Chapter 164: Chapter 164 - Church’s Factions
Livia’s father, possibly one of the most influential and powerful SSS-ranks in the world, leaned forward as he studied Logan in silence.
Finally, he cleared his throat.
"You’ve now stood at the center of power in this world, Mercer," he said slowly. "Tell me... what did you see?"
Logan stared at the man in front of him in silence, confused by the sudden question. The center of power? What I saw? he thought, mind churning.
He didn’t understand what exactly Temperance was referring to, but he had a vague guess.
"What I saw..." Logan started, tapping his finger on the armrest. "... control."
Temperance tilted his head slightly, gesturing for him to continue.
Logan hesitated for a moment, before giving a small nod. "...It looked more like a performance to control people’s opinions and show off the Church’s power rather than an actual ceremony."
"Every movement, every word, none of it felt normal and pure."
Temperance stayed silent, glancing at his daughter for a moment as she took off her veil.
Then, he turned back to Logan, expression still neutral.
"You aren’t wrong," he said, his voice low. "All of this was planned months in advance."
Temperance paused for a moment, expression darkening slightly.
"But that wasn’t the only thing going on," he said. "You saw the Seven Virtues stand together today, smiling for the masses."
Logan nodded.
"That unity... is a lie."
Logan’s brows furrowed, quickly glancing at Livia, whose expression had also darkened as she shook her head.
Then, he turned back to Temperance again. "What does all of this have to do with me?"
"The Imperial Church is not one body, Mercer," Temperance continued, ignoring his question. "Each Virtue has its own following, its own interpretation of the Divine One’s will... and its own goals."
He paused, the grey chains clattering on his neck. "Most of the time, those differences are buried in face of the mutual enemy. But when the opportunity presents itself or when a faction grows too powerful... accidents happen."
Logan raised an eyebrow, his mind racing.
By accepting the Church’s support offer, I’ve essentially become a viable faction inside the Church, he thought, realizing what was going on. Since I not only have influence but also immense personal talent, I can become a key asset for any of the Virtues.
He understood what kind of a mess he’d become a part of now.
Temperance seemed to read what Logan was thinking about, a small smile forming on his face.
"You seem to have grasped the meaning quickly," Temperance said at last. "That’s good."
"You’re correct," he continued. "Your position will draw attention. Some will approach you with offers, others with demands... and a few will simply decide you’re better removed from the board before you can choose at all."
Logan’s fingers wrapped around the armrest. "And you’re telling me this because?"
"Because you deserve to know what you’ve stepped into," Temperance replied, voice calm. "And to warn you off the signals you’ve already given off to the other Virtues."
Logan frowned. "Signals?"
Temperance leaned back in his chair, his neutral expression returning. "Standing and speaking where you did today... The public doesn’t see it as simple ceremony."
He paused, glancing at Livia. "They saw it as an intention to stand with me and my daughter, under my seat in the Seven."
Logan fell silent for a moment, eyes drifting to Livia, who’d turned red from embarrassment.
"I had no intention to join any of this, or to choose a side already," Logan responded flatly.
"Intent doesn’t matter here," Temperance shook his head. "Perception does. And as you know, perception is difficult to change."
Logan narrowed his eyes. Deep inside, he knew Temperance was right, and that changing the public perception would be insanely difficult to do.
But I might not really want to either, he thought, mind churning. Since that would mean going against Livia.
It was really just a bad chain of events for him, but without Livia’s help negotiating with the Church, the Mercer Headquarters would’ve long vanished under the Holy Cross and Alvarez family attacks.
Temperance gave a faint nod, as if reading his thoughts again. "For what it’s worth, I don’t blame you for the perception you’ve created. It was convenient for me, but it wasn’t something I planned for you."
Logan studied him in silence. "Not something you’d planned, huh."
"It wasn’t," Temperance said emotionlessly. "But now that it’s happened, it would be foolish to ignore it."
Logan nodded, agreeing with that statement. Now that this has happened, I’ll need to see how exactly I want to continue in the future.
