Solomon moved his gaze over the hundreds of priests standing before him. Each priest remained behind a magical circle, and the Pope supervised those setting up the circles.
Aside from Solomon, the only high-ranking figures present were the Pope and Cardinal, and as the magical circle took shape in intricate detail, Solomon observed it closely.
He focused on keeping his attention sharp to capture every detail—attempting to ignore Alice, who kept talking beside him.
"Solomon! How do you think this magical circle works?"
Hearing Alice's excited voice, Solomon frowned with irritation but was careful not to show it, calmly brushing off the Saint.
"I don't know."
Alice sighed, smiling. "What kind of cardinal are you? Don't you know anything?"
Solomon shot a dangerous look at her, and Alice, understanding his expression, quickly grinned and apologized. Chapter Stay:
"Dear Alice," Solomon said flatly, "I hope you understand why this ceremony is taking place?"
"Yes, the Heroes are going to be summoned, right?" Alice answered easily. Solomon murmured in agreement. "Yes, so you should stay silent and let the priests do their work."
"Oops! Sorry!" Alice apologized with embarrassment, trying to remain quiet. Her gaze curiously wandered over the priests. Though full of questions, she stayed silent, recalling Solomon's warning and standing there, looking rather bored.
Noting that Alice was still brimming with curiosity, Solomon ignored her, and after a short wait, he observed as the Pope and the other priests stepped back slightly. At last, the priests began chanting as Solomon watched the ceremony intently.
The priests raised their hands. As a soft light began to glow in the center of the circle, the Pope stepped forward. He stood upright and strong—a surprising display for a man his age.
The Holy power radiating from the Pope suddenly expanded, causing everyone, including Solomon, to step back, sweating and astonished.
"Watch..."
The Pope spoke softly, and though he hadn't shouted, his voice echoed through the church, causing many to feel a sting in their ears.
"Watch..."
With the Pope's second utterance, blood trickled from the ears of several priests around him. Solomon endured it, however. The Pope spread his arms and looked directly into the eyes of the figure representing the Goddess.
"Watch and feel the power of the Goddess..."
The Pope's eyes glowed as the priests chanted, and no one among the onlookers dared to make a sound.
"The Goddess is our last hope and our first savior..."
The Pope proclaimed almost fanatically. As the statue of the Goddess began to shine like the sun, Solomon tried to direct his gaze toward it.
"Solomon? Are you alright?" Hearing Alice's concerned voice, Solomon turned to her, wondering what she meant.
Alice looked genuinely worried. She pointed at his eyes. "Your eyes—they're bleeding."
"My eyes are bleeding?" Solomon touched his eyes with his right hand. Feeling the blood streaming down like tears, he stood there in surprise.
"Alice, can you look at the statue of the Goddess?" Solomon quickly gathered himself and asked Alice. She nodded, confirming.
"Yes? Why?"
Receiving her confirmation, Solomon narrowed his eyes, a gleam of understanding lighting up his gaze. He realized that he couldn't look at the statue of the Goddess because each time he did, his eyes began to bleed.
Checking the spectators behind him, he noticed that some clutched their eyes in pain, and he understood.
Not even the Pope could look directly at the statue of the Goddess. The Pope's own eyes had turned red. Realizing this, Solomon clenched his fists in a sense of powerlessness.
Before he could finish, the impatient Hero lunged forward, attempting to punch the Pope in the face, but the Pope effortlessly caught the punch with a simple movement.
"What?" The Hero froze in surprise and quickly swung his other fist, which the Pope blocked with ease, gently twisting the Hero's fist.
"Agh!" the Hero groaned in pain. The Pope's eyes were cold, and his voice was one of warning not only to the impatient Hero but to all of them: "My patience with you is limited. Therefore, I advise you to listen to me, strangers."
As they felt the oppressive aura of Mana radiating from the Pope, the Heroes, unaccustomed to such power, swallowed nervously.
"How can this old man be so powerful?" Jeanne, the female Hero, swallowed with tension. Not just Jeanne, but Rick and Jomei, too, began to sweat.
The tension lasted only a moment. The Pope released Hero Boris's hand, and as Boris pulled back in pain, the first to react was the narrow-eyed youth, Jomei.
"What are you going to do to us?" His voice held both tension and a hint of anticipation. Solomon didn't ponder on the reason; he didn't particularly like the boy anyway.
Frankly, Jomei looked like a fool among the others. And what was with those ripped pants? Couldn't he afford proper clothing?
As for the others, Solomon felt contempt. There was an arrogant woman, a large man who didn't seem very smart but looked like a good fighter, and an unremarkable man.
Unable to see any remarkable qualities in them, Solomon wondered how these people could even be considered Heroes.
"Younger Heroes, I welcome you," the Pope said with a respectful tone that surprised them. "I have summoned you here to save this world."
"This... is this a fantasy world?!" Jomei exclaimed in excitement, then scratched his head in embarrassment when he saw the others' strange looks.
"It seems so," Jeanne replied cautiously, never breaking eye contact with the Pope. Rick just rolled his eyes at the situation.
"If Jack were here instead of me, he'd be thrilled right now," Rick sighed, thinking of Jack, then glanced at his watch and raised an eyebrow. "Sorry, but I'm going to decline this hero business. I've got things to do. I'm not interested in saving the world."
Despite all eyes turning to him, Rick remained calm where he stood. Meanwhile, Boris, regaining himself, laughed and joined Rick, glaring at the Pope. "He's right. Send us back!"
As Jeanne agreed, only Jomei seemed open to the idea. "Come on, guys, why would you want to go back to your boring lives?"
"Unlike you, we have responsibilities," Jeanne stated calmly. "So send us back, whoever you are."
The Pope narrowed his eyes, his mouth slightly opened. "I'm afraid that's not possible. All of you were chosen by the Goddess."
"So you're saying it's impossible to go back?!" Boris demanded angrily. Pope Bartolomeo shook his head in denial. "No, if you save this world, the Goddess will grant you any wish you desire."
Of course, this was a lie. Although the Heroes would indeed return to their world, the Pope thought it best to give them some motivation.
As Jomei's eyes sparkled with excitement, Jeanne and Boris became equally greedy. Boris asked eagerly, "Can this Goddess of yours give me infinite vodka?"
Unfamiliar with what vodka was, the Pope briefly showed rare surprise but decided that this "vodka" must not be of great importance.
"Yes, the Goddess is all-powerful."
"With nearly unlimited options, you're asking for infinite vodka?" Jeanne said, almost mockingly. Boris shot her a harsh look. "Yes, I am. Got a problem with that, Frenchie?"
Using "French" as an insult, Boris smirked, while Jeanne just scoffed and turned away.
"I'm in! Let's do this!" Acting like a typical isekai hero, Jomei was ignored as everyone's attention shifted to Rick.
Rick sighed. Whether he wanted to or not, they'd probably force him into it. That left him only one option: to go along.
"Alright. I'm in."
"Good, young Heroes. What you do here will be etched in the golden pages of history," the Pope said calmly. "Follow me. You may ask me any questions along the way."
Turning to leave, the Pope began to walk, with the Heroes following close behind.