I Became The Pope, Now What?

"Fusion bomb? What is that?" Intrigued at the destruction, Julius asked while rubbing his old beard. "This is akin to a strong attack from a Supreme Wizard."

Sylvester rubbed his forehead, sweating. The last thing he wanted was for normal people to learn how to make nukes. "I'm beyond annoyed at this."

Bam!

He knocked on Cardinal Jinn and Robert's heads and made them sit down on their knees for interrogation. Exhausted and dirty, they didn't dare look into Sylvester's eyes for fear of further enraging him.

"Does anyone else know what you did? Or how you did it?" Sylvester asked.

"No. It was just us two experimenting. Most can't understand what's written in your books, Your Holiness. They're still going through the intermediate books," Cardinal Robert explained, apologizing. "We didn't know it would cause such destruction. Something small and yet—this marvelous."

"Indeed!" Jinn enthusiastically chimed in. "If we can harness this energy, we wouldn't need to make dams and coal factories to produce electricity. This is a marvelous discovery, Your Holiness. But from your reaction, it seems like… you knew about this beforehand."

"Of course I did. Now you also know why I didn't write it down in my books," Sylvester said, wearily sighing and rubbing his face with a palm. "What happened here must not be spread to anyone. If regular folks learn about this, then the entire world's social harmony would be in danger. But you can focus on trying to harness its power for generating electricity.

"The fact that we don't need to find deuterium or any such particles for it is a boon. Solarium is truly magical but similarly dangerous. The theory is harmless, but its application can kill you. Be careful with anything you read in my books from now on."

"Understood!"

"I will never forget that now!"

Sylvester's two Oppenhimers finally took a breath of relief as Sylvester forgave them, allowing them to stand back up.

"But… What about this peninsula? Where will the soldiers train now?" Jinn asked.

Sylvester shrugged and created visible Light Tiles for all of them to step on. "We'll simply have to rebuild it. Earth elemental manipulation will be enough. Guardian Julius, Guardian Raz, follow my lead."

They all climbed to a high altitude behind Sylvester and soon stood high enough to create tall mountains and forests. But they couldn't really make trees out of thin air and had to let nature take its course.

"I'll create mountains in the northern part. You two fill the destroyed area, make deep crevices and plains," Sylvester assigned the two and got to work. With mere hand movements and various enormous magical rune schemes, the ground rose and took shape.

Jinn and Robert watched it all in awe as if they were little kids.

"Three Supreme Wizards are morphing our reality to their will. No matter how advanced our inventions might be, magic will never cease to amaze me," Robert said, as someone unable to cast magic.

"Even for me, this feels too marvelous," Jinn replied in similar awe. "They can probably create fortresses with a wave of their hands. But why don't they fly across Sol and rebuild all the destroyed villages and cities is beyond my understanding."

"Lesson," Sylvester replied to Jinn's words. "As the Pope, my job was to spread the faith, but I went beyond my duty and fought against injustice. I stopped the Thousand Year War, and now there's peace. If I go further and supply prosperity to the realm, it won't last long, since it wouldn't be earned but gifted."

Julian also spoke, reacting to his words. "Agreed. Us gifting the realm prosperity would be akin to a lord who found a goldmine in his land. He might spend all his riches needlessly only to later realize it wasn't a goldmine, but a single rock of gold."

"I've seen that happen," Emperor Lich Raz said. "A thousand years after I became a lich, I was bored and spent a hundred years disguised as a traveling merchant with a masked face, looking around at the people. So many greedy men and women I saw who lived lavishly only to fall into ruin later."

"Everything you talk about is centuries-old," Sylvester said, looking at the undead being. "You should start writing books detailing your life. The amazing stories that you have lived through can entertain and inspire people for thousands of years to come."

"Hoh!" Raz laughed with his jaw bones clacking. "I'll do that one day. After all, I'm currently living the best story of my long life. I would like to include you in my book—from the start till the end."

'So he wants to wait until I die?' Sylvester realized the meaning behind his words. 'Somewhat disheartening. But it's nature. Perhaps he and Miraj can become friends and live forever together—a Supreme Wizard Lich and an immortal cat who can devour the world.'

That did bring a smile to his face, letting him focus on redeveloping the Training Peninsula. Silently, under the gentle breeze of the sea, the three Supreme Wizards created land out of nothing. Gods among the living, there was no doubt the description of Supreme Wizards was correct.

"Let's return to the Palace now." Sylvester finished placing the last mountaintop and made his way on the Light Tiles, keeping others behind himself. "The two of you will have your salary deducted for a month. Let this be a warning."

"Understood, Your Holiness!" Jinn and Robert kept apologizing time and time again. They knew Sylvester was more worried about them dying from their foolishness than some piece of land.

On the way, Sylvester dropped the two mad scientists at the research and development restricted area and then continued to the Pope's Palace since the Guardians also sat there.

"Pope Sylvester, I want you to assign a task to me this time," Julius suddenly voiced, sounding frustrated. "I admire what you have done and currently hold no qualms. The peace you have created is commendable, but I'm not used to sitting around and doing nothing."

