The Pope Whose Blood Would Run Dry

September 20.

The royal castle of the Polia Kingdom.

Inside the spacious and pleasant office, Ian was sitting comfortably with his legs crossed as he looked through documents. He was quite satisfied with the results shown in the documents. Viscount Rubingston, who was standing before him, also seemed quite satisfied with the results as he spoke.

“Currently, Pope Bain is spending time with his blood running dry. No matter how much those around him criticize us, no one is responding to them. Rather, it seems everyone is beginning to condemn Pope Bain.”

“Who would respond to him? The queen of a country… nearly suffered a terrorist attack.”

“That is right. At the very least, even Emperor Jedic of the Magnia Empire is said to have stepped forward and condemned it the most strongly.”

“He is taking her side, acting as an elder brother in his own way.”

“For now, since he is in the position of elder brother, he will have no choice but to step forward, even if only because he is conscious of the eyes around him.”

“Rather than that, should they not be focusing on their own war?”

Just as those words said, the situation of the Magnia Empire was not one where they had time to pay attention to other matters right now. The war with the Republic of Promance was still ongoing. Of course, it was not a war where hundreds of thousands or millions clashed, but one where they collided in limited spaces or only fought aerial battles in the sky, and unlike before, it was becoming passive.

It seemed that because both countries had to sacrifice some people and cross the mountain range whenever they deployed aircraft, the number of casualties increased as the scale gradually grew, so they had no choice but to become more and more passive.

More than that, if this situation continued, Ian thought the war might pass beyond this year. Perhaps it could become a war pattern like the past Great War that would continue without ending.

“That is right. Ah, more importantly, the sacrifices among the special agents have already exceeded five. It seems that, as special agents, they could not properly exert their power against holy knights and had no choice but to be defeated.”

“Did we not already expect that? And the remaining personnel?”

“There are three so far, and in another ten days, six more should be able to be deployed.”

Special agents were people Ian had created using condemned criminals who had gone through the first stage of manipulation. By the standards of ordinary humans, they could certainly be said to belong to a fairly strong category. Since they could not feel emotions, they had no fear either, and were existences that moved blindly according to orders.

However, as expected, they had no choice but to be inferior to the people in gray coats corresponding to the second stage, that is, the guardians. First of all, they could not properly resist strange powers like aura. They died if hit by bullets, and dodging was also difficult. Therefore, casualties were inevitable. Even so, it was not as if they had no advantages.

‘Making special agents is very easy for me. So it does not matter if more are deployed and killed.’

Since they were much easier existences to make than the second-stage guardians, he thought it did not matter even if they were sacrificed. They were all former condemned criminals. In any case, his goal was ultimately for the Pope of the Rat Religion, the mastermind who had committed terrorism against the queen, to go mad with fear.

‘Simply killing him is an easy matter.’

The reason he did not do it despite being able to eliminate him sufficiently if he deployed his forces immediately was purely so that the man would feel even greater fear. Ian’s two eyes carried such a chill, and Viscount Rubingston, noticing this atmosphere, carefully watched his mood and said.

“The number of those bastards we have confirmed is roughly two. Considering that no more than that have revealed themselves, that number seems to be their limit for the time being.”

“Even that much is impressive. Then we can assume that a total of four existed?”

“Yes, that seems to be the case. For reference, they are said to be called ‘holy knights.’”

“Holy knights, is it? Since they are a religious organization, is that what they call them?”

“It seems so. A secret organization appears to be properly supporting them. Perhaps there is a place within the Rat Religion where they are conducting human experimentation.”

“So the Rat Religion provides people, and the secret organization secretly conducts research and mass production.”

“There is an extremely high possibility of that.”

“Find where that place is. Of course, finding it itself will be difficult. They must have hidden it thoroughly, after all.”

“We are already conducting an investigation centered around places where many missing persons have appeared. Perhaps their secret facility exists in such a place.”

“If you find it, it would be good to bring back the materials piled up there as well.”

“Ah, you are interested in the existences called holy knights.”

“Would it not be good for us to train superhumans as well?”

