I Became The Pope, Now What?-Novel

"How rich are you?" Healer Hendrix asked him.

Sylvester hummed and changed the topic. "How long until Sir Dolorem wakes up?"

A short silence later, Hendrix took out a vial of some strange potion and floated it near Sir Dolorem's nose. "With this, he should be waking up in an hour. Since I used healing magic, he will feel no pain if everything went right."

"Will his mind be in confusion?" Sylvester asked seriously.

"It will be for a short duration. This is common among patients who wake up."

"Oh! Strap him! Quick!" Sylvester rushed quickly and started tying Sir Dolorem's arms to the operating table.

Healer Hendrix asked no questions and tied Sir Dolorem's legs, followed by the head. Only after everything was done he glanced at Sylvester for answers.

"Never wake up an Inquisitor out of their slumber without tying them up," Sylvester responded in a warning tone. "They are all broken humans, having caused nothing but violence from the day they took the Inquisitor's oath. Their dreams are always filled with blood and cries, and their sleep is rarely soothing, so when they wake up, they react violently. Especially from a slumber like this."

"Nicolas!"

Sir Dolorem woke up just then with a loud shout and jolt. His teeth gritted together, but a soft piece of cloth protected him from harming himself.

'So he still hasn't overcome the memory of losing his son and wife?' Sylvester realised and walked closer to the operating table to put a hand on Sir Dolorem's shoulder.

"It's me, Sylvester Maximilian. You are here for your eye surgery. You were made unconscious for the duration of the surgery." Sylvester tried to assure Sir Dolorem.

The knight took the shock much better than expected and stopped trying to fight off the harnesses. "Lord Bard? Did my surgery go well? I still can't see."

"Your eyes are tied with a bandage, Sir Dolorem. You need to rest a little bit before we take the bandages off. I will remove the harnesses now, so take long breaths and be calm." Sylvester began to free him.

Then eventually, Hendrix instructed him as he removed the bandages. "Do not open your eyes abruptly. Slowly they will adjust to the light. You might feel slight pain for a while, but do not panic."

Slowly, Sir Dolorem began to open his eyes. At first, he felt a sharp piercing pain at the back of his eyes as if something was strained. Then an overpowering flair of white light entered his eyes, and he unconsciously shut them close quickly.

A few seconds later, he opened them again slowly, and this time he could sense various shapes and colours. Furthermore, thanks to his previous training, he could sense everything around him in the room, even if he didn't see it.

"How is it?" Sylvester asked.

Sir Dolorem raised his hands and looked at them. "I… I see… a lot more than I expected. These eyes are not simple… They are too clear, more than before."

Healer Hendrix wrote the findings down on a piece of paper on the side. "This is likely the first time a man has been given eyes with Future Sight. So this is new to all of us. Try to observe more and attempt to use the ability. But let me warn you, the Duke who had these eyes was an Archwizard, so you will suffer from Solarium depletion if you use the Future Sight too much."

Sylvester felt strange at that time. He knew he wasn't the one to do the surgery or find the miracle cure. But knowing he had profoundly changed the world, it felt strange.

"Welcome back to the world of colours, Sir Dolorem." Sylvester lifted the mood.

"I… I wish to keep the blindfold on, Lord Bard."

Taken aback, Sylvester asked. "Why?"

"Through tireless training and discipline, I have honed my senses to an acute level. While many rely solely on their eyes in battle, I have come to understand that one's senses hold greater value. I refuse to dull them with the comforts of sight, for when the time comes to unsheathe my blade, and remove the blindfold, I will have much better control of my surroundings." Sir Dolorem explained as he looked at Sylveste's face.

A strange smile grew on Sir Dolorem. "You have changed a lot, Lord Bard… You look more mature."

"I am eighteen now, so yes, I am much more mature. But I just can't seem to be able to grow a beard." Sylvester frustratingly rubbed his chin. It was smooth like butter.

Healer Hendrix scoffed and proudly caressed his long white full beard. "It seems the Bard is not that blessed after all."

"So it seems… Like a certain old man whose daughter likes a certain bard a bit too much." Sylvester retorted with an equally crushing comeback.

Healer Hendrix's face fell, and he looked at Sylvester, then Sir Dolorem alternatively. "Did he just… Did he berate me?"

"I believe he did, respected healer." Sir Dolorem affirmed.

"You fiendish womanising brat! I don't care about your fancy titles and ranks! Do not ever come close to my house." Hendrix bellowed.

Sylvester chuckled. "But I was thinking of having dinner at your place, Healer. I'm sure Elaine and Daline would love to see me again."

Sir Dolorem laughed seeing the two quarrel like that. It amazed him how Sylvester was able to get so close to a Grand Wizard. In fact, now that he thought about it, he realised Sylvester was close with so many immensely powerful people. Lady Aurora, Inquisitor High Lord, the Pope and many more. With all of them, he was as close as family.

Thud!

"You are permanently barred from ever coming near my house, or I will castrate you! You're a preacher anyway, so you do not need the tool." Healer Hendrix proclaimed.

'Hah, I smell genuine jealousy from him.' Sylvester sensed.

