The eight women were all the epitome of beauty, the likes of which people had rarely seen, confusing even Felix with what they were doing there. Blonde, redhead, black-haired, ashen-haired, brown-haired, and all sorts of skin types, heights, and other sizes were on display.
The eight women were also quite proud as they walked gracefully, swaying their hips. Yet, there was tension in the air as the eight didn't seem to get along with each other.
'What in the Lord's name is this now? I'm a taken man—I can't be admiring these beauties now,' Felix cursed his luck under his breath, knowing very well Isabella was staring at him from the sides. 'Must stay serious.'
"Gab, who are these women?" Felix looked at the man beside the throne. "Help your brother here."
Gabriel unrolled a parchment and read the details. "Oh, these are all daughters of noblemen, from Barons to Counts. The one at the front is Lady Arabella."
Felix looked down from his throne at the woman. She had hair like cascading golden sunlight and eyes piercing blue. She glided in a gown of velvet blue, the intricate silver embroidery at her hem mirroring the night sky.
"The one with emerald eyes and black hair is Lady Elowen. The auburn one is Lady Seraphina. Then there's Lady Liora, the curly brunette; Lady Isolde with her ashen hair; Lady Gwendolyn, Anara, and Elise… Quite a few wealthy noble houses," Gabriel finished reading the little details in the parchment provided to him by the herald.
"Speak, my sisters of faith," Felix mimicked Sylvester's stoicism.
"We came to meet the supreme authority, His Holiness, but in his absence, please be the judge, Your Eminence," the leading woman, a blonde-haired, six-foot-tall goddess, said. Her words came out like songs of a cuckoo. "The eight of us are considered to be the most beautiful women in the entire Sol, but we seek to find out who is the most beautiful—please judge us, Your Eminence."
"..."
The court fell into loud murmurs.
Felix was drenched with cold sweat, feeling a sharp gaze from the side.
'Damn you, Max—This wasn't in the job description.'
"Yes, Your Eminence!" The ashen-haired beauty added, her deep neckline revealing an ample view of her cleavage, a black mole clearly visible. She stepped her leg out, too, giving people a view of her pale, smooth flesh. "I am the most beautiful, aren't I?"
'Should I excommunicate them for sullying the house of God? That should save me from having to choose,' he wondered about his options. 'But they'd be hung.'
"Please choose, Your Eminence," the redhead added, trying to act cute with her lithe stature.
"..."
Felix gulped and tried to hold a solemn face. In the end, unlike Sylvester, he hadn't lived two lives. He was still prone to being influenced by the elements of nature.
At last, he sighed and folded his arms, "I know who the most beautiful woman is. She's my fiance, Queen Isabella."
"..."
The eight women were taken aback, not expecting such a response. They thought Felix would say they were all beautiful, but instead, they all lost. However, they were smart and knew any man would choose his wife if he didn't want to sleep on the floor.
"Second?" The blonde asked.
Felix was smarter than them, "My mother."
"Third?" Raven-haired one questioned.
"Isabella, on the day I fell in love with her."
"Fourth?"
"Isabella, that will be ten years from now on."
"Fifth?"
"Sister Aurora."
"Sixth?"
"Daughter of Isabella and me in the future."
"Seventh?" Another girl asked.
Felix, shameless, kept at it, "My second daughter with Isabella."
"Eighth?" That was the last number among them. "Don't say your th—"
"My third daughter with Isabella in the future."
"..."
Utterly speechless. Not just the eight women but also the entire court. The Clergymen admired Felix's thick skin and wits to get out of situations. After all, it wasn't the Church's duty to hold beauty pageants.
Silence fell over the court. Felix looked at Isabella proudly, his queen in heart, who also happens to be the Queen of the kingdom. He noticed the cute smile on the love of his life, and in that moment, he didn't care how beautiful the eight women were.
"I shall write letters to your fathers to marry you somewhere quickly. Wasting the time of this holy sanctum for your selfish narcissist lust is akin to a si—"
"Your Holiness~!"
