“Phew. I feel so relieved now.”
The priestess, who had been screaming for a while, suddenly started to smile. The gloomy look that had been on her face was gone in an instant.
“Have you finally started to feel a bit better?”
It seemed the advice from the Safety-Obsessed Patient had quite an effect.
Feeling proud, Jo Ha-jin nodded and gave a thumbs up.
“See? I told you, releasing it right away would make you feel better, right?”
“Yes, I guess so.”
“From now on, make sure to do that. You have to take care of your health.”
“Got it. Thank you.”
I was glad to see the priestess’s complexion brighten after what seemed like an eternity in the depths of despair, but my head still throbbed.
The stress was too much.
‘This won’t be easy to control.’
All the Returnees had distinct personalities.
The priestess, with her suppressed anger and frustration.
The survivor from a post-apocalyptic zombie world who was extremely safety-driven.
A pope brainwashed into worshipping a succubus.
And even a slightly deranged robot after a long journey through time.
It was quite a dazzling and chaotic list of Returnees.
Compared to them, I, Han Hee-jun, who was just a noisy school punk, seemed almost ordinary.
I took a moment to look over the Returnees before sending a message.
-(Pope) : No matter what, we absolutely must catch Wip.
Wip, the only Returnee close to normal and kind. Comparing her with the others made the value of that Dark Elf all the more clear.
She absolutely had to join the Order.
Soon I would decide where we’d stay moving forward, and if she didn’t join the Order then I’d promised to offer even greater benefits than now.
-(High Leader) : Personally, I’m not fond of such delicate men, but I support them as a member.
-(Super Cute Guardian Dragon) : Nobody asked for your opinion anyway.
-(High Leader) : Don’t butt in when you’re a pet.
-(Super Cute Guardian Dragon) : You little imp!!!
I shrugged off the now escalating fight in the chat room.
Suddenly, the sweet-faced priestess spoke up.
“Your Holiness, I have a favor to ask. Is it okay if I tell you now?”
“Of course.”
I personally wanted to fulfill Reeve’s requests whenever possible. As a fellow priestess, I felt the most empathy towards her.
As long as it wasn’t an urgent matter, I would accept anything.
With that warm mindset, I opened my mouth.
“What’s your request?”
“It’s nothing serious.”
The priestess smiled brightly and suddenly stood up, pointing a finger at me.
“Please fight me.”
“…….”
Her boldness made me think for a moment that she was asking for my phone number instead. To suddenly challenge me with such a cheerful look felt like a betrayal.
It seemed she wasn’t quite normal either.
“Why do you suddenly want to fight me?”
I asked calmly, and Reeve smiled sweetly.
“I want to relieve stress.”
“…….”
Is this a joke?
Her lightly laughing face made it seem like a tease, but her voice held a distinct jealous undertone, making it hard to judge.
Maybe she wanted to beat me up to release her pent-up frustrations.
Regardless of her intentions, it seemed best to refuse.
Still, considering the priestess’s mental instability, I decided not to outright reject her.
This was something for the professionals to handle.
“What should I do, Archbishop?”
It wasn’t a question seeking advice.
It was a request for him to refuse on my behalf. It was a code we had established long ago.
Kelaout nodded subtly and, as always, spoke with seriousness.
“I’m sorry, but that request seems difficult to accept.”
“Why?”
The priestess widened her eyes and turned to Kelaout.
The experienced archbishop remained unfazed by her naive gaze and calmly explained his reasoning.
“Lady Reeve has only recently recovered from her injuries. Although Your Holiness has helped heal her mental ailments to a certain extent, it is still unwise for her to push herself. Especially in a fight.”
A flawless, clear argument.
In reality, healing a mental illness isn’t easy. Even if someone appears fine on the surface, there are often hidden issues.
What the priestess needed now was moderate exercise and stable rest. This wasn’t the kind of environment where emotions could get passionately intense.
“…Is that so?”
As Kelaout presented clear reasons for his refusal, the priestess’s enthusiasm waned a bit.
If it had been a flimsy excuse to avoid a fight, she wouldn’t have backed down, but logic held her speechless.
‘As expected of the Archbishop.’
He was indeed reliable in matters of business. He handled situations I found difficult to manage with ease.
There was a reason I willingly followed the Archbishop’s words.
Although it was tough whenever I had to endure his nagging, the fact that he did his job well made it worthwhile to keep him around.
As I reflected on my admiration for Kelaout, suddenly,
“Is there really no reason not to fight?”
The Safety-Obsessed Patient, Jo Ha-jin, interjected unexpectedly.
“After all, the priestess isn’t going to get physically harmed. Well, she did get hurt, but she healed on her own, right? Anyway, she’s physically fine, so I don’t think there’s a need to strictly enforce stability.”
“That’s not incorrect,” Kelaout admitted smoothly.
“But combat can have a strong effect on both body and mind. Intense battles can potentially trigger the mental illness that has only just begun to heal.”
