The interior of the building, primarily used for papal ceremonies, was the grandest religious structure I had ever seen.
I had been here once as a tourist in the real world, but without modern clothing or the usual crowds, the sacred purpose of this place was strikingly clear.
As we walked down the long nave, someone stood up from the semi-circle of priestly seats arranged around the Apostle Peter's throne.
"You've arrived."
"Good to see you, Your Excellency Varesi."
The Pope, as Bishop of Rome, was absent, but around twenty auxiliary bishops and priests were present.
The bishop, called Varesi, raised an eyebrow and said,
"On this chaotic day, I never imagined we'd be gathering the entire Roman clergy for an honorary ordination, Your Eminence."
"Haha, I was at the scene myself, so I hope you'll understand."
"But even so, using this place just for an ordination review? It's unheard of. My sense of propriety is completely shattered. What's going on here?"
That was a question I wanted to ask too.
The honorary priesthood only exists within the Roman Diocese, so it wasn't surprising they summoned me here.
But there are other places for ordination reviews.
Especially for an emergency meeting like this, I seemed to be the only candidate present, making it even more unnecessary to use the grand basilica for my sake.
"It's the Pope's decision."
Narce snapped his fingers, his robes shifting to the cardinal's colors.
"Now then, we have four hours left until the portal closes. Is everyone present?"
"We're just waiting on the Undersecretary of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith."
'…Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith?'
A wry smile crept across my face.
The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith was the modern descendant of the medieval Inquisition.
Here, in this world, there's only one way to confirm someone's faith — and that's by using special abilities, just like Narce did.
'I'm not sure how they intend to prove my faith, but let's see.'
At that moment, the amplified voice of a guard echoed through the hall.
"His Excellency Monsignor Clemente Lorenzo has arrived!"
That would be the Undersecretary of the Congregation.
As I watched him approach, I opened my status window.
Clemente Lorenzo
Favorability: 0
Title: —
- Health: +4
- Mental Power: +7
- Magic Power: +6.5
- Skill: +8
- Impression: +7
- Luck: +3
- Traits: Divine Power, Discerning Eye (Lv.9)
'Level 9 Discerning Eye.'
His power was similar to Narce's.
But on a different level — comparing it to Insight at level 2 wouldn't even be fair.
When Monsignor took his seat, Narce smiled and began to speak.
"First, I'd like to thank His Holiness the Pope for allowing us to use this space and to thank everyone for attending despite the late hour. Cardinal Cataneo will be leading the proceedings instead of me."
One of the auxiliary bishops, who was also a cardinal, stepped up to the podium.
"I am Baldovino Cataneo. Given the expedited nature of this meeting, we'll be omitting the formal rites due to time constraints. In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen."
He made the sign of the cross, reciting the blessing in Latin.
Many things had changed, but this remained as familiar as it was in the real world.
"Now, we shall discuss the qualifications of the candidate, Sir Nicolaus Ernst, for honorary ordination. The recommendation requirements have already been met, so we'll be focusing on three remaining criteria."
The cardinal continued.
"First, the candidate must demonstrate a genuine will to serve. Cardinal Farnese, please begin your statement on the first requirement."
"Understood."
Narce stepped forward without a prepared speech and met the eyes of each priest.
"My dear brothers, we are passing through the longest night in history. When the doctrines of faith and promise are used to justify greed, the Avignon Papacy and the Sack of Rome may pale in comparison to the dangers we face today."
Narce paused, surveying the priests.
The bishops nodded, listening intently.
"Sir Ernst has consistently opposed Pleroma. Without hesitation, he has stepped up to defend the public's safety, taking action when others would not. He thwarted the threat of an insect infestation that could have overwhelmed the Empire. Though the danger may not have been fully felt since the experiment was stopped early, you must understand that, left unchecked, countless innocent lives worldwide would have been offered up to Pleroma."
'…He's certainly framing it nicely for me.'
Having barely returned from the Basilica of Asman, I lacked the strength to make such arguments myself, but thankfully, Narce had it covered.
"And today, once again, he has saved many lives. There were over 300 victims who returned alive today, and considering that their plan hadn't been in place for even a month, it's clear that Sir Ernst has prevented the suffering of many more in the future."
Narce continued without missing a beat.
"I dare say that, despite Pleroma's ten-year presence in our world, no one else has so devotedly risked their life for order. If we were to ask anyone else, there would be no one willing to throw themselves into the heart of enemy territory for strangers they don't know."
