episode_0190

by fnovelpia

Antonius Ortega.

Pope of the Order of Order and Balance.

I am the Pope.

Feeling tired of his long life as a priest, he steps down from the papacy and voluntarily resigns. He embarks on a pilgrimage to reflect on himself and travels around the continent.

That kind of setting.

As you progress through Elise’s story, you will encounter Antonius, who has returned to the Holy Land. I thought we would meet someday if I stayed still, but Elise brought him first.

I see that Elise doesn’t know Antonius’ true identity, so why did she bring him to me?

First, I asked after getting my bearings cleared.

“Sister? What are you doing here at this hour of the night? Who is that person?”

“He’s an old man wandering the streets. He seemed to have nowhere else to go, so I brought him here.”

“Why did you bring the protection hand to an inn when it was widely spread throughout the Holy Land…?”

Elise smiled broadly.

“There is not enough space.”

i get it.

That smile is a playful smile.

I know because I’ve done it a lot.

I’m sure he brought that old man here just to screw me over.

“Kkeulkeul, is it okay for a shabby old man like me to stay in such a nice room… .”

“Yes, Grandpa. He is the kindest person in the world. Of course he will allow it, so don’t worry.”

“Kkekekeke, what a healthy young man. Then, shamelessly… .”

I didn’t say anything, but they started beating drums, janggu, and gongs among themselves. Antonius took a seat as if he had received permission from the imaginary me.

“Holholhol, you’re drinking good alcohol. I’ll drink well.”

Oh my.

This old man, who is like a snake, pours and drinks wine as he pleases. If someone saw this, they would think this was his living room.

“Let’s see. The carrier is… .”

“A child like this?”

You son of a bitch.

“It’s true that I’m a good person, but men, especially grandfathers, don’t count. I’m going to meet God soon, so please go and ask for my favor. Say that you want to be born as a cute girl. Then I’ll raise you.”

“He’s not in his right mind. Hey, tsk. What a pitiful guy.”

He never leaves his seat while talking like that. It seems like he’s determined to stick to that tough guy.

“I’ll leave it to Grandpa. I’ll leave it for now. ”

Elise, who had left me with the burden of being the Pope, stepped aside. Before leaving, she looked at me and raised the corners of her mouth as if she was pleased.

“Are you really not going? Do you have to call the guards to leave?”

“Do it if you can, you punk. If they find out you’ve enslaved a nun, you won’t be safe either.”

Did you notice this?

Anyway, Yuhwa too, and the old people of this world are unpleasant to deal with.

Not a human, just a monster. I’m now dealing with a monster in the form of an old man.

But that doesn’t mean you should be fooled.

“Wouldn’t it be difficult for you too if your identity is revealed?”

“You knew that and still treated me like a beggar old man? You don’t know how to value life. If I lift a finger, it won’t be a big deal to kill you, you idiot.”

Antonius grumbled like an old man you see everywhere.

“That’s you. That slave messenger. That kid must be that slave.”

“That’s right. I bought it for a whopping 3,000 gold coins.”

“I don’t know what you were thinking when you bought that child and made her a nun, but I will warn you clearly. That child is a poor child. Let her go.”

Antonius stares intently at me.

The air currents change instantaneously.

The wine in the glass is shaking.

I get goosebumps all over my body.

I guess it’s the spirit that monstrous humans exude.

Of course, we can’t back out here.

“Please release me. How much did I invest to buy her? Will Your Majesty give me my money back?”

“If your life is worth less than 3,000 gold coins, you don’t have to be released.”

“Haha, I’m not a slave, how can I compare my life to money?”

“Then… .”

“Is it because Elise is the sacrificial lamb of the church?”

Then Antonius’ eyes lit up.

“How do you do that?”

“Everyone knows that.”

I smiled softly.

Elise’s true identity is unknown to anyone.

Antonius probably didn’t know about her existence either. He must have sensed and noticed the vampire aura in Elise when he saw her in person.

It’s definitely risky to reveal that. He’s already suspicious, but he’ll likely be labeled even more suspicious.

As someone who knows everything, it would be standard practice to not reveal information and to act secretly behind the scenes.

But at the same time, the return is certain.

In order for me, who has no power at all, to survive in this world full of monsters, I need to be able to speak out. What I need to do that is to have the power to control and sway conversation.

Aggressive speaking style takes control of the conversation.

“If you release Elise, what do you think will happen next? Hahahoho, do you think she will be able to live freely?”

Antonius was silent.

As if waiting for me to continue speaking.

“She’ll end up living off people. Just like she’s always done. She’s not ready to break out of her shell yet.”

“Are you saying you’re going to help prepare it?”

“Because that’s my role as the owner.”

