"Oh, Melina is—" Leon began but Alistair cut him off.

"Leon, we should be paying attention to our surroundings, not spreading rumors," Alistair said coldly, glaring at the mage. He noticeably paled, clamping his mouth shut.

"I suppose now is not the best time," Heiliger agreed solemnly, but Alistair sensed that she was hiding curiosity beneath the calm exterior. Once they were out of here, Alistair would have to be careful to keep the Bishop sufficiently occupied. "These fruits however are a good sign."

"A good sign?" Arianne questioned.

"Yeah. It means this is an area with rich soil and plenty of resources. This passageway will be a big gain for the Alemahria," Bishop Heiliger said. Alistair didn't quite like how it sounded. Shouldn't the resources here be used for the development of Sunglow instead of being sent away to System knows where? But he decided not to comment on it. At least not for now.

They continued inspecting the vicinity closest to the passageway, finding a wide variety of strange plants and fruits along the way. They encountered a few smaller monsters, but they quickly fled when they saw a large party of humans approaching. In the end, the mission had been oddly uneventful. Alistair was almost disappointed.

But those feyfruit—I bet Melina would love to get her hands on those. Perhaps, once the Church leaves I could come back here and get some for her. She'd probably be happy.

Despite the feeling that they had merely glimpsed into the Monster Realm, when Alistair and the others returned it was already late evening.

"It's already this late?" Barrett exclaimed. "The sun was shining full force in the Monster Realm."

"Day and night cycles don't work the same way as in the Human Realm," the Bishop explained. "Instead they have an elongated period of day and an elongated period of night."

"How long exactly?" Leon asked.

"Depends on where exactly on Monster Realm one finds themselves. In some places, it lasts for about a day, while in other places, it can even stretch out to a whole week. It is impossible to tell which one we encountered today without a proper study."

"A night that lasts a whole week? Now that sounds lovely. Sleep for the whole week," Leon chuckled.

"I'd think again if I were you, Sir Mage," the Bishop said with a smile, stepping closer to the man. "Nighttime is when the predators come out to hunt in the Monster Realm. I believe we were quite lucky to stumble inside during the daytime."

Her sinister smile made the mage pale, and they continued their way back to Sunglow in uncomfortable silence. At least, he and the adventurers felt uncomfortable. Bishop along with her priests were more than content to remain silent.

Once they were back in Sunglow, the adventurers were quick to disperse, returning either home or back to their patrol duties. Alistair was about to leave too, hoping to talk to Melina before she went to sleep, but the Bishop called out to him. "Lord Sinclair, a moment if you would."

"Is there anything I can help you with?" He asked politely and noted how the priests remained close to Heiliger, standing around her like some ghostly guards with their long white robes.

"No, I believe there is something I can help you with," she said. "It's about the matter you wrote about in your letter."

He was not as happy to hear about it as he should have been. Alistair felt a bit confused—after all the visions had been plaguing him for more than a month. Only after eating Melina's shimmertart, he managed to get a somewhat decent night's sleep that wasn't plagued with incoherent nightmares.

Yet the thought that it would be this woman who inspected the skill, didn't make him happy in the slightest. He was content waiting for the reply of Master Gilbert's friend if it meant he wouldn't have to interact with Heiliger anymore.

But I can't really back out of it now. Not to mention, that if Heiliger is focusing on me, that means she isn't chasing rumors about Melina.

"I'm happy to hear it. I was hoping to find the answers to my problem," he replied politely.

"I shall help you in any way I can. It is my duty as a Bishop to guide lost souls back to the light," she said calmly, but the way she worded it sounded almost derogatory. Alistair felt that the woman held no respect for him. "Meet me tomorrow at 7 am by the inn. Do not be late."

Before Alistair could object, she had already turned and left. Now he was convinced that she held no respect for him. Although as far as social standing went Bishops could be compared to nobility, Alistair was still a duke's son. She should be deferring to him with the proper etiquette of those of lower social status. Yet instead, she ordered him around as if he was her servant.

I really don't like that woman. Not to mention that if I have to meet her at seven, I won't be able to visit the bakery in the morning.

