Chapter 858 – Holy Usury (3)
***
The day after the announcement of the Senate’s statement.
On the night the emperor’s execution date was set, the seven popes gathered in the suburbs.
‘Oh, Gadling. I’m here Did everyone gather already?〉
An elderly man reflected his face in the ruins of the suburbs. He was a benevolent-looking priest. He was a pope of the Libertas Church, famous for his free doctrine and having many believers such as adventurers.
The boy, who had been sitting in a magically clean place beforehand, waved his hand with a bright face.
〈Is that so? I’m sorry if I kept you waiting.〉
The Pope of Pomona, shaking his hand and smiling, was a young boy for his office.
He looks like a boy in his early to mid-teens. Of course, he was several times older than him in real life, but even at that age he was the youngest pope in this respect.
‘If I list them in order of strength, they’ll probably come first.’
While the loyal paladins who had come as an escort were anxiously retreating, the pope of the Libertas Church burst into laughter. Then he secretly exchanged glances with him.
-You haven’t forgotten what we said the other day, right?
The Holy Magic of the Pope of Fortuna said while connecting his thoughts. The Libertarian pope pretended not to hear anything and answered in a voice in his heart.
-Sounds natural. I also don’t want to hang myself in my later years.
─No problem. With the announcement the other day, our position is guaranteed.
A secret exchange of opinions unheard by the Pope of Pomonaism!
No surprise. It’s already been a few times, it’s my pain.
Vesta, Themis, Libertas, Romulus, Pales, Fortuna.
Church instead of Romania 7. Among them, 6 popes, excluding Pomona, were fully cooperating, giving up even the fight for pride in the worst situation since the founding of the country called ‘silence of God’.
Their top priority is only one!
The Palestinian Pope recited thoughtfully.
—The truth of the artificial god must not be exposed.
Instead of Romania 7, it must continue to be ‘God’.
The six of them were in a cooperative relationship for that purpose only.
—There are some truths in the world that are better off not knowing. It should never be known that the gods are actually nothing but lumps of mana left by the ancients.
-We are all people who have deceived the people even though we know that ‘God’ is fake.
-Are you cheating? Did you know we were The ones who followed God more than anyone were our popes!
At the words of the female pope of Themis Church, the popes showed their anger with calm expressions.
—You who say that, how did you not reveal that the faith of believers is false? Obvious! It’s because you can’t handle the shock of revealing the truth!
-Do the followers and nobles view it that way too? A more reasonable expectation would be that they would consider them deceived because they did not want to lose power.
-Are you saying you’re willing to die? Are you saying that you would even die a martyr while carrying all the cataclysms that the church has delayed and postponed for hundreds of years? Gibberish!
──Let alone martyrdom, you can’t even hold a funeral, and the corpse might be torn to pieces?
─Have fun!! Is it time for us to fight each other!!
The Pope of Fortuna cried out. The Popes frowned at the shock that stung their ears, but he said openly, clicking his tongue.
—You will meet Wolfheddin soon. He can’t knock us out anyway.
‘He’ said, but none of them realized that Count Wolfheddin was one of the real powers in the country.
Who would have imagined!
Those whom Wolfheddin had allied with in this just rebellion were in possession of Romania. Perhaps he did not want to shoulder the responsibility, but he chose the system of a republic, but the inside story was obvious.
——Even for a single breath, I put my heart and soul into seeking his permission. The man who called us is, in fact, the next emperor of Romania.
He is a man who has everything in his hands, including strength, wealth, power, and even the support of the people. The popes would not be surprised at all if he prepared for damage and gathered capital and followers to build a new empire.
Even more, the popes who meet such an absolute have lost their past glory and authority!
Pope Fortuna took a deep breath and clenched his fists.
It was to stop the trembling of his hands.
‘The reason we don’t faint is because we still have one left.’
The day before, Cornelius said in a statement revealing the internal affairs of the imperial family.
—Listen to the people of the country. The gods never left us because we deserved to be punished! The day has come to prove our faith!!
Purple! Isn’t it a nuance that the blessings of the gods will be with you from now on!
It is an encouragement to comfort the people, and at the same time, is it not a concession to the popes?
In any case, that’s what they thought.
