Chapter 42: Arrival, Holy Dignitaries

Adonis clashed eyes with Pope Verdigris and a multitude of thoughts spun in his head as his hands trembled at his sides.

Of every person in the crowd, the old man stared at him with a smile of pure arrogance, uncharacteristic of a church leader.

’Does he know? Is it possible he knows I’m from another world? Can otherworlders sense each other? No. If they could, I’d be able to know as well...’

These thoughts brutally tortured him.

He swallowed hard.

’This doesn’t make any sense. Or is it possible he knows this is a story? That Adonis is supposed to be dead? That I’m an extra who shouldn’t even be breathing right now?’

He didn’t know what to think.

Normally, none of this was any cause for concern.

But anomalies in the story were never a good thing for an extra like him. Since his death and failure were almost always guaranteed, any change to the story he couldn’t predict was another threat to his life.

An extra who involved themselves with the main characters was doomed to die.

That was him. He was doomed to die.

’Why did it have to be me...’

He looked to his sides.

On one side, Godfrey clapped gently, completely oblivious to the tension that suffocated him.

On the other, Prussia gripped the hilt of her sword with a face like she’d behead someone.

The same cold feeling he experienced from the Pope was radiating off her in waves.

’This must be the warrior’s instincts that many high-level swordsmen are said to have. As a Marsofian born, Prussia hasn’t heard of Pope Verdigris. But she can still sense how much of a threat he is.’

From the little lore the author gave, Pope Verdigris was an undying old man who was alive as far back as three hundred years ago.

During the Era of Blood.

Many churches of the Sacred Nations’ Alliance held great prejudice against "monsters" and sent their "holy armies" to purge non-human villages and burn down elven orphanages under the guise of cleansing the land.

At the time, Verdigris was the Pope of the Church of the Divine Flame and slaughtered non-human races for decades until Saint Melcius led the alliance that cornered and defeated him.

That was how he became a follower of Melcius.

And then the pope, as he was the oldest member of the church at this point.

Adonis tilted his head from side to side.

’Interesting... it seems the people of this church don’t know about his past. So maybe I can use that to my advantage if the pope decides to get in my way.’

So far, he hadn’t triggered any death flags, and he’d like to keep it that way.

Not for his sake, for Minerva’s.

Blood witches were the most persecuted under the reign of Verdigris and the northern theocracies. They were turned to slaves, slaughtered, and punished for simply existing.

The entourage of church dignitaries continued.

Three archbishops on their horses, then several singing nuns who perhaps looked too beautiful to be nuns. Their beauty was the kind that demanded marriage and countless hopeless suitors begging to be accepted.

[The Melcian Church has the sexiest nuns], was something you’d hear at a bar table.

’Hmm. This must be where all the beautiful girls in this kingdom went. They grow up with a perky body, and out of fear their parents send them to become a nun at the church. There’s also others, sometimes sold to the church.’

Last of the church dignitaries was Mother Superior, she was the most eye-catching to Adonis. She was an attractive older lady who somehow seemed incredibly young.

The only way to describe her was sexy and unbearably enticing to look at, even in her dark-blue religious habit. Even with the long tunic she wore, it was very easy to see she was a voluptuous woman with how large her hips were and how robust her chest was.

She was one of the top maidens on the continent, even after so many decades.

Some said she was ageless.

A majestic mature woman with long, snow-white hair and ruby red eyes that looked like they were on fire.

Her pointed ears, she was of elven heritage.

With elven women, their bodies were either petite or extremely voluptuous. There’s no in-between. As of now, Adonis had only met voluptuous elves like Geles and Feena. Even if Feena was half-elf, now there was Mother Superior.

... Hmm, perhaps the volume of curvy elven women was more than the petite ones.

People talked and said all sorts of things about her beauty and her achievements.

"How the nuns would be nothing without her."

"Ahhhh~ I wish I could marry someone like her, but she belongs to the church."

"I wish I was one of the men called by Mother Superior to come serve her and the nuns up in the mountains. I hear they still do that during their spiritual weeks."

These were mostly drunk men talking.

When Mother Superior heard them, she clutched the sheathed magic sword at her side tightly and kept riding on her horse.

"Disgusting..."

She shut her eyes irritatedly.

Adonis folded his arms with a smile.

"She has quite a temper on her."

Godfrey nodded.

"Mother Euphemia is the leading nun in charge of the convent. She’s a gold-class swordsman known as the Snow Sword Maiden. Sometimes called the Snow Goddess. She has authority over many parts of the Melcian Church, even as an elf. Played a huge role in slaying the Demonic Kraken Horsiccus. And she also possesses a sacred benefaction of the Life Goddess Luvana and the Mana Goddess Ataraxia. So she’s blessed with eternal life and loved by mana."

Adonis knew most of these things.

Besides the fact that she had two sacred benefactions, which was almost impossible.

It’s established that many gods don’t like each other due to differing beliefs. So when two gods give their blessing to one person, the individual has effectively become a demigod.

So this woman before him... is a goddess.

Prussia folded her arms and begrudgingly spoke.

"Father did mention that if a certain Snow Queen was here, he wouldn’t bother coming for the auction, to avoid incurring her wrath. He must’ve been talking about this lady..."

Godfrey nodded proudly.

"Mhm, mhm. That’s how impressive Mother Superior is. She’s one of the strongest swordsmen in the Magic Continent. Heh heh."

Like every Melcian believer, they always bragged proudly about the church dignitaries.

Adonis stared at Euphemia’s majestic figure going further and further away.

"This may be more difficult than I thought."

It’s not because she’s some powerful swordsman.

After all, he’s dealt with an entire noble house of those.

Nor is it because she’s a powerful member of the church.

His [Eye of the Critic] had already scanned her. But even before that, he knew what she was.

Euphemia is a heroine.

"Sigh... how comforting..."

...

The "little" welcome parade ended, and the pope and his subordinates had arrived at the church located on the Azapita Mountain Range that stretched across the lands to divide Gilishon City from many other domains in Falsbane.

Everyone had cleared out.

But Pope Verdigris waited with his white pegasus in a narrow mountain pass enclosed by tall cliffs, as though someone were entering the mouth of a giant beast.

Cardinal Feldwin stood out of hearing distance to meekly watch his leader. He was the right hand of the pope.

When he saw an old man in majestic purple-and-gold robes walking unperturbedly from the other end of the pass, he bowed before the pope.

"Would His Holiness like me to leave?"

Pope Verdigris smiled at the arriving figure.

"It’s quite alright. I’ll be quick."

He refocused on the visitor who was a tall man as old-looking as he was, standing a few feet from him.

Grand Chamberlain Hershant.

Verdigris smiled warmly.

"I saw the boy today."

"Prince Adonis?"

"Who else would grab my interest? The boy looked at me with distrustful eyes. It reminded me of the empress."

Hershant coolly closed his eyes.

"You can be excited by him. But you must also remember... he is the one person that absolutely cannot be allowed to take the throne. Of all people."

Pope Verdigris remained calm.

"I’m not worried. After all, Cassius is the future."

"For now..."

Tired of the long talk, Hershant held his hand out.

"The plan is almost complete. Where is it?"

Pope Verdigris magically floated him a small holy artifact that looked like a pendant.

"Make sure the boy wins the duel. If he doesn’t, then our vision for the new world cannot be actualized."

Hershant nodded. "I know."