What Should I Do If I Find Out My Wife Is the Pope?

Chapter 12: I Am the Pope—If I Say It Exists, Then It Exists!

“This question...”

Lin Wei was utterly at a loss when he heard it.

He pointed at himself, his face a picture of confusion—like someone suddenly told he’d have to face the Goddess of Light, Alicia, alone.

“Did you forget? My status as an Imperial citizen is still under review. For the next three years, I’m restricted to my registered location. Without a valid reason, I’m not even allowed to enter the Imperial Capital.”

To prevent refugees from the Fallen Lands from disturbing the empire’s order, the authorities enforced the household registration system with ironclad rigor.

Even with Veya—a member of the clergy—vouching for him, every new Imperial citizen had to undergo a three-year probation period.

During that time, he couldn’t commit any crimes, nor could he leave Lotai without special permission. The intent was to prevent “human traitors” or “heretics”—those who might side with the demons—from causing trouble. Entering the Imperial Capital was entirely out of the question.

“That’s not really a big problem.”

But Veya waved her hand, completely unbothered. “As long as there’s a commission that requires you to go to the capital, or if an institution from the capital comes to Lotai to recruit, you just submit an application to The Holy Church and you’ll be cleared to go.”

“As if I’d ever be that lucky,” Lin Wei replied, a little exasperated.

Everyone dreamed of moving to the capital. Even if such a commission did appear, the local adventurers would snatch it up the moment it was posted.

“There will be one, as long as you want to go to the capital.”

Veya rested her chin in her hand, her voice calm and confident.

Her real concern, though, was those wicked women in the capital—whether they’d try to make a move on Lin Wei the moment he arrived.

There were plenty of dangerous women in the world, and in a place as decadent as the Imperial Capital, their numbers only multiplied.

The reason she hadn’t let Lin Wei go out to work before was simple: she worried that, if she couldn’t watch over him every day, some unscrupulous woman might lure him away.

Of course, it wasn’t as if she liked Lin Wei or anything. It was just that, since they were married, they were technically husband and wife.

If someone actually stole him away, wouldn’t that mean the Pope’s own husband had been taken right from under her nose? The humiliation would be unbearable!

“If I really got the chance, of course I’d want to go to the capital,” Lin Wei answered without hesitation, though he couldn’t quite fathom where his wife’s confidence was coming from.

After all, the Imperial Capital’s prosperity and opportunities were worlds beyond what Lotai could offer. Working there meant earning money much faster, and after three years, he could afford an even bigger estate. At the very least, he wouldn’t have to watch the local subjugation squads parading past his door every other day.

“That’s good, then.”

At this point, there was no sense in trying to keep him hidden away at home.

Veya felt a pang of annoyance. She’d done such a good job keeping him out of sight before—how had things come to this, suddenly facing such huge risks? And once again, it all traced back to that damn Demon Lord. ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ꜰʀᴏᴍ novｅlfire.net

If she hadn’t suspected the Demon Lord was hiding somewhere near Lotai and chosen to marry locally to aid her investigation, none of these headaches would have happened.

Then again... If they’d gone to the capital sooner, and other women had noticed Lin Wei, maybe she really would have lost him to some wicked woman long ago.

“What a pain... If only I could twist off the Demon Lord’s head to relieve my frustration.”

The thought made Veya’s mood sink, a wave of gloom settling over her.

◇

The next day.

By midday—

“How long are you planning to hold on?”

Veya had slipped back into her usual icy demeanor, and Lin Wei, standing before her, could only let out a helpless sigh as he released her hand and pinched his own cheek.

“Well, we won’t be seeing each other for a while, after all.”

It was already the next day.

After several days of rest, the exhaustion that had haunted Veya’s face when she first returned had finally faded. Her golden eyes now shone with an inscrutable, sacred light; the chill in her bearing made her seem utterly unapproachable, especially with that slightly solemn expression. From this angle, she looked every inch a high-ranking member of the clergy.

She glanced at Lin Wei, her gaze cool and sharp, her expression full of warning: “While I’m gone, don’t wander off on your own. And keep your wedding ring on at all times—don’t even think about taking it off.”

“If I find out you’ve been up to anything suspicious, I’ll report you to The Holy Church and have your Imperial citizenship revoked. Understand?”

She always repeated these warnings before leaving.

Lin Wei just nodded, unfazed by her threats. He wasn’t the type to get into trouble anyway, and even if he did, there was no way she’d ever catch him.

“As long as you behave, I’ll be off.”

With his answer, Veya let out a soft huff, barely managing to keep her emotions in check as she maintained her frosty facade.

Truthfully, she was reluctant to leave him.

Staring at The Holy Church building not far behind her, she tried to keep up her cold persona, but at this moment, she couldn’t help feeling a touch of sadness.

After all, home was the only place she could truly relax.

With this man by her side, even doing nothing—even just spacing out—was enough to make her happy. Yet every time, they only got a few short days together before having to part ways again.

“Safe travels—come back soon, okay?”

Lin Wei waved goodbye, watching as Veya clenched her fists, steeling herself before finally turning and walking toward The Holy Church.

If she let herself wallow in the comforts of home for too long, she’d grow soft—unfit to shoulder her responsibilities.

As the Pope, even snatching a few days of rest was a rare luxury. If she wanted to spend her days at home with Lin Wei, she’d first have to fulfill her duties—and perhaps, one day, find a worthy successor to take up her mantle.

“If I can finish my work early, maybe I’ll get a few extra days at home next time.”

With that thought, Veya took a deep breath, her resolve returning as she strode into The Holy Church with renewed determination.

“Yeah... looks like I won’t be seeing her for quite a while now.”

Watching his wife disappear into the Lotai Church, Lin Wei let out a sigh and turned to head into the city.

Between the Lotai Church and the Holy City lay an ancient long-distance teleportation array.

This was a relic from ages past—nowadays, only a handful remained, protected within the strongholds of powerful organizations.

In fact, many of the world’s most important sites had been built specifically around these teleportation arrays.

“So, what should I do now that I’m back?”

The idea of stumbling across some job opening for the Imperial Capital in Lotai was little more than a fantasy.

Opportunities like that were one in a million. Instead of waiting for luck, it was better to take matters into his own hands.

After all, he’d refrained from seeking work outside not just because of his Imperial citizen status, but also because he and Veya had agreed he wouldn’t leave.

Now that this restriction was finally gone, maybe—just maybe—he could find another way to reach the capital.

“Maybe I should just swing by the Adventurers’ Guild?”

Come to think of it, he’d only just been promoted to Senior Adventurer a couple of days ago.

Even if there weren’t any commissions for the Imperial Capital, picking up an interesting job or two to pass the time didn’t sound bad at all.

Spotting the Lotai Adventurers’ Guild not far away, Lin Wei nodded to himself and strode over without hesitation.

“That settles it!”