“[Bam Bam Bam! Tower of Hell Commotion]” ended with a rather ambiguous conclusion.
The protagonist didn’t feel the joy of victory in a happy ending nor face an unfortunate demise in a bad ending.
“Actually, I am Pope Clitia Eluke.”
“……”
The final boss breaks the fourth wall and reveals their identity to the protagonist in the worst possible wrap-up.
If it were a movie that required a ticket, the ‘Rotten Tomato score’ would have rotted away until it completely disappeared.
As a director, my excuses failed when the supporting cast playing the villains displayed atrocious acting at the crucial moment, leaving me unable to spin any defense.
– Ah, I should have timed it better.
– But it was still fun!
– Heehee!
The problematic actors showed no signs of reflection and simply grinned. It seemed they were just thrilled to fly around after a long time.
If they weren’t kids, I would have scolded them severely and forced them to reflect.
The ‘Master Series’ sword children were too young and energetic for a scolding, so I decided to let it slide. It was the attitude of a patient adult.
“This was really unexpected…”
Meanwhile, the leading Dark Elf was still in shock from the shocking turn of events.
It was clear they were quite startled to learn that this ‘Tower of Hell’ was actually a space created under my direction.
Seeing that, my regret for ruining the well-proceeding content faded a bit. A slight sense of pride emerged.
‘Well, it wasn’t all that bad.’
Although the ending was unusual, if it’s considered an art film rather than commercial, even the worst ending could be acceptable. The meaning is all in the interpretation.
Thus, the suddenly commenced movie shoot broadcast ended safely.
The final viewer count hit about 71,000. As expected, it was the largest number so far.
Additionally, sponsorships poured in abundantly. Thanks to the intense and dynamic battles that were vividly showcased.
However, because it felt too much like a movie, some viewers mistakenly thought it all went according to a predetermined script from start to finish.
Not entirely incorrect, so I decided to address it later.
[★Pope: I will see you again next time. And I’ll find out who gathered the most points in the betting later.]
After finishing my farewell, I turned off the broadcast and instructed Young Dragon and Yao to restore the building to its original state.
The situation was quickly organized, and now all that was left was the aftermath.
“…I have to take you in.”
The Dark Elf, who had been dazed for some time, soon grasped a dagger with a determined expression.
But soon after, they collapsed to their knees, spitting blood. It was the backlash from excessively pulling out inner strength during the recent battle.
“Stay still.”
This is when a healer should step up.
I immediately approached the Dark Elf and infused sacred power into their abdomen. Slowly and carefully, so as not to cause any issues.
Since the internal injury results from energy management, there was no need to use any sacred spells. Most injuries could be resolved with just sacred power.
“…Ugh.”
During the healing process, the Dark Elf tried to get up.
Moving recklessly at this moment was dangerous, so I first laid them back down and used the blade children to secure their wrists and ankles.
“I told you to stay still. It’s not a severe injury, but you must absolutely rest now.”
“……”
The eyes of the healing Dark Elf were darting around. It was the unique gaze of someone caught in internal conflict.
I smiled gently, as if I understood what they were thinking.
“I have an idea of your circumstances. So, I will forgive your intent to take me to that—whatever the name is—Great Demon, since your sister’s life was at stake.”
“My sister….”
At the mention of their sister, the Dark Elf tried to rise again. Luckily, this time they were properly prevented from moving.
– Telekinesis!
The youngest among the swords, the Handsome Man, pinned down the struggling patient’s body with some unknown force. It was quite powerful, keeping the Dark Elf from moving at all.
By the way, they could use psychic powers? That was the first I had heard of it.
“Handsome Man, is that something only you can use?”
– Yep! Each one has their own unique powers!
They were already threatening with just swordplay, and now they had special psychic abilities too.
It suited the phrase “super talented.” I probably needed to take some time later to figure out what unique techniques each one handled.
After checking off a task, I decided to remove the frustrating mask from the Dark Elf. At that moment, their alluring yet lascivious features were revealed.
Their face was twisted in pain, which somehow amplified their beauty.
Suddenly, the Dark Elf spoke urgently to me.
“Pope. If I can’t take you, my sister’s life is forfeit. So, I must….”
“First, calm your mind and listen to me.”
“We don’t have time for this! If we don’t hurry, it’ll be dangerous!”
Seeing no sign of calming down, I decided to drop sacred power over their head.
Only then did the Dark Elf, who had been writhing, settle down a bit.
Their gaze still held desperation, but at least they weren’t cursing or shouting in anger.
“Alright.”
I resumed healing them while calmly saying what they wanted to hear.
“Your sister will be safe. No, she is safe.”
“How do you know that? That demon is still alive, how would….”
In the middle of speaking, the Dark Elf’s voice suddenly dropped. Then murmuring as if in disbelief.
“…The demon’s aura has disappeared?”
Finally catching on.
It seemed they hadn’t realized the chaos of possibly losing their sister earlier.
“That’s correct. That demon is no longer in Korea. Not dead yet, though.”
“Who could have defeated that demon…?”
“Who indeed.”
Every time I said that, my lips and shoulders instinctively rose.
As a wife, it was inevitable.
“My husband just chased that demon away.”
“…That hero?”
“Yes. That’s right.”
The update just came in a few minutes ago.
Liam, who had been unreachable for a while, suddenly messaged me just after I made an embarrassing ad-lib.
– Babe, I just kicked the demon’s ass. Its main body is in the Demon World, so it hasn’t died yet, but the fragments are gone.
The victory report sounded so calm it was as if he’d chased off a wandering neighborhood cat.
