Ishiki heard the poem and was silent for a long while. He stared at the fragment, imagining the person who would have written it. There was no way it was written by the High Priest.
'Or wait.' Ishiki's eyes widened frantically as he remembered a piece of information.
'The High priest... The Goddamn High Priest of this cathedral was running pathetically in the Illusion.'
The realization sent chills down his body.
The High Priest of this Cathedral in the Inner Ring was a normal human! He was not a Player!
'How... how could that be? Maybe there really were two of them.' Ishiki's pulse quickened without him noticing. But he managed to calm down.
"Set it aside," he instructed, voice rougher than intended. "We're taking that."
They continued their search, moving through the room with systematic efficiency now that they'd established what to look for. Nina pulled books while Ishiki sorted documents, creating a growing pile of potentially useful materials on the table.
