Second-floor bedroom in the northern cabin.

“It’s cold.”

“I-is it?”

“I think it feels worse because of the wound.”

Egru first seated the Pope on the carpet in front of the fireplace, the warmest spot in the room.

“W-wait here for a moment. I’ll get the first aid kit from the kitchen.”

Just as he stood up, Egru’s pant leg was grabbed with a soft tug.

“Your Holiness? Do you need something else?”

“…No, I’m sorry. Go ahead.”

The Pope released Egru slowly.

Egru brought the first aid kit like lightning and opened it. But his hand, which had been examining various medicines, suddenly stopped.

“I-I’m sorry, but…”

Egru asked with a deeply flushed face.

“This is my f-first time with such high-quality medicine. Could you perhaps tell me the treatment order…?”

“Of course, little believer.”

The Pope smiled benevolently and extended his arm.

“First, would you remove the poison with your mouth? Suck the contaminated blood from the wound and spit it into the fireplace. Just make sure you don’t swallow it.”

“Y-yes!”

Egru carefully took the Pope’s arm and rolled up his sleeve. Perhaps because of his white skin, the red wound appeared even more prominent.

Egru slowly brought his lips to it. When his lips touched the wound, the Pope’s shoulder flinched as if it stung.

“Haah…”

As Egru sucked in the blood, the Pope pressed his thighs tightly together. After spitting the blood into the fireplace, Egru asked:

“D-does it hurt a lot? I’ll finish quickly…!”

“No, take your time…”

Before the Pope could finish speaking, Egru quickly bit his arm again. The Pope bowed his head deeply and closed his eyes.

“I-is this enough?”

“Just a little more…”

The Pope, with slightly unfocused eyes, rested his head on Egru’s shoulder.

“Just a little more…”

“More?”

“Yes, please…”

Egru diligently sucked on the Pope’s arm again. Until not even a trickle of blood came out anymore.

“What’s next?”

“Next is…”

The Pope couldn’t continue properly and breathed heavily. His hot breath constantly touched Egru’s neck.

Egru examined his condition with concerned eyes. The Gali Rabbit’s paralyzing venom seemed to be spreading painfully.

“Disinfectant and ointment…”

“Which bottle?”

“The brown bottle and the white tube…”

Egru carefully disinfected the wound and applied ointment. Finally, after meticulously wrapping it with bandages, it looked properly treated.

“All done. Would you like to rest in bed first?”

“No, I want to go together…”

“J-just a moment then.”

While Egru was tidying up the first aid kit and bandage scraps, the Pope stared intently at the industrious Egru. Every time the firewood flickered, the Pope’s white hair rippled with a vermilion glow.

“Hero…”

At this languid call, Egru turned promptly. The Pope chuckled and said:

“Do you like it when I call you that?”

“What? Oh, that…!”

Egru felt embarrassed, as if his inner thoughts had been completely exposed.

“W-well, yes…”

“It suits you.”

“Pardon?”

“I said it because it suits you.”

A hand that had somehow drawn closer stroked Egru’s cheek. The steadfast gaze was incredibly gentle.

“Ah, I—!”

Feeling an unusual sensation unlike his normal self, Egru hurriedly pointed to the bed.

“Sh-shall we go to sleep now?”

“That sounds good.”

Egru slowly supported the smiling Pope. But even after they got under the covers together, the Pope shivered severely.

“Oh, what should I do? Should I add more firewood?”

“No, we’ve already put in the maximum amount, so it won’t help much.”

The Pope said as he carefully nestled into Egru’s embrace.

“They say body heat is maintained when people hold each other skin to skin…”

“Um…”

Purple eyes looked up fixedly at Egru. The Pope appealed for sympathy with eyes like a rain-soaked rabbit, as if begging to be accepted. Finally, Egru lowered his gaze and muttered:

“I-if it’s all right with you, Your Holiness, then I…”

“Thank you, hero.”

At the word “hero,” Egru was completely won over again.

The Pope slowly undid his clothing ties. Following the fabric that slipped down, his white, fair skin was revealed.

“D-do we need to remove our undergarments too?”

Egru asked in confusion, unable to find anywhere appropriate to look. The Pope, already without a stitch of clothing, turned to Egru and smiled.

Egru thought it fortunate that the firelight wasn’t bright. Otherwise, his face, which had turned red as if about to burst, would have been visible.

