Chapter 291 Shocked
As the night waned, the morning sun from the artificial sky gradually painted the augmented reality sky with hues of dawn. In the soft light of the new day, Penthesilea lay soundly asleep, covered only by a blanket, beside Daniel. The aftermath of their intense connection from the previous night lingered in the air. The room was serene, with only the quiet sounds of the underground city echoing in the distance, marking the arrival of a new day.
"Ugh…I'm such a bastard…" Daniel, already awake for some time, admonished himself with a long sigh. He then turned to look at Penthesilea's sleeping face before gently stroking her hair.
Checking the time, he realized it was already 8 AM, and it should be the time for the doctor to come checking on him.
"Hey… Penty… wake up. Get ready; the doctor is going to be here soon." Daniel shook Penthesilea, trying to wake her up.
"Ah.. My lord… at once…" Penthesilea said and quickly found her clothes scattered around the room.
Daniel urged her to wear her clothes, not because he minded being seen with her or cared about rumors but to protect her modesty. Penthesilea was essentially his wife now.
Creak….
Just as they were getting ready, the door creaked open. A black-haired man with a priest cossack and long trench coat was about to enter – Christopher Ward, the Grand Paladin of the Vatican Secret Exterminator Unit.
Whoosh!
"Whoa!!!" Christopher ducked down instinctively as a fruit knife flew over his head and embedded into the wall behind him.
"For fuck's sake! What was that for!?" Christopher protested, showing a middle finger at Daniel, who had thrown the knife.
"Oh… it's you. I thought it was a demon." Daniel blandly lied, throwing the knife at Christopher because he didn't want him to see Penthesilea's naked body. Right now, it was safe since Penthesilea had already escaped to the restroom along with nearly all of her clothes.
"You lied through your teeth just now! You think those demons would be able to enter your base!?" Christopher retorted. The door to the restroom opened, revealing Penthesilea with a blush on her face and her clothes hastily put on, not as neat as usual.
Christopher noticed a strange smell in the room, akin to someone having pissed on raw tuna or something similar. He looked at Daniel with a knowing smile, commenting, "You seem too energetic for a person who just woke up from exhaustion."
"Sigh…" Daniel sighed and used the console beside his bed to open the large panoramic window, letting the 'stale' air out of the room. Observing Daniel's calm reaction and lack of concern about being seen with Penthesilea, in stark contrast to his earlier attempt to kill him, Christopher realized something.
"Ah, I see now… You don't mind being seen in a relationship with her, but you just didn't want me to see her naked. You seem to have just finished the deed before I came in. Sorry, Magitek, I didn't know about that," Christopher apologized, but his shark-like grin suggested he wasn't very sorry.
"Why should I mind being in a relationship with the former queen of the Amazons herself? There's nothing to be ashamed of," Daniel responded, bringing a bright smile to Penthesilea's face as she looked toward her lord.
"Wait… are you serious? That Penthesilea? In the Trojan war? The one that Achilles…" Christopher tried to continue but stopped abruptly as he sensed killing intent from both Daniel and Penthesilea directed at him.
"Choose your next words carefully, Father Ward. I consider you my friend, but that doesn't mean you won't lose a layer of skin if you speak something you shouldn't have," Daniel warned with a cold tone.
"I mean… kill, and that's about it." Christopher changed his words, not wanting trouble with Daniel over such a trivial matter, and realizing he had crossed a line.
"So… your killing intent is real when I mention Achilles," Christopher looked at Penthesilea. "You're really that Penthesilea… no one would be pissed off like this when mentioning the Achilles of the Trojan war like the real Penthesilea."
Christopher then looked carefully at Daniel.
"You resurrect a bonafide hero during the Era of God! If you can do it, Can you also resurrect some saints for the Vatican too?" Christopher asked, attempting to see if Daniel could do a favor for the Vatican.
Daniel looked carefully at Christopher and asked, "Didn't you recently resurrect Saint Joan D'arc? Why did you need me for that?"
"What the hell are you talking about? We, the Vatican can't resurrect the dead. The only organization researching this is the Hightower. And the one crazy enough to do it is your magekind," Christopher retorted, confused by what Daniel implied.
