Chapter 333
Chapter 333
Chapter 333
‘The atmosphere in the Holy Kingdom is strange.’
Zeke, who joined the Black Sword Knights with Roban, immediately entered the Holy Kingdom of Vadoka with his knights.
The Holy Kingdom of Vadoka, known as sacred ground, was a fortress surrounded by solid walls on high ground, protected by Paladins and priests, making it impenetrable even for Orc legions.
Upon entering the kingdom, Zeke detected a peculiar atmosphere in the attitudes of Paladins and priests.
There were subtle points of confrontation between them despite belonging to the same Holy Kingdom.
Roban, who was next to Zeke, heard his muttering and frowned as he spoke.
"Sir Zeke, this is the reality of the Holy Kingdom. Even those who serve the same god divide into factions and fight, creating class distinctions and discrimination, causing many citizens to suffer inevitably."
Moreover, nuns and monks were nowhere to be seen in the Holy Kingdom of Vadoka.
Despite being clergy of the same faith, their low rank meant they could not walk proudly in the sacred land of Vadoka, forced to use only the narrow paths behind buildings.
Roban had been driven out of the kingdom due to such prevalent political struggles. The Pope's best option was to send him to a monastery where he could stay safely.
Fortunately, in that place, priests, paladins, nuns, and monks respected each other and worked to follow God's will while spreading teachings.
Roban also followed those teachings and tried to find God's true will.
However, most of the order's monasteries were not like that.
The clergy exploited the citizens to fill their own bellies, and doctrine preaching had degraded into a means of accumulating wealth.
Although Roban was still young, he felt the corrupt situation of the Holy Kingdom throughout his body by directly seeing and experiencing these realities.
Roban's shoulders trembled slightly with fear while feeling angry at their selfish behavior.
Zeke patted Roban's shoulder while watching him.
"Don't be too tense. I will safely take you to the Pope, so don't worry."
At Zeke's words, Roban finally showed a relieved expression.
At first, he showed hostility thinking Zeke was a pursuer sent by the Empire after seeing him fight Bacchus who had saved him.
However, he gained a completely different perspective after hearing that he was Zeke Draker, the Knight of Salvation who saved the ghetto area from monsters, not an imperial soldier.
He was currently the most renowned person on the continent, being the continent's greatest genius knight, gaining fame as the Knight of the Setting Sun, and performing various miracles with the blessing of the Fairy King.
Moreover, there were rumors that Zeke Draker could use powerful light miracles to the extent of being called the reincarnation of Geo Lubern, the first Holy King.
Strictly speaking, Geo Lubern was a saint of a different sect for Roban, but he couldn't help feeling impressed nonetheless.
Roban could finally feel relieved from his fear now that such a Knight of Salvation said he would protect him.
Zeke gave a small smile after seeing Roban become a bit more comfortable, then led the Black Sword Knights toward the papal office.
At that moment, clergy members in luxurious attire appeared in front of the papal office.
The clergy members, wearing pure white robes adorned with gold and accessories embedded with precious jewels, looked more splendid than the nobles of the Central Continent.
They were members of the Holy Kingdom's Central Council.
And the one standing at their front was none other than Chairman Pierre.
It was a show of sincerity that the chairman and council members came out to welcome them personally.
Pierre spoke to Zeke, who was sitting on Bucephalus.
"Knight of Draker and heir to the House of Agamemnon. We welcome Knight of Salvation Zeke Draker in the name of God. Devout knight Zeke Draker. Show your loyalty and devotion to God and prove that you will be God's sword."
According to the order's ritual, it meant to dismount, bow to the sacred object, and kiss the cleric's feet to show one's devotion.
However, Zeke remained on his horse and quietly looked down at Pierre.
When Zeke showed no reaction, the eyes of the other cardinals and bishops behind began to waver.
Pierre, who had maintained a solemn expression, opened his mouth once again.
"Zeke Draker. Quickly dismount and prove your devotion..."
"Where is His Holiness?"
Zeke cut off Pierre's words and mentioned the Pope.
Pierre frowned at Zeke's unexpected behavior.
Currently, the one holding the greatest power in the Holy Kingdom was none other than Pierre himself.
He came out personally to welcome and prepare to give his blessing, but Zeke was looking for the Pope who was nothing more than a figurehead, so he couldn't understand.
When Pierre remained silent, Zeke spoke again.
"I wish to prove my devotion before His Holiness the Pope. Please guide me to where His Holiness is."
The expressions of the council members, including Pierre, completely crumpled.
However, since it was they who decided to let Zeke into the Holy Kingdom, there was nothing they could do. Moreover, Zeke's demand was closer to the proper way if considered fundamentally.
Pierre spoke with anger-filled eyes while clenching his molars.
"...Guide Sir Zeke to His Holiness."
Zeke followed the guiding cleric toward the papal office without dismounting.
He passed by Pierre and other council members without even giving them a glance.
Pierre watched the Black Sword Knights heading toward the papal office with displeased eyes, then discovered a small boy wearing a hood beside them.
'Hmm?'
Although Pierre thought the boy looked familiar somehow, he didn't think that boy could be the heir Roban.
Then, one cardinal spoke to Pierre.
"Chairman, are you going to overlook such an insolent attitude?"
At those words, Pierre glared at the Black Sword Knights with a hardened expression but then shook his head.
"Let it be. Whether he doesn't understand or has other intentions, he'll soon realize. That the Holy Kingdom operates on different principles than anywhere else."
The place with the most intense power struggles on the continent was Rom, the capital of the Empire.
But the place built on the most complicated politics was right here, the Holy Kingdom of Vadoka.
It was a place that couldn't be handled just with the reputation of being the Knight of Salvation.
Some even called this place not holy ground but a demon realm where monsters swarm.
