Chapter 40: The Pope Would Never Be Interested in an Ordinary Adventurer!
Chapter 40: The Pope Would Never Be Interested in an Ordinary Adventurer!
“The reply from Bishop Alec of Lotai, Your Holiness.”
The solemn, tranquil chamber was filled with the soft scratch of pen on parchment.
Secretary Rennie stepped forward, placing the letter gently on the desk before retreating two steps to stand respectfully at the side.
Her gaze lingered on the exhausted yet radiant figure hard at work, and admiration inevitably welled up in her eyes.
Her Holiness’s workload only seems to grow heavier by the day...
Ever since Duke Perseus himself had led the Empire’s elite Armored Knights to join the Knights of the Sacred Light at the front lines—
—and with reinforcements arriving from the Northern Countries, the final assault on the northern fortress was at hand.
To ensure the relief effort ran smoothly, the Pope had scarcely left this room in recent days.
Or perhaps it was more accurate to say—only someone like Lady Selena could be so tireless, so unwavering in her devotion. “The general contents?”
A quiet, weary question interrupted Rennie’s thoughts, blending with the rustle of the Pope’s pen.
Snapping back to her duties, the secretary quickly stepped forward and opened the letter. Her eyes quickly scanned the contents, distilling the essentials before reading them aloud.
“It concerns the task you assigned yesterday. The two adventurers who resolved the goblin disaster have received their rewards. Among them, one named Lin Wei has expressed a desire to come to the capital in search of work.”
“Given that his status as an imperial citizen is still under review, Bishop Alec has prepared a special letter of recommendation for him... That is the gist of it.”
As secretary, it was always her job to filter routine correspondence for Her Holiness, saving precious decision-making time.
Today was no different. After Rennie’s summary, the Pope merely nodded absently, seemingly unconcerned, and continued with her work.
It wasn’t until a dozen seconds later—perhaps distracted—that she made an error in her writing.
Just moments ago, Her Holiness had been working steadily, but now she casually tore up the draft she’d just written.
Drawing a fresh sheet of paper, she began to write again, asking offhandedly,
“He’s planning to come to the capital to look for work?”
“Yes, Your Holiness.”
That lucky fellow—does he really have a chance to catch the Pope’s attention?
Rennie couldn’t help but marvel inwardly, though she assumed the Pope was only making polite conversation. She nodded lightly in response.
“The capital is hiring residents whose citizenship is still under review?”
A second question? Even Rennie was startled. Two questions from the Pope herself—surely that adventurer must have the goddess’s favor.
“If someone is still in the review period for imperial citizenship, finding a decent job in the capital is actually quite difficult,” she replied, quickly regaining her professional composure.
“Ever since you ordered the tightening of the residency registration system, Your Holiness, all the major cities—especially the capital—have become much more cautious about hiring outsiders.”
“If you have connections, it’s one thing. Otherwise, any job you can find will probably be low-end work.”
The Pope nodded at this, then returned to her paperwork. Rennie didn’t find this odd at all.
After all, it was just an ordinary adventurer from a distant border town. For someone like that to occupy even a few seconds of Her Holiness’s thoughts was already something he could brag about for the rest of his life!
Could he really hope to pique the Pope’s true interest?
She doubted it. But just as she was about to sneak another glance at the great Lady Selena—
A rare sight—the Pope’s freshly rewritten draft, painstakingly resumed after her earlier mistake, once again bore an errant character.
“If he’s rendered meritorious service, then he deserves the goddess’s favor,” she remarked coolly, tearing the page in half once more.
She reached for another sheet, beginning anew, and spoke again with the same offhand tone,
“Take a look around. If there’s a suitable job, keep it in reserve as an option.”
“After all, he’s the adventurer who dealt with the goblin disaster. We can’t have him come all the way to the capital and leave empty-handed.”
Three sentences in a row—unprecedented!
Why is that ordinary adventurer so lucky?
“The workload isn’t too heavy right now. Rennie, see to it personally.”
In that instant, Rennie could practically feel herself turning green with envy.
For the sake of this adventurer, Her Holiness was dispatching her—during work hours, no less—to handle the matter herself?
Of course, she didn’t believe the Pope had taken any special interest in the man. It was simply a matter of timing; the Pope’s string of mistakes had prompted her to reorganize her thoughts, and this request just happened to come up in the process.
Still, perhaps even Her Holiness might see it as some kind of sign from the goddess Alicia. After all, to make two mistakes in a row right when this adventurer was mentioned—if she were the Pope, she’d find the coincidence hard to ignore.
“I understand!”
Envy aside, orders from the Pope were not to be taken lightly. No matter what, she would carry out this task to the best of her ability.
So, even as Rennie fumed with jealousy, she slipped seamlessly back into her professional mode. Even on her way out the door, she was already racking her brain for any suitable positions.
Ugh... This is so difficult... so frustrating.
The feeling was bizarre—her jealousy burned so hot she felt her eyes turning red, and yet she couldn’t allow a shred of personal emotion to interfere with her work. It was like being cuckolded and wanting to throttle the other person, but for the Pope’s sake, being forced to swallow her anger and keep moving forward instead.
The sensation twisted in her stomach, bitter and sour.
But then—no sound of tearing paper came from the room behind her.
Could it really be... some sign from the goddess Alicia?
“I’ll use a [Spatial Letter] to request more information on Lin Wei from the Lotai diocese! Ideally, recent commission records—if I can summarize his strengths, maybe I can match him with the right job.”
Yes, that’s the way.
As long as it’s for Your Holiness—
—I, Rennie, will show the utmost professionalism as a secretary!
And I’ll overcome any challenge that comes my way.
◇
“Estate guard and pet caretaker—eighty gold coins per month...”
“Personal footstool, for use when the employer gets in and out of carriages—seventy-five gold coins per month...”
“These damned human nobles—honestly, it wouldn’t be too much if they were all lined up and hanged someday.”
Staring at the job postings labeled For Foreign Residents Only—positions so degrading not even a dog would take them—Lin Wei felt a murderous urge rise within him. Without a second thought, he turned and walked away.
The bustling city unfolded before his eyes, its grandeur gradually coming into view.
Massive flagstones paved the broad, level streets, immaculate and bright yet alive with noise and activity. Shops lined both sides in neat succession, their open windows displaying a dazzling array of goods and curiosities.
If one looked further, they could see the unbroken sweep of the city’s towering walls—dozens of meters high, looming like giants on the horizon. Even from a distance, Lin Wei could sense the intricate defensive enchantments etched into their surface.
This... this was the Imperial Capital—a colossal metropolis with a thousand years of history, still standing proud. The ultimate destination, the place every citizen of the Empire dreamed of reaching.
Even Lin Wei, who had once reigned as a Demon Lord in a fortress lauded as impregnable, couldn’t help but feel a twinge of awe at the sheer scale of this city.
Of course, that had nothing to do with his current predicament. It certainly didn’t mean he was about to puff out his chest with pride just because he’d glimpsed a spectacular skyline.
“Huge city, sure... but when it comes to jobs, there’s absolutely nothing here for me.”