Chapter 620: Chapter 620: Oh Dear, Holy Crap, This Pope is Freaking Out
When the Pope passed by Corran's group, he saw the pink dragon.
"A dragon..." The Pope stopped, his gaze fixed on the creature. Dragons were indeed terrifying beings. Even as the Pope, he sometimes couldn't contend with them.
Their power was too formidable. It wasn't just one individual's power, but the terrifying might inherent in all giant dragons.
Corran stood protectively in front of her pet dragon, staring directly at the Pope. Even facing the head of the Church, she showed no fear.
Olivia, seeing the Pope stop before her friend, hurried over.
"Does the Dragon Clan know you keep a dragon as a pet?" the Pope inquired.
Sylph replied, "We found her."
The Pope said, "The Elves..."
Sylph responded, "Your Holiness, my mother is the Elven Queen."
She hoped that by revealing her mother's identity, the Pope would drop the matter.
Unfortunately...
She underestimated the Pope's worldly influence. The Elves were indeed a vast race, but compared to the Church of Light, they were still insignificant.
The Pope himself desired a dragon but had never acquired one. Before meeting Lin Fan, he was fearless. But now, he knew there existed someone named Lin Fan, a terrifying individual.
This experience had taught him to be cautious and thorough. He wouldn't act rashly without understanding the situation completely.
Olivia said, "Your Holiness, these are my friends from the Royal Academy. If they have offended you in any way, I hope you will forgive them."
The Pope replied, "No offense taken. I was merely curious. Who is she?" He gestured towards Thea.
Thea respectfully replied, "Your Holiness, I am Thea, the second daughter of the Grand Duke of the Diano family from the Lanyuan Empire."
"Oh, the Diano family. Your father has met me, though we are not well acquainted," the Pope stated.
His words clearly conveyed his status. Your father, a Grand Duke, has had the honor of meeting me, but I don't particularly remember him. After all, he's just a Grand Duke. If he were a King, perhaps I'd make more of an effort.
"And you, the young lady keeping a dragon without authorization, who are you?" the Pope inquired, not yet grasping the gravity of the situation, still believing his papal authority to be absolute.
Regardless of who they are, they should be respectful in my presence. What's a Grand Duke anyway?
In the Pope's eyes, they were no different from commoners.
Corran disliked the Pope, sensing he wasn't a good person. "I'm Corran, a farmer's daughter, a commoner in your eyes."
"A commoner?" The Pope seemed surprised, then chuckled. "A commoner dares to keep a dragon? Have you considered the consequences if the Dragon Clan finds out?"
But wait...
A farmer?
In the past, the word "farmer" wouldn't have fazed the Pope.
However, since meeting Lin Fan, he felt an inexplicable sense of dread associated with the term.
He felt a flicker of panic.
Stay calm! Don't panic.
Corran explained, "We found her on the road. If we hadn't rescued her, she might have been eaten by wild beasts."
The dragon behind Corran bared its fangs at the Pope, as if wanting to roar and unleash a small breath of dragonfire to incinerate him.
"Hmm, that makes sense," the Pope's tone shifted abruptly, nodding as if in agreement with Corran. "You have a master-servant contract. Dragons rarely agree to such contracts."
Olivia added, "Your Holiness, Corran didn't initiate the contract. The young dragon offered it after hatching."
The Pope had already suspected as much. Hearing Olivia's words, his heart trembled.
He could tell at a glance that this young dragon was no ordinary dragon. Possessing all elemental affinities and astonishing magical talent, and found as an egg in the wilderness? Frankly, it was impossible.
Even if a dragon laid eggs outside of Dragon Island and encountered danger, it would use all its magic to send the eggs back, not abandon them.
Moreover, if a powerful being were involved, the egg wouldn't be left alone; it would have been taken.
There was only one possibility: someone deliberately left the egg there. And the master-servant contract was intentional on the dragon's part.
He didn't believe any dragon would willingly enter a master-servant contract without coercion.
The only one capable of such a feat...
He was getting closer to the truth.
