Starting with the defeated female knight

"It's that simple."

Similarly, it is based on this simple idea.

After deciding to temporarily coexist peacefully with the Empire, the Blood Order shifted its focus to a new round of industrialization.

After all, most of the people in the cult joined because of the impact of the last industrialization.

Even the leader of the order, Wendetta, founded the Blood Order because of the tragedies caused by industrialization.

In addition, not long after the last round of industrialization, the Empire's industrialization PTSD had not yet healed, and they were filled with fear of the factories under construction.

To prevent a recurrence of the tragedy, the Blood Order shifted its focus to the renewed industrialization.

The intention was good.

The execution was even better.

In a sense, their behavior replaced the spinning top with tentacles.

Originally, because of the various orders and their execution that were carried out with less emphasis after leaving the capital, they immediately became much more restrained after being stared at by this group of red-haired guys.

Whether subjectively or objectively, it has achieved quite good results.

Even at the very end, seeing that they were doing quite well, Tentacle secretly gave them another hint.

The income from the cult alone probably isn't enough to live on.

[Besides, since you were supposed to supervise the factory anyway, why don't you just go and work there yourself?]

While working, you can also spread your doctrines, recruit workers, and form various mutual aid organizations.

One person's strength is indeed small, but what about a group of people?

[So you had no bloodline before, but now you have a miracle of blood!]

[With this kind of combined power, even noble families would have to think twice, right?]

Admittedly, I also know that similar things, when developed to a certain extent, will mostly lose their original meaning.

But everything takes time.

Not to mention that the noble families are still around, and after Green's bloodline modification surgery, they have all been strengthened.

In this situation, creating a counterbalancing force would benefit both sides.

And most importantly.

This will also reduce his workload a bit.

Of course, the Blood Order wasn't the only one taking action.

While almost everything in the empire was slowly changing.

The church, which had acted most humanely throughout the conflict, was actually also carrying out a considerable amount of activity.

It's just that their activities are conducted internally, so their influence is relatively less than that of other forces.

As for the specific actions to be taken...

"The time has come."

"It's time to replace someone."

The old man in the garden was still watering the flowers, but he was no longer wearing the magnificent robe that symbolized the papacy's power; instead, he was dressed in simple clothes.

Beside him stood a blue-eyed youth, watching the tentacles and blue butterflies in the garden.

Just like more than two hundred years ago, they are full of vigor and have bright smiles.

Isidorelus, and John.

These two close friends, separated for more than two hundred years, reunited after everything ended, which was also the beginning of everything.

We finally met again.

"You've really gotten so old, Isidores."

“You’re still young, John.”

"Aren't you going to accept the Mother Goddess's blessing? She's very worried about you..."

Snapped.

The blue butterfly flapped its wings, giving the aggrieved John a sharp slap and silencing him.

"No."

The old pope shook his head.

"I know, the Mother Goddess probably wouldn't... no, the Mother Goddess probably harbors a deep grudge against me and is waiting to resurrect me after my death to humiliate me..."

"But unfortunately, I may have to disappoint Him."

The old pope picked up the watering can next to him and slowly watered the flowers.

"The resurrection of the Mother Goddess will freeze a person in the moment of death forever."

"To die at the most beautiful moment will preserve that beauty forever; to die in old age will be resurrected as an old man with white hair."

"But because of this..."

"The only thing He cannot resurrect is a being that ages and dies normally."

"I will die of old age."

silence.

The butterfly fluttered its wings quietly.

The tentacles remained motionless.

Only the blue-eyed youth looked at his old friend beside him, remained silent for a long time, and then spoke with a puzzled expression.

"why?"

"Because only death can measure the weight of life."

The old pope looked at the blue butterfly, his tone calm.

“I died long ago, more than two hundred years ago.”

"The only reason I've lived until now is to atone for my sins."

"And the best way to atone for one's sins is to die like this."

“Mother Goddess, I know that you have changed a lot, and I know that this time, I can really let go.”

"But you haven't yet."

"You are too kind and too easily swayed."

"This is a good thing, and it is the reason why I still believe in you to this day."

"But without death as a weight, the weight of life cannot be measured."

"Without experiencing loss and regret, one cannot truly understand the preciousness of cherishing."

“It’s not just me.”

"You really should try to let go."

Try to let go of those precious and beautiful things that were once cherished.

Try to let go of those lives that shouldn't be kept.

silence.

The blue butterfly continued to drift silently.

The tentacles remained as still as a plant.

John stood quietly to one side.

The old pope was still watering the flowers there.

for a long time.

Inside a small room in the church.

The high nun raised her head and looked at the tentacles in front of her.

"I changed my mind."

"Kill him for me right now."

"I'm going to get my revenge on him right now."

silence.

It's quite rare that, faced with such a great opportunity, Tentacles didn't offer any mockery.

He just watched her quietly.

I watched a mother who was about to lose her child.

"...Then I'll go by myself."

She was about to get up as she spoke.

But in the end, he sat down, powerless.

For the first time, it was that great being who always wore a gentle and composed smile, as if he had everything under control.

The smile on his face vanished completely at that moment.

Tick, tick.

The blue teardrop, capable of granting immortality, fell to the ground, staining everything around it with the color of eternity.

"Why......"

"I just... I just..."

The tentacles didn't speak, but simply opened gently and pulled the high nun into its arms.

Listening to her sobs, listening to her rambling, listening to her breakdown.

That was the child she once cherished most.

More than two hundred years later, only a few of those children remain.

She just didn't want them to die.

She just wanted them to continue to stay with him.

She just didn't want to let go of that hand.

Even knowing that the final result would be them falling off a cliff together.

But that's what a mother is.

But this was precisely why Isidores was determined to die.

Just like he said.

“It’s time to let go.”

Not just empires.

It's not just the church.

Similarly, there is this stubborn mother.

Then, three days later.

'Godslayer' 'Greatest Pope in History' 'A Giant Tree in Church History'

Isidore's funeral began.

Given his past achievements, even the empire, which was still in the process of recovery, held a state funeral and observed three full days of silence.

From royalty to the poor, no one questioned it.

As for the funeral, apart from those who could not attend and the high nun who was said to never meet the Pope, no one was absent.

Just at the very end of the funeral, a blue butterfly gently floated by and landed on the coffin that was about to be buried, lingering there for a long time.

It wasn't until the nearby tentacles sighed softly and pulled it away that the funeral was finally able to proceed smoothly.