Chapter 15: A small stone cannot stop the wave Part 1

My body reacted before my mind did.

“I greet Your Holiness!!!”

I abandoned the chair and everything else, immediately dropping to one knee.

“I bow before the saintly one, unparalleled on the continent and the noble person who upholds the will of the Lord!!”

“Haha.”

Quite a spirited friend, I see.

A smile spread across the face of Escavador III.

It was a pleasant laugh, but to me, it sounded like the grim laughter of a reaper.

The Pope.

That name carries a weight heavier than gold and a presence as grand as the sun.

If the Saintess is the face and symbol of the church, the Pope is its king and spiritual pillar.

Someone so revered appearing before me without any prior notice…

‘What on earth is going on!?’

My mind still couldn’t keep up with the situation.

All I could do was desperately hold onto my sanity while endless question marks popped into my head.

***

“Raise your head. This is not an official audience.”

“H-However, how could I dare to look at Your Holiness face to face! I humbly ask you to retract your words.”

“Oh dear, this person. As you can see, I’m on vacation right now. At the moment, I’m just an old man from the neighborhood.”

He slightly raised his arms, showing his simple attire.

“Don’t be so formal with an old man in his pajamas.”

Easier said than done.

‘Who in their right mind would dare to look up here?’

Unless someone intervenes from the side.

As I remained frozen for quite some time, Mohaim, who was beside me, stepped forward.

“Sir Chancellor. His Holiness seems troubled. Please, rise.”

“You.”

“You were the culprit.”

I glared at him as if I could kill him.

“…Then please forgive my rudeness.”

“Get up quickly. You’ll just get your clean uniform dirty.”

Slowly, I managed to stand up.

Barely keeping my legs from collapsing, I spoke to him.

“Sir Espirence, thank you for granting me the immense honor of meeting His Holiness.”

Of course, my true thoughts were different.

You crazy bastard.

If there’s a problem, talk it out.

‘Why would you bring the highest leader of your church here?’

“I will definitely repay this grace someday. Without fail.”

Just you wait.

I won’t forget this.

I’ll make sure to thoroughly check all 358 entry regulations just for you.

The head of the knights, noticing my expression, smiled and nodded.

“I’ll be looking forward to it.”

For a while, a series of insincere smiles were exchanged.

Watching with satisfaction, the Pope spoke.

“It’s truly an honor, but I never expected Your Holiness to personally visit such an insignificant border.”

“I made a small promise with Mohaim. To help if an unsolvable problem arose.”

“That means—”

“Before that, may I have a moment?”

The Pope raised his hand, stopping my words, and spoke louder.

***

“Ergena, are you there?”

Mohaim turned the crystal ball towards the Saintess.

She hesitated for a moment before stepping closer, looking hesitant.

“…Yes. I’m here.”

Her demeanor was completely different from her earlier exuberance.

If the knight commander had to activate the crystal, it must mean he couldn’t calm you down.

“Ugh!”

Ergena flinched.

‘Yes! Yes!’

I strongly agreed inwardly.

Feeling guilty, she rubbed the ink mark still visible on her forehead.

“What trouble did you cause this time?”

“That… I have something to discuss. Just the two of us.”

“Oh? Let’s hear it, then.”

The Saintess’s eyes sparkled.

She snatched the crystal ball from Mohaim with impressive speed and whispered something quietly.

“Chancellor… evil… church… black…”

Like a child tattling to a teacher, she muttered continuously, covering her mouth to prevent anyone from overhearing.

“Hmm. Is that so?”

“It’s true! It was black, I swear! If it wasn’t them, then who else could it be!”

But despite her conviction, the Pope merely gave a gentle smile.

“My, my. The Chancellor must have had quite the ordeal.”

“Huh?”

He spoke in a gentle tone.

“Child, just because you see and feel many things doesn’t mean they’re all true.”

“I-I don’t understand. I saw it with my own eyes!”

Disappointed by the unexpected response, Ergena couldn’t hide her confusion.

“The Lord often grants us unexpected gifts. Even if they seem like poison at first, they may later turn out to be great blessings.”

“But some things are obvious from the start! Just like that man!”

“Perhaps. Even if he seems that way now, this young Chancellor might become a valuable asset to our church. Or perhaps even to you.”

“How could a heretic…”

You must not make such judgments lightly, Ergena.

Always question, reflect, and consider whether we are truly seeing the essence.

The Pope’s voice grew more solemn.

“If you see the world only through your own extremes, you’ll end up dividing everyone into allies and enemies. That’s not the way.”

The Saintess remained silent, clutching the crystal ball with trembling hands, unsure how to respond.

The Pope asked quietly amidst the long silence.

“Should our church regard even those ignorant of righteousness as enemies? Should we kill everyone just because they do not believe?”

“No! That’s not right!”

Her sharp cry echoed, bouncing off the walls and returning to her.

“That’s… not right. The Pope is right.”

In a subdued voice, she continued.

“I’m sorry. I’ll think about it more.”

Bowing her head, the divine energy around her faded, barely flickering behind her.

“I’m glad to see you still have room to grow.”

The Pope smiled, as if in understanding.

Mohaim, who had been watching, silently approached and retrieved the crystal ball.

“Sorry about that. I called you here only to end up having a personal chat.”

“No problem. On behalf of the Kingdom of Crossline, I thank you.”

I couldn’t help but clap inwardly.

He subdued that stubborn Saintess with just words.

Honestly, I felt somewhat relieved.

She really was quite a handful.

“Well, then, let’s get back to the main issue.”

“Gladly.”

