Chapter 60

“Are you okay?”

It was Emmet, Antonio’s pope candidate. The bespectacled boy looked somewhat tired.

When I turned to look at him, he seemed a little awkward.

“Mm, I’m o’tay.”

“…Good. I’m glad you’re safe. You really scared me.”

Well, it was quite the spectacle.

For reference, Emmet was currently cradled in the arms of one of the Holy Knights who’d rushed over.

‘I mean, even if you heard an explosion… who the heck abandons their own candidate?’

It was absurd, but I got it.

They probably thought Emmet had no shot at becoming Pope.

A bit sad, really.

“But…”

[※ WARNING! We have a problem!]

“Ah, w-wait a sec.”

I froze, staring at the air in front of me.

The alert window’s border was unusually bright red.

[“Daddy” is on the verge of going berserk!]

[Objective! Get there and calm him down immediately! (Time Limit: 15:00)]

…What?

‘Why?!’

A dozen possible reasons zipped through my head—all serious.

My eyes went wide for a moment.

‘Damn it, it’s a time attack mission.’

[Time Remaining: 14:55]

…The clock was ticking in real time.

I sprang to my feet. The playful bickering around me instantly ceased.

“What’s wrong, Candidate?”

I calmly scanned the people around me. Finally, my eyes landed on Emmet.

Yup, this one.

“You, yew thaid ‘thangk you’ tu me!”

“Huh? Oh, yeah. I did, right?”

This boy was calculating by nature—and the kind who couldn’t stand being in debt.

“Then help me thith time!”

I grabbed Emmet’s hand. His eyes widened.

“Uh… y-yeah, okay…?”

Perfect.

Still holding his hand, I led him toward Alexa and Antonio.

I let go of Emmet and reached out both hands to Alexa.

“Awexa, pick me up!”

“Uh? P-pick you up?”

“Carry me!”

“Yes, ma’am!”

Alexa awkwardly scooped me up. For some reason, her strong, muscular arms felt uncomfortable.

Daddy’s arms were even sturdier… but they were just so cozy.

But now wasn’t the time to critique comfort.

“Antonio! Yew carry Emmet now!”

“Huh? O-oh, yes!”

“What do we do now, Candidate?”

At Alexa’s question, I pictured where Daddy was.

‘The sign earlier said Daddy was in the basement of the Inquisition building.’

The Church’s shadowy enforcement branch—the equivalent of a police force. I pressed my lips together.

Putting that place together with the word “berserk”… I could imagine what they might’ve done to him.

‘Damn it. Does the Church really need to fall apart before they come to their senses?’

“Lowa! Take me tu Lowa!”

“Uh… O-okay!”

“I know where Dame Laura’s room is! Follow me!”

Antonio energetically took the lead without even asking why.

“Hang on tight, Candidate. We’ll run fast—seems urgent.”

[Time Remaining: 11:45]

A short while later.

We arrived at Laura’s room in record time.

Clack!

Unfortunately, the room Mel and Laura shared was locked.

They were out.

‘What now? There’s no time to search outside.’

But to carry out my plan…

I needed exactly three pope candidates and their Guardians!

That’s when it happened.

“Mel went to the western garden for a walk.”

A clear, glassy voice like a crystal orb.

“The flowers are in full bloom today.”

When I turned, I saw a beautiful young girl with long, platinum-blonde curls.

“Hi, I’m Flora. I don’t think we’ve met yet. You’re Nemesia, right? Hi, Emmet.”

Wearing a flowing dress that suited her perfectly, the girl was one of the top contenders for Pope—alongside me and Emmet—after placing in the top three during the first trial.

“I heard you were looking for Mel.”

Next to her stood her Guardian—a man with lemon-blond hair and closed eyes, contrasting in tone from hers.

[Faction: Corrupted Holy Knight]

I glanced at the faction floating above the Guardian’s head, then looked away with a complicated feeling.

There was something more urgent right now.

Flora pointed toward the room next door.

“I share the next room over with Mel.”

I didn’t hesitate for long.

