Face-to-Face With The Pope

Bain Kingdom capital, Verona.

The airship landing field located on the outskirts of the capital was still operating. Since this world had not experienced any large-scale disaster, everyone thought that airships were absolutely safe.

There were probably forecasts saying that the operation of such airships would also end within a few years. After the Great War, airplane technology had rapidly advanced, and many opinions said that if much faster airplanes capable of carrying many people appeared, airships would fall out of use.

In any case, there was a person getting off such an airship, and he was a person who appeared to be in his thirties with a genial impression. Dressed in a luxurious suit as though he had quite a bit of money, he immediately moved his steps toward the exit under the guidance of an employee.

‘It certainly is fast if you fly through the sky.’

The identity of the man in his thirties who was moving his steps was Ian. His appearance had currently been changed with the help of a magic tool, and he had also used some disguise techniques. In reality, after telling the queen he would leave, he had spent a total of three days making various preparations before arriving here.

If he had originally come by ship, it would have taken much longer, but with the flying vehicle called an airship, he had been able to arrive here easily. Of course, he distrusted airships, but that was something he could overlook. Even if an explosion occurred, he was confident that he could save not only himself, but the remaining people as well.

‘More importantly, I have come. To this place.’

He had come to the place where Pope Bain, who must have ordered the assassination of none other than his first wife, Queen Adrina, was located. He thought he should see that face. Honestly speaking, he had no intention of dragging out time. He intended to face that bastard directly tonight.

“Would you show me your luggage?”

“Here it is.”

When the inspector checking luggage said that before he knew it, Ian held out his handbag. He knew that such inspections were common because this was a station entering the capital. Even the Polia Kingdom did this at the very least. The problem was that inside the bag were various documents Ian had picked up after stopping by the intelligence department.

‘Getting through is an easy matter.’

“I will leave it to you.”

“Ah, of course.”

The moment their eyes met, he entered Mental Manipulation. Naturally, the person who opened and inspected the bag pretended to rummage through it despite there being documents with sensitive contents clearly inside, then quickly closed the bag and handed it back.

“Thank you for visiting the Bain Kingdom. May the blessing of the god Rat be with you.”

“…Yes, well.”

Apparently, the person conducting the inspection seemed to be a believer of the Rat Religion. Ian, who struggled to endure his expression twisting, immediately passed through the quarantine station and left the station. The moment he left the airship station like that, he could see a suitable number of people present.

Unlike a train station, the ticket price for an airship was extremely expensive, so there were not that many people. After briefly looking at this sight, he immediately hailed a taxi and got in. The place he headed to immediately was near the temple where the pope was currently located.

What was rather amusing was that, amid the continued threat of assassination, the pope had not abandoned the temple where he had been staying. He had no choice. If he fled and hid somewhere else, that would create the public image that he had become afraid, so he had no choice but to stay at the temple.

As an alternative, many forces, including mercenaries, were currently concentrated at the Rat Religion temple.

‘Rather, this makes it easier for me.’

Thinking that it was convenient because he did not need to go searching for the pope bastard in hiding, he arrived at a hotel and took a suitably expensive room. Having been born as a prince and become king, perhaps because he had now become immune to expensive things, most luxury no longer satisfied his eyes.

However, he had to choose a place that was not expensive(?) because attention might gather. After taking a room like that, Ian intended to carry out this matter entirely by himself. If someone else were attached to him, he would instead have to explain each thing one by one, and there would be many inconveniences in moving.

‘Is it because I’ve grown used to being attended to? It feels awkward to stay still alone like this without doing anything.’

Ian quietly waited for evening to arrive, and without any special incident, he was able to greet the evening as the sun set. Since it had to grow deeper into the night, he even finished his meal at the restaurant inside the hotel and waited quietly, and at last, it became midnight.

‘Phew, then shall I go now?’

He opened the window wide. Since this was a thirteen-story hotel, he could see far below. However, with a comfortable expression, Ian immediately stepped out. He came to stand as though there were ground in empty air, and immediately, his body shot upward as though being pushed.

Truly, he had secretly flown up into the night sky like this from time to time. Whenever he did, the stress that had built up while performing his duties as king would be relieved, and because of that, flying in the sky had become something he was quite used to.

