I Became The Pope, Now What?

♫Shiny sun in the shiny sky. 

I'm am strong. I never cry. 

I like fish, but make them fry. 

Oh, I can fly very-very high.♫

♫Chonky is my good name. 

Yes, I love playing many games. 

But helping Maxy is my only aim. 

If I kill you, I will not take the blame.♫

Claps! Claps! 

"That was beautiful!" Sylvester, Xavia, and Ella clapped their hands as they heard Miraj sing his little songs to entertain them all. It was the usual family night, where they all ate together and spent time talking about various things. But today, Rex was missing as he remained at school to study more, while Zeke was called by the Holy Army for some regular training. 

"I love you, Chonky!" Ella jumped to hug the squishy cat. She couldn't see him, but being so smart, it wasn't hard for her to calculate where the furball was by the direction and intensity of the sounds. 

"Nyoooo… No squishes!" Miraj, as always, tried to wriggle away from her. "Only Big Mum can squish me!" 

"What?!" Ella acted shocked and showed a teary face. 

Miraj felt bad and surrendered. "Fine, you can squish me."

Sylvester laughed seeing them. It appeared Ella had learned to use her adorable cuteness to her advantage. Even manipulating the mighty Chonky. 

"Max, will everything be alright? Isabella just got married, and now she has to wage war against invaders," Xavia worriedly asked. "Felix must be feeling very anxious." 

"Don't worry, Mum. I've briefed Felix already. Besides, this battle isn't the Church's battle. Let them solve their issues on their own, and if they can't, they should simply surrender their authority to me," Sylvester declared for the first time, hinting at something other than feigning ignorance towards the war. 

Ella was smart and noticed something. "They can't win, can they?" 

Sylvester smiled and shrugged. "Well, who knows? They're going to clash for the first time tomorrow. I'll share the battle report with you, so look forward to it." 

Still, Ella squinted her eyes and stared at Sylvester. He was her role model, after all, and she wanted to be as smart and sly as him. Already, she knew that in terms of basic knowledge, ability to deduce, and learning things, she was superior to Sylvester. Yet, she always felt inferior to him and his wits. 

There ought to be something that made him so much better than her. And she wanted to know what it was. 

'I'll become the Pope one day… Just like you, Father!' 

Sylvester noticed the scent of love, excitement, hope, and worship coming from Ella. That only made him cherish his adopted daughter more. 

…

Kinman City had fallen, and Leyon's colossal army had marched past Miraj City, which showed no resistance as it was a second Holy Land. Nor did the invading soldiers bother to enter the city. They bypassed and directly attacked Kinman City, the capital of the Duchy of Normani. 

Duchess Bethany Normani was captured, and that was a bad start to a conflict that was yet to reach its peak. One of the main Grand Wizards of Gracia had already fallen. 

So, on the vast sprawling grasslands, under the midday sun, two colossal armies stood poised for a battle of unprecedented scale. The location was east of Kinman City, the empty flatlands that were full of grass in summer and snow in winter. Sadly, now was summer, the perfect time for the troops from the warm West. 

The air was thick with anticipation and the faint, electric hum of gathered magic as so many experts gathered around.

On one side, Leyon the Conqueror, a figure of imposing fame and steely resolve, surveyed his ranks with a confident gaze. His army, an impressive array of skilled wizards from the West and battle-hardened warriors, stood ready, their armor gleaming and spells at the ready.

Opposite them, the alliance led by Queen Isabella, King Highland, Queen Trinity, and Elder Gideon, radiated a formidable presence. Their forces were a diverse mix of powerful wizards and valiant knights, united under the banners of their respective kingdoms. 

Initially, Riveria was going to join the northern front, but with Leyon personally appearing there, Riveria decided to help the Blackhart Kingdom in the South. 

"How many do they have?" King Highland asked his younger brother. 

"From the information I have received, Leyon himself is nothing, holding just the talent of a Diamond Knight, while only being a Golden Knight right now. But he has two Grand Wizards from the West, followed by three Grand Wizards from Weeping Ghosts. As for the legendary assassin, Mistwalker, he has gone to the South," Gladius answered. 

Queen Isabella sighed, looking down at the map. "We have to change the strategy then. We only have three Grand Wizards, while they have five. We should focus on killing Leyon, their weakest link." 

"Or divide their Grand Wizards by giving them false intel that we will attack their leader. They will likely leave one or two Grand Wizards to protect Leyon," Queen Trinity suggested. 

Paaaaa!

"What?!" Isabella panicked at the sound of the horn. 

"Those bastards!" King Highland picked up his sword. "They attacked us already… They haven't even set up their supply lines yet. Move!"

