Golden (3)
The moment my name was directly mentioned, all eyes in the room snapped toward me. The fact that the Pope had singled out one person at this juncture to ask for their opinion carried a great deal of implication.
“Instead of beating around the bush like that, why don’t you speak plainly? You’re telling me to go straight to the Deltrack Empire and bring back Prince Loras, aren’t you?”
“That’s correct. In my view, I believed Your Eminence Cardinal Saul would take a personal interest in the matter.”
Since I’d had my arm severed by Prince Loras, this was essentially an order to repay that grudge. He was pretending to be considerate of me, but knowing full well what schemes lurked behind that mask only made my stomach turn.
“The Cardinal Saul I know is the type of man who can’t feel at ease until he’s paid back every slight done to him.”
“At least you’ve got that part right.”
“Ahem!”
A few of them cleared their throats, clearly uncomfortable with how bluntly I was speaking to the Pope. Of course, he couldn’t have summoned me here without anticipating this attitude. After all, even though I was only maintaining the bare minimum of formal speech expected from a Cardinal, he wasn’t voicing any particular displeasure.
Whether I observed proper etiquette or not was irrelevant to him. What he wanted was to cling to the papal throne amid the chaos.
“If there is anything you require, please don’t hesitate to ask. I will provide full support.”
Did he really have the nerve to show such confidence in front of me? I suddenly felt the urge to test just how far that “anything” extended.
“Anything at all? In that case, put together one of those splendid, glittering death squads you lot are so good at organizing.”
“…You require something like that?”
His pupils trembled. He’d tried to hide it, but it was far too obvious. He clearly hadn’t imagined I would ask for a death squad. I’d always preferred to travel alone, and that hadn’t changed even now, but…
I can’t pass up the fun of watching that bastard’s face twist like that.
Any resulting hassle would be well worth the satisfaction of making him squirm.
“Of course I do. If I go to the Deltrack Empire all by myself, wouldn’t that be incredibly dangerous? They’d look down on me as well. But if I arrive leading a proper death squad, the treatment would be entirely different.”
If the Deltrack Empire dared to harm an official death squad, it would provide clear justification for war. Especially with one of their heir candidates, Prince Loras, already under suspicion of heresy. Committing such an act would mean crossing a river with no way back.
On the other hand, what if I went alone? Even if I were acting on orders from the Holy Empire, I wouldn’t technically be an envoy, so it was only natural that I’d receive poorer treatment. And if the news I brought was something they’d rather not hear, the reception would be even colder.
“Couldn’t you handle it perfectly well on your own? I know you are not a man without ability.”
The Pope couldn’t openly say he disliked the idea, so he danced around it instead. Naturally.
“That was when I was young. These days I’m getting old, and it’s becoming difficult.”
“……”
In truth, I looked younger than the Pope. He had aged prematurely for his years, while I had retained a youthful appearance. Still, the fact remained that I was older than him. What could he possibly say to the claim that old age made things difficult?
“You said you’d do anything, so I naturally assumed organizing a death squad would be within your power. If even that much is impossible, I have to wonder what your offer of support actually means.”
The reason he was so reluctant to assemble a death squad was probably the cost. And it wasn’t just about money. Leading a death squad on a diplomatic mission would itself be a tremendous achievement. Handing that kind of merit over to me must have pained him greatly.
“A death squad is impossible!”
“That’s right. Simply forming one would take at least another month. We need to bring Prince Loras back immediately. Such a delay would be unacceptable, wouldn’t it?”
The sycophants, sensing the Pope’s displeasure, began eagerly saying whatever they thought would please him.
“No matter how generously His Holiness offered to support you, it’s wrong to make such excessive demands.”
The other Cardinals chimed in one after another, voicing their support for the Pope. But I had no intention of listening to the babble of these insignificant fools. The only thing that mattered right now was what answer the Pope would give.
“I understand what you’re saying, but as the other priests have pointed out, there are difficulties involved in organizing a death squad. However, I will assign several priests to assist and support you, Your Eminence.”
So he wouldn’t give me the death squad, but he’d attach a few watchdogs under the guise of assistants and call it a day?
“No need. What if I take some frail little things along and problems arise? An half-hearted number of people might even make me look weaker, don’t you think?”
“Would inquisitors of the heresy tribunal not be to your satisfaction?”
The current inquisitors had become excellent lapdogs of the Pope. They would make for very satisfactory surveillance.
“Rather than dragging along a few half-baked ones, I’d prefer to take none at all.”
