The Pope clearly knew nothing yet. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have inflated with such a ridiculous ambition to become the country’s hero and willingly step into this hell.

“Come in.”

Instead, I intended to teach him a lesson.

It’s easy to come in but hard to leave.

“Hehehe…”

Seeing me wickedly laugh, Zero flinched.

“Hey, you seem more like a devil.”

“Thank you for the compliment.”

At least, if I am a devil, I might survive in this boiling world of zombies.

Mikhail, as if agreeing with my words, nodded slowly. No longer did loyalty appear in his eyes.

Well, it seemed like I had corrupted a holy knight who used to be so faithful to religion and law that it made me feel somewhat frustrated. Not that I felt particularly sorry.

Although only a few hours had passed since I sent a positive response, the Pope had come to my mansion.

With a few subordinates loyal to him.

“It’s been a while, Duke Kitten. Have you been well?”

Despite the shameless face he put on, enduring it as I smiled back at him, it looked like my intestines would twist.

“Of course. I’ve been well. Has His Holiness been well too?”

You cunning old man, you’ve come at a good time. Did you think you could slip away, feeling like you might make a mistake, and finally show your face now? Such a guy should have turned into a zombie. A magical pistol loaded with enchanted bullets cried, wept.

Although I roughly conveyed such meaning, the Pope’s sly face showed not the slightest tremor.

“Sly old man.”

“It seems I did well to bring only the minimum number of attendants, as it might become troublesome.」

“That’s right.”

The only condition I presented to the Pope’s audacious suggestion of coming into the capital was this.

To prevent danger, he must keep in mind not to bring too many people. Even if blessed by the gods, the capital Agatha is still a highly dangerous area, like a dam on the verge of bursting. So, he should remember that only two or three people he trusts the most can be allowed.

This was a difficult condition for the Pope, who had long dominated between priests and knights.

But it seemed like foolish greed had covered even the old fox’s judgment. He must have reluctantly accepted the condition, as he finally set foot here.

“Of course, Duke. Thanks to the grace of His Holiness, who has descended upon Agatha, I was able to escape unharmed and, after being blessed once again by the calling of the gods, return safely. I express my deepest gratitude for the profound grace of Lord Adel, a divine being akin to the sea.”

‘Wow, how disgusting.’

He packaged the fact that he only cared about his safety so well. Truly, he was not an ordinary old man. Even if he had only gained the pope’s position with his mouth.

“Moreover, the Saint who received the divine call after a long time has also appeared. As a former priest before becoming the Pope, I could not endure my curiosity about him before ascending to the Pope.”

“Haha, is that so?”

Don’t be ridiculous.
“Even if that old man had pursued acting, he would have been a big success.”

“Oh, I completely agree.”

I disliked each line, which seemed overly artificial. I’d rather face a horde of zombies and shoot guns. I, armed to the teeth, stood with four party members. The Pope, on the other hand, seemed to be trying to portray an image, dressing modestly with a staff in hand, pretending to be a humble old man. It wasn’t really amusing.

Whether the few attendants brought by the Pope shared similar thoughts or not, they were lowering their heads.

“But still, do those zealots have any conscience?”

“Hmm…”

Zero allowed us to perceive his existence only because he didn’t want to show his sacred appearance to the disgusting greetings.

The invisible Zero flicked his middle finger at the Pope and muttered something.

“It seems like I don’t even know if my existence exists. Maybe because I was teleporting, I don’t have detailed information. The warp gate was so strong in divine energy that it noticed immediately.”

“Oh, is that so?”

At least, it seemed like the annoyance was somewhat reduced. If Zero knew he was a god, he would have surely treated me like a heretic and accused me of turning people into zombies.

Suppressing the rising discomfort, I smiled and said, “Your Holiness, your visit is reassuring. We look forward to your help in dealing with the zombies.”

“What help? As long as you’re not a burden, I’m thankful,” the Pope responded to my words, thinking of them as merely spitting out.

“Of course. It’s an honor to pour strength into rescuing the Empire, which has fallen into ruins late.”

If it’s an honor, you should have acted sooner, you inspirational bastard.

Despite the insults rising as I forgot that he was from the Eastern Rites, Mikhail calmly asked the Pope, “Your Holiness, you seem to be in good spirits. Do you remember me?”

The icy blue eyes stared at the Pope, filled with resentment.

But the worm-like Pope didn’t even blink.