Karl's Reincarnation! Man's Blessing!!
…What the hell. What is this. Why is this happening. What the hell, this? Get away. Don't come here?!
The light is following me. Is this some drunkard's ramblings? I wish it were, but unfortunately, my mind is clear right now. Not even the smell of alcohol.
“Karl. You seem to be in the light.”
That's what Selena is saying. Please don't say something that sounds so grand. It makes it seem like it's something incredibly special.
“In the light. What kind of nonsense is that. But if it's true, it sounds like a statement that would earn you an enormous number of medals, enough to make it terrifyingly many!”
“Hoo hoo.”
His Holiness, if you keep saying 'hoo hoo' like that, it will only make things worse. Please stop!
This is secretly filming, right? The Four Idiots are probably from somewhere saying 'Hehe! The light will burn you!' and reflecting light or something. Right?!
“Karl, brother. Your current appearance is very... impressive.”
“Your Holiness the Pope? Wait... this is, um, it's not what Your Holiness thinks.”
“What is this old man thinking? Hehehe.”
Ah, please! Please don't do this! I want to quietly leave and go. I don't want to be the center of attention here!
Oh god, please. I know you love me, but this is too much! So then—
“Eh. Karl. It's gone.”
“Ah.”
As Selena said, the light that had been hovering around me changed direction. And soon it returned to where it should have been.
“Hah. Well then, Your Holiness. Shall we take a walk?”
Just let it go. Please? This time, just call it a coincidence and move on! Please!
“Indeed.”
Fortunately, the Pope was willing to go along with my intention. As expected, Your Holiness! As the head of the church, you are a benevolent person! I will not forget this grace!
“Karl, brother.”
While we were chatting and walking around the garden, the Pope suddenly started to speak.
“The Lord loves all humans.”
“Ah, yes. I know. According to the doctrine—”
“But among them, there are humans who are loved even more specially. It's an unavoidable thing. Just like there are beautiful flowers and even more beautiful flowers.”
“...”
Ah, um. I think I understand what you're saying, Your Holiness. So, right now...
“The Great Feast of All Saints. There is a time when we all gather to pray to the Lord during the great festival. At that time, would you be willing to represent us and ask for what you desire from Him?”
“Your Holiness? How can I do such... As far as I know, all matters are handled by Your Holiness.”
“That's right. I am in charge. So, no matter who is entrusted with it, it is within my discretion.”
The Great Feast of All Saints is a festival to honor all the saints who have passed through this land. The prayer that day is undoubtedly an important event. Just seeing that the Pope is in charge is enough to know.
But you're asking me to take charge of it? I'm not even a member of the church, and I'm not particularly devout. A general believer leading the Pope's prayer meeting?
This is quite a burden. I have to firmly refuse. No matter how much the Pope asks, this is—
“Please offer a prayer to the Light. For the child of the Crown Princess, the heir to the Empire's throne. Please help him be born healthy.”
Suddenly, the words the Crown Prince said to me come to mind. And the content of the request also comes to mind.
My sister got pregnant. My nephew is inside my sister. And next year, when spring is in full bloom, my brother-in-law and sister will come to me.
I hope that warm day is not filled with anyone's tears. May it be filled only with blessings and happiness. The Crown Prince asked me, not as a request, but as a wish that it be so.
Our sister. Our brother-in-law. No, not as much as the Crown Prince and Crown Princess, but I also want our nephew, the prince, the future emperor to be born healthy.
As much love as I received, even if not to that extent, I want to return at least a little.
And one more thing. If the Lord is really listening to my prayer. There is something I really want to say.
Please be at peace. I hope you are born to see more and become a greater person.
I lived because of you, became a hero because of you, and became a slightly better person because of you. I want to say that.
“From your expression, it seems you've remembered why you need to pray to the Lord.”
“Y-yes. Your Holiness. Hearing Your Holiness's words, the reason to offer a prayer came to mind.”
“If you have come to know the path you need to advance, is there anything more comforting than that?”
The Pope smiled and patted my shoulder. His gesture seemed to imply that he had roughly guessed what I wanted to pray for.
Wilhelm's invitation to the Holy See was not a simple trip or vacation.
The Gramstad Marquisate where his family was located was the land of blacksmiths. And using the excellent products they produced, they had a great influence in commercial and diplomatic fields.
