I am a pope who tries to respect the privacy of others.
Interfering in someone else’s personal and secret daily life is not the right thing to do.
So even if I play a risqué game, I didn’t think badly of it. It’s not a major flaw, after all.
Of course, if Liam were to play, I might think differently…
Anyway, I generally didn’t care what games other people were playing.
But.
I couldn’t just laugh off the fact that the protagonist of a risqué game is the pope.
‘What the hell…!’
The protagonist created for a twisted purpose is a female pope. How can it be this indecent?
The fact that the game’s protagonist is a woman means that she will endure all sorts of lewd things.
At first, she resists with shame, but by the end, she becomes a depraved woman who enjoys it first.
It’s all about satisfying the base sexual desires.
And the victim of various kinds of vulgar acts is the pope.
They must have portrayed the fall from grace of a noble and devout person as if she were a succubus.
It was truly scandalous and lewd.
If conservative Kelaout knew, he would have insisted that the Order prevent the general public from accessing it immediately.
At least it’s fortunate that it’s not a goddess. If it were, I would have become a staunch conservative like Kelaout.
“Pope, your face is turning red.”
While I was momentarily flustered, Yao approached and observed my demeanor.
It was only after meeting the innocent eyes of the rookie holy knight that I finally regained my calm spirit.
Then, assessing myself from an objective standpoint, a sudden sense of self-loathing surged.
‘…Did I seem too rigid?’
This reminds me of the time I had censored and banned revealing clothing for the Order’s priestesses and nuns.
I overheard some priestesses gossiping.
“Why is our young pope so uptight?”
“I know, right? She’s like an old lady.”
“That’s right, call her grandmother!”
No matter how grumpy I could be, to call me a grandmother…!
I was so shocked at that time that even Kelaout, normally nagging me, just stared blankly.
I was supposed to be an open-minded person. When did I become so fussy and strict?
It seems that my values completely changed after over ten years of being pope.
In times like this, it’s necessary to think calmly before speaking and acting.
After regaining a peaceful mind through a short meditation, I spoke in as composed a tone as I could.
“This returnee has reincarnated into a world where the pope is the protagonist of a risqué game. And you are the protagonist.”
“Ah.”
Yao let out an exclamation, stepping back as she displayed her opinion.
But for some reason, she soon began to look at me with a mischievous glint in her eyes.
What’s going on?
Just as I was about to avoid her gaze due to unease, Yao giggled and leaned closer.
“Something feels odd. You’ve just called yourself ‘the pope.’ Why are you acting so sensitive about it? Did you by any chance unconsciously relate yourself to the game’s protagonist and have various lewd fantasies?”
“…….”
I should have firmly rejected that outrageous thought, but I was momentarily flustered and just turned my head aside to hide my flushed face.
…How did she know?
“I’m shocked. Turns out our pope is a lewd woman.”
Yao wrapped her arm around my shoulder with a smirk on her face.
How dare the highest holy knight act so rudely toward the pope? I should reprimand her immediately, but unfortunately, Kelaout was not here.
Then it must be up to me. As I had done countless times as a pope, I didn’t find it awkward at all.
With my stern reprimand and scolding ready, I quietly looked at Yao and opened my mouth.
“Stop it. What are you doing…?”
“Hehe. What would your husband think if he knew our pope like this?”
“…….”
When Liam’s name came up, my mind quickly cooled.
Thanks to that, the boiling heat of my heart dropped below normal, allowing me to speak gently instead of getting angry.
“Yao. No matter how close we are, please maintain boundaries. I ask this of you.”
“Ah, I’m sorry.”
The mischievous Yao hurriedly apologized.
This is the power of genuine feelings expressed with soft words and a calm voice.
This is why Kelaout emphasized that I should maintain a dignified and noble yet sincere linguistic behavior as a pope.
Perhaps due to shedding the burdens I’d carried as a pope since my return, I temporarily forgot why I accepted ‘automatic speech correction.’
I recalled the mindset I had during my vigorous early days as a pope and gently patted Yao’s back.
Then I added one more thing.
“By the way, Liam greatly enjoys it when I seduce him with lewd words and actions in bed.”
“……?”
Yao, who was glancing at me apologetically, tilted her head.
“What do you mean…?”
“Didn’t you just ask what your husband would think? The answer is ‘he enjoys it.’ I know well because I’ve experimented on this several times.”
“……”
As expected, being honest with my inner thoughts led to a smoother conversation than before.
Moreover, I had not gotten angry, and Yao was left speechless, but she did not seem offended.
This is how conversations should be.
Can I also speak to Liam this openly to restore our relationship?
‘…My resolve is already weakening.’
I had firmly promised myself not to say anything until I first heard what had happened.
But in just a few days, my resolution crumbled, and I wanted to speak first.
It was inevitable. My childish husband wouldn’t initiate a conversation on his own.
In the end, as has always been, I had to solve the problem myself.
If I approach him first and reveal my true feelings, Liam will surely open up as well.
Even if the result I obtain is ‘Liam’s affair’, I am still determined to give it a try.
“Yao, thank you. Thanks to you, I’ve gained a realization.”
“…What part exactly?”
“Originally, emotional growth tends to arrive unexpectedly at any moment in daily life.”
I looked at the returnee, who had been a source of my worries, with a dramatically calm heart.
By chance, her hair color matched mine, but I had completely different pigtailed hair.
