“So you ended up staying, Father Basel…” I[1] muttered.

“You decided to stay as well, Miss Oscar,” Father Basel said.

“The Continental Union is afraid, but they’re staying. In addition, no leader in the world should run away for the sake of their own survival. I’ll go down with the Democratic Country; I’ll die with my people. That is my final role as an incompetent leader,” I said.

Father Basel nodded in response. His temper had always been compared to fire, even in the Vatican, so the fact that I couldn’t see any traces of his temper meant that he was truly worried.

He looked like he had aged a few years in advance, and his haggard look seemed to represent his feelings.

I was sure that it simply wasn’t because of the demons. Father Basel had never gotten any proper sleep since the incident started. When the news about Father Lee Ki-Young’s abduction made rounds, Father Basel locked himself up in the prayer room.

The goddess statue shed tears of blood once more, which led Father Basel to become even more ravenous in his prayers. He was so desperate that he had no idea that he was breaking down.

“We have...