TFWSDW 46

~Chapter 46~

For a moment, I wondered if I had misheard and blinked rapidly.

“A… favor?”

“Money. Gold, to be precise.”

Emmett kindly elaborated.

“There’s no such thing as a free favor, right?”

…So now there’s even a money-obsessed Pope candidate?

I wasn’t particularly shocked.

In the game, Emmett often clashed with the protagonist because he was an incredibly calculating individual.

In the original, he even placed a price on the civilians he rescued.

So he had been a money-grubber from childhood.

I simply stared at him as if to ask, And what exactly am I supposed to do with that information?

Emmett, perhaps reading the silent plea in my eyes, stepped back with a light shrug.

“Oh, like I said before, I only came to thank you. Sorry if I frightened you again.”

Good. Now disappear, please.

When I didn’t respond, Emmett scratched his cheek and then extended a hand toward me.

…Huh?

I instinctively recoiled.

Is he about to hit me? Just like that?

Smack!

But no hand ever touched me.

When I opened my eyes, I was greeted by the familiar sight of my father, his face radiating a quiet but unmistakable fury.

“What exactly were you trying to do?”

He had seized Emmett’s wrist just before it could reach me.

Emmett looked startled, glancing between us, but he quickly schooled his expression.

“Ah… I only meant to remove something from Candidate Nemesia’s hair.”

I raised a hand to my head and found a tiny bit of lint. It matched the direction his hand had been reaching for.

But…

“That is a blatant lie.”

My father’s expression was darker than I had ever seen.

“You were using holy power, weren’t you?”

“…Ah.”

Emmett had been attempting something, and it was likely tied to his unique holy power.

“Using holy power on another candidate without their consent—unless it’s for healing—is a violation of the rules.”

It wasn’t surprising.

Royal spies often tried to mark promising Pope candidates, didn’t they?

Even if it wasn’t a mark, he had undoubtedly been attempting something.

“That is…”

Hearing that, Emmett’s expression crumbled with genuine shock, making him, for the first time, look like the child he truly was.

“I’ll be taking you to the committee.”

“F-Father…?”

Did this have to escalate so much?

…But maybe this was good.

If he gets burned once, he won’t dare approach me again.

In the church, the use of holy power always left traces.

Whether or not he had used it could be confirmed with a simple investigation.

As my father lifted me with one arm and dragged Emmett by the wrist with the other—

“Hahaha. Has our child caused trouble?”

Someone grabbed my father’s wrist. His sharp brows rose instantly.

“…Antonio.”

“Yes, Sir Derrick!”

It was Emmett’s protector, Antonio—the very priest who had been on our team.

He was clad in the robes worn by priests under the Cardinals’ command, his eyes still wrapped in bandages, though his gaze found us with uncanny precision.

“I heard it’s a problem that our child used holy power! My apologies, but I believe what he intended was simply a blessing!”

Why does he talk like that?

Oh, right. He’s always been like this.

I barely kept the grimace off my face.

“He’s quite skilled at it, even without formal training, you know. Blessings, I mean.”

The bandaged face turned toward me.

The room had fallen silent; I could feel everyone’s eyes fixed on us.

This is… not good.

For any reason, drawing this much attention was dangerous.

“But even with good intentions, using holy power without permission is indeed a violation of the rules! So…”

“……”

“Please overlook it just this once!”

Antonio’s cheery voice reverberated lightly through the chamber.

My father stared at him with cold, penetrating eyes and then—

Smack!

Thwack!

Tap!

Wow…

It all happened so fast I could barely follow.

My father had shaken off Antonio’s grip and reached for Emmett’s wrist again.

But Antonio had blocked him, shoving Emmett safely behind him.

Now, the hands of the two protectors clashed midair, locked in a silent battle.

So this is how masters fight.

But the victor was clear.

Antonio’s wrist had turned bone-white from lack of blood flow.

