The Pope Who Returned After Having Three Children
I was sprawled on the sofa with Rohan tucked snugly against my chest, enjoying this rare weekend morning. Whenever I had free time lately, I did this.
Too comfortable.
These days I was completely hooked on my smartphone. There was just so much to watch—Itube streams, Tribe live broadcasts, endless Green Wiki explorations. I could spend all day devouring content and never get tired of it.
Who would have thought wasting time could feel this good? Back when I was buried in Pope duties, I never imagined anything could be this fun.
Even I had figured out why Liam was living as a stay-at-home dad. Probably because he didn’t want to stress out with a real job; just relax and enjoy life.
…How weird is that?
Knowing the reason only made it more unsettling. Someone actually enjoyed their work. As for me, if I could, I’d want to stay like this forever. But I couldn’t. There were things I had to do.
After hiring a dedicated overseas operations manager, I planned to run the Church busily and efficiently. So for now, I would rest whenever I could.
“Rohan, give your mom your strength.”
I stroked my little one’s back while talking to him. Rohan just blinked those wide, earnest eyes at me and offered no comforting words. How ruthless of a son. I let out a soft laugh and gently pinched his chubby cheeks.
“Just in case, don’t turn out like your dad.”
The worry slipped out again. No matter how many times I repeated it, the fear still felt insufficient.
I just wanted him to be like me. While gently rubbing his back, I added my usual wish for the hundredth time.
“You look so relaxed.”
Seoyun’s voice drifted from the bedroom right as I was saying it. I sat up and patted the cushion beside me. She slid over immediately and gave me a once-over.
“What is it?”
“Can a Pope wear something like this?”
A completely out-of-the-blue question. Her serious expression told me it wasn’t a joke. She genuinely wanted to know.
She looked surprised too. Of course she would—me, the Pope, in such a cheerful outfit.
“Of course it’s fine.”
I tugged the hood over my head. It was a Shiba Inu–face hoodie. “Does it suit me?”
This was the full-body microfiber pajamas I’d bought extra of recently. The cute Shiba Inu design with little ears and a matching tail made it perfect. Even more comfortable. The kids had loved it too, squealing “Mommy became a puppy!”
“Erina and Evaila said it suits them. I agree.”
Seoyun’s reaction was a bit vague. She wore an awkward smile, as if she had a lot to say but was holding back.
…Does she not like it?
It wasn’t the look of someone who truly approved. Had she been swallowing the words “try acting your age”? As the younger one, I could only feel deflated.
Maybe I’d been trying too hard. I should have just bought a normal pajama.
“I’ll go change.”
“No!”
When I started to stand, Seoyun grabbed my arm. She spoke urgently. “Just wear it. It’s cute.”
“…Really?”
“Yeah. It’s okay for family members to match, right?”
At that, I pictured all of us in animal pajamas. Just imagining it made my lips curve upward. Especially for the kids—it would be adorable if they simply sat quietly in their pajamas.
As for Liam… he could wear whatever. Did I really need him to join in?
Anyway, coordinating outfits as a family didn’t seem like a bad idea. It added a little slice-of-life happiness to our ordinary days.
“Thank you for the good idea. Then, maybe….”
“It’s cute, but it doesn’t make you look younger.”
“……”
I gave her a hurt look for a moment before speaking. “I wasn’t trying to ask that. I wanted to know what animal would suit each of you.”
“……Oh.”
Seoyun’s face turned embarrassed. She avoided my eyes, then slowly lowered her head. She stroked Rohan, who was still in my arms. “Rohan, are you proud that Mom is pretty?”
It was a shameless, obvious compliment that let me see straight into her heart.
“Oh, right.”
Seoyun, who had been avoiding my gaze for so long, suddenly sat up straight. Rohan startled and wriggled in my lap.
I shook my body lightly to calm him and asked, “Why?”
“Come here.”
She pulled me toward the bedroom and sat me in front of the computer. Folders filled the monitor screen.
Every folder was packed with documents. Resumes, it seemed. She must have finished the task I’d given her.
“I only selected the qualified applicants.”
The Church’s overseas operations manager screening had finally wrapped up.
It took longer than I expected because the number was huge, but for something I’d never done before, the speed was fine.
“How many total?”
“Two hundred seventy-seven.”
“Well done.”
I took Seoyun’s hand and squeezed it, flashing a smile. “As expected, Seoyun is my treasure. You’re so capable. I trust you completely.”
“It’s nothing special….”
“I’ll teach Erina and Evaila to look up to their auntie. They’ll grow into wonderful adults who always help others.”
I showered her with sincere praise. She had to keep working hard for me.
Of course I meant every word. It was pure sincerity—complimenting someone generously based on real facts. A skill I’d learned as Pope.
Seoyun flushed with embarrassment but didn’t pull away from my praise or touch. It seemed she wasn’t entirely displeased.
“Thank you so much.”
After expressing her gratitude once more, she turned back to the monitor. Two hundred seventy-seven applicants. The document screening was done, but there were still too many for interviews. I needed to narrow it down further.
“What now?”
“I’ll conduct the second screening and eliminate some.”
I was already familiar with this process. It was something I did every time I appointed priests or paladins.
