Sylvester thought about what Sir Dolorem said. He was shocked by how much trust the man had put in him. So much faith and worship as if he was not the bard but the god, almost to the point that he felt terrible because, in the end, he does not really believe in Solis and is just scamming the world.
But nobody needed to know that. It was a secret that he shall take to his grave, same with his reincarnation aspect. Some words are meant to never be spoken loud, as they might get you burnt on a pyre.
"Sir Dolorem… I had not even started to play the game yet. That's why I shall ask you this again—If we do this, I will commit many things conflicting with the common faith—your beliefs. I will have to make choices that will result in death and chaos… Will you still follow me?" He asked in a serious tone.
"O' mortal, basking in my warmth. The time has come to make an oath. I shall test your loyalty thenceforth." Sir Dolorem repeated a few lines of a hymn Sylvester sang a long time ago. "I remember the promise I made, the vow to protect you with my life, sword, and magic… I have not forgotten it all, Lord Bard, nor do I ever wish to. I will likely be dead by the time you shall become the Pope, however."
Sylvester looked into the man's eyes and shook his head lightly. "You think you will die of old age? You think I am planning to become the Pope in two hundred years, like the previous ones?—You're wrong there, Sir Dolorem. I have a feeling that the race has already begun, and some other participants have started making their moves. I plan not to drag this… if I'm too old by the time I ascend, the whole point will be missed."
"And what's the point?" Sir Dolorem asked.
Sylvester had not planned much for that, but there was an idea. "Reforms… but this is all just empty talk right now. First, we need to plan a roadmap and then walk on it. No matter how hard it gets or the threats.
"What I need to know right now is how many more contenders for the position of Pope are there?" Sylvester asked.
Sir Dolorem thought about it and counted a few names in mind. "Lord Inquisitor is not interested… Saint Scepter is legally bound to only be Pope's protector… from the Sanctum Council; there is nobody. However, there are the first and second Guardians of Light, the Cardinal of the West as well, who governs the entire region of the Masan Empire and the Warsong Kingdom. There could also be a few more powerful clergy members, as even strong nobles are known to sometimes take the throne."
Sylvester frowned. This meant he didn't have targets that he could focus on. "So there is no number?"
Sir Dolorem sounded doubtful himself. "I can not be sure, but it ought to be less than ten. Becoming the Pope isn't a joke, after all. Just pure physical strength won't take you too far. You also need the approval of the current Pope if he's alive, the approval of the Sanctum Council, and above all, the approval of the Saint Scepter, the Shield of Solis. There are a lot of checks to ensure no unworthy person ends up destroying the faith."
'Alright, baby steps then… I am not even going to appear in front of all these men. What if they just poison me or use forbidden magic I don't know about.' Sylvester reminded himself that there were no friends in high places, only supreme interests. Even the Lord Inquisitor was kind to him because he was a miracle child.
Sylvester stood up, as it was time to return now. He did not have any plans since he had made none, but he was going to think about it in the coming days. First of all, he needed to make the report and submit it to the administration, and then wait for the next assignment.
But, this time, he was going to ask for an easygoing assignment, as he felt two chaotic ones were enough, and it was time to focus on his own magic. Not only that, "I will file for a clergy promotion tomorrow. I am a Master Wizard in the last phase of becoming an Arch Wizard. There is no other man in the Clergy who is at my stage and is still a Priest. Technically, I deserve to at least become a Bishop."
"So you have decided to become the Pope?" Sir Dolorem questioned.
Sylvester started to leave. "I think you already know the answer to that, Sir Dolorem. You better start training too—If you don't want to be left behind."
Sir Dolorem stood up and saluted him church style. "I will, Lord Bard…"
There was no doubt Sylvester's little threat of being left behind ignited something in Sir Dolorem's heart. Although his upper peak in talent was low, he was yet to reach it.
"Good night, Sir Dolorem. Have some rest now. I'm sure you're also as tired as everyone else." Sylvester left the tent and headed towards the exit.
The Inquisitor camp always had a strange rough feeling about it. The place was not meant to show luxury but rather the hardships of what the Inquisitors go through. Everything was made of wood there, the boundary walls of the camps, the various torch poles. For housing, there were just tents of various sizes.
The whole camp spanned across many meters and housed nearly a hundred thousand Inquisitors, with the same number being out on various assignments.
Sylvester felt relaxed to some extent after talking with Sir Dolorem. He had already seen how the old man looked at him. So he knew that in the eyes of Sir Dolorem, he was like his son. So, talking to him was easy, at least regarding the future.
'I need to get stronger first. For that, I need to focus on my training. But I need a better mentor as well. I can't explore every single little detail. It's better to innovate on the knowledge the world has already developed.'
Cough!
"Where are you going this late at night, young bard?"
Sylvester turned around and responded. He didn't act frightened as there was no scent of any danger. But seeing who it was threw him back a bit. "Lady Aurora… greetings. I should be asking the same question. What is the tenth guardian of light doing here?"
She walked close to him and snorted as if offended. "Little kids will now ask questions? You have some balls."
