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“Why is it especially forbidden in front of Eugene?” I asked, puzzled.

“He might act all sweet and innocent around you, but his eyes tell a different story. You’d better be careful,” Axel replied, his tone serious.

“That’s ridiculous,” I said, letting out a small laugh of disbelief.

Axel sighed deeply, as if frustrated by my lack of understanding. “You’ve always been oblivious. It’s amazing how some things never change, even after all this time.”

“What do you mean I’m oblivious? Isn’t that more about you?” I shot back.

“I’m actually very perceptive.”

“Sure you are.”

I snorted at his claim and began ticking off on my fingers the incidents from our days in the expedition. “What about the girl working at the inn before we entered the swamp? Or the young knight who brought news of the Mad Dragon in the capital? Or the captain’s daughter who visited us when we were stranded by the typhoon? And there were more…”

As I listed them off, I ran out of fingers to count on.

“All of them were head over heels for you, sending you every possible signal, but you were so clueless and kept acting all cold.”

“Ha. Unbelievable,” Axel responded, a hint of amusement in his voice.

“Ever consider that maybe I acted clueless on purpose because I knew exactly what was going on and didn’t want to deal with it?”

“What are you talking about?”

“If I showed that I noticed, things would’ve gotten complicated, so I pretended not to notice.”

I narrowed my eyes, scrutinizing him from head to toe. “I don’t buy it.”

“Of course, you wouldn’t. You’re too oblivious to understand.”

Axel chuckled, casting a quick glance out the window, where the sun had set, leaving a deep orange hue across the sky.

“We’ve finished our discussion with the Ivory Tower. Once Bael returns, we can go over the prophecy book together.”

“Oh,” I clapped my hands in a mock show of enthusiasm, and Axel shook his head, exasperated.

“Please, try not to charge into things recklessly. It’s fine if it’s within the Ivory Tower, where I can handle the aftermath, but what are you going to do if you get into trouble somewhere else?”

“I may have charged in recklessly, but I had a plan.”

“What plan?”

“Obviously, the plan was that you would help me. Why else would I have gone through all that chaos?”

“…”

Axel fell silent, clearly at a loss for words at my audacity.

“So, I’ll be counting on you in the future as well. Having such a dependable family is great!” I added with a wide smile, the kind I knew he found irritating, and gave his shoulder a friendly pat.

As expected, Axel’s lips twitched in annoyance. 

‘Why, what’s the problem now?’

You said I could do it in front of you!

Smiling even more brightly, I leaned into the “Saintess smile” he so despised. Axel let out a deep, resigned sigh.

“I’m not going to live to a ripe old age at this rate…”

* * *

“A translation of the prophecy book from the future. What an astonishing artifact,” the Pope remarked, taking the book that Bael handed him. He then let out a series of deep coughs—*cough, cough*—causing Bael’s expression to darken instantly.

“It seems that taking a walk was too strenuous for you. Perhaps it’s best to head back inside…”

“No, no. I’m a clergyman who spends most of his time in prayer. If not now, then when would I ever take a walk?” the Pope interrupted, raising a hand to stop Bael from continuing. He began to move slowly again, his steps deliberate.

The garden of the Kydsha was meticulously maintained by the diligent clergy, making it an ideal place for a leisurely stroll. Visitors to Kydsha often praised the garden’s beauty. However, the Pope was currently in no condition to enjoy a peaceful walk through it.

‘His health has deteriorated so much recently…’

The Pope’s condition, which had greatly improved thanks to Reshia, had suddenly worsened again in recent days. What began as a light cough, initially dismissed as a minor cold, had escalated despite the Pope residing in Kydsha’s temple, a place brimming with divine energy.

There was no specific illness causing this decline. It was simply the inevitable toll of time that every human must eventually accept. In short, it was old age. Though no one openly discussed it, everyone was quietly preparing themselves for the Pope’s imminent passing.

Bael, who was closest to the Pope and followed his wishes diligently, was acutely aware of this reality. Sensing the tension in Bael’s stiff expression, the Pope smiled gently.

“Are you troubled because you see my end approaching?”

“No, Your Holiness. You shouldn’t speak of such things already,” Bael responded, trying to hide his concern.

“It’s best to discuss the end of those in high positions sooner rather than later. It minimizes chaos.”

The Pope lowered his gaze, seemingly lost in thought, before looking back at Bael.

“Would you be willing to take on the role of the next Pope when I’m gone?”

“That’s…”

“Of course, my nomination alone doesn’t decide the next Pope. But I can lend you considerable support. With the current sentiment in Kydsha in your favor, you should have little trouble taking control of the Church.”

Bael remained silent, his lips pressed tightly together.

The Pope. The highest rank, the most revered position in the Church, closest to the divine. It was a role that any member of the clergy might dream of attaining. Yet, Bael had never once aspired to become Pope. When he had once shared this with the Pope, the older man had simply said, “That’s precisely why you’re the most suited for the position,” a statement that had left Bael puzzled.

“If God grants me such a duty, it is my obligation as His servant to obey,” Bael finally replied.

“So your heart remains elsewhere,” the Pope sighed softly.

“Bael, remember this: God does not give us duties; He gives us life. Never forget that.”

Bael found himself at a loss for words. Since dedicating himself to the Church, he had never deeply pondered his own life. Following the path of God had been his entire existence.

What would remain in life without that? Bael blinked, the question swirling in his mind, as the Pope gave his shoulder a gentle, familiar pat.

“You don’t have to stay within the Church, Bael. There are many places where you can belong now, even outside of it,” the Pope said softly.

“!”

The Pope was suggesting that Bael, a Cardinal, could leave the Church if he wished. Bael’s eyes widened in surprise, but the Pope simply held up the book he had brought.

“For now, I will examine this book. If this is truly the interpretation of the prophecy….” The Pope’s voice trailed off as he looked up at the sky.

“It would mean that the will of God is at work. He must have wanted us to know the contents of the prophecy at this very moment.”

Bael followed the Pope’s gaze skyward. The clear sky was dotted with countless stars, twinkling beautifully. Whenever Bael thought of the stars as the eyes of the gods watching over humanity, he was always mindful of his actions.

“That means something significant is happening—something important enough for God to reveal His will,” Bael remarked.

The first time Bael received a divine revelation was when he joined the expedition to slay the Mad Dragon. God’s will, as it related to him, had always been tied to the destruction of the Mad Dragon.

‘So this time as well…’

Bael couldn’t shake the feeling that the Mad Dragon was connected to this crucial moment in which God had revealed His will.

* * *

After finishing my conversation with Axel, I was finally alone again.

‘Which means…’

It was the perfect time to try out the “Limited Hotline (Serlus)”!

I had made sure to tell Lily, “No one is to come in until I call for you!” With that settled, I checked the item I had purchased.

—

**Limited Hotline (Serlus)**  

The manager of the Reincarnation Subscription Service, the darling of Heaven, and the errand boy of the gods! Truly the idol of Heaven!  

You can now communicate with Serlus.  

To initiate communication, simply call out “Serlus” at any time to activate the hotline.  

**Warning:** This hotline is a two-way communication line. Serlus may initiate contact at any time upon his request.

—

‘Just as I thought, it’s a two-way communication.’

I had barely finished sighing when a voice suddenly rang out—no, it wasn’t so much that it rang out as it echoed inside my head.

[Subscriber!]

The voice was overly cheerful and almost annoyingly chipper.

“…Serlus.”

It seemed Serlus had grown impatient waiting for me to initiate the call, so he had reached out to me first.