Chapter 55
Chapter 55
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 55
Chapter Title: The Pope (2)
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For now, things were settled. I was satisfied. I’d confirmed that my goals aligned with that quack Pope’s, and it was clear the Holy Kingdom would be a powerful ally if war broke out.
- I apologize for not telling you sooner.
“It's alright. I was surprised, but I had anticipated something of the sort.”
- A designated mission. This is good. It means you've found favor with him. It's also a sign that you've passed his test.
Peri Batoni, upon receiving the report, replied brightly, as if this was for the best. It was certainly something to be happy about. After all, it meant the Pope of the Holy Kingdom looked favorably upon the White Mercenary Corps.
- In any case, the White Mercenary Corps needs to stay on friendly terms with the Holy Kingdom. Especially if a war breaks out.
“That’s true. We can’t side with the Empire, after all.”
- Besides, this isn't just about the White Mercenary Corps. It's about the Resistance as well.
So the White Mercenary Corps' position is separate from the Resistance's? Is that it? From either perspective, there's no harm in being on good terms with the Holy Kingdom.
- What I'm about to tell you is top secret, so do not repeat it to anyone. That includes Seamus and Reinhardt.
What could he possibly be about to say that required such careful preamble?
- The Holy Kingdom. To be precise, Pope Provino and the Resistance have an inseparable relationship. The fact that such a Pope has given you a mission, even going so far as to assign you Priestess Niceta, who is considered skilled enough to lead the next generation of inquisitors… it means he intends to support you fully.
The conversation was taking a serious turn. The close relationship between the Resistance and the Holy Kingdom was one thing, but the fact that he even knew of someone like Niceta was another.
- They say even her personality is a carbon copy of the current Pope Provino.
“Ah… that's a bit…”
- What was that?
“Ah, nothing.”
I lowered my head, pinching the bridge of my nose. Does this old man have any idea what he's saying? Personality? *Personality*? The same personality as that quack?
No wonder Gleb's reaction was so strange when the Pope brought her up.
- He also felt a sense of debt regarding Lord Prometheus's death, you see.
A sense of debt? That quack? There should be no connection at all. Why would he feel indebted over my death? When I died, he was in the Holy Kingdom, and I was in the Empire.
“To… no, to my master?”
- That's right. Well, you may have already heard about their relationship, but they were quite close, weren't they? On the day he died, His Holiness said that a truly regrettable talent had returned to the embrace of God.
I couldn't understand it. It was true that I was close to that quack. Not because he was a priest of the Holy Kingdom, but because he was a decent person.
- That must be why he supported the Resistance out of his own pocket. On the surface, there is no relationship between the White Mercenary Corps and the Holy Kingdom or the Pope. This is the first time, you could say. If anything, he assigned missions to the White Mercenary Corps under stricter standards.
I had no idea. To think the Resistance's biggest benefactor was the Pope.
Considering his usual behavior, this was something he would have cackled and teased me about. He would've said, 'What good is that sort of honor? You should come to the Holy Kingdom, too.' Something about finding me a desk job.
I remembered my last moments with him. I had pleaded with him to stop the meaningless war with the Heracles Clan.
In the end, it resulted in their annihilation, and it was only natural that we'd grown distant because of it.
- Moreover, after his death, the Empire slowly began to crumble and adopted an anti-Holy Kingdom stance. That must have been part of his plan to keep them in check. The Empire's actions were subtly blatant.
A blatant anti-Holy Kingdom stance. And so suddenly.
- And then he received a direct divine revelation, was endorsed as the next Pope, and the support began. I can only assume there's something more to it.
This story had many implications. The Empire suddenly adopting an anti-Holy Kingdom stance. A Pope who received a divine revelation.
- In any case, we can discuss the details later. There is something else you need to know. There is currently a heated debate within the Holy Kingdom to accept the Raelian Church as an official religion.
“Ah. So that’s why…”
- And the Pope is the only one opposing it. I trust you understand what that means.
“I understand.”
Now I was starting to get the picture. Why the Pope had been cursing the Holy Kingdom’s Council of Elders yesterday. Why he reacted that way to the Raelian Church. Why he was assigning me that priestess, Niceta.
With that one sentence, all the pieces fell into place.
- I will have the other surface-level details you need to know delivered through the contact point.
“Understood.”
The communication ended, and I was left to my thoughts. The continent was already caught in the whirlpool of war, unable to escape. The Pope, too, was internally preparing for war, and his target would ultimately be the Empire.
But who was the Empire planning to wage war against? That was the mystery.
“What if… what if the Raelian Church itself was a religion created by the Empire?”
If you asked whether a human could create a god and a religion, it would sound absurd. No one but a true madman would do such a thing. It was just too inefficient.
However, reviving one of the countless religions of the past and bringing it under their thumb was not a difficult task for the Empire.
In fact, with the Empire's wealth, intelligence network, and ability to execute plans, that approach was much more certain.
“Did they find some ancient text? This damned fantasy world.”
And what if they planted the Raelian Church in the Holy Kingdom, then used its connection to demonic energy as a pretext to declare war?
Everything made sense. And the reason the Holy Kingdom's Council of Elders is trying to accept the Raelian Church. War is a matter of public opinion and justification.
The Trojan Horse, and the staged radio station attack Germany used to invade Poland—both succeeded and changed history, didn't they?
