Chapter 197
Chapter 197
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 197
Chapter Title: Mutation - 5
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I dodged the bastard's attack, and instead, the innocent corridor wall shattered in my place. Debris from the broken building and shards of glass rained down into the imperial palace garden.
The knights' captains would handle that themselves.
"What, you trying to demolish the whole palace?"
Even at my jeer, there was still no change in his expression.
I glanced sideways. The corridor walls were already shattered in places, fully exposing the outside view. I scanned the garden through the gaps.
The knights' captains, who had sliced all the falling debris, were looking up anxiously. I waved at them with a smile to signal I was still fine. The knights' captains freaked out at the sight.
Lize stomped her feet and shouted.
"Hey! Is now the time to wave hello?! Focus on the fight!"
I glanced at the possessed body that could no longer be called clad in golden armor—the former Golden Twilight Knights captain. He hadn't finished readjusting his stance yet, so it was fine.
It wasn't a mindless action on my part either. Do you think I'd casually wave hello mid-swing of that greatsword? I only did it because there was a suitable opening, to ease their tension as well.
'……I'll hold back next time.'
But it had the opposite effect.
I parried the swinging greatsword, retreated to reduce combat fatigue while he screeched and prepared to charge, then quickly rolled three times to the opposite side to evade. His bulky body cleaved through empty space.
'It should be about time.'
I looked around the corridor. It hadn't even been a few minutes subjectively, but it felt like the time for the heresy inquisitors or interrogators to arrive.
Minerva could reach the Holy Kingdom in less than a second, and with a demon appearing, the Holy Kingdom had no reason to delay either. Considering that, this was actually late.
—Kyaargh!
'Ah, here they are.'
No sooner had I thought that than a brilliant holy power began to rise from behind the thing that was once the Golden Twilight Knights captain. It was golden. That meant the heresy inquisitor had arrived first.
The holy power emanating from behind was far greater, so he instinctively turned his body again. I lowered the tip of my sword that had been aimed at him. With the heresy inquisitor here, I could leave the fight to them.
Soon, a human silhouette formed within the holy power.
"Stella, good to—...?"
I started to greet Stella but paused upon spotting the long hair swaying behind the silhouette. Stella's hair wasn't long enough to reach the floor like that.
The light soon took on a complete human form.
Golden hair with heavy waves, right on the verge of dragging on the floor. Emerald eyes like jewels. A face with a cute smile.
Breasts far larger than her head, and a Y-shaped opaque cloth barely covering the vital areas. A translucent black see-through outfit that revealed every curve and inch of bare skin.
The one emerging from the light was not Stella, but Floretta.
"Flo... His Holiness the Pope of the Sun?"
I almost called her by her usual nickname but remembered the eyes watching from the garden and hastily switched to the formal title. The knights' captains might hear from this distance.
As I observed proper etiquette, Floretta's eyes narrowed slightly in annoyance. But the sulk didn't last. She noticed the eyes watching from the garden beyond the shattered corridor wall.
A bright smile returned to her face.
"Yes, esteemed guest."
"How did Your Holiness end up here...?"
I was utterly dumbfounded. I hadn't anticipated Floretta coming in person at all.
"I've come to aid the esteemed guest. What more is there to say?"
"...Me, Your Holiness?"
"Indeed."
While we conversed calmly, the golden-armored figure sandwiched between us couldn't move an inch. It seemed completely overwhelmed by the aura emanating from the Pope of the Sun.
Her emerald eyes shifted sideways. They held an utterly emotionless chill utterly unlike when looking at me. Even I, just off to the side of her gaze, felt a shiver.
"However, before we reunite, there is something that must be dealt with first."
Floretta raised her right hand. Only then did I notice the staff in her grip. It was the Easter egg weapon I'd given to the popes.
No, hadn't I told them not to use it and just keep it stored away?
"Your Holiness, that—"
Before I could stop Floretta, an enormous light burst from the small sun at the staff's tip. It was so immense it felt like another sun had risen.
Yet, strangely, my eyes weren't dazzled at all.
Even though the light blazed fiercely enough to engulf the entire surroundings like a miniature sun, and even though I stared right at it.
The knights' captains in the garden were the same, all looking up with baffled expressions.
"Graaaargh!"
Unlike us enduring the light unscathed, the Golden Twilight Knights captain let out a horrific metallic screech and writhed in agony. Smoke rose from his entire body.
'...What?'
Dumbfounded, I alternated glances between the light pouring from the small sun and the possessed body suffering under its direct glare.
Why else would that staff be called a flashlight? It literally did nothing but emit light—no other abilities whatsoever. If it had such power, I would've tried using it somehow.
It wasn't for nothing that the best strategy was to carry it as a torch substitute.
'...No way it's a pope-exclusive weapon or something.'
