Chapter 38: Ghaeltifts, Pope of The Avoisan Church
“Huh?! W-what?! The Pope’s a-a-an…” Hans stuttered, looking up at Ghaeltifts in disbelief.
“A WRETCHED KNIFE EAR!” Utarou shouted, the empty cathedral echoing his disdain throughout the dome.
Ghaeltifts laughed as her tired eyes leered down at the two who stood before her.
“Why, Utarou from everything I’ve heard this is your first time leaving Oldser, I can’t imagine you spent enough time in Richton to encounter one of my kind, let alone to establish such a horrible impression of us!” Ghaeltifts cackled, resting her head on her hand.
“Ohhh I don’t need to have met one of your kind here to know that I don’t like you.” Utarou growled as he tried to walk up Ghaeltifts’ stair case, finding that with each step he took the stone stairs moved to keep him in the same place.
“Really? You know, us Elves like to be informed about something before we make an opinion.” Ghaeltifts said in mock surprise.
“The hell do you know about me then!” Utarou shouted angrily, still trying and failing to reach the woman.
“Well I know you were reincarnated here 8 years ago, you were Sir Utarou of The Mountain Keep for King Oldsier until begging for the title of Governer of Dracons with a ridiculous offer he couldn’t refuse, to which you paid back by secretly using your own flesh as mince meat, challenging the churches guidance so flagrantly you had to be declared a heretic, decimating Burtcons by chasing the wyverns out and then proceeding to somehow discover a Tier 4 skill that was off the Holy Path! Did I miss anything important?” Ghaeltifts asked with a playful yawn, her left eye beginning to glow green as opposed to their neutral brown.
“Oh you’ve missed a lot of important things.” Utarou growled.
“Your own flesh!?” Hans exclaimed in disbelief, everyone ignoring him.
“Firstly, you missed out on my love of Monster Girls.” Utarou declared, causing Ghaeltifts to roll her eyes.
“Secondly, you missed out my hatred of Elves!” Utarou reiterated.
“Honey, those aren’t that important right-” Ghaeltifts began, interrupted by Utarou’s loud snort.
“Oh you WOULD think that, with all your high minded and pretentious bullshit!” Utarou screamed, pointing an accusatory finger towards the woman as he started trying to run up the stairs, to equally little avail.
“Where are you getting all of these ideas, I must say they’re a lot more flattering than most human stereotypes against us.” Ghaeltifts laughed. Hans could only mumble something incoherent and shrug.
“I’m getting them from the only reliable source for isekai, light novels!” Utarou shouted as he sprinted as fast as he could, having managed to move a whole centimeter before tripping and crashing into the floor beside Hans.
“Right, well despite my position as Pope, I thought showing you a good time would help assuage your… interesting ideas about my people.” Ghaeltifts sighed.
“I didn’t consent!” Utarou retorted.
“Oh? But you finished so quickly.”
“N-never mind that.” Utaoru coughed while Hans looked at the two cluelessly.
“Quite, well I can only assume you sought my audience to gain my favour? Perhaps cleanse your heretical record? Beg for support in a trying time?” Ghaeltifts speculated boredly.
“Uh, all of those things…” Utarou mumbled, realizing his rampant hatred of Elves may have blinded him to slightly more pressing issues.
He could wipe Elves off the face of the planet after he creates his Monster Girl Utopia.
…
“The dread… I’m feeling it again.” Henrek groaned as he and Barney sat watching Julia experiment with her splitting ability.
“Awh don’tcha feel too bad! The meetin’ could’ve been worse. We ain’t bein’ ran out of town like’n the last three.” Barney offered with his usual chipper attitude, taking a swig of beer as he looked towards Dryholm.
“No, it’s just that Utarou will have made his way to Avotica by now. You know how he gets about Elves…” Henrek sighed.
“Eh, he’s just meetin’ with the Pope, probably an old man what hates’ Elves too. Can’t be too many of them Elvoisan weirdos in the city right?” Barney suggested.
“I dunno, I heard news that they’re trying to reconcile. I’m surprised you have an opinion on the Elvoisan Church, you never struck me as particularly religious.” Henrek noted, taking a sip of water.
“Hate all the bastards what try’n tell me what to do. Much’n prefer leavin’ things to ya spirits ‘n such ‘n the olde gods. Elvoisan fellas are the ones who make’n it all weird, all that lovin’ stuff, blergh.” Barney said, remembering the time a wandering missionary tried to sell Barney on the religion.
“Sounds like you’ve met one! I thought Oldser was way north of where they usually tried to convert, I’ve heard a few stories from the southern guys when I used to guard Mountain Keep. I think it’s just an Elf thing though.” Henrek suggested.
“Is it? Maybe Utarou’s got a point, though he’s got it well weird don’t he. Talkin’ about bein stuck up with’n a superiority complex… I mean the hell kinda Elf is that?” Barney muttered. Henrek laughed as he shook his head and shrugged.
“Maybe it’s like the monster girls he rambles on about and they don’t exist yet!” Henrek laughed before looking at Julia instructing Twolia and Threelia to stretch out Fourlia like a sling shot.
“Oh god, he wouldn’t make the dirt licking, STD ridden and festering wound elves like that would he?” Henrek asked, horrified at the idea.
“BAH! C’mon now, Utarou’s a mad man but he HATES em! Can’t imagine he’d be able to talk to one of em’ long enough to say more than how much he hates em!” Barney cackled.
“Right… right yeah.” Henrek nodded, the dread only mounting.
Elves were a people blessed with long lives and incredible magic, but in exchange had fragile constitutions and extreme poverty in their lands.
Imagining what might happen if these Elves were lifted from their squalor?
Was a terrifying thought indeed for the Human.