Panic spread across the coalition army as they rushed to pick up their weapons and take positions. It was utter chaos, which they hadn't expected. It felt as if Leyon was more desperate for the win than they were. 

The earth trembled, and Leyon appeared in the distant horizon of the flat lands, raising his sword and his army surging forward with a thunderous roar. Magical energy crackled across the battlefield as spells and counter-spells collided in a dazzling display of power as the first wave of distant attacks, followed by thousands of arrows that covered the sky dark. 

Boom!

Queen Trinity, a master of Air elemental magic, summoned a fierce gale, attempting to scatter Leyon's front lines. But Leyon, in a deft motion, commanded his wizard battalion beside him to erect a shimmering barrier, deflecting the gushing, sharp winds.

"You damn wastrels! Just when the world knew peace, you had to raise your heads!" King Highland wasn't having any of it and went in like a boulder, jumping deep behind the enemy lines slashing his massive sword, and cutting men in half like they were made of butter. 

He was like a behemoth in his war armor, creating chaos and panic. No matter what, the soldiers from the West were still humans. At the same time, they hadn't seen any large-scale battles during their campaign in the West, since all the kingdoms simply surrendered. 

To them, the psychological effect was far more deadly. Even the slightest of injury made them cower in fear and stay down. 

"You want to conquer Sol with this pathetic excuse of an army?!" King Highland boomed. 

The same was the case in other places on the battlefield as the East Sol's army was far more experienced and proper. But despite the combined might of the four wizards, Leyon's forces advanced steadily because of their sheer numbers. His strategy was impeccable, and his warriors' discipline was unbreakable as they used themselves as meat shields. Leyon himself moved through the battlefield like a slithering snake, his command absolute.

Boom!

"A rune! Be careful!" Queen Trinity roared. "Noooo!"

But to their shock, King Highland fell all too suddenly. The Weeping Ghosts were too mysterious as a guild, and their assassination techniques were unknown. They trapped King Highland inside a rune formation. The King, no matter how much he struggled, was unable to free himself. 

At the start, there was a glimmer of hope for the coalition army. But the tide of battle seemed to turn ruthlessly in Leyon's favor. His army, a seemingly unstoppable force, pushed the allied forces back step by step, despite incurring heavy casualties. 

Queen Trinity was conflicted in fighting and saving her husband, while Elder Gideon was surrounded by two Grand Wizards. Isabella hadn't joined the battle directly as she wasn't a warrior wizard, but a healer. 

As the sun reached its peak, casting long shadows across the battlefield, it became clear that Leyon the Conqueror was living up to his name. The allied army, though fighting bravely and with all their might, couldn't stem the tide.

The grasslands, once a serene expanse, were now a witness to spilled blood—a place where the fate of kingdoms was being decided. The battle raged on, but Leyon's victory seemed more and more certain with each passing moment.

Tired, Queen Trinity fell to her knees while trying to help King Highland. Gideon Gracia, meanwhile, was stabbed with a dozen spears in his back by two Grand Wizards from Leyon's personal army. 

Dead bodies were littered everywhere, and painful groans of men echoed. Limbs were spread everywhere, entire spines exposed, beheaded bodies adorning the battlefield in crimson sheets. 

There was nothing the coalition forces could do. Leyon, unscathed, unbothered, and still not tired, eventually reached the backline where Isabella helplessly stood with a handful of other healers. 

"Queen Isabella Gracia, kneel, or die!" 

Isabella looked for some calming breaths, but she couldn't find any. Not a single Grand Wizard from Leyon's side was defeated. How? How did some upstart man win so easily? She couldn't find any answers. 

"What will happen to my Kingdom?" She inquired. 

"Nothing," Leyon announced. "You will simply become a vassal of me—Emperor Leyon."

"What about me?" 

Leyon saluted her in the way of the church. "You are a noble lady, a newlywed. Your honor is as important to me as my own. You will remain a queen but under my rule." 

The choice was simple. But she only felt her mouth going dry. She wanted to accept the terms, not wanting to die so young. But at the same time, she felt like this would be betraying her people. 

"Make a decision, Queen Isabella." 

"I…"

…

Holy Land

Sylvester received the report from Saint Seer, Lazark, right away. Gabriel also stood there, biting his nails and worrying about the future of the world, as Sylvester constantly refused to take any action. 

"Your Holiness, please do something." Gabriel requested, pleading almost. "You defeated Masan, so why are you allowing another Empire to form? It's a challenge to your authority." 

Sylvester didn't reply and kept reading the report. "So Leyon won?"

"Yes, he won!" Gabriel repeated. 

"Good," said Sylvester, leaving Saint Seer and Saint Wazir speechless. 

_________________

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