The first four days of their stay in Bridgespell went by in a flash. Scarlett and her party spent much of the time scouring the surrounding countryside for the dungeons she knew were scattered throughout the region. Bridgespell was a place you revisited multiple times in the game, and it boasted a fair number of points of interest nearby. She could offhandedly think of at least a dozen she had cleared in the game, but unfortunately, most proved harder to find than she had hoped.

For now, they had managed to locate four dungeons. Clearing those had been relatively effortless, at least, so she had amassed a decent amount of loot and skill points.

[Points: 15]

[Skills Menu:

Upgrades

[Superior Pyromancy] (25 points)

[Argent Pyrokinesis] (100 points) (LOCKED)

[Superior Hydromancy] (25 points)

[Major Hydrokinesis] (50 points)

[Superior Mana Control] (25 points)

New skills

[LOCKED]]

It marked the first time in several weeks that Scarlett had earned any new skill points, and it felt good to make progress on that front again. Although she couldn’t afford to upgrade any of her skills yet—the cheapest options being superior hydromancy, pyromancy, and mana control, each requiring 25 points—she expected to gather at least ten more points while in Bridgespell. That would provide her with enough to upgrade one of those skills if she wanted to.

She was considering going for [Superior Mana Control], a skill that would undoubtedly prove valuable in her training with Arlene. However, the temptation to upgrade her hydrokinesis to [Major Hydrokinesis] was also there, even though it cost 50 points.

Deciding her priorities regarding that would have to wait until later, though. She might opt to first refine her proficiency with hydrokinesis as a technique before upgrading it further. At present, however, she had other things to deal with.

Currently nestled in the carriage alongside the rest of her party, they were making their way through the bustling streets of Bridgespell towards the Emberwood Ward, home to Followers of Ittar’s temple. This morning, they received a message from the high priest concerning the Sunfire Shrine matter she had gone to them about.

Rosa, seated to her left, engaged in light-hearted conversation with the others, as was her custom. There were no traces of the vulnerable woman Scarlett had seen a mere four days prior, nor any hints of the troubles that were no doubt occupying her mind. Scarlett was still waiting, anticipating the moment when Rosa would broach the subject of leaving for Crowcairn, but it had yet to arrive.

Though it did make her ever-so-slightly concerned that the bard might ultimately ignore the matter entirely, Scarlett chose to maintain her trust for the time being.

After all, it would be difficult to get anywhere if Rosa herself wasn’t determined.

It took them roughly half an hour to traverse through the busy city, navigating from their inn to the temple. Eventually, they arrived at the same square they had visited previously, facing the grand temple constructed from pale stone and marble, standing as a testament to the Followers’ devotion.

An acolyte, draped in red robes and donning a blank white mask, greeted them with hands pressed together in a graceful bow as they ascended the stairs to the temple’s entrance. “The high priest has been expecting you,” a man’s voice emanated from behind the mask. “If you would be so kind as to follow me.”

With those words, the person pivoted and led Scarlett and her party past a congregation of believers and clergy members gathered around the central statue of Ittar within the temple’s main chamber. They meandered through the corridors of the temple, finally reaching the door leading to the high priest’s office.

The acolyte turned to Scarlett. “The high priest is waiting for you inside, Baroness.”

Scarlett acknowledged the man with a nod as he opened the door for her, allowing her and Rosa to enter.

Inside, the high priest occupied his seat behind the desk positioned at the far end of the room, clad in the same elaborate vestments as last time, with his priest’s mask resting on a nearby shelf. As Scarlett and Rosa arrived, he raised his gaze from a pile of papers.

“Baroness, may Ittar’s light grace you. Welcome back,” the man greeted them, gesturing towards a pair of chairs arranged opposite him. “Your patience in this matter has been greatly appreciated, as has your initiative and devotion in bringing this to our attention. I hope you have had a pleasant stay here in Bridgespell these past few days.”

“I have,” Scarlett replied as she and Rosa took their seats. “There has been no shortage of activities to occupy my time, most of which have proven quite fruitful.”

