The Divine Summoner: Godson of Altima

by Antony W. F. Chow

  The audience applauded until Pope Demetrius raised his hand. "My godson just arrived, and he needs a detailed briefing for his two-months apprenticeship with us. Everyone should return to work," he scolded lightly.

  The crowd dispersed and began to leave the plaza.

  The elder smiled at Luka. "I apologize for putting you on the spot like that. I didn't expect the worshippers to gather and welcome you at the plaza. But you handled them perfectly. Good job, Luka!" Demetrius praised. The pope was pleasantly surprised that Luka would calmly address the crowd and do so competently.

  Moreover, the young lad captured their hearts with his excellent speech and personal charm. Thus, Demetrius couldn't help but envision Luka taking an active role in church leadership. The church leader understood the need to connect the organization with younger worshippers, and Luka was a vital part of this effort. But now wasn't the time to fantasize.

  "I thank you for inviting me to return here," the teenager replied.

  The pope patted Luka's shoulder. "Let's take a tour of this holy city! You're already familiar with the bell tower from your stay there," he noted and pointed at the structure. Demetrius used light magic to create a map of the flying fortress. "Lumina is diamond-shaped and divided into four quadrants. The northern region houses the main church building and administrative offices, and our libraries and archives. I also maintain a private residence there if you need to reach me during the off-hours."

  "The eastern section holds our dormitories, barracks, and stables. The western area contains our shops and restaurants. Some business owners live above their stores while bigger enterprises set up dorm buildings nearby for workers' convenience to live and work in the same locations. We reserve the southern part for industrial operations and airship docks. The control center of Lumina is also here but off-limits to most people."

  A church official led the servants away to bring them to a guesthouse reserved for the duchess. The maids needed to do last-minute cleaning and unpacking; the luggage contained plenty of clothing for the duchess and the heir.

  Demetrius spent the day guiding Luka around the city, and the group visited many essential sections.

  During this tour, the templars cleared the streets to ensure nobody approached the VIPs or interacted with them.

  Luka noticed their actions and declined to enter any of the shops or buildings for this reason. However, he maintained his Spatial Sense and created a mental map of all the places he visited. The mage could teleport back to areas of interest at a later date.

  When the group reached the stables, Bel and Gripper went to chase after the horses in the field!

  A brave war horse intercepted these intruders, turned around, and booted the troublemakers with swift kicks to their chests! The victor snorted and dared the two beasts to enter the enclosure again.

  Luka exasperatedly threw his pets into storage. He turned around and apologized. "I'm sorry for my pets' unruly behavior," he said with a deep bow.

  "It's fine," the pope dismissed the encounter with a chuckle.

  Juliette spoke up. "May I visit the pegasus stables?" she requested politely.

  Demetris glanced at her for a moment and nodded. "You should spend time getting to know them," he agreed. "I will leave an escort here to bring you back to your guesthouse," he added.

  The woman nodded her thanks and then turned toward her son. "Luka, you will continue this guided tour with His Holiness. And keep your pets in storage!" she urged.

  "Yes, mother."

  The pope patted the boy's shoulder. "Let's go, Luka."

  The group separated, and Juliette followed a stablehand inside the building.

  When the group arrived at the control center in the southern region, Luka made a request. "Can I enter and take a look?" He saw a heavily guarded entrance with an elevator leading underground. Since this was the first time Luka encountered an elevator in Zaleron, he wanted to ride it.

  Pope Demetrius nodded. "Sure. I bet you never rode an elevator before," he grinned and winked his eye.

  Luka smiled politely and declined to discuss the technological wonders of his homeworld from his previous life. He followed the church official into the elevator car. The visitor noticed that it had an oval shape, and a left panel contained only one button.

  Once the templars stepped inside the car, Demetrius pressed the button. The elevator doors closed silently, and the floor slightly shifted as it began to descend. After five seconds, the doors opened, but guards blocked the opening.

  They recognized the pope and immediately made a path. "I apologize for not recognizing His Holiness sooner," the captain said and saluted.

