“Always speak with sincere respect when addressing elders or children.”
My mind feels hazy.
Everything in front of me is foggy, and the sounds around me are faint and distant.
This state has continued since eight hours into the lecture.
‘…Aren’t you tired?’
How can he keep giving lectures without taking a break?
Kelaout continues to ramble on with his lively voice, as if he’s not even tired.
It must have been informative and helpful, but I couldn’t really hear it. My concentration had long since depleted.
“Do you understand? No matter how young someone may be, you must not treat them carelessly. Age is merely a means of indicating how long one has lived, not a reason to look down on others.”
His deep voice sounds incredibly soothing, almost like a lullaby.
Feeling so drowsy, I couldn’t help but slightly close my eyes, only for the strict archbishop to scold me.
“Your Holiness, you shouldn’t sleep. As a model for all members, must you fall asleep during the lecture? The sun is watching. You need to stand at the forefront and receive the brilliant sunlight for our Order to successfully advance.”
There’s some truth in that.
No, it’s a fair and valid argument.
However, feeling obstinate just for the sake of it, I forced myself to counter.
“I understand that, but… you need to give us a break, don’t you?”
I took a moment to look around the auditorium.
The state of the seated students could be classified into two groups.
One side was the exemplary students, including Wip.
These students didn’t seem tired at all, even after eight hours of continuous lecture. They were still wide-eyed, listening intently.
In fact, there weren’t many of them.
Maybe just Wip, Kim Ji-yeon, Jo Ha-jin, and the National Intelligence Service agent Ko Jeong-soo. Oddly, Hwang In-goo was among them as well.
‘Surprisingly attentive.’
The middle-aged man, leader of the Burning Association Korean Branch and one of Haoran’s closest aides, looked at Kelaout with bright eyes.
In fact, Hwang In-goo was the only one taking notes.
What on earth is up with him?
He seemed to have a natural talent for listening to others’ stories. Must have been brainwashed by that reckless immortal.
Regardless, everyone except for the aforementioned few exemplary students was completely knocked out.
Yao was dozing off next to me, Icle looked dazed, and Reeve had outright fallen asleep.
The others were completely drained and merely waiting for the lecture to end.
In short, they had been utterly obliterated.
“I’m fine, but the others are not. Everyone lost their power to concentrate long ago.”
“Is that so? Then again, if you’re not a superhuman, it would be challenging to listen to a long lecture with full awareness.”
“…It’s burdensome even for a superhuman.”
Even I, who is nearly a demigod, had drifted off into daydreams by around the three-hour mark into the lecture.
Thanks to that, I was able to ponder deeply and gain new insights about faith and belief.
It was a beneficial time that left my mind clearer and fresher than before.
It was the first time my head felt so calm and clear.
‘It does help….’
Kelaout’s tedious lecture seemed to, in fact, have some effect. Just not in the way the instructor intended.
“It feels like we should take a break now.”
At that moment, Seo-yoon, a staff member, subtly chimed in.
“Almost all the viewers have left. It seems the lecture went too long.”
“How many are left now?”
“Eight hundred.”
That seems like a lot, doesn’t it?
Thinking that, I verbally agreed with Seo-yoon’s opinion.
“Archbishop, it seems we might have been a bit too ambitious with the first lecture.”
I slowly steered the atmosphere toward ending the class.
If we missed this opportunity, there would be no hope. It had to end here.
“Given that the length of the lesson has already fatigued everyone and it’s past midnight, everyone must be quite tired.”
Without being greedy, I tried to remain as calm as possible.
I had to display a patient demeanor while articulating my logic.
Also, I must avoid offering any forced arguments. Otherwise, I would be rebutted by Kelaout’s specialty – a valid discourse, and the class would continue.
“We have more days ahead.”
It was time to wrap things up.
Utilizing a secretive technique I had discovered from working alongside Kelaout for over a decade,
“Grandpa. So can you please just end it now…?”
The ‘grandchild mode’ kicked in.