That was also the reason why among the Four Idiots, Wilhelm could receive news the fastest in the diplomatic field.
Therefore, this invitation from the Holy See should be seen as an opportunity to further solidify Wilhelm's position as the next Marquis of Gramstad.
“There he comes.”
A day had passed since arriving at the Holy See. Since yesterday, they had been discussing important matters and then came out to chat with Schlippen and Alexander, and Joachim welcomed Wilhelm.
“What serious conversation were you having for so long?”
“Always the same. When there's one coming, there's one going, and when there's one going, there's one coming.”
“In the Holy See, you're casually speaking secular words. This is it.”
“The Holy See is, after all, a place where people gather, so secular things are bound to exist.”
Fortunately, the business part was all done. Now, what's left is really just the great festival.
“This is my first time at the Great Feast of All Saints. I guess we don't have anything to do.”
“If Karl were here, he would have told you not to cause trouble.”
“You've become quite the Karl expert.”
The Four Idiots were chuckling among themselves and waiting for the Great Feast of All Saints to start in an hour.
The great festival lasts for two days. Since we've been here for a day, we'll stay here at the Holy See for about three or four days.
“Isn't it that Karl has seen it?”
“Indeed. Since yesterday, I haven't seen anything at all.”
“Is there something wrong? I heard you were walking with the Pope.”
“Don't you know? You might be planning some amazing feat.”
Anyway, strange guy. He says he's an ordinary returning student on his own mouth, but the things he does are nothing like that.
What kind of ordinary is it that he has received two Imperial Medals of Honor, the Elven Legion of Honor as the highest from the elves, and even the church's treasure?
The Four Idiots were whispering to each other, 'This time, Karl is definitely going to do something weird.' or 'Isn't there a medal in the church? He seems like he'd take that.'
And their conversation continued until the prayer meeting, the Great Feast of All Saints, which was being held following the priests, began.
“Holy Mother in heaven. Children of light, receiving your grace...”
All four were from prestigious noble families of the Empire. They were successors there. Therefore, they had a somewhat close relationship with the church and had attended large-scale prayer meetings several times.
But this kind of prayer meeting was the first time. The great festival for all saints. And not held in the Pope's palace, which could be called the heart of the church.
The scene of the Pope personally offering prayers and countless cardinals making the sign of the cross was overwhelming even for the Four Idiots.
“Grant us the courage and wisdom to lead even one lost soul to a bright path—”
“And bestow upon us the compassion and understanding to show mercy to them even in the midst of any hardship—”
Then suddenly Alexander let out a sigh of 'Huh?' While the prayer meeting was in full swing, Joachim suddenly looked up.
“...Karl?”
Calling someone's name in a barely audible voice. Schlippen and Wilhelm also secretly raised their heads with 'What?'
Indeed, Karl was cautiously walking among the church people. Why in this solemn ceremony? But looking at the situation, it didn't seem like he was moving for personal reasons.
If that were the case, there wouldn't be high priests and even the Pope guiding him.
What could it be. Why was Karl moving in the prayer meeting that the Pope was personally presiding over.
While the Four Idiots were thinking hard, Karl reached the Pope's side. Then the Pope smiled slightly and took him to the place where the grand altar and the statue of the god they followed were.
“...”
“...”
Karl, who was conversing with the Pope, made the sign of the cross and then knelt in front of it.
Only then did the Four Idiots understand what was happening. The Pope stepped back, Karl took his place in front. In the Holy See, on the great festival. An entirely different person was leading this prayer meeting!
'What the hell. What is this.'
'Karl, you crazy kid! You said you didn't want this!'
'This, this crazy guy. If this gets known in the Empire...'
'This won't do. You're just a guy to bathe in medals.'
While screaming all kinds of screams in their minds, the Four Idiots were about to refocus on the prayer.
“Aaaah...!”
“Ah!”
Gasps came from all around. They were exclaiming as if they had seen something that couldn't be easily put into words.
And the action was the same for the Four Idiots who would see some scene shortly after.
“Waaah.”
“Whoa.”
“Crazy guy.”
“Insane.”
When Karl knelt and offered his prayer, suddenly a pure white light flew precisely towards him.
Even though the light's direction should have been towards somewhere else. But it was fixed only on Karl, and only added more brightness.
If the Four Idiots remembered their previous lives like someone, they might have shouted this.
Karl's Reincarnation! Man's Blessing!!