Lateran Palace.
The call from the Great Library was quickly hung up. Pope Secretary Hilary Reilly walked quickly in the magnificent corridors and arrived at the door of the Pope's office in a few breaths.
She raised her hand and knocked gently on the most special door in Rutland in front of her.
"Come in."
A muffled female voice came into the secretary's ears.
"Your Holiness, Saint Gabriel will come to visit in half an hour."
After receiving permission, Hilary turned the door handle and pushed open the door of the Pope's office and reported to the woman sitting behind the desk.
"Oh, it should be twenty-nine minutes and thirty-four seconds later."
The secretary noticed the Pope's gaze, glanced at the time on his watch and reported a more accurate number.
"I see."
The Pope nodded and put down the document in his hand. Hilary nodded slightly, closed the door and returned to her work place.
Click.
The lock bolt collided with the door frame, and a thick stack of documents was thrown into the cabinet by the Pope. She lowered her head slightly, stretched out her hand and put it on her temples, rubbing them slowly, closing her eyes and relaxing.
The sunlight poured in from the window, coating the Pope's long rose gold hair with a thin veil, but also making the split ends at the ends of his hair more conspicuous. The woman opened her eyes, looked at her hair that was no longer smooth, and sighed softly.
After being elected as the fifty-fourth pope of Lateran a year ago, Richelieu bid farewell to the once leisurely life of a bishop and embarked on an arduous journey.
Her job is very heavy. After all, she is running a country, and the group of cardinals below are not easy to use. But even so, this strong woman has not shown fatigue in her daily work and life, and has always dealt with everything with full energy.
Until today, that familiar name reached Richelieu's ears, awakening those beautiful memories in her heart, and allowing her to show her soft side at work for the first time.
It was as if she was still a young student at this time, living in the library of the Great Library, learning and growing under Gabriel's guidance.
It was a wonderful time, but it was also short-lived. Four years passed in the blink of an eye. Richelieu moved out of the Great Library and embarked on an official career to become a bishop. It took eight years to sit on the throne of the Pope.
It had been eight years since she had interacted with Gabriel like a teacher and student.
As the elder of all Rutlan people, Gabriel's character is clear to almost everyone. He has no words, no heart, no expression, and is not interested in anything. He stays among a pile of books all day long, occasionally goes out to the shooting range to practice marksmanship, and only responds to warm greetings with a slight nod.
Except for the students who lived with her, she never took the initiative to talk to anyone else. She only asked others to talk to her.
Just like the two gunsmith company bosses who went to the Grand Library today.
Therefore, after hearing Hilary Riley's report, Richelieu was surprised and felt more nostalgic, nostalgic for the time he lived in the great library, and nostalgic for the life he lived with his mentor.
But this nostalgia did not last long.
His intuition, honed over many years in the Holy See, told Richelieu that Gabriel must have something important to say when he comes today, and he should be mentally prepared rather than reminiscing about old times.
The fact that the otaku saint walked out of the room to visit the pope was enough to prove the seriousness of this matter.
She quickly regained her composure, took out a can of tea from the cabinet nearby, and waited for the saint's arrival.
———————Twenty-eight minutes and thirty-six seconds later————————
Boom boom.
There was a knock on the door, which was more soothing than when Hilary Riley came half an hour ago. Richelieu quickly adjusted his instrument and said at the same time:
"Please come in."
There was no doubt that the person knocking on the door this time was Gabriel. When he saw that golden touch entering the room, Richelieu hurriedly stood up and went to greet him while glancing at the clock on the wall.
Exactly half an hour, not even a minute or a second.
"His Holiness the Pope."
Looking at Richelieu who was coming towards him, Gabriel did not act like a saint, but bowed his head slightly in greeting.
This is the proper etiquette when facing the highest authority in Lateran. Although the status of a saint allows Gabriel to walk sideways throughout Lateran and no law can restrain her, good upbringing does not allow her to do so.
