Published at 1st of May 2024 7:20 am

Chapter 756 Not A Warm Welcome

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Sylvester made the opening in space, which appeared like a crack in glass. It was small, only large enough to let him in. However, he put more care into it than ever since his existence could possibly inflict harm upon his home reality.

'The First Pope was forcibly rejected by reality because of his increased power. I'm far beyond that point at this stage.' Sylvester remembered and gently entered with alertness, trying to feel if there was any sort of pushback.

One leg, then the other, followed by his entire body. He didn't dare appear directly inside the home universe and instead went to Nehilius' realm that was connected to the door in the Pope's Palace basement.

It was also his storage universe for a lot of his own energy, and it felt like home, too. But, he quickly recalled where the door was in the dark vastness and flew directly to it—yes, fly. It was finally possible. It only took him to lose his humanity and become an Eldritch being… or perhaps even above that.

Clack!

He grabbed the doorknob and turned it. Now even more careful and gentle, not knowing if his home planet had been put under some sort of protection by the Primordial Gods.

'Nothing for now.'

"Maxy~!"

"Chonky?" Sylvester heard a voice that was slightly different, but still sounded like music to his ears. He opened the door fully, and there he was, his favorite furball, now bigger and more handsome.

Thud!

"What the—" Sylvester rushed out the door and picked up Miraj's sleeping body, noticing his snores. "How long were you sitting here, boy?"

Patting Miraj's face and finally letting him sleep, he tightly kept him in his arms. He glanced around the room and then behind him at the door. It felt strange coming out of the door he once used to meet with one he considered a supreme being—now himself having surpassed him.

'I feel no repulsion of any kind.' He noticed and started walking out of the room, then towards the staircase leading to the upper floors. 'What about the Orb of Purity? It was placed here to suppress the First Pope… can I take care of it now?'

Somewhere deep down in his heart, he wanted to spread his senses throughout this universe and make it his own like the others. But he chose not to, as to not antagonize his two enemies. He had no doubt the two were watching his every move now.

'I wish I could still breathe with normal lungs,' he muttered, feeling nostalgic about the place, the walls he almost felt connected to.

"Y-Y-Your Holiness!"

"YOUR HOLINESS!"

Just when Sylvester reached the last staircase, bringing him to the ground floor of the Palace, he was greeted by the two Holy Knights standing guard at the basement's entrance. Both their spears fell from their grasp when they noticed someone—him coming out.

Looking not a day older since the last time they saw him. His white robes were intact with golden embroidery, his blonde hair was loose behind his head, and his golden eyes shined as bright as ever. There was no mistaking it. This was the Pope.

"May the Holy Light enlighten us." Sylvester greeted them, a phrase he hadn't said in such a long time.

"Waaaa… it's really you!" One of the Holy Knights threw away his helmet, his eyes burning with worship and tears, the scent telling the same story. Brown-headed, pale-skinned, and with a scar on lips; He crawled over to catch Sylveser's leg. "Your Holiness, they were saying you were dead! They wanted to replace you… I… I never believed them! You can never die. You're the supreme!"

'Were they always this fanatic, or did something happen while I was gone?'

"How many years has it been since I was gone?" Sylvester asked the main question as he remembered a decade had passed in the Demon World when he went.

"More than a year, Your Holiness." The Holy Knight answered.

'Such drastic time differences. No wonder Diana found trouble communicating with this world her entire life,' Sylvester deduced. 'But this is good. A year is manageable.'

"Where's Gabriel?"

"W-We don't know, Your Holiness," the knight answered.

Of course, they wouldn't know. They were simple knights guarding a door. So Sylvester patted their shoulders, gifted them a faint flicker of light, inspected their bodies for any ailment, healed it, and ordered them to stand guard again.

In simple words, he was indeed a god walking on earth by now.

'They didn't react to Chonky. So he's invisible again?' Sylvester noted that as well. 'He's only visible if my energy surrounds him?'

Clank!

Thud!

"What?!"

"Oh, sweet Solis!"

"Yes!"

As Sylvester walked towards the Pope's office, plenty of Clergymen and Bright Mothers passed by him. Some lost their minds and could only stare. Some fell and fainted; a few couldn't believe it, and others rejoiced as if they had won the lottery.

'Should I do it?' He pondered something, and in the end, went with it. 'They need a reminder.'

