Chapter 747: The Order of His Holiness the Pope

The Eternal Theocracy, the 22nd ring.

Aiwass's eyes were closed and his face was pale. He lay quietly among the blood-sucking black thorns like a corpse.

He was wearing the black and red robes of the Eternal Pope, and it looked as if dark red roses were scattered all over his coffin.

Different from the flesh that is "consecrated".

At this moment, Aiwass has another mode of existence that is completely different from the past——

His consciousness enveloped the entire giant tree...or rather, at this moment, Aiwass and the Theocracy had become one.

——It’s much better than what I initially expected.

When Aiwass learned that his role as Eternal Pope would mean he would be stuck here, he subconsciously viewed this position as an inescapable cage. In other words, Aiwass accepted the Holy Crown with the mentality of "Okay, okay, I'll take your place."

As it turns out now... the job of interim Pope is surprisingly pleasant.

He seemed to merge with the heaven and earth, transforming into breezes, moonlight, and torches, gently touching all living things inside the giant tree.

He transformed into a brilliant golden spirit, appearing on the streets of the Third Circle. Actually, it wasn't just his spirit that appeared here—with the power of the Holy Crown, if his soul had descended here, the entire street would have been illuminated by a glow as bright as midday in the darkness.

Aiwass is now in the gap between the material world and the dream world.

This place was like a fairy kingdom, neither in the material world nor in the dream world. Here, Aiwass was on a different plane from everyone else. No one could see Aiwass, nor could they touch him.

As Aiwass's mind moved, he could appear in any corner of any floor at any time. He could fly freely, passing through all buildings and walls at will... He was like an observer, and all the children of the giant tree became his children.

...That feeling is like a left-behind child who was originally alone finally got a beloved pet.

My lonely heart was instantly filled with love, and now even when I'm doing nothing, I'm all smiles. Just watching them walk around, doing their own things, makes me feel warm and happy, and my mood becomes very relaxed...even time seems to pass quickly.

—It's like playing Civilization fast.

In the past, Aiwass had never had his own children, so he didn't know what it felt like to be a parent... But Aiwass thought, even if he really had his own children, it would probably feel like this.

He wanted to give them everything he had, asking for nothing in return, just pure warmth, hope, and love. Time became peaceful and warm... If he had the chance, Aiwass even felt that he could stay like this forever.

No wonder it is said that this position can cultivate a spirit of dedication... Aiwass had only been Pope for a few days, but he felt that his eyes had become compassionate.

The former Pope's motherly aura was probably cultivated in this way...

Just then, an old man with a cane slowly passed by Aiwass.

When he passed a protruding tree root, he didn't lift his foot and almost tripped and fell to the ground.

At this moment, an invisible force appeared beside the old man and supported him.

“…Oh, be careful.”

Aiwass's mind moved, and the invisible force interfered slightly: "It's better not to go out in the middle of the night, old man."

His voice echoed in the old man's mind. He was stunned for a moment and then understood.

Although he didn't know who the person who helped him - or the ghost - was, he still bowed respectfully and reverently to the person in front of him.

After all, he was so old, and if he accidentally fell, it would be easy for him to get into trouble. It was late at night, and even in the Church Kingdom, there weren't many people on the streets. By the time someone discovered him, it might be too late.

At this moment, Aiwass suddenly raised his head and looked to the south.

——That is the direction of Xingti.

Although he and Aleister were able to act independently, they were still two phantoms of the same person. Whenever Aleister thought about it, her information and memories would immediately surface in Aiwass.

Cloud synchronization is yes.

"...Really, be careful with yourself."

Aiwass just shook his head, a little worried about Aleister.

——Even though Aleister had the Night Devil following him and the Honey Badger lady helping him, Aleister's easily inflated personality still made Aiwass a little worried.

This situation often occurred when Aiwas played games in his previous life. In evenly matched or even disadvantageous situations, his mentality and performance would become quite stable. In fact, the more stressful the situation, the higher his level of performance would be. However, if things went smoothly, he would easily get carried away and give up a big opportunity.

His current caution is largely due to his self-awareness.

Now it seems that all these cautions have been divided on Aiwas' side.

“…It’s really worrying.”

Aiwass sighed.

However, Aleister asked him for support, so Aiwass couldn't fall behind.

The Holy Crown is not only a powerful artifact, but also a functional item that can be used to lock down the bishop.

The next moment, several golden dots appeared before his eyes. They were the clergymen near Aleister, with the rank of "bishop" and above.

Aiwass randomly picked one and then his consciousness was immersed in that person's dream.

The moment he entered the dream, Aiwass encountered the other person's subconscious resistance—but that resistance was easily broken. Physically, it felt a bit like puncturing a taut disposable plastic bag with your finger.

However, the other party was very alert... The moment she realized that she had fallen into a dream, the bishop lady, who was in a daze in her dream, woke up.

She couldn't escape the dream directly, but she didn't wake up instantly either. In her consciousness, she seemed to see a brilliant sun.

"Mia Mueller...right."

Aiwass's originally clear young voice also sounded brilliant and sacred under the heavy echo: "I have a mission to assign to you, Mia..."

Afterwards, Aiwass sent all of Aleister's needs to Bishop Muller.

Mia raised her head, and the divine intuition in her heart told her that this was the current Pope far away in the Theocracy.

Although she couldn't see the Pope's appearance clearly... in her eyes, the Pope was like a sphere burning with flames and emitting light, just like the sun.

Without hesitation, she knelt down, touching the ground with her forehead.

As a consecrated person, she is not afraid of sacrifice and devotion, which is one of the duties of a bishop.

However, in the past, the Eternal Pope would never call on them if he needed help... because any task would definitely be completed by the Pope's guards first. The Pope looked at them like a loving mother looking at her children, wishing they could all rest and not get tired.

But Aiwass is different.

He clearly understood the personal needs of the consecrated persons – rather than concerns such as “don’t get tired” or “be careful of danger”, the bishops were more interested in completing the tasks given by the Pope.

Feeling the warmth of the powerful force of devotion on her back, she responded devoutly, "I will complete your sacred mission..."

"——His Majesty, the great Pope."

As possibly the first bishop in Xingti to be called by the Pope, she was almost moved to tears.

Although she appears to be in her early thirties, Mia is actually in her fifties. It is the Fire Sacrifice that maintains her youthful appearance and healthy body.

And in all these years, she had only been to the Theocracy once, when she was promoted to bishop.

Now, the Pope has entrusted him with a heavy responsibility—even if it's just a simple funeral, like "saving someone's soul." But it also feels like "one's faith has become reality."

Even in a mortal realm, being personally commissioned by a monarch is enough to thrill a commoner. Yet, they live by the principles of devotion, revering the faith of the Ennead. Even receiving a personal order from a cardinal, let alone the Pope, would give them a strong sense of mission...

——For this grace and trust.

Even if it means fighting against the society, she will definitely complete the mission given by His Holiness the Pope!

(End of this chapter)