"..."
"Drop what?" Felix instinctively stepped back. "Keep your hands away from ."
Sylvester chuckled and clarified himself, "I was rely going to pull out your armor and heal your skin. What did you think? I still can't bring your testicles back from nothingness."
Felix cald down. "Then… I'll look normal? Just without the tools to procreate?"
Gabriel knew what Felix wanted, so he butted in, "Yes, you can spend nights holding your woman—Now stop talking about it and sully this Holy Land."
Felix grinned behind his visor and turned his face to glance at Isabella, "Oh… Let's get started then, Max. You're going to do it now?"
"Only the test first." Sylvester moved closer and grabbed Felix's arm. Since the entire armor was stuck to his skin, he had no other way but to cut a piece of it and pull the armor off. However, to cut the Skygem, he needed an intense and focused beam of energy, sothing he hoped to do at the mont.
Raising his finger to Felix's arm, he tried to replicate the Wrath of Heaven's light beam onto his finger alone. The only difference was that he didn't use the hymns this ti. It ca far easier this ti, and surprisingly, he felt more in harmony with everything around him—the solarium felt like it wanted to enter his body without much effort.
"Arh…" Felix winced a little once Sylvester's magic sliced into his skin. The beam of light was so hot that it burned easily through the Skygem.
However, the pain was only the beginning, as Sylvester soon began to pull the small patch of armor he had cut and began to burn away the skin underneath to separate them entirely. He opted to cut it instead of pulling it all out, fearing that the muscles would also be damaged.
"Grit your teeth," Sylvester warned him and hastily finished the most crucial part.
Soon, with a disgusting squelching sound and flesh tearing apart, the piece of armor ca off. But Sylvester imdiately burned the wound, and he started using healing magic to see if he could completely bring the skin back to its original form.
'Why should I use the solarium reserves in my own body?' Sylvester thought and decided to attempt sothing new for the first ti. He aid to use the natural solarium in the air and channel it on his palm for healing instead.
It ca easier than ever before, causing Sylvester to wonder if this was due to the inheritance he had received from the Elder God. Since he had been in the Elder God's realm, he couldn't stop wondering how powerful the creature was, considering its massive magical aura. On top of that, the solarium around the creature felt so much more hospitable.
At that mont, Sylvester's thoughts went to the nearby Golden Peninsula. He wondered if the massive Orb of Purity, which killed the first Pope, could soday be nourishnt for him.
'Seems like the sky's the limit.' Sylvester sighed and focused on Felix's arm.
"It's healing." He noticed the reverting skin. "I think we should go inside and try this all over your body. Perhaps I can heal you fully tonight."
Felix didn't speak for a long ti, but his breath was rushed and trembling. There was a scent of sorrow and hope leaking from him. Felix knew Sylvester felt responsible for what happened to him, although it was never going to be said out loud.
"Thank you."
Sylvester smiled and patted Felix's shoulder, "Go to your bedroom with Isabella. I'll bring so potions and Healer Hendrix to ensure everything goes smoothly. Let the rest enjoy the evening."
"You should enjoy it too," Felix said, shaking his arm. "We all have been in a constant battle for life and triumph these past few years. So let's just celebrate the night and do this tomorrow. I've endured years like this. What's a few more hours?"
Sylvester knew Felix wanted to be healed as soon as possible and was just saying that to be considerate, "Are you sure?"
Bam!
Felix clapped his gauntlets, "Honestly, I looked sowhat badass in this armor. Isabella feels warm just seeing like this—And when I tell her about my battles and adventures, she completely loses herself and uses her fing—"
Clank!
Gabriel smacked on Felix's helt, "Begone! The horny devil of mind, no intelligence here you will find. Begone!"
"..."
Sylvester chuckled and decided to go and dance with Xavia, "Felix. You should try not to share intimate things you and Isabella do with anyone else. Won hate finding out their privacy was violated like this—You will learn that with age, but rember my advice."
Felix saluted, "Understood, O' wise old sage Pope."
'I 'am' old.' Sylvester shook his head and walked away.
The bards didn't sing that night; they only played music. Sylvester had to teach them a few new things, and they eagerly learned. After all, ever since Sylvester had beco famous, the status of all bards had increased, and they now received so much more respect and higher prices. So, anything from the big boss bard was basically a gold mine.
Sylvester danced with Xavia, talking with her about their life and journey from the beginning to now. "...I will transfer you so you can work in the Pope's Palace soon."
She sighed and touched Sylvester's face, "Dear, you don't need to worry about . Just be well, that's all I want."
"I won't stay the Pope forever," Sylvester revealed, surprising Xavia. "I'll likely live for over four centuries, and I'm rely twenty-six right now. anwhile, the Popes in the past rarely served even a hundred years.