I had to carefully assess each disciple’s character, abilities, and faith before making a decision.
But as a human, I found it difficult to remain completely objective. That was why I had created the Insight Dispelling Darkness spell.
I leaned back in my chair with a light smile. “From now on, I will begin personality testing.”
Seoyun’s eyes widened. “Right here?”
“Do you think it’s impossible? It’s not.”
If it’s with the Goddess, nothing is impossible. Peering into a person’s personality was nothing more than trivial work for me.
Of course, I didn’t need to face them directly. Divine power was merely a fragment of the Goddess’s strength. Used skillfully, it could overcome physical distance.
“Oh, gentle sun, if you have time, please join me in evaluating them.”
I recited a short prayer and gathered divine power into my eyes. Slowly, carefully—not in a rush.
Soon my pupils began to glow warmly. Heat rose, filling me with gentle light.
I felt no discomfort. The Goddess’s tender sunlight was nestled in my eyes.
“Beginning now.”
The Insight Dispelling Darkness spell. With this, I could peer into applicants’ true natures from across space. The medium was the resume. Their passion and sincerity were written there, so I could follow the path of the soul to reach the writer.
“Please stay quiet so I’m not disturbed.”
Seoyun nodded and stepped back. I smiled in thanks and opened the resume at the top of the list.
What kind of personality did this person have? Was there any chance they were twisted? I focused, keeping various standards in mind.
“……”
I stared at the first resume until my eyes burned, then turned away and shook my head. “Rejected?”
“That’s not it.”
“Then why?”
What was I supposed to do? I fell silent for a long moment, lost for words, and finally said quietly, “This isn’t working.”
“……What?”
“My Insight Dispelling Darkness spell apparently doesn’t work on digital devices.”
“……”
Seoyun’s bright face cooled instantly. I panicked and rushed to explain. “The other world doesn’t have computers, so I can’t see through them. If you print the resumes on paper, it will work perfectly!”
“Then what about the form? The form tracks location with just an ID.”
“……”
That was possible because he was a demigod. I wanted to say it, but I held back. Seoyun’s eyes were slowly changing to look at me as if I were some insignificant creature.
“There’s a solution, so don’t look at me like that.”
Fortunately, I was a modern person. As a member of a smart society, I immediately thought of a solution using the latest technology.
I pulled out my smartphone and sent a Chat message. The recipient was my few Chat friends—NIS agent In-ha.
[Elluke: Agent, do you have time?]
[In-ha: It’s fine.]
She was as quick as ever. That was why I trusted her with work.
[Elluke: Then I’ll send you the files. Please print them all out and bring them here.]
[In-ha: Understood. Please send via email.]
I had known she wouldn’t refuse. I compressed all the resumes and sent them to the email address she gave me.
A moment later, In-ha sent a message, sounding slightly surprised. “It’s a lot.”
[Elluke: Please do it well.]
[Elluke: (Bear emoji with heart eyes)]
To butter her up in case she refused, I sent the emoji. Fortunately, the diligent NIS agent didn’t turn me down.
[In-ha: I’ll be right there.]
[Elluke: As expected, In-ha…]
[In-ha: ?]
[Elluke: I’ll be waiting.]
After the Chat with In-ha ended, I immediately grabbed my mouse.
Out of habit, I decided to prepare the interviews too. I needed to check the venue and think up questions in advance.
Moreover, I needed an interviewer.
In the other world, I could have done it alone, but here I couldn’t. I still hadn’t fully adapted to modern society.
Who should I bring?
I couldn’t bring just anyone. They had to be a disciple of the Church, holding a high position, and have strong faith.
But there weren’t enough people in the Church yet, so suitable candidates weren’t coming to mind.
Even if I brought Seoyun, it wasn’t enough. If possible, I wanted three.
In-ha was a fan from my first broadcast, but she was still just a plain believer. Not suitable as an interviewer.
What now?
Ah.
As I thought, someone suddenly came to mind who perfectly matched my criteria. I logged into Tribe right away and sent a private message using the whisper feature.
[Pope: Congratulations! You’ve won the event :) ]
***
“I want to get a job,” Jun-seok thought as he entered Tribe that day too. While browsing the Ha-kko streamer’s broadcast, he decided whether to tell the community if he liked it. This was now a daily habit.
No one paid him, but he did it because it made him feel proud.
Wait, what?
Just as he entered Tribe, a private message arrived. Jun-seok opened it without thinking and almost jumped.
[Pope: Congratulations! You’ve won the event :]
[Pope: Since I have to give you a gift, please tell me your phone number.]
“…Pope?”
He was the most dedicated streamer he followed and Korea’s only returnee. The message was from the Pope.
Jun-seok quickly checked the message and let out a short laugh.
It wasn’t because the content sounded like a scam. He had a feeling something big was about to happen.
“This is interesting.”
Right on cue, a sweet voice floated down from above. The angel that had followed him ever since he received the blessing.
“I’ll tell you right away. He said to write, ‘Please give me your phone number.’”
“Yes.”
Jun-seok had no right to refuse. Precisely, he didn’t have the courage to say no.
“He also said to handle the blessing appropriately. He’ll watch how I respond. Be careful.”
“Yes….”
The Goddess was more domineering than he thought.