[Third Person Pov]

"Actually, could I be the one to name them?" Lucian interjected before Beatrice even had the chance to respond, leaning forward slightly as if to claim the moment before it slipped away.

"Of course, my liege. This is your church and your special order. If anyone has the right to name them, it’s you," Beatrice replied without hesitation, her voice filled with reverence as she inclined her head toward him.

"Oh god..." Thalia let out a quiet sigh, the sound carrying a clear hint of exasperation as she rubbed her temple.

"What?" Lucian asked, shooting her a sideways glance, already suspicious of where this was going.

"Nothing. It’s just that not all of your naming attempts have exactly been all that great," Thalia said with a small shrug, her tone casual but pointed. "So I’m just saying... maybe you should leave this one to Beatrice. She clearly knows what she’s doing."

Lucian rolled his eyes at that, crossing his arms briefly before relaxing again. "I’ll admit some of the names I’ve come up with aren’t exactly revolutionary," he said, conceding the point with a slight nod, "but some of them are great too. Just give me a chance first before immediately judging me."

Thalia made a small motion with her hand, gesturing for him to go ahead as if presenting him to an audience. She leaned back slightly, curious despite herself about what he was going to come up with this time.

"They should be named ’The Conspirators.’ Whether that be the Order of Conspirators or the Conspirators Order, either way, I want them to be called the Conspirators," Lucian said, a calm, confident smile settling across his face as he spoke.

"The name isn’t terrible per se, but it seems a bit random, don’t you think?" Thalia replied, her brows knitting together in confusion as she tried to understand the reasoning behind it.

Lucian didn’t answer right away. His smile only widened slightly as he extended his arm outward. The shadows around him stirred and churned, before a figure burst free, scattering faint, black, feather-like fragments that dissolved into nothing moments later.

Both Beatrice and Thalia followed the movement instinctively, their eyes tracking the shadow raven as it circled the room. Its wings beat steadily, each motion smooth and deliberate as it glided through the air before diving down and settling neatly on Lucian’s outstretched arm.

Lucian lifted his other hand and gently ran a finger along the raven’s beak, earning a soft tilt of its head in response. "Bartholomew holds a special place in my heart," he said, his tone softening just slightly. "He was the first shadow soldier I ever created. So I want to dedicate this special order in his honor."

He paused for a brief moment before continuing, his voice returning to its usual steady confidence. "He’ll be their symbol, their motif, so to speak. They’ll be shadow ravens—beings who operate and observe from the dark while they plan and move for the benefit of the church... and for my benefit."

Beatrice clasped her hands together at her chest, her eyes shining with admiration and devotion. "That is simply wonderful, my liege. The Conspirators... it’s a fabulous name."

"Individually, they’ll simply be called ravens. Together, they’ll be known as the Conspirators," Lucian added, lifting Bartholomew from his arm and placing him comfortably across his shoulders, where the bird settled without resistance.

As he did, Lucian noticed the way Thalia’s expression shifted. Her brows were still slightly furrowed, not in disagreement but in thought, as though she understood most of it but felt like she was missing a small, important detail tying everything together.

Lucian glanced toward Beatrice and gave a subtle motion for her to explain. She nodded and turned her attention to Thalia.

"When a group of ravens comes together," Beatrice said, "they are more often than not called a conspiracy."

Thalia snapped her fingers as the realization clicked into place. "Ahh, okay. I see it now," she said, a small grin forming as the connection finally made sense.

Lucian turned back to her with a smug look, clearly pleased with himself. "So, what do you think? Still think I give shit names?"

"I never said your naming sense was shit," Thalia replied, immediately pushing back as she raised her hands slightly in defense. "Just that it isn’t always great." She paused for a second before adding, "But I’m also willing to admit when you outdo yourself. It really is a good name. It’s layered, which makes it work."

"Thank you," Lucian said, giving a small, theatrical bow, clearly satisfied with both the name and the reaction it had earned.

"But won’t it be dangerous to teach them magic?" Thalia said after a moment of consideration, her tone more serious now as she folded her arms. "If they learn magic, doesn’t it increase the chances of them figuring out this entire church is kind of like a hoax?"

"I’ve already taken that into consideration," Beatrice answered calmly with a polite smile, her posture as composed as ever. "Remember how I said that I had another plan that I would share in a bit? I believe now would be the appropriate time to explain it, although it would involve and rely heavily on my liege..."

Lucian raised a brow at that but gave a small motion with his hand, signaling for her to continue while keeping his attention on her. "Go on, I’m listening."

"Although Edna and I have managed to cultivate a high level of faith among the people of this church, there is still a certain degree of skepticism lingering beneath the surface," Beatrice began carefully, choosing her words with precision. "For this order to function as intended, they need to be absolutely devoted to the church, and in turn, to you, my liege. So I was thinking that at some point, we should arrange a meeting between you and the chosen members of the order."

Lucian’s expression shifted slightly, confusion showing more clearly now. "Elaborate."

"It won’t be in person," Beatrice clarified, lifting a hand slightly as she spoke. "It would take place within the dreaming realm. You would appear to them under the guise of Father Paradox, where you would personally accept them as members of the order. They would see you, hear you, and experience your presence directly, which would cement your image in their minds as a divine authority."

She paused briefly before continuing, adding more detail to ensure her point was clear. "A direct encounter, even within a dream, would solidify their faith far more effectively than sermons or secondhand teachings ever could."

Lucian didn’t respond right away. His gaze drifted slightly as he fell into thought, carefully weighing her words and turning over the idea in his mind, considering both the advantages and the risks that came with it.

"I just want to know one thing," he said after a moment, his tone measured. "Do you think the benefits outweigh the potential consequences if something goes wrong?"

Beatrice’s lips curved into a small, confident smirk as she gave a single nod. "Of course. And if it does go wrong, all we would need to do is remove the variables and begin again with a new group."

"Okay, what the hell," Thalia cut in, looking between the two of them with clear disbelief. "Don’t you think you’re taking it a bit too far? It’s one thing to wait until they’ve naturally met their end, but now you’re talking about committing murder."

"Who said anything about killing them?" Beatrice replied, tilting her head slightly in confusion, as if the assumption hadn’t even crossed her mind. "We have magic. We can simply extract their memories and make them forget everything they know. There’s no need for something so crude. We are not barbarians."

"You’ve eaten children before. I really don’t want to hear anything from you about what counts as ’crude,’" Thalia scoffed, unimpressed. She then reached over and pinched Lucian’s cheek, the gesture carrying both affection and a clear warning.

"And you," she added, turning her attention fully to him, her expression sharpening, "I swear you haven’t changed at all since we were younger. You seriously need someone next to you to make sure you don’t take things too far or overdo it. Lucian, I don’t want you turning into the kind of person we both hate. Do I make myself clear?"

"...Well then, I guess you can consider me quite fortunate that I have you by my side," Lucian replied after a brief pause, his expression softening as he looked at her sincerely. "Can I count on you to keep me in line and make sure I don’t go too far?"

Thalia let out a small sigh and released his cheek, though her expression eased slightly. "I’m your girlfriend. It comes with the territory," she said, her tone firm but not unkind. "If I see you going too far, I’ll knock some sense into you myself. So don’t worry about it. I’ve got you."

Beatrice watched the exchange with a quiet smile, her gaze moving between the two of them. The affection and trust they shared was obvious, even in moments like this. And as far as she was concerned, anything that brought her lord a sense of stability or happiness was something worth supporting.

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