Chapter 729

Chapter 729

There’s Something Going On (1)

Even Ghislain himself hadn’t expected that the Pope would be the one to make a request.

Everyone waited, curious about what was going to be said. Just then, the priest beside Ghislain grabbed his arm again and said,

“Where do you think you're going, linking arms so rudely!”

“……”

“Unlink your arms and kneel, now!”

“…You’ve got to be kidding me.”

He asked with an exasperated look.

“Seriously, who even are you?”

With a solemn expression, the priest replied,

“I am Borisco, one of the six cardinals who serve the Holy Father.”

That caught me off guard.

“Porisco? Really?”

“It’s Bo-ris-co!”

“Ah… so it was a similar-sounding name.”

Well, unlike the greedy, fake Holy One of Ritania named Porisco, this guy did look genuinely austere, at least by appearance.

Though, his personality seemed quite inflexible.

Ghislain clicked his tongue internally and unlinked his arms. He could’ve held his ground, but there was no need to go that far.

Borisco looked ready to raise a fuss again about kneeling, but the Pope’s voice stopped him.

“Cardinal, please step back with the knights. I have important matters to discuss with these people.”

“Your Holiness! That is unacceptable. How can you share such matters with lowly mercenaries whose identities we don’t even know—”

“Are you worrying about me, the Pope?”

The Pope’s tone had an oddly cold edge to it, and the cardinal immediately shut his mouth. The surrounding knights also grew visibly tense.

What flashed across their eyes in that moment was unmistakably fear.

He didn’t miss that brief flicker.

‘Hmm… Just looking at him, I can’t feel any power at all.’

Maybe he couldn’t sense his divine power properly, or maybe it was because of the veil concealing him.

Still, judging by the reactions of those around him, it was clear the Pope held some sort of extraordinary power.

Eventually, even the cardinal, the priests, and the knights guarding the room bowed deeply and withdrew.

Once the cardinal was gone, he subtly linked his arms again and asked,

“So, what sort of request do you have for me?”

The Pope remained silent for a moment, then slowly spoke.

“Let me ask you a simple question. Do you know the cause of the war between humanity and the Demonic Abyss?”

“Well… just in broad strokes. The Demon God and his minions tried to cross over into this world, but the Goddesses stopped them. As a result, the Demon God died, but his energy still remains… and now humanity is still fighting against his followers who are trying to use that energy to conquer the world and resurrect him… That’s about it, right?”

Truthfully, Ghislain didn’t know much. Everything he knew, he’d heard from Ereneth. But he remembered it was considered common knowledge in this era, so he tried to bluff his way through it.

He glanced over at the Pope. Beyond the veil, he saw the Pope’s shadow faintly nod.

"The overall premise wasn't wrong. I cannot teach you theology in detail here, so I shall explain it simply."

The Pope’s voice, resplendent and mysterious, continued.

"As is widely known, those called the Salvation Church are using the Demon God’s energy to fight against humanity. But despite humanity repelling them and claiming victory multiple times, the war never ends and there is a reason for that."

"It is because the Demon God's energy still remains in the world. That energy continues to empower their followers, which is why this struggle does not come to an end. Humanity has tried to eliminate that energy, but lacking a proper method, they have failed time and time again."

"Humanity is growing weary of this endless battle. You too must have seen it, living in this world people growing ever more hateful of each other and treating life with increasing disregard."

At those words, he nodded. This era, in particular, was steeped in the devaluation of life.

Everyone pursued their own interests, indifferent to the suffering of others.

Those with power mocked and trampled on those beneath them, while the powerless would sink their teeth into the throats of those who had even a little more, trying to take it all.

Not everyone was like that, of course but most were. Even our own party had nearly been attacked by people we had helped.

It was only because we were strong that we could overcome such unfairness through force. Others continued to kill and be killed, struggling to survive.

The world had already gone mad. And the greatest reason for that was...

"It must be because of the Demonic Abyss."

"Indeed. The fear of not knowing when one might die has changed people into what they are now, those who chase only immediate gains and fleeting pleasures, never looking to the future."

"Does the request you've entrusted to us have something to do with the Demonic Abyss?"

To his question, the Pope did not answer immediately. After a moment of silence, he began to speak of a tale unfamiliar to most.

"I shall now speak of a myth that few people know."

At those words, my eyes sparkled. Learning something previously unknown was always a delight.