  "Thank you for carrying out your duties diligently," Demetrius replied with a kind smile.

  The elevator emptied into a long corridor followed by a chamber. More guards remained beyond the opening, but they did not obstruct the pope's path.

  Demetrius nodded as he passed through and entered the control room.

  Luka was stunned when he saw that the chamber was half the size of a gymnasium! Big displays covered the walls, showing Lumina from all angles. Moreover, dozens of officers in white uniform monitored closely from their workstations.

  The pope smiled as he watched Luka's facial expression change drastically from shock to awe. "Lumina is the most advanced creation of humanity. My predecessors devoted their lives to its construction. This city is a symbol of Altima's glory and guidance."

  "The officers here began their apprenticeships as youths, and only the best and brightest obtain assignments to work here. Unfortunately, this means that I cannot allow you to become a control officer even if you ask me," he explained.

  Luka shook his head. "The thought hadn't crossed my mind. I would get bored with staring at the screens all day long," he replied.

  Demetrius chuckled. "Yes, it takes a special type of person to concentrate on these displays day after day. That's why we developed a control protocol requiring officers to rotate in four-hour shifts. There are dormitories, a cafeteria, and other facilities further underground. The officers live and sleep here all year round."

  Luka turned to address the chamber. "I commend you all for your dedication." He saluted them.

  The listeners smiled but otherwise kept their eyes glued to their screens.

  "I don't want to disturb them anymore. Can we go back to the surface?" the guest requested.

  "Sure," the guide nodded. Pope Demetrius exited the control room and led his entourage topside.

  When they returned to the surface, Luka said, "I'll be right back." He cast Void Step and flew up in the air. Abruptly, sirens blared!

  Pong! A transparent bubble appeared and enveloped Luka!

  Demetrius raised his right hand. A ring on his finger flashed, and the bubble dissipated into mist. "Luka, come back down."

  The chagrined teenager returned to the ground. "What happened?" he asked.

  "You triggered the automatic defense system," the pope explained. "The area above the control center is a no-fly zone."

  "Ah, I see. I apologize for acting on my own," Luka replied.

  Demetrius waved his hand. "It's fine. You did us a favor by testing our defense," he said. "Anyway, how was the view?" the elder asked with a smile.

  "Spectacular!" Luka felt free as a bird and truly enjoyed the moment before a magical bubble trapped him.

  "I'm glad to hear that. I don't know about you, but I'm tired from walking all day. Let's go back to the guesthouse, shall we?" he suggested.

  "Yes, Your Holiness!"

  Chapter 82

  Church Apprentice (Part 2)

  Pope Demetrius stood next to Luka in front of a mansion surrounded by a beautiful garden and a large fence. The place was smaller than the Heavensfell estate but no less immaculate.

  The two were enjoying the sunset and watched silently as the sun slowly fell below the horizon. The pope was glad to share this special moment with the lad because Demetrius knew this would create an everlasting memo
ry for Luka. After all, the pope did the same thing decades ago as a church apprentice with his mentor. This shared experience helped develop a bond between the two. Likewise, Demetrius hoped to foster a closer relationship with Luka through this iconic moment.

  When dusk finally arrived, the elder gave his godson a gentle pat on the back. "You should wash up before supper with your mom," Demetrius said with a smile. "Go to bed early because you will officially start your apprenticeship tomorrow."

  "I will," Luka affirmed with a nod. He watched the host leave with his entourage. When Luka finally entered the guesthouse, the four family servants greeted him. "Welcome back, young master," they said in unison and curtsied. One of them showed the heir to his room; she helped Luka take a bath and put on new clothing. Luka was surprised that Hanna didn't join the trip, and an unfamiliar, middle-aged woman took her place to assist him.

  Luka checked himself in the mirror and nodded his approval. His outfit was a comfortable cream-colored shirt with an open collar, a purple vest embroidered with the Heavensfell emblem on the upper right side, and a pair of matching pants.

