A Very Brief Reply
A bolt from the blue struck the ears of the Pope, who already harbored a deep grudge against Seraphina.
News had arrived that the "protagonist of the oracle" had appeared at the church in the infamous Belnoa Slums. Rumor had it that the girl possessed a beauty that seemed meticulously sculpted by the heavens themselves, and her divine power was said to be even greater than that of the monstrous Seraphina.
Upon receiving the report, the Pope felt as if he were plummeting straight into the depths of hell.
What if... what if that crazy bitch Seraphina uses this child of prophecy to corner me?!
This was a disaster. Ordinary people firmly believed that "divine power" was the most crucial quality for a clergyman, but the reality was entirely different. While a certain level of divine power was a prerequisite, the ultimate deciding factor was "reputation."
That was precisely why Seraphina, despite her overwhelming divine power, remained a mere nun, while he had successfully claimed the seat of the Pope.
Of course, this was only possible because Seraphina had absolutely no interest in titles or positions...
Anxious to secure his position, the Pope had previously approached Luna, the most promising Saintess candidate. But Luna had replied without a single second of hesitation.
“Seraphina-onni told me not to play with you, mister. Ever.”
Far from establishing even a thread of connection, he had only left a terrible impression. Even while holed up in a backwater church, Seraphina managed to interfere with his plans at every turn.
And now, that very Seraphina had acquired an incredibly juicy justification in the form of the "protagonist of the oracle"?
Seraphina was a loose cannon; it was impossible to predict whether she would attack him or not.
Since he always had to prepare for the worst-case scenario, the Pope thoroughly readied himself for the possibility of her storming the Pope's Palace at any moment with the girl of prophecy in tow.
He reviewed his network of contacts, prepared his political maneuvers, and readied his public opinion manipulation. In the worst case, he was even prepared to use physical force.
However...
Contrary to his expectations.
One week, two weeks, and then a whole month passed without Seraphina visiting, let alone making contact.
Only occasional rumors reached him that they were simply living quietly in the outskirts. As time continued to tick away, it was the Pope who grew increasingly anxious.
“Your Holiness. Why have you not brought the protagonist of the oracle to the Holy See?”
“Indeed. Does it make any sense for the proxy of God to remain in the filthy Belnoa Slums? This is an outright insult to the Holy See!”
“Hahaha... I understand. I will make sure to bring her here, so do not worry.”
The other bishops of the Holy See had begun to voice their discontent. By this point, even the Pope, who had initially feared their arrival, was practically begging for them to visit.
For someone who had received an oracle to not even come to the Holy See to pay their respects? It was a blatant snub.
Even if he wanted to use this as political leverage, the scale of the situation made it impossible.
Playing politics against the crazy bitch Seraphina and the protagonist of the oracle? It seemed far easier to just resign from the papacy.
Thus, the Pope, who had maintained his arrogant posture while waiting for their visit, was ultimately forced to swallow his pride and write a letter. Casting aside every ounce of his precious ego, he penned a polite invitation to Seraphina, dressing it up with every flowery honorific imaginable.
If the guardian knight who always stood by his side had seen the contents of that letter, he would have been utterly dumbfounded.
Who knew the arrogant old man could write something like this?
After a long wait, a reply from Seraphina finally arrived. Surprisingly, unlike the usual unhinged Seraphina, it was a single letter carefully wrapped in high-quality parchment.
Yes. The bitch has finally learned some manners.
With fluttering anticipation, the Pope opened the envelope, only to find a single line.
Fuck off.
“...?”
For a moment, the Pope rubbed his eyes, thinking he had misread it. But no matter how many times he looked, there was only that one line. No, to call it a line was too generous; it was an incredibly short, effortless phrase. Wondering if there was a hidden code, he tried squeezing lemon juice on it and even held it slightly over a candle flame.
But there was no twist; the letter simply caught fire and burned to ashes.
It was pure, unadulterated profanity.
“Y-You miserable bitch!!”
If he hadn't been a Pope blessed with divine power, his blood pressure would have spiked so violently that he would have departed to meet God right then and there.
Finally snapping, the Pope decided to resort to his last option.
“You there.”
“At your command.”
Assassins clad in black masks materialized from the shadows.
“Go to the Belnoa Slums immediately. Go... and kill only the protagonist of the oracle.”
“The... protagonist of the oracle, Your Holiness?”
“Yes. I will not order you to kill Seraphina. That is not something you could accomplish on your own anyway.”
The Pope gritted his teeth as he continued his orders.