Felix shut up and looked at the back entrance reserved for the Pope. It was indeed Sylvester there, but in rugged clothes and looking like a country bumpkin. Furthermore, to his delight, the eight banshees charged at him.
Clank!
"Stand back!"
Trained, tall soldiers immediately blocked the way of the eight women with their spears. They had the order to kill if anyone was to run up to the Pope like that in the Holy Court.
But Sylvester had to maintain his image, so he just smiled and greeted the eight, "What can I do for my sisters?"
"Who is the most beautiful among us, Your Holiness?" Blonde Arabelle asked pleadingly.
Sylvester's brows furrowed, and he gave an angry glance at Felix while speaking to him mentally. 'Why didn't you throw them out?'
'Hah, then how could I have witnessed this? Go ahead, my friend. Judge these women,' Felix scoffed.
Sylvester sighed and clapped his palms together, a hymn starting to echo under his breath that formed the beautiful halo behind his head. Then, he gave them his answer, "Such nonsense questions hold no merit. The most beautiful in the world is the one whose blood I inherited—my Mum!"
"..."
Once again, the eight asked for the other ranks.
"Second?"
"Still, my Mum."
"...Eight?"
"Always my Mum," Sylvester gave the same reply to each of them. And surprisingly, every Clergyman in the court nodded frantically.
Sylvester ignored them and walked over to the throne, "In any case, if there are no other pilgrims here to see me, the Holy Court is adjourned. Herald, do not let anyone in if they have intentions similar to these noble ladies."
As expected, the eight women were allowed entry only because there was nobody else left in line. So, the Holy Court ended, and all the visitors and the Clergymen left.
Sylvester climbed the stairs and reached Felix, "How was it? Getting used to being Saint Viceman?"
"I hate it. Make me a footsoldier of the Holy Army, and I'll gladly accept," Felix replied while scratching his head. "You can never guess who will walk in from that door and ask you something shocking."
Sylvester laughed and pulled Felix alongside to walk with him. "I can understand. But with time, you get used to it. You'll get better at predicting people. Their faces, attire, and manners tell you almost everything about them."
Felix shrugged, stretching his shoulders. "I only came to the Palace to see if you were back. I've found some new information related to the Tears of Solis. A shipment was caught, and we sent a lot of spies. By now, we can guarantee that it's being made in the Sand Continent. However, a wealthy merchant from the neutral land of Libertia is the one funding them."
Sylvester hummed with many nods. "Libertia? I've never been to Libertia before. Perhaps it's time to finally pay a visit to the legendary land that stayed neutral throughout history."
Finally, the two arrived in the Pope's office. However, two men were already sitting inside. One being Julius and the other being the stylish Emperor Lich, Raz. The two Supreme Wizards were in the midst of some argument when Sylvester entered and interrupted them.
"Good, both of you are on time." Sylvester got to business straight away and took a seat, "I had a breakthrough in my understanding of solarium recently. I feel I've grown significantly stronger, and I need proof. So, I want the both of you to spar against me outside."
"Both of us?" Asked Raz.
"You can't win against the two of us," Julius dismissed Sylvester's idea as well. "We're Supreme Wizards. We have been Supreme Wizards for a while now. You're just in the first level."
But Sylvester wasn't swayed. "The goal is not to defeat me. You only need to go all out, and I'll try to survive and retreat."
Raz and Julius looked at each other's faces. They both understood what Sylvester was proposing. The young Pope wanted to officially rewrite the order of the food chain and, at least to them, prove that he was the strongest.
Sylvester noticed their silent agreement and looked at his best friend again. "However, before we go any further, I feel like I should fulfill one of my vows."
Felix looked at Sylvester with shock and expectation, wondering if it was really going to happen now. "Your Holiness—can you now?"
Sylvester smiled, understanding how silently painful it must have been for Felix.
"It's time you fulfill Isabella's wish and get married, Felix."
This was it, the unspoken agreement. For his ailment, there was now a treatment.
Thank you for reading. Gifts and GT votes are highly appreciated.