She looked cute yet had an alluring air. No matter how I looked, she resembled a succubus more than a pope.
Meanwhile, her outfit was so outrageous that I didn’t even know where to start critiquing.
With a tank top that accentuated her ample bosom and a leather jacket unzipped.
Hot pants that were almost panties.
And black fishnet stockings covering her legs completely.
Is this really the attire of a pope?
I sometimes wear comfortable clothes, but I would never wear them out. Because it’s embarrassing.
But this, in many ways, was shocking beyond mere scandal.
Just this alone made me want to dress her in something modest and proper.
The bigger problem was the markings drawn on her thighs, which I couldn’t even bear to mention.
“……”
Staring blankly at her thighs, Yao suddenly shoved her head forward.
“Why are you lost in thought… Aah!”
Yao let out a feminine scream for the first time upon witnessing the horror on the returnee’s thighs.
“P-pope! Is this…?”
“What you’re thinking is correct.”
“This is a branding!”
“That’s what I wanted to say.”
As we two whispered seriously, Hainha cautiously interrupted our conversation.
“Now do you see why I stopped taking notes?”
“I deeply understand.”
“Me too.”
The three women’s opinions converged.
We three cast disdainful glances at the lewd returnee lying unconscious.
Just then, Wip urgently spoke from behind.
“Everyone! Cubica probably didn’t want this at first either. Given the world’s characteristics, the situation and atmosphere had to go that way…”
It was the defense of the returnee that had already occurred multiple times.
However, this time, there was a noticeable lack of confidence in Wip’s voice. It seemed she wasn’t sure about what she was saying.
Yet, I appreciated her effort to defend her fellow returnee, so I decided to accept her explanation on behalf of Cubica.
“Pope, so this wasn’t intentional…?”
“Understood. I will begin the healing, so please step back.”
Regardless of the patient’s tendencies, whether they liked lewd acts or not, it didn’t matter.
My duty as a healer to treat the injured remained unshaken under any circumstances.
Of course, there was something I needed to do before the healing began.
“Returnee, I’ll remove all the drawings on your thighs.”
With my hand enveloped in sacred power, I firmly rubbed the thigh of the returnee. It was too unsightly to be left alone.
Fortunately, they didn’t seem to be tattoos, as they all disappeared cleanly after a short while.
‘Phew.’
Finally, they turned into beautiful legs.
Beaming with pride, I gathered all my sacred power within my body.
Although more than half had been used up in the previous three treatments, I had enough left.
‘This time… the bones are almost all broken.’
There were no visible wounds, but the bones were fractured or cracked throughout.
Was it the work of a great demon? Having to treat every part methodically might just be unavoidable.
If I spray sacred power all over because it’s bothersome, the bones might heal in the wrong alignment.
A method of assault that would be difficult for both the patient and the healer.
As expected of a demon, the method was quite ruthless.
“Please bear with it for a moment.”
Even though it would take some time, I had to proceed with the healing as slowly as possible. I started injecting small amounts of sacred power from the area around the ankles and moved upward.
If even a little goes wrong in the amount, it could be disastrous, a high-level task.
If I made a mistake, it would be utterly irreversible, so I focused my maximum concentration on healing.
It was an exhausting treatment, with sweat soaking through my clothes like a downpour.
“…Done.”
Almost two hours felt like it had passed.
Finally, the treatment was complete.
The result was a resounding success. All the bones had healed perfectly.
It was a feat achieved through dedication and patience.
“Thank you so much!”
Wip, who had been holding her breath and watching the treatment process, bowed her head with excitement.
Though I wanted to humbly downplay it as “it was no big deal,” I couldn’t help but smile.
‘What a struggle…’
This was the first time since crossing into this world that I had completely depleted all my stamina.
Now, I need a break.
I tried to sit down on the floor for rest when suddenly—
BOOM!
A thunderous sound erupted, shaking the ground beneath me.
The violent tremor made it difficult to stand. Already exhausted, I couldn’t hold on and toppled forward.
“Whew.”
Fortunately, just before I bumped my head on the ground, Yao wrapped her arms around my waist to support me.
This is how it is—having the highest holy knight beside the pope is essential.
Barely balanced in Yao’s embrace, I frowned.
“What’s going on, Wip?”
“It’s the sound of a void monster rampaging. Looks like it’s quite strong.”
If even a strong superhuman like Wip said that, an unusual monster must have appeared.
“But it’s strange. There aren’t any void monsters in this area. I’ve killed them all. So why has one suddenly appeared…?”
Perhaps it came from somewhere else. But Wip seemed puzzled as well. It wasn’t a common occurrence.
‘Should I check it out?’
The instinct that had sharply developed with my superhuman abilities was telling me not to overlook this.
It seems necessary to confirm where and how it came to be.
Coincidentally, there was someone whose skills I wanted to assess.
“What was that sound? What’s going on? Crisis situation?”
Unlike the other returnees who had yet to regain consciousness, the already alert robot, Kim Ji-yeon, had a question mark scribbled on her forehead.
I smiled at the flustered robot and asked her.
“A monster has appeared. Would you mind showing us how strong you are?”
Was it slightly unreasonable to ask this right off the bat? She might want to rest a little longer.
Just as I had that thought, the drawing on her forehead changed.
[>_<a]
…It seemed to be an emoticon expressing embarrassment and consent.
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