Chapter 6: -i can’t relax

To cut to the chase, the escape plan failed.

I never imagined I’d be kidnapped right from the start.

Fortunately, I was dramatically rescued by Elena, but it’s true that my life was almost in danger.

Afterward, when I returned to the Papal State, I was greeted by the Saintess’s face, full of worry.

Apparently, everyone in the Papal State had been searching for me when I suddenly disappeared.

It seemed to have caused quite a commotion.

What was fortunate, at least, was that no one seemed to have noticed I tried to escape.

For some reason, people thought I had been kidnapped from the very beginning.

It was good that I didn’t have to make excuses, but the problem lay elsewhere.

“…I’m really fine, I tell you?”

“No! You might have a head injury, so you need to rest more. What’s that called? TPS?”

“PTSD?”

“Yes, that!”

Lumiere, remembering what I had said before, pressed on with some knowledge as if there was something more, urging me to rest.

Thanks to her, I was quite satisfied that I could lie in bed and rest comfortably.

It was just that my conscience pricked me a little.

“Anyway, don’t you dare get out of bed for a while!”

Groaning, Lumiere forcibly laid me down, then left the room with a proud face, leaving only those words.

I was simply grateful for her thoughtfulness in taking time out of her busy schedule to visit me.

Though, in truth, I wasn’t sick anywhere.

Left alone, lying in bed, I turned my gaze and looked around.

A bleak scene that didn’t suit the name ‘treatment room’.

I felt a slight sense of futility at the sight of not even basic medical equipment.

Medicine isn’t very developed in this world.

Where a severed arm can regrow with a single click of divine magic, grand medical technology wouldn’t be necessary.

But ironically, because of that, important concepts like disease don’t exist here.

My simple remedies, made by recalling my past life and utilizing what little memory I had, along with the herbal knowledge I read in the library, are even called the power of miracles, which I can understand.

Germs, pathogens, bacteria, and so on.

Several essential branches of knowledge are lacking.

It seems there are folk remedies in each region, primarily led by alchemy, but they haven’t been established as meticulously as in my modern world.

Mental disorders like PTSD, which Elena just mentioned, are the same.

Except for a few I taught them how to treat, they are still treated as terrible curses.

‘Something has to be done.’

A world where hygiene is still ignored, and the concept of internal surgery doesn’t even exist.

Although the Papal State, where I had stayed for a long time, was in a somewhat better situation, this world is still rampant with diseases called curses.

I tried my best, in my own way.

It’s just that there were so many stubborn people who wouldn’t even listen.

In the meantime, gaining the grand title of ‘Saint’ and a bit of fame wasn’t a very good thing for me.

Oh, and now I’ve even become a Cardinal.

Knock, knock.

“May I come in for a moment?”

Just as I was organizing my thoughts alone, a voice from outside sent a chill down my spine.

“…Yes, come in.”

“Excuse me.”

Elena cautiously stepped inside, as if worried I might be startled.

“What’s wrong?”

I tried to force a calm smile, but the corners of my mouth wouldn’t go up as I wished.

Whenever I met Elena’s eyes, my body involuntarily recoiled.

That terrifying image of her smiling brightly, covered in blood.

That scene kept replaying in my mind.

“I have something urgent to tell you, so I took the liberty of coming to see you like this.

Do you have a moment?”

Time is all I have left.

“Yes, as much as you need.”

As soon as my answer fell, Elena respectfully approached and knelt by the bed.

She opened her mouth, her unwavering eyes piercing mine.

“This morning.

The s*ave traders who kidnapped Theo-nim woke up.”

What, those guys aren’t dead?

I clearly remembered seeing them half-dead, in a terrible state, so I naturally thought they wouldn’t have survived.

They must have somehow managed to live despite being in such a condition.

Or perhaps the power of healing magic is that great.

“Don’t worry.

I will definitely find out who instigated this incident.”

“Uh… right.”

They were kidnappers, but not on that scale.

I know.

That the kidnappers were just simple s*ave traders.

Of course.

If they had known I was a Cardinal, they would never have done such a foolish thing.

But Elena doesn’t seem to think so.

“Secretly invading the Saintess’s room, and on top of that, the charge of kidnapping Theo-nim.

They probably won’t die easily.”

Oh dear….

