Please Stop The Pope

Chapter 112

“I’ve prepared a lot of ideas! This is just the beginning. I’ve been staying up all night gathering responses about the Limen Order…”

I let out a small sigh as I watched reporter Seo Tae-ho, who had been talking non-stop for the past 30 minutes.

One of the hardest things in the world is telling someone who’s burning with passion like that to stop.

Just how many ideas had he prepared? For 30 minutes, he fired them off without a break. If his words were bullets, the barrel would have overheated and melted by now.

“Take your time and have some water while you talk.”

“Oh! Thank you.”

When I slid a glass of water over, reporter Seo drained it in one gulp. Then, swiping the screen of his tablet PC, he continued speaking.

“I’m working on an article right now. It’s very interesting. It’s the kind of content that’ll grab a lot of attention…would you like to take a look?”

How could I just send him away when he spoke so enthusiastically?

I forced a smile and nodded.

“Let’s see it.”

Seo immediately clicked on a file.

The title already carried an ominous vibe.

With an excited voice, Seo Tae-ho explained further.

“Recently, there’s been a very intriguing rumor circulating within the Limen Church community. It’s about the holy stone bracelets that the Saint handed out to followers.”

“There’s already a rumor about it?”

The low-tier holy stone bracelets our new trainees had consecrated weren’t of consistent quality yet, so we had decided to test their effects on a randomly selected group of official church members.

The plan was to collect meaningful data before distributing them through the Yuseon Group.

Even so, it was surprising to hear such an interesting story from reporter Seo.

I straightened my posture and skimmed the contents of the article he was working on while listening to his enthusiastic explanation.

“Those who received the holy stone bracelets have been posting testimonies online in real time.”

He tapped on his tablet PC again, and the screen displayed an online forum called .

“It’s a members-only forum where you can only join through recommendations. As you can see, the faith there is extremely fervent!”

As he described, the forum’s atmosphere was intense. No, it was more than intense—it bordered on fanaticism.

Praises for Limen and even for myself and the church leaders filled the forum.

Their zeal was tinged with madness, leaving me momentarily speechless.

“You can see testimonies about the effects of the holy stone bracelets here. A man with hair loss says his hair is growing back. Another claims his nights have become happy again. Oh, and there’s even a lady reporting that her skin is starting to glow.”

There were already 20 testimonials on the forum alone. Most of them were posted by people who had experienced the effects and subsequently became fervent devotees.

“I’m planning to use these testimonies to prepare a feature article. It’s like the Pygmalion effect…”

“Oh, the performance is better than I expected. It’s exceeding expectations.”

At my words, reporter Seo stared at me, looking dumbfounded, then asked with wide eyes.

“Pardon?”

“These effects mentioned in the testimonies—they’re real. They’re not permanent, of course, but the effects do exist. The stronger their faith, the more pronounced the effects.”

The results exceeded my expectations.

I had planned to survey the effects later, but it seemed unnecessary now.

After all, we already had excellent samples right here.

However, it seemed my words had a different impact on this fanatic. The fiery enthusiasm in his eyes transformed into sheer madness in an instant.

“Ah! As expected, our Limen always watches over us! I must write this article immediately. This will surely save countless balding people around the world.”

…Of course, true results depended on the individual’s baseline faith in our church, but I didn’t bother explaining that.

Instead, I smiled gently and asked him, “By the way, you mentioned that this ‘Without Limen, Only Death’ forum is membership-based. Do you know who manages the member list?”

“Oh! I handle that myself as the treasurer. The forum manager entrusted me with the membership list. I happen to have it with me.”

“The manager?”

“A person who goes by the nickname ‘Ello.’ They’re deeply faithful and very knowledgeable about doctrine. Many members rely on them for guidance. Here, let me show you.”

Seo pulled out a document from his bag and handed it to me. It was an actual list of members, containing brief information about them.

“Thank you. I’ll need this for something important.”

