I entered the pink castle with the diver.
And the moment I stepped in, I was confused.
“What is that?”
“Hmmm.”
The bat pondered for a while, elongating its words, and tilted its head.
“It’s armor and puppies, you see.”
“…….”
Since I already knew that, I playfully gave the little diver a light flick to the forehead and slowly scanned my surroundings.
The 1st Floor of the castle was an open space with a solemn and majestic atmosphere.
However, it was not what one typically thinks of as a “castle where royalty strolls.”
There were no fancy chandeliers, luxurious decorations, intricate sculptures, or noble-looking wall patterns to be found.
Instead, there stood a set of silver-shining armor, helmet, and shield prominently displayed in the center.
Just being there, the set of armor looked sturdy and reminded me of someone.
And around it, three puppies were happily panting and playing. They were so cute that I just wanted to pet them endlessly.
After my analysis, I nodded lightly.
‘It’s not too hard to understand.’
It had seemed perplexing from outside, but now that I was inside, it was easier to comprehend than I thought.
Young Dragon’s magic was indeed impressive. There was a reason for the confidence.
“Gegel! Now is not the time to be standing around.”
At that moment, the diver, who had been quietly analyzing, chirped with a giggle.
“We don’t have much time left. Let’s hurry up!”
“Let’s go.”
With time indeed a factor, it seemed better to quickly look around.
I headed directly up the stairs without delay.
Thud thud. My footsteps echoed clearly in the still atmosphere.
Strangely, the stairs seemed to stretch endlessly upwards.
Is this really a castle? It feels more like a tower.
When I asked about it, the diver flapped its wings.
“It’s normal! The romantic girl’s sentiment seeks greater heights as she ages… Ack!”
I slapped the diver for its unnecessary comments.
Even as I did that, my feet kept moving.
After some time climbing, I finally reached the next floor.
“Huff, huff….”
I took a moment to catch my breath and surveyed my surroundings slowly.
“Wow!”
Not long after I arrived, the diver exclaimed and started flapping around in the air.
Looking quite surprised, its snorkel nearly came off several times.
I wasn’t quite that amazed, but I was a bit impressed.
‘That’s me, right?’
In the center of the 2nd Floor stood a large statue resembling me.
Lustrous long hair and intricately carved features.
The ceremonial robe featured minute wrinkles, and a sacred power emanated from my hands.
No matter where I focused my gaze, it was a statue of stunning quality that elicited admiration.
Could this be hinting at my own remarkable beauty? A reasonable analysis.
There was no one as beautiful as I. I was indeed the best.
By the way, there was one thing that bothered me, separate from my beauty.
My statue was bound with ropes and chains protruding from the ceiling and walls.
It didn’t look like a typical prison restraint; it felt as if there was another reason behind the binding. Just a gut feeling.
Moreover, the floor was charred black in several places. Evidence of having burned.
But why did it burn?
Just as I pondered this, the bat landed on my head.
“Whew! It’s time to go back!”
Is it already over?
Having finished my observation to some extent, there was nothing to be sad about.
It had been a fulfilling exploration in many ways. I smiled at the diver, who was flitting around me excitedly.
“Thank you. Now, let’s go back.”
“Yay! Goodbye!”
The bat saluted me with its wings and then immediately burst into bright red light.
The moment I faced that light, my consciousness faded away.
It was time to return to reality.
*
“I’m back.”
Coming to my senses, I found myself seated in a lotus position on the rooftop.
Was it all just a dream? Or was this the dream?
Suddenly feeling like I was in a butterfly dream (butterfly dreaming), my mind was hazy. It seemed to be a side effect of Young Dragon’s magic.
“How was it? Did you get a good look?”
Hekatrith, who had been observing my expression, boasted with a smug look.
Seemingly proud because it thought its magic had been of great help, it appeared quite pleased.
Indeed, it was excellent magic, and it had indeed been a huge help.
The fact that it didn’t overshadow the point of understanding I had to achieve personally as a demigod was also a likable trait.
“Thank you very much. Thanks to you, I’ve become a little closer to the realm of a demigod. Indeed, it is you, Hekatrith.”
“Hehehe!”
I exaggerated my praise a bit, and as expected, Young Dragon was quite pleased.
So delighted, it waved its wings and tail, shaking its whole body.
It’s hard to believe that such a cute and manageable dragon once threatened the peace of another world.
Honestly, I was curious about what it had been like during its Evil Dragon days. Quick Eagle was said to be extremely wicked, but right now, it just seemed like a dragon with a slightly rough speech.
“Now, I’ll go into a little reflection based on the scenery I’ve seen.”
“Oh, of course! I’ll keep watch, so do your best!”
The ever-smiling Hekatrith even cast an unnecessary soundproofing spell for me.
Thanks to that, I could concentrate on my thoughts in a silent environment where I could hear nothing.
After expressing my gratitude by patting its head, I sank into deeper contemplation, adopting a more comfortable position than before.
The first thing that popped into my mind was the condition.
‘To become a demigod, one must possess a pure heart that has not been mixed with anything alien.’
To meet that condition, I needed to remove feelings, will, beliefs, and principles that did not blend with other elements.
In words, it sounded simple and easy.
But attempting it in practice was completely different.