I stared at Kelaout with pure and clear eyes, much like a granddaughter looks up at her grandfather.
The last resort I could use against the stern archbishop. Although it did come with the downside of later being lectured, its benefits were substantial as well.
“…This is troubling.”
Kelaout’s stern atmosphere slightly shook, and he hesitated in his expression.
Did it work?
I secretly hoped, launching my next strike.
“Grandpa….”
I looked at Kelaout earnestly, just as Erina and Ibailla would when they wanted something from me.
Perhaps having been swayed by my consecutive tactics, Kelaout’s stern demeanor completely faded away.
He then spoke with a gentle smile.
“Then I shall conclude today’s lecture here. I have much more to cover, but I can’t possibly teach until dawn.”
With those words, the previously silent attendees erupted into soft laughter like defeated soldiers.
Even so, amidst the crowd, not everyone was openly pleased, as if the lecture on civility and character had had its effect. It was a matter of basic courtesy.
Naturally, there were some troublemakers who couldn’t adhere to even that simple etiquette.
“Oh yeah!”
“Finally!”
Two oblivious women at the back cheered.
A guardian dragon from the evil dragon lineage and a servant of the evil god.
The most challenging types of beings to maintain decorum.
“You seem too pleased.”
Kelaout squinted at Yongyongi and Icle.
He was quickly stroking his beard with one hand.
Signs of discomfort were evident.
I could roughly guess what he might say next.
“Especially those two will have to attend supplementary classes tomorrow.”
I saw this coming.
“Nooooo!”
“It wasn’t me! It was the hero!”
As the guardian dragon despaired and the servant of the evil god made ridiculous excuses, I grasped Yao’s hand beside me.
“We survived….”
“We’ll be sure to behave from now on, so please, no more classes like this….”
“I shall never accept another suggestion from Kelaout.”
“The Pope is the best. I love you.”
Thus, Kelaout’s class, which fortified the bond between the Pope and the supreme holy knight, came to a close.
The final viewership count was recorded at 783.
Excluding the first broadcast I did before being known as ‘Korea’s first returnee,’ it was the lowest figure to date.
*
“Thank you for your hard work, everyone.”
I was the first to step outside the auditorium and welcome those leaving after class.
As the highest-ranking Pope, it was an etiquette I should naturally practice.
Initially, I had no intention to, but after listening to Kelaout’s lecture, it felt like something I wanted to do.
After greeting everyone, instead of heading to bed, I came up to the 3rd floor.
The 3rd floor houses the rest area for members, but there’s also another relaxation space. I thought it would be a good idea to casually discuss future schedules in a post-gathering setting.
Naturally, I also planned to down a “mental strength buff drink” to dispel the fatigue and drowsiness accumulated from the lecture.
“…Why is there a cocktail bar in a cathedral?”
Reeve, who followed me in, looked at me with a puzzled expression. I felt wronged.
Yao came to my defense.
“The Pope didn’t create it; it was built by the previous owner, Hwang In-goo.”
“That cult leader of the Korean branch?”
“Yeah. That guy loves alcohol more than the Burning Association’s doctrine. Even when the believers in Korea opposed it, he forced it through and built this place.”
Hwang In-goo, it’s you again?
What a truly eccentric person.
“Well then, let’s drink up. Yao will be our bartender.”
“I’ll whip up some killer cocktails if you let me take charge.”
Yao, who goes nuts over food and is good at cooking, was also adept at cocktail preparation, even without an official certification.
“…Isn’t it forbidden to drink? Won’t the Goddess get mad at us?”
Reeve sat down uncomfortably on the bar stool, looking reluctant.
I smiled gently at the priestess, who appeared to be worrying for no reason.
“It’s fine. Our Goddess isn’t petty.”
Then I briefly explained the basic rules.
“What our Order prohibits are treatment acts for personal gain and apostasy. Everything else is allowed.”
The Goddess, being a free spirit, abolished all restrictive rules binding the members.