For thousands of years, no saint has taken the privilege conferred by this name seriously, and they all lived politely and appropriately within the rules.
"Saint Gabriel."
Richelieu returned the favor.
This is Gabriel's official title in Lateran, and it is also the honorific title everyone uses to refer to her in formal situations.
But this seriousness did not last long. After the salute, the corner of Richelieu's mouth raised a slight arc, and his name for Gabriel also changed.
"Long time no see, senior."
Logically speaking, as Gabriel's students, Richelieu and Alison should call this "girl" their mentor. But Gabriel didn't like this title, so her students changed their name to "Senior".
"It's been more than two years..."
Gabriel's face was still cold, and there was a trace of nostalgia in his eyes, which disappeared fleetingly. She sat on the sofa on one side of the room, her two short legs hanging in the air, exposing her white ankles.
The saint's physique is different from that of ordinary people. Although Gabriel looks like a 14-year-old girl at this time, and her voice is as soft as a little girl, but is her actual age...
you guess?
"You must be very tired, Xiao Li."
Except for Alison, who is still studying, Gabriel has brought out a total of six students so far. Two of them have passed away, and four are in the Holy See serving Lateran. Among them, Richelieu is the most outstanding. He was elected pope at the age of thirty-nine, becoming the youngest person in power in the history of Lateran.
Even though Richelieu looks like a young man in his twenties at this time, her children are all in high school...
It can only be said that the beauty gene of the Terran people is too terrifying. It not only ensures everyone's good looks, but also delays aging and resists the knives of time.
"I'm sorry, senior."
Richelieu handed Gabriel a cup of hot tea and sat opposite her. The white mist curled up on the teacup, as if the fatigue in Riche's heart could not be dissipated at this moment.
"Two years ago I became a candidate for the Pope, and I became very busy at work. Sometimes I couldn't even take a break during the holidays, so I couldn't visit you."
Richelieu was not too busy in the first two years after he started teaching. He would go to the Grand Library to visit Gabriel several times every year, and occasionally get some guidance on work.
Later, as his position rose, the responsibilities on Richelieu's shoulders became heavier, his rest time became shorter and shorter, and his visits to the Grand Library became less and less.
Gabriel stopped talking to her about work issues at that time. The once ignorant girl has become a seasoned politician, and she is strong enough to deal with the infighting in the Holy See.
Finally, with the finalization of the identity of the pope's candidate, Richelieu's vacation became a summer bubble that could be seen but not touched.
To this day, she has occasionally communicated with Gabriel due to work, but she has never been to the library of the Great Library in private.
"Thank you for your hard work, Xiao Li."
Gabriel nodded, jumped off the sofa and gently stroked his student's head. The girl's movements were very gentle, and Richelieu felt a warm current surging through his body, which was very warm and comfortable.
Following her movements, Richelieu clearly felt that all the secret diseases accumulated in his body due to fatigue disappeared, and his hair became much softer and smoother.
It seems that the health lost over the years has returned to the body.
"Get some rest and watch your diet."
Glancing at the changes in Richelieu's body, Gabriel nodded slightly, very satisfied with the result. She sat back on the sofa and swept her right hand across the white mist on the tea cup.
The boiling tea calmed down and became warm enough to drink. Gabriel lifted the tea cup to his mouth and raised his head slightly.
Well, Jin Junmei from the Yan Kingdom is pretty good.
This kid still remembers what I like to drink...
"Thank you, senior."
Gabriel's Origin Stone skill was not a medical spell, Richelieu remembered it clearly. If you want to completely eradicate the hidden disease, you still need to take care of yourself on a daily basis. The warm current just now is just the beginning.
"But, does Senior come here today to say anything?"
Richelieu did not think that this otaku tutor came to the Lateran Palace to visit him.
"'God' appears."