“That is true. If we possess such superhumans, it seems they would be very advantageous, both in special operations and even if a war situation comes.”

At Viscount Rubingston’s words, Ian nodded as if agreeing. In truth, among the forces he possessed, the guardians were the combat power capable of responding to existences that used such strange powers. However, the guardians could not use mana at all.

At least Camyu was the only existence capable of using mana. Since that was the situation, if they became able to mass-produce existences like holy knights, he thought they would become truly good combat power in preparation for future events. Of course, that was only a hoped-for situation, and if they could not obtain the data, they could prepare with something else.

“By the way, they say the boycott by the Rat Religion has caused considerable damage to our exports.”

“To even carry out a boycott, what a truly shameless bunch.”

“By their standards, they think we are lying. More importantly, what should we do?”

“Just let them do it. If they say they will not use our goods, then they can simply not use them. In any case, those who will use them will end up using them.”

In any case, it was something he had proceeded with while expecting a certain amount of bleeding. And even if they carried out a boycott, the reality was that they had no choice but to use Polia’s goods for the sake of basic human living conditions. Currently, in many countries, production of daily necessities was difficult because of the aftermath of the war.

In this reality, daily necessities produced by their kingdom were being exported in large quantities, so for them, even if they did not want to use them, they would have no choice but to face the reality of using them. It might be different if a fairly long time had passed. However, since it had only just entered the third year after the Great War ended, much of the aftermath remained.

Unless they were fully restored, there would be damage, but they would not be ruined. On top of that, there was demand for restoration construction in the form of fairly large transactions. Just because people carried out a boycott did not mean they could block construction sites led by each country.

If they acted that way, rather, each country’s administration would have to step forward on its own and stop them. For Polia, it was a reality where nothing was bad.

“Then I will understand it as such and take my leave.”

Before long, Viscount Rubingston bowed and left, and Ian watched his back. Ian thought he should finish the work he had been doing, but soon paused when he remembered something. He immediately stood up and called Mardin.

“Mardin.”

“Yes, Your Majesty. Do you have an order?”

“Find out where the queen and Princess Karina are.”

“Understood.”

Mardin moved immediately. Amid this wait, Ian soon learned that the queen and Karina were at his mother’s residence. Ian immediately moved his steps there, and soon arrived at the Queen Mother’s palace. Since he had already informed them in advance that he was coming here, everyone was waiting.

“Mother, you are still beautiful today.”

“Thank you. Our king is still handsome too. Hohoho.”

It was a greeting of their own that they had used from long ago, and at these words, Queen Adrina and Princess Helena, who were listening, were smiling. The two of them had already heard this greeting method of theirs and had grown used to it. Of course, at first, everyone had been surprised, but as it continued, they grew used to it and were no longer surprised.

Ian briefly exchanged greetings with Queen Adrina and Princess Helena as well, and seeing Princess Helena here made him think that she had indeed grown close to his family. Then, before long, his gaze turned toward Karina, his daughter, who was asleep in a rocking cradle.

“It seems Karina is sleeping.”

“Yes, she fell asleep twenty minutes ago. Shall I wake her even now?”

“No. There is no need to wake her. There is nothing better than sleep, so let her keep sleeping.”

As Ian looked at the sight of his daughter sleeping peacefully after having grown quite a bit, a smile naturally had no choice but to rise on his lips. Just the fact that his daughter was growing well made him feel incredibly good. Since she had been born last year and had grown until now, she had grown fairly tall, and her red hair had also grown quite a bit.

“Has she perhaps not walked yet?”

“She could not walk today either. Still, there are many times when she shows herself standing for a short while.”

“Ooh. Is that so?”

“She will probably start walking within a month to a few months.”

“Haha, I want to see her walking around quickly.”

“I think once she starts walking, I will not be able to handle it.”

“Hahaha, that is how children grow.”

Ian spoke leisurely. Perhaps the moment he saw how she behaved once she started walking, he might regret saying these words now. In any case, he thought it was fortunate that the queen’s heart was not so shadowed.

In truth, after the terrorist incident, the queen had been fairly shocked. Since it was the first time in her life that she had experienced an assassination aimed at her, she could not help but be very startled. The one who soothed her was always her husband, Ian. He had held her tightly as she trembled in the middle of the night and comforted her, reassuring her.

Outwardly, she showed a bold appearance outside, but inwardly, she was tender-hearted and afraid.

“Um, I heard the news. I heard the mastermind behind the terrorism was the Rat Religion. Is that true?”

“They were certainly behind it. Every circumstance pointed to them.”

“Why did they do such a thing?”

“There was a time before when the Rat Religion became a problem and was driven out of this country. It seems they targeted the queen in retaliation for what happened then.”

“How could such lawless people exist? To target me for that reason?”

“They were not normal from the start. Is that not why they could commit such an act?”

“That is true. They truly seem to be people who are not normal. But are you really retaliating because of me?”

“That is right. Since they touched you, I could not leave alone the one who calls himself Pope.”

“Are you perhaps pushing yourself too hard because of me? If it is needlessly because of me, it is all right for you to stop even now.”

“No. It is absolutely not excessive, so do not worry about anything. I will surely repay them with more pain than you felt. And this is also something that must be retaliated against on the kingdom’s level. So there is no need for you to feel burdened.”

Ian placed his hands on Queen Adrina’s shoulders and let her know that she did not need to feel burdened. At this sight, Adrina felt happy, but inwardly, she could not help but worry. She was worried that perhaps this incident would cause things to return in a bad direction again.

Meanwhile, seeing Adrina worrying, Ian thought she still had many worries. Then, suddenly, he turned his gaze toward Princess Helena. It was a thought that came to him abruptly, but she too had experienced the same thing as the queen.

That meant she had clearly been bearing it entirely alone. At the fact that he had only just remembered that fact, he could not help but feel self-reproach. She too must have been afraid and frightened because of what happened then, but she had endured it alone.

‘She must have been suffering alone. I wonder if she is all right.’

“Um, what is it? Is there something on my face?”

“No, I simply felt thankful to you.”

“Thankful?”

“You are always together with the queen and give her strength. I am thankful for that.”

“Ah, this is the first time. That you have said thank you to me like this.”

“Was it? If so, I am sorry. It seems I was needlessly ungenerous to you.”

“No. Rather, I am grateful that you are paying attention to me like this.”

At this conversation between the two, the Queen Mother and the queen looked at each other and nodded. It seemed their thoughts had somehow matched. Amid that sight, she, the Queen Mother, spoke to Ian, her son.

“King, no, Ian.”

“Yes?”

Seeing her even call his name with a serious expression, he had the thought that she seemed about to say something she had been holding in. At the moment he felt needlessly nervous, he understood what she was trying to say from the words she spoke.

“In my view, I think it is now time for you to accept a new bond.”

“If you say a new bond, do you mean Princess Helena?”

Perhaps because she knew it was about her, Helena’s body could be seen stiffening greatly. As she did, she looked toward Ian with emotions of anxiety and expectation.

“You do not have no feelings for her either, do you? If you had none, would you not have sent Princess Helena back to the Doicheun Empire long ago?”

“That is because there were circumstances.”

“Your Majesty, I also think a new person should now be with you. I alone cannot manage this large royal castle.”

Before long, even Queen Adrina was stepping forward. It seemed they had prepared firmly. Inwardly, Ian thought, Who in the world would step forward so actively to have the queen take in a consort? As he thought this, he saw Princess Helena looking at him with sparkling eyes and a gaze full of expectation.

It was a situation where three women were looking at him and pressuring him. Seeing them wait for his decision as if telling him to answer quickly, he thought they were showing this appearance because they had waited so long. True, since he had only continued putting it off and had not told them the result, they must have been frustrated too.

‘Taking Princess Helena as a consort, huh.’

This was a matter containing many meanings, so he had been worrying over it a great deal until now. In truth, one could say the answer had always been decided.

“I…”

Before long, Ian’s answer, after making his decision, came out. And the three women widened their eyes after hearing this answer.