When he opened his eyes, Andrea was blinded by the surrounding light. He moved with difficulty, struggling to protect his eyes with his hands. He slowly adjusted to the light and after a few seconds, surveyed his surroundings.
The ceiling was unfamiliar to him. He tilted his head to continue his investigation, and everything he saw convinced him that he didn't know where he was. However, upon seeing the second bed and various belongings scattered everywhere, he suspected that he was sharing this room with someone else.
Could it be that someone had saved him? He couldn't see any other explanation. But who in this region would want to save him? In the past few weeks, he had only made enemies.
Exhausted by these simple movements, he lay back down and closed his eyes. He had barely begun to lose himself in his thoughts when the door swung open abruptly. He startled inwardly, but his tired body offered little reaction.
He tried to sit up and didn't bother hiding that he was awake. There, he saw not one, not two, but three people enter the room, which seemed so vast; it now appeared cramped.
The two men and the woman approached him. The woman was the first to speak.
"You're finally awake, Father Andrea!"
Not knowing what to reply, he could only smile. During a brief awkward moment, they all looked at each other in turn before Tahrren spoke up.
"Well then, what are we waiting for? Let's introduce ourselves! I'm Tahrren Lilmare, from the Soul Chasers."
The young girl stepped forward until she was right in front of the priest.
"Pleased to meet you. I'm Ophelia d'Ortia. And the young man here is named Eiji. Kasasaki Eiji. He's an apprentice among the Soul Chasers."
Eiji immediately interrupted Ophelia, grumbling. "What kind of introduction is that? You could have let me speak, at least..."
Andrea, on the other hand, thought he had misheard. After all, his body didn't yet possess all its abilities.
"Excuse me, did you say your name is Ophelia? Ophelia d'Ortia? Just like the former kingdom?"
Ophelia found the situation amusing and couldn't help but let out a few laughs.
"The very same."
Andrea gathered all his strength to get out of bed and, although in pain, managed to kneel.
"Oh, Original Saintess. This is a miracle! Seven hundred years after your humble sacrifice, you reappear before me in the darkest hours that the holy city dedicated to you has ever known. How is this possible?"
Ophelia scratched the back of her head before vaguely responding.
"It's a long story... But it's really me. I'm the same person. And today, Father Andrea, we need your help. The entire city needs your help."
Andrea quickly regained his composure. He sat against the bed and turned his gaze to the wall beside him. He suspected the reason why the Original Saintess and these two men were here to obtain the information he possessed, for in that regard, he knew he was special.
"The Soul Chasers? I've heard that name before. We sometimes hear things about you. You track down certain individuals capable of jeopardizing peace on the continent. Each of your members is so powerful that they could overthrow kingdoms. So, what do you want from me?"
Tahrren approached the dwarf and helped him sit on the bed.
"You're right. We track what we call the immortals. Their very existence deteriorates the balance of the world around them. And it so happens that one of them is currently threatening Ophelia. We believe you possess information that would be crucial in our pursuit."
Andrea smiled slightly. He had been right. These people were helping him with the information he possessed. But he didn't mind at all. It suited him just fine. After all, he was looking for someone to help him. Someone strong and trustworthy. Who better at this moment than the Original Saintess and her companions? For the first time in several months, he felt at ease. He could finally share his heavy burden.
"I've been searching for people like you for so long... Very well. I will tell you everything. It's quite a long story, so feel free to sit down."
Tahrren sat on a chair while Ophelia sat on the bed beside the Dwarf. Eiji, on the other hand, remained standing, leaning against the wall with his back to the bed.
"From what I know, it all began at least a hundred and fifty years ago. Back then, I was just a young priest. I wandered the corridors of the holy Ophelian church every day. I had ended up there somewhat by chance. Unlike my comrades, who were more interested in drinking, mining, and engineering, I preferred history. Back then, and even now, I was fascinated by your story, and I became a priest to have access to the largest library in the region. Above all, I sought to quench my thirst for knowledge. However, my first days in that gigantic church were not easy. After all, no one wanted a dwarf as an apprentice, so I had to find my way. And it happened as expected: I got lost in the main building of the church. Searching for my way, I roamed from room to room in vain. Until I stumbled upon a room adjacent to the heart of the church. However, unlike the other rooms, flooded with light and stained glass windows, this one was rather dark and gloomy. For a reason I can hardly explain, I decided to enter it and explore it. I still remember it perfectly: the only sources of light were the torches with flickering flames. In the center of the room, those torches were arranged in a circle, and when I looked up, there it was, standing. He held a man at arm's length, effortlessly lifting him. After a few seconds, he began to chant. I stood there, observing for several minutes. But what I saw haunted me forever: the man, barely conscious at that moment, began to liquefy. His skin started engulfing the sorcerer until it completely covered him. Finally, after a few minutes, the phenomenon subsided. The liquid turned solid again, but the young man had completely disappeared. Even more frightening: the sorcerer now had the face of the young man he had just absorbed. As if they had merged..."
Ophelia, Eiji, and Tahrren were lost in their thoughts. It was clear to them: this person was the immortal in question.
"But that doesn't explain why a priest attacked Eiji," Tahrren shared. "And we still don't know who that man was."
The dwarf cleared his throat and continued.
"Well, I haven't exactly finished my story. It turns out I know who the sorcerer was, although I only learned it later. The man in question is the Pope himself."
"The Pope?" exclaimed Ophelia, surprised.
"Indeed," continued Andréa. "For at least a hundred and fifty years, but I imagine it has been much longer, the Pope has been the same person. For centuries, the popes are elected within an assembly, and the elected Pope resigns when he no longer feels capable of leading. The man absorbed that day was the newly elected Pope. And, likely, it is still the same person to this day. The recent events and your presence here only prove it."
A heavy silence fell in the room. Everyone was shocked by these revelations. Eiji, in particular, couldn't understand certain points.
"But... why... or even how did no one notice? Not even the Saintess nor the closest priests to the Popes. Didn't they sense that something was wrong during the power transitions?"
Andrea closed his eyes and let out a slight sigh.
"We come to the most terrifying part of the story. This man, the current Pope, is not only endowed with a strange magic that grants him immortality, but he is also a master of suggestion magic. To the extent that the entire church is completely under his control, except for me. That is simply because I am a dwarf. You probably already know, but our resistance to magic is by far the strongest among the races that inhabit Aurdalia, so we are immune to mind-manipulating magics like suggestion or illusion. I managed to live for a hundred and fifty years in that church by keeping a low profile. The same went for this Pope. But for the past few months, he has been much more proactive for a reason I don't know. Now that he knows I am not under his influence and that I know the truth, he hunted me for weeks and finally caught me, leaving me for dead in this wooden prison."
Eiji took a chair and sat down as well.
"So our main enemy is the Pope, but every priest, even the Saintess herself, is potentially our enemy. But there are still things I don't understand. In that case, why did you guys declare war on the Higashito, and why did you stop it so abruptly? It makes no sense!"
Everyone fell silent. No one had an answer, not even Father Andrea.
"Regardless, we will have our answers in due time. For now, we need to think of an action plan, and quickly," Tahrren finally spoke.
"Unfortunately, as strong as you may be, the three of you cannot take on the entire church. There are over a thousand priests, and some are very powerful. Not to mention the Pope himself, who should not be underestimated."
Eiji lightly punched the wall, visibly frustrated.
"So, what do you propose then? Our options are limited."
The Dwarf struggled to stand up and faced the two Soul Hunters.
"Let's go to Myr Khandur. I know the captain of the guard; he is a friend of my brother. He will help us secure an audience with the king. Here's what I propose: let the dwarves march upon the Holy City."