Chapter: 605
As I faced the Pope’s sloppy smile, I couldn’t contain my shock.
What’s going on? Why does the Pope recognize me!? This is my mental world! That guy shouldn’t have any sanity left!?
“Ah… Just meeting the Apostle of God leaves me in such awe, but to think I would meet two other heroes this way. I’m so honored that I don’t know how to act!”
Not only me, but grandpa and Garad can see him too?! This makes my guess that I moved based on predicting I would go underground totally useless!
“Is your mind contained within the Divine?”
“Of course! It’s Ruel! To notice it right away!”
Looking for an explanation, I turned, but grandpa shook his head. Is this not the time to speak with an opponent in front of us?
Understanding the intent, I tried to quietly step back, but instead, the Pope raised his voice.
“Please explain to the Apostle. After all, I have no intention of harming you.”
“Yeah, most of the people who say that don’t really mean it.”
Garad, who had somehow moved in front of me, sneered, but the Pope didn’t lose his spirit.
“By the greatness of Lord Jushin, I swear on my faith in Him.”
“Then how should I believe that?”
“You can believe it. This person’s faith is genuine.”
Hearing grandpa’s words, Garad looked at me with questioning eyes, seemingly unable to comprehend. But my answer wouldn’t be very different from grandpa’s.
There was no doubt about the Pope’s faith. This wasn’t just a sentence said with gaming knowledge.
Right now, at this moment, as the Apostle of God, I could feel the Pope’s faith was unshakeable.
“I’m truly grateful that the two noble ones acknowledge me. It brings me to the brink of tears.”
“Enough with the unnecessary flowery words.”
“Haha, I apologize. I suppose Ruel is trying not to explain to hide the power of the Apostle. However, that’s unnecessary. I already know everything, including the purification and authority of embrace the Apostle possesses.”
At the Pope’s words, grandpa paused briefly. Though his expression didn’t change, I could sense the complexity of his thoughts.
“I’m not trying to measure you. I just observed. In the forest where the God of Darkness and the Fairy Queen reside.”
“…Are you saying you tricked our senses?”
“That’s one of my many talents.”
Amongst the two who were exchanging glances, it was grandpa who acted first.
“Lucy, you must have felt the Divine within the doll. Divinity naturally influences the mind of its owner. It must be the power that a God gives to a human soul.”
Information I didn’t know popped up. Is this more backstory about the divine?
“If one can handle this property to the extreme, one can infuse some of their own mind into the divinity. Think of Lina’s usual use of clones.”
While it sounded somewhat far-fetched, I couldn’t dare to deny grandpa’s words.
The Pope was currently realizing this, and I could guess that grandpa’s method with the mace was also of a similar nature.
“This guy has reached that domain. And you, having come here, touched the divinity within the doll. You must have heard the prophetic song that the Fairy Queen provided.”
“That’s correct! To deduce that just by seeing me here! Truly a legendary figure! This doll created to insult you is on a whole different level!”
The Pope clapped in admiration, but grandpa’s expression did not improve.
“This is not a level someone born in this era can achieve. Just what are you?”
“Do you really think it’s impossible? There are two exceptions here, aren’t there?”
The exceptions must refer to Phoebe and me.
As long as we exist as exceptions to the scriptural verse that Lord Jushin treats those on Earth equally, denying the possibility of another exception is impossible.
Of course, I know that is not true. Lord Jushin has never once affirmed the Pope’s actions or beliefs.
But he is just a shoddy god who can’t even protect his apostles properly.
“…That’s…”
“If you insist on an explanation, then I can only say I am a devout believer in Lord Jushin.”
The man who protects a twisted faith more devoutly than anyone else sealed the Holy Knight’s mouth with his sincerity. Then, he turned his gaze to me.
“O Apostle of God, do you not wonder? How could non-believers possess and use Divinity?”
“Are you trying to get attention that way? What a nonsense move. Just like your bad breath.”
I didn’t have a reason to be curious. Because I already knew why it happened.
I didn’t want to hear about how a shoddy god was shoddy from someone else’s mouth.
With that thought, I shook my head, and the Pope squinted his eyes slightly.
“Then what about the reason they wield Divinity differently from you and the Saintess?”
I was taken aback by his unexpected question and flinched slightly, causing the Pope to curl his lips.
“Essentially, the Divinity they handle and the one you handle is the same Lord Jushin’s Divinity. You would know that.”
As the Pope said, the two divinities are essentially the same. Up to this point, I would also know well.
