Chapter 265: The Pope [2]

Chapter 264

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Episode 68 - The Pope [2]

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Archbishop Julien tried to move his body, but no matter how hard he tried, he simply couldn’t.

Sweat began to bead on his forehead until it soaked his face.

’W-who is this...? H-how has no one noticed that there’s an intruder?’

Until just a few seconds ago, Cardinal Julius and Cardinal Abraham had both been present.

Both were Nine-Star Awakened, and unless someone possessed a similar level of strength, it was practically impossible to hide from their senses.

Especially since a Nine-Star Awakened had already assimilated their Attribute, meaning that regardless of what that Attribute was, any illuminated area could become an extension of their own eyes.

Julien looked down the corridor illuminated by the lights.

There wasn’t a single corner shrouded in darkness.

’T-that means he teleported at exactly the right moment.’

A cold sweat ran down Archbishop Julien’s back.

"I’ll ask again. You’re Archbishop Julien, correct?"

"......"

The individual’s voice was impossible to recognize.

It seemed to have been altered by using Mana directly on their vocal cords.

’I-I don’t know who this person is, but if they’ve managed to infiltrate this place, they might be planning to do something very bad.’

Julien considered the possibility of lying.

However...

"Don’t try to deceive me. Besides, I know about your suspicions regarding the Pope and your brother, Julius. I’m right, aren’t I?"

"....."

Julien’s expression changed completely.

A mixture of surprise and shock appeared on his face.

"W-who are you? How do you know that?"

The voice behind Julien didn’t answer directly.

Instead, the intruder continued:

"I know you’ve been planning to do something once your suspicions are confirmed. I’m right."

"....."

Julien neither denied nor confirmed it.

Inside, however, the surprise he felt was indescribable.

’I-impossible. How does he know what I’ve been thinking?’

Technically, those thoughts had only occurred a few minutes ago, while he was traveling in the carriage.

So how the hell did the intruder know what he had thought and planned only moments ago?

"H-how..."

Before he could finish, the intruder interrupted him.

"Your suspicions are, in fact, correct, Julien."

"......!?"

Julien’s heart began pounding violently.

’So it’s really true.’

He had suspected the Pope’s actions, and although he still didn’t know what the Pope truly intended to do during tonight’s supposed Ceremony, Julien was convinced that it couldn’t possibly be anything good.

Then he remembered the words his brother had told him.

— —’Yes, a great day when he will be reborn as a completely new person, free from any sin and karma he committed as a child, and overflowing with the vigor of youth.’

At the time, those words had been difficult to understand because Julius himself didn’t know all the details.

However, when he imagined the Pope with a different appearance, a name immediately came to Julien’s mind.

Rinna.

Only then did Julien ask the intruder:

"Saint Rinna is in danger, isn’t she?"

For several seconds, there was only silence.

Finally, he received an answer.

"That is correct."

"Ha... S-so that’s really..."

Julien felt incapable of accepting reality.

’The Pope is such a benevolent figure that there aren’t enough words to describe him... That’s what I would have said in the past.’

However, despite everything, he still couldn’t consider the intruder’s words trustworthy.

"How can I know that what you’re saying is true?"

The intruder simply shrugged before answering:

"You don’t need to believe me right now. However, when the time comes, you’ll realize it for yourself. You, just like the other Archbishops, will be there and see it with your own eyes."

"With my own eyes?"

"The moment you enter the Great Holy Hall, you’ll know."

"....."

If the intruder was telling the truth, then his plans to do something when the time came had to remain the same as those he had conceived in the carriage.

With that thought in mind, Julien asked again:

"What do you want me to do? There must be a reason you appeared here, right?"

The intruder nodded at his words.

"That is correct. My goal is to prevent the plan the Pope has been preparing for the past fifteen years."

’A plan...’

Remembering how the Pope always took Rinna to gaze upon the nights of the Twelve Moons, while also keeping the three Cardinals by his side as if they were his personal guards, Julien began to suspect the Pope’s true intentions even more.

Connecting those actions with the words his brother had spoken and the suspicions he himself had harbored...

"...."

Archbishop Julien understood something.

Suddenly, his expression became completely serious.

’A Saint isn’t merely a title. Originally, their authority was even greater than that of a Pope.’

If his thoughts were correct, then he had finally understood what the Pope intended to do.

"I-I understand your intentions. However, what exactly will you do when the time comes?"

The intruder answered almost immediately.

