“First, I should probably explain why I’m so sensitive about the Black Sun.”
At my words, the clear gazes of the two women focused intently on me. They were like two birds that had just been kicked out of the nest but were trying to concentrate hard nonetheless.
Thank goodness they were at least two somewhat normal people.
Feeling a bit relieved, I continued speaking.
“As you both know, our Order regards the Sun as synonymous with the Goddess. This is distinctly different from the perspective of this world.”
Connecting the Sun to the divine can be seen in mythologies across various cultures. It was the same in Greece and Egypt.
Given that the game was based on real myths, this was expected.
However, in modern times, the Sun is seen as a star unrelated to sanctity. It has a significant impact on Earth, but it is not deified.
It simply exists as part of nature out in the vast universe.
Despite knowing how enormous and precious its role in our lives is, no one sings its praises.
This is all due to advanced science stripping the Sun of its grand and divine image.
But on the other hand…
In that world, science hasn’t developed as much. Unlike here, where gods are merely legendary.
It’s not that scientific common sense doesn’t apply, but only a small elite, like royalty and nobility, really understand such knowledge.
Thus, the doctrine that the Sun is simply the Goddess naturally developed greatly.
“In that world, the Sun is a supernatural entity that mere mortals dare not approach. It is the Goddess.”
I paused to sip some water.
In the meantime, the attentive Hainha suddenly spoke up.
“That aligns perfectly with the game’s setting. From what I understand, even an emperor can’t recklessly point at the Sun; is that true?”
“That’s right.”
“Of course…!”
Hainha’s expression brightened for a moment like sunlight. It quickly returned to normal, but the excitement in her gaze remained.
Why was she so happy?
I tilted my head in confusion, recalling the persona she’d shown during broadcasts as ‘Havant.’
“She was well-versed in the lore, right?”
Before starting the [Solar Scepter] broadcast, I remembered her acting all smug from donations. She’d even gotten angry over my accidental spoilers.
At the time, I’d just brushed it off as nothing, but upon reflection, that wasn’t a response typical of an ordinary viewer.
“Agent, are you perhaps a fan of the [Solar Scepter] series?”
“Yes!”
To my cautious question, an enthusiastic nod returned as an answer.
Soon, Hainha leaned closer to me and began to elaborate.
“In fact, I’ve been a huge fan since the previous work, [Apollis Tales]. It was exactly my kind of game. I’ve watched the ending over dozens of times, and to enjoy it more, I dove into the lore. I even bought the lore book and read through it all because it was so…”
Once Hainha’s mouth was unsealed, it poured forth like a dam bursting.
…Was she always this talkative? I thought she was just a stony-faced agent.
Without realizing I was slightly put off, Hainha kept tossing out unsolicited information.
To be honest, I found it kind of fascinating.
She explained the method to swiftly annihilate the early-game monster swarm of corpse grasshoppers and how to defeat the boss ‘Lich Remiraen’ with a twig.
She even knew tips to capture the final boss Demon King using the healer and supporter Saint Hana.
‘…Isn’t she more of a pro than I am?’
At this point, she should’ve been the one who was reincarnated, right? Just as I was wondering, this chattering agent leaned in closer to me.
“In fact, I recognized you the first time I saw you, Your Holiness.”
“…Really?”
“I realized it precisely when I heard your name. Ah, you’re that Saint who appeared in the lore book!”
Her words unexpectedly triggered a thought.
“Seo-yoon, is this what they call a ‘demon’?”
Hainha was an ‘evil spirit’ from [Apollis Tales], or rather, ‘evil spirit’ for short.
“How on earth did you recognize me just from my name?”
“I could recite the lore book by heart. In truth, ‘Havant’ became well-known in the Tribe after visiting the A-the streamer’s channel and spilling everything I knew.”
It seemed like the National Agency wasn’t keen on prying too deeply into their agents’ daily lives.
Anyway, given her excitement, it looked like she was about to keep going until the meeting ended, so I decided to interrupt.
“Agent, I get it, so let’s save this conversation for later.”
“Oh… yes.”
Hainha quickly calmed down as if she had just realized how excited she’d gotten.
But now she seemed aware of what she had just done, with her face turning bright red.
“Showing all these sides today.”
I smirked before steering the conversation back to the main topic.
“To summarize what we were discussing earlier, the Sun is a symbol of the Goddess that everyone reveres in that world. The Sun itself is seen as divine.”
“Then the Black Sun…”
Seo-yoon trailed off, her expression darkening. At last, it seemed she understood what I was getting at.
I narrowed my eyes and said quietly.
