TFWSDW 25

Chapter 25

Derrick had already realized…

Nemesia didn’t know anything about the hierarchy here.

‘No one knows she’s the Pope.’

On the surface, she was just a “Pope Candidate.” That meant no one but another candidate could be higher than Nemesia.

People made a mistake believing the Church’s goals were as organized as they were righteous.

But from Derrick’s experience, this place was a jungle.

A world where rank and order were strict, and the strong ate the weak.

‘But this person, given by God, is kind.’

If Nemesia had heard that, she would’ve said, ‘Where am I kind? I trick fanatics!’

But Derrick was serious.

Nemesia was kind, soft, and weak. Now, as her guardian, he finally had a role to play.

‘From now on, the battle of hierarchy is my responsibility.’

There was a faint spark of warmth on Derrick’s pale, tired face.

For the first time in a long time, he felt self-confidence and a small sense of joy.

‘I’ll give everything I have to do this.’

Derrick made up his mind.

“Dad, aren’t you angry?! Bite! Bite them!”

Anyone who tried to rebel…

…would die.

“Dad, thanks for thinking about Nemesia!”

Nemesia smiled brightly, not knowing that in the future, she would be sweating, holding Derrick’s leash tightly.

‘Dad looks happy about something.’

That’s all she thought as she looked at him.

“Promise me? Promise!”

“Yes…”

Their hands overlapped.

The father and daughter who weren’t even related by blood unknowingly grew more alike.

For different reasons, they both felt proud.

A few days later.

In a room with a large round table in the center. There was also a clean blackboard next to it.

This place looked like a classroom, and it was true: it was where Pope Candidates received their education.

But Nemesia had no mood to appreciate how realistic the game-like location was.

‘This feels like a chapter from the game…’

There were a total of ten Pope Candidates, selected through an evaluation test.

Big and small kids sat in large chairs, and behind them stood ten adults.

Even though twenty people were gathered, the hall was covered in cold silence.

A sharp tension filled the air.

Like the moment right before the start of an Olympic race, everyone was tense—or pretending not to be—while secretly watching each other.

And I was…

‘Crap… I’m screwed.’

I was filled with dread.

No, this was serious.

‘Today… is the first test?’

Yes.

Today, the very first day I attended class…

Sadly, it was also the day of the first test for Pope Candidates.

And this day was…

‘Why?!’

Game Category [Post][Guide]
[For newbies taking their first test]

Hi newbies

Congrats on reaching the “First Test” chapter.
Here’s the only advice I’ll give you this chapter:

Just die once and get the experience ^^!

…because this was a hellish chapter that everyone had to die at least once to start properly.

30 minutes earlier.

I widened my eyes.

“What? The location changed?”

Four days ago, after escaping the fanatics’ underground base, I was forced to take a break by the Church leaders.

Since the Pope Candidate’s health was always the top priority, this was understandable.

‘Because of that, I unintentionally missed the second and third classes.’

The problem was that just attending classes earned you points.

The Church considered my situation, but I still received fewer points than the candidates who attended.

‘This is bad…’

If my points dropped too low, even my living conditions would change.

‘I can’t let Dad end up sleeping in the stables…!’

As my face grew serious, I was told today’s location had changed.

“They said the initial notice was wrong.”

“Oh? Then where are we going?”

“The Room of Miracles.”

I froze.

“…Where?!”

“They said… the Room of Miracles.”

Dad opened his eyes wide and, seeing my expression, also became serious.

‘Why there?’

Wait a second.

I ran to a calendar hanging on one side of the room.

‘The dates don’t match!’

The Room of Miracles.

Among players, it was known as the room that would “make you need diapers.”

Because an event happened there that was only part of the first test.

But the date didn’t match what I knew. We weren’t supposed to go there until much later!

‘…No, it’s not strange.’

After the fanatics’ underground base was destroyed because of me, both the Church and the fanatics must have been in chaos.

It wasn’t strange if the Church moved up the education schedule out of fear.

‘I just didn’t know because I was on forced break.’

It wasn’t an excuse. This was my fault for not preparing.

Still, there was one thing I could try.

‘But I don’t want to go unprepared… can I skip, even if I get penalized?’

After all, the Church had already given me an excuse with my “health break.”

“Dad! What if…!”

“No.”

Pope Candidate Nemesia’s education officer, Siara, answered firmly.

Her eyes behind her glasses shifted downward slightly.

‘She’s disappointed.’

Nemesia’s face clearly showed her disappointment and despair.

The youngest Pope Candidate.

At an age where it was practically impossible to pass the worst exam site, the “Labyrinth.”

But she was also the miracle’s chosen one.

And…

“The prophecy said the chosen one would be a boy in his early teens.”

“This can’t be…”

“If something has gone wrong with the plan for the world…?”

For the first time in history, the Church’s infallible prophecy was wrong.

They were quietly, but greatly, shaken and shocked.

“Watch her, Siara.”

Siara, who had always worked quietly in an office job, was given a secret order.

The purpose was to observe and report everything about the youngest Pope Candidate.

So, she was actually happy to have been called today…

But she hadn’t expected it would be for something like this.

“You must attend the first test.”

Nemesia’s face became darker and darker as she heard the refusal.

Her unknowing trembling almost made Siara feel guilty, like she had stolen candy from a child.

“I’m sick, though?”

“Well… then you don’t have to attend, but… you will be punished.”

The test was the Church’s only way to force Pope Candidates to do something.

If they missed the test, they would be punished.

As Siara was wondering how to explain it…

Nemesia flinched noticeably.

“…Will I get punished?”

Strange.

Why did it seem like Nemesia already knew about the punishment points?

“You won’t be punished directly, but you will get penalty points. Of course, if those add up, there will be punishment, so you’re not wrong. And skipping the test automatically gives you a penalty.”

“It really is punishment!”

Nemesia grabbed her own hair in frustration.

The sight was cute, but…

Derrick, her guardian, seemed panicked as he stood next to her.

“H-hey! Your hair! It’ll fall out!”

“Is my hair like dandelion seeds? It won’t fall out that easily!”

“Your fingers will hurt!”

It was quite the scene.

As if that wasn’t enough, Derrick quickly picked Nemesia up to calm her down.

‘He still hugs her like a baguette loaf…’

Maybe he was a little better at it now.

Still, anyone who knew the true face of the Church’s former hero wouldn’t believe what they were seeing.

“As your education officer, I strongly recommend you don’t skip this test.”

“Ugh…!”

Nemesia pouted in her dad’s arms.

Siara’s gaze darkened as she looked at her.

The doubts that her superiors had, she also shared.

Was the child who defied prophecy a symbol of miracles…?

…Or would she bring betrayal and chaos to the Church that had barely held its balance?

Nemesia groaned in her dad’s arms, but in the end, she decided to attend the test.

‘This is a total trap.’

My steps felt heavy.

“…Do your fingers hurt a lot?”

Dad, worried, asked from the side.

“No, they don’t hurt. My steps just feel heavy.”

Really heavy.

‘But I couldn’t skip it.’

I knew what the “punishment” was for not attending.

It was being sent to the Church’s secret space.

‘I don’t want to go there right now…’

Even with Dad by my side, at my current level I could never survive it.

Better to take the first test than that.

“Pope Candidate Nemesia, confirmed!”

Finally, I arrived at the Room of Miracles.

The tense Holy Knight guarding the door allowed me inside.