Chapter 58
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 58
Chapter Title: Holy Nation (2)
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Upon arriving at the Holy Nation, a massive crowd welcomed the Imperial delegation.
The ordinary humans living in the Holy Nation must have all heard the news of the Saintess's birth through the newspapers.
"Waaaaaaah!!!!"
"Saintess!!!"
"Please look this way just once!!"
"Kyaaaaah!"
They cheered as if they could see Sena inside the carriage, even though they couldn't. The more they did, the tenser the Holy Nation's soldiers and holy knights became, strengthening their vigilance.
The Saintess was proof of faith and humanity's blessing.
There was no way groups like Pandemonium or other malcontents hadn't heard such news, so the greater the chaos, the more they had to guard against it. Even if this was the center of faith that had spread across the entire continent.
In any case, pushing through the welcoming crowd, two cardinals stood at the end.
One was Cardinal Heinkel, who had come to the Empire as an envoy, and the other...
"This is Cardinal Rozan, who will be in charge alongside Cardinal Heinkel."
She was a middle-aged woman who gave off a somewhat serpentine vibe.
Yujin Banus spoke to her informally, just as he did with the Crown Prince. Mutual respect was important, but the Empire was the Empire.
No matter that it was the Holy Nation, a Duke of the Empire could not bow his head. Unless it was the Pope herself.
"I am Yujin Banus, representative of the Imperial delegation."
"We have heard plenty of your fame, Duke Banus."
With that, the two cardinals guided Yujin and his group inside the massive cathedral.
"The knights and mages who came for escort can wait comfortably over there."
At Cardinal Rozan's words, the knights all looked at Yujin at once.
Nod.
With a nod of his head, the knights moved to the place Cardinal Rozan indicated. Left behind were Yujin, Sena, the Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs who had come with the delegation, and the other nobles under him.
"Then, this way."
Heinkel and Rozan led them even further inside.
"Wow..."
"......"
Sena let out a dazed exclamation of admiration. The interior of the cathedral felt incredibly sacred, all in pure white.
...It's not just a feeling; it actually is sacred.
This was the center of faith, after all. The high-ranking priests of the Church, who possessed more holy power than anyone, and the Pope herself resided here, making it impossible for the place not to brim with holy power.
Going even deeper, a grand cathedral hall unfolded before them. Holy priests and holy knights were lined up on both sides.
And...
...That woman...
A woman with an overwhelming amount of holy power, incomparable to Heinkel or Rozan, stood at the end with her eyes closed.
...To the point where, if Sena weren't here, one might think she was the Saintess.
That woman... is she the Pope?
It was said that for about 200 years of history, the Pope had not changed. Even as Saintesses came and went, the Pope remained the same.
It was natural for countless people to question how that was possible. But those with deep faith in the Goddess of the Sun, Sola, or anyone who had seen the Pope even once could only accept it.
Because...
Hah.
Even Yujin, a master with the greatest talent in history, found it hard to think he could easily defeat her.
Defeat? It's not defeat.
But... victory might not be possible either.
The Pope's aura was that immense and sacred.
Then, the Pope's eyes opened.
And.
"Are you the Duke of the Empire? Pleased to meet you."
......!
He felt the sensation of a colossal being looking down at him. He had never felt this from even the Seven Deadly Sins Seats of Pandemonium.
Yujin instinctively surged his mana, directing it toward the gaze.
Rumble rumble rumble—
He knew the owner of this gaze was the Pope. But peering into him so freely was unacceptable, even from the Pope.
It wasn't some simplistic displeasure or annoyance.
He was here as the Empire's representative. Even if this was an invisible battle, he couldn't allow himself to be looked down upon.
Soon, Yujin's black mana spread out, dyeing the entire world in an instant. It covered the eye in the sky and burrowed deeper.
And
Shatter.
The gaze looking down on Yujin shattered into pieces and vanished.
