Forgotten Juliet

* * *

“Mr. Lebatan. No, please calm down for now…”

“Did you just tell me to calm down?”

Lionel Lebatan maintained a consistent calm demeanor, moving his hand slowly.

“Think about it. If it were any of you.”

The Archbishops trembled in fear while sneaking glances behind Lionel Lebatan.

Squeak.

“They said I lost my golden granddaughter, whom I only met after decades.”

Lionel’s subordinates who had followed him in were slowly closing the door.

“Do you think I wouldn’t act?”

The Archbishops were caught between the slowly closing door and Lionel, pulling something from his attire, unable to decide which was more frightening.

Lionel Lebatan muttered in a calm tone.

“I might have to show how we calm things down in my hometown.”

Then it happened.

Thud!

A blinding beam of light shone so brightly it seemed to blur the view on the windows of the entire papal palace.

* * *

‘Please, please.’

Juliet had no intention of breaking through all ninety-eight protective barriers.

That would be madness.

During the training period, bored Eshel experimented and informed Juliet that the ninety-eight barriers weren’t overlapped, but rather they were lumped together like pieces of a puzzle.

So, Juliet thought she only had to break the barrier that Sebastian connected to the entrance of the dollhouse.

It was an intuitive and correct choice.

It was a straightforward plan.

First, seize the soulstone.

Second, use it to break the divine power barrier and summon the butterflies.

Third, mentally manipulate the fake Pope to get out of here.

However, what Juliet overlooked was the last step.

Who would’ve guessed that the coordinates set by Sebastian would lead to the entrance of the dollhouse situated right in the middle of the altar where a ritual was underway?

Well, being the Pope, one wouldn’t arouse suspicion even if wandering around the altar at any time.

“What’s that…?”

Not just the priests, but Lennox and Roy who were searching for Juliet inside the building, and Teo and Eshel who were imprisoned, all looked on intently.

Thud!

A dazzling beam of light pierced down from the sky right at the center of Lucerne, skewering the middle of the altar.

Thud!

It almost seemed as if a giant beam of light had specifically fallen on that spot.

“What, what is that…!”

Even the priests who managed the terrarium witnessed this phenomenon for the first time.

“Ah!”

The first to realize what was happening and jump up was Eshel, who had been struggling to free Teo from prison.

“The barrier is broken!”

One of the ninety-eight barriers of Lucerne had been breached.

And then, an even more astonishing sight unfolded.

Flap!

From the exact round area where the pillar of light had appeared, thousands of blue butterflies burst forth in unison.

“My, my God!”

It was a sight unseen by anyone, not even Eshel.

Like connecting the sky to the ground, thousands of blue butterflies soared aggressively.

From a distance, they almost seemed like a huge blue beam of light.

And after all the butterflies vanished as if they were mirages, a woman appeared, gasping for breath in the center of the altar.

“Jul…”

“Juliet!”

Beside the woman lay a man, seemingly unconscious.

‘Success… maybe?’

Juliet looked around, breathing heavily.

The altar was bustling with ritual preparations, everything seemed almost too white.

Her head was spinning and her vision was blurred.

“That, that’s…”

“His Holiness, the Pope!”

“Holy Sebastian!”

Recognizing the fallen man, priests hurriedly approached the altar.

“My, how can this be?”

“The Pope has passed away!”

“He’s in critical condition!”

“Priest healer! Quickly!”

It was absolute chaos.

Over ten priests hurriedly came and lifted the unconscious Sebastian up the stairs.

Juliet, who had fallen beside him, was also pulled up the stairs.

“Has the Pope passed away?”

No.

‘He’s not dead.’

Juliet didn’t have the energy to reply.

“What, what?! The Pope is gone?”

“If so, the Pope has been assassinated!”

‘Ah, he’s not dead!’

Though Sebastian, lying haphazardly on the altar floor, looked quite like a corpse, it’s a phenomenon that appears after a mind manipulation.

“Your Holiness!”

“Are you alright!”

He probably won’t be conscious, though.

“What’s going on!”

Archbishops Solon and Gilliam, along with many other priests, came pouring out.

“Archbishop Solon! Please, look at that!”

“The basin…!”

The water used for the ceremony in the basin was glowing mysteriously.

“Ah, why…?”

Archbishop Solon couldn’t understand.

With Sebastian down and the Pope unconscious, how could the ceremony proceed?

Then it happened.

Something excessively bright and massive appeared in the sky above Lucerne, too dazzling to be merely clouds.

“What is that…!”

“Damn, what’s that!”

“Protective barrier!”

“Prepare for the shock!”

The priests of Lucerne swiftly set up a defensive barrier from their positions.

The distinctive light blue aura of the clergy flashed here and there.

But only for a moment.

“Oh… oh!”

“The Holy!”

A majestic vibration shook the entire terrarium.

A clear sky without a single cloud.

From the dazzling cluster of light in the sky, a huge, white object began to emerge.

It resembled a statue of a woman in white marble with closed eyes.

Except for the long hair fluttering around and it being massively bound by chains.

‘Chains…?’

Juliet felt an inexplicable chill.

But the priests and the people were cheering.

“The Goddess has appeared!”

“The Goddess is looking upon us!”

Then cheers erupted from the crowd outside the papal court.

“It’s the Goddess!”

“It’s the Goddess Ifrit!”

“Wow! The Pope summoned the Goddess!”

“The Goddess is looking upon Lucerne!”

Cheers flowed among the crowd.

But the people’s cheers didn’t last long.

“…?”

The goddess statue’s eyelids slowly lifted.

It raised its head and then began to scream with a terrifying sound.

Kiaaaa!

Juliet instinctively felt in this chaotic situation.

Oh no, something’s gone terribly wrong.