That fact actually irritated him more than her rude attitude. Melina had looked worried when he said that they would be going into Monster Realm. He wanted to see her and put her mind at ease—show her that he was fine. For a moment he considered heading over to the bakery, but darkness had already covered the town.

No, I won't bother her. She always goes to sleep early because she needs to wake up before dawn. I'll go talk to her tomorrow after I'm done with Heiliger.

Waking up in the early morning and going to see Bishop Heiliger was more unpleasant than Alistair had thought it would be. Seeing the albino woman smiling at him politely first thing in the morning gave him an ill sense of foreboding.

Oddly enough, she was not dressed in her Bishop's attire but instead wore a white, long-sleeved dress that fluttered lightly in the wind. Heiliger looked no different from other women in the town.

"Good morning, Lord Sinclair," she greeted him.

"Good morning, Bi—"

"Adress me as Amaris. I do not want to attract attention today," she interrupted him.

"Very well, Miss Amaris," he conceded. "Where would you like to talk?"

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"A private spot where wouldn't be overheard. Perhaps you know of such?" She asked pleasantly, in stark contrast to her sharp words yesterday. Alistair couldn't quite fathom what she was trying to accomplish with this. They could have just requested a private room either in the inn or in the Guild.

"We could go to the local park. There are plenty of secluded places there," he suggested.

"Very well. Lead the way," Heiliger said and took hold of Alistair's arm. What was it with women hooking themselves onto him without permission? He probably wouldn't have minded if Melina did it, but that was probably because she wouldn't even do such a thing in the first place.

I can forgive Leliana for her transgression. She is a commoner and probably doesn't know that it is rude. But Bishop Heiliger should know better—she comes from nobility herself.

Begrudgingly he led her to the park, taking rather long strides in hopes that the woman would let go of him. Unfortunately, she held on with an iron grip the whole way and he was forced to endure the typical niceties that the Church priests used for small talk—the wonders of the System and the like.

The park, located near the beach, was a wide space with neat pathways, dutifully trimmed grass and hedges with several benches and tables set up for people. It also served as an outside museum of sorts as there were many anchors displayed around the park, some small and some larger than Alistair. He imagined that on weekends it was a popular place for people to rest but hadn't yet had the pleasure of fully exploring the park.

"This is indeed a nice place. You chose well, Lord Sinclair," Heiliger praised, looking over the serene scenery with a satisfied smile.

"Why don't we sit down at one of the tables and discuss the matters there?" He suggested, hoping to get the matter over with as quickly as possible.

"Oh, but it's such nice weather outside. Wouldn't you like to enjoy a walk around the park with me?" She suggested coyly, and he felt a cold shiver run through his spine.

"I'm afraid I have a patrol soon, so I do not have much time."

"Pity. But I suppose it can't be helped. You must properly reflect on your past mistakes after all," she noted and strode towards one of the nearby tables.

Does she have to bring that up each time we talk? It's as if I were a child.

Alistair followed, sitting down across from her. He wanted to retort something to her little remark but decided to remain quiet. It was better to settle things quickly and quietly.

"So tell me—what is the problem relating to the System that ails you? I don't see anything wrong from glancing at your status screen, and your letter was rather vague."

So she already checked it without my permission.

He was growing increasingly more annoyed with the Bishop, wondering whether he even wanted to tell her about his problem. The woman didn't seem trustworthy in the slightest. He felt a bit relieved that in his letter to the Church, he hadn't admitted that he saw visions during the day.

Instead, he told them about the unusual skill and the nightmares he was having. Alistair hadn't wanted to sound like a lunatic, after all the Church didn't view him favorably at all. Currently, he was thankful that he had enough foresight to do that.

"I shall explain the things from the beginning then," he said and told Heiliger about the pain he experienced right before obtaining <General's Echo>. He told her of the nightmares that plagued him every night but which he couldn't remember in the morning. However, Alistair remained silent about the visions he saw during the day or that Melina was often a part of them.