He doubted any of the Virtues would make a move against him before the Holy Cross Guild and Alvarez Family had been dealt with in North America, but he needed to be prepared for right after.
"I assume the rest of the Virtues will leave me alone until the Holy Cross has been dealt with in North America," Logan said, locking eyes with Temperance.
Temperance’s eyes flicked to the window, then back to Logan. "You’re thinking short-term," he said. "Holy Cross and Alvarez are problematic, but none of the Virtues wish to see you grow up to be an SSS-rank problem for them."
Logan’s gaze hardened. "You think the Virtues will move before North America is settled?"
" Absolutely," Temperance replied. "But it won’t be direct attacks as of now. None of them would like to see their reputation damaged since that would result in an immediate end to the majority of their plans."
"So they won’t act themselves and most likely none of their associated factions either," Logan muttered.
"Correct."
Livia shifted uncomfortably in her seat, her fingers tightening around her dress.
"Father..." she said quietly, attracting both their attention. "If something happens, we’ll help as much as we can too, right?"
A frown flashed past Temperance’s face as he stared at his daughter. "Help him?" he repeated slowly. "... I don’t make promises lightly, Livia. And you know that."
"Especially when there’s no benefits on my side of the bargain."
Livia’s eyes widened slightly as her face turned slightly red again. "But he saved my life," she said slowly. "That should be enough of a benefit, right?"
Logan’s eyes moved between the two of them, catching the discomfort and irritation from Temperance immediately.
She’s trying to force him to help me, he thought, immediately realizing why she asked this question to him.
Temperance finally let out a sigh.
"It depends," Temperance said at last. "On whether his survival serves the balance I uphold... or if his death prevents something worse."
Livia’s lips parted, ready to argue, but Temperance lifted a hand to silence her.
"That being said," he added, his gaze settling on Logan again, "I can promise you that keeping you alive aligns with my interests for the next few years."
Logan’s jaw tightened, but he nodded slowly. "Good to know."
Temperance leaned back, the faint clink of the grey chains marking the end of the conversation.
"I imagine today has been exhausting for you," he said, rising from his seat. "I’ll leave you two to talk as there are matters I need to attend to."
He gave Logan one last measured look before turning for the door.
As the door shut behind him, Logan’s mind continued calculating while turning to look at Livia.
For a moment, neither of them spoke. Then Livia reached for the porcelain teapot, her movements slower than usual.
"Tea?" she asked, a small smile on her face. "It’ll be a few more minutes before we take land at your air shuttle."
Logan accepted the cup, the rich scent immediately filling his nose. "Thanks."
He leaned back in his chair, the pressure that had built up all day finally leaving his body little by little.
He took a small sip, smiling slightly. "Not bad," he admitted.
Livia raised an eyebrow. "Not bad? That’s imported from a special grass dungeon in the Western Isles. People line up for months to get a single tin."
"Then I guess I should feel honored," Logan said, setting the cup down. "Or guilty for not appreciating it enough."
Livia let out a soft chuckle, shaking her head slightly.
Silence fell between them as they drank from their tea in peace.
Finally, Livia turned to him again, a guilty expression plastered across her face.
"I’m sorry for not explaining things sooner," she said quietly, staring back at her teacup. "I just feared that you wouldn’t come."
Logan raised an eyebrow. "You thought keeping all of this a mystery was a good idea?"
Her shoulders sank. "When you put it like that... it sounds stupid."
"It was," Logan said, though his tone wasn’t harsh. "But I get why you did it."
Livia’s lips curved into a faint, almost relieved smile. "Still, I owe you for showing up. And for... everything else."
"You can start paying me back by not dragging me into another political mess without warning."
She laughed quietly. " No promises."
A soft chime rang through the room, followed by a smooth voice over the intercom. "Approaching docking bay. Please prepare for landing."
Livia rose, smoothing her dress. "Looks like it’s time."
Logan set his cup down and followed her to the door, his mind still turning despite the calm.
Got a lot of benefits out of this ceremony that I wouldn’t have wanted to miss, he thought. Especially the improvement to my core is worth any cost.
He let out a soft sigh. But it looks like I have a lot to think about again.