Chapter 37
I’ll translate this chapter into polished HTML prose, keeping the required title line and using styled blocks only where the source becomes in-universe text.CHAPTER_TITLE: The Power of the Holy Grail
James was never bored these days, thanks to the occasional visits from the Secretary of the Treasury, who always found a reason to stop by and keep him company.
“Brother James.”
“Oh? You look a little brighter today. Something good happen?”
Secretary Yosef absently touched his own face.
Was it that obvious?
He had been trying not to let his feelings show, but for James, who could read emotion with mana, it was an easy thing to see through.
“The operation to catch those men in the United States succeeded yesterday, and we’ve just been informed that the man and his accomplice were arrested in Naples. It was a complete success.”
David had been caught at Naples Airport in Italy while trying to hand over his materials to someone, and the other members of the organization who had been waiting nearby had also fallen into the hands of the Italian police. But there was still one man they were pursuing: Frank, the boss David had often spoken to on the phone. He had said he would come to meet him, yet never showed up at the airport.
So one had slipped through their fingers, but...
“Oh.”
To James, it was hardly important news. He had no interest in criminals anyway.
“So, can I leave now?”
“...Ah.”
What mattered was when he could finally get out of this place.
“There are people in Korea who’ve been looking for me desperately. If I keep them waiting much longer, they might come looking for me all the way here.”
Madeline at the British Museum was already urging him to hurry up and look into flights immediately, and Suji had sent him a threatening message saying she couldn’t stand it anymore and was coming to the Vatican herself.
“We had hoped you would stay for the Vatican’s official ceremony unveiling the Holy Grail and the Holy Paten...”
“They’ve already left my hands. There’s no reason for me to be there too.”
“Even so, Brother James, you are the benefactor who returned the Holy Grail and the Holy Paten to the Vatican.”
“You planning to reveal my identity? Please don’t. Or do you want me shot again?”
He had agreed to sell King Arthur’s gold coins through Sotheby’s precisely because he liked the thorough protection it afforded. Even if an artifact was sold at auction, the seller’s identity would not be revealed.
“Ah...”
Secretary Yosef did not argue when James mentioned being shot again.
He already knows, then.
“It seems you’ve also learned quite a bit about me...”
“I did make use of American intelligence channels. The old school shooting incident in Texas...”
If Secretary Yosef already knew, then this conversation would be much easier.
“As you know, I’ve been shot before, so I’m rather sensitive about these matters.”
“Ah...”
“If my identity gets out, all kinds of criminals will come looking for me, won’t they? I’d rather not deal with that. I’m absolutely against revealing who I am.”
“As you said, we were aware of your past, Brother, but... we did not think that far ahead. We’ve kept you here all this time for no reason.”
“Please send my greetings to His Holiness in my place. My work here is done, so I’ll be leaving.”
“Ah, before you go, may I ask just one more thing?”
“Go on, then.”
“...I hear you’re in possession of King Arthur’s crown as well?”
All information generated within the Vatican was flowing upward to the center, and James’s lodging was no exception. They had been wiretapping him all along.
“Security here is quite impressive, isn’t it? You even tap the room of the man who returned the Holy Grail?”
“I’d prefer it if you called it meticulous. We began after learning what happened with Cardinal Augustino. Of course, it’s all turned off now, so please don’t worry. We’ve deleted all information related to you as well, Brother James.”
“Tch. Still, that object isn’t a holy relic. If you want it, buy it through the Sotheby’s auction.”
“Of course. We’ll do our utmost.”
That did not mean he was truly inviting them to buy it. King Arthur’s crown might not be a holy relic, but its expected price was beyond anything comparable to one.
...Why?
Of course, as a historical relic it was an enormous treasure, but the Vatican was already scrambling over the Holy Grail and the Holy Paten. Having already secured both, they had no reason to covet King Arthur’s crown as well.
“What would the Vatican want with King Arthur’s crown? The British Museum is probably already sharpening its teeth over it.”