"Don't worry, I only see them as my sisters. I have no interest in women… or men. I'm only working toward one goal: to do my duty to the best of my ability." Sylvester replied and got Sir Dolorme his blindfold back.

"Good." Healer Hendrix blurted.

"This is why you are destined for greatness." Sir Dolorem added.

"Now, since the work here is done, I must meet Lady Aurora and train with her. Sir Dolorem, I will see you later. Healer Hendrix, all the best for your future research." Sylvester headed out to change his clothes.

He quickly cleaned his surgery robes, then wore his church robes. Coming out, he found Miraj sleeping near the door, though he looked more like a dead body. So Sylvester picked him up on his shoulder and left.

After checking out the shop, Sylvester headed to meet with Lady Aurora in the training grounds on a desolate peninsula reserved for training strong wizards.

"You're late." Lady Aurora was waiting alone, nearly dozing off.

"I was busy giving Sir Dolorem his eyes back," Sylvester replied, showing a thumbs up.

That instantly got the woman excited, and she jumped to her feet. "What? How? You found a cure?"

"No, I just gave him someone else's eyes. Let's start the training now. I only have a week before I have to leave for Sorrow Kingdom. I will be going without you, Felix and Gabriel this time." Sylvester donned his armour and held the spear out.

"I will go all out from the start,"

Lady Aurora chuckled and held her sword up. "Young one, I will try to hold back."

Sylvester confidently twirled his spear in his hand, calling forth the elements to aid him in his battle. He shifted his stance, eyes alight with the power of the magical elements as he prepared to face Aurora.

Aurora stood before him, her long sword crackling with energy as she called forth lightning bolts to dance around her. She moved with the grace of a predator, her eyes never leaving him. Then abruptly, she sent a bolt of lighting.

He deftly sidestepped the attack, causing the lightning to strike the earth and explode in a shower of sparks.

Quickly, Sylvester conjured a ball of solidified light and sent it hurtling towards Aurora, but she was, yet again, prepared. She used her lightning magic to ground the attack, causing the light orb to fizzle and die out.

The battle raged on, the power of magic tearing apart the landscape around them.

Finally, after what felt like hours of intense combat, Sylvester saw his opening. He summoned a massive boulder and hurled it towards Aurora.

Boom!

She shattered it with lightning.

Sylvester was planning for precisely that, as he had vanished from the spot, leaving behind nothing but a Light Clone of himself.

"Wrath of Heavens!" He boomed behind Aurora as a beam of solidified, plasma of light came out of his right palm facing her.

His hymn strongly echoed at the same time while the halo shined.

♫Here I fight to vanquish my foes,

Wherever I am, this holy light flows.

Elegant, yet deadly, burn those who are close.

My light hurts, almighty like a thorny rose.♫

Woosh!

Lady Aurora knew that Sylvester had gotten much stronger since their last spar, so she was careful about the light attacks. So taking no chances, she held her sword upfront while activating all the lightning runes she had etched.

The air cracked with shining light. Lightning met the beam of light. It clashed instantly and created a sparkling spectacle that none other witnessed.

"Ugh!" Lady Aurora grunted as she dug her feet to push against Sylvester's beam of light. "You've grown strong."

Sylvester was unfazed as Aurora was many feet away from him. "This isn't even my full power, Lady Aurora. It is not I who is too strong, but the nature of Light is meant to reign supreme."

Boom!

Sylvester went all out, and the beam of light from his palm intensified, broadening to double its size.

It immediately pushed Lady Aurora back, tumbling, but she held on with her sword at the front and lightning crackling. She felt Sylvester's terrifying prospect of a ranged battle.

"I'm still a Grand Wizard." She proclaimed as her feet started to illuminate with lightning sparks. "I am more than a century old — my experience speaks more!"

Sylvester's hymn only got louder.

♫Ally, enemy or none, the end has already come.

As the sun rises, the inevitable has begun.♫

Sylvester, in a shocking move, for the first time, initiated his second strongest move at the same time.

♫Holyfire Purge shall leave you undone,

Open your eyes; there is nowhere to run.♫

Boom!

Earth shattered all around them in a large radius. The cracks enlarged and revealed bright, burning light, which came out like a sharp blazing blade.

There was nowhere to go as every step was burning, and the ground was broken, ready to engulf her. But with Sylvester's beam of light already hitting and pushing Lady Aurora back, falling into the cracks was unavoidable.

Crack! Crack!

"Impressive, Sylvester." A muffled voice echoed from Aurora. "But not enough. You pushed me this far; I am grateful."

'What is she do–' Sylvester tried to wonder, but his words sank back into his mount the moment he saw the scene.

Lady Aurora rose from the ground as if she was floating. Her entire body looked like a shadow of lightning, throwing sparks of thunder all around, illuminating everything so much that the rest looked pitch black.

Her body shined in bright blue, her eyes glowing white, and her red hair appeared like bolts of white lighting.

"Thank you for pushing me this far~" Her voice was muffled, oozing power and confidence.

Sylvester knew this was it. He had never seen Lady Auror go all out before, and this was the moment to accept that.

"Oh… I think I'm in danger."

[A/N: See Lady Aurora]

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