Hero Finn decided to investigate the Toy Box Company and the suspicious masked men. Alone.
"Your Holiness, I'll ask around with some problem-solvers I know. It's too dangerous for you to come along... please stay here. Drunken Mama will prepare your meals."
He had spent two weeks exploring various parts of Omelas, establishing some connections. He had at least one foot in the problem-solver community.
But as is typical with professions involving guns and swords, things could get rough. There would certainly be fistfights and power struggles, and he didn't want to show such scenes to Vecchio.
...That was his reasoning behind the decision.
Vecchio didn't throw a tantrum, demanding to come along or asking why he couldn't join this time when he was allowed before. Instead, Vecchio simply nodded and gave a small wave.
"Okay, Finn! Come back safely."
"Make sure you eat all your meals properly."
"Yes, I will."
"...And absolutely do not follow any suspicious people!"
After repeating several more cautionary words, he left Vecchio alone in the motel and departed on his journey.
Creeeeak. Thud. The door closed.
Vecchio, who had been smiling angelically while looking up at the door, erased all traces of a smile from his face the moment Finn disappeared from view.
It was like the ebbing tide.
When the waves of joy that had filled the sandy beach recede, all that remains are slightly damp grains of sand.
And sand soon dries up. That was the crucial difference between it and fertile soil.
Rain-soaked earth absorbs the water of joy and brings forth life and vegetation, but a sandy beach can only create thirst. Soon your mouth begins to feel rough and dry.
"...Is there a word that describes this state, Goddess?"
[Answer: Emotional deprivation - An unstable emotional state resulting from not receiving sufficient affection from parents during childhood and failing to form intimate relationships with others.]
"Thank you."
The days of being a puppet for the former Cardinals still remained as a lingering nightmare. He couldn't do what he wanted, couldn't know what he wanted to know.
They wanted a good child who did as told, and Vecchio complied. That wedge remained lodged in a corner of his heart. Perhaps the reason a child's heart becomes a desert is because everything flows out through the gap created by that wedge.
If Saint Vecchio had been an ordinary child, this emotional deprivation would have ended with just becoming more clingy.
But Vecchio wore a crown.
He chose to wear the crown. He chose to become Pope. Vecchio accepted that weight. Because. Someone had to take responsibility.
The chaotic Goddess Cult had indirectly caused many deaths. Vecchio couldn't even imagine how many tragedies occurred while he was being pulled in different directions by puppet strings.
At the culmination of that catastrophe, the Goddess nearly destroyed the Holy City itself. If the Mad Magician hadn't stopped her, Finn would have been erased from this world in that moment.
Tara and Niore took care to hide various documents so the Little Pope wouldn't recognize such damage, but Vecchio saw it. The fact that the Goddess was mechanically honest also played a part.
So he knew. He knew how many people had perished without even receiving treatment.
What if back then.
Instead of crying helplessly, what if he had resisted them?
Of course, that's unreasonable. For a child not yet ten years old to realize and act on his own without any education would be impossible without reincarnation or possession.
But Vecchio had not yet learned how to compromise with himself.
The flow of thoughts naturally led to the obsession that "quickly, soon, I must become an adult who can carry my own weight." He wanted to become an adult. As quickly as possible.
That's why. That's why he requested to join Finn's session. That's why he clung to Finn, asking to go along when he went out on missions.
-Please let me escape this "Filter." Secretly.
And now, trying to bypass the safety filter covering his eyes.
By comparing Finn's reactions with those of others, Vecchio realized on his own that something was obscuring his vision. And now, he was trying to remove it to witness the true appearance of Omelas.
[Warning: This command has been annotated by a collaborator as follows: //Harmful to children, do not disable. Yes, Aisha, I'm talking to you. This is meant for you.]
Vecchio flinched slightly at the Goddess's warning. He was scared, but.
-It's okay. I don't want to stay in place anymore. Finn and the Saintess keep trying to hide dark things from me. But I have a... d-du.
[Output: Duty.]
-I have a duty to see them.
And to be honest, curiosity that had risen to his chin was also a reason.
The Goddess didn't ask twice.
[Executing: Bypassing persistent illusion magic affecting cognition...]
Swish. Swish-swish.
A switch appeared in Vecchio's vision. Now the Little Pope could toggle between the filtered version and the unfiltered version of his sight.
Cunningly, she planned to switch between the two views to completely deceive Finn. This way, no one would know she had thrown off the filter.
Blink, blink.