Daniel detected no lie from Christopher. Either the Vatican didn't really resurrect Saint Joan D'arc, or they kept it a secret from Christopher. However, Daniel had a feeling that it was the latter, considering the Sanguinis clan had confiscated the saint's blood from their traitor, and upon inspection, found it to be fresh. There was no way it was from Joan D'arc during the 100 Years' War.
"Father Ward, can I ask you something? Is the Vatican currently in some kind of power struggle, vying for power?" Daniel inquired.
"Ah, that… it should be the Cardinal faction. He wants to be the new Pope, but the Pope doesn't like him because of his close association with the Hightower," Christopher explained.
"And what about you? You're mingling with my people and even helping us defend against demons. Aren't you a little too close to mages like me?" Daniel asked.
"Nah, I don't think so. You and your people are not the Hightower, and you also have a beef with them. Plus, you can use miracles through faith, I mean, your so-called faith-based magic. Just like us, I see no problem in associating with you," Christopher explained his point of view.
"Why do you ask? Are you implying that the Cardinal did something stupid behind our Pope's back?" Christopher questioned.
"Yeah," Daniel nodded. "You better watch your back since you seem to side with the Pope," he warned.
"I think we don't need to. The Vatican Secret Exterminator Unit always serves the Pope, whoever they may be. I don't think the Cardinal will be stupid enough to provoke us.
"Sigh… okay, if you say so," Daniel sighed and then continued, "Enough about Vatican politics. Why are you here? You're not just checking up on me, right?" Daniel asked.
"That's right. Other than checking up on you, there's something else," Christopher said, then turned back to the door to pick up something he forgot in the hallway.
Then, Christopher returned with an animal cage typically used for bringing pets to the vet. Inside, there was a yellow iguana that seemed to glare angrily at Daniel.
"What is this? Your new pet?" asked Daniel, pointing at the yellow iguana that Christopher brought in.
"Fuck you, Magitek! I'm not someone's pet!" the iguana suddenly roared in anger, speaking in a voice that was somehow small and quite comical, reminiscent of the voice of some comedy star.
"Fuck me… The Vatican has a talking iguana!?" Daniel was completely impressed, as it was the first time he met a talking iguana.
"Nah, not the Vatican. This is our old friend, Mammon. He lost his power and became like this after you plundered all of his hell's wealth. I guess this is his form when he needs to conserve his energy," explained Christopher.
"I see, just like the phone battery saving mode," Daniel said, touching his chin in understanding, then asked, "That's right, what happened after I'm out?"
"Well, a lot of things happened. First, all the demons that are not dead lost all of their power and retreated back to hell, closing the hell gate themselves, leaving their former master here," Christopher explained, then looked disdainfully at Mammon, who was now no different than a normal yellow iguana.
"Then, there's news I think, m'lord needs to see for himself," Penthesilea added as she picked up a TV remote and turned on the TV.
The morning news broadcast painted a lively picture of Japan, a nation poised on the edge of opening its borders to the world. The atmosphere buzzed with anticipation and excitement as the country geared up for a momentous event. In the midst of this significant occasion, the news anchor conveyed the unfolding developments with contagious enthusiasm.
News Anchor: "Good morning, everyone! Today, we bring you the latest updates from the Land of the Rising Sun. Japan is on the cusp of a new era as it opens its borders to the world! The atmosphere here is electrifying, and the anticipation is palpable."
The scenes shifted to portray bustling streets, cherry blossoms in full bloom, and people immersed in their daily lives.
News Anchor: "But that's not all; we have a special announcement that has captured the nation's attention. Our new Shogun, Nobunari Hojo, is set to tie the knot with Princess Koyuki Tokugawa, the sole princess of the former Shogun from the esteemed Tokugawa clan!"
Cutting to footage of the regal couple, the broadcast captured the essence of their impending union.
News Anchor: "This union marks a significant moment in our history, symbolizing unity and the forging of new alliances. The love between Shogun Hojo and Princess Koyuki has already captured the hearts of the nation."
The news report unfolded, offering glimpses of the royal couple's public appearances, interactions with the people, and the preparations for the grand celebration.
The revelation proved to be more than surprising for Daniel; it was a shock that left him breathless. The magnitude of the news hit him to the core, rendering him momentarily stunned by the unexpected turn of events.
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