“Then why can’t many like you and the Saintess possess warmth? The answer is simple. They are not the great Lord Jushin.”
“Why are you stating the obvious in such a long-winded manner?”
“Yes, it is an obvious statement, but it’s complex as well. Garad, think of all the apostles chosen by the other gods. Don’t you think there’s a resemblance?”
The Perverted Apostle is often similar to the perverted crow.
The God of Martial Arts’ interest in Frey is undoubtedly similar.
And other apostles I’ve seen in the game were also the same. They resembled their gods in nature.
“I describe this as the qualification to borrow the power of a God. Yes, Apostle of God. The reason you can borrow the power of the great Lord is that you possess the same nobility as Him.”
“You’re saying I resemble the shoddy perverted apostle!? Hahaha! Are you serious?!”
But I can’t accept this.
I don’t want to accept it.
Are you saying I look like a perverted jerk who dresses a girl in a bunny outfit and acts like a fool!?
Sure, I’ve done similar things from behind the monitor!
I’ve clicked on 18+ content like a hypnotized fool, grinning at characters in risqué outfits!
But that’s only in the world beyond the monitor!
I’d never commit such insane acts in reality!
I’m just a decent guy who was temporarily seized by lust!
I’m different from that shoddy perverted god!
“Shall we prove it?”
As the Pope widened his eyes, a tremor was felt from the ground.
“The divinity you accepted is based on the one Ruel used in the past, but it’s not solely made up of that. The divine energy of the inquisitors executed here is also present.”
“You combined someone else’s divinity into one? That piece of trash has no authority of embrace?”
“It is feasible. Ruel, it can’t compare to your powers. But it is the result of many sacrifices. In fact, you thought the divinity inside was singular, didn’t you?”
“Hey, what are you trying to do?”
“I just wanted to give a present to the Apostle who is suffering for the miracle of God. It’s not just about restoring your original powers; I wish for you to become someone closer to the God. I hope you will accept it joyfully.”
Facing the Pope’s smile, I understood that this wasn’t just directed at me; it was aimed at someone else too.
The one he hopes to make happy isn’t me, but Lord Jushin.
This jerkwad is equating me with Lord Jushin, believing that if I’m happy, it makes Lord Jushin happy too.
I’m getting really heated.
I don’t like being treated the same as a disgusting perverted jerk, and now what? You say you prepared a gift to make me stronger?
“Is your brain operating at a beast level and you behave like one?♡ You prepare such blood-soaked gifts claiming it’ll be a reward?♡ Your preferences are showing your level♡”
“Those who possess things they shouldn’t possess pay their price, is what you should think.”
“Price?♡ Hahaha! Seriously?♡ I’m curious now♡ Just what are you to collect a price?♡”
“I’m just a believer who offers faith to the great Lord Jushin.”
“Beep!♡ Wrong answer♡ The shoddy perverted god doesn’t accept faith from trash like you~♡ I wonder if that faith is currently stuffed in a trash bin somewhere?♡”
“That’s impossible. The Lord embraces everyone.”
“The shoddy god must be troubled~♡ Sticking with an ugly, smelly, delusional old stalker~♡ If I were him, I would be so disgusted that I’d bite my tongue off♡”
Pretending to bite my tongue, for the first time the Pope’s expression hardened for a moment.
But it was only for a brief period.
In an instant, the Pope regained his composure, forcing a smile as he took a step back.
“You seem a bit upset, but it’s already late. You’ve received my gift.”
“Me?♡ When?♡”
“Have you not already embraced the Divine?”
“Oh~♡ You thought I accepted this?♡ Geh! Hahaha!♡ You really are dumb♡”
What I was trying to embrace was only the Divinity that grandpa possessed.
Not the crazy cultists’ not even the Divinity harvested from killing those lunatics.
So I’ll return it.
Are you going to say I can’t return opened goods?
Shove it.
I’ve already decided I want to embrace only what I want to embrace.
If you have complaints, take them to the shoddy god and file a grievance in prayer.
I don’t know if your nonsense will even reach there.
“Shoddy♡”
Even while causing a scene driven by emotion, I was still worried about the aftermath, but when I saw the Pope’s joyful expression, I realized I had no need for such worries.
Ha. Seriously, there are too many masochistic jerks in this world.
“Hahaha! I’ll take my leave for today! Hoping to see you again in the future!”
Yeah. See you again in a few months, Pope.
Do you think you’ll still be able to smile like this when everything you believed in gets shattered?
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