The Pope's Sanctuary
A flash of light.
When I opened my eyes, the first thing I saw was a strange ceiling. The sweet fragrance of fresh white linens filled the room, something I had no memory of.
*Alive... right?*
The battle with the Blood Lion flashed through my mind, followed by Ariel’s memories burrowing deep into my brain. Somehow I had lost consciousness. Yet here I was, breathing and conscious. It was a miracle my life thread had held.
“Has the young master awakened?”
“...?”
A familiar voice came from beside me. I turned my head and there she was, exactly as always: a woman with an expressionless face.
Was this her room?
It was impeccably tidy. Not a single decorative item. Only the bare necessities. The owner of the room, Maria, was absent, but the bed was still warm.
“...Why am I with Lady Maria?”
Maria was sharpening her blade. One glance at the weapon told me it was worth more than most noble families’ fortunes.
“I encountered the unconscious Master by pure chance on the road. This is Roben, the capital of the Northern Grand Duchy. The central residence of the Grand Duke. You fell here a week ago.”
I nodded silently after hearing her explanation.
“...Thank you. Then...” My voice came out trembling. The inexplicable experience I had just lived through told me something had happened to Ariel. The way her memories flooded my mind like a tidal wave was something I had never experienced in Silvering.
*In the worst case... I might have died in her place.*
“Ariel? What about Lancelot?”
“...”
Maria turned her head, her expression heavy.
A sudden wave of tension swept through me.
Ariel.
My hamster-like friend with her ever-present careful smile. Right now all I wanted to know was her. Her memories suggested something terrible had occurred.
“Ariel...”
I watched Maria’s pink lips form the words slowly. The moment they parted, she continued.
“She is alive. That much is fortunate. For now, at least.”
“...For now?”
I let out a sigh of relief. But her next words were baffling.
Alive meant alive. What did “for now” even mean?
“Did you know? Master has cheated death a second time. If not for Ariel, you would have already drawn your last breath.”
“Where is she now?”
“...The Holy Kingdom. The Papacy.”
The Papacy?
The unexpected answer left me stunned.
Ariel was a Senior Mage at Helios Magic Tower. If anything happened to her, the mages would protect her without hesitation. Yet here she was at the Papacy.
*Divinity. The priests finally noticed her trait.*
There was no other possible explanation. A life-long mage suddenly inside the Papacy was absurd.
“I need to go to her.”
“...”
I answered briefly and began to move.
I had no idea how Ariel had been transferred from the tower to the Papacy, but one thing was certain: I had to reach her right now.
“Meeting her will not be easy.”
“...Pardon?”
“Master’s friends who used Divine Magic lost the source of all life. The one who seized her at the edge of death... was Pope Sullivan. Unless you are a Cardinal-level priest, access is impossible.”
Pope Sullivan.
The name of a titanic figure I had not expected surfaced.
If even the source of life, the innate qi, could not be seized by ordinary hands, then only a being like him could do so.
But... he could only prevent death. He could not fill the empty innate qi.
“...The Pope.”
In the original story, he was the only character possessing the **Divinity** trait. Apart from Ariel, who died before entering the main plot, no one else had it.
“Then. You said ‘by chance,’ Lady Maria. How did the priests find us?”
“I do not know the details. Only that they received an oracle.”
“An oracle, you say.”
The cause of the priests’ protection of Ariel was an oracle from the Pope.
Fitting for two people who possessed **Divinity**. Perhaps the God of Heaven himself had sent a desperate plea.
“Ah, what of Lancelot?”
“He is outside. Look out the window.”
“Eh?”
Whoosh! Whoosh! Swoosh!
...Only now did I notice the strange whooshing sounds that had echoed in the room since I regained consciousness.
I sat up and walked toward the window.
I had no idea how long I had slept, but my legs felt weak, forcing me to lean on Maria’s support.
And there.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
“...Lancelot.”
The noise outside the window was Lancelot’s sword practice.
Lancelot was honing his skills while carrying a heavy burden of guilt. The battle with the Blood Cult remnant had left him feeling powerless, yet the edge of his blade now seemed sharper than ever.
He stopped mid-swing.
“Master!”
The sight of his face through the window must have startled him. He froze, eyes serious, then fixed on me. Sweat beaded on his forehead, but his gaze held deep concern.
“Wait here. I’ll come up immediately!”
