"Let me go, old man!" I struggled to break free from the old man's grasp.
The last thing I wanted was to get involved with the corrupt Holy Church. Not yet, anyway. The Church wouldn't even appear until the Third Game, and right now, I wasn't nearly strong enough to take them on.
Plus, if Ante-Eden found out about my involvement, it would only lead to more trouble.
"Do you have no shame?!" I yelled in anger. "Dragging me forcefully into a dangerous place!"
"Don't worry, as long as you stay near me, no harm will come to you," the old man replied calmly.
"I'm not a damsel in distress! Get off me!" I retorted.
"What a noisy brat," he muttered under his breath.
Noisy? I didn't want to risk death!
In a matter of seconds, the old man's lightning-fast speed had us out of the academy and heading straight towards the north of the capital, where the Holy Church of Eden was located.
"Close your eyes," he instructed me.
I clicked my tongue and reluctantly shut my eyes.
[<Be careful, Amael.>]
I heard Cleenah's warning in my mind which didn't reassure me at all.
'Yeah...'
Suddenly, I felt a floating sensation and a rush of wind that made me feel queasy.
After what felt like an eternity, the movement finally ceased.
"It's safe to open your eyes now," the old man said, gently placing me down on the ground.
As I slowly opened my eyes, the first thing I saw was a white wall adorned with strange, golden patterns.
I turned my head and took in my surroundings, feeling a knot form in my stomach.
I was inside the Holy Church.
One of the many prayer halls, to be exact.
The hall was deathly silent, except for the occasional murmur that could be heard here and there.
White-robed people were gathered in prayer before an immense sculpture of a tree surrounded by golden pillars. These were the symbols of Eden and its supposed superiority.
"Follow me," the old man urged, and I had no choice but to obey.
As we made our way through the halls, several bishops bowed immediately upon seeing the old man. After all, he was the brother of the current Pope, and they all knew him well. Some of them recognized me, while others didn't seem to care. It was as if they were completely cut off from the outside world, their faith in Eden consuming everything.
After crossing several silent corridors, we finally arrived at the main hall, the holiest place of the Holy Church.
Two holy knights were guarding the entrance, and like the others, they bowed and opened the immense, adorned doors. Even the doors didn't make any sound as they were opened.
I took a deep breath and braced myself.
And then, before me, lay an immense church hall with a dozen benches placed here and there on my left and right. In front of me, there was a golden carpet leading up to the altar.
And near the altar stood three people.
An old man who bore a striking resemblance to the headmaster, and two young girls who were like two beautiful flowers amidst a bunch of dead trees. They stood out due to their surreal beauty, despite their young age.
The bald, slit-eyed Pope looked back at his brother, the headmaster, and I couldn't help but notice that there were too many old men surrounding these two young girls. It all felt a little strange to me.
I couldn't help but wonder about the personal lives of these old men in the Holy Church. Had they ever had a wife or a girlfriend? Did the Pope have a family in this world too? But before I could stop myself, the words spilled out of my mouth.
"Hey old man," I addressed the headmaster, though I knew I should show him more respect.
"I'm your headmaster, show some respect, Edward Falkrona," he retorted.
"Right, sorry about that," I apologized. "But I have an important question."
"Curious about the Holy Church, are we? Let's hear it. The Pope might be willing to answer you," the headmaster said, gesturing towards his brother with a smile.
"Are you curious about something, young man?" The Pope asked me in a gentle tone.
"Well, it's a little embarrassing to ask that..."
I scratched my cheek awkwardly.
I didn't want to ask, but I was intrigued and needed to know if the Pope had a family for the Third Game.
I've never been to a church on Earth, so I'm not sure how it works. It could also happen differently here.
"No one will judge you by your ignorance here, young man; go ahead."
The Pope laughed softly.
They were all looking at me, including the Main Heroine and her cousin.
"A-Actually never-"
Just as I was about to retreat, the headmaster elbowed me.