Indeed, she was more noble yet had such a carefree spirit.
“Can we serve other gods at the same time?”
I nodded lightly.
“It doesn’t matter. But they must be noble beings with heavenly rank, not an evil god, demon, ancient deity, or malevolent spirit.”
“That’s a relief. The ones I serve are more noble and sacred than anyone else. Although they aren’t particularly well-behaved.”
In Reeve’s eyes, a sense of longing seemed to linger.
It looked like she was recalling past memories.
I wondered how complicated her emotions might be.
If it were me, I would likely still be wandering around after undergoing the events she has faced, but this priestess had managed to recover to a decent extent.
It showed the benefit of bringing her onboard as a saint.
“Hang in there.”
Seeing her regain a measure of emotional stability, I offered some light encouragement.
Of course, I didn’t just want to alleviate her sorrow with words alone; I intended to provide practical help as well.
“I will help reconnect you with the Goddesses. Just hang in there until then.”
“…Thank you.”
Reeve lowered her head for a moment before looking up cheerfully, saying,
“But didn’t we agree to get along easily after that fight?”
“Ah, we did.”
“Then speak comfortably!”
“The Pope must maintain courtesy, regardless of who the other person is.”
“But you can speak informally in private, right?”
“…….”
In principle, it was possible, but it was impossible for me.
“I have a compulsion to speak honorifically embedded in my head. You may speak comfortably, Reeve.”
“Um….”
For some reason, Reeve awkwardly fumbled her lips and then laughed shyly.
“Actually, I’m speaking like this because of the teachings of the Goddess, who emphasizes the importance of etiquette.”
“…Ah, I see.”
Now that I noticed, it seemed we were in similar situations.
“Guess we’ll just have to keep it this way.”
“That seems likely.”
Ultimately, we agreed to continue using honorifics while talking, just as before, and eventually, others we had invited to the cocktail bar arrived.
“Your Holiness, thank you for hosting this meaningful gathering. Please invite us again next time.”
“Today’s class was splendid, splendid. I would like another one. What do you think?”
The exemplary students, Wip and Kim Ji-yeon, seemed unbothered by the fatigue and expressed their gratitude to me.
In fact, without even being prompted, they started recounting which parts of the lecture impressed them most.
“Especially the part where etiquette is practiced not for others but to organize one’s own mindset moved me deeply.”
“Oh ho ho, I feel the same way.”
“Ah, Ji-yeon, you liked that part too?”
“I cried at that moment….”
Did Kelaout say such things?
I couldn’t remember, but they seemed to empathize with each other, blooming a conversation.
They must have been so engaged that they didn’t feel sleepy at all.
The fact they actually retained everything left me utterly astonished.
‘Oh Sun, did the patience you were to give me end up going to someone else? Feels like a misdelivery.’
Jokingly, I protested to the Goddess and then opened my mouth lightly.
It was time to state the purpose of gathering everyone.
“Do you know why I called only you all for this post-gathering?”
Everyone sat still, seemingly without an answer in mind.
I locked eyes with each person sitting at the bar and continued.
“It’s not that there’s something profound behind it, but simply because I called those who wouldn’t interrupt me with needless chatter or trouble me with various issues.”
The returnees gathered here formed a sort of personality dream team.
Among them were my closest aides who had emotionally grown closer, the supreme holy knight Yao.
A priestess, Reeve, whose personality was generally amiable despite being playful.
A dark elf, Wip, whose kindness belied her appearance.
And even Kim Ji-yeon, a robot, who was surprisingly more normal than one might expect.
All of them were people who posed no risk of offending me. Additionally, each returnee had amassed plenty of knowledge from their own worlds.
Even with the fatigue from Kelaout’s lecture, I had something I wanted to deal with alongside these individuals.
“From now, let’s commence discussions on launching an expedition into the demon realm to take down the succubus who brainwashed Cubica and the great demon Rema.”
It was time to set off to the demon world.
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