He sheathed his sword with a loud clang and hurried inside.
“Lady Maria protected both of us. She even offered holy water.”
“Fickle of her. I told you I would keep watch over you, Master.”
Creak.
After that brief exchange.
“Are you all right? How are you feeling? Any pain?”
Lancelot entered without wiping the sweat from his face. His expression was filled with relief at seeing me conscious.
“Thank goodness. Just a slight headache. Otherwise, I’m fine.”
“Hoo! Good to hear. I was terrified you and Ariel had lost consciousness.”
“...Ah.”
Only then did it click. Lancelot had been there the entire time.
Maria had arrived later. He had witnessed everything.
“Tell me. What happened between Ariel and me?”
“Hmm. I understand.”
Lancelot’s face hardened as he began his explanation.
The clear, concise version surprised me. It seemed the rumors that he was unusually sharp-witted were true.
“So Ariel used Divine Magic on you. A miracle that cost her life.”
“Miracle...”
I could only let out a soft groan as I listened to his words.
No room for misunderstanding. The situation was crystal clear.
Ariel La Helios had poured her own life into a miracle to replenish the innate qi I had consumed while defeating the Blood Lion.
Why? Why? No emotion stirred. Lancelot’s explanation and the memories flooding in were too straightforward.
*For me...*
To be honest, the Ariel I knew was not the real me.
The original Frey had died in the orc prison. A new Frey, wrapped in countless blessings from the gods, had taken his place.
Naturally, there would be no deep attachment to an old childhood friend.
But.
That did not mean her sacrificial heart had vanished.
She had thrown her life without hesitation. Not hers, but mine.
That meant she had been saved by the past Frey? No. Only by me.
“What are you doing?”
“...?”
I glared at Lancelot with a blank expression. He blinked, clearly thrown by my sudden tone.
“Pack your things.”
“...! Understood!”
Boom!
Lancelot rushed out. Maria, who had been quietly observing us, spoke slowly.
“The Papacy is not a place you can enter casually.”
“I know.”
“Only hand-picked priests or those chosen by the gods may enter.”
“I know that too.”
Maria leaned her chin on her hand, as if pondering something deeply.
Her gaze, usually so piercing, now held a hint of something else. Yet I refused to yield. I met her eyes calmly.
Bang!
“...Ugh! Hey, Frey! I’m ready. Let’s go!”
“...”
Maria had been deep in thought when the door slammed open without ceremony.
“Two people with straight hearts may yet face the wall of reality.”
“...?”
Maria’s low voice carried resolve. Both Lancelot and I turned to her.
The wall of reality? Was she worried we would be kicked out at the Papacy’s gates?
“I will accompany you both.”
“Your Grace!”
Lancelot shouted in surprise.
I was just as startled.
Maria Theresia von Britzhardt was no ordinary noble lady.
She was the symbol of the sword that shook the Western Continent and the entire world. A hero whose beauty and skill rivaled even the Sword Demon.
“With the weight of my name, perhaps I can vouch for the two of you.”
“...Ah.”
Her voice was soft, yet filled with kindness. For no reason, gratitude swelled in my chest.
The ring and the medicine she had given me, plus her promise to protect us and now vouch for our entry into the Papacy.
*My hyung... no, my sister...*
The thought of tears almost spilling.
Among the players of Silvering, who would have imagined Maria Theresia could possess such a kind heart? Perhaps only I knew this side of her.
“But even with my guarantee, things may be difficult. The Holy Kingdom, the Papacy, is such a place.”
“Does that mean even Your Grace’s vouching cannot guarantee entry?”
Lancelot’s voice rose in alarm.
“That is fine.”
A short voice cut into their conversation.
The two of them turned to me. Their expressions clearly asked: if it goes south, what then?
*Those chosen by the gods.*
The name of the blessing only they could obtain... **Divinity**.
And.
.
.
.
**[Divinity]**
Three stars floating in the sky.
You are the master of those stars.
Grade: Mythic (UR)
Effect: You become the master of powerful divine power. Divine spirit fills every word you speak and grants you the power to perform miracles. You also gain the ability to discern the demonkind.
“That is me.”
I am that person.
---
[Divinity Trait Acquired]
◈ Powerful divine power
◈ Divine spirit in every word
◈ Ability to perform miracles
◈ Power to discern the demonkind