“If the Pope needs it, of course, I must give it to you.”

As soon as I received the list, I called Leo, who was waiting outside. He quietly stepped into the office.

“You called for me?”

Leo didn’t flinch under Seo’s fanatical gaze. I motioned for him to come closer and whispered quietly so Seo couldn’t hear.

“Take this list and contact the people on it. Verify their information.”

“Yes. But is this…?”

I nodded slowly in response to his question.

“…Think of it as a watchlist. They’re individuals who need special attention. The honor of the church rests on your shoulders.”

While fervent believers were essential to the church, they were also difficult to control.

If left unchecked, they could harm the church’s reputation, so it was better to stay ahead of potential issues.

“Understood, Your Holiness.”

After bowing, Leo left the office, and I turned back to Seo Tae-ho with a smile.

“Please, continue.”

But why do I feel uneasy?

…Did I miss something?

Seo Tae-ho’s story continued for another 30 minutes before finally ending.

“That’s all for today, Your Holiness. I haven’t shown you all my passion yet, but I’ll continue to do my best to present my best side!”

“…Thank you for your hard work.”

It was an hour of hell. Listening to him talk left my lips feeling parched.

On top of that, his knowledge of doctrine was so thorough that it almost seemed like he knew more than I did.

When I first met him at the Guro-gu Gate, I thought, Ah, this person is destined to become a fanatic. But I hadn’t expected him to embrace the faith so quickly.

Still, I didn’t think the time was wasted.

The Sejong Daily, where Seo Tae-ho worked, wasn’t a major media outlet, but it was considered semi-major.

Unlike the major outlets that occasionally published negative articles about me and the Limen Church, the Sejong Daily maintained a clear distance from them.

Major outlets often wrote favorable articles about the Guild Coalition, as they were sponsored by large guilds under its umbrella. I had no intention of criticizing them for that.

After all, people naturally favor their own.

If they were trying to keep us in check, it meant the Guild Coalition’s position was becoming precarious.

I heard that the government was planning a significant move against them. Soon, Guild Coalition—Korea’s first Awakener association—might be disbanded.

“Let’s continue working together, Brother.”

In such a situation, having a media outlet that portrayed the church in a positive light wouldn’t hurt.

I extended my hand to Seo, who clasped it with both hands, his eyes brimming with tears.

“Brother… The Pope called me ‘Brother’…”

“In the arms of Limen, we are all brothers.”

“I won’t wash this hand for a while. Thank you!”

Seo wiped his tears with his left hand and then spoke with a determined expression.

“Before coming here, I had a thorough discussion with my company. They said that if I could secure regular interviews with Your Holiness, my articles would be guaranteed the front page.”

“Just interviews are enough?”

“Of course. Interviews with Your Holiness are incredibly valuable.”

Come to think of it, I had only communicated directly with followers through live broadcasts, not with journalists.

Perhaps that was why my interviews were so highly valued.

Not that I intended to be stingy with interviews. The condition didn’t feel burdensome.

“Interviews aren’t difficult. I’ll agree to it. Is that really all you need?”

“It’s more than enough. A solo interview with the Pope is plenty. I’ll pass along the confirmation!”

There’s a unique energy that comes from people who are obsessed with something.

You could see it just by looking at reporter Seo.

He packed the papers and tablet PC on the desk into his bag.

“Always remember: livelihood and faith must be balanced. Limen doesn’t want Her followers’ faith to jeopardize their lives.”

“I’ll keep that in mind, absolutely.”

He stood up from his seat and bowed to me three times in a row.

Then, with strides far larger than when he had entered, he walked out of the office.

“Haa.”

I let out a deep breath only after Seo, the journalist, disappeared from my office and sat down in my chair.

It felt like I had just survived a whirlwind.

Dealing with fanatics is exhausting no matter how many times you do it.

Still, I could call this meeting somewhat productive. Unlike Eden, Earth has plenty of effective methods to spread the name of the Order.

