It didn't take long for us to reach our destination with Isabella's guidance.
Although she didn't talk much along the way, I could tell that she wanted to ask sothing but refrained from it, judging from the subtle movents of her lips.
Is it because she's blind that she doesn't realize how expressive her face is, despite there being a blindfold in her eyes?
Knock...! Knock...!
Isabella knocked on the door. Judging from the intricate design on the wall, it was easy to see that whoever was inside was sure to be soone important.
"Co in," a voice called out.
Entering, I was t with sothing unexpected. I thought the room inside would be just as grand as the design on the door, but it was surprisingly normal.
No, if one could consider the design in the room, it would be sothing along the lines of minimal. Although the room was large, there wasn't much, quite the contrast to the intricate artworks of the furniture and buildings outside.
The simplicity of the room stood out against the opulence hinted at by the door's design. It was as if the occupant of the room preferred a more understated elegance.
Just a normal table with four chairs and a couch, along with what seed to be a dium-sized bed just left in the room.
I guessed that this space served as both an office and a bedroom for the old man who was currently engrossed in checking so papers.
Despite his apparent age, the energy, elegance, and pressure he exuded were far from old; it felt as though I was in the presence of a grand emperor.
"Good day, Supre Pontiff. I have brought the hero by your orders," Isabella said while making a slight bow.
The old man made a subtle glance at us before responding,
"Yes, thank you. This will only take a short while. Please, take a seat."
As we settled into the chairs, the title 'Supre Pontiff' resonated in my mind. It dawned on that this man must be the pope.
The fact that he had called here shortly after confirming my recovery suggested that the nuns and priests who attended to were monitoring my progress.
It was sothing I half-expected, but the realization struck that almost all the priests and nuns in the holy city were likely his assets, functioning as an extension of his eyes and ears.
Well, I don't really mind being monitored; after all, they weren't a threat to , especially with my identity as the hero being well-known.
Observing the Supre Pontiff engrossed in his papers, I couldn't help but think that the pressing matters surrounding Estelle Academy had reached the Holy Kingdom.
As it was a situation that would have repercussions for the entire continent.
Taking a seat on the large couch, I was pleasantly surprised by its softness, despite its bland-like design.
Isabella gracefully occupied the chair to my right, her presence both comforting and intriguing.
Despite the blindfold covering her eyes, as I took a closer look, I couldn't help but appreciate her beauty.
It was as if her other senses compensated for the lack of sight, making her more attuned to the world around her.
I guess she realized my gaze, as she subtly smiled my way, tilting her head ever so slightly.
Finally, the Pope stood up from his chair and approached us. Sitting on the chair in front of , he made a glance at , as if he was scanning before smiling.
"Please forgive , Sir Hero; pressing matters at hand required my attention, even though I was the one who called for you without notice"
"No, it's fine. Rather, thank you for the extensive care you gave for the past few days," I responded with gratitude, acknowledging the efforts made on my behalf.
"That was only within our duty as people who serve the goddess. If not for the hero, who knows what sort of disaster could be brought upon the whole continent" he replied, his tone sincere, accompanied by a gentle smile.
It seed the Pope was genuinely pleased with my actions. After all, I had dealt a significant blow to the empire's most powerful asset.
Though the people of the Holy Kingdom might not openly acknowledge it, there was an undercurrent of disdain for the empire.
It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that almost everyone here harbored a deep-seated resentnt toward the imperial forces.
The empire's actions contradicted the core beliefs of the Holy Kingdom, even though the latter stood as the foremost religion on the continent.
The tension between the Holy Kingdom and the empire ran deep, especially within the imperial family, who openly shunned the church's authority and credibility.
The clash between their divergent ideologies had created a rift that extended beyond political differences.
Even though it was technically Elena who did most of the work in wiping out the demons and monsters back at Estelle Academy, my significance and appearance seed to overshadow her credit.
Despite being the Saintess herself, everyone here kept highlighting the word "hero" in front of .
While I wasn't entirely sure, I could sense subtle pressure for to embrace the role.
I could already discern the reason for my summons – despite being the hero, it didn't an I was automatically bound to the church. Instead, it implied a particular connection, one established by the goddess herself.
My title as the hero granted a unique authority, potentially equal or even surpassing that of the Pope within the Holy Kingdom, not to ntion across the entire continent.
The Pope's motives beca clearer to . He either sought to bind more closely to the Holy Kingdom or wished to assess my intentions.
"So why did you call for ?" I asked.
"Do you know, letter, Sir Hero?" he inquired, reaching into the folds of his robe. From within, he produced sothing, holding onto a piece of paper that emitted a golden glow. As he opened it, the contents surprised even .
A subtle smile played on his lips as he observed my astonished expression. "This is not just a letter; it's a prophecy that ca to us from the heavens above. Just by the divine power alone, I know you can tell that it was directly provided by the goddess herself, no?" he remarked.
"Yes," I responded, my curiosity piqued.
"The hero shall be born through the union of the Saintess and a certain man that ets the qualifications. This was the core highlight of the prophecy, even if you ignore the warnings about the upcoming demon invasion. The goddess's prophecies always remain true, regardless of ti and place. It's a fact known throughout the whole continent. Yet, this is the first ti in known history that this fact was broken," he explained
Which was true, considering I wasn't born through the union of the Saintess and a man with the qualifications.
Elena was still technically single, and I was a hero who erged seemingly out of nowhere.
The demons prophesized in the prophecy were expected to co at least 5-10 years from now, yet everything seed to have deviated from the foretold course.
The hero had arrived sooner than expected, and the demons, too, made their appearance prematurely.
"Are you doubting ?" I asked directly, noting the subtle glances exchanged between Isabella and the Supre Pontiff. The way he was narrating the story hinted at a lingering uncertainty regarding my legitimacy as the hero.
"No, I believe everyone here thinks that you're the hero. After all, you have access to the holy sword," he responded.
"Then why are you telling all this?" I questioned, seeking clarity on his intentions.
He smiled at , an enigmatic expression on his face. "Even though I do believe you're the hero, at the sa ti, I also think you're not."
"Hero, do you think the prophecy this ti is wrong?" he inquired, throwing a thought-provoking question into the mix.
"Well, you can't exactly be sure that it will remain true every ti, right?" I replied, acknowledging the inherent uncertainty of prophecies.
"That's true, but if you've read this ti and ti again and see through the finer details, you will soon realize that it wasn't broken or wrong on anything; you've just got to see the true aning of it" the Supre Pontiff explained, introducing an air of mystery into the conversation.
"What are you saying?" I asked, my curiosity intensifying.
"Sir Hero," he said to , pausing and looking at directly with a serious expression. "Will you please take the Saintess's hand in marriage?"
"Excuse ?"
"The hero shall be born through the union of the Saintess and the man who ets a certain qualification," he reiterated.
"I believe you've t those conditions, no?"
'Haha…'
Internally, I couldn't help but chuckle at the audacity of this old man.
It seed he was employing a serpent's cunning, using a sacred prophecy to his advantage.
Even though he knew the prophecy was bull at this point, his trying to manipulate the words written.
He was essentially trying to bind to the church by suggesting marriage to Elena.
But did he really have to go to such lengths? I couldn't help but ponder the Supre Pontiff's elaborate plan.
Chuckling internally, I had been contemplating various ways to reveal my relationship with Elena, but an opportunity presented itself in such an unexpected manner.
It made question whether the Pope was aware of my connection with her.
Given Bishop Austin's discreet and overprotective personality especially when it cos to Elena, it wouldn't be surprising if the Pope was still in the dark about our relationship.
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