"Ah... so that was it." Merinor spoke, his gaze taking on a thoughtful expression as he processed Safira's words.
"The creature that attacked you was probably an old experiment from before the great collapse." Merinor stood up, not taking his eyes off Safira's face, which was bathed in complicated emotions.
She hadn't lied, because she wasn't foolish enough to do so, but she had still suppressed as much information about Arthur as she could, limiting herself to describing him as someone mediocre who would never be able to fight Gabriel seriously.
And though she tried to hide it, she felt a terrible pressure, the image of Arthur's lifeless body replaying in her mind while she prayed inside that he hadn't met the same fate as Gabriel.
He was her first love and the thought of losing him so easily made her heart bleed.
"Don't worry about Gabriel, little one. I'm sure he's at Aelius' side right now, bathed in his divine light and smiling at us..." Merinor put his hands on Safira's shoulders, trying to comfort her, not even knowing that Gabriel's death had only brought her a small, insignificant annoyance.
"Uh-huh," Safira confirmed with a nasal sound before taking off her lie detector necklace and handing it to Merinor.
"C-can I go... now?" She asked, her voice shaking slightly as she struggled to convince herself that everything was all right, that Arthur had made it through and that the faint feeling that insisted she shouldn't worry was right.
"Yes, dear, get some rest. It must have been a long day," this time, it was Bryn who spoke. The man had been silent throughout Merinor's conversation, and only now he broke the silence, his gaze falling on the Bishop as if to signal that he had other matters to discuss with him.
After that, Safira withdrew, leaving only the two men behind.
"What are you going to do now?" Bryn asked as he gestured for the man to follow him into the luxurious corridors of the palace.
"I will go to this village called Dunul and, if possible, enter the dungeon. I hope to recover Gabriel's body, and if this Arthur is still alive, I'll question him as well". Merinor replied, and soon the two found themselves climbing a large staircase that led to the highest point of the palace. "What do you want to talk about? I'm in a hurry."
Bryn heard Merinor's words, but did not reply until they reached their destination; it was a luxurious courtyard, more than two football fields in size. Protected by a large golden gate that only the lord of the city had access to, it was full of streams, fruit trees, and flowers, as if it were a beautiful forest and not the upper part of a palace.
Countless beautiful half-naked women could be seen resting on the grass, bathing in the streams, chatting, and walking through the woods, many of them were pregnant and didn't seem to pay much attention to them, while others cast seductive glances in the direction of the two men.
In such an environment, Merinor could only stare at the ground, trying his best not to be tempted by the beauty of these women.
"It's a nice harem, but I'm a man of God, I can't-" Merinor opened his mouth, but was cut off by Bryn's laughter.
"Hahaha, don't worry, that's not why I brought you here." Bryn led the man to a door that led to a more private area where the two men could talk freely.
It was a balcony, and like everything else here, it looked luxurious, with gold and silver decorations.
It offered a view not only of the entire city, but also of the colossal mountain range that stretched a few kilometers away, cut in half by a deep valley.
"I suppose the Holy Empire of Aelius is already well aware that the tribes of Grur are planning a new attack on the territory of Albrid." Bryn said as he looked into the valley. That was the route these tribes used to cross the mountains and attack the Empire.
"Yes, and I've heard that they're also gathering on the borders of the Erinnor Confederacy... damned heretic elves. One day the Light of Aelius will burn this damned forest to the ground." Merinor gritted his teeth as the image of the arrogant creatures who utterly despised their god came into view.
"An elf messenger has contacted me." Bryn spoke as he glanced at Merinor, whose eyes widened.
Elves were mostly reclusive and usually didn't come into contact with other civilizations for decades or even centuries if it wasn't absolutely necessary. The fact that they had contacted Bryn was almost incomprehensible to Merinor.
"What did they want?" Merinor asked.
"Nothing..." Bryn shook his head, "actually they just came to deliver some information." His gaze shifted back to the valleys. "The invasion this time won't be as simple as the last one, those damn monsters are preparing something new, something unlike anything we've ever seen."
"Just that, nothing more?" Merinor's gaze turned serious as he absorbed all this information.
"Nothing... He appeared, said those words and disappeared... And that's why I called you here, I need help from the church, 10,000 paladins will be enough." Bryn explained and looked deeply into Merinor's eyes.
Those 10,000 paladins weren't essential, and he was sure he was more than capable of defending himself without them, but they would still be a help that would greatly reduce his losses.
Merinor thought for a few seconds before finally answering, "It's difficult... But I can try to speak to the Pope after I've settled my affairs. The death of a holy son is no small matter, and we will soon need to name someone to replace Gabriel. This is a critical moment and we'll need every paladin in our territory.
"Whether you succeed or not, you will have the eternal gratitude of my family." Bryn's gaze drifted to the lower regions of the city, and though the main street was miles away, he could still see it clearly.
His gaze was fixed on the unfamiliar figures walking along the street, talking about things that were completely foreign to his people and observing everything with great curiosity and eccentricity.
"Do the wanderers frighten you?" Merinor's gaze fell on the same people.
Bryn hesitated for a few seconds before nodding, "It's only been a month since they arrived in our world, and yet many of them have already advanced to the second stage... They don't have an ounce of love for life, and they can be reborn as many times as they want, only receiving a brief state of weakness. Foolish would be the man who wasn't afraid of such people."
"A powerful fifth stage warrior is afraid of beings whose most powerful barely reach the second stage? hahaha" Merinor laughed at Bryn's concern.
"They are still weak, but what about a decade from now? What about a century? I don't feel comfortable and I don't want to open my gates to them."
Hearing Bryn's words, the smile on Merinor's face vanished. "I don't care what you do, but remember, they are under the protection of Aelius himself, and what they do in this world is a secret between God and the Pope." Merinor then turned to his old friend and looked deep into his eyes. "I must go now, as my duties call me. But I'll give you a suggestion: if you can't fight them, win their loyalty and recruit them into your ranks."
The moment Merinor's voice faded, his body disintegrated into golden particles, leaving Bryn's thoughtful figure alone.