Chapter 68: Shouldn’t You at Least Try to Act Like a Pope?!
Chapter 68: Shouldn’t You at Least Try to Act Like a Pope?!
How much more useless could I possibly be?
No, seriously—what are you even talking about?
Selena stared, utterly blindsided by the accusation, as Meilin’s expression darkened, anger simmering just beneath the surface.
Veya, too, was caught off guard. For a moment, her face froze, then quickly settled into its usual mask of composed detachment.
“Knight Meilin, what exactly do you mean by that?”
“Exactly what I said. Just now, those nobles insulted the Holy Church, and you didn’t even react.”
Meilin took a step forward, her eyes blazing. If she weren’t already the Grand Commander of the Judgement Knight—no longer the impulsive child she once was—she might have already lashed out.
“As Pope, it’s your duty to uphold the dignity of the Holy Church. Yet when those imperial nobles openly insulted us, you just stood there. You let them question you, didn’t fight back at all—just stood there and took it, like a punching bag.”
“Can’t you at least try to act like a Pope?” Meilin had never understood this.
She knew Selena was disappointing, but Selena wasn’t some powerless weakling.
Yet when faced with those parasitic imperial nobles, Selena hadn’t resisted in the slightest. To anyone who knew she was the Pope, they might understand, but to outsiders, she looked like nothing more than a lapdog for the aristocracy.
“This is exactly how a Pope should act!”
Veya clenched her fists so tightly she nearly lost her composure, but she managed to force her expression back into its usual air of authority.
What do you want me to do, exactly?
Should I be like you—blast those imperial nobles to ashes with Holy Light, only to wake up the next morning to every newspaper in the empire denouncing the Holy Church, and me along with it?
If the Grand Commander of the Retribution Knight won’t say a word, what do you expect me, the Pope, to do—start a bloodbath myself? Maybe I should just switch sides and become a general for the demons while I’m at it!
Whatever gratitude I’d felt a moment ago had vanished completely.
Facing Meilin—someone I’d known since childhood, my junior sister from the same order, now the Grand Commander of the Judgement Knight—I raged inside, but outwardly I had to maintain the dignified bearing of the Pope.
“Our supplies were plundered. That’s on us for failing in our escort duty. The imperial nobles came to demand accountability, and they had evidence to support their claims. Knight Meilin, are you suggesting that as Pope, I should ignore the reputation of the Holy Church and simply meet force with force?”
Of course I was angry—furious, in fact. I’d been seething from the moment those nobles opened their mouths.
But the title of Pope shackled me. I couldn’t just strike out as I pleased. If I could, those arrogant fools wouldn’t have left this chamber on their own two feet—if they managed to crawl away, I’d be showing mercy.
“The Pope stands for light and compassion. I must not act on impulse or lash out at humanity without just cause. Even if I’m forced to discipline a wayward believer, I have to weigh the consequences for the Holy Church’s reputation… Those are words my teacher once told me.”
I drew a deep breath, struggling to keep my voice steady as I addressed Meilin.
“If I can’t even tolerate this much, how am I supposed to lead the Holy Church? Dealing with offenders is the knights’ duty—just as you did earlier, Grand Grand Commander Meilin. That’s your role, not the Pope’s.”
For nobles like these, it was always the Retribution Knights who should take the stage.
But Sir Alfron, with all his seniority, had chosen to stand aside. There was nothing I could do about him—this whole situation had been a dead end from the start.
“Hah, so you’ve learned to talk back, but you still haven’t gained an ounce of ability as Pope?”
Meilin let out a cold laugh, lightning crackling and then fading from the holy lance in her hand. She clearly had no intention of listening to my excuses.
Two years in the papal seat, and she hadn’t managed to earn any authority. The word “useless” was all Meilin could think to describe her, and she felt Selena deserved it.
“I can’t be bothered to argue with you anymore. I helped you this time, but don’t expect it again. Make sure there are no more accidents with the logistics or supply convoys.”
“If you’re really that short-handed, the Judgement Knights can send some of our best to the front lines… for the sake of the Holy Church.”
“Do as you see fit, Selena. Since you’re already the Pope… at least try to act like one, will you?”
With that, Meilin turned and strode out of the hall, her presence vanishing almost instantly.
“Thank you for your advice, Grand Grand Commander Meilin.”
It stung—a lot more than she’d ever admit. But she couldn’t let it show.
Veya turned away, forcing her gaze elsewhere. Her stomach twisted with anger and frustration, but this was not the place to vent.