It was like getting rid of a perfectly fine finger or attaching it to my thigh. This involved the deliberate adjustment and removal of components of my heart.
‘There’s no way I can do this with just an ordinary state of mind.’
My first challenge to become a demigod took place while I was fully focused on my duties as a pope.
I intended to elevate the church’s stature and prestige by becoming a demigod myself.
With that determination, I practiced, but ultimately it ended in failure.
Despite months of effort, I found no progress nor even a clue.
What was the reason?
Even when I look back at it now, I don’t know the exact cause.
However, that failure at the time taught me beneficial lessons and showed me a direction for the future.
The key was a ruthless resolve.
‘If I don’t commit wholeheartedly, I will fail again this time.’
Godlike powers are the gifts of the world bestowed only when one has freed themselves from the emotions and thoughts that any living being on the ground ordinarily carries.
Thus, I needed to be prepared to cast aside a part of myself.
I had to throw off the shackles of various feelings and thoughts that come with being human.
…Indeed, the theory was perfect. The problem was that it didn’t translate to practice.
I let out a wry smile and recalled what I saw in my inner world.
First was the sun and the meadow.
These symbolized the faith towards the Goddess and the sense of responsibility towards the church members.
They were closely related rather than opposing, so neither constituted an alien element I needed to address.
Next were the armor and puppies I had seen on the 1st Floor.
These likely represented my love and affection towards Liam and the children. This, too, was not an alien element.
On the other hand.
The statue I had seen on the 2nd Floor was undoubtedly me.
However, what did the ropes and chains restraining me symbolize? That remained unclear.
Something binding me.
Did such a thing exist? I couldn’t think of anything offhand.
Moreover, what about the burn marks left on the floor? Perhaps that indicated the fiery temper that sometimes bursts forth from my inner self?
‘…Oh?’
That was just a thought that popped up, but it made a fair amount of sense.
I occasionally lost control and exploded without thinking, even since my Park Si-woo days, and that hadn’t changed.
I had managed to keep it well-hidden during my long career as a clergy member, but it would occasionally peek through.
Wasn’t that the case when I first saw the defamatory video from the Burning Association Korean Branch?
A blazing personality buried deep within my heart like hidden flames.
That manifested as the burn marks on the 2nd Floor. Thinking this way gave rise to a rather believable theory.
‘That’s done…’
The real issue remained what those bindings symbolized.
I pondered for a while on what they might symbolize, but I was still left at a loss.
“Haah…”
I sighed in frustration and flopped onto my back.
In that position, I muttered quietly.
“O Sun, my mind feels like it’s splitting into several pieces.”
The moment those words unintentionally slipped out, a thought suddenly crossed my mind.
‘Correction!’
Automatic language correction.
A sort of linguistic taboo that guides my words to an “appropriate” direction.
Except when wearing Haemaki, the words I utter have always been filtered into extremely polite expressions due to the strictness I imposed upon myself.
While inconvenient, I had managed to just live with it until now.
But this could have been the problem.
‘…This is it.’
I shot up from my spot.
At this, Young Dragon opened its eyes wide and tilted its head, but I focused on the realization that had just struck me.
Surprisingly, the answer wasn’t difficult.
The conflict and discord between my inner temperament and the outward language were the culprits.
The language correction could suppress the flames boiling in my heart, no matter how much it was vetted.
On the other hand, my fiery temperament was forcibly filtered, making me display an unintended polite manner.
In other words, they negated each other and failed to blend into one.
The language correction applied to suppress my true nature was acting to hinder my elevation to the realm of a demigod.
“O Sun… This is frustrating.”
It was so absurd that it brought a hollow smile.
At the same time, excitement and anticipation began to swell within me.
That was an obvious conclusion. Finally, I had just discovered the path I must ultimately endeavor to take.
“Oi Pope! Have you gained enlightenment?”
Curious, Young Dragon undid the soundproofing and asked. In joyful spirits, I hugged the adorable guardian dragon and patted it.
Hearing a delightful sound of ‘Hwaeng’, I gently smiled.
“Thanks to you, Hekatrith, I have laid the groundwork to become a demigod.”
“Oh! Really?”
“Yes.”
From now on, I needed to manage my temperament and achieve genuine unity.
To be honest, I believed I had been doing well enough as pope, but that was not the case.
I couldn’t be satisfied with being the ‘polite pope’ whose behavior was heavily influenced by language correction and repetitive learning.
I needed to become a true benevolent pope who sincerely cared for others.
That was the path to becoming a demigod that lay before me.
“Seeing you smile is nice. Congratulations!”
“Thank you.”
As a reward, I pet Young Dragon a bit more gently.
It was then that a message from the telepathic chatroom popped up in front of me.
-(Supreme Council): Pope. The returnees have awakened. It’s time for the audience.
Just in time for the moment had come to demonstrate the benevolent smile and demeanor of the “true pope” to the gathered individuals.
With a grin already forming, I headed towards the Pope’s Chamber.
And exactly one hour later,
I gained another enlightenment due to the splendid behavior and speech of the awakened returnees.
‘…Should I just give up becoming a demigod?’
It wasn’t easy to control my temper in front of the stress of a throbbing headache.
Support me by donating at least $10, and you'll have the right to request any novel from Novelpia (excluding 19+ content) using a newly developed tool.