“But... you must kill the protagonist of the oracle by any means necessary, no matter what.”
“Understood!”
No sooner had the words left his mouth than the assassins swiftly vanished into thin air.
Hehehe... Yes. A nun, Seraphina, blinded by jealousy, envying and murdering the protagonist of the oracle. Perfect.
Once the assassins killed the protagonist of the oracle, he planned to mobilize all his connections to pin the entire blame on Seraphina.
A fallen nun who, consumed by jealousy over the protagonist of the oracle possessing greater divine power than her, lost her mind and committed murder.
With such a flawless scenario, even Seraphina wouldn't stand a chance. And he would be hailed as the righteous and great Pope who brought such a traitor to justice.
After that, it would be time to quietly approach young Luna, who would be devastated and shocked by the horrific betrayal of the Seraphina she so deeply trusted. If he gently coaxed the trembling, weeping child under the guise of warm comfort...
That brat Luna will grow up to be quite beautiful too... Hehehe.
Leaning back in his chair, the Pope wore a disgusting smirk, dreaming of a blissful future.
Of course, it was nothing more than the ugly delusion of a vile old man—one that would never, ever come to fruition.
It had been nearly two months since the rumors of the oracle's protagonist first began to circulate. Why hadn't they rushed to visit the Pope's Palace and instead remained in this dilapidated church?
Well, obviously...
“You crazy, foul-mouthed nun! I told you to get away from my master!”
“Uh-huh. Where does a lowly dream demon think she's pointing her finger at my pretty little sister?”
“I-I heard all about you! I know you usually talk like a sailor and beat up everyone you see!!”
“W-What? How on earth did you...! Whew, can't be helped then. I sentence you to death by silencing.”
“Hieeeek! Stay away, you gorilla!!”
“...E-Everyone, stop fighting! And sister, stop teasing Camilla.”
I intentionally gave Seraphina a gentle nudge away and wrapped my arms around the adorable Camilla. Instantly, Seraphina's face fell into a wounded expression, and she looked up at me with the pitiful eyes of a puppy caught in the rain.
Ugh.
Honestly, lately, whenever the two of them got into these childish bickers, I usually took Camilla's side. Seeing Seraphina's crumpled, sulking face always made my heart flutter for some reason.
Besides, Seraphina never held a grudge. All it took was for me to snuggle up to her later and whine, “...S-Sister, don't be mad,” in a sweet voice, and she would melt instantly.
O-Of course, I knew very well that I shouldn't treat the savior who rescued my life this way.
But when Seraphina, who always wore a terrifying face in front of others, made that kind of expression only for me... well, that was entirely Seraphina's fault!
It was only natural that any human being would find it impossible to resist!
And then there was Camilla, my second favorite character from the game.
In the previous game, recruiting Camilla as an ally was an incredibly grueling task, but her ending was always tragic. Even if you defeated the Demon King with her and avenged her clan, Camilla would always end her own life, leaving behind nothing but a word of thanks.
Stunned by this betrayal of expectations, I replayed the game multiple times until I finally managed to hear her reason.
“A filthy dream demon like me doesn't deserve to stand by your side.”
The child had wept bitterly before vanishing for good. The countless dirty deeds she had to commit to gain power and grow into her "mature form" had ultimately dragged her down with guilt.
Of course, when she was recruited as an ally, she wasn't fully mature yet, but she had already grown enough to be shackled by that remorse.
But now, Camilla, who hadn't absorbed a single drop of essence and remained in her childlike form, looked far happier than she ever did back then.
I'll make sure you're happy for the rest of your life.
And, of course, I would help her get her revenge.
Recalling those past memories, I unconsciously hugged Camilla tighter and whispered softly, “I'll make you happy, so don't worry.”
But was it because my body had shrunk, making us roughly the same height? The moment I hugged her tight and whispered in her ear, my lips accidentally brushed against the very tip of Camilla's pointed ear.
“H-Hieeeek?!”
Camilla shrieked like a startled animal and leaped backward. Her ears turned a brilliant, explosive red, and her legs seemed to give out as she collapsed onto the floor. Panting heavily, she looked up at me, her breath coming in hot, lingering gasps as if she were craving something more.
Seeing this, Seraphina couldn't hold back her laughter.
“Pfft. And you call yourself a dream demon?”
“......”
Normally, Camilla would have immediately snapped back at Seraphina, but out of sheer embarrassment, she covered her face with both hands and buried her head against the floor.
As if she never wanted to show her face to anyone ever again.