Instead of making people try to recognize him and question reality, Sylvester created a warm, golden halo behind his head. It shined brightly and warmly, and something happened wherever the light fell. The plants in the flowerpots grew. The Clergymen facing any ailment felt better, while all the old ones were energized with strengthened bones.

Disbelief turned into utter acceptance, and one after another, they simply fell to their knees and closed their eyes before clasping their hands together to pray. But, this time, they prayed to Pope Sylvester, not Solis.

"Mmm… Nya…"

Right then, Sylvester noticed Miraj waking up from his very short power nap. Cutely, he rubbed his eyes with his paws, feeling cuddled and happy in Sylvester's arms.

"Wow… I'm dreaming of Maxy again," Miraj muttered, still unable to accept that Sylvester was holding him. "Come back quick, M

—"

"You're not sleeping, Chonky." Sylvester stared at the fluffy face and tapped his finger on the kitty's nose. "I'm back."

"..."

"You want me to pinch you?"

"..."

Miraj's eyes turned watery, but he quickly wiped them to hide his embarrassment. "R-Really?"

"I'm heading over to see Gab," Sylvester replied and combed Miraj's hair, a habit of his to keep the boy clean and smell-free. "Let's have a fine meal at home later. I'm sure Mum will be happy, and I'll cook."

"..."

Miraj was in simple disbelief the whole time. "But you don't feel like my Maxy."

"What do you mean?"

"You smell the same, you look the same, but..." Miraj's head tilted sideways in confusion. "Umm… I don't know. Something's different."

'He can feel my elevated being?'

At last, Sylvester arrived at the massive lobby that led to the grand door of the Pope's office. Just outside the office, however, was the assistant's table.

"Greetings, Mother Anya Moller," Sylvester hailed his assistant.

"..."

The young Bright Mother dumbly stared at Sylvester. But instead of excitement, her face turned paler, as if she just saw death. "I-INTRUDERS! Ghosts have invaded the Holy Land!"

'Ghost? How dead does she think I am?'

"Mother Moller, calm down. I have returned from my journey." Sylvester acted normal and walked towards the door. "I'll have a word with Gabriel. Don't let anyone disturb us."

"Are you really the Pope?"

"Don't you see the halo behind my head?"

"So many imposters have come to the Holy Land this year, also with a halo," she blurted back, picking up the magical communicator, the telephone. "I-I'll call the soldiers if you don't tell me the truth."

Sylvester hummed and rubbed his chin. It was indeed a problem since others might ask him for proof too. 'Mum won't find trouble recognizing me, that's for sure. But the rest might doubt. Perhaps a display of supreme might will suffice?'

Beep!

Right then, Sylvester noticed Anya had clicked some buttons on the magic communicator. From what he could guess, it was definitely an emergency call for backup or something similar.

"P-Pope Gabriel isn't in the room. He went to see Queen Xylena," Anya spoke with stutters and fear in her voice, clearly trying to stall the situation until backup arrived.

'What in God's name did my imposters do to warrant such a reaction?' Sylvester wondered, remembering a fat imposter of himself he had seen many years ago. 'Could they be the other Johnathans?'

"In that case, I shall wait inside. Send them in when they arrive here." Sylvester proceeded to the door and effortlessly opened it. Yes, he had felt countless safety runes on it and other magical mechanisms to only allow the Pope inside, or those the Pope wills.

He went ahead and sat down on the modest wooden chair with seat cushions. The office was much bigger now; Its ceiling was now at least fifty feet high, and the office area was hundreds of feet.

The main table was also massive, with a magical mechanism for it to be raised. At one corner were also larger chairs.

'They resized it to fit the Giants and the Dragons?' Sylvester approved of the changes.

"He's inside!"

Sylvester noted Anya's screaming voice from the other side and relaxed back in the chair.

Boom!

The door was kicked open by someone utterly tall and powerful.

"Who dares sully the pure?" Red-robed, big-bodied, conical helmet and a red visor with shining eyes, "Of your painful demise, I assure. Show y—"

The door completely flung open, and the view inside became visible. The big-bodied man froze in his place, as well as his lips.

"Is that how you'll welcome me back, old man?"

When Lord Inquisitor froze, a woman squeezed from his side and tried to enter with her unsheathed sword. "Who is it, fath—"

Sylvester smiled warmly, finally feeling at home.

"You look older, Aurora."

_________________

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