“The Sun is a Sun, but dark and evil. That’s the Black Sun. To put it simply… it’s another god on par with our Goddess.”
In short, it was an evil god.
In the end, Haoran’s dream bore this meaning.
An evil god from another world is targeting me.
“Now, you both understand what kind of meeting we need to hold. Let’s brainstorm some countermeasures. If you have any brilliant ideas, go ahead and share.”
After finishing my statement, I briefly waited for my manager and the agent to speak.
However, the two only opened their mouths, seemingly unable to share their thoughts. They looked somewhat apprehensive.
“What’s wrong?”
“…Your Holiness, it’s a bit too overwhelming for ordinary folks like us.”
“You’re right there.”
Seo-yoon nodded vigorously in agreement with Hainha, pounding the table softly.
“This isn’t something we can handle. We need to speak to someone at a higher level.”
“The Goddess?”
“Yeah.”
It seemed they felt it was too complicated of an issue. It was my fault for asking based on the usual habit of conducting meetings.
“Understood.”
Since continuing wouldn’t bring any meaningful outcome, I decided to wrap up today’s meeting here.
From now on, it was my time alone.
“You two may step out. I’ll request a meeting with the Goddess.”
The formal discussion between the Goddess and the Pope.
This wasn’t just a simple chat one could have at any time; it was part of a religious ceremony.
Of course, it couldn’t be requested at any time, only in urgent or critical situations.
As an event of such significance, no one could attend, not even those closest to me.
“I’ll call you once the conversation is over.”
“Understood…”
“I’ll wait outside.”
The two women waved their hands, nodding, and left the room.
A quietness settled in the meeting room where I was now alone.
I immediately grabbed a chair and moved to the window to soak in more sunlight.
Then, I calmed my mind and gradually began to raise my sacred power.
This was the first step in preparing to request the meeting. I was trying to refine my body through sacred power.
After this step, there were a total of thirty more preparation stages to complete. Trying to do them all would take time, so I aimed to move quickly.
Suddenly, a noble voice rang in my head.
“Hey, don’t waste time; let’s cut to the chase. Why are you making this so tedious when we all know each other?”
“…….”
Oh great, breaking rules again. It’s a usual occurrence, but today she seemed even more impatient.
“Did you have something specific you wanted to say?”
“Guess so. I was waiting for you since you are so caught up in your useless rituals, but I can’t hold it in anymore.”
“…Is that so?”
“Listen up, Eluke. This is really important.”
I was already concentrating, but just in case I was misunderstanding, I cleared my mind and took deep breaths to relax.
And then, the Goddess spoke in a tone that was seldom serious.
“The Black Sun is targeting you. But it doesn’t mean to kill you.”
“What?”
I had made all the preparations, yet I couldn’t fully grasp it.
“What does that mean?”
“Well, it seems it wants to enjoy tea time with you while having some girl talks from hell.”
“…….”
“Anyway, be careful for now.”
Delivering such bewildering and ridiculous news, the Goddess quickly bid farewell.
“Today’s meeting ends here. I’ll keep an eye on you, so keep doing your best.”
“Goodbye.”
At last, my head, which had been bustling with chatter, fell into silence.
I sat quietly for a moment, organizing my thoughts. I didn’t gain any big insights from the meeting, but I could somewhat piece together the situation.
‘It doesn’t seem like a terribly serious problem.’
If it were critical, she would’ve taken more prompt measures. Just like the first broadcast, she might’ve sent down an angel as well.
The fact that she hadn’t meant it wasn’t something to worry too much about.
Thus, I didn’t need to live in constant tension day by day. I could continue living as usual, handling crises as they arose.
‘Alright, I should also let Liam know.’
Finally, the tangled mess of issues was beginning to untangle, and I had an idea of what to do next.
Feeling unexpectedly proud, I smiled and stretched.
“Oh, wait.”
At that moment, the noble voice echoed once more.
“What’s wrong?”
“I forgot to mention earlier, but soon one more person will be joining you.”
“…Who is it?”
Please, not Erin. That would be a problem. She had committed quite the bold act impersonating her name.
“Is it a companion?”
“Not exactly, but it’s someone you will really need right now.”
“What are you talking about….”
As I was about to urge for more details, suddenly someone’s face popped into my mind.
There was indeed someone I was in need of. I had just sought out talent during the meeting.
“Could it be the Archbishop?”
“Correct!”
“Oh.”
I let out a sigh I didn’t realize I was holding. It was only natural.
‘Just barely escaped, and now another one joins!’
It seemed the most extreme nagger, who had followed me throughout my papal life, was planning to cross over into this world.
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