As a villain, I really don't want to be pursued by the heroine.

While the girls were arguing, a sweaty Carl asked Roy, "Is this how you get here every day?"

".......almost."

It’s just a small scene, no big deal.

I'm used to this level of pressure!

Looking at his eldest son's vicissitudes of life smile, Karl was silent for a while before he said with emotion: "Son, it's not easy for you either."

Chapter 165: Forgiveness

Roy was very touched.

I thought that only his biological father could understand his difficulties and know that dating with young girls at the same time is not as glamorous as it looks to outsiders!

"So you'll have to cheer on yourself from now on."

"what?"

Before Roy could react, he saw Carl quickly slip onto the carriage with a bunch of gifts and drive away.

The girls' gazes towards their old father fell back on him in unison, like a wolf that had lost its rabbit and now stumbled upon a sheep.

Charlotte asked with a smile, "Roy, whose gift do you think would suit your father better?"

"this......"

I'm not him, how should I know? !

Impressed!

They say sons betray their fathers, but how come there are also fathers who betray their sons?! If you just run away, won’t I be the one who suffers?!

He lets his father take all the benefits, and has to handle the Shura field alone. He is a really good father.

------

In the pure white temple, chants rise and fall.

The headquarters of the Church of Holy Light, located in the holy city of Luxerio, gathers the church's top leaders from the Eastern Continent.

The priests, bishops, and Knights Templar who were revered by the world were all prostrating themselves at this moment, just like the believers who were praying outside, kneeling before the holy light.

Before the goddess, all beings are equal.

And the person on the Holy Throne, the representative of the Goddess of Holy Light, the person closest to the Goddess in the mortal world, the guide who leads everyone forward in darkness and suffering, naturally accepts the worship of all beings.

Of course, they are also qualified to be judged.

"Simon Uriel, you are the Archbishop, and you have been blessed with the Holy Light and promoted to the Cherubim."

"I had high hopes for you."

"But on this trip, you failed the Goddess, failed the Holy Light, and failed the people of this mortal world. You failed to fulfill my expectations of you."

The indifferent statement was like an invisible mountain, pressing down on Simon so hard that he couldn't breathe.

Simon didn't argue, but simply lowered his waist even lower and said solemnly, "I acknowledge my guilt."

"Many Saint candidates were killed, the enemy came into conflict with the major Western powers, the Holy Sword was lost, and the remains of the God of Death were taken away by an unknown force. Most importantly..."

"I failed to guide the Saint Girl of Destiny onto the right path, and delayed the great cause of saving the world. My sin is unforgivable!"

"Your Majesty, please punish me!"

Simon had taken everything about Alice into account, except for the variable of the false king's blood, Roy Ironblad.

No matter how much he regretted, time could not be reversed and the ending was already determined. Simon didn't know what else to do except repent.

"Punishment? Can punishment alone restore the Holy Sword and the remains of the God of Death?"

"Not to mention, you've delayed the great cause of saving the world. How are you going to explain this to everyone?"

"Even though she possesses the power of the Cherubim granted by His Majesty, she still cannot defeat Theresa of the Silver Bloodline. What a waste of this gift!"

"Your Majesty, Lord Uriel has lost his composure and is no longer worthy of being the Archbishop!"

For a moment, a tide of ridicule and condemnation came from all directions, like wild beasts choosing their prey, wishing to devour Simon until no trace was left.

He was once a genius of the continent and also the youngest archbishop in history.

Simon's talent and ability are impeccable, but being too outstanding will naturally attract jealousy.

As Simon expected, this failure would be the first step towards his downfall.

He had long been prepared to bear the price of responsibility. Regardless of whether the condemnations were reasonable or not, he gritted his teeth and silently endured the torture that belonged to him.

Until the gentle voice came like a warm breeze, dispelling all the cold haze.

"Simon, don't blame yourself."

"All living things are sinners, and life is a journey of atonement."

Simon looked up in surprise.

On the Holy Throne, the Pope had a kind face.

His heart is as broad as his voluptuous body, as if it can hold up the entire sky.

"You are my most cherished cherubim, so please do not underestimate yourself."

The Pope's decision is a decree that cannot be violated.

No matter how dissatisfied everyone was with Simon, they did not dare to show their fangs at this moment.

For Simon, this favor turned into real gratitude, which surged in his heart.

That’s right, it was His Majesty who promoted me in the first place.

Perhaps not all members of the Holy Light Church are good people, but only the Pope is the eternal light.

Your Majesty never loses his mind due to interests or prejudices, and always shows care for his subordinates.

Yes, His Majesty seeks the salvation of the world, so why would he care about temporary political struggles? And how could I doubt such a benevolent monarch who takes it as his mission to save the world?

Simon was ashamed of his previous hesitation and was even more grateful for the other party's forgiveness, so he bowed his head deeply.

"Thank you, Your Majesty, for your forgiveness!"

"But, regarding the Holy Maiden of Destiny..."

"Don't worry."

The Pope smiled lightly, his eyes becoming deep.

It was as if what he saw was no longer limited to what was before his eyes, but was broader, grander, and beyond the comprehension of mortals.

"Everything has its destiny. Even if you go astray for a while, you will eventually get back on track."

