Chapter 3: -analone of cardinals

I just sat blankly in front of my desk.

So much had changed in just a single day that I didn’t know where to begin.

Suddenly, the grand title of Cardinal was appended to my name, and the way people looked at me changed.

This room I was sitting in was not my usual office either.

There was a plush chair, nameless artworks adorning the walls, and even intricate stained glass in the windows.

The desk was covered with countless notes, creating an overwhelming sight.

I was now seated in the private chambers granted to the highest authority of the Elserada Order’s Liturgy Department, the Holy Relic Management Office.

But why was I here?

Because from now on, I was the head of the Holy Relic Management Office.

‘Ah… I want to go home.’

It had only been an hour since I arrived at work.

Suppressing the intense urge to leave, I quietly sighed.

After a stormy day that saw me suddenly become a Cardinal, I was slowly coming to terms with reality.

Everything felt unfamiliar and strange.

As expected, the position of Cardinal was not as easy as I had imagined.

“Cardinal, here is your schedule for today.”

Thud.

The cover of the thick folder, carefully placed down, was adorned with subtly gleaming gold foil patterns.

To even apply gold to something so simple.

The people of the Papal States truly love gold, don’t they?

…That’s why they’re called corrupt.

The secretary handing over the documents had a calm expression, but I found nothing calm about it.

“…All of this?”

“Yes. These are all your tasks for the morning.”

So, all of this had to be finished by morning?

I looked down at the folder again.

Holy Water Repository Re-inspection Meeting, Holy Relic Appraisal List Review Meeting, Diocesan Holy Relic Lending Status Report, Sacred Treasure Exhibition Suitability Review Meeting…

What in the world are all these meetings for?

My head spun for a moment at the endless schedule.

Moreover, the problem was that this wasn’t all.

Filled with dread, I asked the secretary in a trembling voice.

“What about… the afternoon?”

“In the afternoon, there are two interviews with monastic order representatives, a Q&A with the Order’s legal advisory team, and a report on the Elserada Cathedral’s lighting improvement plan.”

“…Interviews?”

“Yes. They are scheduled from 1 PM to 3 PM.”

Meetings lasting over two hours.

And three of them back to back.

I took another deep breath and silently lowered my head.

“…That’s it, right?”

Please say yes.

“For now, yes.”

For now.

A chill ran down my spine at the word that left a subtly unsettling feeling.

“You may leave now.”

I hadn’t even started yet, but I already felt exhausted.

As I ushered the secretary out and turned my gaze to the window, I saw priests kneeling devoutly in prayer in a corner of the garden.

Normally, I would have been among them, pretending to pray and idly passing the time.

Just as a sigh was about to escape me, I heard a knock.

“Excuse me, Cardinal. The Holy Knight who will be assigned as your new escort has just arrived.”

An escort?

“Send them in.”

As soon as permission was granted, a woman opened the door and stepped inside.

An impressive Holy Knight, draped in a pure white cloak over silver armor.

Her red eyes pierced like sharp blades, and her golden hair, flowing to her shoulders, shimmered in the light.

Her steel-like aura and unyielding posture, tolerating not a single inch of disarray, were enough to make anyone feel her intimidation.

“I am Elena Blencia of the 4th Holy Knight Order, assigned to your personal protection and duties from now on, Cardinal.

Please feel free to call me Elena.”

So, a Cardinal gets an escort.

Well, it’s a kind of bodyguard, I suppose.

“It’s a pleasure to work with you.”

But how her presence would affect me in the future.

I didn’t know then.

****

Lunchtime finally arrived after the exhausting morning schedule.

“…Are you really going to keep standing there?”

Feeling her burdensome gaze constantly, I quietly put down my bread.

Leaning back in my chair, I looked at the woman in full armor standing behind me, monitoring her surroundings.

“There is a possibility of external attack while you are dining.

Vigilance is natural.”

Elena answered without batting an eye.

Her tone was like that of a general going to war.

