"Romantic' isn't the word I'd use, Miss Holiness," Null glanced at Sora, suppressing a smirk.
"Is that so?" Seraphel feigned surprise, leaning closer. "One barely escapes a lethal crisis alongside someone, and suddenly, the air crackles with unspoken tension! Surely you've felt a hint of—dare I say—affection?"
Sora shot her master an incredulous look. "That's not—well, I mean… It's complicated!"
"A classic case of denial!" Seraphel teased with unabashed delight. "You two are practically radiating an aura of companionship. Just look at your interactions! They speak volumes."
"Well, that's not exactly—" Sora began, but her words faltered as her gaze accidentally met Null's. His soft smile made her heart thump for reasons she couldn't articulate.
"In all seriousness," Sora cleared her throat to regain composure, "we've been through a rough mission. It just made us a little closer, that's all."
"Yes, but that's what makes life intricate and beautiful!" Seraphel said, her tone shifting to sincerity. "Connections forged through shared experiences often blossom into something deeper. Don't overlook the potential for something special."
Sora's breath caught. The Pope's gaze softened, and for a fleeting moment, the divine aura surrounding her seemed to resonate with the pure warmth of a motherly heart.
Sora knew it was not merely the near-death experience; it is her very being which is misbehaving from the moment she met him.
Null exhaled slowly.
"We've been through a lot. That's all." he said, his tone unreadable.
Seraphel smiled faintly. "Shared trials carve pathways between souls. Sometimes those paths end at companionship. Sometimes… They lead elsewhere."
Sora felt a sudden heat rise to her face again—but she did not take a step away from Null this time. If anything, she steadied her stance beside him.
The Elven Pontifex pouted playfully, unable to resist one last prod. "Oh, and what's wrong with a little romance? It enriches life! And I dare say, you two would make a visually stunning couple."
"Master, you are enjoying this far too much." Sora said indignantly
"Immensely," Seraphel admitted
The lighthearted sparks continued to dance between the three of them, filling the grand hall with an uncharacteristic warmth. Seraphel thoroughly relished watching her usually detached disciple navigate entirely uncharted emotional territory.
Then, mercifully, she relented. "Very well. I shall not press the issue further." Her smile turned sly. "For now."
Her gaze lingered on them one final time.
'Ah. Cecilia, your daughter has grown up.'
Seraphel recognised the tender, unspoken aftermath of two hearts that had brushed too close to loss—and found themselves unwilling to return to distance.
"I will simply observe. With great interest.'
And perhaps, with a little encouragement when necessary.
...
"*Cough* There is another matter." Seraphel abruptly said. "I almost forgot to mention it."
Sora eyed her master flatly.
Seraphel lifted her hand, and a ribbon of condensed, pale light unfurled into a sealed envelope bearing the crest of the high seas—a trident and cresting tide entwined in flawless imperial symmetry. "The Atlantis Empire has issued a formal invitation," she said. "To you."
Sora's lashes flickered. "To me?"
"Yes."
The parchment hovered. "The Emperor has announced a grand imperial banquet. It will present their 'Hero' before the world." Seraphel added. "A guise for political declaration."
Sora understood the nuance instantly. This was not about music, court dance, and crystal goblets. This was a narrative move.
"You and a delegation of elders will attend on behalf of the Divine Sanctum."
Me?" Sora looked at her master. "You will not attend personally?"
Seraphel shook her head once, her golden hair catching the light. "The Sanctum's presence does not require my physical attendance to be felt. If I appear in person, the banquet shifts from an imperial declaration to a theological summit. That would completely overshadow their Intention."
A faint, amused smile crossed her lips. "And we wouldn't want to hurt the Emperor's pride too much, right?"
Null almost smiled at that.
Seraphel's attention shifted to him, her gaze measured and soft.
"They did not extend an invitation to you," she said plainly. There was no accusation or pity in her tone. Just fact.
Null's expression didn't change. "I assumed as much."
"They brought you into this world against your will," she said quietly, her voice dropping into a point that made the grand hall seem less radiant for a moment.
"Tore you from whatever life you had built. Whatever home you knew." A faint tightening of her jaw made her disdain visible. "And when their discovered you were unblessed... they discarded you."
Null stared at her, his gaze unreadable.
"That is how power structures behave. They invest heavily in what yields visible strength. They discard what does not. The strong are elevated. The weak are overlooked. Personal willingness is entirely irrelevant. It is not moral, and it is certainly not kindness. It is simply how nations survive."
"However," she said gently, "do not mistake their narrow judgment for your truth."
Null's dark-red eyes lifted, locking onto her gaze.
"I have received reports from the Radiant Commander regarding your training. Your aptitude for weapon mastery is exceptional. Your adaptability. Your instinctual timing. Those are not traits of someone without talent."
Null blinked.
"You lack a sacred gift," she said evenly. "But you are not lacking potential."
"If Atlantis has chosen to ignore you existence, that is their prerogative. But understand this—value is not determined solely by who announces it."
She folded her arms. "Continue to refine yourself. Strength is not exclusive to those chosen by the heavens."
Null inclined his head slightly. "Thank you, Miss Holiness." He deeply inhaled. "I'll do my best. And someday, I'll become strong enough to prove my value to the world."
Sora glanced at him, a soft supportive light flickered in her sky-blue eyes.
Seraphel nodded once, satisfied with the response.
Internally. Null desperately winced. 'God, that sounded painfully cringe. 'Prove my value to the world?' What an incredibly naive, generic protagonist line.' He tightly resisted the urge to grimace at his own dialogue.
To her, he needed to appear exactly what he seemed. A young boy discarded too quickly by those who misjudged him.
Nothing more mysterious than that.
"Good,"
Then, she added jockingly, "And when you do prove them wrong, try not to look too smug about it. Excessive gloating lacks elegance."
Null allowed a small, dangerous smirk. "No promises."
Sora let out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding, her shoulders relaxing slightly.
Seraphel's gaze returned to her disciple. "You will represent the Sanctum with dignity," she said. "Observe carefully. Speak cautiously. And remember—" Her expression softened. "You stand in that imperial palace not merely as Atlantis' guest. You stand there as my personal disciple."
Sora nodded. "Yes, Master."
---
※