Chapter 131

Cyrus planned a large area for planting bamboo in the Yami Kingdom. In the future, this place will grow into a lush bamboo forest—a reserve of Rollie food.

098 didn't bring back a lot of bamboo seedlings.

He plans to cultivate them here first, and then transport some bamboo seedlings to Visas to see if they can be planted in the north as well. After all, 098 brought back quite a few types of bamboo to make the food more palatable for the panda cubs.

Although Cyrus decided to put the matter of the Linobili Flower out of her mind, she couldn't help but wonder what the Pope meant by sending those flowers whenever she saw him...

He didn't want to ask directly.

It wasn't that he was embarrassed, but rather that he was afraid His Holiness the Pope would notice something...

In case he truly misunderstood, and His Holiness the Pope simply gave him a bouquet of flowers casually, just as he would often give gifts in the past.

--This bouquet of Linobili Flower is no different from those other gifts.

But he went and asked the Pope if he knew the meaning of the Linobili Flower... No normal man would ask that.

Would a normal man overthink this? No.

After all, male-male relationships are considered a sin by the Holy See.

As the head of the Holy See, the Pope's thoughts should best represent those of the Holy See —in short, Cyrus's opinion is that His Holiness the Pope could never possibly like men.

If he rashly inquired and inadvertently revealed something in his words that the Pope noticed...

His little secret, which he's kept hidden for years, shouldn't be revealed before the Plot Deviation Value 100!

He didn't want to end up with an unavoidable death.

Cyrus reassured himself—after all, he was only sixteen years old. Although people on the Western Continent reached adulthood at fourteen, he had always considered eighteen as the standard for adulthood.

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So forget about it... just pretend nothing happened.

After that, he put aside the troubles that Linobili Flower had brought him. After all, dealing with the reconstruction plan of the Yami Kingdom and the surrounding small countries and territories occupied half of Cyrus's thoughts, while the other half was occupied by the furry creatures. His troubles were instantly squeezed out of place.

Until he left the Yami Kingdom and returned to his territory, His Holiness the Pope did not send him a second bouquet of Linobili Flower, nor did he offer any other gesture...

Cyrus thought that he was really... probably overthinking it.

When he left, the people of the Yami Kingdom spontaneously came to the bay to see him off.

This scene was completely different from when Cyrus first came to the Yami Kingdom. This time, the faces of the people of the Yami Kingdom shone with a light called hope. He believed that when he came again next time, Yami would be a completely new place.

The journey from Yami back to Visas took place on the waters near the Cogit Sea. En route, Qing Tuan flew to the Saint Church of the Saint Airo Empire and brought back a letter from the Cardinal.

Cyrus and the Pope stood on the deck, while Qing Tuan stood on the ship's railing, holding a piece of meat that Cyrus had fed it in its mouth. After a while, it was full and began to circle and hover in the blue sky above the fleet.

Cyrus wiped her hands with a cloth and asked about the situation described in His Holiness the Pope's letter, "The Bia Kingdom should have already broken away from its status as a vassal state of the Saint Airo Empire."

Segalot: "Indeed."

"The empire remains in chaos. While the bandits on the borders have been dealt with, bandits still exist in other regions, and some of the changes brought about by the Black Death are sometimes irreversible."

Cyrus wholeheartedly agreed.

Compared to other places, the impact of the Black Death on the Desinia Territory was still within a manageable range, but the situation was still not to be ignored.

There are always some areas he hasn't fully considered, such as the borders of the Desinia Territory.

Although it wasn't conquered by bandits like the empire, it was a region ravaged by the Black Death, resulting in a high death toll. And death often leads to numerous tragedies: orphans left destitute, the elderly, those who have lost their husbands as the pillars of their families, those who have lost their loved ones...

A new census plan must be carried out throughout the Desinia Territory, the situation of each city must be investigated and statistically analyzed, the shipping route from the Visas Harbor to Yami must be determined, the Yami Kingdom and the surrounding small countries and territories must be renamed, and mayors and officials must be dispatched to be stationed there.

The bird-beaked doctor's reputation had spread widely, and upon his return, he would prepare for the establishment of a hospital and other matters, followed by...

The fluffy texture suddenly interrupted Cyrus's thoughts.

He turned his head and saw that Snowball had somehow brought Rollie over with it in its mouth, and the one that had just touched the back of his hand was Rollie's paw.

"Hmm~"

The panda cub whimpered and slowly rubbed its limbs, its round black ears twitching, and its dark eyes looking upwards.

Just as Cyrus was about to hug Rollie, His Holiness the Pope scooped him up in his arms first, with practiced ease.

Snowball seemed to be just delivering the Rollie over. After Segalot took it, the big white tiger with black stripes flicked its tail and left.

Panda cubs eat a lot and are not light in weight.

But His Holiness the Pope could easily lift it up with one arm, and still had plenty of strength left, while his other hand gently squeezed the cub's black paw pads.

Sharp claws protrude from the paw pads.

"Hmm~"

The panda cub made a soft, squeaking sound and waved its paws unhappily. It even kicked the Pope's arm with one paw. Then, the cub tried to roll over, grabbing at the Pope's clothes and starting to move around.

