The scene at the Ursus meeting was much the same; the rhythm of the dialogue was held firmly in the hands of the Laterano Bishop delegation.
It wasn't that these bishops were being aggressive or untoward; it was simply that their oratory skills were terrifyingly superior. The Ursus side was being completely suppressed. To Jeanne, this situation seemed perfectly normal. During her seven days in the Laterano military camp, she had spent her time debating theological and academic issues with a flock of bishops, so she knew exactly how frightening their eloquence could be. A bishop selected from such a group possessed enough verbal prowess to utterly crush the representatives of almost any other nation.
However, the meeting didn't have a tense, "swords-drawn" atmosphere. On the contrary, the exchange was quite harmonious. They even had the leisure to crack jokes. Although neither side said it explicitly, everyone knew the primary arena wasn't here. Those currently in the public eye were merely distractions to draw attention; the real negotiations were happening elsewhere.
At that moment, the door to Jeanne's secret room was opened from the outside. A spirited-looking Laterano old man walked in. The moment he saw Jeanne, his eyes began to shine. If the environment hadn't been so inappropriate, Jeanne felt the first thing this old man would have done upon entering was to prostrate himself before her.
"Your Holiness? How did you manage this? How did you get the rest of the Church to agree to let you run off here? Isn't this supposed to be a team composed of bishops?"
Lemuen's words gave Talulah quite a shock. This small old man before them was actually the current Pope of Laterano? A figure whose status was essentially equal to that of the Ursus Emperor?
"Is it not all for a glimpse of Her Eminence Jeanne? And there's no need to call me Pope anymore. I've just abdicated the position; I am currently nothing more than a humble bishop."
Though the old man spoke in a peaceful tone, the weight of the information he shared was immense. Not many people possessed the sheer audacity to abandon the Papacy just to see their nation's Saint.
"This... even so, there was no need to give up the Papacy to come here! Isn't the sacrifice for this matter a bit too great?"
Jeanne felt a bit embarrassed that he had given up so much. She hurried forward to welcome the elder who had so easily cast aside his respected status just to meet her. The old man, however, didn't seem to care about his sacrifice. Seeing Jeanne personally welcome him made him so excited he nearly had a heart attack. After shaking Jeanne's hand, he waved his other hand dismissively and explained:
"It's no sacrifice at all. I'm participating in the election next month anyway. My only competitors are the Archbishops of the other cities. At our level, the competition is mainly debating the Scriptures—and in that field, they are absolutely no match for me."
As he spoke, a look of pride appeared on the elder's face. He wasn't joking; he was a figure who had suppressed those other old fogies for over a decade. There was a qualitative gap between them.
"The people in the Council have already tacitly agreed to let me run off for a month before coming back to be Pope again; they haven't announced the vacancy to anyone. Besides, I've been Pope for decades and never had anything resembling a vacation. It's only reasonable to take a long break."
Listening to the old man, Jeanne and Talulah simultaneously thought that this old guy was a real character. Stepping down for a month only to go back and win the position back through competition... what kind of "hot-blooded elderly" anime did this old man jump out of?
However, even if he didn't say it, Jeanne understood his primary purpose: he was here to support her actions. He was worried she would be at a disadvantage in a meeting with the Ursus Emperor, so he braved the danger to come to such a perilous place personally.
"To be able to feel the Divine Grace from such a short distance... I've almost forgotten the last time I felt this kind of warmth. For me, as long as I can feel the gaze of the Lord once more, no amount of danger matters."
The moment the elder stepped into this building, he had felt that warm, sun-like divine radiance. The last time he had felt such warmth was when he was a small child. Therefore, to be near this light again, even losing the Papacy was worth it! If the other Archbishops hadn't lacked the necessary "weight," they surely would have done the same.
He was well aware of the risks on the road. Whether it was Victoria or Kazdel, if they knew he had left the city, assassinations targeted at him would have followed in rapid succession. Thus, he had temporarily resigned. Forget killing him—even if he were captured alive, it wouldn't be a loss for Laterano. At most, Laterano would just lose a "former" Pope.
This was an emotion Jeanne couldn't quite understand. Someone who had always been shrouded in Divine Light couldn't imagine the inner confusion of these Sankta who had lost it, nor their desperate thirst for that light.
However, the old man's eyes, clear as water, radiated an incomparably devout gaze. In front of Jeanne, he was no longer the high-ranking Pope, but more like an apprentice listening to a master's teachings, humble and completely devoid of papal pretension.
The group sat back down, though Lemuen was clearly more stiff than before. She had transformed from her lively self into a quiet, reserved girl. Talulah assumed she was being quiet because the Pope was present and might be nervous, so she whispered words of comfort to the "transformed" Sankta.
"It's not that I'm nervous about seeing him. I'm worried the old man is going to play a trick on me behind my back! Don't be fooled by how he looks now—his 'small maneuvers' are absolutely terrifying."
Lemuen wore an expression that screamed I've been screwed over by this old man before. According to her description, people who knew the old man weren't afraid of him because of his status; rather, his behavior made it impossible for anyone to relax.
"Have you ever heard of a Pope personally 'snitching' to parents? I've lived through it! My parents scolded me so miserably! And this old man loves giving people codenames—and the names he picks are incredibly embarrassing."
Lemuen lowered her voice to a whisper, grumbling into Talulah's ear about her experiences and the grievances she had suffered under this old man over the years. Talulah listened with great interest to the "Papal gossip" while observing the Pope, who was chatting animatedly with Jeanne. Like Lemuen, she thought the Pope was too focused on Jeanne to notice them.
However, she forgot that neither Jeanne nor the Pope were ordinary people. No matter how lively their conversation was, Lemuen's tiny whispers inevitably reached their ears.
Jeanne watched the old man beside her, who maintained a kind expression while talking to her but occasionally cast a sidelong glance at Lemuen. In her heart, Jeanne silently prayed for her friend.
The most I can do is draw his attention this much. As for whether he finds your parents or gives you a new codename... you'll just have to look out for yourself.