As the Pope's words fell, Yanile's face suddenly went pale. The aura around him fell into violent disarray, and the faint holy light surrounding his body abruptly guttered out completely.
Deep within his heart, something that had once remained constant suddenly developed enormous cracks.
A thread of blood glimmering with white holy light trickled from the corner of his mouth, staining the fingers he raised in confusion. Against his pale skin, it looked especially shocking.
Facing this scene, the Pope merely calmly watched the struggling Yanile. Some inscrutable meaning surged within his eyes, which glimmered with white holy light, as though he were waiting for something.
Gradually, as time passed, Yanile's gaze slowly calmed, and a trace of determination rose once more from the depths of his eyes.
Pale white holy light emerged from his body again. It seemed no different from before, yet it also seemed to possess some fundamental distinction.
"How do you feel at this moment?"
Seeing this change, anticipation immediately flashed through the Pope's eyes.
"...No different."
Letting out a soft breath, Yanile looked at his hands and answered quietly.
"Good! Very good!"
At last, Saint Messiah III's face showed satisfaction upon hearing this.
"Though you were struck by the truth, it did not touch the foundation of your faith. What you truly believe in is not 'God,' but light.
Even if this Crystal Stone were to disappear now, it would not affect you too greatly, because faith would still remain.
And that is the most crucial requirement for becoming the Pope!"
"Becoming the Pope?"
Hearing the Pope's words, Yanile was startled once more.
"Your Holiness, what do you mean?"
"There is no need to worry. In our position, there are many secrets we must know. Even if we do not wish to know them, everything