The gaze that Antonius had for me was one that was not at all pleasing. Because I was Elise, who had not even been saved by God.

“If not, then His Majesty must have had a better plan, so he asked her to release Elise. Surely you wouldn’t have just asked her to release her without any plan, right?”

“Ahem… .”

Well then, that’s right.

Well, I understand. From Antony’s perspective, it must seem like the bad guy lived just to treat Elise badly.

But don’t worry. I’m sure there’s no one in this world who cares about her more than I do.

“Therefore, Elise, don’t worry and go back.”

“Um… .”

Antonius seemed to be weighing something with a drooling sound, then nodded. He couldn’t think of a proper solution, so he had no choice but to accept it.

“It seems like you’ve sorted out your thoughts. Would you like to go back now?”

“… … .”

“What are you doing? Not going out.”

Antonius, who was getting off his heavy buttocks due to my nagging. I thought he was going to leave, but he lay down on the bed and rested his head on the pillow.

“Is it because I’m getting older… I find it hard to stay up late.”

Antonius answers shamelessly and pulls up the blanket.

Oh my.

Is that how it’s going to turn out?

I opened the window.

“A guard passing by? I enslaved a nun, and His Holiness Antonius is in my room──.”

Rattling!

The window slammed shut as if a gust of wind had hit.

Antonius was reaching out his hand this way.

“What are you doing? If the window breaks, will Your Majesty pay for it?”

“What a poor bastard. You have nothing better to do, so you’re trying to sell a helpless old man?”

“Wasn’t it like it didn’t matter if you got caught at any time? Why? Are you nervous? Sweating profusely?”

“Hehehe. Sweating? I was mistaken. This guy is no ordinary lunatic. He’s a real idiot.”

“Thank you for the compliment. We have to be crazy to survive in this crazy world.”

You guys are the ones who made me like this.

“Okay. What are you going to do? Will you go out on your own two feet, or will you be dragged out by a bunch of priests?”

Of course, it may sound like a stretch to say that he will not be dragged away and will be treated with the utmost respect, but from Antonius’ perspective, it will be the same.

Antonius kept clicking his tongue and looked at me with a displeased look.

“Do this. Just once. I’ll help you when you need help.”

“Can you handle that?”

“But only if the request doesn’t disrupt the order. What do you think?”

It’s a pretty radical proposal.

Even though he is retired, he will be of great help.

Using the Pope’s authority just to solve the problem of food and lodging.

‘Well, I guess the purpose is to keep an eye on you.’

Elise’s existence is a great stain on the Holy Nation.

It must be a sore thumb for Antonius.

You can’t learn without paying attention.

“If Your Majesty makes such a concession, it would be impolite for me to refuse. I will accept it.”

“Kkulkul. It’s way too late to be polite, you punk.”

***

The case of the nun candidate experiment known only to a very small number of high-ranking clergy.

Immersed in excessive religious belief, they abandoned humanity and created pitiful children in the mistaken belief that they would create beings with perfect balance.

The reason Anthony stepped down as archbishop was because of his guilt and sense of responsibility for not being able to protect them as the leader of a religious order.

The higher I climbed, the farther away I became from the people, and although I reached a place where I could grasp the stars, I could no longer see my feet.

So Antonius set out on a journey.

What is true order and what is balance? I had time to reflect on this while traveling around the continent. And while looking for children who became victims of the experiments.

One day, Antonius heard a rumor that nuns were being trafficked in Harlem. What kind of fearless person would buy and sell nuns protected by God?

Antonius arrived in Harlem in one stride, but he was already a step too late. The slave messenger had bought the nun.

The irony is that the saint is with them.

They returned to the Holy Land after obtaining information that they were headed towards Cassillon.

Seongguk, who returned after several years, appeared to be no different on the outside, but inside, he was on edge as if the balance would collapse at any moment.

It was pure luck that Antonius found Elise.

A poor child who suffered irreparable damage due to his wrong beliefs. Should we be thankful that he at least survived?

I realized at the same time.

That this child was a nun who had been sold in Harlem.

That he was held in the clutches of an evil man called the Slave Messenger.

Antonius tried to get Elise out, but it didn’t work out as well as he had hoped. The slave messenger was a man that even Antonius couldn’t get a handle on.

He received the grace of the World Tree, the guardian deity of the elves, in the body of a human, and was protected by many mysterious beings.

I couldn’t even think of touching it rashly.

So, let’s just watch from the side for now.

If you do something foolish, it’s not too late to take action then.

I thought so.

“Okay, sir. Hold this sign. Keep your thumbs up.”

-A sect of the dead that was once recognized by high-ranking believers of the Order and Balance Sect. If you want to join, please submit your application.

This crazy guy is using the (former) Pope for his social propaganda.

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