Chapter 56: Seemingly a Choice, but in Truth There Is None

Pelleti stared blankly at the parchment scroll in her hand.

“Senior priest? Are you sure the Pope wants me to be this? I haven’t taken a single theology class, I know nothing about theology, and I’ve never studied at any academy under the Church. Forgive me for being blunt, Miss Josuna, but even jokes need limits.”

“Whether it’s real or not, why not let the person next to you take a look?” Josuna raised an eyebrow and glanced at Airberna.

Airberna took the letter of appointment, examined it carefully, then, as if deflated, handed it back to Pelleti.

“It’s real. The handwriting and the seal are both genuine.”

“No way… this is ridiculous?” Pelleti hadn’t expected that dog of a Pope to be so good at playing word games. She had said she didn’t want to be a candidate saint, and he responded by giving her the position of senior priest—clearly trying to lock her in place here.

She remembered that there was only one Pope in the Holy Light Church. Did this mean her qualifications were so outstanding that she’d drawn the attention of the Church’s ultimate boss?

“This appointment is a bit different from what you’re imagining. First, your position is directly under the Pope. Though the title is the same, in practice your status is slightly higher than an ordinary senior priest’s. And you don’t need to shoulder the usual duties of a senior priest—such as managing a diocese, submitting regular reports, or daily prayers. You don’t have to do any of that.”

“And you receive a normal salary.”

“So you’re saying this so-called senior priest position is basically an honorary post, but if I accept it, I still get paid every month?” After listening for a long time, Pelleti only truly caught that last sentence.

“That’s right,” Josuna nodded emphatically.

“After all, Lel’e personally said she didn’t want to be a candidate saint. We could only take the next best option. Don’t worry—only a small number of people inside the Church know about Lel’e’s qualifications.”

Seen this way, the appointment of senior priest was more like a reward. No work, no jurisdiction to manage, only occasional special missions—tasks that were more about polishing her image—and none of them would be too difficult.

Most importantly: there was a salary!

Pelleti knew that a senior priest’s monthly pay was about two gold coins. It didn’t sound like much, but for an ordinary household it was already a considerable sum—and she would earn it practically lying down.

Of course, there were downsides. By agreeing, she would effectively be joining the Church and becoming a shallow believer.

That was no different from binding herself completely to the Holy Light Church. After all, no matter how much she didn’t want to be a saint, she still possessed the qualifications of one. The old fossils in the Church would never give her up so easily.

Judging from what she had learned in books about the Holy Light Church, Pelleti felt she could at least handle the basic knowledge of Holy Light.

Compared to the benefits, the drawbacks were almost negligible.

Could pie really fall from the sky?

“So… can I refuse this?” she asked.

“Of course you can. However…” Josuna paused. “This is a letter personally signed by the Pope. If you refuse, it might put me in a difficult position.”

Pelleti’s face drooped instantly.

So in the end, she had no room to refuse at all. With such generous terms, it seemed that old Pope knew very well that a forced melon isn’t sweet—so he added some sugar himself.

At this point, why even bother pretending by handing her an appointment letter? If he wanted her, he could’ve just sent people to the mansion and dragged her straight to the Church—much more convenient.

To this, Josuna could only say, “Don’t look at me like that. The formalities still have to be done.”

“So that means Sister becoming a senior priest is already set in stone?” Feiye asked.

“Hey, I’m going to the Church to become a priest, and you don’t look worried at all?”

“Nothing bad will happen…” Feiye muttered quietly.

“So, Lel’e, what will you choose?” Josuna looked at Pelleti expectantly.

“Do I really have a second choice?” Pelleti couldn’t help asking, while already giving her answer.

She had no choice but to agree. With the Pope personally issuing the order, refusing would definitely not be a small matter.

“Heehee, then that’s perfect. Please come with me.”

After receiving confirmation, Josuna broke into a delighted smile.

Pelleti’s unwillingness to become a saint now didn’t mean she wouldn’t be willing in the future. As long as there was enough time, Pelleti’s fall into sainthood was only a matter of time.

Josuna gestured for them to look out the window at the Church’s exclusive carriage.

“Do I have to go too?” Airberna pointed at herself.

“That’s right. This is also the Pope’s will.”

“Uh… fine, I understand.”

The three followed Josuna into the carriage. At this hour, only a few pedestrians were on the road, walking slowly under the sunlight. Pelleti soon arrived at the grand cathedral, but instead of entering, she followed Josuna to the prayer hall on the other side.

Airberna did not go with her. Instead, she went straight up the cathedral steps to meet the so-called Pope.

As they passed by, Pelleti once again saw the enormous clock. The pendulum inside was completely motionless. Looking down, she could clearly see something pitch-black stuck to the pendulum, preventing it from moving.

So Feiye had used a literally physical way to interrupt the alarm.

Unexpectedly, Pelleti didn’t see a single person in the prayer hall, which should normally have been packed.

Rows of wooden benches were neatly arranged in the vast room. Several stone pillars carved with patterns supported the domed ceiling. At the deepest end of the hall stood a gigantic statue—a girl of transcendent beauty. Her long hair fell naturally to the ground, her eyes were gently closed, and she wore a white robe adorned with golden ornaments and pendants. Her hands were clasped before her lips, as if she were silently lamenting.

Pelleti remembered that this was usually the busiest place in the diocese. How could there be no one at all?

Seeming to sense her confusion, Josuna spoke slowly.

“The timing is rather ingenious. The believers of the diocese finished their prayers an hour ago and returned to their respective posts. The shallow believers who worship the Holy Light are busy with trivial affairs and have no time to come. Naturally, what you see now is the result.”

“So we arrived at a time when there’s no one?” Pelleti let out a small sigh of relief. No outsiders was the best possible situation—she didn’t want to receive something like this under the gaze of a crowd.

That kind of situation made her feel extremely uncomfortable.

“That statue… should be the God of Light,” Pelleti murmured.

The God of Light, Angeli. Pelleti had seen many images of her in books, but those pictures were worlds apart from the statue before her. Whether it was the oppressive sense of looking down from above, or the face full of compassion, none of those illustrations could compare to this sculpture.

“It isn’t.”