“Ow, ow! Have you been training underground all this time? Ahem, ahem, it was foolish for a frail priest to challenge a knight. Thank you for not breaking my arm, Sir Derrick.”

“…If you understand, then release me.”

“Haha, but he’s only a child, isn’t he?”

“Don’t deflect the issue.”

My father’s expression grew even harsher, as though his patience had reached its end.

“You should know better than anyone. There are countless records of candidates dying at the hands of their peers during the papal election trials. And… if someone is touched by another’s holy power without consent, it can backfire and cause serious harm.”

“……”

Antonio’s smile faltered slightly at my father’s razor-sharp logic.

“Then I shall apologize in his stead.”

The sincerity in his voice lasted only a moment before he turned his bandaged face toward me, lowering his voice as a faint holy power shimmered in the air.

Did he just block the sound?

“Candidate Nemesia,” he whispered, “you saved my life during the trial. Could you please let this go just this once? I promise I will repay your kindness not once, but twice.”

I stared at the bandages for a long moment before timidly, but clearly, tugging at my father’s sleeve.

“…Father, let him go.”

“…!”

My father’s eyes widened in surprise.

I nodded softly to reassure him.

“It’s fine. But… you should take a token or make him swear an oath.”

I raised my eyes with a feigned look of fear.

Did you really think I’d let you off empty-handed?

“You’re an exceptional priest to be chosen as a protector, so I’m sure you’ll honor your word… right?”

“…Ahaha. Of course.”

Antonio hesitated briefly before smiling again, this time with an air of secrecy.

“When a candidate capable of sacrificing civilians for the greater good asks for a promise, how could I possibly break it?”

…This bastard. Look at how smug he gets just because I once saved his life.

And so, the commotion ended with Emmett offering me a formal apology in front of the other children.

As Father said, letting another’s holy power touch you carelessly can indeed be dangerous.

Had we gone to the committee, Emmett’s evaluation would surely have suffered, and…

Either that platinum-haired girl or I might have risen to first place in the trial’s rankings.

But that was something I didn’t want.

Of course, that wasn’t the only reason I let it slide.

Leaving a royal spy like Antonio bound by oath could only work to my advantage.

I could already think of a few ways to use him…

Not long after, the professors overseeing the education and the exam administrators entered the room.

They looked momentarily taken aback.

“Uh, ahem, Sir Derrick?”

“……”

Of course they were surprised—my father was seated in a child’s chair with me perched on his lap.

…How that chair isn’t broken is a miracle.

Worse, his face shone with proud determination, like a shepherd guarding his lamb, making it impossible for anyone to stop him.

“F-Father…? I think we can go back now…”

“There was an unpleasant incident, so I’ll hold you for now.”

“E-Everyone’s staring…”

“It’s fine. Don’t worry.”

No, Father. Shouldn’t you be asking me if I’m okay with this?

But if I told him to let go now, I could already see his self-esteem crumbling apart again…

I could picture the dejected look on his face, and…

Well, I didn’t really mind being in his arms either, so I decided to ignore it.

“Why… are you sitting there?”

“There was an unpleasant incident.”

He gave the exact same answer.

The professors and officials whispered among themselves but ultimately let it slide.

They likely assumed it was just a case of overprotectiveness, and since none of the other protectors raised objections, the matter was quietly brushed aside.

That was resolved far too easily…

But considering the church had nearly lost every candidate in the first trial, it was clear they were treading carefully.

Of course, this would be the last time.

These ruthless trials aren’t going anywhere.

The assembly concluded with the professors and exam officials issuing a formal apology, promising preventative measures, and outlining the upcoming training schedule.

But this isn’t over yet.

I waited with barely restrained anticipation, my cheeks faintly flushed.

“…Therefore, as a token of the church’s deepest apology, we have decided to offer a form of support to all the Pope candidates without delay.”

As expected.

Do you know the one element in games guaranteed to drive players mad with excitement?

Gacha.

The infamous… random draw.

At last. The gacha has arrived!