“Um, yew thee…! C’n yew help me for a bit? Uh, the—”

“Yes!”

“…Huh?”

“Yes! What do you need me to do?”

That easy? I paused, surprised—but quickly pulled myself together.

‘Right. She’s that type.’

Her Guardian seemed a bit taken aback too but quickly resigned himself, like this wasn’t new.

“Then come with me just for a bit!”

[Time Remaining: 10:40]

* * *

As she ran, Alexa found her mind drifting. The subject was the tiny child in her arms.

‘Hmm… what a strange feeling.’

She still remembered how shocked she’d been to get the call from her old commander. She had ditched her current assignment and come running.

She’d catch hell for it later from higher-ups, but whatever.

‘That poor man finally crawled out of that musty basement. I had to do something.’

All her old comrades would understand—because Derek Sacrum was that kind of person to them.

In any case, the child he asked her to protect gave off an odd impression.

Clearly wary, reserved, and shy around strangers, yet her speech and actions were bold and direct.

She wasn’t even flustered when she saw Alexa. She just asked why she hadn’t arrived sooner.

A sharp kid. Just good at masking her true nature.

‘A Labyrinth clear must be built different, huh?’

The child had stayed silent while they ran. Occasionally, she glanced into empty space, her face filled with worry.

Even when Usher had threatened her, she hadn’t worn that expression.

‘Most of all, the place we’re heading to is…’

They arrived soon after.

It was somewhere Alexa had never wanted to return to.

The place where former Azure Knights had lost their commander and trembled in fury.

The building belonging to the Inquisition Division.

* * *

[Time Remaining: 7:32]

“I’m sorry, but none of you are allowed inside!”

The Inquisition Division.

Doesn’t the name alone scream overwhelming authority? Audits, interrogations, torture, experiments, surveillance, investigations, formal indictments…

Just hearing it made people shudder.

Their greatest privilege: exclusive rights to investigate and interrogate fanatics.

Many members acted like secret police, tasked with rooting out fanatics hiding among the faithful.

‘Problem is, they often grab the wrong people.’

And of course, the moment we arrived, we were blocked by a group of Holy Knights.

‘Again with the Black Knights.’

It wasn’t the same knight who dragged Daddy away earlier.

But…

I narrowed my eyes.

[Faction: Fanatic of the Evil God]

‘Thought so.’

This guy, armored in jet black, was pitch black all the way through—inside and out.

As far as I remembered, there was never this heavy a guard posted here.

Which meant… they were hiding something. That’s why they were out here now.

“There’s a corrupted Holy Knight in the building who’s at risk of going berserk. We can’t let you in. It’s for your own safety, Candidates.”

The fanatic, hiding behind a Holy Knight’s armor, said it with a straight face.

‘That so-called berserk knight is my Daddy.’

So Usher didn’t just plan to kidnap me—he must’ve set something up here to trap Daddy too.

If they’re invoking our safety as a reason, asking questions won’t help. They’ll just recite the handbook.

I could verbally destroy this guy with logic… but—

‘There’s no time.’

So I made the quickest, simplest choice.

“…Awexa.”

“Y-y-yes?!”

Alexa flinched, clearly not expecting me to call her.

I didn’t waste a second. I wrapped my arms around her neck and whispered something in her ear.

“Uh… hm? Y-yes. O-oh…”

Why do you think I dragged Emmet and Flora here?

Because I needed them for this plan.

“Understood…! Ahem, ahem.”

Alexa cleared her throat and straightened up, still holding me.

“Hey.”

“…Hey? Dame Alexa Michelle, did you just address me like that?”

“Oh? You know me? Then I know you too. You’re a junior under me, right?”

“…What does that matter? If you’re thinking of using force to enter, even you—”

“What? Force? Seriously, what age do you think we live in? Don’t be ridiculous!”

Alexa grinned.

“From this moment forward, everything I say is coming straight from the lips of our adorable, lovable, sweet-as-bread Pope Candidate. Got it?”

…The line was fine. But was the over-the-top fluff really necessary?
 

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Translator: Japchae