Bishop Mathers knelt with a smack the moment he saw Iver, before Iver could even come any closer.
His eyes shone with boundless brightness, and he was overjoyed. "I pay my respects to Pope Your Majesty—pay my respects to the Child of Candle Holder!"
"No, no... I'm not the Pope anymore."
Iver was startled. He hurried over and helped Bishop Mathers, who was bowing before him, to his feet. "You don't have to do this."
He had always respected this elder.
Not only because he had been Iver's guide on the Path of Dedication... but even more because he had helped Iver far too many times.
When Iver's parents had been murdered in the past, it was only because of Bishop Mathers's deterrence that Iver had survived. Being sent to the Orphanage, meeting Yulia, and being adopted by Old James... it could be said that "Iver's" entire life had been closely tied to Bishop Mathers.
Not to mention that Iver had been able to obtain the Book of Law first and completely eliminate Noble Red thanks in large part to Ms. Mina's prophecy. When Iver and Sherlock had faked their deaths one after another, it was also thanks to Mathers's shelter and protection that the plan could succeed.
It was said that the previous Pope had learned of Iver's circumstances through Mathers's report! Because of that, Iver had the chance to go to the Theocracy to study Advanced Divine Arts and become a Cardinal Bishop... He had even briefly become the Eternal Pope.
"But you are still the Child of Candle Holder."
Bishop Mathers's gaze was bright and firm. "I'm a coward... I don't have the courage to continue along the Dedication Path. I only want to be an ordinary person. I don't dare to keep abandoning my other feelings.