I, The Dragon Overlord-Novel

The Archbasilica of St. John Lateran, commonly known as the Lateran Basilica, is considered the mother church of the worldwide Catholic Church. It is one of the four major papal basilicas in Rome and serves as the cathedral of the Bishop of Rome, the Pope. This basilica has a long history of significance and has been a prominent place of worship for Catholics for many centuries. In recent months, it has gained even greater fame.

It was the church where the resurrected body of Christ was placed after he had sent Satan to hell. It was also in this place where the re-ascension of Christ took place.

So many miracles had occurred to make this ancient church the greatest temple in the hearts of Christians today.

After the ascension of Christ, the administration of the church, which should have been in the hands of the Pope, was given to the Saintess Mirda, an angel given to the people by Christ.

This basilica used to be open to visitors in the past, and after the ascension of Christ, it became a place of daily worship with bustling crowds. The government had suggested to the church that the basilica should be permanently closed and preserved as a historical monument. However, Saintess Mirda disagreed with this proposal. She believed that the basilica was a place of blessing from the Lord for His flock, and it couldn't be closed to the lambs of the Lord.

The saintess who possessed angelic power now held a position within the church that was nearly equal to that of the Pope himself. She was the true wielder of supernatural abilities, and her beauty and saintly demeanor have garnered her a significant following among fans of the fantasy genre. This has made the Saintess Milda quite popular worldwide.

Upon Pope Francis I's arrival at the Lateran Basilica, he witnessed the nun offering blessings to the devoted. This daily ritual at the Lateran Basilica provided an opportunity for devout followers of Christ, irrespective of their socioeconomic status, to receive healing if they were afflicted with physical ailments.

Even the most incurable diseases that medical science could not fathom and the perplexing ailments whose mechanisms remained a mystery could find remedy through the blessings of the Lord via the saintly nun. Even the seemingly insurmountable human afflictions, like the loss of limbs, were transformed into stories of divine redemption, where new appendages emerged under the miraculous power of the Lord.

Given the large global Christian community, the Lateran Basilica could only host a limited number of people daily. To receive blessings from the saintly nun, individuals must register online and then enter a lottery system. The church verifies their faith, and if they are found to be genuine believers, they receive a designated number. These fortunate individuals are then invited to visit the basilica at scheduled times for an audience with the saintly nun.

It was very fair. Even the powerful people could only queue up in front of God because God was real. As a result, even the staff did not dare cheat. This was the benefit of a world where God truly exists. People would never go against God’s will. Compared to the long time they would stay in heaven after death, human beings’ living time was really short.

No one would give up a future eternity in heaven for just a few decades of life.

For the sake of being able to go to heaven after death, no one would dare to go against God’s will and go to hell.

Ever since the advent of Christ, the atmosphere within the entire Christian community has undergone a profound change. Every believer now earnestly follows the doctrines, promoting virtuous deeds. Consequently, the global religious landscape has become increasingly harmonious, with faiths such as Buddhism, Christianity, and even the moderate factions of Islam adopting a more amicable approach, barring some radical sects within Islam that misinterpret their teachings.

Of course, there were also crazy people in a world with gods, such as those who chose to believe in evil gods. They were more obsessive and crazier compared to the past just to get the attention of the evil gods.

“Lord Pope, may I help you?”

The priest who was keeping the order was shocked upon seeing Pope Francis I and hurriedly went forward to ask.

This Pope was among the two living believers in the world who have directly experienced divine grace. While the Pope hadn't undergone resurrection and acquired the youthfulness and angelic powers like the Saintess, he had rejuvenated to his prime and had even touched the divine blood with his own hands.

It had long been decided within the church that when Pope Francis I returns to the Lord’s embrace, his hands would become a holy relic of the church, called the Wrists of the Holy One, simply because this pair of hands had pierced Christ’s heart with the Blade of Francis, simple because his hands had touched the Blood of God!

“I have business with the Saintess.”

The Pope said warmly. The surroundings were many believers who were coming to attend the service. These devout believers naturally recognize him, as the spokesman of God on Earth. They all bowed to him and the Pope bowed back gently.

“Then I will go and ask the Saintess.”

The priest was about to go find the Saintess, but Pope Francis stopped him and said, “There’s no need to disturb the mass of the Saintess. This isn’t a matter of great urgency. Let's wait until the mass is over.”

The blessings from the Saintess were held from Monday to Saturday. Sunday, being the day of rest after God's creation of the world, was a day of rest for Christians, and even the Saintess would take a break, except for urgent matters.

Mirda, the Saintess, acknowledged his presence with a gentle smile. She continued to bless and bestow divine grace upon the faithful who approached her. Soon, the sound of devoted weeping and praises to God filled the sanctuary—tears of devotion and profound faith, a testament to the incredible power of belief. Louie, had he been present, would have witnessed this firsthand.

The grace of God could not be given casually, so the daily believers who could receive the grace of God was also limited.

The day’s ceremony of blessing ends at 6 in the afternoon. The believers would leave the sanctuary neatly without any commotion.

“Lord Pope, I wonder what matter have you come here to find me?”

Only after bidding farewell to the last believer did the Saintess walk up to Francis I and ask in a warm voice.

“Shouldn’t the Saintess take a rest first?”

The Pope suggested.

“The Lord has granted me an inexhaustible body and boundless energy so that I may engage with the faithful, providing guidance, and bestowing God’s grace upon them. These minor tasks do not tire me at all.”

Francis I nodded his head when he heard Mirda’s words. This saintess was already a superhuman. It was rumored that she would still feel refreshed even if she didn’t rest for a month. Francis I only heard it from the people of the church but didn’t expect it to be true.

After a moment’s pause, Mirda continued, “I am just an ordinary believer, not a saintess. The Lord showed me his mercy and bestowed me his authority and power, but I can’t boast about it. Lord Pope still shouldn’t call me a saintess.”

Francis I also did not insist on it and said, “Sister Mirda, the matter is like this…”

The Pope laid out the details of his recent discussions at the United Nations Security Council, providing an honest account. Then he inquired, “I came here hoping that Sister Mirda could receive a divine revelation so that we can understand what our next steps should be.”

“This is indeed a very important matter… Please wait a moment. I will go and seek the Lord’s revelation.”

After saying so, Mirda instructed one of the priests to fetch a silver chalice, wine, holy water, candles, and a few other things to seek the Lord’s revelation.

Seeing Sister Mirda's preparation, Pope Francis couldn't help but feel a bit envious. He also possessed such abilities, but compared to Sister Mirda, his divine revelations were often a bit unclear and not as direct as hers, lacking the clarity she had in her communication with the Lord.

‘This is because my faith is not enough.’

Francis I did not blame the Lord for this but rather looked for the reason in himself.

However, the Pope's own journey was quite legendary as well. In his youth, he had worked as a bouncer in nightclubs in South America and associated with a rough crowd. Who would have thought that this former streetwise figure would one day become a devout Christian and ultimately rise to the position of the Catholic Pope?

He was simply the role model for many!