Even though it wasn’t the main body, it was a so-called Great Demon, yet it seemed like he hadn’t struggled much at all.
That’s my husband.
Honestly, I believed Kelaout, who does a great job, would handle rescuing the Dark Elf’s sister, which is why I had provoked Kim Yi-jeong so much.
Before that, Liam had already made the first move. My misjudgment made me feel good despite being wrong.
“The hero was trapped in Han Hee-jun’s space, wasn’t he?”
The Dark Elf seemed surprised that Liam’s escape was unexpected, his eyes wide.
“Is it really that hard to escape from there?”
“Han Hee-jun’s ‘Space Isolation’ is a cheat ability. It creates an independent space that’s hard to break out of, even for a demigod.”
“Still, it appears it wasn’t impossible.”
“That might be true, but he probably put in significant effort to escape. It couldn’t have been easy.”
“……”
A powerful ability difficult even for Liam to break out of.
Our Demi-god Hero must have had a tough time this time.
So a slight question arose. Why didn’t he say anything to me?
Normally, he would have complained, “I’m having a hard time,” seeking some comfort.
Or at least he would have subtly mentioned, “That space was tough to escape,” to subtly nudge me into praising him.
But Liam didn’t show off at all, even after defeating a Great Demon.
‘Why did he do that?’
Could it be he experienced something unusual while coming out of that space?
I felt uneasy, but it probably wasn’t a serious situation. My ominous instincts, known for their outstanding accuracy, were quiet for now.
So there was no need to dig into it immediately.
I could always look into Liam’s odd behavior later; for now, I had to focus on this matter.
“Let’s get back to your feet. I’ve put out the urgent fire with healing, so we can now have a proper conversation.”
“Yeah. I will.”
The Dark Elf, now appearing more relaxed, suddenly bowed their head. They spoke formally now.
“Why the sudden formality?”
“Because you are the Pope.”
“Oh my.”
Perhaps it was because there were rowdy troublemakers all around, but seeing this normalcy for a change warmed my heart.
To improve our Order’s image, having someone like this join us would be great.
As I examined the Dark Elf’s majesty and energy, I couldn’t help but smile subtly.
‘They’d be perfect for a Holy Knight appointment.’
I had found a new talent.
*
“First, have some tea.”
In the Pope’s Chamber, where the hallucinations had faded away and Yao’s disguise was lifted.
I served green tea to the Dark Elf, Whispering Leaf, who sat at the reception table.
I debated giving them cola, but ultimately went with tea, considering they were an elf.
It seemed to be a good choice; Whispering Leaf sipped the green tea, closing their eyes. They appeared to be calming their mind.
I also sat opposite them and sipped my tea to soothe my previously heated heart.
“This is good green tea.”
The previously quiet Dark Elf spoke up when I had emptied about half my cup.
I smiled softly as I set the teacup down on the table.
“You certainly have a discerning palate. I bought the most expensive product from overseas; it’s not only delicious, but the aroma is also exceptional, which I absolutely love.”
“The tea leaves contain the spirit of nature. At this level, it’s likely the Returnee elf had a hand in it.”
So a Returnee was involved in the crafting. No wonder it was ridiculously expensive.
Even so, the flavor made it worth the money, and I felt a boost in my mood as I gulped down three more big sips of tea.
Afterward, I met their gaze again and resumed our conversation.
“You seem completely relaxed now. May I slowly delve into deeper topics?”
“Of course.”
“Mr. Whispering Leaf. First….”
“Oh, you can just call me ‘Wip.’ That’s generally how I’m referred to.”
“Is that so?”
Since it was long and inconvenient, I accepted the suggestion straight away.
“Wip, I have something I’d like to ask first.”
Gazing into those luminous black eyes, I carefully began.
“Would you be interested in joining our Order?”
“…Huh?”
Perhaps it was an unexpected proposal, as Wip’s long ears trembled.
“Me? But I am a Dark Elf wielding the power of the Void.”
“Race and power don’t matter. What’s vital is character.”
I would be willing to accept even a demon if their heart was filled with goodwill. Though, the likelihood of that was close to zero.
“I believe you would be a valuable asset to our Order, Wip. If you join us, we will ensure the safety of your sister.”
“…That’s a rather tempting condition.”
“Isn’t it?”
I spoke leisurely but exerted no pressure. Since rushing things in evangelism can be toxic, I needed to proceed as slowly as possible.
“You don’t have to decide right here and now. Take your time to think it over.”
“Understood.”
Wip nodded gravely, their eyes shining with seriousness.
From what I could tell, their impression of me didn’t seem too bad.
So somehow, I had to charm them.
‘I can’t let this opportunity slip by.’
Even though I had made them into a movie’s protagonist without consulting them, they showed no signs of discontent in their character.
They demonstrated skill in controlling several monsters while showcasing their own considerable strength.
On top of that, their striking looks would make other women wish to join too.
In every way, they could be deemed an essential person for the Order.
What conditions should I present to ensure they join?
As I contemplated the direction of the conversation, Wip quietly spoke up.
“Pope, may I request one thing?”
“Of course. What can I assist you with?”
“There are Returnees who have become critically ill due to demons. I would like to ask for your help in healing them.”
Soon after, the handsome Dark Elf’s eyes sparkled with yearning.
“I can pay any amount for healing. So please….”
“Understood. Once the payment is transferred, I will heal them right away.”
I solemnly pretended to speak seriously, but I flashed a smile.
“Of course, the cost is zero.”
We don’t charge for treating patients.
This was one of the Order’s most crucial principles, reflecting the will of the Goddess.
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