Steve wanted to cry but had no time to shed tears. Alistair, Kala, Inox, and others were closing onto him. As he retreated, the door behind burst out a corrosive black mist.
There was no escape! The only way to save himself was to surrender to the Lord’s ways!
"This is unfair!"
Steve pointed at the larger-than-life engraving of Kiba. The smile and the divine halo made his blood boil, causing flames to violently erupt from him.
"He stole my bride and made love with her in front of me!
"He even humiliated my father and thrashed him in front of the entire family!
"Like that wasn’t enough, he made revelations that resulted in a fallout between my mom and family head!
"And now, I’m supposed to be grateful for all these and worship him!?
"What sort of logic is this?!"
Steve demanded as he threw caution to the wind. Leaping high in the air, flames surged out of him and turned into a twisting ball of fire.
It then shot at Kiba’s engraving!
He was ready to die to wipe that smile from that c.o.c.ky son of a bitch!
It didn’t matter if it was only an engraving!
"Whatever happens, happens for the best."
The Holy Pope said calmly as the ball of fire slammed onto the statute. There was no dazzling explosion, nor was there an eruption of fire. The ball just faded, like a droplet of water inside an ocean.
Steve’s eyes widened. Before he could wonder how such a thing happened, Alistair pounced on him. Sticky, swamp-like liquid swept out and threaded around Steve.
"Argh!" Steve grunted and exploded out countless beams of fire. But the swamp was mutated, and under the effect of fire, it solidified, startling Steve.
"Great Buddha said train your mind to see good in everything."
The Holy Pope continued.
"And to do that, you need to discard the tinted glasses that make you see negativity even in the best of things."
"Damn you!" Steve cursed, discarding his aristocratic morals. "There’s nothing good in having your wife f.u.c.k.e.d by someone else!"
"There is only good. Alas, just like most mortals of this world, you don’t realize overthinking is the biggest cause of happiness."
The Holy Pope explained while praising the Lord.
He lifted his hand, and the holy glow radiating from him turned stronger. It began to spin in circles, almost as if it was turning into some sort of hypnotic magic.
"The very act of the Lord making your wife happy made you realize many things.
"The chief among them being that the world is built on a false sense of ownership, that possessiveness is a sign of weakness, that in the end, it only gives you grief and sorrow.
"It taught you seven emotions and six d.e.s.i.r.es are the tools of the devil.
"Love, l.u.s.t, arrogance, vanity... all negativity derives from expectations from others.
"Discard them all, and you will be enlightened to the mystic ways of the Lord."
Alistair, Kala, and others nodded while joining their hands for prayers. In unison, they started chanting:
"The only happiness is in the one spread by the Lord!"
"The only bliss is the one given by the Lord!"
"Only the ways of the Lord are true!"
"Rest is the illusion of the devil!"
Steve started trembling, and he wished he could free himself. Because to his horror, he saw some logic in what the pope said!
"No! There’s no logic at all!" Steve shouted to clear his thoughts. "You are trying to brainwash him by spouting nonsense!"
The ignorant of the world are really pitiful. Even now, he was trying to accuse him of wrong when he was rescuing him from the darkness.
"The devil’s teaching inside him is too strong."
The Holy Pope said to his followers.
"Take him to the pit of brainwas---enlightenment."
The loyal followers nodded with a respectful expression, and thanked him for all the good he was doing.
"Everything is the will of the Lord."
The Holy Pope replied as the followers dragged Steve away.
❅❅❅❅❅
A few minutes later, The Holy Pope arrived in his private chambers and discarded his robes.
"It is sure hard to make others understand the greatness of the Lord."
The "pope" grabbed a t-shirt and pants from his personal wardrobe and wore them. He then made a drink from the best bottle of whiskey his followers gifted him.
While doing so, he tapped the wall behind the table with his knuckles.
The wall split open, revealing another room where a painting was placed. In it, the Lord sat on a golden throne with a calm expression. It also has countless women fawning over the Lord, dressed in various attires, from bikini to suits, some even nude!
The "pope" gently placed the drink before the painting and prostrated.
"O’ great Lord, thank you for accepting this lowly devotee.
"You are omniscient and surely knows how this Erone has been doing everything in his power, on your behalf.
"I have made sure the followers who received your grace were fully blessed.
"After all, you only blessed one or two women in their family!
"But I ensured the women who failed to receive your blessings also benefitted!
"So naturally, I blessed them on your behalf!
"O’ great Lord, it was difficult, and it caused me to sweat a lot, but I managed!"
A few tears escaped Erone’s eyes as he recalled the difficulties he faced in blessing so many women.
But for his Lord, he carried on without worrying about the sacrifices he was making!
He was truly devoted!
"O’ great Lord, if you are happy with this lowly follower, then please bless him with new methods to bless more women."
Erone thanked the Lord again and rose to his feet. He was sure the Lord would enlighten him with new methods soon.
Pleased, he took the drink and returned back to his chambers.
~beep~
As he sat and started drinking, a virtual screen popped up before him, notifying him of an intel report.
"Hmm?"
Erone placed the glass down and read the intel that has appeared. A frown appeared on his face as he completed the report. According to it, an organization has emerged that was targetting followers whom Holy Church also wanted.
"Cuckold United!? What sort of organization is it?!"