In a way, it was odd that he trusted a complete stranger with the truth, yet not somebody from the Church. Perhaps, it was the anonymity that made it easier for him to admit his troubles which otherwise would make him sound insane. Or perhaps he couldn't force himself to trust someone like Heiliger.

"Interesting. I've never encountered a skill that has done such a thing before. Does it have ranks? Is it passive or active? What about its effect description?" She asked fervently and then muttered more quietly to herself. "To think that the mighty System would still bless us with new skills."

Alistair was a bit taken aback by her sudden enthusiasm but decided to answer her questions regardless. "It's a passive skill without an effect description, but oddly enough it does have ranks. Currently, it's at Rank E."

"So it has ranked up? When did it happen?"

"It was approximately a week after I obtained it," he said, not wanting to expose the true circumstances.

"What were you doing when it happened?" The Bishop didn't relent.

"I was… fighting a monster at the time."

"What kind of a monster?"

"A hobgoblin."

"An evolved monster this close to a town?" Heiliger looked worried, her eyebrows furrowing. "This is concerning news."

"It wasn't the only one. Just recently we fought a whole horde of goblins among which there were five hobgoblins and three goblin shamans."

"Eight evolved monsters at once? Why hasn't this been reported to the Church?" She jumped up on her feet in outrage.

"It happened a few days before your arrival, so I imagine the message just hadn't reached the Church yet," Alistair replied, wondering about her strong reaction. Heiliger hadn't appeared bothered even when they entered the Monster Realm, yet a few evolved monsters nearly sent her into a frenzy.

She nodded thoughtfully, then sat back down. "This is really grave news. Monsters are becoming more active and more entwined with the Human Realm."

She pondered something for a long while, seemingly oblivious to the world around her, until Heiliger finally turned her attention back to Alistair. "Has anything else unusual happened to you? Even if it's unrelated to this skill."

He could think of many unusual things that had happened to him since he arrived in Sunglow. It was like the place attracted everything magical, monstrous, and unusual. But if he told the Bishop about the things that had happened to him, then he'd have to tell her about Melina. "Not that I can think of."

Heiliger studied him for a moment, then nodded. "I see. Unfortunately, I won't be able to help with this matter right away. This is a new skill or perhaps a long-forgotten one. I'll need to return to the main monastery and thoroughly search the archives before I can explain what exactly is happening to you."

"Is there a way to stop the skill? Or remove it?" Alistair asked.

"System, no!" She exclaimed in outrage. "Why would you even consider removing something gifted to you by the System itself? It is heresy! I understand that you are still young so I shall forgive you for this transgression, but do not ever even dare to mention something like that again!"

Alistair was shocked by this sudden outburst. He had hoped that Heiliger might shed some more light on architects, but clearly, she wouldn't bring up the topic. Asking her about them outright was too dangerous—she could start demanding the source of that information.

"I apologize I didn't know. I was merely hoping to alleviate my nightmares," he said politely.

"They are not just nightmares. I am sure the System is trying to tell you something—you just have to be willing to listen," she said passionately. "I am sure that if you believe in the System, it will reward you for your efforts. You must not squander this chance."

Alistair felt that he wanted to get rid of the skill even more than before. But he couldn't say that to this zealous woman, so instead he put on a polite smile. "I understand. I shall believe in the System."

"Very well. I will search the archives for the answers. But even so, I am convinced that the System will show everything once the time is right," she hummed with a delighted smile and looked up at the sky.

Alistair looked up as well wondering whether the letter from Gilbert's friend would arrive soon. It seemed like the matter with the skill couldn't be postponed for too long.

"I believe this concludes our discussion about your unusual skill. But I do have a few more questions for you."

"What questions?"

"There are a few interesting rumors I heard yesterday while eating my lunch in the cafeteria," she said with a calculating sort of smile. Alistair's heartbeat increased—he had a good feeling he knew what rumors Heiliger was referring to.

"Rumors? I'm afraid I do not make a habit of spreading rumors or listening to them for that matter," Alistair said coldly.

"Oh, but I am sure you have heard of this one. Apparently, there's a girl in Sunglow that has a monster for a pet and can make pastries that heal all wounds."

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