Chapter 24
Chapter 24
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 24
Chapter Title: The Saint's Inner Thoughts
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A place where sunlight filtered through stained glass.
At the very end of a hierarchy clearly defined by pure white stairs, a man dressed in noble attire could be seen seated.
"To ensure the well-being of the Flower Saint, Victoria, you wish to access the forbidden archive beneath this place..."
The man, leaning his head to one side with a hand, was none other than the current Pope, Porcus III. Observing his appearance, I couldn't help but let out a deep sigh.
The Pope's scalp shone, reflecting the light, and he wore a belt stretched to its limit in a futile attempt to conceal his protruding belly.
What kind of Pope in this world would have such a gluttonous appearance? He had gained even more weight since I last saw him.
"...Yes, is it not possible, Your Holiness?"
I was currently kneeling on one knee before the Pope alongside Wilhelm, doing my utmost not to provoke his temper.
Since the order to subjugate the Demon King Ergosum came from the Emperor, if it were discovered we had deviated like this, it would only lead to trouble.
"Hmm, it is said you are the Saint's lover."
Porcus looked at me with an intrigued gaze. His sticky, sinister eyes rolled up and down, and a sensation of disgust crawled up my spine like a swarm of insects.
"Saint Victoria swore a vow of purity before the Heavenly God. How could she possibly have a lover? She is, by nature, a flower on a sheer cliff that should never be touched by a man's hand."
Hearing Porcus's words, my irritation surged instantly. I tried my hardest to conceal the veins bulging on the back of my hand.
Wasn't it just the other day that he, of all people, pretended to stumble in an attempt to accidentally remove Victoria's clothes?
"But this gentleman is truly the Saint's boyfriend! I can vouch for him on my name!"
Wilhelm was fervently defending me from the side. He was pounding his chest emphatically, proclaiming my innocence.
"What could a useless novice like you possibly know? I pitied you, injured by demons, and entrusted you with the simple task of weeding out outsiders..."
Porcus clicked his tongue in displeasure, revealing his annoyance. No trace of mercy could be found in his contemptuous gaze and expression.
I'd heard the previous Pope wasn't nearly this unreasonable. In the place of a viper-like Pope, a corpulent pig now sat.
"Regardless, I cannot trust you. You have no proof. Moreover, the Flower Saint has been traveling for a year now, having received the imperial decree to subjugate the Demon King."
Porcus pointed at me with a finger as if something filthy were stuck to it, then gestured to the surrounding paladins as if to say, "Get rid of him."
"We met in the Demon Realm and recently became involved. I am worried about the Saint's physical condition, so please, grant me the opportunity to review the records of past Saints..."
Gritting my teeth, I made one last polite request. I had hoped, against my own expectations, that he would be someone who knew how to draw the line.
"Your concern for the Saint's well-being, having traveled all the way from the distant Demon Realm, is commendable, but I'm afraid it's futile."
Even after hearing that Victoria's health was poor, the current Pope, Porcus III, maintained an attitude that viewed her as a thorn in his side that needed removing.
"......"
"Perhaps, if that lofty Saint were to bow her head before me and plead, I might reconsider. If you are truly her boyfriend, you should be able to persuade her to do at least that much."
Porcus III chuckled at me. Following his lead, the surrounding paladins also failed to suppress their laughter.
I swallowed a bitter taste upon hearing his words. How could a man who held the title of Pope treat a Saint, a direct messenger who could hear the Heavenly God's revelations, in such a manner?
"His Holiness speaks the truth! We should indeed verify if this is a lie!"
"If it weren't for that mage always hovering around her, some of us might have had a chance!"
They were all paladins who had previously looked at Victoria with lecherous eyes or gossiped about her figure and appearance behind her back.
This was precisely why I disliked the paladins, Wilhelm excepted. Lunatics who regarded Saint Victoria as their property.
"Anyone can claim to be the Saint's lover with mere words. Among the paladins, few men didn't join captivated by the Saint's beauty."
"Is that all? In the Demon Realm, there are even demons who call the Saint the 'Succubus Empress.' They say she's more lascivious than a Queen."
Despite her being a pure girl with her own heart and personality before she was a Saint, the obscene talk emerging here was escalating in vulgarity.
"If she weren't a Saint, she'd surely have become some kind of seductress—"
Thud.
Upon hearing the final, most insolent-faced paladin's slanderous remark, I felt the thread of my reason snap within my mind.
"...Hey, you bastards. I told you she's my girlfriend. Know your limits?"
I rose slowly from my position while uttering the curse. In an instant, I released the Perception Hindrance Magic and clenched both fists.
Thump—!
And I immediately struck the solar plexus of the paladin who had spoken last. The surface of his heavy armor dented inward with a dull sound.
"Guhk.... Ugh, ugh..."
The paladin knelt and collapsed, unable to even let out a proper scream. It happened so swiftly that no one, except me, could react.
The air grew heavy as lead, cold gazes piercing me, but...
I thought this was the right thing to do.
"A-Astal... Kaisaros? How on earth did you get here?! You were supposed to have departed for the Demon Realm..."
Pope Porcus III was so startled upon recognizing me that he even fell backward. As his massive body hit the floor, a sound that seemed to shake the very foundations echoed.
The Pope's face was deathly pale, and the fingertip pointing at me trembled violently.
"...Our Saint isn't feeling well, so I came to find a solution. You bald, rotten bastard."
