“I’m off to bed for now.”
Fortunately, Kelaout didn’t barrage me with nagging all night like before.
It seemed he still had a lot to say, but I couldn’t fend off the waves of drowsiness.
Maybe it was a side effect of dimension travel, or perhaps it was just my age. Either way, it was a chance to catch my breath.
“Please go sleep. There are plenty of comfortable bedrooms here. You should be able to rest well, like you’re back home.”
“That’s a relief. I felt like I was about to collapse any moment.”
My left eye, which wasn’t covered by the eye mask, was blinking sleepily. It looked overly tired.
It was a strange sight to see an Archbishop, with even more stamina than me at the ripe age of eighty, complaining about fatigue.
“It’s interesting to see the Archbishop wanting to sleep before I do.”
I smiled and called out to Zhang Yao, who was waiting outside.
“Your Holiness, why do you call?”
“Please escort this person to their lodging. To the best room, of course.”
“Understood.”
The rookie Holy Knight surprisingly spoke to me politely.
If he had spoken informally, Kelaout, even in his sleepiness, would have scolded both of us. He had surprisingly quick wits.
‘Well done.’
I secretly gave a thumbs up, and Zhang Yao nodded slightly before leading the way.
The Archbishop followed suit, bowing his head to me.
“Then I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Indeed.”
I stood still for a while, watching the bear-like figure disappear into the distance.
Only after he completely vanished did I rub my stiff neck from the tension.
‘…But why did he come all of a sudden?’
Thinking about it, that was probably the most important question, yet Kelaout hadn’t even mentioned it, too busy pointing out my faults.
It was such a typical Kelaout move that I couldn’t help but laugh.
Anyway, I was really glad to see him.
*
Meeting the Archbishop brought me an equal measure of joy and dismay.
To put it simply, I was experiencing two emotions simultaneously.
On one side, there was excitement from meeting Kelaout, who had always supported me wholeheartedly.
On the other side, there was the discomfort of having the ultimate nagger return to my life.
Neither emotion was winning out, maintaining a tense balance, although it shifted slightly depending on the situation.
At this moment, my eagerness had the upper hand.
“Huh?”
“Oh….”
In the restaurant, we gathered for breakfast.
The sleepy eyes of my daughters widened as they spotted the old man who was already seated.
“Erina, Ibailla. You two are still so pretty.”
Kelaout, sitting on a restaurant chair, smiled broadly and knelt, spreading his arms.
The girls, momentarily frozen, rushed over to embrace the Archbishop after months apart.
“Grandpa!”
“Archbishop…”
Both Erina and Ibailla looked genuinely excited. They had spent so much time with him in the other world.
“Have you been well?”
“Yeah!”
“Yes.”
Kelaout nodded and smiled warmly while chatting with the girls.
In that moment, he looked just like a kind grandfather with his adorable granddaughters. Since they played together often, there was no trace of awkwardness.
‘What a huge change.’
Perhaps it was his intimidating appearance that had frightened them. At first, Erina and Ibailla would cry or hide behind me just at the sight of Kelaout’s face.
Rohan had a similar experience, causing him to cry excessively once, following which I had to impose a temporary restraining order on him from seeing the Archbishop.
Of course, that was just a past episode now.
“Hey!”
Rohan, who was in my arms, reached out to the Archbishop. Being the clever boy he was, he seemed to recognize him immediately.
“That’s right, Rohan. It’s the Archbishop.”
“Dad?”
“Yes. He’s a very nagging but kind grandpa.”
Rohan was unable to take his eyes off Kelaout for a while.
His sparkle reflected my own, and while I couldn’t quite decipher his thoughts, it was clear he was utterly adorable.
“I keep saying this, but please don’t become like Dad.”
Just as I was talking with Rohan, Zhang Yao, who had been guarding me from the side, leaned in carefully, sensing the mood.
“Your Holiness, that old man is too exhausting. He scolded me for an hour about my actions and outfit yesterday…”
Despite being tired, he hadn’t even slept and had been lecturing me.
I chuckled and patted the rookie Holy Knight’s back, not as comfort but as encouragement.
“Hang in there. I can’t stop the Archbishop’s sermons either. It’s been over ten years since I became Pope, and he still scolds me daily.”
“Is it really that bad?”
“Yes. If it gets tough, just align yourself with his standards. Pray every day without fail.”
“Ugh…”
He looked sullen, but I didn’t have a suitable solution either. It wasn’t even a wrongdoing on his part—how could I stop him?
The only way to cope with nagging was to get used to it.
“Stay strong.”
“I’ll go bring the meal.”
Zhang Yao walked into the kitchen with a strained expression.
Soon after, he returned, floating bowls filled with various dishes in the air, arranging them neatly on the table.
“I made this myself. Everyone, give it a try.”
Since he liked food, it was reasonable to expect he’d cook well. With that baseless sense of hope, I dove right into the meal.
Holding Rohan with my left hand, I used my right to take a bite from what resembled braised meat.
“How is it, Your Holiness?”
“Very delicious.”
It exceeded my expectations. He was several steps ahead of Seo-yoon, who had learned cooking from iTube.
My daughters, sitting next to me, were also busily moving their spoons, and the Archbishop seemed quite satisfied too.
While feeding Rohan the baby food that Zhang Yao had specially prepared, I quickly filled my own stomach.
After finishing the meal.
Kelaout, wiping his mouth with a napkin, gazed at me while rubbing his beard.
…It was his usual pose before a verbal onslaught.
“Your Holiness.”
As expected, it began again.
This time, however, it wasn’t the usual nagging about my behavior.
“But where’s Liam? I planned to give him a strong talking-to upon his return since he’s someone I can’t emphasize enough. Is he hiding from me?”
“…”
As sharp as ever.
“That’s not the case.”