“I understand that you are a woman of many commitments, Baroness.” The high priest folded his hands together on the desk. “In these worrying times, there is much that needs to be done, but not enough time for it all, even for those who follow in Ittar’s guiding light. We can only work together whenever possible, supporting each other as fellow children of man.”

“Not sure everyone got the word on that one,” Rosa said.

The high priest turned his attention to her, a subtle smile gracing his lips. “Miss Hale, was it? No, regrettably, you are correct.” He gently shook his head. “There are far too many within this empire who do not care for their fellows unless it directly benefits them. Unsavory as it may be, it is an immorality inherent to our very nature as a society. Ittar’s teachings offer guidance on combating such moral shortcomings, but not all are receptive to these lessons. While I hold great respect for the principles upheld by other faiths, such as the Pantheon’s order or the Harmonious Way, I fear that the prevailing forces conspiring in these lands now align with more malevolent groups. Ultimately, it is the common man who bears the consequences of their actions.”

The man looked back at Scarlett. “But our purpose here is not to dwell on these topics. I was the one to call you here today, Baroness, and I shall not waste any of your time. Let us proceed directly to the matter at hand.”

She gestured for him to continue. She was hoping this was good news.

“As I mentioned during our previous meeting, Baroness, the reclamation and restitution of relics and sacred artifacts fall under the purview of the Ecclesiastical Congregation of Sacraments. I have no say to oppose their authority in that, even concerning matters within my own diocese. That is why I could not immediately give a response to your request to inspect the Sunfire Shrine last time, even if I had desired to do so.”

“Of course,” Scarlett said. “That is more than understandable. I am aware that the Followers of Ittar bear numerous responsibilities within the empire, and a clear delineation of jurisdictions is necessary to maintain order within your ranks.”

The high priest smiled. “I am glad you see it that way.” He cleared his throat. “Anyhow, taking into account your request and the information you provided, I communicated what you told me to the Congregation and leveraged my position as a high priest to petition the Quorum to make a swift decision on the matter. Normally, such a request would never even be considered, but in light of your feat during the Providing Ceremony and what I have later been told about your extensive experiences and achievements in discovering other artifacts and notable historical locations, the Quorum agreed to discuss it after certain deacons expressed interest.”

Scarlett raised an eyebrow. She knew the Followers had been keeping an eye on her, but the extent of their surveillance remained unclear. At the very least, they seemed to be aware of her recent explorations of various ruins and the like. She couldn’t help but wonder which members of the Quorum had advocated on her behalf, although she had a strong suspicion about one of them.

“They reached a decision yesterday,” the high priest continued. “In it, it was agreed that you would be permitted access to the shrine to carry out your investigation, under the premise that no unwarranted harm is inflicted upon the shrine itself or its surroundings. Additionally, any relics or artifacts discovered must be surrendered to the Ecclesiastical Congregation of Sacraments.”

“I would expect nothing less. My primary interest lies in unraveling the history of that shrine and uncovering Deacon Emberwood’s motivations behind its construction. As such, I have no objection to this.”

She did need at least one item from there to complete Arlene’s request, but it wasn’t something the Followers themselves would have any use for at first glance. She believed she could persuade them to part with it if she offered enough in return.

“I believe I might have mentioned this previously, but your devotion and passion are truly commendable, Baroness,” the high priest said. “However, there was one more condition before you could be allowed entry into the shrine.”

“And what might that be?”

“The Ecclesiastical Congregation of Sacraments insisted that members of our clergy accompany you on this undertaking.”

Scarlett nodded at that. She hadn’t expected anything less.

Although the Followers of Ittar was a religious institution, they themselves never based their decisions on faith alone, especially not when the Quorum was involved. She had anticipated them sending their own representatives with her from the start. If they hadn’t, she could have claimed a much larger share of the loot within the shrine.

“Of course, we understand that having inexperienced individuals accompany you might hinder your efforts, just as bringing too many people could be counterproductive. Therefore, the Congregation promised to send only one of their members, who they believe will be more than enough to provide you the support needed.”

