“See you tomorrow.”
Seo-yoon waved at me as she and Liam soared into the sky, disappearing beyond the horizon.
It was time to clock out.
From now on, our family and other guests would stay in this building, the “Sun Cathedral.”
To be precise, we decided to reside here only until the house the government is building for us is completed.
There were many reasons, but mostly because the facilities here were excellent, and it was also to protect Seo-yoon’s privacy.
Additionally, there was the problem of having too many mouths to feed.
Our family alone had five members, plus Young Dragon and Zhang Yao.
And just now, we added one more.
“Your Holiness, it’s fine to be close to your younger sibling, but you must maintain a proper boundary. No matter how close you are, it’s unacceptable to act casually when performing your duties as the Pope. From now on, please ensure that they treat you with respect in the workplace. It’s not a hard thing to do, so I believe you’ll accept this.”
…It’s been less than thirty minutes since we last reunited, and I’m already feeling dizzy.
How did I endure this before? Maybe it’s just that so much nagging after a long time is hard to adapt to.
I barely made my way out of the flood of continuous scolding and spoke up.
“Archbishop, I understand, so please stop now.”
“Oh, it’s been a while since I’ve heard that. In the past, whenever I offered my counsel, you would say that and avoid talking with me. When did you promise to abandon such childish and immature speech? Why are you doing it again?”
The words I tried to use to escape only led to a longer sermon.
Unfortunately, the Archbishop knew me too well.
He was my closest companion, having been with me longer than my hero party members, including Liam.
Because of this, he understood how to make me listen and how I would behave.
“And even if your words have been filtered through language correction, please refrain from using rough and unpleasant expressions. Did you think I wouldn’t notice? You just subtly said ‘shut up,’ didn’t you?”
“……”
How did he catch that?
If I denied it, he’d somehow see through it again, so I had no choice but to admit my mistake.
I then pressed my hands together in front of me. It was a humble pose to avoid reprimands in minor matters.
“Haha! I’ve never seen a human pin down the Pope like this!”
Amidst all this, Hekatrith, who was observing, revealed his sharp teeth and snickered.
Such a troublesome dragon…
Feeling irritated, I wanted to suppress my anger, but the Archbishop suddenly spoke to Young Dragon.
“You’re Hekatrith, correct?”
“Y-Yes, that’s right?”
The chuckling Guardian Dragon flinched, at that moment, Kelaout raised his finger and began his serious lecture.
“As a Guardian Dragon of the Order, at least show some refined behavior. If the residents see your frivolous and cheeky demeanor, they might take our Order lightly.”
“Ahhh…”
The focus faded from Hekatrith’s eyes. This kind of reaction is typical when experiencing intense scolding for the first time.
With one fell swoop, the Archbishop had rendered a dragon powerless before him, and then he easily smiled.
“Your Holiness, then let’s go. I have much to discuss.”
“……”
Should I knock him out and run away?
Unknowingly, I clenched my fist, then relaxed. Even so, I couldn’t exercise violence as the Pope.
I had to endure. It was time to demonstrate my superhuman calmness and patience.
“Please follow me.”
Finally calming down, I led the Archbishop to the Branch Director’s Room on the top floor. This place was now intended to be the Pope’s Chamber.
“Please sit.”
I seated the nagging one at the reception table and checked the fridge.
What could I give him to make him talk less? After careful consideration, I settled on simple orange juice.
I even prepared a paper cup and poured him some juice, accompanied by peanut biscuits.
“Here you go.”
“Thank you.”
Kelaout took a light sip of the juice and examined the inside of the paper cup closely.
Is he going to suggest that I shouldn’t drink this for my health? I tensed my body, but thankfully, that wasn’t the case.
“Your Holiness, I want to ask how you’ve been, but first, let’s take some time to point out the disappointing aspects of your actions today.”
“…….”
Just hearing that is already tedious. It’s just like the nightly sessions I had back when I was actively serving as Pope in the other world.
‘Don’t you feel happy to see me?’
How can I jump dimensions and immediately start working without a break?
Moreover, I’m astounded that there are already multiple points I need to correct in just this time.
I charged my spirit with juice and biscuits to brace myself for the coming tedium and weariness. Then, with a serious attitude, I opened my mouth.
“I’m ready.”
“Let’s start right away.”
The Archbishop pointed his right index finger at me. Written above it were words from that other world’s language.
[Insufficient protection of your sibling]
“First of all, you shouldn’t have just let your younger sibling go like that. Do you know why?”
“…I don’t know.”
“The family, relatives, and friends of the Pope are always exposed to the threats of hostile forces. If they fail to deal with you, they might attack them instead. Especially since that person is precious to you, they make an even more fitting target for their wrath, don’t you agree?”
I couldn’t argue against that.
It had always been this way. In the past, I prepared to counterattack, but the result was always that I was in the wrong.
Once again, I had no choice but to nod my head in weariness.
“I was wrong.”