Seeing my expression, the Pope offered a slight smile from within the veil. The more he saw Ghislain, the more Ghislain seemed to him like a mercenary utterly devoid of tension.

"The Goddesses repelled the Demon God, but in doing so, they lost the physical forms that would allow them to intervene directly in this world. And so, the Goddesses came to exist only as immense wills beyond dimensions."

"However, it was not that they lost all ability to exert influence. If that had been the case, then there would be no such power as divine power left in this world."

"The Goddesses left behind four gemstones infused with their power. Through these, they could indirectly watch over the world by using them as conduits."

The Pope’s resplendent voice once again echoed through the grand hall.

"We call them the Sacred Stones."

'Sacred Stones?'

Ghislain tilted his head in confusion. He had never heard of such a thing, even in his own era.

Not a single myth, scripture, or oral tradition had ever mentioned anything called a Sacred Stone. If it were truly something so important, surely it would have been known.

Even Parniel, the Saintess, had never once brought up such a story.

And yet, it didn’t seem like something the Church was keeping secret. Parniel wasn’t the type to hide what she knew, unlike Ereneth.

In fact, hadn’t she shown little knowledge of even the myths regarding the origins of the Demonic Abyss that Ereneth once spoke of?

'Well, the Saintess of this era is different from the Saintess of ours.'

The Saintess. A being capable of communicating with the Goddess.

Even for a Saintess, direct communication with a Goddess wasn’t easy. Still, a Saintess was someone favored by the Goddess.

The Goddess would grant her powerful divine energy and reveal her existence to the Church through various revelations.

But over time, he had come to see that the Saintess of this era was a bit different.

'The title was given to a priestess with slightly stronger divine power or a notable reputation.'

Far from communicating with the Goddess, there wasn’t even any proof that they had been chosen by one.

'Come to think of it…'

In the myths passed down from my original era, Deneb was called the "first Saintess." Yet the title of Saintess still existed in this era. Deneb couldn’t have been the actual first.

'Could it be that Deneb changed the standards of what it meant to be a Saintess?'

In the dream he had before coming to the past, Deneb could wield the powers of all four Goddesses.

Wasn’t she likely the first to successfully channel with the Goddesses? That alone would have been enough to monopolize the title of Saintess.

Though how she came to possess such power was still beyond him.

"What thoughts are you lost in?"

Snapped out of his musings, he gave an awkward smile.

"It’s nothing. I just found it fascinating. Please, go on."

"…The four Sacred Stones were entrusted long ago, each to a different race. They were held by humans, elves, dwarves, and finally, dragons."

"I, the Pope, have pondered this for a long time. How might we bring an end to this endless war? At last, I reached a conclusion."

"To use the Sacred Stones imbued with the Goddess’s power to completely eradicate the Demonic Abyss."

There was a peculiar fervor in the Pope’s voice as he said this. But no one found it strange.

After all, like the Saintess, the Pope was also known as the representative of the divine.

For such a figure, wishing to erase the Demonic Abyss and spread the Goddess’s will throughout the world was only natural.

Ghislain, who had been listening quietly, asked,

“Is this request perhaps related to the Sacred Stones?”

“It is. I, as the representative of humanity, hold one of the Sacred Stones. I wish to entrust you with the task of retrieving the remaining ones from the other races.”

Ghislain made a baffled expression. The rest of the party did the same.

They were being tasked with something that important? Shouldn’t the most influential person in the world, the Pope himself, be the one handling it directly?

“Um… Your Holiness?”

“Speak.”

“Wouldn’t it be quicker if Your Holiness sent envoys to negotiate and retrieve them instead of us?”

The Pope answered in a confident voice.

“I already did, but they were refused.”

“……”

“The Sacred Stones are believed to protect the safety of their respective races. Do you think they’d give them away so easily? Even I would never hand mine over if asked.”

“……”

Perhaps it was the weight of his position, but he was oddly shameless. Ghislain gave a dry laugh, then asked again.

“…And you want us to go get those? We’re just mercenaries. They rejected Your Holiness’s request, why would they give them to us?”

“I don’t have such high hopes either. But aren’t you now the most famous mercenary corps on the continent?”

“Hmph, well, that’s true.”

“I’ve heard you resolved difficult issues across various kingdoms without hesitation. I, too, wish to place a modest hope on that very capability of yours.”

“So, you wouldn’t mind if we fail?”