Narce looked into the priests' eyes as he spoke.
"It is something that can only be done when one loves their neighbor as oneself. That is all."
He offered a slight bow and returned to his seat.
The cardinal took the podium again.
"Are there any objections to the first requirement?"
A man in priestly robes raised his hand slightly.
"Please speak."
"How long has it been since Sir Ernst completed his confirmation?"
"..."
A faint smile played on his lips.
He was asking a question unrelated to the stated requirements.
He must know something.
Narce moved his hand towards me and replied on my behalf.
"The question is irrelevant."
"I apologize. But this is a critical issue. Is it true that there is no baptism certificate under the name Nicolaus Ernst?"
"..."
Narce's expression hardened.
―"Let's clear this up. You needn't feel guilty over not having a baptism certificate. It's not exactly a straightforward matter, after all."
Narce's voice took on a cold edge.
―"That man himself was chosen solely based on Divine Power. His baptism was simply a formality granted because he was born into a religious family, yet here he is, wielding his power to humiliate us."
Narce was bluntly condemning the man with formal respect, likely to avoid any potential interference from Divine Power. His standing was clear in how he spoke.
―"Most honorary priests are like him. They're opposing you here because they're worried it could affect their future standing in the bishopric."
At that point, the cardinal interjected, stopping the priest.
"Father Romani, that is irrelevant. Now, if there are no other objections, let us proceed."
The hall was silent.
There seemed to be no dispute that Nicolaus's activities aligned with the Church's mission.
"Moving on to the second qualification, Sir Nicolaus must be a confirmed member of the faith. Cardinal Farnese, do you have evidence to meet this requirement?"
Narce's expression softened slightly as he stood up and asked,
"Your Eminence Cataneo, I would first like to ask, is there a required time period for confirmation?"
"That is correct."
At that moment, the same priest as before raised his hand and stood up again.
"Your Eminence Farnese, you are surely aware of the Council of Trent's decree, which states, 'A baptism administered in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit is valid, even if performed by a heretic.' In other words, even if Sir Ernst were Protestant, if he's been baptized, we can follow the necessary procedures to recognize it."
The priest made his case with a serious expression.
"However, the lack of a baptism certificate suggests that Sir Ernst is either a complete heretic or an atheist. The Vatican Council defines atheism as heresy."
"..."
"Now, you may argue that, since there's no required waiting period, he could simply receive baptism now. But we must ask ourselves whether it is appropriate to grant baptism to a heretic."
The priest sat down with an oily smile, clearly pleased with the obstacle he'd raised.
'So this is how they're going to block me.'
In reality, Lucas Askanian had already completed his confirmation.
Here, baptisms included a magical imprint that left a trace on the body, allowing anyone to verify that someone had received it with a simple touch.
'Technically speaking, there's no real issue with my qualifications.'
But acknowledging this would openly reveal that Nicolaus was a fabricated identity. They might suspect as much, given that I was even wearing a mask, but there was a significant difference between guessing and experiencing it firsthand.
At that moment, one of the bishops spoke up.
"Yes, Your Eminence. The fact that we can't locate Sir Ernst's baptism certificate is a substantial issue."
"Indeed."
Narce started to smile in response.
"Yes, I suppose so. Even if he were baptized right now, there'd still be questions regarding his faith. Therefore, let's begin with the verification of his Divine Power. Bishop Varesi, would you mind demonstrating?"
It was finally happening.
In a place where Divine Power essentially equated to faith, proving myself this way wasn't unusual.
The bishop picked up a chalice from the table and lightly tapped its rim with a wand.
Whirr—
A pure, white light, serene and harmonious, emanated from the chalice, unlike Narce's formidable Divine Power.
The bishop turned to me and said,
"Simply do as I did. This is to confirm the authenticity and purity of your Divine Power. Just tap lightly, without applying force."
"Yes, understood."
I accepted Narce's papal wand and stepped onto the platform.
'He did say to tap lightly.'
I couldn't use much power anyway, given how much I'd exhausted myself holding back Asman's death.
Following his example, I tapped the rim.
With a faint sound, a cool breeze began to rise pleasantly.
BOOM—!
"..."
"Huh?!"
"W-wait! Stop!"
With a blast of wind, an intense white light burst forth, almost blinding everyone in the room. The chalice shattered, its pieces scattering onto the floor.
