Somehow, the task I had resolved to finish over the weekend ended up stretching into another weekend.
The reason? Well, it was because I had to fly all the way to the 1st District, so far from the Elven District. Although the Church didn’t summon me—perhaps they thought they didn’t have that right—the problem was that these people were trying to do something I didn’t even want.
[The Pope is about to leave his seat.]
Recalling the news Grace had brought, I shivered.
No way.
That absolutely cannot happen!
If the Papal seat is vacant right now, who will become the next Pope?
No, even more, they might be saying that on purpose. I mean, who communicated the details so accurately that the Pope would say this less than a day later?
Naturally, it was no surprise that I dashed over to the 1st District.
“No grand welcome is necessary. Please let me meet the Pope right away.”
As soon as I stepped off the plane, I pushed past the people who had hurriedly prepared and were waiting for me just hours after hearing I was coming.
And of course, they guided me straight to where the Pope was. That meant the Pope had anticipated the situation and cleared his schedule in advance. Even worse!
Kicking open the door to the Papal Office, I stared straight at the Pope as I spoke.
“Your Holiness.”
“You don’t need to speak so formally. I have already heard enough about who the Saintess is.”
“…You’re resigning from the Papal seat?”
Ignoring the Pope grandfather’s words completely, I asked, and he replied with an utterly joyful expression.
“Yes, a person so suitable for my position has come, so how could I dare to stand in the same place as that person?”
Well, you can stand, though.
If possible, I’d prefer you to be a bit above me, so I wouldn’t have any annoying issues.
“… Who exactly do you mean by ‘that person’?”
The Pope bowed his head silently in my direction.
“…”
Seeing that gesture, I swallowed my breath.
Then, slowly, I bent down, placing my hands on the floor and laying down flat.
“Ah, Saintess! Not like this…!”
It was only natural for the Pope to be flustered when I suddenly knelt down. After all, he was looking at me as if I were some deity, and it was obvious that would pose a problem.
But without hesitation, I rolled sideways into the floor.
And taking a position on my back, staring at the ceiling.
“Saintess…?”
That moment, everyone in the Papal Office, including the Pope, was bewildered by what I was doing.
Gasp
I took a deep breath,
“I’m NOT going to do it—!!!”
And I shouted with all my might!
*
It’s a scene often seen when children throw a tantrum, lying on the ground, flailing their arms and legs. You might witness kids in big department stores or theme parks trying to reason with their parents who aren’t catering to their wishes; those can usually be controlled.
Either by buying what they want or by soothing them. The first time it happens, they might not know what to do and feel embarrassed, but with repetition, they build up a resistance to it.
But that’s just from the parents’ perspective who have raised children.
Among those gathered in the Papal Office, there wasn’t a single person who had given birth or raised a child.
The Pope and the secretary had certainly never been married. Having become priests in their youth, they had spent their lives studying theology within the Church, meaning they had never faced children throwing tantrums on the floor. Even little kids know they shouldn’t be noisy in a Cathedral. And besides, which child would throw a tantrum wanting something from the Cathedral?
There was one nun who had lived in a convent since childhood, but she, too, had never cared for children. Not every nun looked after the children in the convent.
Moreover, could the being rolling around on the floor actually be just a ‘normal kid’?
It was a being who was fifteen years old, standing right in the middle of childhood and adulthood!
“I’m NOT going to do it! I’m NOT becoming Pope—!”
But is that even right?
Is it correct to compare this being, who was created by gods and holds conversations on equal footing with them, to ordinary fifteen-year-old girls?
A decisive thought crossed the Pope’s mind, who was blushing in embarrassment.
A pure existence, knowing nothing, came down to the world solely to save people. Even if she could communicate with us and occasionally demonstrated maturity, fundamentally, her way of thinking wouldn’t differ much from that of a pure child.
What even is a sanctuary? It’s something that one can never know until they die and meet the gods. Can such a sanctuary form a complex society tangled in relationships as we humans do?
As those thoughts crossed his mind, the Pope straightened up as if struck by lightning.
That’s right. The politics and power of humans are incomprehensible to a pure soul like a child. Yet the Saintess has faced it squarely without running away, trying to understand it somehow.
However, this time, her patience had run out.
What about pure little children?
If someone were to demand anything of them without understanding, any child would naturally dislike it. Especially if they were forced into a world filled with adults who look down on them and try to deceive them with lies, it would indeed be a heavy burden for this sharp being who has a pure child’s heart yet comprehends the adult world.
Understanding this, the Pope immediately rose and walked to the side of the Saintess.
“In that case, I will sit in this place for now.”
And then he spoke gently.
The Saintess who had been squirming on the floor, crying out like a child in a mix of white and red garments adorned in soft light, immediately stopped her fuss.
“…Really?”