Vecchio looked around, pressing down on his slightly fluttering heart. Not much had changed. The motel room was still a motel room, and Vecchio was still Vecchio.
If anything had changed, it would be outside.
She carried a chair to the window with effort, used it as a footstool, and opened the window wide. Beyond the window, she could see the landscape of Omelas. A dimly lit street obscured by a forest of buildings.
If she waited a moment.
Whirr-whirr-whirr!
A cargo transport drone, hacked by Vecchio, flew forward. The Little Pope boarded the basket held by the drone and secretly left the motel.
That's how the Little Pope's Kids Mode Escape Incident occurred.
===============================================================
The first place Vecchio visited was "Harmony Club."
She thought this club was a kind of social party. Didn't the noble ladies of the Empire hold balls and banquets where they elegantly drank and danced? She believed it would be no different.
Except... with a bit of fur added.
A free-spirited party where animal lovers gathered, all wearing full-body animal costumes and making merry noise.
[Output: Club (noun) An organization formed by people with common purposes such as hobbies or friendship.]
The Goddess's explanation wasn't much different.
But with the filter off, it wasn't a party.
"......"
What she thought were costume outfits were actually outfits as revealing as a Saintess's.
What she thought were animal sound imitations were actually shouts from intoxicated people.
Under the dizzying lights, in violent music so loud you could barely hear voices, they were rubbing against each other and shaking like madmen.
And the fish outfit... was just a naked body with a net over it!
"Goddess almighty...! I thought they were rabbits...!"
The true nature of the Bunny Girl was revealed.
Vecchio, who had been covering her eyes with both hands and stomping her feet, soon realized something was off. Curiosity pushed away embarrassment and took its place.
Peek. Her eyes shone between her fingers.
She understood that was "adult entertainment." But it didn't look that enjoyable. Most people had dazed expressions from drugs or wore twisted smiles.
There were even bizarre and frightening incidents. Someone smashing a bottle and causing a disturbance before being dragged out, or people raising their voices and fighting.
To Vecchio, it didn't look fun at all.
Learning begins with questions. Looking around, Vecchio found a familiar face in the club. It was the hacker Kasha.
The Little Pope sat next to her at the bar counter as she was downing a cocktail.
"...Huh?"
"Hello!"
"It's the little hacker. What's this, I don't see that boring-looking oppa next to you. Don't tell me you came alone?"
"Um, yes. I'd appreciate if you kept this a secret from Finn."
"...If you've run away from home, wouldn't it be better to just go back?"
It's different from running away. Doesn't running away sound like something a naughty child would do? Vecchio explained, waving her arms, that she had set out alone on an adventure to see the wider world.
Then she asked her question.
"Why do people go to clubs? As far as I know, clubs seem to be for fun. But they don't look that happy. I heard on my way here that clubs are even expensive...!"
"That's right. This one drink costs fifty-two thousand credits. I don't know how much they're marking it up. Hmm, as for why people go to clubs. Most people for sex—"
No, that's not it.
Hacker Kasha tapped the table with her finger and fell into serious thought. Why do all these people throw themselves into clubs, take drugs, and hold wild parties?
Soon the answer came.
"Maybe because they have nothing else to do?"
"...Nothing else to do?"
"Yeah. They work hard to make money because they need to live, but when they don't know what to do with their leftover money... they just give in to their instincts."
"But there are so many fun things in this world! There's tag, treasure hunts, and if Niore's baked cookies are offered as a reward for a treasure hunt, that fun is..."
Indescribable. Immeasurable.
Vecchio shivered just imagining it. The world was full of such fun content. Kasha looked at her and chuckled.
"That's too complicated a game. Tag requires friends who won't point guns at your head, following rules, and running around. But look at this drink, how simple is it? Just put it to your lips and tilt, and it's fun."
"...What about shaking their bodies like that? Isn't that using your body the same way?"
"People naturally enjoy rubbing bodies with the gender they're sexually attracted to. Same with drugs. It's one-dimensional and sensory. You don't have to think about anything else. That's probably why."
Whether from companies or back alleys, spending hard-earned money so meaninglessly is because they don't even have the strength left to think for themselves.
They just want to have fun easily.
"...Thank you for your answer!"
"Your face says you don't understand at all. But you'll understand when you grow up... No, never understand. That would be better."
"Shadow Hero Benett said people change. Their tastes too. If someday you want to play hide-and-seek, I'll play with you."
