“Your Excellency, Miss Tarte is here to see you. I’ve shown her to the parlor,” a priestess announced.
“Thank you.” I gave her a nod and left the office.
Tarte regularly brought us potions, and she was right on schedule. Each time she visited, she always stayed for tea with Her Holiness after handing over her potions.
Her Holiness always looks forward to tea with Tarte very much. Naturally, I had instructed the chef to prepare the best tea and snacks ahead of time, as I’d done every time Tarte came to visit. Nothing made me happier than seeing Her Holiness smile.
Since some of the Paladins and Templars had obtained Adventure Bracelets, they’d been using more potions than before. Tarte’s supplies were always a great help. Those Adventure Bracelets had revolutionized everything we knew. Not only did they allow the wearer to select which Skills to learn, they also functioned as a Magic Bag that carried a vast inventory with ease. Those bracelets did not merely make people stronger—they made their lives easier. Her Holiness had garnered a great amount of trust from the people for publicizing the existence of such an exceptional item. Although we’d taken credit for Sharon’s knowledge, I was happy to see Pope Tithia’s position solidified because of it.
It didn’t take long for me to reach the parlor. “Thank you for waiting,” I called as I knocked and opened the door. “Everyone is here, I see.” Inside the parlor, I found not only Tarte but Sharon, L’lyeh, Kent, and Cocoa as well. This was a rare occasion. Usually, Tarte came to us alone.
“Long time no see,” Sharon greeted me, speaking for the group. “We decided to come together because we have a gift. I think it’ll surprise you.”
“How exciting.” I forced a smile, but I couldn’t help but tremble at the thought of what surprise Sharon had brought for us. Sharon was truly exceptional, even if she never seemed to consider herself as such. Obviously, she hadn’t come all this way to bring us something trivial, such as a snack.
After exchanging some small talk, I took Tarte’s usual delivery of potions.
Once that was settled, Her Holiness came to the parlor, accompanied by a priestess attendant and three Paladin guards.
“Leroy, have you taken Tarte’s potions already—? Sharon! And Lulu! Cocoa! Kent!” Her Holiness’s face lit up at the sight of her old friends. “Oh, I’m so happy to see you all here.”
“Hi, Ti. It’s been too long,” Sharon said.
“How are you doing?” Tarte asked.
“I brought snacks,” L’lyeh announced.
“Hello, Ti. I know you’ve been working really hard. I’m glad to see you looking well,” Cocoa said.
“Yeah, you look great,” Kent added.
“You all look wonderful,” Her Holiness replied.
“Your Holiness.” With a gesture, I guided her to an armchair. Without missing a beat, the guards dispersed: One stood behind the armchair, another by the door, and the third out in the hallway.
A priestess brought in tea and snacks for Her Holiness, officially commencing the afternoon tea.
“How is Zille lately?” Sharon asked first.
“Well...many are requesting their own Adventure Bracelets,” Her Holiness said. “Other than that, the city is calm. Thanks to those bracelets, more people are able to hunt monsters in the surrounding area. I would say that Zille is peaceful, all in all.” Her Holiness said this all with an unconcerned smile, leaving out the chaos that had erupted immediately following the public announcement regarding Adventure Bracelets. Paladins had been given priority in obtaining them, and there had been some adventurers who’d come here to complain about that.
I didn’t tolerate any of them, of course. In this land, Her Holiness the Pope must be placed above all else.
“You wanted peace more than anyone,” Sharon said. “I know it wasn’t easy.” Her smile seemed apologetic—she had to have anticipated the problems that had arisen with the introduction of the bracelet.
“It is what I wanted,” Her Holiness reassured her.
The others were smiling wholeheartedly, voicing their relief at hearing that Zille was peaceful. None of them seemed to be thinking the situation through as Sharon was, but I could hardly expect children and teenagers to understand the intricacies of politics.
Her Holiness smiled brightly as she offered tea and cake to our guests. L’lyeh was the first to dive in. “Delicious,” she said simply, as if entranced by the cake. “Oh.” But then, L’lyeh took a tin out of her Bag. She opened the tin to show that it was filled with shimmering cookies—double-layered and stuffed with jam in a flawless presentation. “I made these cookies. Here.”
“You made these, Lulu?” Her Holiness asked.
“Yes. I’m a Chef now.”
“What?!” I blurted in unison with Her Holiness. My composure had cracked at the unbelievable revelation—the Goddess of Darkness had become a Chef. I was surprised enough that the Goddess of Darkness could obtain a job at all...
The world is full of surprises, isn’t it?
Her Holiness blinked a few times...and smiled. “That is wonderful.” Admiration rose in me for her flexibility of mind. “These look delicious, Lulu. Thank you.”
“Eat as much as you want,” L’lyeh said.
Her Holiness took a bite of the crisp cookie and its strawberry jam. She looked so adorable relishing that cookie.
“It is delicious, Lulu! You are a genius Chef!” Her Holiness exclaimed.
“Thank you.” L’lyeh smiled brightly. When I’d first met her, she’d never been this expressive. As she’d traveled with Sharon and the others, perhaps she had gradually learned these emotions—she’d gained her humanity.
After finishing the cookie, Her Holiness asked the group with excitement in her voice, “Where are you staying now? Tarte always tells me stories when she brings us potions, each time about a new place. I look forward to hearing about the different places you have traveled to.”
“We finally finished what we had to do in the dungeons of Laureldite, so we’re thinking of going on an adventure to Fishermen’s District,” Sharon explained.