“This is a dining hall inside the Papal States.

You don’t need to be so vigilant.”

“No, Cardinal.

You can be a target of all threats, both inside and outside the Papal States.

I will continue to carry out my duty to the extent that it does not inconvenience you.”

…It’s quite inconvenient.

Every single one of Elena’s actions kept irritating my nerves.

Does she think this is some kind of battlefield?

Seeing her so rigid, I asked, just in case, how far she intended to go.

“You’re not planning to follow me to the restroom, are you?”

“The restroom… I consider it a minimal private space.

However, I will accompany you inside first to ensure safety.”

“…Are you serious?”

Elena nodded.

Her expression was serious, without a hint of jest.

My expression stiffened at the clear intention to really follow me even to the restroom.

“Haa…”

Another wrinkle deepened on my increasingly furrowed brow.

When I returned to the office, I was already feeling fatigue close to my limit.

It wasn’t just mental fatigue.

My whole body felt heavy, as if I were carrying a massive stone.

Moreover, that feeling was intensified by Elena’s constant presence, following me everywhere.

“Left wall and behind the curtain are clear.

Window is open but shows no signs of intrusion.

The inside is now safe.

Please come in.”

As I opened the door, Elena, who had already entered, swept her gaze around the room.

“…We were just working here a few minutes ago.”

“Precisely why a more thorough inspection is needed.

The moment you leave your post is when you are most vulnerable.”

“Are you saying I’m in such a dangerous situation that I could be assassinated by someone?”

Even with my irritated words, Elena answered without hesitation.

“Cardinal, you are a symbol of faith and authority.

You can certainly be a target both politically and religiously.”

Instead of answering, I clutched my head.

Anyone would think I had become the Pope.

Who would target someone like me…?

I’d never heard of a Cardinal being assassinated before.

Especially not in the middle of the Papal States.

A conversation was impossible.

Elena’s mind seemed to be filled only with thoughts of my safety.

I carefully looked at Elena.

She remained standing rigidly upright, never once relaxing her expression.

What could have made this person like this?

To call it merely an act of faith would be an understatement; it was excessively stubborn and excessively thorough.

“…Where’s the next report?”

“The Holy Relic Relocation Budget Proposal and the Chapel Restoration Plan, two documents remaining.”

The secretary, who had been standing silently nearby, unhesitatingly handed over a stack of documents.

The gold-embossed mark on the documents glittered as if to stab my eyes.

I had already signed over twenty documents just this morning, and it wasn’t over yet?

I quietly inhaled, then slowly exhaled.

But one side of my chest still felt heavy.

It felt as if something was constantly stuck in my throat.

I had been moving since six in the morning, and the sun was still high in the sky.

On top of that, the remaining tasks were still a mountain, and meetings were scheduled to continue until evening.

I listlessly looked down at my palm.

My slender fingers were covered in dried black ink.

‘Come to think of it, I haven’t even had time to wash my hands….’

Where had the me who idled around and went out to play until yesterday gone?

Was only a pathetic, work-worn wreck left now?

‘This is just being a civil servant.’

If I had known this, I shouldn’t have become a priest.

Where had my peaceful life in the countryside gone?

I looked at the desk.

It was piled high with unapproved reports and opinion papers.

Just looking at them made my head throb.

My eyelids kept drooping.

I stood up and opened the window.

The reddish sunlight falling over the cathedral embraced the spire, but strangely, I felt no warmth at all.

Even the wind was cold.

I stood there blankly for a few minutes.

Then I muttered to myself.

“…I want to quit everything.”

Right now, I was nothing more than a tool for stamping documents.

I returned to my desk and sat down, but I couldn’t bring myself to pick up the pen.

“…Haa.”

A deep sigh escaped me.

Then, a thought suddenly came to mind.

The brief peace I felt this morning from the warm bread and a sip of milk I had on my way to work.

The fact that it was the only moment of respite I had all day.