Chapter 598: The Black Stone (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 598: The Black Stone (1)
Her mind was made up.
-“I trust you, Do-jin. There was a time I briefly doubted you… but now, I think of you as a friend I can trust with all my secrets.”
A trusted friend.
The words from her lips sent a wave of sweetness through me.
I guessed there were only two other people besides me she would ever say that to.
Francis Meyer, the man who had led the Guardians alongside her.
And the Pope, who was like a father to her.
Do you see?
Those brilliant names.
My name had just been added to that list.
So how could I not be delighted?
As my lips twitched into a smile, she continued.
-“But I can never permit the Black Stone to be taken out of here. It’s… an object several times more dangerous than you think.”
“……”
I could feel her intense gaze from behind the veil.
And I was certain.
This time, I wouldn’t be able to change her mind.
My original plan was to earn her trust by bringing her the Black Stone, then find a way to secretly retrieve it and smooth things over.
“Well… if you say so, Saintess, I must follow.”
It seemed I would have to change my plan.
To gain something great, one must sometimes cross a dangerous river.
I had thought this was that moment, but her answer made me realize something.
It seemed I had misjudged the river’s length and depth.
“I suppose I was being too hasty. Even with a plan, I never should have considered handing such a dangerous item over to the enemy…”
This wasn’t just for show; it was a genuine moment of self-reflection.
I had told myself that a gentleman can wait ten years for his revenge, but that wasn’t true.
Until a moment ago, I had been desperate.
I was itching to destroy my target, to get back at the woman who had pushed me away for her own absurd ideals and plunged me into solitude.
My belief that one must sometimes take risks for great rewards hadn't changed.
But I had overlooked something.
The fact that no plan ever goes exactly as you wish.
My plan carried far too great a risk if it deviated from its intended course.
And yet, I hadn’t even considered that.
“Hoo…”
I exhaled all the stale air from my lungs, calming my emotions.
There’s no need to rush.
I don’t need to do anything more.
The situation is already flowing in a very favorable direction for me. All I have to do is ride the current to see the end.
Just as I had nearly reined in my boiling emotions…
-“…Are you all right?”
Her question reached my ears.
Am I all right?
I let out my honest feelings.
“No, I’m not.”
A truth I could only confess because it was her.
I had pretended to be fine, but inside, I was indescribably devastated.
“Saintess.”
-“Please, speak.”
I asked her.
“I never knew. That kindness and love given without the other person’s consent could feel this awful.”
Han Ju-hee knew.
She knew that I didn’t want a single thing she was doing.
That’s why she kept it a secret and why she must have distanced herself to avoid being found out.
And she probably framed it all as her own noble sacrifice.
But I want to ask her.
If you act while completely disregarding the other person’s feelings and wishes, is that truly for their sake?
Or are you just using them as a means to achieve your own goals?
But it was too late to make her realize that with words.
And I had no desire to.
What I want now is just one thing.
To make her understand through actions and consequences.
To make her realize it at the very, very end, when it’s absolutely irreversible, and burden her with terrible regret.
As I quietly stoked the flames of vengeance, trying to steel my resolve once more…
I heard her soft voice.
-“You’ve been hurt. Very deeply.”
“Yes.”
I have.
I can’t even begin to describe the agony I felt as she suddenly began to change.
I spent countless nights tormented by a loneliness I couldn’t understand, and in the desolation of my empty home, I secretly drowned my tears in what must have been hundreds of bottles of strong liquor.
Every single one of those memories was carved into me as a wound, and now they remain as scars.
Scars that will never fade, even if I succeed in my revenge and live a life full of happiness.
They have become a brand I must carry to my grave.
-“Do you want revenge?”
“Very much so.”
After my immediate reply, she stared at me without moving for a moment, then answered.
-“Then do it.”
For a second, my mind went blank.
Did I hear her correctly?
She continued.
-“Do you remember the name of the goddess I serve?”
“Caritas…”
One of the Seven Heavenly Virtues, the goddess who governs charity and mercy.
Because of that, she had spent her entire life giving to others.
And she was permitting revenge?
-“I am an agent who spreads the will of my god. Therefore, it would be right for me to soothe your desire for revenge with kind words and put it to rest. But…”
She lowered her head, her hands clasped on her lap, and continued in a bitter tone.
-“I am also human. A helpless human who is more drawn to those who are close than those who are far, more to those whose hearts I have glimpsed than to those I know nothing about.”