Only one person?

Scarlett supposed that was actually better for her than having a bunch of priests watching her every move. While the high priest used the word ‘support’, their main purpose would undoubtedly be to supervise her.

“He traveled here to Bridgespell with great haste after the decision was made and arrived this very morning. I sent for him as soon as I heard of your arrival, so he should be here any moment now.”

Scarlett was curious about who this person was. The Followers of Ittar had a few notable names within their ranks who could go head-to-head with even some of the Cabal’s members. This person probably wouldn’t be anyone she was familiar with, though. While she had heard of the Ecclesiastical Congregation of Sacraments in the game, she wasn’t sure who their members were.

“I believe his name was Ray Abraham,” the high priest added.

She paused, staring at him for a moment. “Did you say Ray—?”

“Did someone call my name?” a colorful voice rang out from behind as the door creaked open.

Scarlett turned her head to see a blond man, his long hair cascading over his shoulders and dressed in an immaculate set of white robes adorned with blue-red accents, entering the room. His teeth showed in a brilliant smile as he met her gaze. “If it isn’t Baroness Hartford, my dear old comrade! When I first learned of this little assignment, I wondered if I hadn’t misheard your name, for there to be such a stroke of fate. I’m pleased to see I wasn’t mistaken. A delight, as always, to see you.”

Scarlett kept her eyes trained on the man.

Raimond Abram was exactly as she remembered him.

“No flowery compliments for me, then?” Rosa asked beside her, having turned around in her chair to rest an arm against the chair’s back. “I’m hurt.”

The man’s smile only widened as he shifted his attention to the bard. “Why, there most certainly is, Miss Hale. Long have the days been since I last saw you, and though it was but a brief meeting, I can still vividly recall our delightful conversation as if it happened yesterday. I am surely blessed by Ittar to have the opportunity to meet both of you fair women again today.”

“You are already familiar with each other?” The high priest sounded slightly surprised from his seat behind his desk.

Scarlett’s gaze lingered on Raimond for a moment longer before returning to the high priest. “We are, yes. We share a close acquaintance and have crossed paths on a few occasions in the past. I was not, however, aware that Father Abraham was a member of the Ecclesiastical Congregation of Sacraments.”

While Raimond often traveled around in his guise as ‘Ray Abraham’, the man was still a deacon and a member of one of the Followers’ highest decision-making bodies. Assigning him to a relatively minor task like this seemed strange. If anything, he was overqualified.

“You wound me, Baroness,” Raimond said, coming to a halt next to a bookshelf in line with the high priest’s desk. “Are we still but mere acquaintances? By now, I would hope that we have developed a certain rapport between us, no? Perhaps even a budding friendship, if you will?”

“Ah, I’m afraid she doesn’t do friendships,” Rosa cut in. “At best, she tolerates your presence around her now and then while offering the occasional scowl. I like to think it’s her way of showing affection.”

Raimond chuckled. “Well, I suppose I could live with that as well. There is a certain allure behind having a woman such as the Baroness glowering at you.”

Scarlett looked between the two of them. “…Good to see that you both are getting along.”

The high priest cleared his throat. “Ahem, this might make matters even easier. Reverend Abraham here has been granted the authority by the Congregation to investigate the Sunfire Shrine alongside you, Baroness. Reverend Stanway, the Shrine Custodian, will assist you with any requests you might have when you arrive. You may depart at your own convenience.”

“I appreciate your assistance and cooperation in this matter, Your Excellency, and for providing me with this opportunity,” Scarlett said.

The man simply smiled. “During my time in this seat, this is the first chance we have had to discover more about the history related to the original deacons from the time of the Renascence and founding of the empire. It also presents the possibility of recovering priceless relics. I am quite excited at the prospect myself, and with Reverend Abraham's help, I am confident everything will proceed smoothly. I wish you all the best. May Ittar’s light illuminate your path.”

“May it indeed,” Raimond agreed with a nod.

Scarlett glanced at the man. She wondered how this partnership would unfold.