To the Pope, Adrian could be considered his biological son, even though they were not related by blood.
But lately, he has gradually realized that he doesn't seem to understand his child.
For the past decade, Adrian has done very well, even excessively well.
Every day, when the Pope sits on his throne atop the steps, he sees the same view.
One by one, the cardinals bowed their heads and walked respectfully down the red carpet, displaying utmost humility. But standing so high, they could see the greed in their eyes.
Except for Adrian.
His golden eyes once caused a stir in the Vatican. Some called it a gift from God, while others asserted it was a temptation from the devil.
This years-long debate only came to an end after he was crowned Son of God.
As Adrian's introducer, only the Pope has never expressed any bias on this matter, but sometimes silence is also a form of response.
He firmly believed that Adrian was a child sent to earth by God, who would faithfully spread the gospel and guide believers onto the right path.
Sometimes, even as a devout believer, he would wake up in the middle of the night and fall into deep thought as he looked at the seemingly endless night.
What's the difference between a person without any selfish desires and a god?
He worried that after his death, Adrian might go down the wrong path, and then no one would be able to stop him.
However, since some time ago, such concerns have gradually become more subtle.
He vividly remembered that it was a week after the start of the school year in Estheran when his servants knelt at his feet in fear and trembling, reporting that Adrian had taken all the jewels from the papal treasury.
The power to freely access the treasury was granted to Adrian by the Pope on the day he was crowned Son of God. However, his daily needs were usually taken care of by the Papacy, so he had never used it.
This was the first time he had ever opened it, and he had even taken so many things at once, so it was no wonder that the servants were so flustered and asked for permission.
His Holiness the Pope decided to investigate personally, but before he could approach Adrian, the latter returned dejectedly carrying a bag full of jewels.
Those bright golden eyes dimmed, as if covered with a layer of gray, and a trace of confusion flashed through them from time to time.
Why did he only take one?
"Do you only like rubies? But that mirror..."
The Pope heard the murmurs coming from his mouth.
"who?"
He approached his child quietly and spoke gently.
“Of course it is…” Adrian was about to answer with the name of his beloved, but the next second he noticed the Pope’s figure and turned around helplessly.
"Holy Father!"
His tone was somewhat reproachful, and he wanted to bow but couldn't move because of the things in his hands.
The Pope reached out to stop him, and the kind-hearted elder stroked his white beard, still unwilling to give up, and continued to speak.
"Who are you talking about? Did you get your gift rejected?"
Adrian, however, had already adjusted his state and returned to his previous calm and composed demeanor.
“The God of Light teaches us, ‘Do not gossip about others in secret, do not spread rumors behind their backs, for the Father in heaven exercises the responsibility of oversight.’”
"..."
“Then, Holy Father, I will take my leave.”
The Pope watched Adrian's straight back silently, then swayed back to his room.
Some time later, during another small gathering with the headmaster of Etherland, he heard about something else.
"I never expected you to have a habit of collecting gems. But of all the things you could like, you had to like that one on our magic detector."
"That thing has been passed down since the school was founded, and its surface is covered with scratches. Apart from being full of magic, it has no other advantages."
"The money you give Adrian to buy it is enough to buy as many more dazzling gems as he wants."
The principal, drunk, raised his glass, oblivious to his old friend's strange expression, and buried his head on the table.
"Being this principal is so tough... Ero has skipped class again! This is the thirteenth time this semester!"
"I'm really worried that Vili will cry from his scolding... It's not easy to find such a precious child with all-elemental magic..."
As he spoke, he actually started to sob, but the others in the tavern were not surprised.
The headmaster of Atherland comes here every week.
The Pope does not drink alcohol, so he simply picked up the ice water on the table and drank it all in one gulp.
Later, when news came that Adrian had moved to another residence, the Pope remained unfazed.
The child is growing up and has their own ideas.
It's not really his fault for covering it up; it's just that Adrian once again achieved a top ranking in the Holy Light Trial held by the Vatican some time ago.
Now that things have come to this, almost no one can threaten his position.
Let's not even talk about His Holiness the Holy Son just having a romance (and not even succeeding in winning anyone over), even if it were revealed now that he was secretly researching dark magic—
No, there's still a problem with that.
In short, seeing Adrian becoming more and more like a "person," the Pope decided to pretend not to see his behavior.
The child seemed to have changed too much; after seeing a figure that resembled that person, he immediately started to space out.
The Pope really didn't know whether this was a good thing or a bad thing; these days, his hair, like that of the headmaster of Aetherland, was falling out more and more...
He couldn't help but sigh, unable to bear looking at the person in front of him any longer, and looked away.
Children are all debts.
His gaze met that of another middle-aged man with a bald head. Both of them were taken aback, but the next second their eyes revealed a sense of mutual appreciation.
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