The Rise of a Celestial [Arifureta Fanfic]

Chapter 04: Arrival at Tortus

In a rather large room, built of white stones that resembled marble, with tall massive columns with carved sculptures rising to the huge curved ceiling, were many priests dressed in a kind of white robes with golden ornaments, standing in the center of the room.

They were conjuring something in an unknown language, their hands folded across their chests. The whole room, together with the priests, gave the aura of a Cathedral.

Seconds later, the dimly illuminated pentagram glowed with a mowing light before numerous archaic symbols ran in the magic circle.

The luminous pentagram dimmed again, and from it, some thirty people were spat out. Some lost their balance and fell on their butts.

Every one of them except for one person who was at the bottom, wore blue pants or dresses, black shoes, white shirts with a tie hanging from their collars, and a jacket of the same color as their lower garments.

They looked at the surroundings with dazed looks and expressions before their gazes fell on the people who had previously been in this place; the priests.

Soon, they moved their eyes to a wrinkled old man who had a look of cunning, a pointed monk's hat with golden rims decorated his head.

He walked slowly towards them as he rested his staff on the ground making it clatter with each step he took, finally he opened his mouth and spoke:

"Welcome to Tortus, heroes from another world. It is our pleasure to welcome you. I am the Pope of the Holy Church, Ishtar Langbard. It is an honor to meet you all," the pope said with a soft smile on his face as he swept his gaze over them. His eyes instantly narrowed as he saw one person who stood out like a sore thumb in the crowd.

"Pardon my rudeness, but are you different groups?" the pope who called himself Ishtar asked hesitantly.

Only at that moment, the students looked back and were petrified, whether male or female, they all had shocked expressions as they looked at the man's appearance.

This person naturally was Nader who had previously entered their group to obtain information. The instant he had stepped into this room he had clicked his tongue in annoyance as he had thought, 'Another pope, they exist even in other verses...'.

"Old man, you need not be alarmed, I have been caught by summoning magic while casually strolling through my backyard," Nadir lied as he looked at the group of summoned before averting his gaze.

His gaze landed on a mural about ten meters at the back of the room, the figure depicted on the mural looked like both a man and a woman. The figure was wrapped in a halo with a soft smile adorning her face, her curly blonde hair cascading downwards. Her arms were wide open as if she wanted to embrace and catch everything in existence.

Instead of thinking it was a masterpiece, he felt a mild disgust towards this figure as he felt he was not as good as the figure made him out to be.

Before the Pope could respond, Nader's almost emotionless voice echoed in the room as he pointed his finger, "Whose figure is this?".

"A-ah, yes," the Pope stammered a little before smiling proudly and declaring, "This is the blessed Ehit and the one true God of the Holy Church. He is the great ruler who created this world and the God who invoked them!".

"...I see," nodded Nader.

'A God?' he thought as he furrowed his brows, 'This is the otherworldly being who had descended in this place?'

Ishtar smiled and led the group of still shocked summoned into another room, as she explained that it would be a quieter place to talk. Nader followed them casually with his hands in his pockets.