“Then how will you handle this from now on?”
This question was meant to assess my coping abilities. I needed to calmly devise a countermeasure, and fortunately, I had a definite solution this time.
“You saw the scene earlier when I comforted the sword children, right?”
“I did. You’re still quite impressive.”
“I’ll assign one of them to guard Seo-yoon.”
Continuing, I took out the youngest sword among them, ‘Handsome Man’, and placed it on the table.
“I heard that these children are mentally connected. That means it could also be used for quick communication when Seo-yoon is far away. What do you think?”
Kelaout scrutinized Handsome Man with keen eyes before applauding.
“Very good. Just a pity that coincidentally, you have only just found a solution today.”
“……”
I’m frustrated, but I had to remain silent since it was true.
Then the Archbishop took a biscuit and bit into it, continuing to speak.
“Next, there are problems within this building.”
“What is it?”
“There are people with malicious intent down below. What are they?”
“I previously dealt with the remnants of the cult. I ensured their reformation with ‘Judgment’s Holy Fire.'”
“…Your Holiness.”
A short remark, heavy with significance.
To rephrase, it meant ‘You are misinformed’, and to be blunt, it was ‘Stop spouting nonsense.’
I immediately looked away from the Archbishop’s gaze before meeting it again and defended myself.
“Well, after all, evil must be subdued by fire! Remember what our Order’s greeting says.”
“To the weak, light shines bright.
To the wicked, let the flames burn bright.”
That phrase captures our members’ greeting.
It’s a doctrine that states that we should protect the good and judge the wicked without mercy.
“They have paid the price for their sins.”
“That was a sound judgment, I’ll concede.”
Did I manage to slip past this time?
That hopeful thought shattered just as quickly.
“So how have you dealt with them since the initial judgment?”
“That… I’ve left them untouched since then.”
Originally, I planned to ask Hainha to send them all to prison after I took care of everything.
But because Liam was in a heated state, I forgot for a moment and that continued until now.
It was clearly my fault.
“Your Holiness. Malicious people, by their nature, are wicked and vile beings. They do not forget past humiliations and sufferings; they prepare for revenge. You should have taken additional measures.”
“…I’ll send them to prison tomorrow at once.”
“That’s a proper course of action, but surely there’s a more beneficial method as well. Please think once more.”
Crisp.
As Kelaout bit into a biscuit, he began to observe me quietly.
I struggled not to look away while ruminating. After some intense contemplation, a brilliant idea finally surfaced in my mind.
“Castration?”
“……”
The Archbishop covered his face with one hand, rubbed it, then spoke.
“One must cultivate faith through preaching and reading prayers to eliminate malicious thoughts. Then, if they pay the price for their sins afterward, they can become new beings.”
That was yet another argument I couldn’t refute. It could even be described as a statement that plunged me back into silence.
“Do you understand what I’m saying?”
“I completely understand.”
“Good. That will be all for today. Since it’s the first day, after all.”
…So are you saying you would have done more if it weren’t the first day?
“I’m relieved.”
I sighed with both relief and incredulity while munching on a biscuit.
As I chewed, trying to soothe my exhausted body with the delicious flavor, the Archbishop finally shed the tense atmosphere and spoke.
“So, have you been well?”
Completely different from his earlier demeanor, now his voice was gentle and soft.
This wasn’t as the Archbishop, the Pope’s assistant, but rather as Kelaout, who had been a support for me for so long.
Not even a day after crossing into this world, the diligent worker was finally trying to share the joy of reunion.
“You still separate your public and private lives too rigorously.”
Although I grumbled unnecessarily, a smile crept onto my face.
It’s only been three months since I last saw him, but now that he’s here, it feels so joyful.
It’s not to the point of tears, but reunions with precious people are always heartwarming.
“Your Holiness, it’s an honor to serve you again.”
“I’m also glad to be back together…”
I faltered for a moment but quickly resumed. It wasn’t a lie.
Being with Kelaout does tire me out, but things go smoothly, which is nice.
He knew me well enough that he could understand my feelings with just minor changes in my expressions, and he supported me better than anyone else.
So, he would definitely be of great help in running the Order going forward.
“I thought we’d never meet again, but life is unpredictable, isn’t it?”
“Indeed.”
“Let’s get along well from now on.”
Since it was a request that didn’t require formal mention, I instead replied with a deeper smile.
“But you know…”
At that moment, the old man’s voice unexpectedly became tinged with unease.
“…What’s wrong?”
“This drink and the biscuits are delicious, but they do not seem healthy. You should avoid consuming such things. The health of the Pope is akin to the life force of the entire Order, as you know well. If possible, eat vegetable juices and snacks that are less harmful to your body. Although you may look young, you should start managing your health thoroughly.”
“……”
“I hope you understand what I’m saying?”
I understood perfectly, and it made my head spin.
“I’m so tired…”
My pleasant life as Pope seemed to have ended today.
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