Back to, the Imperial Capital

Before leaving Ruben, an envoy from the Pope himself came to visit Kyle and Sylvia.

He asked them to spare some time, even a little, and secretly invited them to the temple.

They had a lot of work to do and wanted to return as soon as possible, but despite that, the two accepted the invitation.

Just in case there was even one more story worth hearing.

,I’m so sorry to have called you busy people so urgently.

,No. We still have some time to spare….

The Pope greeted the two with the same kind smile as a neighborhood grandfather, just like at their first meeting.

On the table was tea that he had personally brought out.

For someone of the Pope’s stature to personally bring out tea without ordering a subordinate to do it, Kyle felt that his prejudice against the Pope was somewhat disappearing thanks to this old man.

The tea tasted quite good.

He heard that the tea he usually drinks isn’t good enough to give to others, so he deliberately prepared something better.

From that alone, you could tell how unpretentious he was.

,Are you going back straight away today?

,Yes. We plan to head to the Imperial Capital.

,Won’t you be stopping by your family home?

,We don’t have the time…. I’m thinking of sending someone separately to deliver the news.

Needless to say, Deberu is second, but Roxanne, for one, will be very worried.

Despite that, Kyle thought he had to reach the Imperial Capital, Artas, as quickly as possible.

First, he had to meet the Emperor and discuss the details of this matter before they could discuss countermeasures.

There was no time to rest, not even for a moment.

,But what’s the purpose of today’s meeting…?

,There’s no real purpose. I just thought I should see you off before you two leave…. There are too many eyes outside.

,I see. Thank you for your consideration.

So he invited them just to see their faces.

Kyle was slightly deflated, but he brushed it off.

From the Moon Order’s point of view, or more precisely, from Pope Theodoric’s point of view, it was a perfectly reasonable action.

After all, the Goddess’s Envoy, whom they had been waiting for for nearly 40 years, had finally appeared.

He probably wanted to make a good impression, even if just a little.

It was a good opportunity, as Kyle had a few things he wanted to ask him as well.

,Speaking of which, Your Holiness the Pope, there’s something I wanted to ask you.

,Oh, what is it? Please, speak comfortably.

Perhaps he was happy that he could help in any way, Theodoric’s complexion visibly brightened.

At that, Kyle recalled a recent event and asked a question.

It was about the memory of the battle he had with the Archbishop of the Dawn’s Eye.

,We recently had a battle with the Dawn’s Eye. I heard he was the Archbishop there.

,The Archbishop…. That must have been a very difficult fight.

,Yes. But that guy used some strange power. Do you happen to know anything about the power to nullify magic?

,The power to nullify magic?

Even someone of the Pope’s stature was hearing this for the first time, as he widened his eyes and asked back.

In the first place, the Order uses its own power called Divine Power, so there isn’t much need to research magic.

Still, someone like Theodoric would have a grasp of basic knowledge related to it.

Even he had never heard of the power to nullify magic.

,That guy had a strange artifact attached to his arm. It seemed like he was nullifying magic through the power coming from there.

,An artifact…. Hmm, this is the first I’ve heard of it. At least, I haven’t heard that the Moon Order developed anything like that.

,Is that so.

Kyle pondered, chewing on Theodoric’s words.

When he first saw that power, Kyle thought it was definitely coercion by Divine Power.

Magic Power and Divine Power cause collisions with each other and can’t mix like water and oil, so he speculated that they were forcibly nullifying magic by using that.

But if that were the case, the Moon Order, which also has priests who can handle Divine Power, would have discovered a similar method.

Of course, it’s possible that their research and ideas surpassed the Moon Order, but at least Kyle thought that possibility was somewhat low.

,So, it’s not just using Divine Power?

Stroking his chin, Kyle narrowed his eyes.

Come to think of it, the Archbishop at that time fused Magic Power and Divine Power, explosively causing the collision that occurs there, and even used that as a power in combat.

For an ordinary human, it wouldn’t be strange for their body to explode and die immediately, but he did it.

Perhaps the reason is that the Archbishop’s monstrously transformed body would explain it instead.

,That might be the only way it’s possible.

Is it only possible if you have a strong body that far exceeds the human body?

If so, then it’s somewhat explainable.