I added unnecessary words I didn't truly mean, trying to justify my actions. Because I saw the surrounding paladins watching cautiously, hands gripping their sword hilts.
Would they side with the Pope, or would they side with the mage of the Hero's party? I could see them weighing the scales of profit in their minds.
"W-What are you all doing! Subdue that insolent wretch at once!"
"Think carefully. If you try to stop me, it's the same as harming the Saint. I'm here now to save Victoria."
I created a three-dimensional magic circle above my palm and slowly surveyed my surroundings. Only Wilhelm drew his sword, ready to protect me.
"I will follow you, Brother! Because I believe it's the right thing to do!"
"Good, well done."
I gave a slight nod upon seeing Wilhelm's stance.
That's how a paladin should be. No matter how much power a Pope wields, a paladin should be a faithful soul who listens to the Heavenly God's words and does not bend their own will.
But,
"I will grant gold and authority to whoever subdues him! Hurry up and defeat that wretch!"
The Pope was shrieking, ordering my capture. There was no trace of any piety or nobility in his demeanor.
"...I have no personal grudge, Mage."
"Bullshit. You looked the most excited when talking about Victoria earlier."
The paladins only began to move after being promised money and power. I was disgusted looking at them.
How corrupt and faithless did one have to be to succumb to such trivial temptations from the Pope?
Click, clack, clatter—!
As the crisp metallic sound of a key turning in a lock echoed, the magic circle on my palm began to transform into something new.
"...If you don't want the entire Papal Court to be blown to smithereens, you'd better not take a single step from where you stand."
I waved my hand once through the air, a confident smile playing on my lips. Because during my fight with the Phantom Dragon, I had discovered an interesting fact.
A magic that compresses mana endlessly, creating and dropping a burning star. A miniature version of a Supernova.
"Sunsinger."
The small sun I had created rose toward the ceiling of the Papal Court, scattering wing feathers and musical notes.
"This thing is more destructive than you'd think. It's more than enough to incinerate everyone in this building. Trying to run won't help."
"Guh, guuuuh..."
Due to the scorching heat and blazing flames emitted by the Sunsinger, Pope Porcus III and the paladins couldn't easily approach me.
"My, my. For paladins, you're awfully cowardly. Wilhelm, how about you become the Pope instead? I think that would be better."
I surrounded Wilhelm beside me with a wall of ice and made the suggestion with a gentle smile.
To restore this utterly rotten Papal Court to normalcy, we needed more individuals with his kind of sincere character.
"M-Me?! How could a greenhorn like me possibly..."
"Wouldn't the story be different for a paladin who aided the mage who succeeded in subjugating the Demon King? I absolutely need to behead that bastard to avenge my parents."
Wilhelm shook his head, still lacking confidence, but I pointed at myself with my thumb and continued.
"Besides, the previous Pope was also a knight in his youth. See that sword embedded in the rock over there? The one who pulls it out was originally supposed to be the successor."
I pointed to the long greatsword resting in the center of the rock, as if waiting for its owner.
It was something I had heard from Victoria once. The previous Pope, Raphael Archelious, had been active as a knight in his youth, traveling to save people.
"I think you're more than qualified. Probably."
I patted Wilhelm lightly on the back. If he had the guts to stand up to that pig of a Pope, he wasn't the type to be intimidated anywhere.
According to Victoria, the previous Pope also had a fiery side that couldn't stand injustice when he saw it.
"Is that... a story the Saint told you?"
"...How did you know?"
"Well, in the current Holy Kingdom, stories about the previous Pope are almost taboo. I never thought the Saint would share such a significant story with anyone else... Ah, could it be..."
Wilhelm suddenly looked at me with a strange gaze. He seemed deep in thought for a moment, then his eyes widened as if he had realized something.
"It seems you truly are the Saint's lover! You kept denying it so much, I misunderstood it as a lie!"
"...Ah. Well, that."
I averted Wilhelm's gaze and stammered. I couldn't take back my words now, not with the Pope and other paladins watching.
It was a mistake to lose my temper in a 'come what may' manner, unable to bear hearing my companion being slandered in the moment.
"Brother! You succeeded! To think that beautiful Saint is your partner! I, Wilhelm, will support your love for the rest of my life!"
Wilhelm raised his voice, pounding his left chest with his fist in a display of trust toward me.
"...'For the rest of my life' is a bit too burdensome."
It was, after all, just a one-month contract relationship.
"This life indebted to you and the Saint, if there is anything I can do as a paladin, please call upon me anytime!"
"......"
I thought it was truly fortunate Victoria wasn't here right now. If she saw the commotion I'd caused, she'd probably tease me for months.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ "Oh, oh my goodness..."
At that moment, Victoria, who had witnessed and heard the entire situation from behind a pillar, was...
"He was so cool even when swearing...!!"
She sank to the floor in a whisper, thoroughly savoring the lingering thrill of love.
The pounding of her heart, the incessantly surging inner thoughts grew as if someone might overhear them.
- Hey, you bastards. I told you she's my girlfriend. Know your limits?
For the first time, the man she had a crush on had called her his lover and vented his anger on her behalf toward people she normally disliked.
She was so happy. Ecstatic enough to jump for joy.
She wished this moment would last forever. To confirm it wasn't a dream but reality, she even pinched her cheek.
'T-This is... isn't this practically a confession?!'
Victoria swallowed dryly and smacked her lips. Due to Astal's mistake, her missteps and delusions were increasing day by day.