PUBW 34

Chapter 34

“Charles! Are you alright? You’re not hurt anywhere, are you?”

“I’m fine. How long was I asleep?”

“About six hours. Are you really sure you’re okay? You don’t look well.”

Checking his pocket watch, Leandro gently wiped the tear marks still on my face.

“I’m not unwell, my face is just swollen from sleeping too much.”

Seth grumbled as he walked over.

“I owe you one.”

“Not at all. But, young lord, could you step outside for a moment?”

“If it’s about divine power, I’ll be listening too.”

Seth’s face instantly twisted.

“Do you think the lady is some five-year-old child?”

“And yet when I left her alone with Your Holiness earlier, she fainted, didn’t she? Who collapses in the middle of a divine power test?”

“Well, that’s true, but still, I fainted too, so doesn’t that make us even?”

Leandro and Seth bickered back and forth.

Surprisingly, the two seemed to get along. I’d never seen my brother argue like that before.

“Brother, I’ll tell you later.”

“Are you really sure?”

“Of course.”

“I’ll wait outside the door. If anything happens, shout.”

Leandro left the room reluctantly, glaring at Seth as if he were some shameless villain.

The trauma of me collapsing in front of him when I was younger must still haunt him. I wasn’t sure how to fix that, so I put the thought aside.

“Your Holiness, please explain now. What exactly is the problem?”

I looked at Seth.

He stared back at me for a moment, then suddenly dropped to his knees.

“…?”

“I greet the Saint.”

“What are you…?”

Saint?

Could it be that the Pope knows I’m Saint Eluna? How?

“It’s me, Saint.”

“What?”

“…It’s me. Ellu-Ellu.”

“….”

My god. To call me that cringe-inducing nickname with such a nonchalant face, like he couldn’t care less.

“Don’t tell me after such a long nap you’ve forgotten everything?”

“Your Holiness… you’re not saying you were that priest who gave me the Rica leaf medicine, are you?”

“That’s right.”

This is strange. He feels like a completely different person. How could that brazen face belong to that kind priest?

“The priest who died to that demon.”

“Yes. You even threw yourself into my arms.”

“You were the one who grabbed me first.”

“The knight said you followed me around well.”

I tilted my head.

“Did you peek into my dreams or something?”

“I got caught up in the Saint’s divine power. But my legs really hurt now, may I get up?”

Still kneeling, Seth only moved his lips in that irritating way of his.

So that’s what this was—his version of showing respect because I was the Saint.

“You may stand.”

“Thank you.”

Seth jumped up and sat on a chair.

“But why claim you were that priest, just because you saw my dream?”

“Well… just…”

“Just?”

“I felt it, without the slightest doubt. Like how red is red, whether it’s past or present.”

Ugh. Why does he look so smug while spouting nonsense?

Still, if he really was that priest from my dream, there was something I had to say.

“I’m sorry.”

Seth’s eyes widened.

“Even though I liked you, I must have complained to that demon about not wanting to go to the temple.”

A young priest with the potential to become Pope died because of me.

“No. I was the one foolish enough to be tricked and killed by a demon far weaker than myself.”

“But still…”

“And friends say all sorts of things to each other. People even curse their parents.”

“….”

Friends. Could one really be friends with a demon who killed someone? Were we truly friends to begin with, when he deceived me?

“Saint.”

Seth spoke in that detached, careless tone.

“What they did may be unforgivable, but if they were too precious to you, it’s natural you couldn’t bring yourself to say it. Think carefully—you must have had times like that too, haven’t you?”

Times when I didn’t say the truth because I didn’t want to lose someone.

Yes, there was. I hadn’t revealed my identity because I didn’t want to lose kind Artif, who didn’t hate me.

“Still, the fact remains that the demon killed Your Holiness. And it never even realized it was wrong.”

“Well, it was a demon, after all.”

I shot him a glare. Why was it so irritating when the victim was the one making sense?

“You’re going to strain your eyes glaring like that.”

“Well, anyway, thank you. It can’t be easy to defend the demon who killed you.”

“…I just don’t think it’s right to say it was all evil.”

“What? Of course it was evil.”

At my firm words, Seth gave a small laugh and stood up.

“There’s much I want to ask, but let’s go step by step. For now, should we fill out your membership application? I’ve already prepared the documents while you were sleeping.”

“Membership application? For what?”

I looked down at the papers Seth handed me.

“The Azdel Church membership application.”

“Why me?”

“I understand you don’t want to be affiliated again, but the world has changed. Any priest in the temple must have felt your immense divine power. They’ll try to coerce or abduct you just to keep you on their side. I’ll protect you.”

He didn’t look reliable at all. He was even wearing his shoes with the backs crushed down.

“But aren’t you just a puppet Pope?”

“There were circumstances. Personal ones.”

“Do you remember the Rica leaf recipe I once asked you about?”

“Of course not. I didn’t regain memories—I only saw the Saint’s dream. Why do you ask?”

The excitement I felt deflated.

“It’s for my mother. She’s still unwell.”

“I don’t remember it, but I can find the recipe.”

I snapped my head up.

“How?”

“The Rica leaf is extinct, but the recipe isn’t. The temple’s archives are thorough to a fault.”

“Then… could I possibly read that recipe too?”

Seth looked down at his robe, which I had grabbed.

“Please. I’ll pay whatever it costs.”

“It’s not supposed to be shown to laypeople, but I’ll bring it to you.”

My heart raced. I’d finally secured both the Rica leaf and the recipe.

“Thank you. Truly. Then how should I pay you?”

“No need. I don’t know what you intend with a recipe for an extinct herb, but I do hope the Duchess recovers.”

“Yes. But about the membership…”

“It’s fine. Go home and think about it. The duke’s knights will keep you safe for now.”

So he had this unexpectedly magnanimous side too. Completely unexpected.

“If, by some chance, I ever do join, I’ll do it through you, Your Holiness.”

“You were cuter as a child, Saint.”

“Ah! Don’t tell me you’re going to keep calling me Saint?”

“Why? You don’t like it?”

He really didn’t get the problem. No wonder people called him a puppet Pope.

“It’s not about liking it—it’s that I’m not the Saint now.”

“Well, that’s true. Alright then.”

“Anyway, I’ll be going now.”

Stretching, I stood up.

“I’ll send word once I’ve found the recipe.”

“Yes. Thank you so much. And I’m sorry I cursed you last time for not taking proper care of my mother.”

“You didn’t need to apologize for something you only thought to yourself. Now I just feel like I’ve been cursed.”

As Seth and I exchanged jokes, I opened the door—Leandro was waiting there, his face full of worry.

“Charles, did the talk go well? Are you okay? That puppet Pope didn’t try anything strange, did he?”

“Mm. Maybe he’s not such a puppet after all.”

“…I shouldn’t have told you about that.”

I giggled at Seth’s sulky expression.

“Thank you for today, Your Holiness. I’ll see you next time.”

“Take care, Ellu-Ellu.”

Chills ran down my spine. Not with that expression, not with that nickname.

“Ellu-Ellu? What’s that supposed to mean?”

Leandro glanced between Seth and me.

“It’s nothing. Let’s go quickly.”

I glared at Seth, silently telling him to throw that nickname away, then left with Leandro to head home.