The Pope was the mortal vessel of the goddess Alicia’s will.
She could not be weak. She could not waver. She could show no excess emotion in public. She was supposed to become a human being touched by the divine.
No matter what happened, she could not let a single crack show. No matter how she felt, she was never allowed to act on impulse. That was the image a Pope had to uphold.
But… it was so exhausting.
She’d tried—tried so hard to be a proper Pope, poured almost every waking moment into her duties. And still, she could not earn their approval.
She was the Pope chosen by Divine Decree itself, and yet, when she ascended the throne, she hadn’t felt a shred of divinity. How much longer did she have to keep pretending in this position?
If only she could resign. She was never fit for this job in the first place. Why couldn’t she just quit?
Why did she have to keep holding on? Why… why couldn’t she just run away? She was at her breaking point.
“Mm… I miss Lin Wei.”
I miss him. I miss Lin Wei so much.
She slumped over her desk, whispering the words to herself as the crushing weight of responsibility came crashing down. Her arms trembled uncontrollably.
The golden gleam in her eyes vanished in an instant, leaving only the purest, clearest blue. In that moment, all she could think about was finding Lin Wei.
She had to find Lin Wei. She needed him—more than anything.
I can’t hold on any longer. I have to go to Lin Wei. I have to be by his side.
◇
“This is a nice place! You really are a Catkin through and through—no one’s better at sniffing out a good spot.”
“Seriously, you found a house with a garden and everything. Not bad at all.”
Lin Wei couldn’t help but praise Afuduo, giving her a hearty slap on the shoulder as he admired the cozy two-story cottage before them.
The place was well-furnished and move-in ready. With just a few touches here and there, it would be so elegant you’d hardly believe it was real.
“I’ve had my eye on this place for ages!” Afuduo replied, a hint of pride in her voice. “I always thought, if I could just finish my assignment and land a job in the Imperial Capital, I’d finally get to live somewhere nice like this… Who’d have thought it would all go up in smoke in the end? Life really is too cruel!”
She stood there, her ears drooping with regret.
If only she’d been accepted into the Imperial Capital’s Magic Academy—wasn’t this the kind of place she’d be living in by now?
The more she thought about it, the more it felt like her whole life had been stolen away.
Afuduo couldn’t help but slip into a series of “meow meow” daydreams. What if, in some other world, she’d never met this man and had smoothly started her job at the Academy? What kind of future would she have had?
Hmph! It would have been bright and dazzling, that’s for sure.
But reality was reality, and even the best daydreams couldn’t change it. It was better to face the facts honestly.
Besides, if it weren’t for him, she’d have starved to death long ago.
“By the way, where exactly do you live?” Lin Wei asked, breaking off her dazed thoughts.
Negotiating rent and all that? I can’t be bothered—Afuduo can handle it.
Honestly, Lin Wei hadn’t given much thought to the place she’d picked for him to live.
“There—you see the one with the blue roof? About five hundred meters from here.”
Afuduo perked up and pointed off to the right of the stand-alone cottage.
“Let me take a look…”
Lin Wei followed her finger, scanning the hillside. The cottage they were standing by was perched atop a gentle slope; off to the right, the land dipped into a sprawling neighborhood of single-story homes.
Afuduo’s blue-roofed house sat right at the end of the sloping road. But from Lin Wei’s current angle, the place looked tiny—almost like a toy house.
“A cat’s nest, huh.”
The words slipped out before he could stop himself.
“What do you mean, cat’s nest?! That’s just how it looks from here, okay?” Afuduo nearly exploded, her tail bristling in indignation.
First he steals my future, now he calls me a cat?
I’m a Catkin, a beastkin! I’m not some house pet!
Where did he even get that kind of description?
“Haha, just kidding. Anyway, I’ll leave all the paperwork and formalities to you.”
Seeing the sky turning to dusk, Lin Wei suddenly remembered something. He quickly pulled out some herbs and started sorting them on the spot, glancing at Afuduo as he spoke.
“I need to head back to the Imperial Capital’s Magic Academy to turn in my work later. Don’t forget to send your report back to the demons.”
“When I get some free time, I’ll come by to collect my reward… that okay with you?”
“Of course!”
She’d already decided to play the double agent—there was no turning back now.
Afuduo looked at him with utter seriousness, her eyes shining with the conviction of someone about to join a secret society.
“Leave it to me! I promise I won’t let you down.”