A pendant was suspended between the two of them, with blue light flashing on it. It's just different from when I was in the big library just now. The blue light is much dimmer now, and it's almost impossible to see it in the sunlight.
"'god'?"
Richelieu's expression became serious when he heard this word. At this time she was no longer Gabriel's student, but the Pope of Lateran.
"But now it seems that it is only a temporary awakening, and it has not truly arrived or 'become a god'."
"Is it temporary..."
After hearing this, the pressure in Richelieu's heart relaxed a lot.
Although Lateran is the origin of the church on the continent of Terra, and the Sakota people also call themselves "servants of God", almost all cardinals and popes are not interested in the existence they believe in.
God is just a "tool" for the Holy See to rule Lateran. Such a tool should stay in everyone's imagination, and its sudden appearance will only make the Lateran Holy See face a formidable enemy.
Sound unorthodox?
None of the senior members of the Holy See believe in God, but the people at the bottom and low-level staff are qualified believers...
But if the Laterans knew the true side of the god they believed in, they would probably make the same choice as the cardinal and the pope.
It’s not that the bishops don’t believe in God, they are forced to give up their faith.
"No...this is outrageous."
After carefully recalling the contents of the secret volume, Richelieu frowned and shook his head.
"The 'gods' have died a long time ago. They should not come again. This 'god' should be someone who came to the end and became an immortal, right?"
God is long dead.
If these five words were heard by ordinary Laterans, or if they were spoken by the current Pope, I don't know how many people would collapse in belief and fall into madness.
If you are an extreme Iberian, you may be able to form an army directly for a "Crusade" in the world of Terra.
"What do you think?"
Gabriel simply asked a question in response to this speculation, but Richelieu was left speechless.
There are two kinds of gods in the world of Terra. One is the god believed by the Lateran people, and the other is the ordinary Terran people who have reached the end of their road to becoming gods and become gods.
The Lateran Holy See has never compared the levels of these two "gods", because throughout the entire history of Terran civilization, no one can reach the end and become a god.
"You can become a god when you reach the end" is like a beautiful but vicious legend, attracting countless Terrans to work in this direction and extend their longing hands towards that supreme title.
But most people end up either being infected with ore disease and being expelled and enslaved to death in the wilderness or mines, or they die in political struggles and market games.
This chaotic continent will not give people the opportunity to develop Origin Stone skills with peace of mind. Danger may come anytime and anywhere. Maybe one second you are peacefully studying spells and the next second someone will appear and wipe your neck.
As for those beings on earth who are close to God...
It seems that the closer they get to the end, the more they realize the impossibility of becoming a god. They have never made such an attempt, even if the starting point is the end point of most people, even if they can already see the end clearly.
Richelieu naturally knew this truth, as there was such a being sitting in front of her.
"I will convene a meeting of cardinals tonight, and all cardinals must be present to discuss how to deal with this matter."
The Lateran See feared no nation or being, except their own gods. Richelieu quickly thought of the arrangement, and at the same time looked at Gabriel who was drinking tea in front of him:
"I hope……"
"No need."
Gabriel put down his tea cup and stopped Richelieu's words.
"Just do whatever you have to do. There is no need to enter a wartime state because of this matter."
"Didn't a 'god' awaken a few years ago? We are living well now."
She waved and a cup of freshly brewed tea appeared on the table.
"But we know nothing about this newly awakened 'god'."
The intelligence black box was Richelieu's biggest headache. The "god" awakened in Lateran a few years ago and expressed its intention of friendly cooperation to the Holy See. There was no need for them to go to war.
But today's situation is different... Gratland knows nothing about the place where "God" awakens, His appearance, or his personality, so it is necessary to be prepared.
"How is Xiao Fei'er doing lately?"
Gabriel suddenly raised another topic.
Richelieu was stunned and soon understood who this "Little Fei'er" was.
"Raphael Saint recently joined a company called 'Rhodes Island' as a doctor."