'Zeke Draker. Let's see how much you can endure.'
* * *
After positioning the Black Sword Knights, Zeke entered with only Commander Decker and Felix and Roban, who had connections to the Holy Kingdom.
Entering the papal building, Zeke frowned as he looked around.
'It's not being maintained at all.'
The papal building was where the Pope resided and was effectively the most important building in the Holy Nation.
However, the current state of the building showed that despite visible areas needing repair, it was practically abandoned rather than maintained.
This was evidence that the Pope's authority was being completely ignored within the Holy Kingdom.
Even after entering the papal building, besides the clergy member directed by Pierre to guide them, no one came to escort them.
Zeke's party was guided through the poorly lit corridors of the papal building to a location inside.
"The Pope is here. Well then."
The clergy member who guided them only showed the location and quickly left.
Realizing that the situation in the Holy Kingdom was more serious than he thought, Zeke slowly opened the door.
CREEEEAK!
The door made a sharp sound, likely from lack of proper oiling.
Zeke's party entered.
The interior was remarkably shabby, hard to believe it was where the Pope resided.
There was a small space set up for prayer, and inside was a single desk.
That's when it happened.
"Who goes there?!"
A young knight wearing faded armor approached Zeke's party cautiously.
Zeke noticed the orange cape the knight was wearing and realized he was from the guard protecting the Pope.
Seeing Zeke, Decker, and Felix with their extraordinary presence, the guard knight momentarily panicked and grabbed his sword.
That's when Roban, who was hiding behind them, happily called out to the knight.
"Sir Anthony!"
As if he knew the knight, Roban called his name and ran toward him.
The knight called Anthony lifted up Roban who had run to him, surprised.
"Roban! Good heavens! What happened!?"
Anthony then turned his head to look at Zeke's party again.
Roban told Anthony.
"It's Sir Zeke Draker! The knight brought me here!"
Anthony was shocked at Roban's words.
"Sir Zeke Draker... the Knight of Salvation?"
He put Roban down and bowed his head to Zeke respectfully.
"Sir Zeke, please forgive my rudeness. I am Anthony Solma, in charge of protecting His Holiness the Pope."
Zeke greeted Anthony.
"Pleased to meet you, Sir Anthony. It is an honor to see the renowned Vadoka Guard in person."
The Vadoka Guard protecting the Pope had a unique tradition.
The point was that it wasn't composed of Paladins. The Vadoka Guard was recruited and selected from Sun Church believers from Thebea Kingdom, one of the Central Kingdoms.
During the Holy Empire era, the Thebea Kingdom functioned as the capital of the empire, and at that time, the guard protecting the Pope was composed of the most honorable and strongest from Thebea, a tradition that has continued until now.
Hearing that Anthony's surname was Solma, Zeke asked him.
"Being from the Solma family, you must know Sir Aslan Solma of the Cross Sword and Sir Jeffrik Solma."
Anthony nodded at those words.
"Of course. Jeffrik is my cousin, and Sir Aslan is my uncle."
Aslan Solma, who had been trapped in the cursed mansion for thirty years until he was able to escape thanks to Zeke, had now returned to the Solma family and regained his original knight position.
Anthony looked at Zeke and said.
"Having devoted myself to the Holy Nation, I haven't been able to meet Sir Aslan directly, but I heard through family news that he returned safely. The Solma family is greatly indebted to Sir Zeke, so you are no less than a benefactor to me as well."
Zeke nodded at Anthony's words.
"Thank you for your kind words. More importantly, where is His Holiness the Pope? I would like to pay my respects first."
Anthony nodded.
"His Holiness will finish prayers soon and come out, so please sit comfortably here and wait for a moment. Roban, come with me. It's been a long time since meeting His Holiness, so let's get you properly dressed."
Zeke's party nodded and sat at the desk Anthony pointed to.
When Zeke took his seat and looked at Felix sitting across from him, he could see him trembling slightly with a stern expression unlike his usual self.
"Felix."
When Zeke called, Felix startled and raised his head.
"Yes? My lord."
"You seem quite tense, unlike yourself."
"Haha, d-did I look that way?."
Felix had received power from Arch Paladin Fab and learned swordsmanship from him.
Currently, he had inherited the Agamemnon family's golden swordsmanship and was on the verge of reaching the realm of Blue Knight, but it was clear that Fab had the biggest influence on his identity as a knight.
Coming to the Holy Nation where his grandfather had fought a lonely battle, abandoning even the name of Arch Paladin after being pushed out by power struggles, seemed to make his heart complex.
Felix exhaled and said.
"Coming here, I think I understand why grandfather abandoned the name of Arch Paladin and tried to save the children of Lubern. He must have been unable to tolerate the actions of clergy who only pursued their own interests."
Zeke nodded at Felix's words.
His mother, Laura Agamemnon, organized the Dawn Society with Sir Fab to rescue the children of Lubern, and continued fighting against the fallen ones in shadows unknown to anyone.
It was never easy to sacrifice oneself for others without any honor or gain.
Zeke looked at Felix and said.
"Sir Fab's will shall revive the Holy Kingdom. And you are the one to plant that will here, Felix."
At Zeke's words, Felix nodded with a firm expression.
Compared to when they first met, he now had a truly knightly face.
Just then, the sound of someone opening the door and entering came from behind.
"Sir Zeke Draker."
A clear and pure voice rang out.
It was a woman wearing dignified and modest holy garments, with a white veil on her head. Under the white veil, mysterious purple hair flowed.
The woman, from whom some divine presence could be felt, seemed to be radiating a halo.
Zeke and his party rose from their seats and bowed their heads toward the woman.
The Pope, master of the Vadoka Holy Nation and most noble being in the Sun Order, had appeared.