There were still some patches of good here and there, but for the most part, sooner or later, almost everyone veered onto the paths that were concerned with death, or other horrific things.
On the way, they passed corridor into which Jonah couldn't even look, and seeing this, the mousy man smirked and said, "You want to go for another visit? They are your countrymen, after all - I'll wait. You can even have a go at the torture rack, if you like."
Jonah felt like digging the guts out of this little guy who always found the most effective things to say to rattle him, but controlling himself, he said, "They bore me. I care more about the fate of the rest of the continent."
Saying so, he shot a glance at the corridor, and as soon as he did so, he couldn't help but remember the thousands of poor souls who were being tortured, to this day, because they did not want to give up their freedom and embrace the Church.
On the first day when they had arrived, Jonah had been filled with the desire to do something to free them. Compared to the fate that the Church had in store for them, even death would have been a better alternative, but in the end, he had stopped himself, as he knew that there were other ways in which he could be useful. If something happened, the blame would fall solely on him, and everything that he had built so far would crumble, making it all mean nothing.
Hence, once again, he had had to turn his heart to stone, but he didn't know how many more times he could do so before it permanently remained so.
Vowing once again to avenge this nation which had actually turned out to be filled with courageous souls who had held out longer than most of the Mainland's netizens, Jonah continued to follow his lieutenant, and soon, they came upon a room which he had never visited before.
They had steadily been traveling upward, and all Jonah knew was that these rooms belonged to the strongest members of the Church. After entering a door made of solid metal, he saw that there were smaller stone doors stretching out in front of him, and after walking for a few moments, they came upon one on which the word "Occupied" was etched.
Putting his hand on the door, the lieutenant opened it and gestured him to enter first.
As soon as Jonah did so, he felt a change in the atmosphere, and a moment later, he jumped to the side, as all of his instincts had screamed that he would die if he didn't move right that instant.
BOOOOMMMM!!!!
The sound of thunder wracked his ears, almost destroying them in the process, and the hairs all over his body stood up straight as he looked up and saw that the room he had entered had no ceiling.
He was already drenched in the rain that he had been witnessing until now, and looking around, he found the location where the lightning had struck.
Just the sensation of a bolt targeting his general area had made him, who could have stood uncontested amongst most of the Heroes of the continent right now if he could go back, leap to the side with fear filling his mind, but in the place where he was looking, a woman stood with her back straight and her eyes to the sky.
She was standing on a podium which was completely blackened and had smoke rising from some areas despite the rain, and with that, Jonah understood that she… had actually weathered that thick bolt which could kill Heroes easily.
Yes, it had definitely been that strong, and the reason behind this was that they were at the top of the statue, which was at such a high altitude that it pierced the heavens and resided in a spot where the wrath of nature was strongest.
Narrowing his eyes, Jonah tried to see the vestiges of the barriers that must have been used by the Bishop to protect herself, but when he noticed nothing, his eyebrows rose with shock, and his mind went blank.
Had she actually… Weathered it with her own body?
As soon as the meaning behind this realization struck him, she snapped her fingers, causing a spell to activate that made a ceiling appear over the vast room which could easily seat 50 people.
A few chairs and couches sprang up, too, and as if she had done nothing out of the ordinary, the Bishop took a seat and gestured Jonah to do the same.
It was only when Jonah was getting up that he finally managed to see a plaque beside him that read, "Lightning Induced Body Metamorphosis Chamber-8".
By the time he gathered his wits and sat down while reassessing his judgment of the Bishop's power, she had made tea, and while sipping it lightly, she said, "Enter."
Jonah didn't understand who she was talking to, but a moment later, the door opened again to admit a flustered messenger.
With his hands and legs shaking, he made his way to the Bishop and bowed before saying, "N-news…from Angaria, your Holiness. The King-"
"Has succeeded in killing our Heroes and taking control of the entire continent. Right?"
Surprise and bewilderment shone in the messenger's eyes before he straightened himself and nodded, but a second later, they clouded over with confusion.
Seeing this, the Bishop spoke again, and this time, it was Jonah who got the same emotions, along with one another: fear.
"Don't be so surprised…I was expecting this from the get-go. If that kid hadn't been capable of at least this much, I would never have concerned myself with him! I have never been wrong in judging someone, and I never will be…so I know, Reverend Jonah Castle, that your heart still lies with your dear disciple. A victory is sweeter when it is obtained in front of the eyes of someone who has given up everything to try and stop it from happening…so you will continue to be my commander. He has won quite a few battles…but the real war begins now. Angaria has finally been united, but it is too little, too late. Ready your gear. We leave in a month. But before that, stay, and let us witness his victory speech together. It took some time, but we've managed to position an Eye above him…so let's see what he says."