Sylvester didn't dare open the box outside. But at the sa ti, Gabriel was too interested in knowing what the hell was in it since the little parchnt was shaped like a heart. And as far as he knew, only lovers did that sort of foolery.
'Don't tell he chard the elf Queen to establish peace,' Gabriel felt his heart sink. Fear arose as he thought about what would happen if King Rathagun found out.
"Quick! Hide the box, Sylvester," Gabriel ran to walk in front of Sylvester and tried hiding the box. "We can't let anyone see it."
"..."
"What's gotten in you?" Sylvester asked and ignored him, eventually arriving inside his office and setting the box on the table. "Let's see what's in it."
'Holy Solis, please prove wrong. Please prove my doubts as re seeds of the devil in my thoughts,' Gabriel prayed in his head, lips pressed together firmly, his face sweating nervously.
"Oho!" Sylvester exclaid as the box opened. "She sent the ginseng I gave her to grow. I always wondered if plants grown by elves would be better."
"G-Ginseng? Isn't that what you used to… help King Highland?"
"Indeed. Let's see what else is here," Sylvester continued to fiddle. "So flowers, fragrant perfus, even fruits—wonderful! I'm sure Mum will love them. Queen Delimira must miss a lot to send so many things."
"W-W-What do you an? Why would she miss you?" Gabriel stuttered. "What happened between you two?"
Sylvester was almost at the edge of his seat, controlling his laughter, "Well, you know. What happens between a young boy and an older woman."
"What? What happens?"
"Things," Sylvester replied and finally found a neatly folded letter inside the box. This was what he was looking for.
Bam!
Gabriel slamd his palm on the table, "Sylvester, you need to explain clearly. What happened between you and the elf Queen?"
Sylvester looked up, smiling wickedly, "She desired a child of her own, and the King refused to give her one all these years. So, I helped her."
"Oh, my Lord!" Gabriel gasped. "You fuc—"
"Adopted! I allowed her to take as her adopted son. She considers as her own now and cherishes like my real Mum. Our relationship is that of a son and mother," Sylvester finally stopped ssing around and opened the letter to read. Soon, he smiled as he read it. "And it appears this son has already brought her great blessings."
Under his breath, he read the letter written with great love and delight. The feeling was oozing from every word.
[Pope Sylvester, I hope you are doing wonderful, as I am. Everything in the box was picked from my gardens by my own hands, so please make sure nothing of it goes to waste.
I hope you can visit again soday. I yearn to speak with you again as I found a true friend in your words, one who understands , one whose ideas truly helped . I am deeply thankful for everything you have done for the world, the elves, and my husband—he has changed because of you. Changed for the better, as he now pays attention to and takes an interest.
Perhaps when we et the next ti, you might have a little brother or sister waiting to play on your lap and receive your blessings as the one above all in this world.
Do send letters from ti to ti. I would love to know anything new in your life.
Your Wellwisher,
Delimira]
With a satisfied smile on his face, Sylvester folded the letter again before burning it to ashes, so fine that they simply vanished once thrown in the air. "Well, at least soone's happy. Let's go now, Gab. Is the magic cara prepared?"
Gabriel quickly responded by helping Sylvester don his tallic winged armor forged by the dwarves. Then handed him a holy book of light and the Spear of Infinity. "Baron Loveland prepared for it the entire night. The secondary eting hall has been neatly decorated with special projection lights."
Sylvester nodded and fixed his long hair at last. "You go and wear the armor as well. It's not every day the Guardians and Sanctum Council get to have a group photograph taken."
"I'm the Saint Wazir. My uniform is my robes, not armor. I'll rely don my mitre and go with you," Gabriel said, following Sylvester out of the office. "By the way, you still haven't told where you'll be going for the coming days? You're the Pope, Max—soone must always know where you are to avoid any panic."
"I will be going downstairs. You know I can't elaborate further than that," Sylvester replied, eventually arriving in the large, decorated hall. It was brightly lit in all places in a way that shadows were avoided as much as possible.
All the Guardians of Light and the Sanctum Council mbers were present there, each wearing their working clothes, armor or robes. Baron Lee Da Loveland was busy directing all the high-ranking Clergyn to stand in the spots he had marked with crosses on the floor.
The individual photos had already been taken, and the group photos were now being organized. First were the Guardians of Light, although there were a few missing.
"Smile!" Baron Loveland carefully operated the large magical cara and clicked the photo. The first was with just the Guardians, and the second was with Sylvester standing in the middle.
After that, the Sanctum Council mbers were photographed alone and then with Sylvester. At last, a massive group picture was taken with all of them in one fra, as the Sanctum Council and the Guardians were the highest decision-making and protection body.
Sylvester was at the center, with his spear in one hand and a book in the other. On his right side stood Saint Wazir, and on the left stood Saint Viceman, while behind him was the Inquisitor High Lord looking nacing.
Ke-Chak!
The flash from the light crystals illuminated the entire hall. With that, the little event ca to an end.
"Back to your offices now. Don't delay your work," Sylvester clapped and ordered everyone to return to their positions across the Holy Land.
However, Felix's office was right in the Pope's Palace. So he ca up to Sylvester, having been notified that he would be presiding over the Holy Court for the coming days. "Where are you going?"
