PARALLEL MEMORY

"And even if I gave you the Rank-SS Artifact, you would not be able to wield it. The item is specifically for the Saintess. Other than her, no one would be able to use it."

The Pope said.

Zero was stunned momentarily. Not only did the Pope casually reveal that they indeed had the Rank-SS artifact, but he also told him the limitations. While the limitation might be a lie in order to reject him, however, the fact that he revealed that the Church possesses such treasure didn't change.

However, after thinking for a while, Zero thought that the information might not be as secretive as he thought. It could be that it is a well-known fact in the church.

"Such a pity!"

Zero blurted out his thoughts. If he could get his hands on a Rank-SS artifact other than the Rank-SS enemy, he would need to be wary of any other people.

"Anyway, I appreciate your thoughts but I don't really need anything. As I told you before, I saved Saintess because I am indebted to her."

The Pope nodded, understanding Zero's sentiment.

"I see. Well, your selflessness is commendable, Sir Jester. We are truly grateful for your assistance in saving our Saintess and Holy Knights. My offer still stands. If there is anything else you need in the future, please do not hesitate to come to us."

The Pope said.

"Sir Jester, we would also like to make a deal with you."

The Pope said. Zero thought that he was done here but it seems that Pope has something more to say.

"We were thinking of giving the position of Holy Knight commander to you."

Zero was taken aback by the Pope's unexpected offer. He had not anticipated such a proposal. It was typically given to Rank-S Holy Knights and it is one position above the Holy Knight captain position.

In this position, you are also given a battalion to command. A battalion with several Rank-A Holy Knights, it was a very powerful position. It is similar to being the guild leader of a Gold-graded guild.

"Me? Holy Knight Commander?"

Zero asked, his voice tinged with surprise.

"I am honored by your offer, Your Holiness! However, sorry but I don't want to join the church."

Zero rejected the offer without much thinking.

The position was a great thing with many Rank-A being your subordinate and there must be a high salary for such jobs. One might even get fame.

However, these things were not for Zero. If he wanted to command so many people, he could easily use TechGenesis to establish a guild with similar power as the battalion that he would get.

Zero also thought that for him, it was just a waste of time. He has no interest in being dragged down by them.

The Pope looked surprised at Zero's rejection, but he maintained his composure. However, the mood was different for Cardinal Hildred who once again burst out in anger.

Cardinal Hildred, however, was not as gracious. She slammed her fist on the table, her face red with anger.

"This is preposterous! How dare you reject such an esteemed position of the Church?! You are nothing but a commoner, Jester! You have no right to refuse!"

Cardinal Hildred said. Her face was red with anger.

"If you think that the position is so esteemed, you can be one. Why are you so upset just because I rejected the offer?"

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Zero asked. While he had some respect for the Pope because the old man seemed to have a good personality, it was a different story with Cardinal Hildred.

He knows that she doesn't get along with Saintess and might even be against Saintess Amelia.

Not only that, Cardinal Hildred was, again and again, trying to threaten him by mentioning the church and its power. And it was a request from the Pope to join the church, and not like it was something that he was begging for.

But Cardinal Hildred is acting as if she was doing Zero a great favor by giving him the position.

Cardinal Hildred's face turned even redder at Zero's response. She clenched her fists, visibly seething with anger.

"How dare you speak to me like that, you insolent commoner?"

She spat out, her voice dripping with venom.

"You are nothing but a lowly commoner who stumbled upon some luck. You have no right to reject an offer from the Church, and you will regret this decision!"

Zero remained calm, unfazed by Cardinal Hildred's outburst. He looked at her with a raised eyebrow, maintaining his composure.

However, even he has his limit. He even thought that he should teach her reality. Even though she held power in the church, she was nothing special to him. But he stopped thinking as such an action would only create problems for himself.

"I have made my decision, and it stands," Zero said firmly. "I appreciate the offer, but I am not interested in joining the Church or accepting any positions within it. I have my own path to follow."

The Pope intervened, trying to diffuse the tension between Zero and Cardinal Hildred. The Pope raised a hand to calm the Cardinal down.

"Cardinal Hildred, please calm down!"

The Pope said in a stern tone.

"Sir Jester has the right to refuse our offer. Let us not forget that he has already done us a great service by saving Saintess Amelia and our Holy Knights. We should be grateful for his assistance. This was just something like a reward that you want to give him. If he doesn't want it, we can't force it."

Cardinal Hildred reluctantly nodded, but her glare at Zero did not waver.

"Fine, have it your way," she said through gritted teeth. "But mark my words, Jester. You will regret this decision. The Church does not take rejection lightly."

Zero simply nodded, not intimidated by her threats. He had dealt with worse enemies in his life, and he was not about to be intimidated by a haughty cardinal.

Cardinal Hildred left the room after having said that. It seems that her aim was for Zero to work in the Church by having him as Holy Knight commander. Zero didn't know why she wanted to do so but assumed that it wouldn't be for any good reason.

*SIGH!

The Pope couldn't help but shake his head at the behavior of the Cardinal. While he was indeed the head of the Church, Cardinal Hildred also had authority in the church.

No matter how much he disliked her behavior, the Pope couldn't just expel or punish Cardinal Hildred easily.

Anyway, he didn't continue pandering about his lack of power. He shifted focus once more toward Zero.

"Sorry for Cardinal Hildred's behavior. It has been some stressful days for her and she was in a bad mood."

Pope said, trying to save Cardinal Hildred's face.

"So, do you really reject the position of Holy Knight Commander? Not only would you get the resources, authority, and protection of the Church, but you would also have a chance to serve the Goddess and get her blessing."

The Pope said.

"Thank you, Your Holiness, for the offer."

Zero said respectfully to the Pope.

"But as I mentioned before, I have no intention of working as a Holy Knight commander."

The Pope nodded solemnly, understanding Zero's stance. He respected Zero's decision and did not press further.

"Very well, Sir Jester! I respect your decision. Should you ever change your mind in the future, the Church will always welcome you."

The Pope said.

"Thank you, Your Holiness," Zero said.

"I appreciate your kindness. If there is nothing, I would be leaving."

The Pope nodded in acknowledgment.

Zero turned to leave the room.

As he left the room, Saintess Amelia approached him with a kind smile on her face. She had been observing the situation from a distance and was impressed by Zero's courage. Although he had made her nervous multiple times.

"Zero, you really scared me back there. How can you confront the Cardinal and also show no respect to the Pope? Do you have nerves of steel?"

Saintess Amelia said. While she told him this, she didn't mean that Zero was being disrespectful or anything but she was telling him because she was concerned about him.

"Especially Cardinal Hildred. She was deliberately picking on you. It must be because you seem like someone working for me. Sorry!"

Saintess Amelia apologized. She felt that Cardinal Hildred might target Zero because of her.

"No need to worry! It would already be good enough if she could even touch one of my hairs."

Zero said confidently.

Saintess Amelia was stunned by Zero's shameless claim. Though she knows that Zero is powerful, for him to brag about it to the point that he even undermines a Cardinal was funny.

However, she knew that it was Zero's way of telling her not to worry too much about it. She was relieved about that but thought that she should warn Zero again.

"Please be cautious, Zero. Cardinal Hildred is a powerful figure in the Church, and she may not take your rejection lightly." 𝚋𝚎ｄ𝚗ｏｖ𝚎𝚕．ｃｏ𝚖

Zero nodded, acknowledging her words.

"I will remain vigilant!"