"Archbishop..."
Archbishop Tomark raised a hand slightly. "Listen to me, Leia... and you too, Erebus."
The Saintess fell silent. Beside the wheelchair, a third person Annan had not noticed earlier let out a cold snort.
"At first, I thought that once I reached Free City, I would bring Annan Reeves under our control, no matter what kind of man he was..."
"The Holy Son must never be an outsider."
Archbishop Tomark spoke in short bursts, pressing each word out and pausing after every sentence.
The Saintess and the unseen Erebus said nothing. They already knew all this.
"After meeting Colette and Rainer, I changed my mind. If Annan Reeves was the good lord they said he was, we could bring him into the fold."
"Then I came to Free City and met Annan Reeves, and I changed my mind again..."
"The Lady entrusted the Church to my care. I cannot fail her. But if the Holy Son is unfit, I must stop him, even if it means defying her orders..."
Archbishop Tomark had said so much that he struggled to breathe. He began gasping for air.
"Stop him... from letting the Church fall apart..."
Unable to bear it, the Saintess placed a hand on the archbishop's shoulder. Pale golden Divine Arts smoothed the wrinkles on his face.
"Don't waste any more divine power..."
Archbishop Tomark motioned for her to stop. Once he had recovered a little, he continued. "Fortunately, the Holy Son is different..."
"He's a child full of passion, creativity, and dreams. He may not be a qualified Holy Son, but he'll make a capable leader."
"Archbishop..."
The way Archbishop Tomark spoke as though delivering his last words unsettled the Saintess.
"Don't worry. After I'm gone, he'll quickly grow into someone you can rely on..."
"As long as you