Chapter 180
Chapter 180
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 180
Chapter Title: Sun and Moon - 6
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One fact you could pick up on here: Stella and Selene were subtly—no, blatantly—hoping I'd hook up with the popes.
Maybe it made sense, considering the list of things I'd done in the Holy Kingdom.
'No way did I expect to use that like this.'
I forced a wry smile inwardly as I walked ahead of the Pope of the Sun and the Pope of the Moon—who were practically the Holy Kingdom itself—along with the Heresy Inquisitor and the Heresy Interrogator.
I never could have imagined I'd go digging for those Easter egg weapons slumbering beneath the Sun Cathedral and Moon Cathedral, of all things, just to escape the popes trying to drag me into their beds.
Even I had to admit it was ridiculous.
Of course, I had no real reason to go this far resisting the popes' temptations. Mixing it up with those busty beauty sisters was certainly nothing to complain about.
This was purely a matter of self-control. If I kept burying myself in their embraces, I had a feeling I'd never crawl back out. Floretta and Luna had that kind of destructive power.
Only after I'd taken down every boss and even the world-eater would I consider it. For now, I couldn't afford to let my guard down. Not even if I felt like slacking off a bit.
I knew my own personality best. Once I started slouching, no one could force me back to this state without a fight. And that would only increase the odds of screwing up.
I could save the indulgence for after I'd crushed every story-threatening event and boss. It wouldn't be too late then.
"Stella. What time is it? Not noon yet, right?"
"Yes, honored guest. About an hour left."
I'd woken up early in bed, chatted with a god, passed out midway, and woken up again—and still had an hour to go. That was plenty.
"Floretta. Could you clear out the area in front of the Sun Cathedral ten minutes before noon? You don't have to time it exactly—just before noon is fine."
"Certainly."
Floretta accepted my request without a moment's hesitation. Her decisiveness even caught me off guard, the one who'd asked.
"You're not going to ask why?"
"I trust you, honored guest. What more do I need?"
Floretta smiled with her eyes as she said it. Luna nodded in agreement, clearly thinking the same.
Truth be told, there was no real need to clear the cathedral front.
It wasn't an Easter egg that failed with people nearby, and it didn't require any special items. All I needed was my body and the sun hanging perfectly vertical at noon.
Still, I'd asked Floretta because leaving people around would draw massive attention.
I was already overwhelmed by the attention I was getting. The list included the Pope of the Sun, the Pope of the Moon, the Heresy Inquisitor, the Heresy Interrogator, and the Holy Kingdom's elite battle nuns.
If I pulled off the Easter egg right in front of everyone with the popes, Inquisitor, and Interrogator in tow, my name would be known to every soul in the Holy Kingdom.
The guy who gathered the sunlight reflecting off the Sun Cathedral to forge a holy relic? No way that wouldn't turn heads.
Even in the game, when a player activated the Easter egg to get the relic, the Holy Kingdom NPCs would bow to them until they stashed it away for the first time.
And in reality? Forget about it.
'And Kaikilia would find out too.'
I shook my head, thinking of Her Majesty the Empress, whose moods were utterly unpredictable.
"Ah, you don't need to clear too far out. Just make sure people can't see what's happening in the plaza right in front of the Sun Cathedral. That okay?"
"Of course, honored guest. Selene."
"Carry out the honored guest's command, Stella."
Floretta and Luna called out to the Heresy Inquisitor and Heresy Interrogator.
Stella bowed energetically and shot off toward the far end of the hall at blinding speed, while Selene gave a light nod and melted into the shadows.
"By the way, honored guest. What do you plan to obtain from the Sun Cathedral?"
Luna, clinging to my left arm, spoke up. Floretta fixed her verdant green eyes on me, brimming with curiosity.
I had a set answer for that question. The popes might drop their jaws hearing it, but with their affection maxed out, it probably wouldn't matter.
I answered curtly.
"A holy relic."
On paper, the popes had asked me directly, but really, I'd requested it—so Stella and Selene's efficiency was insane.
They'd cleared the area well before ten minutes to noon. Not even ten minutes had passed since my request, and the plaza in front of the cathedral was already empty.
'...This is kinda creepy.'
While waiting for high noon and bantering with the popes, I scanned the surroundings. The plaza, always swarming with devotees, was deserted—not a soul in sight. It gave me chills.
Every path leading from the plaza, the plaza itself, the surrounding buildings, walls, even the decorations—all blanketed in white, and not a single person anywhere.
