As John and the rest exited the portal, they were greeted by a grand palace of white marble standing before them. Six men awaited them, with one individual standing out prominently from the rest.
Leading the group was the Pope, an old balding man donning a white and gold toga. Behind him were the heads of the five dominions that formed the Church: the Dominion of the Sun, the Dominion of the Moon, the Dominion of Water, the Dominion of Earth, and the Dominion of Fire.
Each dominion held a significant role within the Church. The Dominion of the Sun spread the words of the gods to the masses, the Dominion of the Moon handled the church's finances and charity work, the Dominion of Water took care of the healers who traveled the continent to aid the sick, the Dominion of Earth ensured the security and defense of the holy see, and the Dominion of Fire conducted the inquisition to remove heretics from the land.
"Your Holiness, I sense an unwelcome presence has arrived here. Care to elaborate on it?" Eric said, exiting the portal with an annoyed expression, immediately addressing the Pope.
"I thought Your Highness asked him to be here?" the Pope replied with confusion.
"Brother, Father, has it been ten years already?" a silver-haired man in a black suit spoke up as he approached the portal, his eyes filled with contempt. Softening his gaze, he continued, "Irene... it seems you are here too."
"Dante, what brings you here? I don't recall sending you an invitation," Eric retorted, his face filled with fury, standing protectively before Irene and John. The latter was utterly perplexed by the situation—just who was this man, and why was he here? How was he related to his parents? Countless questions flooded John's mind at once.
"Your Majesty, allow me to clarify that I am not here as the Emperor's brother, but as the Grand Duke and Unifier of Valoria. I hope you keep that in mind. As for why I'm here, well, how could I resist the opportunity to recruit such a talented ten-year-old with aura? The North Wall is what allows you to sleep peacefully at night," Dante said confidently, exuding an air of self-assurance.
"In that case, Duke, I would expect you to act according to your position. Now, if you will, I have something to discuss with the Pope," Eric said, gesturing for the Pope to lead him and his entourage to a secluded room. However, before they could proceed, Dante appeared behind John, scooped him up by the waist, and hoisted him onto his shoulder. "In that case, I'll be borrowing him for a bit, not as the Grand Duke, but as the Supreme Commander of the Northern Army, aiming to recruit a promising talent," Dante declared before vanishing from their sight.
"Dante, you fucking bastard!" Eric yelled in anger, veins bulging on his forehead. Irene quickly grabbed his hand, shaking her head to calm him down.
"He said he'll bring the boy back, so don't worry too much. He may be an asshole, but he won't take things too far," Gerrard reassured Eric, patting him on the back before proceeding to speak with the Pope.