The Saintess blinked and asked, and the Pope felt a twinge of sadness in his heart. How much hurt had this noble existence, who descended from the heavens to save people, endured to act like this?
Wasn’t this the person who had acted maturely in front of countless people until now?
“Yes, truly. Upon reconsideration, it seems I still have much work to do.”
With those words, the Saintess’s face brightened immediately.
She sprang up, sitting on the floor with her bottom on the ground, but she seemed entirely unconcerned about it.
“Really?”
“Yes, really.”
“You have to stay as Pope for a long time, okay?”
“Yes, I will do that.”
Once she confirmed this again, the Saintess stood up with a beaming smile.
“Oh, I’m so glad! You can’t change your mind suddenly!”
“Yes, since I said this to the Saintess, I should bear that much responsibility.”
“Thank you!”
She exclaimed, leaving with only a remark about things she needed to address right away, quickly escaping the Papal Office. In truth, based on her demeanor, it was more like she wanted to leave quickly before the Pope changed his mind.
“…Are you alright?”
The secretary, who waited until the Saintess left and the door closed, asked.
“Why wouldn’t I be okay?”
“But, isn’t she the one who descended from the heavens? When we failed the last identity check, I thought it was because the documents were lost, but actually, there were no documents at all. If she is indeed a being descended from the heavens, I believe it’s only fair to grant her the position of divine agent.”
“A divine agent, you say.”
Hearing the secretary’s words, the Pope smiled. Then he slowly walked over and placed his hands on the chair he used for his duties. As he caressed the chair, he asked the secretary:
“How many among those who claimed to be divine agents have truly conversed with the gods?”
“…”
“Rather, I think the Saintess sees things differently.”
“Differently, you say?”
At the secretary’s question, the Pope took a moment before replying.
“The Church might be incomprehensible to the Saintess.”
That answer was somewhat distant from the question.
“Excuse me?”
“What is the Church? It’s merely a place where believers gather, nothing more. How have we changed that simple place over the past few hundred years? We’ve created hierarchies among believers, divided voting rights, and made leaders to compete against each other. In that process, hasn’t the Church become excessively complicated? How would the image of us chasing power and controlling others appear to her pure eyes?”
“…”
The secretary was also hit with a sense of realization. In fact, the Saintess had shown unfavorable feelings every time she was entangled in power. Even if that same thing was going to benefit her, she still reacted poorly.
If she wanted, she could turn the entire Church upside down, seize all the power, and fulfill all her desires, yet she is still satisfied living in that rundown convent. In fact, every time someone tried to give her something, she’d just run back to that convent and burrow herself in!
As if that was the most comfortable for her.
“So, restoring the purity of the Church is the best we can do. Of course, we can’t just destroy all the ranks and systems. But someday, when the Saintess sits in this place, we should prepare for it to look good from her perspective.”
“There must be a lot to do.”
The conference was still ongoing. Under the goal of restoring modern faith, they were going through detailed aspects within the Church one by one, but that was not enough. More reforms were needed.
“Yes, indeed. It’s a rewarding endeavor.”
If the ‘Saintess’ herself had heard that, it would have been quite shocking, but anyway, those two esteemed clergy were thinking just that.
*
To be honest, it was a strategy born from having nowhere else to retreat, but I’m glad it worked out.
Of course, flailing around and shouting that I wouldn’t do it was very embarrassing. I know that. Especially since I was aware that I was in my mid-twenties.
But still, I adopted that strategy because, while I, the original, was just an ordinary young person, the existence known as ‘Clara Anderson’ was undeniably a cute girl that anyone would find likable.
You know, when a supposedly cringe-worthy act is performed by a cute and pretty girl, it all feels different.
…Well, whatever. What matters is that it worked. Since the Pope declared with his kindly smile that he wouldn’t step down, I could breathe easy for a while.
It did bother me a bit that the secretary was recording the whole process, but… well, it’s not like the Pope himself could carelessly look at those records. The disclosure would be decades later. If necessary, I could just say to reveal it after I die, and they’d probably agree to that.
“Feeling good?”
Rina, who followed me despite my telling her it was okay not to, asked that. She still had that tanned look about her. Her previously pale skin had been unable to withstand the intense Holy Power pouring down on her under the hot summer sun.
If only she had worn a swimsuit instead, it wouldn’t have been an issue, but at that moment, she was wearing her nun’s outfit.
Due to the nature of the nun’s outfit covering her neck, she literally had a tan only on her face and hands.
She glared at me, claiming she had to go to school in a nun’s outfit instead of a uniform, so all I could do as a person still possessing a conscience was apologize.
Anyway, the reason Rina came all the way here was definitely just one.
“…So, you’re not going to become Pope?”
Rina, still unable to forget my words saying ‘You as the Saintess,’ feared that if I truly became Pope, that would mean she would become the Saintess.