I had no desire to lecture them on how pathetic the heresy inquisitors he’d created were, so I politely declined. In truth, I didn’t need a death squad at all. I’d only said it because I didn’t want to obediently go along with whatever this bastard wanted.
“Then you intend to move alone??”
“What else can I do? Since you lack the ability to provide what I asked for, I’ll simply have to manage with my own capabilities. However, I have one condition beforehand.”
“A condition! To speak so rudely about a task assigned by His Holiness…!”
“Everyone, be quiet.”
The Pope calmed the surrounding priests.
“Go ahead and speak. What is this condition?”
“Since it has been confirmed that Prince Loras is a heretic, I require official permission to kill him if necessary.”
The Pope must have realized I wouldn’t cause any further trouble. That was why he’d told me to state my condition so readily. And though it irritated me to admit it, his assumption was correct.
“Must you really go that far?”
“The Deltrack Empire will not hand over their prince willingly. That means either negotiating with the emperor or taking him by force. How am I supposed to bring back someone I’m not even allowed to kill? Especially when the man has a demon dwelling inside his body.”
I had no intention of doing anything without explicit permission to use lethal force. Reading that resolve in me, the Pope fell into deep thought for a long time.
“I understand that relations with the Deltrack Empire force you to be cautious. But in the end, the only thing we’ll do once he’s brought here is kill him anyway. I’m simply suggesting we do it a little sooner.”
“Hmm…”
“Even so, wouldn’t it be better to use a slightly more moderate approach to avoid war with the Deltrack Empire?”
“In that case, I cannot undertake this task. I’m not foolish enough to greedily accept a job that exceeds my capabilities.”
Since I knew he couldn’t do it anyway, I simply declared that I would refuse the mission entirely.
“The others can handle it, which is why you said such things. Since it seems impossible for me, I will graciously yield the opportunity so that another may shine.”
The only reason the Pope had seated me in the position of Cardinal was because he had no one else to handle dangerous tasks in his stead. Naturally, not a single person in the room remained unshaken by my words.
“I-I never opposed it! Whether we bring him here and kill him or kill him elsewhere, it doesn’t make much difference, does it? In fact, I think it would be better not to have to witness the sight of that filthy thing drawing breath even one more second!”
The first priest to openly support my opinion stepped forward. And the others were no different. The priests who had opposed me clamped their mouths shut, while those who had been watching the situation finally came forward to take my side.
The Pope was no exception. After rolling his eyes in calculation, he seemed to have reached a conclusion.
“There are some who oppose, but many who agree as well. Since Prince Loras is clearly a heretic in my view, granting the right to execute him does not seem inappropriate.”
The Pope neatly wrapped up the situation.
“Now that the condition has been accepted, can you depart?”
He spoke as if the death squad request had never happened and as if he had granted all my demands.
“Just give me plenty of money.”
“Operating expenses will of course be provided.”
“This is a mission to kill a demon. You surely don’t intend to offer only the average amount given for regular operations, do you? I’d like to see just how generous Your Holiness truly is.”
“……”
I had no intention of letting him ignore the death squad issue so easily. Since I hadn’t gotten the squad itself, I planned to squeeze out operating funds on a similar scale. If the Pope refused to pay? I would simply refuse to go, claiming insufficient funds. The only thing he could do was swallow his pride and beg me to carry out the mission.
My disciple had been anxious about me becoming a Cardinal, but there had been no need for worry.
This bastard’s moves are so obvious. Everything is within the palm of my hand.
The reason I had returned in the first place was to wring every last concession he had offered out of him. But there was no way I would be satisfied with just that, was there? I intended to slowly bleed him dry of everything I could get. Even in the old days when I had been naive, I had watched my seniors receive all sorts of tributes. Recalling those memories, I couldn’t help but acknowledge that his current position wasn’t all that different.
Still, I wonder if Priest Arthur is doing alright. Things have been so busy that I haven’t had time to go see his face… Tsk!
One of the reasons I had decided to deal with Prince Loras this time was for my disciple’s sake as well. As long as that bastard was targeting Princess Reciel, it was inevitable that Arthur would be placed in danger. If I didn’t want to see my disciple enter the arms of the divine before his master, it seemed I would have to take care of Prince Loras myself.
And honestly…
The time for revenge has come.
If the Pope had tried to send someone else to capture Prince Loras, I had even been prepared to steal that role away from them. Although my disciple had reattached my arm for me, the humiliation and rage from that day still burned vividly in my memory.