Ch#200
* * *
Serkanos Cathedral.
Beneath the noonday sun, the silver candelabras lining the edges of the ritual chamber gleamed.
The archbishop, draped in ritual robes, prostrated himself before the altar.
"Your Holiness, the Emperor's special envoy has safely arrived at the Luminen residence."
At those words, someone who had been praying with hands clasped before the altar opened their eyes.
Beneath snow-white hair, golden pupils shone calmly.
It was Luciano, master of the Church and Pope of the Holy Empire.
The archbishop continued in a satisfied voice.
"The situation is beyond words—exceedingly favorable. The perfect pretext to summon Luminen came at just the right time, and Talochioum yielded the enemy princess more easily than expected......"
"The enemy princess was already a card we'd secured, Archbishop."
The archbishop paused at the mild, gentle voice.
With a slightly flustered expression, he gazed at the Pope's back and asked again.
"I-Is that so? Even so, if the Emperor refused, we would have had no choice but to......"
"The Emperor has veto power, but slaves do not, do they?"
"Slaves?"
The questioning archbishop tilted his head.
"Are you referring to the Necromancer King and his mercenary corps? I don't see what connection they have to the enemy princess......"
The Pope rose from his seat.
As he turned, intense sunlight poured down upon his pristine white robes.
"Archbishop. Do you know what path we are walking now?"
"Pardon?"
"The path we tread is one God Himself has arranged with love."
The Pope raised his hand and pointed somewhere.
Dozens of gems were embedded in the ceiling of the sunlit ritual chamber.
Whenever clouds veiled the sunlight, light passing through the gems sparkled in various colors.
"God sees all things. If we follow His path, is there reason to change direction merely because the wind blows?"
The archbishop's eyes widened.
As he hurriedly bowed his head, the Pope smiled kindly.
"Do not concern yourself with side matters. When the Necromancer King comes, the enemy princess will come too. Regardless of the Emperor's intentions."
The archbishop blinked, forehead pressed to the floor.
'How could this be. Have I erred in speech again?'
A foreboding feeling arose that he had unnecessarily upset the Pope's mood.
It had happened once before, and if it repeated now, it would be no small headache!
Cold sweat trickled down his temples.
'Perplexing.'
To tread so carefully even when delivering good news.
Before this young Pope, every word—no, every syllable—demanded caution.
Though years had passed since ascending to archbishop, he still had no counter for the Pope.
"Y-Yes, indeed. My thinking was shortsighted, Your Holiness."
"The ritual chamber is a place to behold God. Henceforth, speak only what is absolutely necessary here."
"Y-Yes."
With his nose pressed to the marble floor, pristine as if washed in holy blood.
The archbishop delivered his second report in a voice trembling more than before.
"And regarding what you commanded us to find...... Regrettably, there are still no leads."
The Pope's face shifted ever so subtly.
"Is that so?"
"Yes, not only in Talochioum, but we thoroughly searched Oracadia Sanctuary in the North Continent and even Roxe Forest just in case......"
"I understand."
"Pardon?"
"That's enough. You may stop."
In the hushed ritual chamber, the Pope spoke.
"End the report here. Further words would profane God."
"Y-Yes! Understood."
"I shall continue praying."
The nodding archbishop scrambled to his feet.
"I shall continue praying" meant to leave the ritual chamber immediately.
The archbishop bowed deeply, robes dragging on the floor, then retreated backward.
Alone in the ritual chamber now, the Pope slowly turned toward the altar.
At its front stood a solitary silver pedestal, devoid of temple emblems or divine images.
The Pope murmured.
"......The Absolute's throne."
With hands neatly clasped, he took one step forward.
"The rightful seat of divine authority......"
In that instant, his gaze turned faintly bored.
A seat none but the Absolute could occupy.
It belonged solely to Him.
In other words, it was the seat where God manifested in the world, an untouchable throne of infinity.
Yet.
"......It's growing dull."
The Pope.
No, Luciano unhesitatingly sat upon the throne, leaning back deeply.
For it had been quite some time since he himself became a god.
"How long do you intend to flee?"
As Luciano questioned himself, a crisp snap echoed through the ritual chamber.
In an instant, the surroundings transformed, unfolding into a lush green forest.
Light poured down upon moss-covered earth.
Intertwined branches swayed in the breeze.
Butterflies flitted silently, and squirrels on the trees perked their ears.
"You remain silent as ever."
Luciano rose from the throne.
At the forest's end, contrasting the vibrant life, something rooted into the earth.
A brutally torn base.
Six broken branches and half-exposed roots laid bare.
A squirrel scampered swiftly up the decaying World Tree.
"A tenacity for life that's astonishing."
Luciano closed his eyes gently and lifted his head.
He inhaled deeply, savoring the polluted World Tree.
"Then endure, if you can. I'm curious myself how far you can go."
His exposed pupils gleamed chillingly, reflecting the World Tree.
"I wonder if I'll find and kill you first."
"......"
"Or if you'll flee faster on those severed limbs."
The wind blew.
A single leaf clung to the World Tree's broken branch drifted slowly to the ground.
* * *
"Yah!"
Tie stretched both arms skyward.
A translucent blue barrier popped into existence, enveloping the child in a perfect sphere.
"Heavens......!"
As if in disbelief, Chae Bok-su touched the barrier with trembling hands.
Her hand slipped through the film, like soap bubbles or plastic wrap.
Yet the cool sensation on her skin was unmistakable.
"Grandma! Throw this at it."
Tie handed Chae Bok-su a dry towel from the corner of the room.
"Quick! Throw it at Tie."
Chae Bok-su hesitated, then tossed the dry towel lightly onto the barrier as instructed.
Ting-
The membrane repelled the towel.
In contrast to her hand, which met no resistance.
"Tie can block everything with this. Even monsters with a hundred teeth! And the bad sparrow monsters attacking Tie too!"
Chae Bok-su stiffly turned her head.
Beside her sat Jeong Myung-ja, mouth agape since moments ago.
"And another thing Tie can do!"
The child continued excitedly.
"Tie controls Puppetmon! And blocks hard stuff too!"
The child turned with an "Ah, right!"
And began scanning the room for something.
Jeong Myung-ja and Chae Bok-su followed the child's gaze.
Then.
"Marrr!"
Finally spotting something amid stacked pots by the fridge, the child burst into laughter.
In Tie's hand was an unfamiliar toy.
Like a chess piece or a wooden toy soldier.
"Marrr's great at fixing things! When Tie gives power, Marrr fixes everything! Marrr's the best, Tie's the best! We're the fantasy combo!"
Tie held Marrr out before Jeong Myung-ja and Chae Bok-su.
The two glanced at Tie, then at the wooden chunk she called Marrr.
But seconds later.
[......Ahem. Silence, no matter how endured, feels awkward. Pleased to meet you.]
The wooden block in Tie's hand bobbed its head.
"Eek-!"
Jeong Myung-ja leaped from her seat.