Arthur was part of British history, after all, and his crown—the proof of his existence—would be the object the British Museum wanted most. There was no doubt they would never give up on it.
“And you’ll be busy too, Secretary, won’t you?”
The Holy Grail and the Holy Paten now existed in the Vatican. Simply deciding how to announce that fact and make use of it would keep them busy for quite some time.
“The Vatican has done nothing for you, Brother James, our benefactor. So we intend to repay you in another way.”
The Vatican meant to repay James by driving up the auction price.
“Whoa, whoa. Even without the Vatican participating, I’ll get plenty.”
“Their participation alone is certain to overheat the auction. Whether we win or lose, wouldn’t it be beneficial to you, Brother James? We’ve already confirmed the matter of King Arthur’s crown and received His Holiness’s approval as well.”
...
In James’s mind, he could already picture the British Museum and the Vatican Museum going head-to-head at auction. Even Jake’s boast about a record-breaking auction price might not be a dream after all.
Madeline was going to take another massive loss...
It was another trial for her, after she had already bought useless land for thirty million dollars.
“Still, maybe take it easy. I’m starting to feel bad for Sister Madeline.”
“Ha ha ha. If news gets out that King Arthur’s crown is appearing, it won’t be the British Museum that moves—it’ll be the royal family. Even if they don’t act directly, there’s a strong chance they’ll exert influence through the museum. If things proceed that way, I don’t think the British Museum will suffer any loss.”
“...The British royal family.”
“The crown is something the royal family needs more than the British Museum does. I suspect it will fetch a far higher price than you imagine, Brother James. I assume you don’t doubt their financial strength?”
Well. If that was the case, there was no need to worry about the British Museum after all.
He had no reason left to stop the Vatican from joining the auction.
“Please take care of it, Secretary.”
“If we truly do win it, then I suspect something rather entertaining will happen. Ha ha ha.”
If England failed to win it, then the people of the British royal family would have to go to the Vatican Museum every time they wanted to see King Arthur’s crown.
“If that happens, Madeline might get fired, don’t you think?”
“Ha ha ha. Brother Stefano has already grumbled about her from time to time. This may be a good chance to give her a proper lesson.”
“Shouldn’t you love your enemies?”
Yosef answered without the slightest trace of shame.
“Sometimes, I dislike them as well. Let us have them repent their sins later.”
“Heh heh.”
James thought it was no wonder this man was the Pope’s secretary and Secretary of the Treasury. To support the Pope at his side as he guided a vast religious institution, one had to be a little more cunning and possess a keen sense of reality. A person locked into rigid religious conviction would not suit such a post.
As long as this man was here, the Vatican would not be troubled so easily.
“One last thing...”
“...If you keep saying one last thing, one more thing, the day will be gone.”
“This time it’s a personal request. You needn’t agree if you don’t want to.”
“Sigh. Then I can’t very well refuse again, can I? Speak up already.”
Since he had grown friendly with the Secretary of the Treasury, James intended to grant the request if he could.
“King Arthur’s crown...”
“Oh, come on. You’re talking about that again? You said it was personal.”
“...If you still have it with you, would you mind showing it to me just once? I have a feeling I may never get to see it again in my lifetime.”
“Ah...”
James remembered how he had opened his inventory and taken out the Holy Grail and the Holy Paten before the Pope and Secretary Yosef. Yosef knew now that he carried important things around in his magical storage.
Really... this is why you shouldn’t use magic carelessly in front of people.
“Ha ha ha.”
It was no difficult request for James, so he reached into his inventory and pulled the crown out.
“Here.”
“J-just a moment...”
As if he had planned it from the start, Yosef took white gloves from his pocket, slipped them on, and carefully accepted the crown.
...
Then his eyes began to shine as he appraised it.
“Oh, magnificent. Lavish yet faithful to its purpose, and beautiful besides. I’ve never seen a crown preserved in such perfect condition.”
