Nimrod was probably dead.
Seeing no sign of movement in the distance, Ryan sighed. He was just about to solemnly make a promise to Aurore and Lumian to preserve the most basic trust within the team when a figure wearing clothes covered in pockets emerged from behind the trees.
"I'm a little late. I had to use a few tricks to get away."
Nimrod addressed them with a smile, then his tone turned somewhat puzzled.
"...Why are you all looking at me like that?"
I can't exactly say we all thought you were dead, can I? Ryan coughed awkwardly. "Sorry, we thought you hadn't managed to get away in time..."
"Madam Pualis really did almost catch me." Nimrod slowly sighed.
"Fortunately, I was one step ahead-but we need to hurry now. Pualis found the traces we left behind. We hurt her 'children,' and she's tracking us. From the looks of it, she won't let this go."
As though to confirm Nimrod's words, several strange sounds came from beyond the distant woods, near the castle.
During the interval when Nimrod had used Sefirah Castle to leave the dream and send his spirit body back down, he had seen Madam Pualis quite naturally follow the dream's logic and begin searching for the uninvited guests who had broken into her home to gather clues. It probably wouldn't take her long to find their location.
"Are we going beneath the church next?" Ryan frowned, his earlier composure gone. "...But if Madam Pualis and the Father of the Parish join forces, we'll probably be in danger immediately."
Ryan's conjecture and concerns were not unfounded. After all, Lumian had previously taken them to witness what the Father of the Parish and Madam Pualis had been doing in the sacred church.
And cooperation of the flesh could