It was his first time seeing someone naked other than Levian and D’Élysée.

And also…

The Pope has two genitals.

Egru was a bit surprised but pretended not to notice. It could be hurtful to mention it, after all.

The Pope, now back under the covers, held up the blanket as if waiting for Egru to join him. Egru, covering his private parts tightly with his hand, slowly slipped under the covers.

“There, like that. Yes, like that. You’re doing well.”

Egru diligently followed the Pope’s whispered guidance. He gently embraced the other’s waist. He could feel a heartbeat that wasn’t his own against his chest.

Is this right? This feels strange…

Egru shuddered once. The feeling of skin against someone else’s was somehow peculiar. The long white hair touching his shoulder also tickled.

“This is how we use each other’s bodies as heaters. Are you all right?”

“Are you w-warm now?”

“Yes, very much so.”

“Then it’s o-okay.”

Silence flowed for a while. The crackling of firewood in the fireplace was the only sound comfortably tapping at their ears.

“I’ve always been a quiet and dull man.”

A gentle voice softly added to the warmth of the room.

“Perhaps that’s why no one has stayed by my side through the long years. You can’t imagine how meaningful the kindness you’ve shown me has been.”

“I-I thought Your Holiness was always surrounded by people.”

“Everyone thinks that.”

The Pope laughed softly.

“Standing alone in a position that’s difficult to approach is incredibly lonely. Sometimes I’ve wished for someone to lean on. In fact, I would be truly happy if the little believer would become that person for me. Would you… do that for me?”

“If s-someone like me is good enough, then certainly…”

Arms like white vines embraced Egru tightly.

“You have made me realize that there is no such thing as eternal separation.”

“Ah, aah…!”

Egru was startled. Their genitals were pressed and rubbed against each other.

With the rushing sensation, he felt like his glans might raise its head at any moment. His cream-colored pointed ears turned bright red with embarrassing guilt.

W-why am I like this? His Holiness is rejoicing in such a p-pure sense…

To escape the strange atmosphere, Egru hurriedly changed the subject.

“Your Holiness, I’ve heard that you’ve lived a long time. Have you ever actually seen the first hero?”

“…Would you like to know?”

“Yes, everyone I meet says the first hero was…”

Egru asked while subtly pulling his hips back.

“A mass murderer.”

“What nonsense!”

The Pope raised his voice for the first time.

“All records about the hero are untrue. Even the documents in the Papal Curia headquarters.”

The Pope spoke in a sad voice.

“They’ve been distorted and edited by the opinions of a few. Only I know the truth. I am the one and only living witness who observed his end.”

“Really?”

“Yes, I’m the only one who survived at the place where the hero was executed.”

“Wow…”

Egru swallowed hard. He was completely captivated by the Pope’s story.

“What do you think, Your Holiness? Was the first hero a hero or a villain?”

“The hero… is a victim. He was someone who was unjustly sacrificed, entangled in the flow of history.”

The Pope looked steadily at Egru and said:

“The hero is a true hero. Because I will make it so.”

“If that’s the case…”

Egru asked, barely keeping his eyes open:

“What should I do to be like him?”

Suddenly, an overwhelmingly powerful drowsiness came over him.

Egru was puzzled by the sudden change in his condition. He tried to keep his mind clear, but his amber eyes only blinked more and more slowly.

Was it because of the firelight? In his blurring vision, he had the illusion that the Pope’s eyes were glowing with their own will.

“What you do doesn’t matter. What you are is what matters.”

Isn’t it usually said the other way around?

A small doubt crossed his mind, but he easily dismissed it in his languid state.

“Do you want to become a hero, little believer?”

“Yesss…”

“That’s a wonderful dream.”

Egru, rubbing his drowsy eyes, asked:

“Then Your Holiness’s dream is…”

“Call me Salvanel.”

“Salvanel…”

“Little believer.”

Salvanel whispered softly:

“How would it feel to have someone who fills the part of you that you’ve lost for so long?”

“G-good.”

“Yes, that’s right.”

While the Pope remained silent, Egru fell fast asleep.

Salvanel kissed Egru’s forehead.

“I cannot lose you a second time.”

Salvanel deeply embraced the small body. He ejaculated profusely on the belly of the already sleeping Egru.

“My dream is to create a true paradise.”