Reeve’s face, once shrouded in shadow, brightened up.
New emotions flooded the face of the would-be saint, who had been slowly sinking in self-loathing.
Hope.
A dazzling expectation for the future.
“…Your Holiness.”
Finally, Reeve slowly rose to her feet, overflowing with a sturdy will.
I gently lifted the corners of my mouth and stood up.
“What do you wish to call me?”
“Thank you.”
A single phrase soaked in profound tranquility.
The priest plagued by self-doubt was no longer present.
Although the deep scars etched in her heart had not yet vanished, they were now overshadowed by sparkling hope like a morning star.
“I was foolish. Why did I think I was distanced from the goddesses? They are right here.”
Reeve placed her hand on her chest and smiled sweetly.
A beautiful smile like vibrant spring flowers. The ache of longing that once pierced my heart vanished without a trace.
It was only after capturing that lovely expression in my eyes that I finally felt at ease.
Our would-be saint seemed to have finally emerged from her state of mental weakness.
‘That was close….’
When I almost accepted the general’s offer without a moment’s reflection, I was so shocked I forgot I was broadcasting. It was such a significant event.
Of course, it was hard to consider it Reeve’s fault.
If we were to determine wrongdoing, I was the problem. As the pope, I failed to grasp the anxious state of the member’s psyche.
I made a mistake by feeling at ease for a while because she looked calm on the outside. In any case, it had been resolved well.
“I’m glad to see you revitalized.”
“It’s thanks to you, Your Holiness.”
“Not at all. It is because you, Reeve, possessed deep and abundant faith that you achieved this mental growth.”
If Reeve had just been an ordinary member of the clergy, no matter what I said, she would still be trapped in despair and anguish.
But Reeve was the highest priest, a position on par with the pope in the world she came from.
A clergyman with enough faith to understand my intentions immediately.
Even amidst the towering shadows of hardship, she was a priest who could follow the faint light I had ignited.
So I believed. She would soon shake off her self-loathing and despair and rise again.
“Thank you as well. For helping me shake off these heavy feelings.”
“……”
Was she feeling shy? Reeve avoided my gaze and scratched her wrist.
Then, she cautiously opened her mouth.
“Aren’t you quite alluring for a married woman? Please don’t make my heart race.”
“……”
It seemed Reeve’s preference lay in ‘that direction.’
A bit sudden, but I wasn’t shocked. I am the pope who respects differences and distances myself from discrimination and contempt.
“I do happen to be attractive.”
I replied nonchalantly and handed Reeve a gift.
A gem resembling an eyeball. It was the tool I had used to cross into the Demon World.
“Why this all of a sudden?”
I smiled at the would-be saint, whose eyes widened in surprise.
“I didn’t know your name, so I was unaware that this gem’s official name is ‘Our Lovely Reeve.’ I don’t know who came up with it, but it’s pretty cute.”
“……”
Her beautiful face crinkled in a frown, likely not wanting to hide it.
“How did you know?”
“A demon who knew you came into my broadcast. They used the nickname ‘Daughter of the Queen,’ do you know who that is?”
“I do know her. We’re entangled in a bitter fate.”
A reluctant response.
It seemed they weren’t particularly close. But that was a fact I didn’t need to worry about right now.
“Thanks to that demon, I discovered a solution. They gave me useful information in just three minutes.”
This was the effect of asking for help in the Demon World.
“…Really? Could it be a lie?”
It was a situation she likely hadn’t anticipated.
Reeve only gave me a suspicious glance instead of looking pleased.
Was the Daughter of the Queen not a reliable demon?
Well, demons were known to lie and deceive as a habit. Except for Lilith, they were all just tricksters.
Even though it was a situation she should be happy about, the would-be saint harbored suspicion. I gently spoke to reassure her.
“Whether it’s a lie or not, we’ll have to test it now.”
“Pardon?”
“I also haven’t figured out the truth yet. Let’s confirm it through practical application from now on.”
“……”
The would-be saint stared at me in silence, frowning deeply.
Her dismayed gaze poked at my cheek, but I stood undeterred and calmly continued.
“At least it’s a much more promising method than eating the bizarre grain the general offered.”
“…That’s true.”
“Then please stay still.”
I wrapped my hands around Reeve’s right hand holding the gem and sent forth sacred power.
Slowly, just a little bit. I injected only a trace that wouldn’t cause issues and spun it quickly.
Ziiiiing.
Soon, the pupil part of the tool was dyed with a purple glow.
Now was the perfect moment.
“Reeve.”
Though the subject would likely be horrified, there was a step that had to be taken.
“Swallow this.”
“……”
As expected, Reeve’s face twisted in disgust. I ignored it and urged her again.
“Quickly eat it. If it fails, I can simply extract it with magic later, right?”
“…Your Holiness, this really doesn’t feel right.”
The would-be saint, serious, narrowed her eyes and continued speaking.