Segalot's eyes were unreadable. Then he pulled the panda cub up by its bottom so that it could sit on his shoulder, and the cub finally calmed down.

Why is it called "Rollie"?

Cyrus: "Because... I like to roll around."

Seeing the Pope begin to scrutinize the infant in his arms again, he asked, referring to the current situation of the Saint Airo Empire, "Your Majesty, don't you want to return to the Empire and see how the Saint Church is doing?"

"The Saint Airo Empire is in such chaos. Although the Saint Church is located in the royal city, there are churches in other parts of the empire, so it's inevitable that it will be affected..."

"You don't seem too worried?" Cyrus asked.

Archbishop Paul was originally accompanying His Holiness the Pope, but before leaving the Yami Kingdom, he took another ship back to the Saint Airo Empire.

Because the two cardinals had urged the Pope to return to the Saint Church.

But in the end, all that happened was that Archbishop Paul left.

Cyrus tried to stop herself from overthinking, but that subtle feeling kept rising in her heart, which she then forcibly suppressed and ignored.

Segalot asked, "What are you worried about?"

Cyrus: "What if the Saint Airo Empire one day ceases to exist, just like the Anas Empire?"

What will happen to the Saint Church?

No nation can exist forever, especially since the current Saint Airo Empire is not as glorious as it once was.

"Do you care about the survival of the Saint Airo Empire?"

Cyrus asked a series of questions, seemingly only out of curiosity.

Upon hearing this, Segalot chuckled lightly, "Why should I care about the survival of the Saint Airo Empire?"

"As for the Saint Church, as long as the glory of the Creator God remains and the Holy See endures, the Saint Church can be built in the Empire, or naturally, elsewhere."

"The empire prospers because of the Holy See, but the Holy See will not decline because of the empire."

Segalot spoke casually, his expression unchanged. Although he was hailed as being favored by the Creator God, he didn't necessarily hold much respect for the Creator God in his heart.

The Holy See is not a necessary existence for Segalot, nor is it a shackle binding him; there will come a day when the Holy See's existence hinders his thoughts.

Segalot was willing to make sweeping changes that would shake up the Holy See.

Just as the entire Holy See held Segalot in high esteem and awe, no one could fathom his thoughts. He possessed the natural majesty of a superior, both domineering and powerful.

Of course, if His Holiness the Pope didn't have a chubby black and white ball of flesh moving around on his body.

Cyrus felt that the image of His Holiness the Pope, coupled with these words, would resonate even more deeply with people.

The panda cub kept fidgeting and whimpering, seemingly hungry again.

Segalot raised an eyebrow in confusion. "I remember this cub just ate something."

The food hasn't been fully digested yet.

Cyrus asked Judas to take out an empty baby bottle for Rollie to hold and play with.

This baby bottle is a wooden bottle that he developed in the Yami Kingdom, with the bottle mouth made of rubber. Coincidentally, he discovered a forest of rubber trees growing in a territory to the south.

The production and manufacturing of baby bottles will form an industrial chain in and around the Yami Kingdom.

After Judas took Rollie away...

Cyrus asked casually, "If you don't care about the survival of the Saint Airo Empire, nor whether the Saint Church will be affected, then what do you care about?"

Segalot: "There aren't many things I care about."

"There was almost none before."

"But now... there's something that's constantly on my mind, and this experience is novel and captivating."

Cyrus: "Are you addicted?"

Segalot smiled, her golden eyes fixed on the person opposite her. "I think so."

I'm becoming addicted to it, letting myself go, and gradually losing control.

"Is it related to... what you want to do?" Cyrus asked sharply.

Does that concern me?

He suddenly had this thought and looked intently at His Holiness the Pope.

A salty sea breeze blew, lifting a strand of hair that fell over the Pope's shoulder, the hair brushing against his cheek, and then across his rosy lips.

Cyrus grew even taller during her time in the Yami Kingdom.

A thought suddenly struck him.

Then, under the Pope's unusually surprised gaze, she raised her hand and gently lifted that strand of hair, then, just as she had done when she was a child, placed the unruly strand of hair behind His Holiness the Pope.

However, slightly differently, Cyrus deliberately brushed the Pope's cheek with her fingertips as if it were unintentional.

Segalot raised an eyebrow.

Cyrus, her expression unchanged, calmly asked, "What's wrong?"

He even tilted his head innocently, conveying his confusion. That strand of hair was gone, but there were other strands of hair being blown by the wind.

Cyrus reached out again.

Segalot intercepted him, taking his hand in his palm, his golden eyes narrowing slightly as he scrutinized him.

Cyrus remained calm and composed, her expression unchanged.

Finally, Segalot laughed, his deep, magnetic voice emanating from his chest. He didn't speak, but slowly and deliberately traced the back of Cyrus's hand with his fingertips...

Seemingly unintentional, the atmosphere suddenly changed.

Cyrus abruptly pulled her hand away, her ear tips, hidden beneath her hair, flushed red, and her heart pounded...

Segalot: "What's wrong?"

Cyrus: "No... it's nothing, it's just windy, let's go inside the cabin."

After he finished speaking, he turned and left.