The thought suddenly crossed my mind. If players couldn't wield it but popes could, that would explain the current scene. Or maybe only NPCs could.
'Hold on.'
If something like that existed, shouldn't there at least be an option to hand it to the pope? As I grumbled internally, a chill ran down my spine.
If that Easter egg weapon was truly a pope-exclusive item, I had no idea how my actions would be interpreted.
"...."
While I shuddered at the possibility in my mind, the former Golden Twilight Knights captain collapsed to the floor. Only its twitching limbs indicated it wasn't dead yet.
Floretta, who had thoroughly roasted it with sunlight, smiled once more and approached me. I quickly moved behind the still-intact wall section to shield our view.
The knights' captains alone might be fine, but just now, with the light, even the Silver Dawn Knights and Golden Twilight Knights' regular members had gathered amicably to look up here.
It wouldn't do to let ordinary members see me chatting intimately with the popes.
"Esteemed guest, have you been well?"
Floretta, now right in front of me, set her staff vertically beside her and clasped both my hands tightly.
"I've been fine... but what was that?"
I whispered as softly as possible, pointing at the staff. It was absurd even to me—I'd given it to her, yet here I was asking what it was.
But Floretta only smiled warmly.
"It's the holy relic you bestowed upon us. We have faithfully received and upheld your will to use it to eradicate evil."
'...What will?'
A will to eradicate evil? From me?
'I just gave it as a decorative item.'
I hadn't known even I that this Easter egg weapon hid such a secret.
Realizing Floretta—no, even Luna—had fallen into this grand misunderstanding, I knew revealing the truth now wouldn't be believed anyway.
Floretta, who had been smiling benevolently while holding my hands for a while, let out a short "Ah" as if realizing something and spoke.
"Your blessings have faded greatly, esteemed guest."
"You're going to reapply them?"
"Yes. Since the Lord watches over you, our blessings will surely become an even greater power for you."
I started to say it was fine but held back upon considering a possibility.
That Floretta and Luna's blessings played a key role in borrowing divine power. Perhaps the faded blessings prevented me from borrowing power.
I nodded silently. Floretta's smile brightened further. The already narrow distance shrank another step.
As if about to kiss me right then, Floretta paused and pulled her head back slightly, as if recalling something.
"Esteemed guest. This time, I intend to bestow an even stronger blessing. Is that alright with you?"
"A stronger blessing?"
"Yes. The Lord favors you greatly, so it should be possible for you."
"Got it."
If the pope herself said so, there was no reason to refuse. Blessings were a new concept to me anyway. She'd know better.
A radiant smile bloomed on Floretta's face. Her slender fingers gripped my wrist. Then, she guided my hand to her chest.
"Please knead it, esteemed guest."
"...Huh?"
Knead what?
At my question, Floretta pulled my hand harder.
"Like when our bodies mingled, don't hold back—touch as much as you desire. If you don't wish to touch over the vestments, you may remove them."
Floretta actually started to undo her vestments.
Her collarbone, visible through the thin see-through fabric, became directly exposed, and just before the opaque straps revealed her pink nipples, I panicked and stopped her.
"No, wait. You don't need to. Stop. Why are you doing this all of a sudden? Is this the stronger blessing you mentioned?"
"Yes, esteemed guest. To receive a stronger blessing, we must touch more. Now, please knead."
"...."
Floretta resolutely pulled my hand.
My hand landed on breasts larger than her head, far too big for one hand to contain. Already, my fingers sank deep into the soft flesh, half-buried.
'Is this really how to receive a stronger blessing?'
I was skeptical at first, but Floretta wouldn't lie about something like this, so I accepted it quietly.
Besides, in a world where blessings came via kissing, nothing was off-limits.
As I began kneading her breasts, Floretta pressed her flushed face closer. Then, without hesitation, she kissed me.
Her tongue slipped between my lips as if it were routine. A soft, warm piece of flesh settled on my tongue. I pulled it in strongly. A familiar scent and taste spread.
"More... knead... harder...."
A muffled whisper came between our lips. It seemed to mean knead her breasts harder.
I did as told. The flesh on my tongue quivered. Saliva dripping from our lips trickled down Floretta's cleavage.
My hand kneading her breast grew bolder. I was aware of it myself. No longer just kneading—I was squeezing from the base up toward her nipple.
Floretta grew bolder too, guiding my left hand to the center of her breast. I felt the nipple fully erect against my palm.
Rubbing it up and down, Floretta's body began to tremble. Hearing her moans grow thicker, I wondered if this was really a blessing.
I cracked my eyes open. Floretta was letting out incredibly lewd moans between our lips while eagerly entwining her tongue. As I watched absentmindedly, I remembered this was the imperial palace.
'Hold on.'
Come to think of it, Floretta being here meant—
"What are you doing right now."
Suddenly, an icily cold voice rang out from afar.