissed Nina gently on the forehead. Nina threw her arms around Chelsea's neck before hurrying aside to make room for the next child. Chelsea repeated the process twenty more times. Each child who had already received the title, stood to the side and excitedly watched as the children they had grown up with were turned into siblings. She made certain each child understood what the title meant before assigning it. Every one of them accepted.

By the time she finished, the children were hugging one another, comparing their new names, and excitedly declaring how many brothers and sisters they now had. Chelsea stood and turned toward Lindsey.

"Would you like the title as well, Miss Lindsey? It may be strange, since I believe the Empress is younger than you, but you'll have family." Lindsey stared at the children. Her expression softened as she watched them celebrate, but uncertainty remained in her eyes.

"You've met the new Empress, Miss Chelsea?" she asked.

"I have. She really loves kids. Not in a scary, child-eating way either." Chelsea laughed. Lindsey gave a small, uncertain smile.

"Do you think she'd be okay with me accepting?"

"I know she'd be overjoyed. You've been taking care of her children for months. Giving you a family of your own would be the least she could do." Lindsey looked down at her clasped hands. She remained silent for several seconds before slowly nodding.

"Okay," she whispered. Chelsea held out her hand. Lindsey leaned forward again, and Chelsea granted her the title. The moment it appeared, Lindsey gasped.

"Oh, you have The Eyes, like Barb?" Chelsea glanced toward the seven-year-old girl who had reacted in much the same way when the title appeared.

"Would you like me to assign it? Assigning it is what will give you that family."

"Yes, please, Miss Wixx." Lindsey's eyes glazed slightly as she focused on the prompt only she could see. Her lips moved as she silently read through the information.

"Oh, you can read too?" Chelsea realized her mistake almost immediately. She could read. Of course she could read. Chelsea had been assuming too many people couldn't. Surely she would run into someone eventually. Something in that prompt had to identify the Holy Empress by name. Lindsey's expression shifted as she read. Confusion came first. Then her eyes widened as recognition took its place.

"M-Miss Wixx?"

"Hmm?" Chelsea asked innocently.

"This is asking if I want to be adopted into the Wixx family."

"Oh, is it?" Chelsea asked as though the information surprised her. Lindsey stared at her.

"If you don't mind my asking…" she began carefully.

"Do you happen to know the name of our new Holy Empress?"

"I do!" Chelsea replied. She gave Lindsey a giant smile, then lowered herself into a curtsy.

"Her name is Chelsea Wixx."