I checked the clock again. Two minutes left.
"About time. Hold on a sec."
"Yes, honored guest."
"Understood."
Floretta and Luna, who'd been glued to my sides, rubbing their breasts against my arms and showing no sign of letting go, obediently released their holds at my words.
I walked toward the center of the plaza. Noon was almost here—the sun hung in the sky, just about to align vertically with the spire's peak.
'...Now that the stage is set, this feels kinda weird.'
With Floretta and Luna watching, not to mention Stella and Selene eyeing me expectantly, striking 'that gesture' felt a bit off.
What could I do? It had to be done.
'Alright. Let's do this.'
Thirty seconds to noon. I got into position.
Facing the sun, I straightened my waist, back, and neck. Toes together, body perfectly aligned.
Arms stretched straight overhead, palms facing each other, then slowly spread apart. Like the letter Y. Roughly forty-five degrees from my body.
As I finished the final step—lifting onto my heels—the clock's hour, minute, and second hands all overlapped perfectly on twelve. I'd just struck the pose.
The gesture's name: 'Praise the Sun.'
Commonly called 'Long Live the Sun.'
And the exact gesture needed to claim the Easter egg weapon from the Sun Cathedral.
'...Feels kinda proud.'
I'd been embarrassed before, but nailing the pose—recreating that cult-favorite stance from the game—tickled my throat with a swell of satisfaction.
Praise the Sun.
That was the official name, but players just called it Long Live the Sun. It rolled off the tongue better.
You got this gesture after completing the Heresy Inquisitor's entire questline, then the Pope of the Sun's quests, finally earning Eclipse along with it.
Gestures were like that—pointless to collect unless for achievements. Outside its bizarre pose and ties to the Broken Sword 1-3 backstory, which gave it cult status, you rarely saw it in-game.
'Until the Holy Kingdom Easter egg got revealed.'
It started, as always, with a hardcore player with nothing better to do.
Bored out of their mind, one vet started screwing around with gestures, then zeroed in on the description.
'Facing the sun and taking this pose fills you with an inexplicable mystical sensation.'
Unique line—only two out of nearly a hundred gestures had it.
'Praise the Sun' and 'Praise the Moon.'
That cryptic phrasing hooked every other idle player in seconds.
The vets, thrilled to have something to do, scoured the map relentlessly—and the Easter egg surfaced months later.
Meet specific conditions, then at the Holy Kingdom's 'noon'—one chance per run, real-time one minute window—strike the pose in the Sun Cathedral's front plaza center.
Normally, you'd need to fulfill conditions to unlock 'noon,' and grind Holy Kingdom subquests for the gesture. But not now.
Noon came once a day, and you didn't even need the gesture—you could just do the Long Live the Sun pose.
The game confirmed it: even during the gesture-unlock event, nothing changed.
"Evangeline. Look, the cathedral spire..."
Luna's dazed voice came as the light cluster near the spire intensified.
"What... is that...?"
The spire fired a vivid pillar of light straight at me, clear as day. It connected my toes to the spire's peak.
'Got it.'
From the light pillar at my feet, something began to form.
A long staff-like body, intricate patterns etched along it, twin pairs of angelic wings blooming from the tip. Finally, a round orb atop the wings.
Especially the orb—it floated up on its own, hovered between the wings, and began radiating brilliant light.
Just like the sun.
I gripped the long staff-like object without hesitation. As I took hold, the light pillar from the spire faded.
'Damn, the design slaps.'
I gazed at the sun slowly spinning as it bobbed between the angelic wings.
The look was spot-on from the game. Cool gold-and-orange hues, ornate patterns on the body, topped with a mini-sun for that perfect flourish.
The performance was the gloomy issue—couldn't hold a candle to a busted straight sword.
Unlike the overpowered, nightmarish relic with nightmare acquisition conditions, this was just a gag weapon for vets with nothing to do. Nothing more, nothing less.
Its special ability? Raise it overhead and it spits sunlight. No damage, no super armor. Nada.
For reference, the Easter egg from 'Praise the Moon' in front of the Moon Cathedral just spewed moonlight.
Hence the paired nickname: hand flashlights.
'What do I say when I hand it over? "Don't use in real fights, just for show"?"
Pondering how to keep the popes from battle-testing it, I turned—and saw four stunned faces staring at me.
Exactly the reaction I'd expected. Rehearsing my prepared excuse, I approached them.