Before Alison became Gabriel's school servant, it was Rafael who lived with her. For the sake of this young saint, Gabriel even left the great library where he had lived for a long time and moved to the Cathedral of Atenai to take care of her.
"The 'Tower of Babel' group?"
"right."
The Tower of Babel is a symbol of mankind's disobedience to God's command. No matter how you look at it, the organization named after it should be the mortal enemy of the Lateran Holy See.
But in fact, the high-level personnel of the Lateran Holy See are similar in nature to the Tower of Babel...
The god of this world of Terra is also quite unlucky.
Gabriel raised his head and looked at the sky outside the window, and for the first time a cold and unexpected emotion appeared in his golden eyes. Richelieu noticed this subtle change in emotion, and felt a hint of envy in his heart.
Saints will only be intimate with saints, and will always keep a certain distance from ordinary people.
Richelieu liked his mentor very much, but the relationship between the two could not go any further.
"The awakened 'god' is also in Rhode Island, but Saint Raphael did not get close to him, but he has a very close relationship with a Vaifan."
"Waifan?"
Gabriel lowered his head and looked directly into Richelieu's eyes. An aura instantly spread out from her body. It was as heavy as a mountain and a tsunami, and it suddenly pressed on Richelieu's body.
The saint was angry.
"right."
Richelieu did not avoid it and met the eyes that came to him. This huge momentum felt very scary, but at the moment, the pressure on her shoulders was as light as cotton and weightless.
She knew that she was not lying, and her own feedback on the momentum was the best proof.
Although this sounds like the same nonsense as Kazdaele and the Rutland Alliance.
After a few seconds, Gabriel looked away and drank the second cup of tea in one gulp.
"I see."
"Sorry, Xiao Li."
"It's nothing, senior."
Richelieu showed a wry smile.
"I only dared to believe that the news was true after confirming it several times."
The Saint of Lateran, who never had true feelings for ordinary people, was actually very close to a Vaifan? Even living together? ?
When Richelieu heard the news, he wanted to give his secretary a shock to see if she was awake again.
What the hell is this?
Even if you're kidding, why don't you make it more serious? What kind of ancient gods are you talking about? ? ?
At this moment, Richelieu was very glad that he did not say the last two sentences, otherwise Gabriel would not only be angry, but he might also give himself a shock.
"Their relationship is more than just 'close', right?"
But Gabriel had already guessed what was behind it. Richelieu struggled internally and nodded slightly.
"That'll be easy."
Unexpectedly, Gabriel did not get angry, and the momentum he had just released dissipated without a trace.
"Like I just said, do whatever you have to do, forget about it and just pretend it never happened."
She put down her tea cup and stood up. The small wings behind her were shining with light, and she seemed to be in a good mood.
"Everything will be clear when Xiao Fei'er comes back in the future."
"The tea is very good. Goodbye Xiao Li."
The saint said hello to the Pope, leaving behind a golden figure, and disappeared in the blink of an eye.
Click.
The door closed, and Richelieu was alone again in the office. She stood in front of the sofa, staring blankly at the brown wooden door, speechless for a long time.
Finally, she sighed softly and began to put away the tea cups on the table. But when the things on the table came into view, Richelieu's outstretched hand stopped in mid-air.
Next to the small jar containing Jin Junmei's tea, a box of FERRERO chocolates from Syracuse was placed there. The golden ring logo on it reminded her of the time when she was still living in the Great Library.
This was her favorite chocolate when she was a student. When she was studying with Gabriel, she ate a box almost every week. As a result, she developed tooth decay over the past few months, which caused her terrible pain.
At that time, Gabriel extracted her tooth and replaced it with a new one. The whole process took less than five minutes and was painless and safe.
However, Richelieu rarely ate chocolate after leaving the Grand Library. In the past two years, she had forgotten that she still had such a hobby.
"……Thanks."
Her voice was very soft, just like when she was by Gabriel's side.
