Chapter 195

Chapter 195

"The yellow... Is it what I'm thinking?" The Pope asked in a faint, prolonged tone.

The bishops remained silent, but their expressions clearly confirmed the answer.

"So, after all our efforts, we failed due to an erotic magazine..."

The bishops held their breaths, looking down at their toes, trying to minimize their presence and hoping that someone else would bear the brunt of the Pope's anger.

But then, the Pope suddenly chuckled, his expression free of any darkness or frustration.

Oh no, has he lost his mind from anger? This was the thought that crossed the bishops' minds.

"Do you know why we lost this round?" the Pope asked.

The other bishops, unsure of the Pope's intentions, hesitated to respond.

The Pope didn't need their answer, proceeding to say, "Because God did not descend upon us."

The bishops: ...

Ah, is this even acceptable to say?

"But things have changed!" The Pope abruptly stood up, his face unusually radiant with a brilliant smile. "For God has descended, and He is right here, watching us! Do you know why I'm not angry? With God's assistance, we will be invincible! Nothing can stop us! As long as everyone within the city becomes a believer of the Lord."

Had he... finally lost his mind? This was the unconscious thought of the bishops.

Amos sat opposite, watching the Pope's performance with great interest. The Pope composed himself, masking his overly zealous expression, and said, "I understand that despite your devout faith, you don't believe that God has descended. It's alright, you will soon come to believe it."

From Amos's pocket, a hint of green plant roots subtly emerged.

Under the gaze of everyone present, the Pope first raised the golden cup in a leisurely manner. "Have any of you noticed that what's in your cups isn't wine?"

The bishops lowered their heads upon hearing this and found that there was indeed no familiar aroma of wine coming from the liquid in their golden cups. The liquid inside was clear and transparent.

"Take a closer look."

Reluctantly, the bishops picked up their cups under his suggestion. One of them hesitantly poured a little into his hand and licked it. "This is... water?"

"Indeed, I need your verification that the chalice has not been tampered with."

Amos's eyes narrowed, already guessing his intention. The bishops examined the cup one by one, confirming that it was an ordinary golden cup.

Then, the Pope smiled as he walked past each bishop without even touching the chalice, merely patting their shoulders.

By the time he completed the circuit, the bishops had sensed something amiss and gasped as they held the cups.

The water within had transformed into wine – a renowned miracle Jesus performed in the Bible, turning water into wine.

One of the bishops hesitantly took a sip and found it to be the authentic taste of wine, rich and full-bodied.

"See, I didn't deceive you," the Pope declared, opening his hands to show no hidden mechanisms. "This is because God has descended upon us and, at my request, performed this miracle!"

The bishops wore expressions of astonishment. They had indeed checked for any traps, but magic was also a possibility...

"Of course, I understand your skepticism. So, how about this?"

The Pope waved, and soon a nun approached with a tray. The Pope lifted the cover to reveal the corpse of a dead bird inside.

The reason it was so obvious was because the damage was severe: half of the bird's skull was missing, and it reeked of putrefaction with maggots crawling on its corpse. Clearly, it had been dead for quite some time.

The Pope requested the nuns to circle around again, allowing the bishops to inspect the bird.

The bishops, out of respect, disregarded the foul smell and approached for a closer examination. Only Amos remained seated, observing their actions with a cold gaze.

Something was off about the Pope, and Amos could tell at a glance. It seemed as if the man was subtly breaking free from the influence of his blood control.

Amos had previously utilized the blood as a medium to cast a suggestive curse on the Pope with a power he had acquired. This had caused the Pope's emotions to become increasingly unstable and made it difficult for him to escape Amos's subtle manipulation. According to his plan, the Pope should have reached the limits of his patience by now and be ready to confront Amos.

So, what was happening with this sudden change?

The bird's corpse eventually landed in the Pope's hands. He smiled gently and held the carcass without any sign of disgust. A second later, he opened his palm, and the bird hopped out, fluttering its wings and ascending into the air.

The bishops were stunned. Was it resurrection?

While the transformation of water into wine could be explained by magic or sleight of hand, this scene was far more inexplicable. The bird's skull had been restored, and it all happened under the bishops' watchful eyes, leaving no room for deception.

Resurrection magic did exist, but the conditions were extremely stringent, which couldn't be met here. Moreover, such resurrections were often incomplete. Besides, how could a spell be cast so swiftly? The Pope hadn't even uttered a incantation.

With all other possibilities eliminated, there was only one remaining...

The bishops looked at the Pope with newfound ardor, and the Pope laughed heartily. "You're right, it's the power granted to me by God. God has descended, so you have nothing to worry about. All that remains is for you to continue expanding the Church's influence and select the lambs who believe in God!"

"Moreover, apart from sharing this good news with you, I have another important matter to announce," the Pope said, looking at the coldly expressionless Amos sitting across from him. He walked over to him and, to the shock of all the bishops, knelt down on one knee. "I'm sorry, my dear child, for the suffering you've endured for the Church in the past."

"But don't worry, you won't have to endure that torment anymore. I swear, I will protect you from now on. Do whatever you want to me as long as you can forgive me."

Amos remained seated, motionless, seemingly stunned. As for Lane, he had severed his connection with the plants the moment the Pope approached. His divine sense retreated instantly, lest Judas sense anything amiss.

Seeing no reaction from Amos, the Pope's smile froze. He then pulled out a dagger with a blood groove from his pocket and held it out to Amos. "I'm not joking. As long as you can forgive Father, you can do anything to me."

Some of the bishops gasped in shock. Not everyone knew the background of the Saint Son. After all, a tiger doesn't devour its own cubs. They found it hard to imagine the pain the Saint Son endured daily, inflicted by his own biological father.

Amos's small hand touched the cold dagger. He gazed blankly into the Pope's eyes, strangely perceiving fear within them. Despite being so afraid, the Pope had handed him the weapon without hesitation...

Suddenly, Amos felt dizzy. A whisper seemed to echo in his ear, and images flashed through his mind. He thought of how hard his father had worked to develop the Church over the years. As a child, he should understand...

*Gag.*

Amos relaxed his guard, allowing the strange emotion to infiltrate his mind. He smiled innocently at the Pope. "Why would I blame you, Father? You've worked so hard for so many years."

The Pope's lips twitched slightly, as if he were relieved. Bowing to Amos was intolerable for him, but God had commanded him to gain the cooperation of this young one...

"Pluff!"

The Pope felt a sharp pain in his abdomen and looked down in disbelief. Amos still wore an innocent smile on his face as he stabbed the dagger into the Pope's stomach without hesitation, twisting it twice and using the barbed edge of the blade to wreak havoc on the intestines.

"I'm sure Father will understand, won't He? Aren't You performing a miracle? Please, do it again for us."

The little devil spoke with a smile, and as he withdrew the dagger, blood splattered across his face, lending an eerie quality to his childish features.

"Everyone is waiting for You."

The Pope didn't even remember how the meeting ended. With the bishops keeping silent, he prayed in a daze for God to mend his stomach. However, Amos stabbed him again, and even his attempt to resist was met with a warning from God.

Again and again, over and over.

It wasn't until dawn broke and the meeting concluded that Amos finally stopped. His robes, now stained red with blood, were no longer his own.

"What a shame. Well, then, let this be the end for now, my dear father."

"…Have you forgiven me?"

Amos merely smiled in response.