‘I would like to fly a little faster, but it’s a shame since it’s right in front of me.’

In less than even a minute of flying, what came into view was a pure-white temple with high spires standing there. Of course, as though showing what had happened in the meantime, it was damaged by explosions in various places and filled with traces of hasty repairs.

At that sight, he immediately approached it closely. In his vision, he saw an open corridor supported by pillars. People presumed to be mercenaries were stationed there. Armed with submachine guns, they were scanning everywhere with their eyes lit.

As Ian examined that sight, he soon felt special agents positioned in three places centered around the temple. Since they were people he had personally performed Mental Manipulation on, he could feel them, and he could also give them separate orders as much as he wanted.

‘Do not shoot until I signal you.’

The moment he gave this order, they lowered the sniper rifles they had been holding before he knew it. Seeing that, Ian could not help inwardly admiring the ability that had expanded.

If the distance at which he could manifest his ability in the past had been one hundred meters, now it has reached several kilometers. In other words, within several kilometers, he could use abilities akin to authority as much as he wanted.

In any case, if chaos broke out, the number of people around the pope would only increase, so after suppressing the chaos, he immediately descended into the corridor. He descended with a tap, but everyone stationed here was only blankly looking outside, as though they had not heard that sound at all.

Ian passed by them like that and moved his steps, soon seeing a closed door.

Click! There was a lock on the door, but it was opening automatically. If he used psychokinesis, even if it had the form of a special key, the invisible, formless force could adjust its shape on its own and open it.

Amid the sight of even the door opening on its own, he was walking down a corridor lit by small orange lights. Finding the pope’s location was quite easy. No matter how much he changed the rooms where he slept every day, in the end, people would gather around the center of it, and those who knew would inevitably be connected.

Only after moving by asking(?) the mercenaries and clergy he encountered did he arrive at the place where the pope was sleeping.

‘Roughly thirty people, huh.’

That was only the number of those waiting in front of the door, and there were quite a few people stationed nearby as well. It was a sight that showed just how afraid the pope was. The moment he moved his steps toward that place, everyone in front of the door began staring blankly into empty air.

‘It’s fortunate there are no surveillance cameras.’

If technology developed, this appearance of his would inevitably be recorded as it was. However, in the current era, it was a place monitored only by human eyes, so he could enter the room where the pope was located far too easily without being discovered.

Step, step. Since the room was quiet, the sound of his footsteps could be heard rather loudly. Amid this, a huge bed whose four sides were covered by fluttering cloth came into view. The moment he tried to approach, knowing that the pope was inside, something approached quickly.

For a moment, he could be seen flinching to a halt. In his vision, a Holy Knight appeared, raising a mace as though about to swing it. At that sight, with a light hand gesture, he made him sink straight down to the floor. Thud, a rather heavy noise rang out, and the Holy Knight was trembling while unable to move an inch.

‘They said finding a compatible person is not easy, so I should make this one mine too.’

The more bastards like this he had, the wider the range of protection for his family’s safety would become. The moment their eyes immediately met, he saw the movements of the bastard, who was trying to resist while trembling, stop. As he watched that sight for a moment, a trembling voice was heard from the bed along with the presence of someone.

“D-did you defeat him?”

Apparently, he had not been asleep. Well, since it was only about 12:30 now, that was reason enough for him to be awake. On top of that, since he did not know when or where a sniper bullet might fly in, there was also a high possibility he had insomnia.

“Pope Bain.”

“Is, is there no one outside?! It’s an assassin! I said an assassin has appeared!”

The pope, who realized from his voice that something had gone wrong, shouted as though for anyone to hear. However, no one responded. From the beginning, this place had no windows for safety, and it was a room blocked off on all sides. Therefore, there was no way the sound would spread far.

“There is no one now who will listen to your words.”

“J-just who are you? Who are you to target me?”

“Are you curious about who I am? Even if you know, nothing will change.”

“Are you planning to kill me?”

“That’s right. I plan to kill you today. Honestly speaking, I had thought of letting you live a little longer, but there are bastards worse than you. I’m thinking of killing you and crushing the others too.”

