Chapter 369 - 368. The Blind Devotee
Lyall gave me a cautious look, his sharp gaze scanning the scene before him as the Pope—Cesio—fell to his knees in front of me. His breaths came out uneven, his shoulders trembling, and the white fabric of his blindfold darkened where damp spots bloomed. Tears.
A choked sound left his lips. "Y-You are, aren’t you?"
I exhaled slowly, watching him. His entire form quivered as though he were in the presence of something divine. I reached out, my fingers hovering over him for a brief moment before making contact.
"Get up, Your Holiness," I murmured, wrapping my hand around his and pulling him up with ease. "If anyone saw you kneeling like this, it would become a headache for me."
A sharp intake of breath left him, but he didn’t resist. His hands trembled slightly as he probed forward and grasped mine fully, as if confirming that I was truly there. The moment he did, a familiar sensation washed over me—his divine mana. It flowed harmoniously within him, soft and pure, like the gentle currents of a tranquil stream. But the highest concentration of it...
I narrowed my eyes. His eyes.
"I-I’m blessed..." Cesio whispered, his voice raw with emotion. "I’ve been praying ever since the day you appeared four years ago, My Lord."
Four years ago? I tilted my head slightly, watching as his expression shifted into something deeply reverent. Though his eyes remained hidden behind the blindfold, I had the uncanny feeling that he was looking right at me.
"You... sensed me four years ago?" I asked.
"Yes, Lord, I did. Ah, I’m Cesio Childe." He spoke like an excited child.
"I know," I said and he beamed.