“…Saintess.”
-“That is why I do not want to stand in the way of your revenge. I don’t want to confuse your heart with empty platitudes. I just…”
Her neatly clasped hands fell apart.
-“I just want you to be a little happier, Do-jin.”
“……”
-“Though as an Apostle of God, these words are nothing short of a disqualification, haha.”
I stared blankly at her self-deprecating smile and thought.
Permitting revenge for someone who desperately desires it.
Couldn’t that, in a way, also be seen as an act of mercy?
It might be an overly convenient interpretation, but what does it matter?
If she, and I, truly come to think of it that way… then doesn’t that make it the truth?
Even if it’s a path that leads to corruption.
With a much lighter heart, I answered her.
“Thank you, Saintess. I feel much more at ease now, thanks to you.”
-“Not at all. I was also glad to hear your true feelings, Do-jin.”
Her comfort helped me steady my heart once more.
Nothing changes.
I will make her understand through the consequences.
And I will mold the Saintess to my liking.
All I’m doing is making minor adjustments to my movements within the grander scheme.
Now, let’s think.
I cannot hand the Black Stone over to them.
But to gain their trust, I must hand over the Black Stone.
In that case.
“Saintess.”
-“Yes.”
“About the Black Stone.”
I just have to give them a fake one, not the real one.
“Would it be possible for you to at least allow me to see it?”
-“……”
An imitation so exquisite that it’s indistinguishable from the real thing.
* * *
It was three days later that the Saintess granted me permission to enter the secret chamber where the Black Stone was hidden.
Simply showing it to me required immense courage and faith on her part.
The secret chamber had been a space permitted only to the Saintess, from the time of her predecessor to the present day.
It was a place that even Francis Meyer had only ever heard about.
Kim Do-jin had become the first person ever to be granted access to such a secret space.
I was genuinely happy.
It was, after all, a measure of how much she trusted me.
The very next day, Kim Do-jin boarded a plane.
During the rather long flight, he suddenly recalled a magic he had forgotten.
‘That’s right, there was space magic, wasn’t there?’
Space magic, a skill he had grasped almost instantly after seeing old Merlin use it.
With that, he would be able to travel any distance in a flash.
But using it right away wasn’t easy.
“It’s about time I heard some news…”
Space magic was the secret art of the Merlin family, who enjoyed the full favor of the British Royal Family.
Thus, Merlin had earnestly requested a bit of time.
Time to at least give his family and the Royal Family a heads-up.
Kim Do-jin had readily agreed to prevent any future problems this might cause, but he didn’t know then.
He didn’t know that the “bit of time” he mentioned would be this long.
No, perhaps it wasn’t old Merlin who was stalling.
‘The British Royal Family might be stubbornly refusing.’
Merlin’s space magic, along with Arthur’s Excalibur, was one of the two most powerful and immense forces supporting the British Royal Family.
It was only natural that they wouldn’t want to allow such an ability to be taught to a complete stranger.
But I couldn’t afford to waste any more time.
There was so much to do, and I only had one body. I needed to cut down on wasted time, and space magic was perfectly suited for that.
‘If I don’t hear from him soon, I’ll have no choice but to visit him myself.’
When that time comes, I’ll show the British Royal Family what it really means to cause a scene.
Of course, even that would take time, so it would be best if things resolved themselves.
Just as I finished my thought.
「Our flight will soon be arriving at Leonardo da Vinci International Airport.」
The announcement signaling our arrival came on.
But that wasn’t the end of it.
Without a moment’s delay, he went straight out of the airport, got into a car sent by the Vatican, and sped through the streets of Rome until he arrived.
“We hope you have a pleasant journey.”
After completing the simplified entry process, he stepped into Vatican City.
Not far away, he saw a familiar face.
“You’re here.”
Saintess Sophia.
She, who was considered one of the busiest people in the world due to personally greeting the dozens, even hundreds, of guests who visited daily, had come out to meet him.
“I know this is a busy time for you. Is it all right for you to come out and meet me like this?”
“It’s fine. I decided to take the day off today.”
“Ah…”
She had even taken the entire day off for him.
“We still have some time, so let’s have a meal first.”
If I had my way, I would have gone straight to the secret chamber hidden here.
But I held back.
Her saying we “still have some time” was the same as saying I couldn’t go there right away.
“Yes, I was just getting hungry. That sounds perfect.”
Kim Do-jin readily accepted her offer for a meal.