Professor Mekal remained on the train, claiming she wanted to study the red mercury power engine to see if she could make some improvements and apply them to the future Fortress of Heaven.
Lu Li hadn't expected that after all this time, she would still be obsessed with the Fortress of Heaven. But since she enjoyed it, he simply let her be.
As the two stepped into the military camp, faint glances drifted over from their surroundings.
It happened to be mealtime for the soldiers, and people enthusiastically greeted Eleanor from time to time. Eleanor nodded back to each of them. Some of them were knights and high-ranking officers in the army, while others were ordinary soldiers.
Lu Li hadn't expected Eleanor to be so well-liked by her troops. He hadn't sent any advance notice to the expeditionary force on the front line before his arrival, meaning Eleanor couldn't have prepared anything beforehand. Therefore, what he was seeing now was undoubtedly genuine.
Just then, a flurry of whispers suddenly drifted over from not far away.
“The one next to the Legion Commander is...”
“Is that a man?”
“Yes, it's definitely a man!”
“The Legion Commander actually brought a man back?”
These were a few soldiers heading to the cafeteria. It would have been fine if they had kept their mouths shut, but the moment they spoke, they instantly drew everyone's attention to Lu Li.
“Damn it! The Legion Commander... she's actually eating so well!” one of the soldiers said, tears streaming down her face.
Another soldier who had served under Eleanor for a long time snapped back, “She's the Legion Commander. What's wrong with her eating a bit better?”
“Waaa, I want to marry a man like that too! If I can't, I won't die in peace!” another soldier wailed, completely blinded by his beauty.
Someone couldn't help but remind her, “Oh, Lord bless you, but you're ugly, yet you dream so big.”
Lu Li had left his crown on the train when he came. Furthermore, he was currently draped in the military overcoat that had originally belonged to Eleanor, and snow dusted the tips of his hair. Hardly anyone present could recognize him, and even if they did, they wouldn't dare believe their eyes.
Seeing the misunderstanding deepen, Eleanor wanted to open her mouth and explain, but Lu Li stopped her.
“It's fine, Eleanor. It's just a misunderstanding anyway. Letting the troops relax a bit isn't a bad thing.”
“Your Holiness... this... isn't this inappropriate?” Eleanor said hesitantly.
This was the great Pope of the Holy State, the merciful Pope of the Holy Court, a figure who was like a father to everyone. How could she allow them to gossip about him so casually?
But obviously, Lu Li didn't care much about that. Rather than dwelling on it, he was more concerned about another matter.
“By the way, Eleanor, you should also pay close attention to the romantic lives of our soldiers!” he said half-jokingly.
Although most of the knightly orders advocated celibacy to ensure the purity and devotion of their faith, it was not a strict requirement. Moreover, the Holy State needed population, and it also needed more talented knights.
Eleanor's expression grew slightly embarrassed. She indeed had never considered such matters.
Even she herself, already in her thirties, had never even held a boy's hand.
Before this, Eleanor had not thought of the youth beside her in a romantic light at all. Now that he brought it up, the faint fragrance that had been lingering around her nose became much more pronounced.
“I... understand,” Eleanor said, turning her head away and not daring to look at the youth beside her again.
He wasn't sure if it was just his imagination, but Lu Li noticed that her face seemed redder than if it had simply been beaten by the cold wind.
Assuming she was just cold, Lu Li suggested heading somewhere sheltered from the wind. “Let's go. We should go take a look at the cafeteria too.”
“Your Holiness, there are too many people in the cafeteria. I'm afraid they might not know their boundaries and offend you. Perhaps we should skip it?”
Eleanor was a bit hesitant. If the two of them strolled into the cafeteria so casually, it would definitely turn heads. They would likely draw everyone's attention the moment they stepped inside.
“It's fine, I won't blame them. Besides, I should at least see what the soldiers are eating, shouldn't I?”
Lu Li suddenly stopped and pointed a finger at Eleanor. “Aha! You don't want me going to the cafeteria because you're afraid I'll find out you've been feeding the soldiers black bread every day, is that it?”
He was all too familiar with the tricks of cafeterias; after all, he had been a victim in his past life. Now that he had the power to discipline them, he would not go easy.
“You misunderstand,” Eleanor sighed.
She wanted to stop him, but how could she possibly stop Lu Li? Since he had declared his intent to inspect the food, he was going to see it.
After all, these soldiers weren't just defending the glory of the Holy State. Lu Li knew perfectly well whom they were truly fighting for.
As expected, the moment they stepped into the cafeteria, Eleanor's worst fear came to pass.
“Oh my goodness, look at what I'm seeing!”
“Heavens! Oh Lord! Am I seeing things?”
“It's actually a man! A real man!”
Although the soldiers didn't dare make a scene with Eleanor standing right there, their whispers still drifted into their ears.
The youth's pale golden hair was as smooth and beautiful as silk, and his eyes were a brilliant blue, looking as though they held a cloudless sky.
His holiness and beauty made it so that anyone who caught a glimpse of him could not bear to look away.
Yet, his presence was far too striking and unique. Even if they couldn't believe their own eyes, someone still managed to recognize him.
“You idiot! That's the Holy See!” someone barked, smacking her starstruck companion.
But the companion only mumbled dazirly, “Even if it's the Holy See, just let me look once m—”
“Wait!” Midway through her sentence, she snapped awake and stared at her companion in disbelief. “What did you just say? The Holy See? Which Holy See?!”
The only response she got was a pair of expressionless eyes and a figure backing away, pretending they had never met.
At that moment, successive gasps rang out across the cafeteria.
“The Holy See!”
“It's the Holy See!”
“...”
Lu Li hadn't expected to be recognized so quickly, but it didn't really matter.
He merely smiled and walked over to where the soldiers were lining up for their meals. Eleanor sighed helplessly but could only follow behind him.
Everyone's eyes followed their movements, which unfortunately put the few soldiers standing in line in a terribly awkward position.
After waiting in line for so long, they were finally about to get a hot meal, only for the Holy See to walk up and stand right behind them.
Should they yield their spot?
Or should they yield their spot?
“Your Holiness, Legion Commander, please go ahead of us,” one of the soldiers offered.
Eleanor was about to step forward, thinking it best to get this young Pope served and out of there as quickly as possible. However, before she could even take half a step, she heard a light cough.
“Ahem! Eleanor, everyone is waiting in line.”
That single sentence stopped Eleanor in her tracks. She wasn't foolish to begin with; she had simply been flustered by this young Pope's sudden, unannounced visit.
Now, seeing the soldiers staring intently at them, she suddenly seemed to understand the Holy See's intentions.
Could he...
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