“That’s where you’re wrong.”
“…….”
Kelaout’s brow furrowed at Jo Ha-jin’s sharp retort.
“Where exactly am I wrong?”
“In part.”
“Could you elaborate?”
“That’s a hassle.”
His clear lack of interest was evident in his curt responses. His social skills were terrible.
Even Kelaout, who had been holding back, seemed to reach his limit, glaring at Jo Ha-jin openly.
The atmosphere quickly turned hostile.
“…….”
“…….”
The two men exchanged silent glares, both radiating intense heat. Their gazes were nearly fiery.
…Should I intervene?
I doubted Kelaout would resort to violence, but the other party was alarming.
Jo Ha-jin.
That Returnee looked rough and wild from the start.
With tousled hair that hung to his shoulders and scars scattered across his skin, his appearance was far from what you’d expect from a gentle and simple character.
Moreover, Jo Ha-jin had come from a zombie apocalypse world.
In an extreme environment that would force one to abandon manners or civility. He must have learned a mindset that would allow him to kill at a moment’s notice if provoked.
So, even in a situation like this, there existed the potential for violent behavior.
“Both of you, calm down.”
The restless robot, perhaps sharing my concerns, stepped in with a “NO WAR” sticker.
“Why are you all like this? Seriously. It’s nothing big. No fighting, peace and love! Okay, okay?”
Although that wasn’t exactly the warmest way to diffuse the tension, it did help a bit.
Kelaout, who had been glaring at Jo Ha-jin, seemed to have calmed down slightly and spoke politely.
“I would like to hear more about your perspective. Is that possible?”
“It’s not a problem.”
Nodding, Jo Ha-jin pointed at the awkwardly standing priestess.
“Sure, she shouldn’t push herself just yet. But that doesn’t mean we need to prevent her from doing what she wants. Do you know why?”
“Why?”
“Desires and impulses become stronger when you bottle them up.”
Jo Ha-jin tapped his chest.
“I’ve lived for decades in a world swarming with zombies. And I still haven’t lost my mind. Want to know why?”
“…Because you pursue what you want without holding back?”
“Finally, we’re communicating!”
Clapping his hands, Jo Ha-jin finally smiled with satisfaction while giving two thumbs up.
“Exactly! When you release desires and impulses in a healthy way, the stress will eventually fade away. You can believe me; it’s from experience.”
That was the survival secret from a world gone wrong.
It might not be the complete answer, but it was surely a conclusion arrived at after much contemplation.
After a moment of thought, Kelaout nodded.
“Jo Ha-jin, could we possibly move to another location for a deeper discussion?”
It appeared Kelaout was quite taken with Jo Ha-jin. It was rare to see him show such interest; the words he just heard seemed to have made quite an impression.
“Sounds good.”
Thus, the two chatty men suddenly found common ground and left the Pope’s Chamber.
I had an odd premonition that these were not the kinds of people who should unite.
I could already envision a horrific scene where they should never exist, teaming up and showering each other with unsolicited advice. Even just imagining it made me shudder.
‘…What if the Archbishop doubles down?’
Nagging, preaching, advising, lecturing, all of it would indeed double. The thought made me feel suffocated.
At least Jo Ha-jin had said he wouldn’t join the Order, so that was a relief.
As I sincerely felt a sense of relief wash over me, Reeve, who had been standing quietly, asked,
“Your Holiness? So what will you do now?”
Before answering, I took a moment to think.
What would be the most appropriate decision?
To become a Demigod, I needed to understand and embrace the hearts of others as the Pope.
Only then could I stabilize the intense flames within and achieve true unity of heart.
On the other hand.
According to Jo Ha-jin’s survival wisdom, I shouldn’t suppress what I wanted.
If I were to stifle my naturally fiery personality, it would only lead to internal turmoil.
The two theories were completely at odds.
Impulse moderation versus free-spirited actions.
They proposed completely different methods and directions.
But did I really have to choose one over the other?
The truth is, there isn’t just one answer on the way to finding truth.
There are countless ways to reach a destination; it’s perfectly fine to take a bus and then jump in a taxi.
“I understand.”
At last, I tidied up my complicated thoughts and smiled warmly as I spoke.
“I’m willing to fulfill any requests you have. Even if it’s something as challenging as fighting.”
I decided to accept the priestess’s request willingly to grow as a true Pope.
“However, I have a request of my own as well.”
At the same time, I would do what I wanted to do.
“If I win, you shall become the saint of our Order.”
“…Saint? Me?”
“Is that a no? Then you can try to defeat me. It might be tough, though.”
“…….”
Looking at Reeve, whose face was scrunched up in what seemed like an injured pride, I couldn’t help but smile heartily.
‘O Sun, I shall just live as I am.’
Rather than forcefully suppressing my fiery nature, I would choose to exist naturally alongside it.
That was the realization and conclusion I had just come to.
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