However, as a wife, I couldn’t fully rat out my husband’s foibles and failings.
I would only give a hint.
“Liam didn’t run away because of the Archbishop; he hadn’t returned after taking Seo-yoon home.”
“…Isn’t that the same?”
“Not really. Running away signifies an intentional avoidance, while not returning sometimes means we don’t know what he’s thinking.”
I minimized my defense while still backing him up. I didn’t want to get dragged down by his mistakes as well.
Whether it worked or not, Kelaout didn’t press me for responsibility, focusing solely on reprimanding Liam.
“I can’t understand how he can consistently behave so foolishly. Should a Pope’s husband be wandering around like a loser? I’ll need to dedicate a day for mental training and faith recitations.”
“That’s a valid point.”
I immediately chimed in, pointing toward the corner of the table where the Young Dragon was munching away.
“While we’re at it, please take a day to teach that Guardian Dragon too. There are still remnants of his Evil Dragon days.”
“Gyey, gyey…!”
Hekatrith exclaimed, startled, but I didn’t even spare a glance at her.
‘I have to look after myself first.’
I had shoved both my husband and ally into the pit, but it was hard to call it betrayal. After all, both had their issues.
Besides, I was scheduled to commence the Guardian Dragon training soon, so I could easily let it go without any guilt.
“Understood.”
Already pondering over the curricular plan, the Archbishop nodded deeply, lost in thought.
“I’ll take responsibility for nurturing both Liam and the Guardian Dragon’s characters. If possible, I’ll also teach them manners and culture.”
Maybe it was because this didn’t concern me? I felt immensely reassured and dependable.
Kelaout’s forte was indeed in guidance and nurturing.
A born teacher specialized in member education. Under the Archbishop’s tutelage, both the former Hero and former Evil Dragon would surely correct their problematic behaviors.
“How could you do this to me, Pope!!”
The Young Dragon beside me protested loudly, but I ignored it and rose from my seat.
The Archbishop followed suit, smiling kindly.
“Your Holiness, shall we take a walk and have a chat together? I have much to discuss regarding the state of the Order and our duties.”
“…Yes.”
Here we go again.
Yesterday was merely a taste; today was where the real deal began. There was no way to escape this.
Having quickly resigned myself to it, I left my daughters with the Young Dragon and stepped outside the building.
Normally I’d need to leave Rohan as well, but I managed to get some rare permission.
As long as I held my son, I could endure whatever was said. With that thought, I strolled along the wooded mountain path.
An uneven, rugged trail that would be a bit much for an ordinary old man.
However, Kelaout’s naturally sturdy physique allowed him to navigate it just fine. In fact, I was struggling more than the young and healthy me.
“Ugh.”
I ultimately stumbled and nearly fell due to a rock.
“Your Holiness, are you alright?”
Zhang Yao, who was following closely behind as my guard, rushed over. It was a blatant attempt to score points with the Archbishop.
I sent the rookie Holy Knight, whose expression seemed oddly softer, away with a vague gesture and treaded carefully.
After a long time of silently enjoying the scenery, Kelaout finally broke the silence as we were nearing the end of our walk.
“Your Holiness, about that…”
He had set the stage for his usual lecture. I absentmindedly toyed with Rohan’s cheek while replying.
“What is it?”
“These days, what has your life been like? I heard from the rookie Holy Knight that you’ve been living quite freely since coming to this world.”
…So he had shared everything.
Glancing back, I saw Zhang Yao looking up at the sky, avoiding my gaze. It seemed he knew he had messed up.
I should probably add him to the education list. I silently vowed revenge and calmly began to speak.
“Well, I’ve finally gotten a chance to live freely after such a long time, so what can I do? I too have the right to live joyfully, don’t I?”
“There seems to be a misunderstanding. A free life in itself is not the problem. What I wanted to point out is… ‘What was that thing called?’”
He threw the question not at me, but back at the gossiping Zhang Yao.
Still avoiding my gaze, Zhang Yao answered.
“Internet broadcasting.”
“Oh, that’s what it was.”
Following that, the Archbishop turned his smiling face back towards me.
“Your Holiness, I hear you’ve been quite captivated by that internet broadcasting lately? I understand it involves showcasing your words and actions to an unspecified audience in exchange for money.”
“……”
Here it is.
“I’ve heard that you even bow and scrape to those who donate a lot of money. Not just anyone, but you, Your Holiness.”
“…That’s somewhat true.”
My expression, tone, and overall mood—it was clear that things weren’t looking bright.
He must have some ominous thoughts in mind.
Could it be he was planning to ban internet broadcasting? Considering the Archbishop’s strict nature, that seemed likely.
That’s why I wanted to keep this a secret as much as possible…
Having reached this point, I had to persuade him as best as I could. If things kept going like this, I might lose the source of my joy.
“Your Holiness.”
But before I could even start my explanations, Kelaout spoke first.
“I’m sure you realize that this is not an ideal situation. It would be for the best for you to quit immediately. Should the Pope turn into a jester, entertaining the masses after all? The Sun watches over us. Please maintain your solemn dignity as Pope.”
“……”
So this was how it would end.
There was essentially no way to change his mind. After a brief, frantic round of inner thoughts, I reached my conclusion.
With a bitter swallow, I prepared to respond, trying to comply.
“But…”
Kelaout’s voice immediately continued.
“That said, I also believe there are beneficial aspects to it that cannot be ignored. From the perspective of spreading the noble will of the Goddess, it does seem effective.”
“…Yes?”
What was going on with this flow?
Surprised, I found myself pausing in place as Kelaout’s eyes glistened with intrigue.
“I’d like to experience this internet broadcasting thing for myself. Then I can decide. Is that possible?”
The moment the unlikeliest of special guests requested to join the world of internet broadcasting.
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