“Ah, of course, Michael. How could I forget you? You volunteered and followed Duke Kitten. I’m sure His Grace Adel will appreciate Michael’s noble deeds.”

“…His Grace.”

“Well, continue dedicating yourself to the Empire as you have done so far, Michael. Don’t worry about anything.”

“…”

It was ridiculous to see the Pope praising Michael and boosting his spirits.

“Understood. I understand Your Holiness’s intentions.”

It felt like even the remaining tiny bit of Michael’s expectations had shattered.

With a razor-sharp smile, the Pope, who praised Michael and encouraged him, looked ridiculous.

“Okay. Just keep dedicating yourself to the Empire as you have until now. Don’t worry about anything.”

“…”

Even without wiping his mouth, the Pope, who continued to praise Michael, seemed absurd.

‘Even if you do that, it doesn’t justify abandoning Michael and going.’

Where did the god who managed this world, Lord Adel, go?

Leaving such a garbage-like human to ascend to the position of the Pope. It’s the end of the world.

“Understood. I’ve well understood Your Holiness’s intentions.”

The remaining expectation from Michael felt as if it had crumbled to pieces.

With a blade-like smile, I, standing next to him, said, “You must have gone through a lot coming such a long way…”
Usually, on such occasions, there follows the customary expression to take a break and meet again. The Pope was already taking the lead as if he expected that.

But who am I? I’m a reincarnator from country K, passionately tackling even absurdly difficult quests.

“…Before you suffer more due to zombies, why not join us in exterminating them?”

“Well… What did you say?”

“I suggested going out to eliminate zombies, Your Holiness.”

Grin. In times like this, smiling as if you knew nothing was good for stimulating people’s nerves. It was a life wisdom learned from those grown-up, child-like individuals who pretended to be ignorant and tried to deceive and exploit me.

“Wait…”

The Pope tried to interject into my words, but it was out of the question. I’m the one making the move. This is my home ground, and I had no intention of losing.

“You’ve come this far thanks to the grace of the gods, haven’t you? The gods would also hope that Your Holiness would personally help eliminate the troublesome group of zombies. Isn’t that right, 2nd Prince?”

As I pulled in the fake saint, Aston, who had been silent so far, he casually agreed.

“Lord Kitten is right. The gods hope that Pope Thierry III will clean up the zombies. I, Aston Del Heinzworth, vouch for it with the honor of being a royal and a chosen saint.”

The party members present here knew very well that Aston had no honor. Honor as a royal? That disappeared when he was driven out. He was never a saint to begin with, so there was no honor to lose.

In shamelessness, he was no less a fellow companion than the Pope.

“But, Your Highness. At the point where the warp gate has appeared, isn’t there no reason to fight those things? What if His Highness the Saint gets hurt in the process?”

“Does this old man speak as if you don’t matter?”

Responding to Zero’s blunt words, Aston coldly cut off the Pope’s words.

“Are you saying that I, a Sword Master, would lose to zombies, Your Holiness?”

The Pope’s complexion turned pale. He probably didn’t know that Aston was a Sword Master. If he brought up the story based on Prince Louis, it was a poorly chosen topic.

“I can take care of my own body. Moreover, am I not chosen as a saint? If there is something the gods have arranged, would I die? Rather than me, it seems that you, who are older, should be careful not to have any accidents.”

It was a blunt strike.

Phew!

In a space where no one was laughing, only Zero chuckled loudly.

“The Pope seems to underestimate me too much.”

As if expressing discomfort, Aston spoke with a slight frown. The Pope, after hearing that it wasn’t his intention, waved his hand. He couldn’t even show his displeasure at the words telling him not to die.

“Th-that’s not the case! I only wish for Your Highness the Saint and the noble royal to be safe…”
“In these chaotic times, are we discussing safety? It’s equally dangerous everywhere until we eliminate the zombies filling the capital. Even with the news of the gate bestowed by the gods brightening your ears, you seem to be late in receiving such basic information. If you truly came running for the sake of this country, shouldn’t you have grabbed and questioned at least one regional lord? If you had, you could have listened in detail to the current situation that Duke Kitten informed you about.”

Uhaha!

Zero burst into loud laughter. In contrast, the Pope’s complexion, which had been fine until now, turned red and purple.

As if oblivious to the feelings of the experienced prince who had been through countless battles, he spoke without hesitation, not knowing how to match the old fox’s mood.

“To those who have, duty and responsibility follow. Shouldn’t you know that since you were also a noble? It’s the most basic common sense you learn when you start walking. But now, are you suggesting that I, who have become a zombie, should run away from the imperial citizens suffering? Is that what you recommend to someone who has reached the position of the Pope?”

Hahaha!

In the feast of straightforward and refreshing sarcasm, Zero laughed heartily, and I had to struggle to hold back my laughter.

The expressions of the Pope and his subordinates solidified like salt pillars. Seeing that, it became even more delightful.

The Pope, who couldn’t dare to confront the royal prince and saint, responded with gritted teeth.

“Well… how could that be? I was just purely concerned about His Highness’s safety. It’s just an old man’s worry about the well-being of the elderly.”

“That’s the way it should be. Otherwise, I’d want to kick you out of this gate immediately. Isn’t that right, Duke Kitten?”

“Yes, that’s correct, Your Highness the 2nd Prince.”

“I like Aston.”

‘So do I.’

Aston was undeniably the best aggro magnet.