Chapter 109: Guests Overpowering the Host (Patreon)

Just after Rudeus and his party met Roxy, as they continued toward the capital of the Milis Holy Kingdom…

The news that Magic God Rudeus and Dragon God Orsted had been enshrined as Honorary Popes by the Pope of the Milis Holy Kingdom, and that the Alliance of the Righteous had been defined as an eternal ally…

…slowly fermented across the entire Milis Holy Kingdom, and gradually reached a great many people.

Some were delighted. Some were pleased. But some were furious and displeased.

Whatever they felt, though… none of them could stand against the Pope's command this time.

And this time!!! It was no longer purely the Pope's command. The entire upper echelon of the Milis Holy Kingdom favored it.

Because on that day… after the terrifying nuclear blast was unleashed above the capital of the Milis Holy Kingdom, it even punched a hole through the sky!!!

Everyone understood one thing: Magic God Rudeus is absolutely not to be provoked!!!

There's not much that can restrain him… not much that can limit him!!! His temperament is even extremely wicked, and he believes himself supreme!!! A man willing to do almost anything must never be made an enemy!!!

And that isn't even counting… that beside Magic God Rudeus stands Dragon God Orsted.

So!!! Whether people liked it or not, they had to make sure never to become Rudeus's enemy!!!

This was an absolute, unquestionable unspoken rule!!! The moment anyone made a move, everyone else would tear that target to shreds for the sake of their own interests!!!

And so… even though it was a shocking announcement, once His Holiness the Pope had made it, it did not stir up any kind of riot. At most, some commoners and adventurers who couldn't stomach it opened their mouths to curse a few times.

Meanwhile… as Magic God Rudeus was enshrined as an Honorary Pope of the Milis Holy Kingdom, spies from other countries hurried to report the matter to the upper echelons of their homelands.

And in response to the Milis Holy Kingdom's announcement, no one and no country was willing to be the first to speak out against it.

After all… that dazzling explosion above the capital of the Milis Holy Kingdom—was it really meant only for the Milis Holy Kingdom?? That blast was a warning to every country in the world!!! Magic God Rudeus was declaring his absolute strength!!!

Under such circumstances, who dared say a word against it? Who would be the first to jump out?? Weren't they afraid that what happened over the head of the Milis Holy Kingdom's capital would be replayed over their own royal capitals??

So… none of the countries, large or small, and not even the Asura Kingdom, the world's foremost power where Rudeus was born, made any response to Magic God Rudeus. It was as if nothing had happened. Or as if everyone had already tacitly accepted Magic God Rudeus's absolute standing!!!

Before they knew it… Rudeus and his party finally arrived at the capital of the Milis Holy Kingdom.

The Pope, having received word of their coming, had a road cleared outright to keep any brainless idiots from running into them on the way. And to give Rudeus and the Dragon God even more face, and to show how highly the Milis Church valued the two of them…

…the Pope personally brought a full retinue of senior officials and welcomed Rudeus and his party not far from the gate through which Rudeus would enter the Milis capital.

From the moment they met, he gave them plenty of face, delivering a string of beautifully polished pleasantries. They declared the Milis Church's good standing and expressed its respect for Rudeus and the Dragon God, and they hoped that Rudeus and the Dragon God would treat the place as their own home.

They all but said it outright: "Big Brother, you're awesome. Mind if we follow you?"

Faced with such blunt displays of allegiance from the Pope and his people, Rudeus naturally couldn't bring himself to slap anyone in the face. He accepted with an equally warm smile, and was then escorted by the Pope and the crowd of senior officials to the residence of Carlisle, his maternal grandfather.

At the door, naturally, stood Carlisle, waiting to welcome Rudeus and his party. Beside him were his wife Claire, Rudeus's grandmother, and Rudeus's father Paul, along with Lilia. Behind them stood a group of beautiful maids.

After a few more words, the Pope led his officials and the high-spirited Temple Knights around them away with long strides.

That left only Rudeus's family, quietly looking at one another.

No matter how much Carlisle and Paul had prepared beforehand, facing Rudeus and the Dragon God in person was another matter. Seeing the Pope and the upper echelon in a state close to groveling had been especially hard, and the pressure weighed on both men like a mountain.

But standing there staring at each other forever wasn't proper either. Just as Carlisle was about to speak, Rudeus got in first, smiling.

"You're my grandfather, Carlisle, aren't you?"

Carlisle nodded heavily and smiled. "Yes, I am. Come to think of it, this is the first time I've ever seen you, Rudeus."

Rudeus nodded with a smile. "It is for me too, Grandfather. I passed through the capital of the Milis Holy Kingdom before and meant to stop by, but things got in the way. So now, at last, we meet."

"Your business must have been more important," Carlisle said with a smile. "It's fine on my end. I'm always here, so come whenever you like. Now that you're here, let's get you inside and sitting down."

With a nod, Rudeus followed Carlisle into the courtyard, smiling and nodding at Paul and Lilia as he passed.

Then… Carlisle led him straight through to a vast reception hall. He gestured. "Rudeus, please have a seat, you and your companions."

"Sure," Rudeus said with a smile. "Then Grandfather and Father, please sit as well."

As he spoke, Rudeus sat down quite naturally on the soft sofa.

Seeing this… the Dragon God, Eris and the other girls sat down after Rudeus.

Once Rudeus and the others were seated, Carlisle and his family also sat on the sofa opposite them, all smiles.

By rights, Carlisle was the host here, and he should have been the one to steer the proceedings. From the start, Rudeus had intended to give this grandfather he was meeting for the first time some face and let the old man take the lead. But seeing the other so flustered and under so much pressure, he decided not to stand on ceremony.

And since he had already taken the lead when they first met, taking it a second time now was only natural.

Once Carlisle and the others had settled, Rudeus asked with a smile, straight out:

"I heard my father received some rather poor treatment here at first??"

Carlisle: "!!???"