Sylvester rubbed his chin as if he had a beard. In the body, he was too young, but at heart, he saw himself as old. "You are right, Guardian Julius. This peace has placed my attention on a problem that I never thought could exist. Just recently, an army of five thousand Inquisitors killed two hundred people. They turned out to be an illegally operated thief guild. All for what? Because one of their thieves tried to steal the money pouch of a Bright Mother, during which the poor Bright Mother fell to the ground and broke her pinky finger."

"That does appear extreme."

Sylvester shrugged. "They even launched a manhunt for three members who were able to run away. That's all because they aren't used to sitting in peace. All their lives, they've only known bloodlust. Guardian Julius, why don't you travel around Sol and make a record book of all the hidden monsters out there?"

"Hidden monsters?" Julius interjected. "The Grand Wizards are living in peace."

"Grand Wizards, Diamond Knights, Archwizards, or Golden Knights. Recently, Gabriel handed me a report. An unknown Grand Wizard was found traveling around the world. He said he was a professional connoisseur of food. He even wrote for my newspaper, and I had no idea about it," Sylvester revealed; it was a problem. "We can't leave these hidden beasts unknown, only to suddenly explode and cause a crisis."

Julius thought about it. The job did seem exciting enough as he'd be traveling around the world. "May I also track down some of the rogue members of my Anti-Light?"

"Especially them. They held a deep hatred for the Holy Land, after all. We don't want them turning evil without you leading them. Either kill them or help them start a new life," Sylvester ordered.

"I will leave right away then," Julius replied and began flying up in the air. "I'll return every week and report to you, Pope Sylvester."

Right away, the old man left with a newfound purpose. Seeing him go, Sylvester still felt somewhat stressed. It was merely his occupational hazard as a spy.

"Raz, does he know about Project Sky Eye?"

"I don't think he does."

"Good. Keep an eye on him indirectly, or else he might notice our eye on him. If he does anything that goes against the Church's policy, inform me." With utter seriousness, Sylvester ordered Emperor Lich.

It was somewhat strange, but Sylvester found himself trusting an undead more than a living man. After all, the undead just wanted to live happily around people, and he was the key to that life.

Thud!

Finally, he landed at the stairway of the Pope's Palace. The soldiers knelt to pay respect, and the passing clergymen saluted.

"Your Holiness!"

"Ah, I knew he'd appear," Sylvester saw Gabriel rushing to him with a file in his hands. "What happened now?"

"Headmaster Geralt of the School of Dawn has summoned you. It's regarding Ella, as you are her official guardian and adopted father."

Sylvester's forehead got covered with veins, "What happened to my girl?"

"I don't know."

Boom!

Sylvester kicked his feet and instantly leaped into the sky, aiming his trajectory to land on the School of Dawn's main terrace since the place wasn't that far away.

He controlled his fall with Air Elemental and made his way downstairs to the Headmaster's office. He remembered going there before. The creepy door with a face was hard to forget. But unlike before, he didn't need a key to enter anymore.

"Cardinal Geralt! What happened to Ella? Who bullied her?" He rushed into the office room and saw Ella in her little clergy robes, sitting in front of the headmaster at the table. Looking cute with butterfly hair clips that Xavia used on her hair, she silently swung her little feet while sitting on the high chair.

Geralt stood up stiffly. He was old and had seen Sylvester grow up from a small kid, but for some reason, he always felt he was talking with another old man, not a young Pope. "Your Holiness, please calm down. Although she was bullied at the beginning, and Prince Rex beat them up bloody, that's not why I called you here."

Sylvester frowned, hearing that she was bullied for the first time. But at the same time, he felt proud of Rex.

"Then what happened? Did some heretic Bishop try to harm her? Like what happened to me at that time?" Sylvester asked, remembering the old days.

"Not at all. Nobody has a death wish in this school, Your Holiness," Headmaster Geralt sweated as he remembered it. "I called you here to hand you young Ella's graduation certificate."

"Graduation? It's barely been a month since she started school," Sylvester confusedly pointed out.

"I know, Your Holiness. But Ella is unique. After merely learning the basics, she derived all the advanced theories on her own, without ever needing to read any books. But since she is physically young, she cannot train in advanced magic." It almost sounded like pleading as the Headmaster explained, "I tried teaching her personally, but… but there is really nothing left to teach her in this school."

"..." 𝑓𝓇𝘦𝘦𝓌𝘦𝑏𝘯𝘰𝑣𝘦𝘭.𝑐𝘰𝑚

"..."

The two old men, one physically and one mentally, stared at each other's faces before looking at Ella. She sat there with her usual emotionless face, unbothered with them.

'All these years, I thought I was smart, but…' Sylvester questioned his own capabilities.

"Ella, let's go… I'll treat you to Bard's."

"Really?" she chirped, revealing a rare smile. After all, she was still a child. "I want fried chicken and ice cream."

"Of course," he extended his finger so she could hold it.

'And I need time to plan out what to teach you next. I can't be looking dumb to you now—I won't allow that.'

_________________

See Ella here.

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