Phil Gray, his gaze sharp, continued to question, "My partner nearly gave his life to save Numas, and you let him climb these steps?"
"Ah? Your Highness, we're so sorry, we were chatting and forgot about you all." Melody blushed slightly, she was so happy to see Vincent that she had forgotten about the Holy Son and the others behind her.
She looked down and saw that the patterns on the steps had turned gray. A little annoyed, she said, "What happened?"
"Let me see. It seems the divine power inside is insufficient. Strange, someone injects divine power into us every month, and this has never happened before." Vincent, who was initially extremely excited to see the new Holy Son arrive, paused for a moment. He also squatted down to look at the steps and came to this conclusion.
Phil Gray knew, of course, that it couldn't have been them; his gaze was mainly fixed on Aubrey, who stood calmly to the side.
He asked with a half-smile, "Does Elder Aubrey know what's going on?"
"It must be that the servants were slacking off this month. Holy Son, there's no need to worry about it." Aubrey's smile carried a hint of smugness. He turned around and casually waved his hand, causing the patterns on the steps to light up with golden light once again.
"Now that you're all here, come with me to meet the Pope."
After saying that, he left with his back turned.
Melody gave an apologetic smile, as if she sensed Elder Aubrey's opinion of the Holy Son.
Vincent walked up to Phil Gray, winked, and said, "I'm so sorry that you've encountered such bad luck as soon as you arrived. But we've prepared a welcome dinner for you, and I've also prepared a small gift for you. May the Prophet of the Day praise your mercy."
Phil Gray was furious, but his partner had already arrived, and out of respect for Vincent, he agreed to let the matter drop for the time being. However, Aubrey had already been categorized as an enemy.
Eli and Ernest followed behind him, like the most devout believers guarding their god, walking together with their heads held high into the magnificent church suspended in the air.
The interior of the church also unsurprisingly reflects the style of Dawn. Although it is decorated with gold, it is not at all as vulgar as a royal palace or mansion in the secular world.
Several chairs were placed at the foot of the statue of the Prophet of the Day. In the center sat an old man with white hair, wearing a crown inlaid with crystals of the morning light, holding a thick gold book, and wearing a kind and friendly smile.
Phil Gray guessed that he was the Pope of Dawn.
Upon closer inspection, the divine power emanating from him was as deep and unfathomable as the sea, like a sun resting on the ground.
Although this pope is also a deified god, he seems to be more powerful than Elder Glen and Aubrey before him.
Around the Pope sat five or six elders, all looking at him with the same eager gaze, as if they had seen some rare treasure.
"Greetings, Your Majesty the Pope," the group walking in front of Phil Gray said in unison, and half-knelt down to bow to the Pope.
This confirmed his guess that this was indeed the Pope of Dawn.
He hesitated for a moment, wondering whether he should bow to the pope.
As a younger generation, he should pay respects to his elders, and as the Holy Son of Dawn, he should also pay respects to the Pope. However, as the Pope of the Church of Destiny, although the difference in strength between the two churches is vast, they are nominally the leaders of the six major churches. If he were to perform a half-squatting salute, wouldn't that make the Church of Destiny look inferior to Dawn?
Thinking of this, he simply bowed slightly and said, "Greetings, Your Majesty the Pope!"
Aubrey frowned, adding another label of being rude to this new Holy Son.
He snorted coldly and said directly, "His Highness the Holy Son still conceals his true face under the statue of the Prophet of the Day, hiding himself away, and does not even bow when meeting His Holiness the Pope. This is extremely disrespectful!"
No sooner had Elder Aubrey finished speaking than His Holiness the Pope coughed softly, interrupting Aubrey's accusations.
"Aubrey, have you said enough?" His Holiness the Pope's voice was gentle, yet carried an undeniable authority.
Aubrey could only shut his mouth and sit down in one of the empty chairs.
"Alright, you young people can sit down and talk as well." The Pope waved his hand gently, and a row of identical chairs appeared opposite them.
They thanked him and sat down next to the Pope.
Phil Gray looked at Pope Dawn, who had been looking at him with a gentle and appreciative gaze. The places touched by his gaze were as if bathed in pure and warm sunlight.
"Excuse me, I forgot to take off my mask."
He tore off the mask, revealing a handsome and young face that astonished Vincent and Melody, who had never seen his true appearance before.
“It’s alright, we understand your difficulties.” Pope Dawn handed the golden book to Phil Gray. “I have a general understanding of what happened in Numas City. Thanks to you, and considering what happened in the Dark Night Parish last time, Dawn should thank you.”
“You flatter me. Since Chenxi acknowledges me as the Holy Son, I will certainly fulfill my duties as the Holy Son.”
Phil Gray took the book; it was the Bible of the Church of Dawn, the "Book of the Prophets of the Day," which Vincent had given him before.
"His Highness is young and promising, and is greatly favored by the gods. It is truly an honor for our Dawn." The elder sitting next to the Pope spoke. He recognized this elder as Elder Gran from before.
“Yes, and also…” A female elder sitting next to Gran wanted to add something, but was stopped by Pope Dawn.
Pope Dawn stood up. "Melody, you've worked hard too. Go and rest. Glenn, Nancy, and Holy Son Kane, along with these two guests, please stay. I have something to say."
"yes."
The elders left reluctantly, their gazes lingering on Phil Gray. Although it made him somewhat uncomfortable, it was much better than seeing Aubrey's ashen face.
“Alright, Phil, may I call you that?” Pope Dawn asked Phil Gray to sit down beside him, speaking as if he were addressing a younger generation.
“Of course.” Phil Gray nodded. Elder Glen knew his identity, and Pope Dawn certainly did too.
He secretly pondered whether the elders of Dawn knew his identity as the Pope of the Church of Destiny. If they were friendly, that would be fine, but someone like Aubrey might be hostile to him if he knew his identity.
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