"Thanks, even if it's just words... Hey, she's already gone?"
Vecchio left the club.
===============================================================
The Little Pope's next destination was in front of Utopia Company. It was because of the uneasiness she felt from Marco. She wondered if something might be different now that the filter was gone.
Vecchio sat on a park bench and looked around.
The atmosphere was different from the club. The area where the corporate headquarters was located was clean and mild. There was no smell of alcohol.
Most people walked around in perfectly fitted suits with sharp edges. But their eyes also held the same shadow she had seen in the club.
They would enjoy bigger parties, better food, better lives. But she wondered if their entertainment was also in a "not complicated" form.
In a place so rigid that a security guard could barely fulfill his wish for his mother's lunchbox, she could vaguely guess what structure other aspects might have.
About 10 minutes later. An elderly man approached Vecchio and asked:
"May I sit next to you?"
"Oh, yes. Of course, grandfather."
"I sit here every day to look at the city, but today I saw an unfamiliar guest, so I thought I'd say hello. If it's uncomfortable..."
"I-it's fine. Yes."
The old man carefully sat next to Vecchio. Then he took off his fedora, placed it on his knee, and revealed his snow-white hair.
After a moment of silence, he casually spoke.
"It's a wonderful city, isn't it?"
"...Oh, hello. Yes. It's a wonderful city."
"But surprisingly, 100 years ago, this place was an empty wasteland. A barren land where not even a turnip would grow."
"Really...?"
Vecchio's eyes widened. The old man loved this moment the most. The moment of explaining history to a child.
"All of this was accomplished by CEO Marco. There was a time after World War III when the world was broken and people had to boil tree bark to eat, but thanks to the CEO, the city was built. Now... even the poorest people don't worry about starving."
"...But their expressions are so dark."
"That's because their bellies are full. They've never had their stomachs stuck to their backs, so instead of being grateful for the life they've been given, they complain."
"......"
The old man continued praising the city for about 30 more minutes before leaving. Vecchio sat quietly, pondering his words, but couldn't reach any particular conclusion and got up from the bench.
===============================================================
Whirr-whirr.
The Little Pope returned to the motel room and viewed the city through the drone's eyes. People passing under the neon signs were dyed with bright, vivid lights.
Glamorous and cutting-edge. More things you can do than can't, and compared to the Holy City where Vecchio lived, it was twice as prosperous.
Because of this, the lives of people who couldn't keep up with the city's standards appeared even darker by contrast.
This city was moving forward with production and efficiency in mind, and material benefits were almost perfectly fulfilled. However, other aspects were missing screws. The city's owner didn't care for people's hearts.
But whether that was bad or not, she wasn't sure. It was difficult to judge.
In both the Empire and the Holy City, there were still many people dying of hunger. What if they learned from Omelas's efficiency to increase prosperity? What if society became a little sick in exchange for saving their lives?
Which is right?
The Pope had the authority to modify the Goddess.
Together with the Hero and Saintess, she could discuss and change the rules, and the Goddess's rules would change the direction of many people's lives. The wheel of the great ship called the Goddess Cult was in Vecchio's hands.
Of course, it would be nice to achieve both prosperity and health, but...
"Ugh..."
Vecchio rolled around on the floor with complicated feelings. Then suddenly, she noticed a magazine hidden under the bed.
"...?"
She crawled over and reached out her hand. Then she pulled out the magazine. In the filtered view, it showed various pretty older sisters wearing rabbit pajamas in various poses.
So this, with the filter off...
That kind of thing.
As Vecchio froze holding the Bunny Girl magazine like a magician who had discovered a dark grimoire, Finn, who had finished his day's investigation, returned.
The door burst open!
"Your Holiness, I'm back."
"F-Finn!"
"......"
Pause.
Seeing the magazine Vecchio was holding, Finn felt a shock as if the sky was falling, but he quickly gathered his thoughts.
It's okay. The Pope has a safety filter anyway. Then the contents of that magazine would look like... a rabbit pajama parade.
If so, he should act naturally. There's nothing strange about it. It's a magazine about cute pajamas. When the Pope sees such a wholesome magazine, Finn's correct action would be...
"Your Holiness, if you're interested, I can buy you a set—gak!"
Bang!
A light bulb that unnaturally fell from the cupboard struck Finn's crown. The impact even contained divine power, making a refreshing sound instead of breaking.
Finn had to clutch his head in pain from the sudden, mysterious divine punishment that fell from nowhere.