"Kill them."

"....."

Archbishop Julien’s heart pounded so violently that his chest began to ache.

A cold sweat ran down his entire body.

"Y-you’re joking, right? The three Cardinals are all Nine-Star Awakened, and even if the Pope can’t do anything..."

"Yes, I know it’s difficult, but it’s not impossible. Nothing is truly impossible, have you heard that saying?"

Archbishop Julien swallowed hard.

"A-alright, then, what exactly am I supposed to do?"

"Simply kill everyone present in this place. I have a companion who will take care of the seventeen Archbishops, while I’ll deal with the three Cardinals. That’s all."

".....!?"

’T-this guy is a psychopath.’

Archbishop Julien screamed inwardly, completely shocked.

Who in their right mind would try to kill everyone present in the Holy Church?

And not only that. This was the Church’s headquarters, a place filled with Holy Knights and Inquisitors.

There were simply far too many people.

Moreover, the leaders of the Inquisitor Orders were Seven- or Eight-Star Awakened.

"Y-you’re completely insane, aren’t you?"

However, the intruder’s next words left him even more shocked.

"Don’t worry. By this point, I’ve already killed all the leaders of the Inquisitor and Holy Knight Orders with the help of a Relic, without making a sound."

"......!?"

Julien’s thoughts raced as he tried to process what he had just heard.

’H-he’s completely insane. Is he actually some kind of psychopath addicted to killing?’

Killing an innocent person without any apparent reason brought negative karma.

To the followers of the Holy Church, negative karma was considered something only an inhuman person could commit.

Someone cruel and vile, capable of killing innocent people on a whim or simply because they enjoyed slaughtering others.

"Ah, and don’t get me wrong. I didn’t kill any innocent people. I’ll give you a list of the people who are completely innocent."

At that moment, a sheet of paper appeared out of nowhere in front of Archbishop Julien.

’T-that was Spatial Magic or a Trait associated with the power of Space.’

Julien was stunned, far beyond mere surprise.

When he felt that he could finally move his left hand, he took the sheet of paper and quickly read it.

"....!?"

’Most of them are young or newly joined members and followers of the Church, while a few have served for decades and remained constantly in the public eye.’

Normally, he wouldn’t trust a list claiming that certain people were innocent.

It could very well be an attempt to make him believe that those people hadn’t done anything wrong.

"Then you’ll do exactly as I tell you. No, actually, you’ll do it whether you want to or not, because you’ll see it with your own eyes. However, prepare yourself beforehand."

Julien pressed his lips together as countless thoughts raced through his mind in a matter of seconds.

If the intruder was truly telling the truth from beginning to end, then, just as he had said, Julien would have no choice but to do what he was asking.

However...

’I don’t think I can kill the followers of the Church.’

Even if not every one of them was innocent, the mere thought of killing people who had served the Church for years felt far too strange to him.

It was such an unpleasant feeling that even thinking about killing other human beings made him feel sick.

Julien pressed his lips together once more before finally answering.

"A-alright, but I have a question."

"You can ask."

Julien swallowed hard before asking his question.

"If everything you’ve planned—killing the Cardinals and the Pope, as well as everyone in the Church—actually happens, what will happen afterward?"

"What will happen afterward?"

"Y-yes. Without the Pope, what will happen to the believers? Without someone to guide them, the entire Ordeal Democracy will descend into chaos, won’t it?"

The intruder remained silent for a few moments before answering.

"That is true... Assuming they discover what happened here, of course."

"What does that mean?"

"Just as I said. No one is going to discover what happened here. If what the Pope intended to do were to become known, it would obviously turn into a massive problem. I want to prevent that, and besides, in two years, Rinna will officially become the Saint with absolute authority over the Holy Church."

"Are you saying the people should live without knowing anything about what happened tonight?"

"Yes. At least until Rinna earns the faith and trust of the people. Until then, everything must remain a secret."

"....."

It might seem impossible.

No secret could remain hidden forever, and sooner or later, it would inevitably be discovered.

Julien knew that perfectly well.

After all, he himself had discovered or deduced the Pope’s plans without even getting within ten meters of him.

’Actually, if everything goes according to plan, the Holy Church could truly become a real Church.’

After thinking it over carefully, Archbishop Julien finally nodded.

"I’ll do it."

"Perfect. Then I’ll give you some instructions."

Julien nodded slightly and remained silent as he listened carefully to everything he needed to do.