At the top of the Church of Knowledge's cathedral in central Molora.
The square below, packed with exiles and enforcers, presented a bizarre scene. More than thirty thousand rioters had fallen asleep against walls, beside tree roots, or even huddled together, lending an uncanny harmony to the blood-reeking, smoke-shrouded battlefield. William and Tia stared out the window, dumbfounded.
They could guess that Archbishop Hella Berg was responsible for all this, but they had no idea what power he had used, or why he had not stopped the unrest when it first began.
As though sensing their questions, Hella Berg turned toward them with a smile and spoke in his seemingly unchanging, gentle tone:
"This can only restrain them temporarily, along with the Sealed Artifact underground. The city's ultimate fate will depend on the outcome of the battle in the Underground Mausoleum."
I feel like you alone could deal with everyone in the entire City of Exile... William was considering this and had just been about to speak when the Archbishop before him asked another question:
"I'm curious. If your captain encountered danger underground, and your help might give her a slightly better chance of survival, would you risk your lives to save her?"
What does that mean? Some kind of test? Whether we'd actually be willing to do it or not, there's only one answer we can give... Tia's thoughts raced. She was about to nod when William, his expression solemn, answered first:
"That would depend on the chances of success after I joined the fight. If I could provide substantial help, risking my life would be worthwhile. If even dying alongside her would do little to change the outcome, I would be more rational and choose to give up, preserving my strength to avenge her."
*That idiot is far