In the first place, it wouldn’t make sense that such a divine feat was possible with just the artifact he saw at that time.

If such a method were possible, it would have been strategically better to have everyone wear that artifact to develop resistance to magic.

It’s right to assume that there’s a reason why they couldn’t do that.

,But if that’s true, it’s a very serious problem. The power to nullify magic….

Theodoric knew from their first meeting that the two were very skilled magicians, so he continued to wear a worried expression.

If there’s a possibility that magic, which can be said to be the source of a magician’s power, could be sealed, then that battle is practically a defeat.

Although they won against the Archbishop, there’s no guarantee that such a miracle will continue to occur in the future.

It would be nice if he could help in some way.

,It’s okay. I’ve already made preparations.

,Hmm?

Facing his concern, Kyle wore a bold expression and tapped the sword at his waist.

Theodoric expressed his doubt because it was just a somewhat old-looking sword that seemed to have gone through quite a long time.

It’s believable because the Envoy of God, of all people, is asserting it so confidently, but on the other hand, he wondered what the hell that sword was that he was so confident.

Suppressing his doubts somehow, Theodoric emptied the remaining black tea and added.

,Anyway, since you’re leaving straight away today, we’ll send someone to the Imperial Capital to follow you. A believer will go with a letter stamped with my seal, which will help when persuading His Majesty.

,Is it okay to send them alone? How about traveling with us….

At that, Sylvia asked with a worried expression.

The country was already in turmoil due to the Dawn’s Eye, and the view of the Moon Order wasn’t good either, so she wondered if it would be dangerous to send a messenger alone.

,It’ll be fine. Above all, until this news reaches His Majesty’s ears, we must keep the relationship between you two and the Moon Order as secret as possible. Traveling together will only attract unnecessary attention.

,I guess….

At those words, Sylvia nodded as if she agreed.

Anyway, on the surface, the Moon Order and the two have no connection at all.

Even if it’s just a temporary fix, it’s important not to stir up trouble unnecessarily.

At least until they arrive in the Imperial Capital and this news spreads.

,Ah, and take this with you.

,A necklace?

Soon, just before the two left the room, Theodoric took off the necklace around his neck and handed it to Kyle.

He wanted to give it to both of them if he could, but unfortunately, it was a unique item, so he decided to entrust it to Kyle, the owner of the Sacred Mark.

,Yes. It’s a sacred object I received when I was entrusted with the position of Pope.

,A sacred object…. From Lethe Goddess-nim?

,So I’ve heard. Actually, I don’t know the details because I haven’t experienced it myself. However, I’ve heard that the sacred object received by the first Pope-nim from the Goddess has been passed down from generation to generation.

In a sense, it can be seen as a precious symbol that proves the position of Pope.

Upon learning that it was such a valuable item, Kyle waved his hands and expressed his reluctance.

Even though he received the Sacred Mark from Lethe, he thought that he, a basically atheist who doesn’t pledge allegiance to the Order, shouldn’t receive it.

,I can’t receive such a precious item….

,You don’t have to refuse. In the first place, an item should be in the possession of the most suitable person. Moreover, I, who am receiving the Goddess’s grace most closely, don’t need any more grace than this.

But Theodoric’s attitude was firm, and in the end, Kyle had no choice but to receive and wear the necklace.

Like attaching a shard of the moon, the necklace with a slightly yellowish ornament boasted a fairly neat style.

Seeing this, Theodoric burst into a hearty laugh and clapped softly.

,I think I did well to give it to the Envoy-nim after all. It suits you very well.

,I think so too. It suits you very well, Kyle.

,Even Sylvia….

Kyle, who doesn’t really like these kinds of ornaments, felt awkward, but he couldn’t take it off because the two were praising him to his face.

,Then, I hope you have a safe journey. With my insufficient body, I will offer prayers for you two from today and pray for good fortune to follow you. May the blessing of the moon be with you.

,Thank you, Your Holiness the Pope.

,I’ll visit again when everything is over.

,I’d be grateful if you would.

Having received such an unexpected gift, Kyle and Sylvia quickly left the temple and headed to the Imperial Capital in the carriage that had been waiting outside the village gate.

Theodoric, who heard this news from a believer, wore a kind smile and headed to the prayer room, not coming out until the next morning.