I fear that if I stay in power for too long, the world will turn complacent and too weak from the prolonged peace—So I want to allow more Popes to co to power, and I'll be an overseer during their rule to establish further checks and balances that will endure even after I'm gone."
Taken aback but understood the reasoning behind his words, Xavia patted his chest, "I believe in whatever you decide, Max. I always will—That's what mothers do."
'I sure am blessed in this aspect of life.' Sylvester told himself and silently enjoyed the evening. Even Miraj enjoyed the squishes from Xavia and all the tasty food.
However, Sylvester couldn't spend all his ti relaxing. Once those who weren't inhumanly powerful had gone to sleep, he chose to enter the underground secret chamber where all the past inventions were hidden.
It was ti to make an inventory of everything, sort it all out into categories, and plan the implentation of so of the technologies. At first, he felt surprised to find so of the machines, as they were impossible to make for soone from ancient Earth.
However, when he rembered that the creations were likely from great inventors from Earth who gained imnse power and lived for centuries here while improving—the inventions made sense.
Clocks, books on various engineering thods related to machines, tools for dical care, for traveling, and even diagrams of what appeared to be a simple, small internal combustion engine powered not by liquid fuel but by fire crystals and controlled by runes to regulate the bursts.
"Maxy, look what I found—Are there treats in this box?" Miraj grabbed sothing huge in his jaw, a black box-like thing with a single round opening.
Sylvester looked at it with interest. However, he wasn't prepared for the ingenious inventions in his hands, "I-Is this… This is brilliant! Such use of light crystals and trap runes… Who made this…!"
Such reactions were common. It was a goldmine, and Sylvester knew he would be busy for the next few years. His goals were set—train with the Elder God, rule as Pope, implent inventions, and unite the world.
Sounded simple… But it wasn't.
…
If one were to look throughout history, why do so many kings, queens, emperors, and empresses beco inept? If one were to see history in detail, the said monarchs were overachievers throughout their lives—they fought for the throne and won it. Incompetence only ca afterward.
The reason was simple—a lack of purpose. After getting the throne, what was next? The monarch grew bored, unable to find another challenge. So beco lazy and drown themselves in wine and won. While others beco paranoid, trying to find challenges and hidden sches in their own administrations.
For Sylvester, life beca sowhat regulated once he beca the Pope. No more traveling, no more urgent mysteries to figure out, no more cris to solve—nothing to investigate personally.
His daily schedule was quite simple.
"I'll see you later."
With those words, he left Bright Mothers' residence each morning, a bowl of food still in his hands sotis. As usual, his regal carriage awaited him, with the reinsman on his knees pleading, only to get ignored and follow behind Sylvester on his bicycle.
After reaching the Pope's Palace, Sylvester entered his office first and looked at the schedule, signed docunts, and oversaw the various drafts of plans and reports from his Sanctum Council. Afterward, he got busy with multiple etings and then held the Holy Court—every single day. So sought his blessings, while others ca to speak of their grievances.
He would always remain available to them, building a sense of trust and affection among the commoners toward Sylvester.
It was crucial to rebuild people's trust in the faith of Solis. Therefore, Sylvester tried everything that could help the realm. But his propaganda printing press never rested, churning out new pieces every single day.
By the ti evening ca, Sylvester ate dinner and entered the Elder God's realm to receive further training. It was mainly about receiving the essence of solarium left in the huge creature's body and its knowledge. However, the knowledge remained inaccessible as it posed the risk of his head exploding.
Afterward, he always went to the secret old inventions chamber, and worked inside to sort things out, preparing so of them for eventual revelation to the world. There were also plenty of books, and he had to read them all by himself.
That was his schedule, day in and day out. A week passed, and then a month passed. The realm noticed visible improvents everywhere, but Sylvester appeared increasingly tired, annoyed, and frustrated in response.
Finally, he began to understand why so many Popes in the past went corrupt. It was the only exciting and interesting thing left to do.
As usual, a month after Sylvester beca the Pope, he took his throne in the Holy Court. However, sothing was different this ti. There was a big smile on Sylvester's face as he wore incredibly more regal clothes. Multiple layers of holy robes, red, golden, and various formal ornants adorned him.
On his head, the mitre shone, and in one of his hands, he held the magnificent staff of the previous Pope.
The entire Holy Court was packed to capacity, and everyone wore official, regal clothes reserved for special occasions. Furthermore, Xavia, Guardians of Light, and Sanctum Council mbers stood beside Sylvester's throne on each side of the platform.
Loud murmurs had taken over the massive space.
Thud!
Right then, the gigantic double doors at the end of the hall began to open with a resounding noise. The herald bellowed at the top of his lungs, ensuring each corner of the hall heard him.
"In the house of Solis—Arrives the King, His Majesty Rathagun Xeek Eldaron, the King of Elves! Accompanied by Prince Avanss Xeek Eldaron—Bearing tidings of peace!"
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