  The heir noted that their fabrics were silk. Although he preferred to wear cotton, Luka understood he needed to dress like an upper-ranked noble during his stay. Thus, he consented to the maid's choice of the silk fabric commonly worn by the nobility.

  The young nobleman followed his maid down the staircase and into the dining hall. The room was noticeably smaller compared to his family house, with seating for only a half-dozen people.

  "Hello, mother," Luka greeted politely before taking his seat to her right. The duchess sat at the other end of the table; this forced him to cross the room to reach her. After he sat down, Luka released Bel and Gripper from storage, and they took their seats next to him.

  "Good evening, Luka," Juliette replied with a nod. "How was your tour after we separated? Did your pets cause any further trouble?" she inquired with a stern look.

  "No, mother. I kept them inside my dimensional storage after that unfortunate incident at the horse stables," the son replied.

  "Good. Where did you go afterward?" the woman prodded.

  "We went inside the control center. I asked to visit the place, and the pope agreed. There was an enormous, underground chamber with officers monitoring different displays. The pope also mentioned that the workers lived in dormitories under that chamber," Luka explained enthusiastically.

  "I'm happy that you got to visit that place," Juliette said while hiding her amazement. She understood the importance of the control center and never sought permission to visit herself. The mother couldn't understand why Pope Demetrius would allow her child to go there. "What are your plans for tomorrow?" she asked suddenly to change the topic.

  "The pope said my apprenticeship starts tomorrow, and I need to go to bed early," he replied.

  "I'll ask the servants to wake you up at five in the morning. That should provide enough time for a brief workout and breakfast before church officials come to fetch you," Juliette suggested.

  "Thank you, mother."

  The maids entered while pushing trolleys. For supper, they served half chicken with rice and corn. The duchess drank a cup of red wine; her servants brought bottles produced by the family winery. Luka stuck to honey mead because he wasn't a wine lover like her.

  Before he left, Juliette mentioned something important. "From now on, I will spend my days at the pegasus stables. If an emergency arises and you need to reach me, that's where I will be," she informed him.

  "I'll remember," he promised. "Good night, mother." Luka returned to his room with his pets. However, he didn't plan to sleep immediately. The mage summoned a Shadow Clone to take his place in bed and then extinguished the light. The darkness would make it difficult for the maid to discover that a body double had replaced him.

  Luka changed to a dark-colored commoner's outfit and wore a hood to cover his head. He cast an illusion to change his face and then teleported to the plaza. The mage intended to take a night stroll out in the city and familiarize himself with Lumina; it will be his home for the next two months. He made his pets stay in the bedroom to warn him if someone enters.

  They agreed in exchange for receiving tofu desserts as bribes.

  When the mage arrived at his destination via a magic beacon, he immediately cast Improved Invisibility and checked his environment. Once Luka confirmed that nobody noticed his abrupt entry, he relaxed a little. He activated Spatial Sense to check for people in his vicinity. To his surprise, few people were walking around aside from guards patrolling the streets.

  But when Luka thought a bit more, this made sense because Lumina was devoted to the Divine Church of Light. Therefore, the residents revolved their lives around the organization's daily schedule, and a city nightlife was presumably nonexistent here.

  Since Luka was outside, he wanted to do something productive. Thus, the visitor chose to observe the patrols and understand their patterns. The mage teleported to the top of the bell tower and watched the guards from his high vantage point. He felt like a cat watching mice scurrying around.

  The wind delivered an evening chill to his body, forcing Luka to wrap his cloak tightly. He cast Resist Cold, and his body immediately stopped shivering. Luka turned into a living gargoyle and spent hours atop the bell tower.

  The observer learned that the guard rotations occurred every four hours, and each city quarter had ten teams of five guards per shift. They eventually returned to their home bases. Luka located the barrack for each city section, and he sensed guards sleeping inside as they became off-duty. He carefully memorized the patrol routes and schedules for each party because Luka believed this information was crucial for his secret outings in the future.

