I Became The Pope, Now What?

"So, how does this work?" Sylvester followed Cardinal Jinn to the research and development area to see the Cyclic Solarium Electric Engine with his own eyes. This was something he hoped would be developed in the next five years, but with this sudden surprise, he knew he had to recalibrate his development plans. 

Ella stood before Sylvester proudly, with all the other engineers and testers behind her. "Father, they were using the wrong runes to make the system. I was working on making what you asked me to and found a better way for solarium distribution through an engraved rune scheme.

"Now, the Solarium Crystals can, on their own, produce energy to move the engine, and not only that, but the motion of the engine will also charge the depleted Solarium Crystals with the wasted energy, further enhancing the efficiency."

Sylvester silently stared at the moving engine, producing a sound akin to the humming of a big giant bee. It was significantly less noisy than the steam engines they were currently running. "How are the readings? Have you calculated the top speed of the trains if they were pulled by this type of engine?" 

"At least a hundred kilometers per hour," Ella answered stoically as if this was just a tiny thing for her. "It can be a lot more, but we cannot take such risks as the tracks won't be able to handle it. However, I think a smaller version of this engine can be put into a carriage and be used as a horseless carriage that only needs to be steered and moved forward or backward with the help of gears."

'She just conceptualized cars!' Sylvester honestly started to wonder if she was a reincarnator. 'It shouldn't be the case since Saint Scepter was still alive. The Primordial Gods won't bring another player into the game until the previous one is dead.' 

"What about airplanes?" Sylvester asked her, seeing if she'd recognize the name. "Can they be made with the same engine?" 

"What's that?" she asked right away. 

'Not a reincarnator then?'

"What about a motorcycle? A hovercraft, maybe?" 

Ella silently thought about it. "Motorcycle? Like adding a small engine to the bicycle? I think that should work. But how will you balance it? And what's a hovercraft, Father?" 

'Good, not a reincarnator.' Sylvester finally took a brief sigh of relief. 'But the fact that she's so quick to connect the dots between motor and bike is marvelous. No wonder even my Oppenhimers are depressed in front of her.'

"An airplane is a flying machine that can cover vast spaces in a matter of hours. It works on Bernoulli's principle that I mentioned in my boo—"

"Aaaa… I remember!" Ella shouted all of a sudden as if a light bulb lit up in her head. "I know how it can work. I can make the design."

Sylvester chuckled and waved his hand, dismissing everyone else except for Ella. "I know you can, Ella. I know the other members of the Hive Project can do the same, but why do you think I didn't give the project to you?" 

"Because it's too easy for us, and hence would waste our time," Ella deduced every possible answer and gave the one most likely to be true. 

"No," Sylvester shocked her. "I didn't give it to you because I know you can solve it alone. However, for this world to move forward, the knowledge must be learned by multiple people and then passed over to others indefinitely. Tell me, did you allow any of the workers here to come near you while you worked, so they can learn something? Did you teach them anything?"

Ella quickly realized the mistake in her approach. "I… Are they angry with me?" 

"No, they are depressed because you, a young child, are many times better than them. It frustrates them, dear. Tell me, if I had acted like this, would the members of the Church have followed me? Would the people of Sol have loved and accepted me as their Pope?" Sylvester tried to teach her a soft life lesson. "I know, it's frustrating to deal with people of less intellect than you. It's akin to dumbing yourself down to their level. But, that is how one becomes a leader—be likable, humble, thoughtful about others, and simultaneously manage your individuality."

Nobody could have a bigger lesson to teach about that than him. After all, after being born as a child, he had to deal with other children for so long and even had to act like a child. All the while, he was an old man at heart. 

Ella looked down apologetically, but she was devoid of any emotions from something as small as this. Her mind, which was always reasoning and calculating, didn't allow her to. "I'm sorry."

"You little devil." Sylvester knelt down and patted her head before pulling her in for a hug. "I'm not scolding you. Your invention of this engine will greatly help the world progress, and history will remember your name for this. I'm merely giving you advice so you won't suffer from what I did—you've read the history books about me, haven't you?"

"I have." She adorably bobbed her head, her blonde hair fluttering with it. Anyone who saw them felt as if they were looking at a father and daughter. 

"Then be mindful of the people around you. We're gifted people, my dear, and not everyone is on par with us. Meanwhile, some might be even better than us. So be proud of your abilities, but never overconfident." He patted her back and released her from the embrace. "Now, why don't you go and work on what I suggested?"

"I'll go," she resolutely responded and ran away like a child. Rare, but at least she was a kid in her subconscious mind. 

Alone, Sylvester sighed and looked around. "I don't want to return to that damn office room again. Perhaps an inspection of the Continent will do me some good, to feel refreshed." 

"Your Holiness, what should we do with the engine?" Cardinal Robert appeared right then, looking like a zombie with baggy eyes. 

Sylvester sighed at the poor man's travesty. "Replace the steam engine since these are more efficient. But do proper testing first, and get some sleep, for Lord's sake. I don't want any accidents to happen because of you."

Robert looked down in shame. "I understand, Your Holiness. Cardinal Jinn informed me about the meeting with you. Forgive me, I've disappointed you."

'Am I being too harsh?' 

Sylvester sighed and patted the man's shoulder. "It's not me who you should fear disappointing, my friend. It's the people of this realm of God that you serve. Be well."

…

The railway line recently inaugurated in the South River State was not that long, and covered the Trade Corridor and the Ironstone State, previously known as Ironstone Duchy of Gracia. The two very wealthy states were now linked to do business, but that wasn't enough. 

So, the railway line was to be connected to the Holy Land, and from the Holy Land, the rest of the North of Gracia region, all the way to Miraj City. However, it was supposed to be the longest railway line project currently going on, traversing almost an entire kingdom. It was also meant to have two parallel tracks and dozens of major and hundreds of minor stations. 

Cardinal Smeaton Bradfield was the name of the man responsible for the development of the Holy Land's Railway Services. From the construction to the administration, and then the training school for the engineman and conductors, along with station masters, signaling systems, and much more. 

"What's the matter now? We've only laid a kilometer of track in the past six days. At this speed, most of you would be dead from old age by the end," Cardinal Smeaton said, scolding the high-ranking officers working for him. "You can't even manage the Construction Guild?" 

Faces hung low, bodies covered in dirt and sweat, all men in regular clothes or clergy robes felt ashamed of letting down their boss. 

"We can't do anything," an Archbishop voiced, being the second in command of the Cardinal. "Your Eminence, you know it too. The Brownland Construction Guild has started to grow too greedy and lazy. If they don't help us dig the tunnels and make the bridges on time, how can we lay the tracks?"

Cardinal Smeaton sighed and took his seat in the massive field tent near the mass storage site for the construction supplies. "What is it now? I spoke with their guildmaster a month ago."

"They say they can't work more than five hours a day, no more than ten days in a fortnight. Unless we agree with it, they will simply ignore our commands, and just laze around. It's their tactic to force us to renegotiate the project fee after they saw the success of the South River trains. They know we can't afford delays," the Archbishop explained. 

"These damn maggots of this blessed land," Cardinal Smeaton openly cursed and rubbed his forehead. "His Holiness personally appointed me for this task. I can't go before him with such low-level problems." 

BOOM!

Just then, an explosion resounded in the sky. Those who lived in the Holy Land were used to it and knew exactly what it meant. 

"Yes!" The officers cheered. 

Meanwhile, Cardinal Smeaton grinned, his old wrinkly face showing the cunningness that the Pope was known for. "Archbishop, call the Construction Guild's chief for an emergency meeting. We have a special guest everyone should meet and greet… at least once in a lifetime."

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