"Don't waste his time and ask it, brat. Only a handful of people could ask the Pope questions."
"N-No I mean-"
"Ask."
"..."
When the headmaster threatened me like that, I gave up. Moreover, they were looking at me, waiting impatiently.
[<Amael, don't tell me...>]
"W-Well, it's nothing special, I just wanted to know if all priests, bishops, cardinals and eventually, his Excellency are..."
"..."
"...v-virgins?" I stuttered when the old man glared at me.
I shifted uncomfortably under their gazes, feeling like a total idiot. But come on, who wouldn't be curious about the sexual lives of holy men and women? It's not like they were normal people, right? More importantly, I wanted to know if the Pope had a family!
"..." Utter silence.
"D-Don't misunderstand me; I'm not insulting you guys. It's just, y-you see, you are all praying to Eden, so are you allowed to be virgins?"
"....."
"Is that a no?"
"E-Enough!"
Before I could ask again, the headmaster closed my mouth.
"I-I just asked my question, old man!"
"What kind of question is that?!" The old man didn't seem to appreciate my inquiry, his face turning a deep shade of red as he glared at me. Even the Main Heroine and her cousin looked embarrassed for me.
"You forced me to ask it!"
"Are you not educated about that?!"
"I just heard that they were all virgins! But I wanted to hear it from their own mouth!"
"Do you want to kill them with shame?"
"Eh? So they do feel desire-"
"Stop that brat!"
"Stop touching me, old geezer! I'm not into guys, less the old one dying next year!"
"I will fire you from the academy, brat."
"Do it, and I will spread to the entire academy that you touched me."
"I've never seen such an ill mannered brat."
"You can thank my shitty father for that."
The room fell silent again as we stared at each other down. It was a tense moment, and I wasn't sure who would back down first. But finally, the headmaster relented and let me off the hook.
As soon as the Pope called out, Geoffrey and I turned our heads to face him. I couldn't help but avoid the stares of the priests, who looked like they wanted to kill me on the spot.
[<You embarrassed and humiliated them after all.>]
'There's no need for them to feel embarrassed. I'm a virgin, and so are you and Jarvis.'
[<It's different for them! They are old now!>]
'But you're older than them, aren't you?'
[<W-What?!>]
I couldn't help but think that, despite her age, Cleenah was still quite childish.
"Did you come here to address your student's question?"
"Actually, no, Francis."
Geoffrey was quick to reply to the Pope's question.
""Pfff-""
"Hm?
I couldn't help but notice the sound of giggles coming from somewhere nearby. I soon found the source.
The one with an innocent face was Maria Reina Paradis. She was the old man's eldest son's daughter.
And the one with a confident expression was Seraphina Rita Paradis. She was the old man's youngest son's daughter.
Both were the old man's granddaughters.
Maria's auburn-golden hair flowed down her back in gentle waves, catching the light and shimmering like a halo around her head. Her heterochromia eyes - one deep blue and the other golden - were mesmerizing, and seemed to hold the secrets of the universe.
Beside her stood Seraphina, who had a similar auburn-golden hair, though her eyes were both golden. She exuded an almost divine aura, as if she was a true saintess herself. It was no wonder that the two of them were often referred to as "the Saintesses" within the Vatican but only one of them was going to be the saintess of the Garden of Eden;
Also, I couldn't help but notice their exquisite dresses - Maria wore a flowing white gown with golden embroidery, while Seraphina's dress was a rich gold with intricate beading. They looked as though they had stepped out of a Renaissance painting, and I felt woefully underdressed in my simple--well, miserable ripped tracksuit.
"!"
When Maria noticed my gaze, she quickly hid behind her cousin.
"Hmph," Seraphina, in the contrary, harrumphed at me in response. I couldn't help but feel a little confused and taken aback by their reaction, but it was clear that they were trying to hold back laughter.
I can't blame them--I humiliated all the people they have known for years now.
Wait...I am really a bastard.
No wonder they are glaring at me.