At the same time, atop the mountain directly across from Stephen and the white-robed woman, two elderly figures stood with their hands behind their backs, gazing down at the ruins below with complex expressions.
"I must admit, I never expected the Church to get involved in this matter. Daniel, that's not like you," said one of them—a noble-looking elder who turned to his companion with a faint, half-smiling expression.
The man addressed—Daniel, the current Archbishop—shot him an annoyed glance. "Heh, and what of it? The conflict between Lioncrest and Sirius has even roused a former king like you out of hiding. Compared to that, the Church's involvement is practically negligible."
Emperor Denken chuckled softly.
"Negligible? Ha, what a word. Still, you're not wrong. The public pressure will always land squarely on the shoulders of the kingdom, never on the Church, isn't that so?"