Although our Order primarily uses MyTube as a proselytizing tool, I don’t think we should ignore other media outlets.

The more speakers, the better.

As I sat back in my office chair to rest, Baek Seolhwa, who had left with Luna, walked back into the office.

“Did Seo leave?”

“Yeah, just now. We had a good talk. I was already planning to reach out to the media, and you introduced him at just the right time. Thanks.”

“I thought you might need him.”

I began spinning the knuckle resting on my desk with my fingers and spoke to Baek Seolhwa in a subtle tone.

“Now that we’re in the same boat, how much longer are you going to call me ‘you’? I may not look it, but I am the Pope, and I’m older than you.”

“Alright. Then I’ll call you oppa from now on.”

It feels different from when Siyeon calls me oppa…Well, since Baek Seolhwa isn’t a follower of our Order, it’s an appropriate title.

“Finally, the world is back on track. Then I’ll call you Seolhwa casually. Seolhwa, why did you specifically introduce that person out of all the journalists you know?”

Seolhwa responded as if it were obvious.

“Seo is a fanatic of the Limen Order, and more than anything, he fits well here. You think so too, don’t you?”

“…Tsk.”

I was annoyed, but I couldn’t deny it.

I let out a deep sigh.

It feels like there’s a curse hanging over my life. Should I ask Limen to fix this too?

6.

Seo Tae-ho walked toward the parking lot with light steps.

It was the happiest day of his life. He had visited the sacred temple, met the Pope he so deeply revered.

It truly felt like a dream.

‘I need to head straight to the office, report to the manager, and meet the president.’

His superiors would adore him for bringing back an interview with the Pope. They’d likely clear the main news section of the media outlet for him.

Then, he could use that platform to spread Limen’s name even further.

‘I can’t wait to start writing the article…’

Before he knew it, Seo Tae-ho arrived at his compact car parked in the lot. With excitement, he opened the driver’s side door.

But then it happened.

“Mr. Seo Tae-ho.”

A low voice came from behind him.

‘That voice…it’s familiar?’

Seo turned his head, recognizing the voice he’d heard a few times before.

There stood a man of enormous stature in a black priest’s robe.

It was someone Seo knew all too well.

“Archbishop Leo, what brings you here…?”

“It seems you left something behind.”

Leo pulled an envelope from his inner pocket and handed it to Seo. It was the membership list Seo had given earlier to Kim Siwoo.

Seo, flustered, stared at the list now returned to him with wide eyes.

“I don’t understand why you’re returning this to me!”

To Seo’s question, Leo replied in a low voice.

“Didn’t I ask you to manage the list carefully? I’m disappointed, Mr. Seo Tae-ho. Please handle it properly next time.”

“When did you ever…Could it be?”

“As you suspect, I am Ello. Please keep this a secret from others.”

It was then that Seo Tae-ho finally understood why Ello was so knowledgeable about the doctrines.

The community of fervent believers, No Life Without Limen.

This place, which had suddenly appeared and absorbed the most zealous followers, was, in fact, an internet community directly operated by Archbishop Leo.

“Please keep this a secret from the Pope as well.”

“Why…?”

“Educating believers through the internet is…merely a personal hobby of mine. If His Holiness finds out, he’ll surely have words for me.”

Surely, the Pope would groan, “Stop raising fanatics already!”

His Holiness always tried to maintain moderation when spreading faith.

But Leo knew better.

Sometimes, one passionate believer is worth more than ten ordinary followers.

Just as the Pope has his duties, nurturing such devoted followers was Leo’s calling.

“I have great expectations for you all. Arm yourselves with fiery faith. Become followers who can each stand against a hundred, a thousand. By doing so, you’ll be of immense help to Limen and His Holiness.”

“Oh, yes, I understand!”

Once again, Leo was faithfully carrying out his mission.

And thus, the future zealots were steadily growing.