Hearing this, Pope Valerius sighed. "Fine. At least I tried," he said with a hint of disappointment. However, both the Pope and Christopher shared a trait—persistence. This was not the first time the Pope had tried to recruit Richard.
Turning to Matthew, the Pope said, "Brother Matthew, this mission is crucial. Do not return until you have mastered Astral Corp's technology for creating advanced holy weaponry."
"But Your Holiness," Matthew retorted, "we're not even sure Mr. Emberweave will allow us to learn one of his core technologies."
"This is an order, Brother Matthew," the Pope insisted, prompting Matthew to sigh in acceptance.
"Yes, Your Holiness," Matthew agreed with a wry smile.
"Then, you may go, Father Richard," the Pope said, shifting his gaze to Grand Paladin Christopher. "You will accompany them and protect them during their stay there until further notice from me."