Sylvester knew she was messing with him from the scents. So he replied sarcastically. "At least I have them."
"..."
She was totally taken aback by his reply, as no one dared to talk to her due to her status. But instead of getting angry, she burst into laughter. "Haha… you can not only sing but also make jokes. I like it."
She was extremely pretty, even though she was more than a hundred years old. Training and fighting had toned her body in a shape that most women could just desire in sleep. Her perfect bosom and waist, even the armor on her, made her look appealing to the eye.
But Sylvester didn't care how pretty this woman was to look at. All he knew was that she was strong enough to stomp him to death in a second if she ever wished so. So he remained respectful. "In this line of work, you have to learn to make and take jokes, or else life will be very bland."
"Agreed, Lord Bard. Come with me. The Lord Inquisitor wishes to speak to you." She gestured for him to follow behind.
Sylvester honestly felt like he was being picked up by a candy van that didn't have good intentions. But what options did he even have other than following her? Though from that, he did wonder one thing while walking behind her. "Lady Aurora, since you are not a Bright Mother, are you allowed to marry and have a family?"
She looked back instantly, in a frown but also a blush. "What kind of question is that? No, I am chaste and desire to keep to myself that. Hence, I am one of the only few women in the world with a Clergy rank. Even though I am allowed to break away from Clergy and start a family whenever I want. But why are you asking this… could it be."
She suddenly stopped and looked at him teasingly while biting her index finger seductively. She was not usually like this, but she had heard so much about Sylvester from Lord Inquisitor that he felt like a friend already.
Sylvester, however, was disgusted by her and made a face as if he had stepped on a soggy sponge. "Too young for me."
"..."
"What!" Lady Aurora exclaimed in shock.
Meanwhile, Sylvester felt his heartbeat increase. He truly did feel disgusted because she looked to be in her late 20s. But the thing was, Sylvester was an old man in the past and held no attraction to these pretty young women. Of course, he was not supposed to say it out loud.
Cough!
Sylvester walked past her shocked form. "Let's go. Lord Inquisitor must be waiting for me."
Lady Aurora silently walked behind him this time and curiously looked. "So you're into older-looking women. How old, I wonder?"
Sylvester replied in a short song. "I am a man of faith, and Solis, I feel no desire for touch. As long as the lord graces me, never shall I ever fall for lust."
She blinked dumbly and silently covered the rest of the way. Soon, they finally entered the reached tent in the whole of the Inquisitor camp. As soon as Sylvester moved inside, he found the big man sitting on a throne-like chair in the middle of the tent. His armor appeared the same as before, red and conical hat.
"Take a seat here, Lord Bard." Inquisitor High Lord boomed, the seriousness and rage apparent in his voice as always.
Sylvester did so, but first asked for the man's well-being, as the last time he saw him, he was bedridden. "I hope you are healthy, Lord Inquisitor."
The big giant's eyes flashed in red under the visor. But he nodded and replied. "I am, favored child. I wonder how your career goes."
Sylvester relaxed in his seat. The big man didn't scare him much anymore. "The work is great, a bit frustrating at times. Nearly died this time but eventually, I killed the Bloodling terrorizing the Desert Road near Sphinx Town."
Once again, the big man's eyes shone red. A dangerous aura spread quickly. "A bloodling? What did it look like? Insect? Cloud?"
"Human… It had a demonic face, five eyes, a humanoid torso, and a snake-like bottom. It was taller than nine feet and had tentacles for arms." Sylvester explained everything and told the man about the little snakes that were a part of the creature.
There was silence for a while after that as the Lord Inquisitor digested the news. But he also stared at him the whole time. "You just killed a Dragon Class evil creature. That's more than what most men even dream of accomplishing in their lifetimes. I am extremely proud!"
Sylvester shifted in his seat and added. "Yes… albeit the end result was not good for the town. You can read it later in my report… but before that, I wish to tell you about heathens in the Clergy."
"Heathens?" As always, Lord Inquisitor got serious and ready to burn some sinners.
Sylvester took out his notebook and read everything. "An archpriest named Richmond Donaris used to preside over Sphinx Town. When the town was attacked 15 years ago, the Archpriest and his four priests ran away in the middle of town defense, leaving the gates open. That led to the town being ravaged, r*ped, and destroyed by the cannibals. The people were hostages for three days until King Highland freed them and killed all the cannibals in the nearby mountains.
"Hence, from that, I have come to the conclusion that the demon possessions and mental illness spreading in the town was due to the cannibal attack that inflicted inhuman pain on innocents. At the same time, the bloodling appeared due to dead bodies in the mountains. All the blame goes to one man—Archpriest Richmond Donaris—now Archbishop."
'I couldn't protect you, folks. I can at least bring justice to your souls.' Sylvester thought as he reported.
Bam!
Lord Inquisitor stood up and thumped his staff on the ground. His anger grew beyond bounds and appeared in a burning, rageful aura. "Such inhumane actions… for such transgressions—death is the sanction! They shall be hung after interrogation!"
'That's it? He trusts me?' Sylvester was amazed at how much value his words held. But he was not complaining.