“Y-yes. I’m glad.”
To James, it was still nothing more than a hunk of gold studded with useless jewels.
“And it is unquestionably authentic. Ha.”
“Of course it’s authentic. It was found with a pile of King Arthur’s gold coins.”
“...A pile of gold coins?”
“Ah... I misspoke. It was, uh, with only five gold coins...”
“A pile of gold coins?”
“Hey, now. Stop badgering me...”
“A pile of gold coins?”
“Ah, yes, there was the Holy Grail and the Holy Paten, but as for other treasures, there was nothing...”
“So there was a pile of gold coins and other treasures?”
“...”
James twitched his lips and glared at Yosef before saying, “Give me the crown back!”
He took the crown back and shoved it into his inventory with a grumble.
“Honestly, this is why smart people...”
It wasn’t that Secretary Yosef was especially clever; James simply could not keep his mouth shut.
Yosef paid it no mind and said, “I will send Brother Stefano to Korea, so please take good care of him, Brother James.”
“Why are you sending Father Stefano to me?!”
“Oh, come now. You know why. A pile of gold coins and jewels...”
“...”
James still felt as though the power of the Holy Grail was lingering within him, influencing him. It seemed like his wealth was destined to keep multiplying without end.
So that’s how it is. Come to think of it, I forgot to mention this.
Thanks to Secretary Yosef, he remembered the power carried by the Holy Grail and the Holy Paten.
Changing the subject is the most effective solution!
“There was something I meant to tell you too, but I completely forgot, Secretary.”
“Then by all means, tell me.”
“I heard from Father Stefano that all sorts of rumors are attached to the Holy Grail.”
“Ah, if you mean the miracles attributed to the Holy Grail in films and novels, then it would hardly be strange to call them rumors.”
“Do you really think they’re just rumors?”
...
Yosef leaned in, curious about what James was about to say.
“The Holy Grail and the Holy Paten truly possess special power.”
“The Holy Grail is valuable enough simply as a holy relic. We haven’t found any special abilities in other relics either.”
“That’s because you haven’t tried using them.”
“Ah... well...”
The Spear of Longinus, a splinter of the True Cross, and Veronica’s veil—the cloth that had wiped the face of Jesus—were all stored in the Pope’s secret vault, but those relics had never needed to be used, and nobody had ever even thought to use them in the first place.
How would one even use a holy relic? You weren’t going to wash the veil and use it again, and there was no point stabbing someone with a spear that had no shaft...
And there was no need to even mention the cross splinter that was already falling apart.
“...We haven’t tried.”
They hadn’t tried, but even the results of the research institute’s analysis of the relics had revealed nothing special at all. The only thing that made them sacred was that, at some point in the past, they had existed alongside Christ Jesus.
“But holy relics have no abilities...”
“Do you not know who I am?”
...
Secretary Yosef had been looking at James with a puzzled expression, but gradually his eyes widened.
!
He is the mage who follows in Merlin’s footsteps! The most knowledgeable person in this world when it comes to mystery!
James nodded, seeing that Yosef had understood.
“I tried using the Holy Grail and the Holy Paten before handing them over to the Vatican.”
“Y-you used a holy relic directly?”
“Ah. Of course, I used them without knowing they were the Holy Grail and the Holy Paten, so please forgive me for that.”
He had also used them after learning what they were, but there was no need to confess that much.
“At any rate, ever since I came into possession of the Holy Grail, my money’s kept growing. That’s one of its powers. You may think it’s nothing but rumor, Secretary, but still.”
“Wealth and honor...”
“That isn’t the most important rumor about the Holy Grail. Have you seen the movie from before? There was a film that featured the Holy Grail.”
“...C-could it be.”
The adventure centered on the Holy Grail was the film’s main plot, and in it, the protagonist had used water from the Grail to heal his father, who had been wounded in the abdomen.
“Exactly. The healing power that Christ performed during His lifetime. That is the true power of the Holy Grail.”
!