Chapter 178: First Act 47: The Sun 4

"Uh... Elena" I stammered nervously.

"Yes?" she responded, turning her attention toward me.

"Behind you..." I muttered, slowly pointing my hands behind her.

As she looked back, her eyes widened in surprise at the sight of the bishop.

He stared at us like a broken old machine, his face filled with utter disbelief.

"Elena..." the bishop slowly uttered.

"Your excellency..." Elena replied, her hands wrapped around my body, tightening with nervousness. It seemed her excitement had momentarily overridden her awareness of her supposed father's presence.

"..."

Why were these two not saying anything to each other? The silence hung in the air uncomfortably, urging me to break it.

"Kuh hmm...!" I cleared my throat.

As they stared with each other again, the bishop was the one who tried to break the tension first.

"I'm glad you're safe, Elena."

"Thank you. I'm glad you're okay as well, your excellency," she replied, an awkward expression on her face.

"...."

"...."

The awkward silence persisted. It was evident that if left unattended, this situation wouldn't resolve itself.

I couldn't shake the feeling that these two had already engaged in some argument before our arrival, and now they were resuming their conversation with silent tension.

Despite my desire to mend their unexpected drama, time was not on our side.

"Elena, can you tell us the whole situation? Why are you here, and why is Louise unconscious?" I interjected, hoping to redirect the conversation.

My question seemed to jolt the bishop out of his stunned state, as he remembered his purpose in being here.

"Sorry...." Whispered to me.

Elena shot me a peculiar look with an awkward smile before nodding in agreement.

....

"So you're saying after fighting a gigantic red monster back at the dungeon, a black portal suddenly appeared below you and teleported you here?" The bishop asked Elena, his confusion evident. As far as he knew, the only things emerging from the black portal were monsters.

"Yes... But I have a feeling it was because of the masked person that suddenly attacked us..." Elena replied, her expression thoughtful and concerned.

"So, there was also another masked individual inside the dungeon," Adrian commented, connecting the dots.

"Were there also others out there?" Elena asked, her confusion growing, as she had been inside the dungeon when the whole bombing incident happened.

"Yes, one of which was the one who started bombing the city. It's safe to say that we're dealing with a whole organization here," Bishop Austin said with a concerned face. He wondered how he would report all this to the pope, his mind already speculating about the identity of the masked organization.

"Elena, take this..." said Bishop Austin, handing the baton to Elena.

"So, you really were here. Well, I'm glad you're fully intact, at least," Aria remarked, her tone dripping with sarcasm.

"You really can't be honest, can you? I'm sure you're really happy right now, seeing me, right?" Elena retorted with a hint of amusement. "Thank you for being concerned about me."

"I didn't come here for you!" Aria shot back, her frustration evident.

"Really now...?" Elena's hand moved to cover her mouth, her left hand prominently displaying the white ring adorning her ring finger – the engagement ring Adrian had given her, a symbol of his commitment. Seeing it, Aria's jealousy ignited, her gaze narrowing at Elena.

"T-this... Bitch...!" Aria muttered under her breath, her anger bubbling to the surface.

"Oh, my, those are quite the mean words, you know, Miss Aria," Elena responded in a tone that was both sad and sarcastic. The faint smirk tugging at the corners of her lips only served to further infuriate Aria.

Sparks seemed to fly between them as they exchanged words, though beneath the tension, there lingered a hint of camaraderie, born from years of shared experiences.

"Fufu, I didn't say those words with harmful thoughts in mind please do forgive me dear saintess..."

"Yes, I'm sure calling me 'bitch' was just a slip of tongue, despite it's clear meaning...... everybody makes mistakes so I'll forgive you, fufu"

As they laughed gently at each other, the atmosphere crackled with unresolved tension, the underlying emotions palpable to those around them.

Even the paladins was having trouble what to make of the situation.

"Haah...! These two... really can't be honest with each other, huh," Adrian thought, his eyes darting back and forth between Elena and Aria.

The complex dynamic between the two women both bemused and concerned him. It seemed there was never a chance that they wouldn't find something to argue about whenever they crossed paths.

Adrian sighed, recognizing the futility of trying to intervene in their ongoing banter. He decided to redirect their attention, hoping to steer the conversation away from potential conflict.

"You two, stop the bickering. With each other—" Adrian began, but his words trailed off as he caught sight of the wide-eyed Bishop. The color drained from the Bishop's face, leaving him looking ashen and shocked. His gaze was fixated on the ring adorning Elena's finger.

Adrian's attempt to guide the conversation came to an abrupt halt as he noticed the Bishop's reaction. The atmosphere in the room shifted, becoming charged with an unspoken tension. It was as if the weight of a revelation had settled upon the Bishop, and Adrian could feel the gravity of the situation.

"S-so, Bishop, we should get back to the square right now—" Adrian stammered, attempting to divert attention away from the conspicuous ring.

However, his words faltered as the Bishop's piercing gaze bore into him, seeking an explanation

And as the Bishop clenched his trembling fist.

Everything suddenly turned white for a short moment.

In the brief, disorienting span of whiteness, a distant explosion reverberated through the air. The shockwave that followed was so powerful that it shook the very foundation of the earth, sending everyone tumbling.

The force of the blast was palpable, and panic ensued among the group.

"Kyaah....!!"

Reacting swiftly, Adrian instinctively wrapped his arms around both Aria and Elena.

The paladins and the Bishop, with expertise honed through training, gracefully descended to the ground after the initial upheaval caused by the explosion.

"What was that?" one of the paladins asked, his voice filled with urgency and concern.

No one had an immediate answer. The scene before them was both bewildering and terrifying.

The once-imposing walls that served as both the protective barrier and the border of Estelle Academy were now cleanly severed. The cut was so precise and calculated that it seemed almost unbelievable.

The path of the long slash, was weirdly at the very heart of Estelle academy's commercial district.