"I'm trying to figure out which parts to tell, especially when you haven't agreed to teach."

"If all your words were true, I'd fight gods did they stand in my way.  You seem to have no comprehension of what an impossible treasure twenty worthy students would be.  I wonder if any teacher in the history of Golarion has ever had such."

"Who was your teacher?  Name her to me; perhaps she is known to me, if she was also a priest of Irori and likewise Lawful Evil.  There are not that many of us."

Oh.

That makes sense.

The Project just has to find another Lawful Evil cleric of Irori to take over Carissa Sevar's job.  Who says she was special?  Maybe it was just that Lawful Evil priests of Irori are rare in Cheliax, and really any of those will do, for that part of the Project.  Maybe you can get a better Irorian if they're of high circle.

There's something crushingly sad about the thought.  Pilar sets it aside.

And then there drops the other copper coin.

Lawful Evil Irori cleric in Egorian.  Pilar hasn't met them but she knows who that is.

"Sajvara."

"That's more clones of me than I was expecting to have to deal with today."

"I - what?  No!  That wasn't our teacher, I just realized that you're -"

"What a holy mess."  (As a good Asmodean, Pilar of course uses 'holy' rather than 'unholy' as the swear word.)

"Enough of this.  Why do you not speak plainly?"

"Too public of a place and my escort has run out of Silent Table."

"I have that spell myself."  She executes a few gestures, and then casts back her hood.

"Sajvara of Sald.  I do but go about this way to avoid needless trouble from those unused to my appearance, who imagine that I am unwelcome here rather than a guest of your government."

"Now identify yourself properly, girl."

"Pilar Pineda, also known as the Cake Girl, of Project Lawful, of Cheliax, unwilling oracle of Cayden Cailean and faithful slave of Lord Asmodeus."

"Project Lawful was being taught by a priest of Irori this entire time?"

"Carissa Sevar didn't know Irori had named her priest until very recently, but yes."

"You really have no idea what you're saying at all, do you."

"Perhaps not.  I would be told."

"Do you claim it to be true, as her cult does claim in Vudra, that Carissa Sevar is Asmodeus's Chosen whom He is raising to the status of divinity, by which means Hell shall wield suffering as a tool to produce strength and growth rather than only terror and obedience?"

What does she even say to that, now, after everything that's happened.  Her curse doesn't think it would be a good idea to lie to this woman.

"If anything even remotely in the vicinity of that were true, it would not be something I could comment on without seeking other authorization."

"Though, she wasn't teaching us to become gods, like Irorians are supposed to.  She was teaching us to be - better slaves of Asmodeus."

"That is a very strange thing for any cleric of Irori to try to do.  Also, I'm sure I recall somebody in this conversation earlier saying that she planned to become a god by consuming Cayden Cailean."

"Any good slave of Asmodeus would do that if they could, in His service, and become a new Power of Hell to strengthen Him."

"Well, possibly if she was training that kind of good slave."

"I mean, it wouldn't be 'corrigible' behavior unless I'd been ordered to do that by my superiors, but my superiors have in fact ordered me to consume Cayden Cailean if possible."

Possibly they're going to need to alternate teaching from Sajvara with teaching by a real priest of Asmodeus...

Pilar's suppressed thought that she's carefully not thinking is correct!  It has to be Aspexia Rugatonn!  Nobody else will do!

"What is the goal of all this teaching, from the Chelish government's perspective?"

To create Keepers of Asmodeus.  "That's... not something I should say to you without additional authorization, and agreements to keep things quiet..."

"Is it even possible for you to do this, when you're supposed to be arbitrating between the Chelish government and Keltham?"

"Do Keltham or Cheliax fear I may be prejudiced against them, which I would not be, they may go and send to Vudra again to seek a new arbitrator."

"Also, your question is insane, if I take all else you say at face value.  If I couldn't do it from my current position I'd obviously quit and Irori's highest would send somebody else to replace me.  Nobody in Vudra would expect a sixth-circle of Irori to pass up the prospect of twenty worthy students in order to go arbitrate some silly matter of a few million gold pieces."

"But what is it you'd have me train them to become, if not gods?"