"Down there," Sylvester replied without elaborating too much. "But, if everything goes well, you'll be able to fulfill Isabella's wish."
Felix chuckled and put a hand on his best friend's shoulder. "As delighted as I am to hear that, I don't want it to co at a grave cost. So you better not do sothing so crazy that even I seem sane."
"Everything cos with a price, Felix. That's how the universe works. That's how magic works." Sylvester stopped them from following him as he reached the stairways to the dungeons. "It might take a few days this ti."
"Rest assured, I'll take care of everything. We even got two Supre Wizards to help," Felix assured him.
"I'll keep a good eye on everything, Max," Gabriel added. "I have no clue where you're going or what you will do. But be safe—let's not make Mother Xavia cry."
"I don't plan to."
Sylvester waved his hand and walked downstairs alone. This ti, even Miraj wasn't with him, which made him a little anxious.
'Let's hope I don't have to use Soulbreaker's technique.'
At last, he reached the single door in the secret chamber of the dungeon. Beside the door was also a large wooden box he was to take alone.
He took the key hung around his neck and unlocked it, then entered into the familiar sensation of the dark void, standing on sothing and yet on nothing. With him, the box was also sucked into the door before closing itself.
"Conviction, suffering affliction, seeking benediction—you return again, Sylvester Maximilian," Eldritch God Nehilius' voice reverberated as he pulled Sylvester to his body again, bringing him to the endless void where his body rested. "What have you decided? What do you seek?"
Sylvester silently stared at the creature, thinking nothing in particular. If the creature was an all-powerful entity, he was sure that not even his thoughts were safe.
"I found a pathway to enter the Demon Realm, and I believe I can find so answers regarding the two Primordial Gods there. But, I fear I'm not strong enough to go there yet—I'm willing to go through the evolution you suggested, Nehlius," Sylvester confidently revealed his intentions, masterfully hiding his fears.
"So be it!" Nehilius's no-nonsense attitude was far more frightening, however. "Pain in mind and body is not what you should fear the most. Fear what you are about to see—focus, maintain your thoughts, do not falter on your path, or everything will be lost."
"What exactl—"
Before Sylvester could ask what Nehilius was talking about, sothing happened. He found himself floating in absolute darkness again. Every single piece of clothing from his body vanished, and his body began to curl into a fetal position without his desire.
"Argh!"
Searing pain ca, taking over his entire body. All over his skin, he felt as if his veins had turned into little worms that forced themselves to crawl all over his body. It burned, it ached, and it was not explainable.
"Aaaa…!" Sylvester groaned in pain, his face turning into a bloody ss as he felt every single pore on his body bleed; His nose, ears, and mouth too, while his eyes began to bulge out as if they were swollen, unable to fit his skull.
Pop!
"Noooo!" The eyes popped apart with a squelching sound. It was utter darkness, but he could feel his vision was gone. Everything was failing, layer by layer. Everything was being destroyed.
"Haaaaaa… Stop this!" He roared, having lost his mind. This was unlike anything he had ever experienced in his life. Everything hurt as if even the smallest cells of his body were being torn apart.
Crack!
His bones broke apart with a billion small cracks. Muscles shattered long ago. Nothing held his body together as everything failed, even his heart.
"End this… End this madness!" He appeared like a demon while roaring, but his voice also cracked and vanished, trapping him in his body.
'What is this? My Soul… I must focus!' Panic ensued, as it was a massive risk to trust the Eldritch God.
However, just as he started to feel his consciousness fading, a multitude of voices began to echo all around him. Surprisingly, he felt his ears still worked, or was it just in his mind?
With clenched teeth, he heard them. They were recognizable and close to his heart.
'...It's a boy, Xavia.'
'...You must live, Jonathan.'
'...Father, I missed you.'
'...I am not your father, but I'm proud.'
But then his own voice also reverberated to him.
'...For your family, would you kill that man?'
'...I'll beco the Pope.'
'...You are like a father to , Sir Dolorem.'
Slowly, the voices combined into a satanic chant that began to harm his mind. Just like his body, he began losing his mind. The pain exploded, leaving him in a comatose state.
"Is that it?!"
'W-Who?' Sylvester heard a voice out of nowhere. It didn't belong to Nehilius. It held imnse power and felt warm in his heart. "S… Solis?"
"Rise, Sylvester Maximilian—Remove that veil, for you were never a gentleman. Unleash your ruthlessness, reveal your fangs, and burn all who oppose you. Use all the power and magic I have blessed you with and ascend to the pinnacle. Only then will your true destiny be revealed."
'These words…' Sylvester realized he had heard them before, precisely the sa. 'Another mory?'
"Stop being weak! Stand up and ignite with my fire that blazes through you!" Solis' voice continued to run through his mind, and surprisingly, it felt warm, suppressing the pain.
'Blaze? Fire? Dragon?'
The clues were there all along; only so guidance was needed.
To forge anything, a proper furnace was needed. All proper furnaces required divine fire, and he realized the fire rested within.
'Your blessing—then let borrow!'
BOOM!
And so there was light in the endless void of darkness—A mortal attempted to break the divine shackles, the epito of power he attempted to harness.
_________________
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