The Pope recalled Lin Fan's words about having a daughter who needed schooling, taking a thousand gold coins from him. Such a significant expense pointed towards an academy.
The timeline matched.
The Pope felt a surge of anxiety.
Stay calm.
"I see. You, a farmer's daughter, are a dual magic and martial cultivator with exceptional talent. Your father must be a remarkable man to have raised such an outstanding child," the Pope remarked, his tone softening considerably.
Olivia was bewildered by the Pope's sudden change in demeanor. He had been furious moments ago, and now he was acting amiable, making the scene feel surreal.
Hearing her father praised, Corran felt a surge of pride and happiness. Her earlier resentment towards the Pope vanished.
"Your Holiness, my father is indeed remarkable. He raised me and allowed me to leave the village to study. I can never repay his kindness."
In the distance, Kailon watched, still clinging to a sliver of hope. The Pope must be reprimanding them. Yes, that's it. Go, Pope, teach these wenches a lesson for stealing my title.
He glanced at his mother, who nodded in agreement. I'm thinking the same thing.
If anyone could change the situation, it was the Pope.
He waited patiently, expecting things to go his way.
"Such a remarkable father deserves everyone's admiration. Could you tell me your father's name?" the Pope inquired. This was what he truly wanted to know.
"No," Corran shook her head.
"Why not?" the Pope asked.
"My father is just an ordinary farmer. I can't tell others his name. Even if I offend someone in the future, I won't implicate him."
The Pope smiled, but inside, he was frantic. Damn it, just tell me the name! I need to know to proceed.
"Then, can you tell me your full name? I wish to remember such a talented child," the Pope said.
"My name is Lin Corran..."
Boom!
The Pope felt as if his head had exploded, struck by lightning.
The surname "Lin" was uncommon. He hadn't encountered it before, at least not recently.
That terrifying man also had the surname Lin.
There were too many similarities.
Even without her saying it, he knew this girl was Lin Fan's daughter.
Oh dear! Damn it! How did this happen? Not only is she here, but I've also antagonized her. This is complicated.
Stay calm! I must remain calm.
"A fine name. I hope to see you among the ranks of future powerhouses. As for your previous explanation, I understand. This young dragon avoided danger thanks to you. Even the Dragon Clan would be grateful."
"Really?" Corran asked. She had been worried, but the Pope's words eased her concerns. Being reassured by such an important figure brought comfort.
The Pope affirmed, "Yes, truly. I am the Pope. I know more than you do. Although the Dragon Clan is powerful and domineering, they are not unreasonable. You've raised this young dragon for a while. Has any dragon come looking for you?"
"No."
"There you have it. Even with a master-servant contract, if the dragon hadn't agreed willingly, the Dragon Clan would have sensed it. Since that hasn't happened, it means the young dragon is fine under your care."
"Thank you, Your Holiness, for clarifying."
Hearing this, the Pope panicked inwardly. My dear girl, young miss, please don't call me "Your Holiness." Just call me Pope. If your father finds out, our friendship will be affected.
However, he maintained his composure. He knew Lin Fan wanted to remain inconspicuous, so he refrained from further conversation with Corran, instead turning to chat amiably with the other three girls.
His friendliness felt almost unreal.
This tactic was called diversion. He didn't want them to think he was deliberately fawning over someone. He wanted them to see him as a kind and approachable Pope.
After all, I am the Pope. I need to maintain my image. Since your father isn't here, I must play my part.
The current situation was messy.
He had openly expressed his displeasure with the Grand Duke's decision, and now his daughter was friends with the Grand Duke's daughter. He, the Pope, was caught in the middle, looking bad either way.
He had to turn the situation around.
Otherwise, things would become very difficult, impacting his own standing.
Having thought this through, the Pope smiled and nodded at them, then turned back to continue towards the Grand Duke.
Kailon, witnessing this, nearly jumped for joy. The Pope is finally taking action! He'll use his absolute authority to force the Grand Duke to relinquish the title to me. Even the King wouldn't dare disobey.
With this thought, Kailon grinned foolishly, victory seemingly within his grasp.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone