I discreetly gauged the atmosphere in the room.
‘I want to leave already.’
The battle with Evan, the achievements during the assassination of the operational team, and the use of magic that seemed akin to black sorcery—all these topics had been brought up by the Pope, who bombarded me with numerous questions. I answered them all properly.
This level of explanation should suffice; the Pope likely has no further curiosities.
Honestly, even the attention I’m receiving now feels overly excessive.
How many people, after all, garner this much interest from the Pope?
‘It doesn’t feel particularly good.’
The attention of those in power is often like teetering on the edge of danger or ruin.
I’d prefer to live quietly, after all.
With such sentiments, my gaze subtly shifted toward the exit.A space where both the Emperor and the Pope gather is inherently perilous in many ways. Ideally, they would hurry and dismiss me since they likely have sensitive matters to discuss.
For some reason, though, they didn’t send me out even during their discussions. Perhaps they thought of me as little more than a passing animal eavesdropping on human conversations.
‘Should I just open the door and walk out?’
– Thank you for your hard work with this meeting! I hope you’ll continue to strive for the welfare of the people!
As I quietly edged closer to the door, the Pope’s voice broke the silence.
“You.”
His tone, though still kind, had become notably more serious.
His gaze, which once held warmth, now bore a sharper intensity.
“I thought you might be connected to the Bloodstone Cult Leader.”
The Bloodstone Cult Leader.
A name suddenly thrust into the conversation.
Had I not been prepared, I might have been quite taken aback. Fortunately, my voice came out utterly calm.
“The Bloodstone Cult Leader, Your Holiness?”
“Yes.”
“I have no connection to that individual. I’ve never even properly heard their name before.”
The Pope scrutinized me, as though assessing the truth of my words.
The Emperor, however, muttered softly.
“That person remains thoroughly concealed.”
For a fleeting moment, the Emperor’s face appeared weary.
Though just a shell of his former self, he was once a man who traversed every corner of the land with dominion beneath his feet.
The weariness he displayed resembled that of an aged lion facing a challenging foe—desperately hoping to avoid provocation, a kind of helplessness.
Though the frailty vanished from his expression as quickly as it had appeared, it said plenty about the Bloodstone Cult Leader.
Even the Emperor seemed to momentarily fear this individual.
Thus, the Pope’s next words carried even more weight.
He gazed intently at me as he spoke.
“Your aura, your talent, your aptitude—all of it is reminiscent of that person.”
The claim that I resemble the Bloodstone Cult Leader.
While I couldn’t fully grasp the meaning behind it, I asked tentatively.
“…All of it, Your Holiness?”
“No. I’ve never seen the Cult Leader myself, so I cannot be certain. However, I’ve witnessed their soul.”
The Pope paused, seemingly lost in his inner world for a moment.
His gaze drifted deep before returning.
How had he seen the Bloodstone Cult Leader’s soul?
I didn’t know the method, but it likely wasn’t a pleasant memory.
The Pope’s lightly clenched fist seemed to attest to that.
“Your demeanor is quite similar to theirs. The composure, even the gaze—as if you see through everything.”
“I’m not like that…”
“Don’t deny it. Much of your confidence seems to stem from that.”
The Pope firmly interrupted my protest and continued speaking.
“Of course, I’ve only glimpsed fragments of both your soul and the Cult Leader’s. What I sense may merely be a similarity in atmosphere. Yet still.”
“…”
“You resemble the Bloodstone Cult Leader.”
There was no room for rebuttal in the Pope’s resolute tone. His certainty felt more rooted in experience and judgment than in supernatural abilities. He must have sensed something significant in me to be so assured.
The feeling was strange.
That would be the case. The Bloodstone Cult Leader—final villain and ultimate boss of this world.
Considering that the Pope himself mentioned my resemblance to him, it’s hard not to feel uneasy or sense something deeply significant about the remark.
“Haha, but that’s all there is to it. Your soul is pure. My judgment may not be entirely accurate. Besides, since you’ve come clean about everything, I can hardly execute you without cause, can I?”
He glanced briefly at the Emperor.
“I cannot arbitrarily decide the fate of the Empire’s citizens. It seems today marks the beginning of a more mutual respect between us.”
It sounded like a peace offering.
The Emperor nodded silently in agreement.
“Now then, there are more discussions to be had here. You may leave.”
As I reached for the door handle, the Pope gave me a genial smile.
“You’re the first person to walk out of a witch trial on their own two feet.”
With that, the scenario was cleared.
◆
“Phew.”
The moment I stepped out of the room where the two most powerful individuals sat, I let out a deep sigh.
It felt as though I had just emerged from a long, oppressive tunnel.
To the left, the Emperor of the Empire.
To the right, the Pope of the Deus Church.
It was a trial I never want to experience again.
‘At least we achieved peace.’
Saying something like that makes me feel like some sort of apostle of peace. But more than that, it’s clear this was all groundwork for future scenarios.
At the very least, I managed to tie down some of the Bloodstone Cult’s operations.
“Though whether that’ll lead to clearing the situation is another matter.”
For now, I’ll just prepare as much as I can.
Step, Step.
Even the Holy Knights’ precise movements reflected this.
It was as though they were all connected by some invisible string, executing their duties with perfect synchronization.
‘So this is what people united under an absolute deity look like.’
They served the Pope, but ultimately, they served their God.
The unwavering morale of the clergy was something I’d prefer not to challenge.
‘At least I didn’t need to resort to Plan B, the “emergency escape”.’
As I walked on, a voice I never wanted to hear again rang out.
“Sir Ian.”
It was a pure, smiling voice, the kind that seemed harmless at first glance.
“Oscar.”
I gave a short reply and turned toward the voice.
Oscar stood there, smiling as ever.
“You look well, Ian. Your complexion is quite good.”
“What’s the matter? It’s hard to tell with you since your expression is always the same.”
“Hahaha!”
Oscar laughed as though he’d just heard the funniest joke.
But why did it feel so stiff?
His laughter felt slightly forced—almost artificial.
Before I could fully process the unease creeping in, he spoke again.
“There’s somewhere you need to go with me.”
“Somewhere to go?”
“Yes. There’s something more I wish to hear from you.”
Still smiling, he took a step closer. I wanted to step back instinctively, but this was the Vatican—the domain of the inquisitors.
“I’ve already resolved all suspicions with the Pope…”
Osgar didn’t respond to me. Instead, he addressed the Holy Knight who had been guiding me.
“Sir Kamel, you’ve worked hard. I’ll take over guiding Ian from here.”
“Understood.”
…Wait, Sir Knight? Just like that?
Are you seriously handing me over so easily?
Weren’t you assigned to guide me by the Pope himself?
“I leave him in your hands, Oscar.”
With a polite farewell, the Holy Knight departed.
The only person now standing in front of me was Oscar.
He abruptly turned around and stepped behind me.
“I’m not familiar with the layout of the Vatican, but I’m pretty sure that’s not the right direction.”
“Move.”
A cold sensation pressed against my waist.
It was unmistakably a blade.
“Do threats like this really belong in the sacred Vatican? My blood will stain these pristine floors.”
“If it’s the blood of heretics, it becomes an offering.”
I couldn’t turn around. The only thing I had to rely on was his voice.
But the usual laughter that filled it was absent.
“You have two choices, Ian. Scream for help here, or follow me.”
“That hunk of metal feels like it’s right near my lung.”
“Sharp, aren’t you? If you shout, it’ll come out as nothing but a wheeze.”
“And the third option…”
“Do you really think you could beat me, Ian?”
I shrugged.
Even if I managed to beat Oscar, the aftermath would be the real issue.
After a brief hesitation, I decided to follow his lead and walked without resistance.
His voice, now laced with restored laughter, carried a faint note of surprise.
“That’s unexpected. I thought you’d resist.”
“You can’t do anything to me anyway.”
“And why’s that?”
“My life is tied to the peace we’ve secured. If I die here in the Vatican, the Emperor won’t just stand idly by. So, you can’t kill me. What you’re really after is to test me, right? If you can find anything worth exploiting, you’ll seize on it. So, what is it you want to test?”
Oscar’s breathing hitched for a moment.
After a few deliberate steps, he finally spoke.
“…You’re as sharp as ever.”
“Thanks for the compliment.”
“Do you know, Ian?”
We stopped in front of a small, unmarked door.
There, Osgar turned to face me.
“In this world, there are those who come from another realm. Usually, two at a time.”
Oscar smiled, brighter than I’d ever seen before.
“A witch, Ian, is often one of those people.”
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