"We have already sown the seeds, and it is only a matter of time before the fruits are harvested."

Simon was completely confused. "Your Majesty, please explain clearly."

The monarch on the throne relaxed his body, which was too wide and difficult to move. "Simon, although this trip failed, it was not entirely without gain."

"After being baptized by the Holy Light, the Saint of Destiny has been imprinted with the Goddess's mark deep within her soul. Perhaps she can temporarily suppress or even absorb some of the Goddess's power, but how can a mortal body compare to a god?"

"One day, the goddess will personally take action to reclaim her angel. Then, the false royal blood will be powerless to stop her."

"I see!" Joy reappeared on Simon's face, and his eyes, which had been dim since the end of the White Harbor incident, finally regained their spirit.

The Holy Maiden of Destiny is indispensable to saving the world.

Realizing that the future of the world would not end because of the White Harbor group's failure, Simon's shame and pain were finally alleviated a little, and the expressions of the church leaders also eased.

However, no one present noticed that the Pope, who spoke to soothe people, had a flash of solemnity in his eyes for a moment.

Wait until the meeting is over.

The obese and fat Pope came alone to the basement of the church, passed through layers of complicated prohibitions, and came to the deepest part of the ground where even light and air could not penetrate.

There, there is a huge door made of mithril and holy white stone.

Strong enough to withstand the bombardment of a giant dragon, and a barrier that even great magicians cannot penetrate. It is both an impenetrable fortress and a forbidden area that cannot be penetrated.

In the entire Holy Light Church, only a few people know where this place is. And only the Pope can pass through this door and face the truth that the Holy Light Church has concealed from the world for hundreds of years.

The Pope raised his hand and the great gate opened.

The pure white light, like a miracle from heaven, illuminated the entire world.

Chapter 166: The Variable that Reverses Destiny

Holy light shines.

The air is filled with the purest power in the world, warmer than masculinity, more pleasant than the breeze, and more majestic than the sea, as if it revives and activates the dark underground.

It was a beauty that was enough to make any believer in the Holy Light instinctively immerse himself in it, a sacred halo like that of heaven.

From the moment you step through that door, you enter another dimension isolated from the mortal world, and it is also the world where the goddess shrinks.

From this perspective, this is what is called heaven.

However, at the end of the light——

There are no flowers, no milk and honey, no paradise of peace and prosperity described in the temple, and no supreme happiness and peace that people in the world are desperately seeking.

The three angels were wearing shackles and crawling on the ground in a kneeling posture. They were imprisoned in a cage engraved with a sacred magic circle, just like sinners who were burdened with evil deeds and were being judged.

And after them.

Long golden hair, crystal eyes, the supreme being worshipped as a god by millions of believers, the light that brings salvation to the world. However, the so-called goddess is tightly entangled by layers of chains of light and sealed on the Holy Throne.

The Pope raised the corner of his mouth.

No longer warm and gentle, his face was covered in fat, and he looked fanatical under the pure white light that should have healed people's hearts.

"The caster of the Goddess [Angel of Wisdom], wielding the spell, composing the deeds of the Holy Light and spreading its majesty."

"[Encephalon] is the defender of the Goddess, in charge of guarding. She is the Goddess' most reliable shield and the city wall that will always stand firm."

"[Throne Angel] God's trustworthy and loyal servant, in charge of summoning, a perfectly constructed creature, forever serving the Holy Light."

The scriptures, which every believer in the Holy Light can recite by heart, record the story of the Goddess and the angels under Her command, who opened up light and brought salvation to mortals in the ancient era when gods were in conflict.

This is the cornerstone of the Holy Light faith.

The Pope admired the angels crawling on the ground and the goddess trapped in the Holy Throne with great enthusiasm, and his smile became more and more ostentatious.

"If a lie is repeated a thousand times, it becomes true. So is faith!"

"Unfortunately, there is still one missing..."

The Pope fixed his gaze on the only empty cage, and a moment of gloom crossed his face.

The sword bearer of the goddess, in charge of killing, the goddess's sharpest sword, the most scorching sun.

[Seraph].

That was his thing.

Hundreds of years ago, the so-called "Heroic Age" was also an opportunity for the church to rise and establish its dominance.

Few people know that it was at that time that he made an irreparable mistake.

Everything should have ended at that time, but unexpectedly, the first-generation saint, whom he regarded as a sheep, bit back, causing the destined trajectory to deviate significantly from the original expectation.

"Angel, I've painstakingly stripped Seraph of his power. I'm sure you've noticed it, right?"

The so-called saving the world was a lie from the beginning.

Rather, it is absurd to be willing to believe such a lie.

Since you have mastered the power of the gods, why should you share it with the ants under your feet?

The Pope raised his palm, which was bloated with accumulated fat, and pointed it at the goddess' face, as if he was caressing the pure white inorganic skin from a distance, or as if he was playing with a rare treasure that belonged to him and couldn't let it go.

The angels raised their empty eyes, as if angry out of instinct, but they could not break free from the cage.

But at this moment, the crystal-like eyes suddenly looked back.

The Pope was stunned.

In an instant, the boundless flow of light turned into a raging wave and rushed back.