Several bishops scrambled to their feet, waving their wands to stabilize the violently shaking magical lights overhead, which gradually returned to place under their shields.
"Hold it steady!"
"Got it!"
"Well… that's quite something."
Narce, half-amused, sighed as he watched the scene.
One of the bishops finally gathered himself and shouted,
"Sir Ernst, this… this building is an ancient historical monument!"
"..."
I could already imagine being immortalized in history books as the one who destroyed a World Heritage site.
"This wasn't Sir Ernst's fault, Your Excellency Varesi. You all saw he only tapped it lightly, didn't you?"
Narce approached and stood beside me.
"It seems this place is particularly attuned to Sir Ernst's power. This kind of thing isn't uncommon here. However…"
"...However?"
"This kind of reaction has only happened three times since the advent of magic in our history."
"...."
"I trust that no one here has further questions regarding the authenticity of his Divine Power."
Narce glanced at me and then at the other attendees, smiling.
"However, in theory, it's not impossible for someone without genuine faith to learn to wield Divine Power. So, to complete the verification, I'd like the Undersecretary of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith to conduct the final proof."
"…!"
Directly involving him, as if this wasn't complicated enough?
After all that, he's still calling me an atheist?
I was beginning to wonder how far ahead Narce had really planned this.
The Undersecretary, looking uneasy, approached me and made the sign of the cross.
"..."
The hall fell silent.
Finally, the Undersecretary turned to the bishops and declared,
"There are no issues with performing the baptism."
"Good. So that would mean he is neither a heretic nor an atheist, wouldn't it?"
Narce gave me a wink, smiling with satisfaction.
"Indeed. You were aware of this all along, weren't you, Minister?"
'Not an atheist?'
Was his level-9 Discerning Eye perceiving me as a person of faith?
This was astonishing. What exactly was the nature of his ability?
And yet… it seemed there was something Narce hadn't shared with me.
'But now another question comes to mind… is this guy really a minister?'
When I stared at him, bewildered, Narce finally avoided my gaze.
Clearing his throat, Narce addressed the cardinal.
"Your Eminence Cataneo, I believe we've sufficiently addressed the second qualification as well."
"Please, wait a moment."
It wasn't the cardinal who replied, but another bishop shaking his head.
"Even if his heart is sincere, granting baptism solely to secure an honorary position is hardly appropriate. We risk tarnishing our reputation by appointing someone with no prior history of baptism simply because of their popularity."
"Indeed, Your Eminence Farnese, you seem to be overlooking something. Public perception is of great importance to the Church."
The same priest who'd spoken earlier raised his hand again.
Narce smiled and delivered a sharp retort.
"It's a strange criticism, coming from an honorary clergy member. All honorary clergy here exist as outsiders in the Church. Didn't you all obtain your positions based purely on Divine Power?"
"Your Eminence, mind your words."
One of the bishops tried to caution Narce but proceeded to give his own objection.
"There's no question about Sir Ernst's Divine Power. However… no matter how honorary the position, appointing someone who has gone this long without baptism raises significant concerns."
Priestly ordination is impossible without the bishops' support.
While the Pope was technically the bishop of the Roman Diocese, the auxiliary bishops held practical authority here.
But now Narce's face showed no trace of concern.
In fact, he had a faint smile.
'I was a bit puzzled at first, but now it's all becoming clear.'
If Nicolaus didn't have a baptism certificate, he could just receive baptism, and that would solve everything.
However, there was the issue of his body already having received baptism, as receiving it twice is forbidden.
Narce needed to establish Nicolaus's faith without actually baptizing him, a solution that required universal opposition.
It was all a matter of what Narce would say next.
Finally, Narce spoke.
"Very well. So we are all agreed that Sir Nicolaus Ernst is not suitable as a candidate for priestly ordination, correct?"
"That is correct."
The bishops nodded in agreement.
Narce gave a soft smile and spoke.
"In that case, there should be no issues if he is *appointed* rather than ordained."
"…!"
Everyone's eyes widened in shock.
I, too, struggled to keep a neutral expression.
'If he's appointed… of course, that would solve everything.'
An "appointment" was a privilege only the Pope held, and no one could dispute his choice.
Both in reality and here, there was only one context in which the term "appointment" was used instead of "ordination."
Narce raised his voice, his smile widening.
"I propose that Sir Nicolaus Ernst be appointed as a cardinal."