What if all of this was for a bigger picture?
“Dammit.”
There wasn't much time. The more the Raelian Church's influence grew, the more the Pope's political power would diminish.
And then the Empire would complete the grand design they desired.
***
“Hah. You deduced that much?”
The next day, I had a secret, private meeting with the Pope.
“It wasn't difficult.”
“I'm sorry, but that smugness of yours is just like your master's! Most people wouldn't make such a bold assumption.”
“So I'm right.”
“Go on, tell someone else. That the Raelian Church was revived by the Empire and planted within the Holy Kingdom to serve as a pretext for war. You'd be lucky not to be called a madman.”
Provino laughed heartily as he spoke, clearly pleased.
“But the funny thing is, I think so too.”
So much for being his disciple. I guess we're even on the same wavelength.
“Those foolish old geezers on the Council of Elders don't realize it at all. In fact, they're arguing that the Raelian Church must be incorporated as an official religion of the Holy Kingdom so that we can fully reap its benefits.”
“Then what's the reason for assigning me the priestess named Niceta?”
“What else? She's a witness. There's no one in the Holy Kingdom who doesn't know Niceta. No one would doubt her testimony. Her skills are also outstanding, I can vouch for that. However, she still lacks an understanding of the world. She's just grown up too sheltered, you see.”
Just what kind of person was she that he was being so reserved in his description?
“Now that you know, I'd appreciate it if you could depart as soon as possible. It's not easy holding back those old men. We're all getting old together, yet I don't know why they're still so greedy.”
“Is the reason you don't tell the Council of Elders the truth because of a potential mole?”
“A mole? Ah, yes. A mole. That's right. Who knows what back channels those greedy old men have open. I'm sure they reported your arrival here in full detail.”
Provino looked tired, deeply rubbing his eyelids. No amount of holy power could easily relieve this kind of mental fatigue.
“This mission is a secret one. You'll inevitably be discovered once you reach Rzhev, but until then, at least.”
“I understand.”
“If there's anything you need, speak up. I'll grant what I can.”
Something I needed. There was something. Something I needed very much.
“Ah. Could I possibly get a weapon?”
“A weapon? What kind of mercenary walks around without a weapon?”
“I did. It broke while I was dealing with those bastards in Granok.”
Provino's eyes gleamed as I took the hammer out of my inventory. It wasn't often you saw a hammer so stained with demonic energy. Just how many demonic energy-related bastards did he beat to death for it to be stained like that?
“Yes, it certainly looks that way. Seeing that much demonic energy on a hammer used as a weapon, you must have killed quite a few.”
“Quite a few. More than you'd think.”
“I'll tell Gleb. Is there a specific weapon you want?”
“Hmm. A hammer or an axe. And a shield would be enough.”
Since the Pope was giving it to me, it wouldn't be anything ordinary. I mean, it was coming from the Pope himself.
“Something decent, please. I have a feeling I'll be beating down a lot more of them from now on.”
“You're just like that bastard Prometheus in that regard.”
That's my line, you old coot.
***
“What's this?”
On the morning of our departure for Rzhev, the party, having disguised themselves early and gathered at the entrance, stared quizzically at a large crate loaded onto the carriage.
“Weapons.”
“Weapons?”
When I opened the crate, a hammer, an axe, and a shield lay inside. I couldn't help but admire his generosity for giving me both when I’d asked for a hammer or an axe.
They were clearly high-quality items. I didn't know what they were made of, but since the Pope gave them to me, they had to be sturdy. A quick glance was enough to see they were brimming with holy power, making them perfect weapons for killing the bastards I'd be facing.
And inside, there was another, smaller box.
[Use this when you need it. You should at least have this much.]
A note that looked like it was scribbled hastily out of sheer annoyance, and a wooden plaque.
This crazy old man. How could he just hand over something so important so carelessly?
It was a plaque similar to the one I'd received from the inquisitor. And one given by the Pope himself.
A plaque tens, hundreds, no, thousands of times more significant. What's more, it was filled with holy power, as if the Pope had infused it himself.
“Are you the White Mercenary Corps?”
Someone wearing a deep hood approached cautiously, their head bowed low. The enormous greatsword slung across her back seemed a bit unbalanced for her frame.
Wait, can she even wield that thing?
“Priestess Niceta?”
“Ah, so it is you. Now that preparations are complete, shall we depart immediately?”
Her movements seemed somewhat rushed.
“Ah, yes. Sure. Let’s leave right away.”
We were ready to go anyway.
“Let's go quickly. Quickly.”
“Everyone got their things? Let’s head out, then.”
What's with this priestess? The nerve of her, hurrying us along when she was the last to arrive…
Just as everyone was aboard and Reinhardt started driving the carriage.
“Hey, can't we go a little faster? This feels slow.”
“Nicetaaa—!”
From the grand cathedral, someone shouted her name in an angry voice and came running toward us.
“Priestess. It seems someone is calling for you, no?”
“It's not necessary. Let's just go. Shouldn't we be smashing those demon bastards' heads in as soon as possible?”
What is with this priestess?
Her mouth is foul. Exceptionally so. Yes, just like seeing a younger version of that quack.
By the time I recognized the distant figure as Gleb, the carriage had already left the city walls.
“Not the treasure—! That treasure!”
Gleb's futile cry could only be heard echoing from the distance.