“Good, good. This was about entry, right?”

After clearing his throat a few times, he spoke.

“But where is Gerard, the border commander? This matter should be discussed with him.”

The name I least wanted to hear suddenly popped up.

My face changed for a moment before I forced a smile, but my voice betrayed me.

“…Former border commander Gerard Monarch has been executed.”

Gerard Monarch.

The previous Chancellor.

The man responsible for the Southern Border tragedy.

A piece of trash who sold an inspector to an underground organization.

Just uttering his vile name made my stomach churn.

“…I see. I had forgotten. My age makes me forget things sometimes.”

“No, it’s an honor that Your Holiness still cares for us.”

“Then you must be the current commander. That makes things faster.”

Escavador erased his smile and put on a serious expression.

“Chancellor, would you grant passage to our pilgrimage—no, to our holy army?”

Finally, the main topic surfaced.

Granting passage for a military campaign.

The answer came immediately.

“I sincerely apologize. However, I cannot give you a definite answer.”

Hm? Does that mean no?

“That is not what I meant. It means that this issue cannot be resolved at my level.”

Since the Pope has intervened, this matter has left my hands.

This is no longer a border issue; it has become a diplomatic one.

“As of now, we will temporarily suspend all inspections. I will soon connect you with the Foreign Minister of our home country, so please wait a moment.”

This matter must be urgently reported to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and no seal should be stamped until opinions are coordinated.

If there is no final agreement, only then should the entry rejection stamp be used—a complex process.

The so-called ‘Border Emergency Protocol’ must be implemented.

‘In other words, this is no longer something I can handle.’

This is beyond the responsibility of the Border Chief.

Matters between the state and the Church are not under my jurisdiction.

And that means I can now step back from this situation.

There was no time to hesitate.

I need to leave this place.

I immediately turned to the attendant, who had been standing quietly behind me like a folding screen.

“Request an urgent audience with the Minister.”

However, before my words could be carried out, the Pope spoke first.

“No, there’s no need. I am asking you personally, Chancellor.”

“…What?”

‘What is he talking about?’

I managed to respond.

“I apologize, Your Holiness. I failed to understand your intention.”

“You heard me correctly. I want this matter handled quietly.”

My confusion did not last long.

I quickly grasped the true meaning of his words.

“Your Holiness, are you saying that you do not wish for this to be made public?”

“Ah, you truly are the person in charge. You immediately grasp the core of the issue.”

He shrugged his shoulders as if caught off guard.

“That’s right. I want this crusade to proceed as quietly as possible. That’s why we disguised it as a pilgrimage.”

A candid admission of his true intentions.

But I couldn’t understand.

‘If this plan is so grand, why does he want to keep it secret?’

If the goal is significant, it would make sense to announce it to the world.

Spreading their mission and achievements would naturally help expand the Church’s influence.

The Pope, seeing my puzzled expression, continued speaking.

“Though a crusade is a glorious event, it inevitably involves bloodshed. And with blood, come leeches.”

He shook his head as if the thought disgusted him.

“Chancellor, what do you think will happen if the Church, in the name of religion, sheds blood in this continent that has maintained peace for ten years?”

The answer is obvious.

“Other Churches or even nations might see it as an opportunity and seek war.”

“Exactly.”

War spreads like a contagion.

Whether driven by greed, revenge, or a noble cause, the outcome is the same.

A civil war in one nation can escalate into a local war, then a full-scale war, and eventually into a continent-wide conflict.

All it takes is for someone to ignite the first spark.

Violence is like desire—once ignited, it grows uncontrollably.

That is why we are here to prevent that flame from spreading across the continent.

The Kingdom of Crossline remains strictly neutral and does not allow armies to pass through.

“If this becomes a diplomatic issue, word will inevitably spread, potentially leading to a larger war. Would your kingdom want that?”

Escabavor lowered his voice.

“But if you ‘unknowingly’ approve their passage, it will not become an issue.”

Finally, the Pope’s true intention surfaced.

The crusade would continue in secret, and the world would remember it only as a pilgrimage.

He was asking for my “cooperation.”

“Your Holiness, do you mean to—”

“Yes. I understand that agreeing to this will put you in a difficult position. I’ve heard that the punishment for an Immigration Inspector in the Crossline Kingdom is particularly harsh.”

The Pope lightly tapped the flower bed with the side of his hand, and a small block tumbled to the ground.

We all knew what that signified.

“I will speak directly to your king, not just the Foreign Minister, and ensure that you are not punished.”

“This… is not something you can decide so easily.”

I felt suffocated.

The overwhelming situation made it increasingly hard to stay composed.

“The Queen of Crossline is a believer in our Church. If I speak to her, the king will have no choice but to listen. He is known to be devoted to her.”

The Pope smiled.

“You will be safe. I guarantee it.”

It was an overwhelming proposition.

And the Pope added one more thing.

“I also promise compensation. I swear by the Lord that you will play a significant role in this great endeavor.”

Finally, I saw it.

The Pope’s eyes, just like the Saintess’s, glowed with unwavering faith and determination.

But unlike the Saintess, he was not just a fanatic blindly following God’s will.

He was a calculated, dangerously prudent individual who knew how to balance restraint with kindness.

“This is the will of God—to cleanse the world of evil, not a worldly war.”

His voice carried both gentleness and power.

“Do not stand against the waves. Resistance will only bring hardship.”

I found myself frozen by his words.

“Chancellor.”

“…Yes.”

He called my name, like a father calling his son.

“Are the people you are examining a pilgrimage group or a crusade army?”

The final question hung in the air.