Reed asked her again with a face that questioned her sincerity.
Phoebe's thoughts were firm.
"Yes! You should tell your fiancée that you like her more than those women. That's when you should act cute!"
Though it was embarrassing to say, Reed felt convinced by her words.
"How do I act cute?"
"Well... you can approach your fiancée or make light jokes."
Reed, listening to Phoebe's words, crossed his arms and thought.
He always made jokes when they talked.
"A joke..."
Did he need something new?
He decided to think about it and come up with something.
“Dolores... Dolly, Dolly our Dolly... Dolly too?”
An unexpected dad joke popped out.
Reed regretted it even after saying it.
As if being led by an aging body, the joke automatically popped out.
It was no different than pouring cold water on the chilly atmosphere.
"Pfft!"
A bursting sound came from the other side.
Phoebe burst out laughing as if she was hit in the right spot.
"Dolly... Dolly too... Pffft!"
"......"
"I'm, I'm sorry. But...hahaha, it's just too funny..."
Phoebe gasped for breath, laughing uncontrollably.
Her horns dug into the table like a rock breaker as she laughed. After calming down, she fanned her face and stood up again.
"Is it funny?"
"Yes, it's hilarious!"
"Really?"
"But if you say it to other women, you might get scolded."
Phoebe, not letting him get cocky, hit him with a fact.
He wondered if she really found it amusing.
"Anyway... Thanks to your advice, the relationship seems to be getting smoother."
"I'm glad I could help. Is there anything else I can help you with?"
"I'll call you if I need anything later."
"Understood. Then I'll take my leave."
Phoebe left the office with a satisfied smile.
Reed picked up his pen to resume his work.
Then, out of the blue, a question crossed his mind as he looked at the firmly closed door.
'Come to think of it, Phoebe is a woman too, right?'
With her long blonde hair, tall stature, and curvy body visible even in her uniform.
Always smiling and following him around like a puppy, she was one of the few beauties among the tower's mages.
'What happens if I talk about Phoebe?'
Although he was curious, he decided not to bring up the topic.
Thanks to Rosaria, the relationship between Dolores and Phoebe was good, and he didn't want to create trouble by testing that.
It's better to let such issues flow like water.
That is the shortcut to peace.
***
The holy land of the Althea Church, Pieta.
In the Saint Gregory Cathedral, bishops from various places had gathered in the conference hall.
"Thank you for coming together. Bishops who bring light to various places. Thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedules."
"What is the reason for summoning us, Saintess?"
"I have something to announce to all of you."
An announcement, not a conference.
Summoning all the bishops without exception meant that it was an important matter.
However, making such a declaration about an important matter?
"Following the testament of the former hero, I intend to award the holy sword to the one who has put an end to the Demons."
"Award the hero's sword? Who is worthy of possessing that sword?"
"The Tower Master of Silence Tower, Reed Adeleheights Roton."
The bishops' eyes widened in unison.
"What are you talking about!?"
"No matter how much you insist, giving our legacy to a tower mage!"
The bishops objected and rose from their seats.
To give their symbolic item to a tower mage, and moreover, to a Tower Master, with whom they had a strained relationship.
"It's not our legacy. It's just an item left by the former hero."
"That sword was left by the Saint of Light who drove away Demons. It is a holy relic that strengthens the faith of the Althea Church."
Isel countered his words.
"Is he the Saint of Light? Wasn't the hero not a believer of Althea?"
"What are you talking about? It's written in the records left by the first Saintess who drove the demons away together with the hero!"
The smile disappeared from Isel's face for a moment.
300 years ago, the four heroes who defeated the Demon King.
One of them was the first Saintess of the Althea Church and is now Isel and Rachel.
It was truly ironic.
Isel never recorded the hero that way.
The reason they could so shamelessly push the records was that everyone didn't know that Isel and Rachel were the reincarnations of the first Saintess.
Isel and Rachel, who knew the truth, knew that there were fabricated records, but they didn't care about that.
She believed that a little lie could be forgiven if it helped spread the faith of the Althea Church.
Now, that has come back to haunt her.
'No, even if it wasn't in the records, they wouldn't have given it up easily.'
Isel found them disgusting.
"So."
Isel's gentle tone became stiff.
"Are you saying that the current Saintess's words are not worth listening to?"
And she added a sharpness.
Even conservative bishops know that fists are closer than the law.
"Let's make it clear. Everything left by the first Saintess is just a legacy of the past. There is no need to blindly believe in those records."
"Are you saying that you won't follow the words of the first Saintess?"
"We should listen to God's will rather than the words of the Saintess. I always accept God's will, and I am prepared to devote myself to using my power for the people. To do so, I need to correct the old things."
"Are you saying you want to tamper with it at your discretion?"
The bishops interpreted it differently and restrained the Saintess.
"Why would a heretic be a heretic? They deceive people with plausible deception. If you try to fix the old things recklessly, you will try to fix them again, and eventually, the entire church will become heretical."
Isel clenched her hands together tightly, making a fist and maintaining a smile with difficulty.
"I also want to avoid becoming a heretic."
She turned her head and scanned the seated bishops.
"But I don't want to live as a coward like you."
"What!?"
"Are you talking to us, Saintess!?"
"How do you think the heretics and demons who want to burn the church were destroyed? Was it with a silver sword and a Bible? No. They withered away with a single flower. It's hard to see you not wanting to accept that fact."
The bishops tried to retaliate roughly.
"Let's stop this."
A heavy voice filled the conference hall, and everyone closed their mouths.
It was the voice of the Pope, sitting in the highest place next to the Saintess.
Feeling the Saintess's emotions becoming more intense, the Pope personally intervened.
The bishops looked up at the Pope.
Although he had a long white beard, he was a strong old man whose physique could be compared to that of a young warrior.
He rested his chin and closed his eyes quietly.
He was trying to reach a conclusion in this conflict of understanding.
