Serkanos, Great Temple.

Under the midday sun, the silver candlesticks lined along the edge of the ritual hall shone with blinding brilliance.

Clad in ritual robes, the archbishop lay prostrate before the altar.

“Your Holiness, the imperial envoy has safely arrived at the Luminel residence.”

At those words, the one standing before the altar with hands joined in prayer opened his eyes.

Beneath snow-white hair, golden pupils shone calmly.

He was the head of the Church and the Pope of the Holy Empire—Luciano.

The archbishop continued, satisfaction in his voice:

“The situation is unfolding remarkably well. Not only did we find a timely reason to summon the Luminel family, but Tallocium also handed over the Scarlet Princess more easily than expected......”

“The Scarlet Princess was already a card in our sleeve, Archbishop.”

The soft, calm voice made the archbishop stumble.

With slight confusion, he looked at the back of the Pope’s head and asked:

“R, really? But if the Emperor had refused, we wouldn’t have been able to do anything......”

“The Emperor has the right to refuse. Slaves do not.”

“Slaves?”

The archbishop tilted his head in confusion.

“You mean the King of the Dead and her mercenary squad? But what connection do they have with the Scarlet Princess, I......”

The Pope rose from his place.

As he turned, bright sunlight poured over his white garments.

“Archbishop. Do you know what path we are walking now?”

“Pardon?”

“The path we walk is the path God Himself has laid out with His love.”

The Pope raised his hand and pointed upward.

In the ceiling of the ritual hall, where sunlight streamed in, dozens of gemstones were embedded.

Whenever clouds covered the sun, the light that passed through them scattered into multicolored reflections.

“God sees all. If we walk the path He has shown us, is there any reason to change direction just because the wind blows?”

The archbishop’s eyes widened.

He hurriedly bowed his head, and the Pope smiled gently.

“Do not concern yourself with minor details. When the King of the Dead arrives, the Scarlet Princess will arrive as well. Regardless of the Emperor’s intentions.”

The archbishop blinked, pressing his forehead to the floor.

‘No way. Did I say something unnecessary again?’ 𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂

The thought that he had once again unknowingly angered the Pope made him uneasy.

The last time had already been unpleasant—if it happened again, it would be far worse.

Cold sweat slid down his temple.

‘This is awkward.’

Even when reporting good news, he had to choose his words so carefully.

Before this young Pope, he had to watch every word—no, every syllable.

Even after holding the position of archbishop for years, he was still helpless before him.

“Y, yes. My thinking was shallow, Your Holiness.”

“The ritual hall is a place to meet God. From now on, speak here only what is truly necessary.”

“Yes, yes.”

Pressing his nose against the marble floor, clean as if washed in holy blood, the archbishop continued his report in an even more trembling voice:

“And also... regarding what you ordered us to find... I apologize, but there are still no leads.”

The Pope’s expression changed ever so slightly.

“I see.”

“Yes. Not only in Tallocium, but also in the sanctuary of Oracadia on the Northern Continent, and even in the Roxe Forest—we searched everything again just in case, but......”

“I understand.”

“Pardon?”

“I said, that is enough.”

In the silence of the ritual hall, the Pope spoke:

“This report ends here. To continue would be disrespectful to God.”

“Yes, yes! Understood.”

“I will continue my prayer.”

The archbishop hurriedly rose.

“I will continue my prayer” meant to leave immediately.

He bowed deeply until his robes touched the floor, then retreated.

Left alone in the hall, the Pope slowly turned.

Before the altar stood a solitary silver platform—without a divine symbol, without a statue.

The Pope murmured:

“......The Throne of the Absolute.”

He clasped his hands and stepped forward.

“The seat of divine authority......”

The next moment, his gaze turned bored for an instant.

A place where no one but the Absolute may sit.

In other words—a place where God descends into the world, an unreachable throne none dare approach.

However.

“......It’s starting to bore me.”

The Pope.

No—Luciano sat on the throne without hesitation and leaned back deeply.

Because he himself had long since become God.

“I wonder how long you will keep running?”

The moment he spoke, a sharp click echoed through the hall.

In an instant, everything changed, and before him spread a dense forest.

Light fell upon moss-covered ground.

Intertwined branches swayed in the wind.

Butterflies drifted silently, and small animals on branches raised their ears warily.

“You still refuse to answer.”

Luciano rose from the throne.

At the edge of that living forest, something starkly out of place was embedded in the ground.

A torn trunk.

Six broken branches.

Half-torn roots.

A squirrel darted quickly across the rotting world tree.

“Remarkably persistent.”

Luciano closed his eyes and inhaled deeply, as if savoring the scent of the corrupted world tree.

“Well then, endure. I am also curious how far you can go.”

His eyes opened—and gleamed ominously as they reflected the tree.

“Will I find you and kill you first?”

“......”

“Or will you run faster on those severed legs?”

A wind blew.

A single leaf from a broken branch slowly drifted to the ground.

“Yap!”

Tie threw her arms wide upward.

Immediately, a translucent blue barrier burst into existence around her, forming a spherical shape.

“Oh......”

Chae Boksyu, unable to believe her eyes, reached out with a trembling hand to touch it.

Her hand passed easily through the surface, like a soap bubble or a thin film.

And yet the cool sensation on her skin was unmistakably real.

“Grandma! Throw it here!”

Tie held out a dry towel from the corner of the room.

“Quick! Throw ❖ Nоvеl𝚒ght ❖ (Exclusive on Nоvеl𝚒ght) it at Tie!”

After hesitating, Chae Boksyu tossed the towel toward the barrier.

Ting—

The surface repelled it.

Even though a hand could pass through without resistance.

“Tie uses this to protect everything! Even a magic beast with a hundred teeth! And that bad sparrow-like creature that attacked Tie—this stopped it too!”

Chae Boksyu slowly turned her head.

Beside her, Jeong Myeongcha sat with her mouth wide open.

“And Tie can do more!”

the girl continued happily.

“Tie controls Pupu! And does complicated things too!”

“Oh, right!”

Tie suddenly turned around and began searching the room for something.

Jeong Myeongcha and Chae Boksyu followed her gaze without thinking.

And then—

“Marr!”

Laughing, Tie finally found something among the pots near the refrigerator.

In her hand was a strange object.

It looked like a chess piece or a wooden soldier.

“Marrur fixes things really well! If Tie gives power—Marrur fixes everything! Marrur is the best, Tie is the best too! We are the perfect combo!”

Tie held out the figure to the women.

They looked at her, then at the object.

A few seconds passed.

[......Ahem. Even I feel awkward in this silence. Nice to meet you.]

The wooden figure in Tie’s hand nodded.

“Aaaah!”

Jeong Myeongcha jumped in place.