I am the Pope in the Western Fantasy World

Phil Gray planned to go to the cemetery to test whether he could fulfill the motto of the God of Death, "Listen to the teachings of the dead."

If there is a place with the most dead people, isn’t it the cemetery?

It had snowed all night and there were very few horse-drawn carriages at the street corner, and some were snatched away by a few quick-eyed and quick-handed passengers in front of them.

Phil Gray could only wait a little longer.

"Where do you want to go, sir?"

Phil Gray looked up and saw a carriage that was more luxurious than the previous ones. It had two strong and handsome white horses, the canopy at the back was embroidered with gold thread, and the seats were quite spacious. Although not as good as the one he sat in at the Vatican, it was obviously not for rental by civilians.

Looking at the man who was talking to him, he was sitting in the carriage. Wasn't this Mr. Allen from last night?

"Good morning, Mr. Allen. I want to go to the cemetery in Baiju District. It's quite far, so I won't bother you." Phil Gray greeted with a smile.

"You're welcome. I'm just passing by there, so I'll give you a ride."

Phil Gray didn't want to refuse his kindness, so he thanked him and got into the carriage.

"I forgot to introduce myself formally yesterday. My name is Alan Charles. What's your name?"

"My name is Kane."

Along the way, they chatted about each other's information and the customs and habits of Durr City. Phil Gray learned that Mr. Allen was once an earl of the Kingdom of Puna. Later, for some reason, his family fell into poverty. Now he runs a business similar to a clinic, mainly treating nobles at home.

"I am a first-level favored one of the God of Life. I can cure some of the more complicated diseases. If I am not mistaken, you should also be a favored one of the Gods, right?"

There is no such profession as doctor in this world. The treatment of patients depends entirely on the priests of the parish. For more difficult diseases, priests of the Church of Life or followers of the God of Life have to be consulted. Therefore, the Church of Life is actually the most popular church in the world, and people from every city welcome their arrival.

"Yes, I am a first-level favored one of the God of Destiny." Phil Gray replied.

Mr. Allen's family might have fallen into poverty because of the Church of Destiny, otherwise he would not have joined the apostates. I don't know what his attitude is towards the God of Destiny's Favored Ones, but isn't the leader also a high-level Favored One of the God of Destiny?

"Oh." Mr. Allen nodded without showing any other emotions. "You are going to the cemetery?"

"Yes, an elder I know is buried there, and I want to go and pay my respects," said Phil Gray.

"Well, but the area near the cemetery is rather desolate. If you want to buy flowers, you have to buy them here in advance. There is a flower shop not far ahead. I'll ask the driver to stop there when the time comes."

"Thank you, Mr. Allen," said Phil Gray.

Thanks for his reminder. It is indeed better to bring flowers with you.

After getting off the carriage, Phil Gray came back with a bunch of flowers. In fact, this was only a part of it, and there were still some in his space bracelet.

Mr. Allen was a little surprised, then he smiled.

The carriage soon arrived at the Baiju area, which was indeed very desolate.

The trees and flowers that were full of vitality in Dur City even in winter have all disappeared here. The withered and yellow branches are covered with white snow, which looks bleak and cold. Perhaps this is what winter should be like.

There are no other buildings in Baiju District, and the cemetery is the only thing you can see.

"Here we are, Mr. Kane."

"Oh, there really aren't many people here."

"Well, you know, people who believe in the God of Life are somewhat taboo about these things."

"Okay, thank you again, Mr. Allen, see you later."

"See you."

Watching Mr. Allen's carriage disappear, Phil Gray put the flowers in his hands into the space before looking towards his destination.

The iron gate and fence were covered with patches of rust and looked dilapidated. The snow at the door had piled up very thickly, and it was as smooth as a freshly washed dish, without a single footprint.

It looked like Phil Gray might be the first person to set foot here in the next few days.

The door was not locked, and Phil Gray pushed it open easily. The snow inside had not been cleared, so he could only leave deep footprints with great effort.

After walking for a while, he saw neat rows of tombstones.

But they are also covered with a layer of white snow.

Maybe he had chosen the wrong time.

Should wait for a sunny day.

But how do we listen to the teachings of the dead?

Perhaps there is an epitaph on this tombstone?

Phil Gray thought about it and wiped the snow off the first tombstone with his sleeve. He saw words on the tombstone, but the words were blurred. It must have been quite a long time ago. He could vaguely see "Tomb of the Duke of Odysseus Huntington."

There were several more lines of italics below. After repeated identification, Phil Gray finally saw the words clearly: "Here lies a noble duke, but he was stingy in giving gold coins to the priest who treated him, so he became the first guest of the cemetery."

Phil Gray placed a white carnation and said, "May you love life more than money in your next life."

Coming to the second tomb, I used my sleeves to brush away the snow. There was no name on this tombstone, only two lines of epitaph: "Here lies a benevolent bishop, who will return to the embrace of God."

Phil Gray placed a white chrysanthemum.

Walking past them one by one, Phil Gray found that lying here were dukes and bishops, as well as ordinary watchmakers, coachmen, and prostitutes. Life is so equal in the face of death. No matter how ups and downs life is, in the end there is only a tombstone and a few strokes that summarize a lifetime.

He placed a flower on each tombstone.

His sleeves were already soaked, and the cold wind blew, turning his hands red with cold.

It was almost noon, and Phil Gray was just about to stop and rest when he heard footsteps behind him, which were particularly obvious in the quiet cemetery.

He turned around and saw an old man walking towards him with a cane. The old man was wearing a dark brown robe, had white hair and a haggard face.

Could it be the gravekeeper?

"Are you a foreigner in Dur City?" the old man asked.

"Yes, how did you know?" Phil Gray asked curiously.

"Haha, because the residents of Life Parish will not come to this cemetery unless they die or come to bury the dead, let alone come to lay flowers and sweep the graves for these strangers."

"That's it."

No wonder it's so desolate here.

"The people of the Parish of Life respect life and regard life as more important than anything else. However, as much as they love life, they hate death. The dead and cemeteries are taboos to them."

Phil Gray nodded.

"Are you the gravekeeper of this cemetery?"

"Gravekeeper, you can understand it that way."

The old man smiled and then said slowly:

"But they are all narrow-minded. Life and death complement each other. The end of life is death, and the end of death may also be life!"

Indeed, isn't this the view of dialectics? Phil Gray, who has memories from Earth, smiled knowingly, "Yes, life and death have not only the opposite side, but also the unified side."

The old man showed an admiring look, "Young man, you are very good, and you have the aura of someone I know."

"Really?" Phil Gray was about to ask, but suddenly a chilling feeling swept over his body. A diffuse black fog surrounded him, and the figure in front of him gradually blurred. Only the motto that rang in his ears remained, "Listen to the teachings of the dead..."

But then, the content of the voice changed and became:

"The deceased gave you a right hand. The accumulation of experience should not be left in the grave."

He felt that there was another kind of divine power in his body. After flowing through his body, he felt a cool feeling. After merging with the previous divine power, it did not reject it but merged together and became calm.

He looked at his right hand, and black letters appeared in front of him - "The Right Hand of the Dead".