“Of course not. I am not one to make unreasonable demands.”

“Hmm… In that case…”

Ghislain closed his eyes and nodded. It didn’t sound easy, but if failure was acceptable, then there was no real reason to refuse.

Still, one thing puzzled him.

“Have you tried telling them you plan to use the Sacred Stones to eliminate the Demonic Abyss? I doubt they’d say no to that. Isn’t it worth a try?”

The Pope smiled again.

“Do you think no such attempts were made over all those years? It has already been tried several times and failed. Instead, it only led to battles as everyone tried to seize all the stones for themselves.”

“Battles?”

“The Sacred Stones contain the power of the Goddess. Of course, there would be greedy ones who seek to claim such treasure for themselves.”

“Ah…”

“Because of those repeated incidents, the other races have agreed not to attempt using the Sacred Stones to destroy the Demonic Abyss any longer.”

“And yet Your Holiness wishes to try again.”

“It is the only way to eliminate the Demonic Abyss.”

Ghislain tilted his head. There was a contradiction in the Pope’s words.

“Didn’t you say it’s failed every time until now? Does that mean there’s a new method?”

“Just because it’s failed until now doesn’t mean it will fail this time. I, the Pope, have confidence that I can properly wield the power of the Sacred Stones.”

“……”

Ghislain simply kept his mouth shut. If the man claimed he could do it and was willing to try, there wasn’t much to say.

“What do you think? Will you accept the request? I will cover all necessary expenses. Also, if you succeed, I shall grant anything you desire within the Holy Empire’s power.”

“Sounds like a good request. I accept.”

Ghislain accepted the Pope’s request without hesitation. Outwardly, he acted like he was doing the Pope a favor, but inwardly, he was practically begging to be allowed to take it on.

‘There’s something here.’

Deneb was clearly a Saintess capable of using the powers of all four goddesses. Her strength needed no further explanation.

Yet up until now, he hadn’t been able to figure out how she had grown so powerful. It didn’t seem possible to gain such strength through mere good deeds alone.

But now, he’d obtained a new piece of information from an unexpected source.

‘Sacred Stones… That must be connected to Deneb’s power.’

Anyone who knew the future would likely reach a similar conclusion to Ghislain.

He couldn’t let it slide. Even if it turned out to be unrelated, he had to examine the Sacred Stones firsthand to make that judgment.

Ghislain looked toward the veil and asked,

“This won’t be easy. Are we allowed to use any means necessary?”

“As long as you can definitely obtain the Sacred Stones, you may do whatever you wish. You may even invoke my name.”

That meant he could even tarnish the Pope’s honor. The Pope wanted the Sacred Stones that badly.

At this point, there was no way to obtain the stones unless they wiped out the opposing side through war. That was why they were clinging to even the slightest chance.

With the Pope’s permission, Ghislain squared his shoulders and declared boldly,

“No need to worry. I’ll bring them back by any means necessary.”

At those words, his party looked at him uneasily. Because his “any means” always went beyond anyone’s imagination.

But the Pope, seemingly pleased by Ghislain’s confidence, let out a faint laugh.

“What a fascinating mercenary you are. I shall await the results with joy.”

“Thank you.”

“But I know full well how difficult this will be, so I’ll assign someone who can aid you on your journey.”

“Someone to help? We don’t really need that.”

“If you’re going to use my name, then you’ll need a trustworthy representative. He is quite capable, so he shouldn’t be a burden.”

Ghislain made a sour face. They called him a helper, but in other words, he was more or less a monitor. If he didn’t end up being a nuisance and getting in the way, it would already be a relief.

Ghislain was about to find some excuse to reject him. But once he saw the person entering the grand hall under the Pope’s orders, he had no choice but to change his mind.

‘Well, well?’

The man was a handsome figure who exuded a reverent aura befitting a Temple Knight. His demeanor was respectful, and his appearance was clean enough to draw anyone’s favor.

The man gave a slight bow to Ghislain and introduced himself.

“It is an honor to meet you. I am Lionel, the sword that carries out His Holiness the Pope’s will.”

Ghislain smiled with interest. He had never seen the man before, but he understood instinctively.

Lionel was the knight he had seen in his dreams, a comrade of the Hero, who fought against one of the Apostles of the Salvation Church…

A knight presumed to be the Founder King of Ritania.

Tip: Tap/click the left or right side of the screen to go to previous/next chapter.