It was an event that happened in just one second, imperceptible to anyone else. Only the owner of the gaze, the Pope, and Yujin himself knew.
At that moment, the Pope's smile deepened.
Of course, it was a very brief smile. So fleeting that even Yujin wondered if it was an illusion.
Instead, Yujin sensed something else in that smile.
...The gaze feels off somehow.
Not the colossal being's gaze from before. It was just... like the Pope was looking somewhere else.
Regardless, the Pope continued speaking calmly, as if nothing had happened.
"I am Lua El Solas, ruler of the Solar Holy Nation and the 19th Pope."
"...It is an honor to meet Your Holiness the Pope. I am Yujin Banus, Duke of the Empire and representative of the delegation."
"On behalf of the Holy Nation and the Church, I welcome you all."
With that, a torrent of applause poured down.
Amid the applause, the two exchanged ceremonial words as if nothing was amiss.
Wishing each other well, discussing cooperation between the Holy Nation and the Empire—such politicized rhetoric. And soon enough, the conversation ended.
The important parts had already been agreed upon in documents; this moment was mere formality.
"Then, the newly born Saintess and the Imperial delegation will be escorted separately."
Nod.
And so, Sena, Yujin, and the delegation parted ways for now. From what he heard, Sena would undergo basic verification as the Saintess once more, and once confirmed, a date would be set for the official investiture.
Later, while resting in the room assigned by the Church, a nun came to Yujin.
"His Holiness the Pope wishes to meet with Your Excellency the Duke in private."
The ruler of the Solar Holy Nation and 19th Pope, Lua, was thinking about the man she had just seen—no, precisely, the Imperial Duke she had just sensed.
His name was Yujin Banus, was it?
The young man who entered the Holy Nation as the Saintess's escort and representative of the Imperial delegation.
In Yujin, Lua saw something she had never seen in anyone before.
Such immense karma...
The blood scent indelibly etched into his soul. Countless humans' grudges clung to Yujin's soul, screaming.
Even the Seven Deadly Sins Seats of Pandemonium she had seen long ago hadn't accumulated as much karma as Yujin...
Yet unmistakable karma emanated from Yujin. One so vast that even she, who had lived over 200 years, had never felt before.
How many lives has he taken?
She knew there had been a massive war recently.
The war between the Empire and the Eastern Alliance. From what she heard, the death toll alone was at least four million, and that was before full accounting.
It was a colossal vortex of fate that a single human couldn't defy.
But I never imagined a mere human could amass such karma of slaughter within it.
Of course, that didn't mean she judged Yujin as evil. Amid the grudges and karma, she had seen 'light'.
And that wasn't all. She had seen something heterogeneous in his soul.
As if something not of this world was mixed into his soul.
It rejected her interference. As if it had to shine purely on its own, as if it were a higher being that permitted no meddling. Thus, peering deeper into Yujin was impossible.
Duke Banus, what exactly are you?
There had never been anyone like this before. What kind of existence was he to ignore her divine authority?
His presence stirred Lua's curiosity.
At the same time...
If you protrude from this world, could you change fate?
A hope arose that perhaps he could break the shackles and alter the flow.
Knock knock knock—
—Your Holiness. I have brought Duke Banus.
Yujin entered the Pope's office.
"Thank you for agreeing to this private meeting, Duke Banus."
"Not at all."
He shook his head. A private audience was no big deal anyway.
He also needed to address how the Pope had tried to peer into him earlier.
...
But...
...Again.
He got the feeling that Pope Lua was looking somewhere else. Not peering into him like before, but fundamentally, her gaze was misaligned.
...No way.
"...Your Holiness."
He took a step toward Lua.
"This may be a bit rude, but may I ask?"
"Hm... We're alone, so it should be fine. What is your question?"
At that moment, Yujin looked straight into the Pope's gray eyes.
The pupils subtly misaligned, not letting in light.
"Has Your Holiness... lost your sight?"