Pope Bain could not help having questions about the other party’s identity at his words. Just who was he to say that he had thought of letting him live a little longer? The moment he was thinking that, one thread of thought came together. But soon, he could not help wondering if that could really be the case.

He felt doubtful at the fact that someone who should absolutely not be here was here.

“Are you the k-king of Polia?”

“Hooh, you inferred my identity from my words quickly. You are fairly smart. Why did such a smart bastard do that?”

“No, how can you be here?!”

“Is it strange that I am here? More importantly, let us talk face-to-face. Are you going to stay there like that?”

The pope was still on the bed. Since he was covered by fluttering cloth, his face could not even be seen. At those words, the pope hesitated for a moment, then slowly moved, came down from the bed, pulled aside the cloth, and revealed himself. He was an old man wearing pajamas. And he also had an impression filled with greed.

“Only now are we facing each other directly.”

“A-are you truly King Ian?”

“That’s right. I disguised myself a little.”

“Just how can you have come personally?”

“Who knows. Is there any need for me to tell you that directly?”

The pope could not help feeling suspicious at the fact that King Ian had come alone like this and was standing in front of him calmly. He felt as though he had faced some hidden fragment. It was certain that King Ian possessed something he could not know. At the same time, he thought he had to survive even if he had to persuade him.

“This is all a misunderstanding. I never ordered anyone to target the queen of Polia. Everything was something the people below me judged and did on their own. All of them have already been punished!”

“So, you are saying you did nothing wrong?”

“O-of course. I did nothing wrong!”

Seeing the pope shout as though wronged, Ian inwardly thought that might be the case. Time had passed, and investigations had continued, and amid that, he had been able to learn even the deep internal circumstances of the Rat Religion.

Amid that, he had learned that there were high-ranking cardinals who had been punished. In other words, the conclusion could come out that the mastermind behind the queen’s assassination was not the pope. However, that did not mean he had no responsibility.

“Even if you did nothing wrong, as the person responsible, you should have apologized first. Instead, you came out shamelessly without even doing that?”

“I-I will apologize! I will apologize even now, so please spare me!”

“No, it is already too late.”

The pope had to take responsibility. In addition, in other respects as well, he was a person who absolutely could not be spared. In order to create the beings called Holy Knights, he had given orders to kidnap tens of thousands of people, sacrificed them, and used them as test subjects. Ian thought there was absolutely no reason for such an existence to live in this world.

‘Well, I am not exactly a good person either.’

He himself had approved human experimentation, though they were condemned prisoners at present. Of course, he did wonder whether there could be any being who could punish him for that. In any case, the pope would have no life left today. The pope, who noticed this atmosphere, shouted at the Holy Knight standing still as though struggling desperately.

“W-what have you been doing standing still since earlier! Hurry and protect me!”

“…..”

“Why are you standing still without moving? You must listen to me!”

“That dog is no longer yours, Pope. He is mine.”

“What does that mean…?”

“The one I took before, and this one as well, I will receive them well and use them well.”

“I-impossible! How can you seize control rights!”

“I can. You, come here.”

At those words, the Holy Knight came and stood beside Ian as he was. At that sight, the pope had no choice but to wear an expression full of despair. Seeing that, Ian looked at him indifferently as though he had many things to do and said.

“I thought I would have many things to say if we faced each other directly, but there is not much. Let us end this now.”

“W-wait, this is wrong! I did nothing wrong!”

“Think of it as the karma you have built up until now.”

As though his interest had faded, Ian turned his gaze toward the Holy Knight who had come beside him and said.

“Kill him.”

He thought that rather than killing him directly, having the being that had protected him kill him would make the other party feel even greater pain. At that, the Holy Knight holding the mace strode toward the pope and raised his arm as he was.

“Wait! Stop! Do not do this! You are the being who must protect me!”

Whoong—! Crack!

The pope collapsed as his head burst apart. Seeing that, Ian thought that perhaps this might have been the right thing to do. Since traces that the Holy Knight had killed him remained, perhaps the Rat Religion would think that the Holy Knight had malfunctioned and killed the pope.

“Let’s go.”

Before he knew it, Ian turned his body and moved, and the Holy Knight followed beside him. Naturally, he was able to leave the temple without any incident. With this, the matter in the Rat Religion had ended.