Narikin Takes Office as Pope

Narikin had cleared every trial required to become Pope, and so it was settled that he would indeed become Pope.

Honestly, you couldn't help but ask, "Are you serious?" Yet his approval rating among the people was abnormally high, and even the High Priest, who should have headed the opposing faction, no longer raised a single word of objection. Just like that, an utterly flawless papal inauguration ceremony was set to go ahead.

The papal inauguration ceremony was a rite meant to demonstrate a 'conclusion' to the factions that had worn themselves out fighting within the Church of the Light God.

Unlike the unveiling (the kind where you show off to the people, so to speak), this was a rite held privately, attended only by the relevant parties within the church.

From this point on, there would be no more acts of terrorism or the like. Anyone who tried, regardless of faction, would face sanctions from the entire Church of the Light God under its new regime, atoning for it with their life.

They had fought enough, and now it was settled. So obey. This is the winner.

That was the flavor of the rite, and now that it had been decided, the sooner it was carried out, the better.

Besides, by the time Narikin had come up as a papal candidate, there was already almost no strength left for fighting, and given the people's approval rating, there could be no one but Narikin. It was a foregone conclusion.

In the solemn grand cathedral, with light pouring down through the colored panes of the stained glass, the three High Priests who had overseen the trials stood before Narikin, while Narikin knelt on one knee with his hands clasped.

Every last bit of the attending priests' attention was gathered there.

"— O wise one who has accomplished all the trials, Narikin Greyarm. Here and now, we recognize you as the new Pope."

"Yes, sir."

All three High Priests lifted the hat with their left hands and held it steady, and the papal hat was set upon Narikin's head.

Narikin Greyarm. That was the new Pope's name. A holy name to be inscribed in the history of the Holy Kingdom and the Church of the Light God.

Narikin had never had a family name to begin with, but for a Pope to have none simply wouldn't do. And so it was decided he would go by Greyarm.

Originally, since his cover story was that he was Kehma's younger brother, he had wanted to be Narikin Golen, but that would have made the connection to Golen Village glaringly obvious, so after slurring it heavily, it came out as 'Greyarm.'

It had drifted quite far from the original, but Narikin could now boldly call himself Greyarm, a branch family of his Master Kehma — such was the setting in Narikin's head — and so he was in high spirits, which made him look almost as if he were delighted at having taken office as Pope.

"Strive to bring no shame upon the Light God."

"Offer the Light God your gratitude and your joy."

"Devote your very life to the Light God."

"… Yes, sir!"

The three High Priests stepped back, and Narikin rose to his feet, slowly looking out over the priests.

"I am the new Pope. … I look forward to working with you all."

Still silent, the priests bowed their heads as one.

And so Pope Narikin was born.

— In truth, a Pope who was a monster and a spy was an unprecedented thing. … Then again, the previous Pope had likewise been a monster, kin of the Dark God in his true form, so in a sense this might have been perfectly in keeping with precedent.

Be that as it may, among the children born this year and onward, a fair number would surely be given the name Narikin, or some variation of it.

Because a Pope is that kind of special existence.

 

＊ ＊ ＊

 

The tiresome rite over, Narikin shook off the Saintess and returned to the waiting room.

"New Pope, Narikin-sama. Thank you for your hard work."

"Mm."

As he opened the door, Naana greeted him with a sweet smile.

At the sound of her voice, Rokufa, who had been lounging comfortably on the sofa, snapped her eyes wide open.

"… Naana, wasn't this the scene where I, his wife, was supposed to be the one greeting him!?"

"You're fine just as you are, Madam Rokufa. You are the Madam, after all."

"Hm? Is that so?"

"Besides, you skipped the papal inauguration ceremony, so isn't it a bit late for that now?"

The papal inauguration ceremony was a solemn rite that only relevant parties could attend. That said, the wife was certainly a relevant party, and by rights she had every right to take part.

But Rokufa had declined to attend.

"… Weren't you the one who said, Naana, that there was a chance the grand cathedral might react to an 'angel'?"

"Well, yes. It never hurts to be cautious."

The grand unveiling would be a separate event, one that ought to be called the "Papal Unveiling Ceremony."

"If the Madam were ever found out to be an angel, then it wouldn't just be Narikin-sama's name; children with Rokufa-sama's name would surely increase too. An angel's name is one of the basic go-to sources for naming, after all."

"Is that how it works?"

"That's how it works. In fact, I hear there's already been a birth registration under the name Narikin?"

"… Hmm, knowing the name I received from my Master is being used by others leaves me with mixed feelings."

Narikin's face twisted, unable to decide whether it was a good thing or a bad one.

"If you dislike it, you could forbid it. As you are now, Narikin-sama, you have the authority to do so."

"Ah, no, there's no need to go that far. I'm sure Master would say the same."

If anything, the more widely Narikin's name was used, then even if a Narikin did something bad, it might get muddled with "Which Narikin are we talking about? What a disgrace," and slip through the cracks.

Of course, for the time being it would only be infants. He'd be more likely to end up on the receiving end of an embarrassing impression instead, like "Our little Narikin wet himself again."

"Come to think of it, what does 'Narikin' even mean in the first place?"

"Mm. According to Master, it apparently means 'one who became rich, a success, in a single generation.'"

"Oh-ho. Isn't that a splendid name? It seems like it'd catch on especially among commoners. By the way, where does Rokufa-sama's name come from?"

"Mine, like Rokuko-sama's, apparently means 695."

Naana tilted her head.

"…? Um, so, what does that mean exactly?"

"Yes. It means 695."

"… I see. In the Church of the Light God, what's valued is the origin, that is, the story behind a name, so Rokufa-sama's name seems a bit too simple to catch on."

"Hmm. That too leaves me, how should I put it… rather conflicted."

Even if she revealed herself to be an angel, as things stood she was at best 'Narikin's wife,' and hadn't really accomplished anything.

… It would have been a different story if she had at least done something on the order of 'guiding Narikin to the papacy.' But in the end, Narikin had become Pope while Rokufa's being an angel stayed hidden.

"I suppose the origin would end up being, at best, a wife who brings good fortune."

"! That's nice in its own way, just like Rokuko-sama."

"Hmm, then shall I try announcing at the 'unveiling' that Rokufa is an angel? Maybe I should ask Master."

"Ah, no. My race is a card that Master should play at the right moment. If he hasn't said anything in particular, then it means he wants to keep it under wraps for now."

"That's true as well."

Afterward, Narikin safely carried out the unveiling to the people, and the parade went off without a hitch as well.

Rokufa nestled at his side with a composed look, and as expected, for the time being it seemed she earned no evaluation beyond 'Narikin's wife.'

If anything, as a spy, Rokufa was the one doing it more correctly… no, the moment you stand out at all, the two of them were about even.