Chapter 040: The Pope's Oral Order

The Sanctuary was neither too large nor too small. Milo's cosmos, which had disappeared for some time, suddenly appeared, startling the other Saints. Upon sensing this, they all rushed over.

Soon, aside from the already deceased Sagittarius, the absent Libra, and the Gemini who was pretending to be the Pope while playing dead, all the other Saints had arrived.

Even Saints who usually didn't get along well came.

Everyone wanted to know how Milo had suddenly vanished from the Sanctuary.

There had been absolutely no sign.

"It's really great that you're okay, Milo," said Mu of Aries, relieved.

"Haha, I knew you'd be fine," said Aldebaran of Taurus, as hearty as ever, clapping Milo hard on the shoulder.

He was huge, with an arm thicker than Milo's thigh, and he didn't know his own strength. Wang Bo could even hear Milo's Gold Cloth creaking under the blows.

Wang Bo suspected that if it were an ordinary Saint, their bones might have been broken.

But Milo himself bore it without changing expression, and even had the strength to punch Aldebaran in the chest.

Aldebaran didn't mind at all and burst into laughter.

Deathmask of Cancer did not join the welcome party for Milo's return, as he and Milo had never gotten along well. Instead, he observed Wang Bo with interest.

He couldn't understand why such an ordinary Saint would be in the Scorpion Palace.

Wang Bo sensed someone staring at him and turned to look. Upon seeing it was the Cancer Saint, he averted his gaze expressionlessly.

Among the Twelve Zodiac Palaces of this world, Deathmask of Cancer definitely had the worst reputation.

This guy liked to toy with the dead and souls, like a natural villain. Even his Cloth couldn't stand him. When Seiya and the others attacked the Twelve Palaces,

the other Gold Saints either held back or defected to Seiya's side. Only this guy was defeated head-on by Shiryu.

Among the Twelve Palaces, he was the one who brought shame.

Aiolia of Leo was a man of few words. Seeing Milo return, he nodded slightly at him as a greeting.

And Milo nodded back.

As for Shaka of Virgo, after hesitating for a moment, he asked the doubt in his mind, "What exactly happened?"

Milo said calmly, "I don't want to talk about it."

She knew well that without evidence, it would be hard to make these people believe her words.

The reason she was willing to believe Wang Bo was, first, that she had personally experienced this event, and second, that Wang Bo had no reason to deceive her.

Camus of Aquarius frowned upon hearing this. This was not the answer he wanted. He was about to ask further when, at that moment, Aphrodite of Pisces hurried over.

His palace was very close to the Scorpion Palace, so he should have been among the first to arrive, but he was the last.

However, when he arrived, he also brought the Pope's oral order.

After the Pisces Palace was the Pope's Chamber. He was the Saint closest to the Pope, so whenever the Pope had orders, he would relay them to the other Saints.

"Milo, and the other Saints, the Pope orders us to gather at the Pope's Chamber. Also, bring this man," Aphrodite said, pointing at Wang Bo.

Wang Bo smiled faintly and did not object.

Milo's eyes flickered several times, then he nodded. "Alright."

So the group began to move, passing through one palace after another until they finally reached the Pope's Hall.

In the vast and imposing Pope's Hall, the Pope, clad in a white robe and helmet, his face hidden behind a mask, sat on an ornate throne, awaiting their arrival.

Upon entering, the Saints knelt on one knee in unison to pay homage to the Pope.

In the Sanctuary, the Pope was the representative of the Goddess, and in a sense, the human incarnation of Athena, ranking even above the Gold Saints.

Thus, on every formal occasion, the Gold Saints would pay their respects to the Pope.

But this time, a small incident occurred.

For this time, two people did not kneel.

One was Wang Bo, and the other was Milo.

Seeing this, the other Saints were taken aback, none of them quite understanding what Milo and that ordinary Saint were up to.

Facing the representative of the Goddess Athena, they dared not kneel?

Shura, in particular, grew more puzzled. Ever since Milo had returned, he had been full of disdain for the Pope. Why had it come to this? Could Milo's disappearance really be related to the Pope?

But soon, he dismissed this thought, because the Pope himself began to question.

"Scorpio Saint Milo, answer me: why did you leave your post at the Scorpio Temple without permission, and why did you vanish without reason?"

Shura inwardly breathed a sigh of relief; it seemed Milo's disappearance had nothing to do with the Pope.

Milo's eyes flickered several times before he spoke. "My disappearance is a matter of great importance, so I must speak of it in the presence of the Goddess Athena. Pope, please allow me an audience with Lady Athena."

The Pope was taken aback, unable to fathom what Milo was thinking—why would he want to see Athena as soon as he returned?

But with so many Saints present, he found it awkward to refuse.

After a moment's deliberation, the Pope nodded and said, "Very well, then you shall accompany me to see Lady Athena."

At that moment, Milo added, "O Pope, this matter is of great consequence, so I hope all the Saints may come together to see Lady Athena."

The Pope grew even more puzzled, a faint sense of foreboding stirring in his heart, but under the circumstances, he could hardly object. "Very well, then let everyone come along."

Beyond the Twelve Palaces lay the Pope's Hall, and beyond the Pope's Hall was the Temple of Athena.

Led by the Pope, the group passed through the Pope's Hall and arrived at the Temple of Athena.

Wang Bo, walking beside Milo, asked, "What do you plan to do?"

Milo smiled faintly and said, "I'll need your help in a moment."

Wang Bo sensed that Milo seemed about to stir up some news, so he nodded and said, "Alright."

Upon entering the temple, the group beheld the Goddess Athena.

But this Athena was not the real Athena; she was a puppet, one that Saga had created to rule the Sanctuary.

This woman, who bore some resemblance to Kido Saori, actually had no cosmos.

But the Gold Saints had never imagined that Saga would be audacious enough to have someone impersonate Athena, so even though this puppet did not display Athena's cosmos, no one ever suspected her.