“Yes, somehow I managed to avoid it.”
Hearing that, Rina placed her hand over her heart and sighed in relief.
“Hah, what a relief…”
…It felt quite strange to see her reacting like that when she had been teasing me saying I had no choice but to be Pope not long ago.
“Now that I think about it, it’s strange that there’s only one Saintess. Considering it’s just one per era, having two wouldn’t be odd.”
“No, hey, don’t say such creepy things. The looks in the Cathedral where I stay have been strangely changing.”
“That’s because you confessed your faith to the Mother Superior.”
“No…”
Rina seemed to want to rebut me but finally sighed deeply as if she had given up.
“Ah, well. At least it’s good that you didn’t become the Saintess right away.”
“Or at least if I could get a letter of recommendation…”
“Seriously, don’t even say that.”
Seeing Rina’s serious expression, I decided to drop it.
I was already getting caught by the throat two times a day as it was; getting caught any more won’t lead to anything good.
*
“Not happening! Not happening!”
The crow I grabbed in my hand shouted that. Abandoning all dignity, it now squawked wildly with typical crow sounds.
The demons are said to be strong, but they didn’t set any physical characteristics, so I really couldn’t figure out why this one looked like this. I had thought it would look more like a high-ranking demon.
“Not happening? What do you mean by that?”
“If witches see me, they won’t just stand by!”
“Maybe, but they most likely will just sit there. They’re all wearing Holy Power necklaces, after all.”
“There’s no way I’ll die.”
At my words, the crow eventually seemed to give up its resistance, letting its neck droop. Its body shook slightly, and it dangled from side to side as if it were dead.
Of course, it wasn’t actually dead or unconscious; it was just slumped over as if it had given up on life.
But I didn’t feel particularly sorry for it.
“Snap out of it! What’re you going to do if you faint already?”
“…”
No response.
“By the way,”
Rina, who was walking beside me, spoke up.
“Is there really a need to carry it around like that? Wouldn’t it be better to put it in a cage or something?”
“Carrying it like this makes it look unhappier. Putting a talking crow in a cage would seem way too fancy.”
At my words, Rina looked like she was about to roll her eyes.
“You really don’t like these types, huh?”
Well, of course. About 90% of my life’s misfortunes stemmed from these guys anyway.
Shaking the droopy crow a bit more vigorously on purpose, I headed toward the interrogation room where the two witches were gathered.
*
Placing the seemingly dead crow on the desk, the Witch of Resentment, who had been silent up to that point, finally opened her mouth.
“What is this? Are you planning to serve meals like this now?”
“No way I’d serve you an unprocessed bird for a meal.”
The Witch of Lust countered, but honestly, I was a tad curious for a moment. Of course, I had no real intention of doing so.
I pointed at the upside-down crow, spreading its wings toward the ceiling.
“It’s a demon, you know. Can’t you tell?”
“…”
“…”
As I spoke, the two witches glanced down at the crow, then raised their heads slowly.
“What is this?”
The Witch of Resentment asked incredulously, and
“Are you saying the demon I know is different from the one you know?”
the Witch of Lust teased back.
“I think it’s better to hear the details directly…. Hey.”
I prodded the crow’s belly with a finger, making it flinch.
“Get up.”
After poking it again, the crow could hardly hold back and cawed hurriedly, rising from the desk.
“You explain it. Your identity, and what’s going on right now.”
But the crow merely cawed and cawed. As if it didn’t know how to speak human language.
“…”
I reached out my hand toward the crow, but it merely jumped back, avoiding my hand. It spread its wings wide, as if ready to flee.
“Better spill it before I get more mad. Otherwise, I might genuinely send you off to the gods. I hear demons are flying over here for a chat right now. Do you want to join them? I’m sure Baal is waiting eagerly for you.”
Hearing my words, the crow slowly closed its wings. It then looked around the room with nervous eyes at everyone present—me, and then Rina, Aurora, Linea, and even Uncle Paul who had entered for precautions. The two witches deliberately avoided facing them.
By this point, no matter how clueless the two witches were, they had started to grasp the situation.
“…There’s definitely something here.”
The Witch of Lust muttered with a doubting expression.
“…”
The Witch of Resentment stared stiffly at the crow with a very complicated expression.
“Speak. If you’d like to delay your death at all, that is.”
At my insistence, the crow cawed once more before finally saying,
“Then… I shall comply.”
It spoke as if it had given up entirely.
And upon hearing that crow’s voice, the faces of the witches of Resentment and Lust froze in shock.
…So it’s definitely a demon after all.
“Alright, then. Since our new witness has agreed to cooperate, let’s see how much of your words we can believe.”
I said as I pulled over an empty chair and sat down.
“Now, let’s discuss what you said.”
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