CH 101

The sun has risen again on the Warren Continent.

Everything that followed after seemed to be a matter of course.

They successfully defeated that pope who was controlled by a demon. They prevented the God of Darkness’s invasion, and brought light back to the continent again. Esmond’s prestige in the hearts of the people was infinitely elevated, and there was almost no need to dispute the position of the next pope.

Just like in the original plot, Esmond decisively dealt with all the Fallen who could not be purified, and screened the entire papacy again. The remnants of the God of Darkness were completely expelled from the Warren Continent, and the entire land was once again bathed in light.

With the new elections, Esmond became the youngest pope in the Warren Continent in over a thousand years.

The young pope became ever more diligent after he took office.

After clearing out the corruption in the papacy, he resolutely issued a lot of teachings that were beneficial to the common people, and soon gained the respect and faith of the masses.

The new pope had very few personal contacts. Apart from making visits necessary for official business, the people only knew that he would go to a very out-of-the-way wooden house alone to visit a secluded friend.

No one knew who that friend was, and no one has ever walked out of that wooden house.

Esmond took off his white robes as he opened the door and walked into a room. A warm candle flame fluttered towards him and lit up brighter. The flame spoke in a lively voice: “Master.”

After that epic fight with the pope, Esmond’s powers continued to rapidly upgrade. The flames that he emitted were gradually gaining sentience. If this continued on, there was even the possibility of transformation.

He finally knew that what his paladin had gifted him was actually a path to godhood.

Esmond nodded at the flame and then sat down by the bed. His eyes fell upon the person sleeping on the bed, and his expression instantly became gentle.

He leaned over and tenderly gathered the person into his arms. He helped the person change into soft brand-new clothes. Then he dipped a cotton cloth into some clean water and patiently wiped the young man’s pale and beautiful face.

“Today is the day of sacrifice*. I was fortunate enough to meet the God of Light, but it was a little different from what I had imagined.”

[*T/N: 祭祀 ji si – to offer sacrifices to the gods or ancestors]

The room was very quiet. He stopped to think for a while, and then he continued on with a smile.

“The Lord God also asked about you, saying that you are probably the child of God from another plane of existence. I think so too. If such an unreliable Lord God was able to give birth to you, then your mother must be extremely formidable.”

The flickering flame reflected off of the young man’s cheeks, making it look like his eyelashes were fluttering slightly, as if he might gradually open his eyes at any moment.

Esmond’s gaze softened. He lowered his head and kissed the young man on the cheek. As if he had just thought of something interesting, he couldn’t help but chuckle.

“The Lord God has been wailing nonstop, saying that I must get his daughter-in-law back. I don’t know who he intends to match you with, but no matter who it is, I will not give in.”

As he spoke, the rims of his eyes turned faintly red, but the smile on his face became stronger: “When you wake up, let’s go prance in front of the Lord God together. It would be great if we could see the child of God, and make him angry…”

Only his voice sounded in the room. The young man in his arms leaned quietly against him, his brows were smooth and placid, and the corners of his lips seemed to have a slight curvature.

Esmond muttered by himself for a while, reporting all the interesting things that happened outside. Then he gathered the person into his arms again and softly pressed a kiss to the young man’s cheek.

The flame flickered beside him and hesitated for a long time. Finally, it asked in a low voice: “Master, will he really wake up?”

“He will wake up.”

Holding the paladin’s hand in his, Esmond’s gaze was gentle and warm. He kissed the other party’s forehead. His tone was calm and firm.

“He promised me that as long as I am not sad he would come back.”

As he said this, his breathing was already starting to stutter. He took a deep breath, and forced back the prickling feeling in his eyes.

He raised his hand and tenderly rubbed the young man’s soft and short hair. His brows once again curved into a gentle arc.

“I am not sad at all, so—he will definitely come back…”