“The Daughter of the Queen is a demon harboring vengeful thoughts towards me. Whatever you heard from her, I’m sure she didn’t willingly provide the right information.”
“That’s a reasonable suspicion.”
“Right?”
“Still, please eat it.”
“…Why?”
“You must save Wip.”
I pointed towards the Dark Elf engaged in a fierce battle with the muscular demon.
She was desperately wielding her dagger, even getting pushed back against the Void Monster. That general, Ko something, was a formidable opponent beyond imagination.
“The data found on DemonNet was incorrect. That demon is an entity that has stepped beyond the realm of demigods.”
“……”
Demigod.
General Koruaegenin was a demon that had surpassed the wall of superhumans.
Now that Kim Ji-yeon’s Reverse Sky Dragon had vanished due to depleted energy, there was only one way to deal with Ko something.
Reeve awakening.
Since I needed to preserve strength to face the Great Demon, our would-be saint had to unleash her full power.
“What will you do?”
“…It seems I have no choice.”
Sighing, Reeve closed her eyes for a moment.
Then, she suddenly swallowed the gem in one go.
“Ugh…”
“Now you must focus. Concentrate your mind on the gem within you, and recall the world where your goddess resides.”
The information given by the Daughter of the Queen was as follows.
-This is a trick I discovered, but if you open a small dimensional gate in your body when transferring between worlds, you can maintain your original power. We could apply this, right?
A brilliant yet dangerously reckless idea.
Based on that, the solution I envisioned was this.
Swallow the gem, ‘Our Lovely Reeve,’ a tool for opening a passage between dimensions, and create a tiny dimensional gate inside her. Thus, reconnecting Reeve with her goddess.
It was a theory worth attempting.
“Open the dimensional gate to the smallest size safely.”
“……”
Reeve kept her mouth shut while concentrating her mind. The twisted expression on her face gradually calmed down.
What kind of result would come out?
There was still nothing to ascertain, but I wasn’t worried about things going awry. From the beginning, concerns never entered my heart.
“Oh gentle sun, please bestow warm sunlight upon the path of the priestess.”
At that moment, as I quietly prayed.
Swoosh!
A deep holy light began to emanate from Reeve’s body.
A tranquil pure white radiance that quelled complex thoughts.
It was beautiful.
Emotionally stirring, overwhelming, and heart-wrenching.
My heart swelled, and I could hardly contain it.
With the sacred power of another world, vivid and profound feelings surged within me. They grew and eventually overflowed through my eyes.
“Ah…”
I realized when the tears streamed down, dripping onto the ground.
I was witnessing the moment when the lost priest finally received the brilliant light once more.
*
Surrounded by the radiance spreading from her body, Reeve bit her lip.
It couldn’t be helped.
-Reeve…
The most noble and elegant voice echoed in her mind.
A precious divine presence once taken for granted until her return.
The goddess.
The one she fervently adored and revered.
Finally.
A reunion she could only dream of had become a reality. The long-awaited moment had arrived.
“Mother of Peace…”
Her voice trembled and faltered.
She had so much to say upon regaining the ability to communicate. Starting from love and apologies, she wanted to have profound conversations.
Yet with the ability to connect restored, her mind went blank.
Her lips, weighed down by accumulated emotions, couldn’t open properly.
So she stood still, relishing the joy and excitement of their reunion.
Then, the goddess carefully spoke.
-I am happy to see you again, but now doesn’t seem like the time for mere joy.
“…That’s true.”
Only then did Reeve gather her scattered thoughts.
It wasn’t a time for celebration. There was still work to do, and a demon to deal with.
-Reeve.
With a soft whisper, the noble figure instructed her.
-Hurry and show them who your priest is.
Naturally.
Reeve gladly accepted the command.
“I will protect the peace.”
With a respectful reply, Reeve slowly raised her left hand.
In her once-empty palm, a pure white battle hammer appeared out of nowhere.
The protector of peace.
The primary weapon wielded by the Priest of Peace, imbued with heavenly power.
With a sly smile at the long-awaited heavy weight, Reeve forcefully swung the hammer from her position.
Boom!
The white shockwave generated by the hammer surged fiercely toward the general, who was attempting to chop down Wip.
“…Oh no.”
Koruaegenin hastily defended himself using the ax blade enveloped in demonic energy as a shield.
But.
That was nowhere near enough.
Creak!
The massive ax shattered in an instant, sweeping away the owner behind it.
“Grrr…”
The general, who spat out blood, stumbled and knelt on one knee.
Then, Reeve rushed in quickly, swinging her battle hammer repeatedly.
Head, chest, abdomen, shins.
Such blows could easily send any common demon crumbling with just one hit. The general, who had previously fought effortlessly against Wip, could only be pushed backward, helpless.
A combat situation bordering on outright assault.
As Eluke quietly resumed her broadcast, she said,
“The strongest subordinate of that Rema is being beaten up without any chance. Please enjoy it to the fullest.”
The downfall of the Great Demon was inching closer.
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