  When the bell tolled at midnight, Luka returned home. He unsummoned the doppelganger and took its place in bed. Although his magic warded off the cold, his body became stiff from standing still for hours on the bell tower. Thus, the soft mattress soothed his aching back, and he fell asleep.

  The heir awoke the following morning with a maid's assistance. It was 4:30. Luka groggily left his warm bed, washed his face, and dressed in exercise clothes. When he reached the bottom of the stairs, he saw Juliette already waiting. "Good morning, mother," Luka greeted as his mind became alert immediately.

  "Good morning, Luka," she replied with an approving nod. "Let's have a spar in the yard," Juliette suggested and stepped out of the guesthouse.

  The son followed her, and the two began to do light stretching. Once their bodies warmed up sufficiently, Juliette and Luka sparred with wooden swords.

  The swordswoman displayed her superior control and jabbed at her opponent from impossible angles. Juliette moved like a deadly viper, and she unleashed heavy blows, which generated air currents that caused her opponent's hair and clothing to flutter.

  Luka kept backtracking to avoid her attacks. He couldn't lift his stick to block her in time and didn't bother. Instead, Luka danced around and tried to prevent her from cornering him.

  The two tangoed around the front yard for about ten minutes before the duchess abruptly stepped back. Juliette looked at her son with disappointment. "Aren't you going to attack me?" she asked with annoyance.

  "Yes, mother." Luka held his stick with both hands and lunged at her body.

  Bang! She blocked the attack and pushed forward. The two suddenly found themselves engaged in a contest of strength -- and Juliette was winning! The woman pressed on, and her face loomed over Luka. "Aren't you going to use Enragement?" she taunted.

  "No. I will win against you with pure swordsmanship," the son declared valiantly. He gritted his teeth and pushed back with all his might. For his troubles, Luka reached a draw against her.

  "Cheapskate," Juliette huffed and pouted. She backed away and lowered her arm. "We sparred enough for today. Now, wash up and change clothes quickly, or else you'll skip breakfast," she warned.

  "Yes, mother." Luka followed her into the guesthouse and up the staircase. Th
e two separated and walked into their respective room to freshen up.

  The pope arrived in his carriage at dawn.

  The guards at the residence quickly sent word to the duchess. Juliette and Luka stepped out of the house to greet the church leader.

  "Good morning, Duchess Silverblade and Luka. I'm glad to see that you're up already," Demetrius said with a smile. "I came here to fetch my godson and bring him to the church facilities to begin his official apprenticeship. Please come inside so that we can leave immediately," he invited with a wave of his hand.

  Luka turned around. "I'm leaving now."

  "Do you best, Luka!"

  "Yes, mother." He nodded. Luka climbed into the cabin; he sat next to Matty and faced his godfather.

  As the vehicle traveled through the streets, the two boys exchanged polite greetings, and then the passengers became quiet.

  Pope Demetrius broke the silence to discuss the apprenticeship. "Luka, for the next two months, we're going to treat you like a normal apprentice. You will work alongside your peers and get your church uniform dirty. You will attend morning prayer services, and your assignments will involve plenty of menial chores, which aren't suitable for nobles. After two months, your hands and fingertips may develop calluses."

  "I also recommend that you sleep in our dormitories, but I won't force you to do so. I'm mindful that you were away from home for a decade. After returning from the magic apprenticeship, you lived in your family manor for merely a few weeks before leaving home again for school. I'm sure you didn't expect to spend the winter break in a church apprenticeship. What are your thoughts on your living arrangements in Lumina?" the church elder inquired.

  Luka thought for a moment. While it made sense for him to live in the dormitory with other apprentices, this arrangement would curtail his nighttime activities. Moreover, he strongly desired to see his mother daily during this short break from school. If Luka lived outside the guesthouse, then he wouldn't have time to see her. Thus, the teenager quickly made his decision. "I apologize, Your Holiness, but I must decline your recommendation," he answered and bowed to the pope.