Elena’s expression, with her sharp, piercing eyes, was filled with rage.

But why did I feel a chill down my neck?

I needlessly pulled the bed covers up a bit more.

At that moment, Elena’s face, smiling brightly while covered in blood, came to mind.

Come to think of it, how did Elena find me?

I thought I hadn’t left any traces.

“By the way, Elena, how did you find me?”

“I used tracking magic.”

…There was such a thing?

A fact I had overlooked: unlike 100 years ago when Merhen escaped, magic has developed significantly at this point.

That means my location can be known at any time.

‘…Escaping is out of the question.’

I’ll have to completely scrap the escape plan for now.

I’ve learned a lot from this incident.

I realized once again that this world is much scarier than I thought.

Even if I succeeded in escaping again, my safety wouldn’t be guaranteed.

Unless I find a way to protect myself, it will be impossible for the time being.

So, what other methods are left?

The first thing that comes to mind is intentionally lowering my soaring reputation.

If I had flaws, even if not outright debauchery, they wouldn’t think of making me Pope.

But there’s one problem.

‘…How do I even do that?’

Rebellion is something only those who have been rebellious know how to do.

Having lived my entire life quietly, I don’t know how to rebel.

‘For now, put this on hold too.’

“Is that all you needed?”

“Ah, come to think of it, Cardinal Mateo asked me to deliver this letter.”

Elena handed me a golden letter from her pocket.

Cardinal Mateo?

That man is famous for being a huge boomer.

Why would someone I usually have no contact with send a letter?

“What is this?”

“I don’t know the details either.

I just happened to meet him on the way.”

I took the letter and, as soon as I saw a single character written inside, I clutched my head.

[An inspection by the Inspection Office will begin in a week, so be prepared.]

Ah… what’s this now?

****

A secret place located deep beneath the Papal State.

In a gloomy space untouched by sunlight or even holy energy, three shadows were dragged in and knelt.

Their bodies were covered in blood.

Their hands and feet were bound by chains, and their faces were contorted in pain, unable to lift their heads.

“I will ask again.”

Elena, wearing cold, uncharacteristic plate armor, spoke quietly with hands unstained by blood.

At her feet, fresh blood that hadn’t yet evaporated seeped into the ground, and the other Holy Knights standing at the entrance bowed their heads, unable to even look at her.

“Who instigated you?”

“……”

“Why did you kidnap the Cardinal?”

“Cough…!

I told you countless times.

We didn’t know that person was the Cardinal…!”

They had already endured a round of terrible pain.

But strangely, these three did not speak the truth until the very end.

After silently looking down for a long time, Elena grabbed one of the blood-soaked men by his hair and lifted him up.

“Are you going to keep pretending you don’t know…!”

As Elena snarled, a faint magical power flowed from her fingertips, forcibly pulling the man’s neck back.

At that moment, an unusual pattern beneath the exposed skin caught Elena’s eye.

“……This is.”

Her eyes narrowed slightly.

An ominous dark-red magic circle.

An uncommon engraving was carved into his body.

Elena quietly lowered her hand and checked the chests of the other two.

They also had the same mark carved on them.

All three had the same consistent engraving, which she had never seen before.

“You are not simple s*ave traders.”

At first, she thought it was a simple kidnapping.

Idiots who tried to make a quick buck by kidnapping a Cardinal and got caught.

But it wasn’t.

These guys are absolutely not simple s*ave traders.

“You bastards… what exactly are you?”

“Ughhh…!!”

As Elena cruelly stomped on his wounds, the man’s jaw trembled, and drops of blood dripped from his mouth.

Even in unbearable pain that no sane person could endure, the s*ave trader tried to say something but bit his teeth together again.

“……Is there a reason you can’t speak?”

She didn’t expect them to open their mouths easily.

But the engraving on the s*ave traders’ bodies kept nagging at her mind.

‘Surely those wretched elf heretics haven’t started acting up again, have they?’

A strange unease began to stir.

Anticipating that the situation would become bigger than she thought, Elena removed the thick gauntlet that covered her forearm and lifted a heated branding iron.

“Then I’ll make you speak.”

“C-c-creeeak… Stop! Stop it!!”

That night, the Papal State’s basement was filled with horrific screams that sent chills down one’s spine just by hearing them.

Of course, no one heard their cries.