—The top of the Senate. That’s what the person in power actually said. I can’t bite you.
What if the Nords try to completely eradicate the cult’s influence?
‘At that time, I just need to reveal the facts.’
The truth that can never be revealed is like a curse, so the moment they find out, they and the popes become accomplices.
—Meet Count Wolfheddin and tell him this.
There’s a high probability that you already know, but so that you can’t escape it later.
—If you try to kick us out, we can’t just die quietly. Even the senate knows that the gods are fake, but it is possible to stab them for scorning all people.
─Heh. You’re blatant in your tone.
-Don’t be sarcastic. So, that friend couldn’t convince you?
The Pope of Libertas, pointing out the Pope of Pomona. Others’ replies were concise.
-I didn’t even try. Are you an idealist?
Religion and faith are, in a sense, the crystallization of unreason.
Then, is the pope at the pinnacle like that? No, absolutely not.
As long as the means of ‘prayer’ returns as a reward of ‘divine power’, faith and faith cannot escape from the simple concept of currency.
A priest in this world is a job that earns the favor of the gods, just as it earns the favor of people.
And the pope saw such a priest! The Simmowon system he had in his heart was no less than a decent nobleman. The most calculating person in the church is seated in the papacy.
Certainly so, but what about the contemporary Pomonaan pope?
‘Will the Count like the gift? The grapes grown by our church are the best in the world!〉
Pomona, god of fertility, is the god of healing and farming.
Agriculture and medicine. He is a position that is not an exaggeration to say that he is the alpha and omega of the country.
So, it is a position that would suit the most cold-blooded opportunist, but the pope himself, who sits at the top of the church, is such a chilele palelele priest.
‘No, so maybe he became the Pope.’
The concept of a pantsuit boss exists among religious people as well. It was when the six Popes turned their eyes with a troubled heart. Suddenly, a human figure appeared in the ruins.
“Hello, His Majesty the Pope.”
A woman who bows her waist as she appears without opening the door from where she came from.
The Palestinian Pope, sweeping her surprised chest and looking at her, frowned at her.
Not aristocrats The clothes are noble, but will they wear clown clothes because they live and die on pride?
‘I heard that one of the count’s favorite concubines was a clown.’
However, the impression is quite different. They have nothing in common except that they are beautiful.
‘It must be a new concubine or servant. Are the rumors that the count is revealing to women?’
Then a woman named Crown glanced at the Palestinian Pope.
It was a timing that seemed to have read his mind, but it certainly wasn’t like that.
Staring at the pope, the Crown took out another artifact from one artifact.
An artifact that creates a door in space. It was an object recovered from the means of escape the emperor had hidden.
However, the Popes could not recognize the identity of the relic at a glance.
Nevertheless, the reason I stepped right into the door was because I couldn’t show an unsightly appearance. The light swallowed the bodies of the determined Popes.
Shoot aaaaa…
After the light subsided, the first thing that caught my eye was the glass window.
One wall of the room is completely made of glass. The window frame was luxurious, and there were even several decorations that looked like dwarves. It is as beautiful as the worship room of the main school of the denomination.
Outside the window, the waves of the sea glistened.
It will change day and night. It was presumed to be quite far from Romania.
‘It’s faint, but the scenery is moving.’
‘Indeed. Is it a ship sailing in the distant sea?’
It was certainly a very suitable place for a tryst.
The Popes who thought so were shocked after a while. It was because there was definitely a sea that caused ripples in the current, and next to it was the inland soil and even the port was visible.
In the harbor, ships were brought in to safely anchor while the island ran, and sailors and horned people roamed the warehouses where supplies were piled up.
On the one hand, this mansion was the residence of the ruler who overlooked all the scenery of the island at a glance.
The popes realized where this place was and were horrified.
‘… Atlantis?!’
The legendary frontline fortress that led to the destruction of the Golden Age. The legend of the minstrels revived.
It was the moving island nation, Atlantis.
‘Are you saying it’s already been completed this far!!’
Its majesty was not ashamed of its legendary reputation even now, when its original role was changed to trade. It would not be enough to call it a small kingdom beyond a principality.
‘Come on. Nice to meet you.〉
And, the revived owner of the ancient kingdom welcomed the popes with open arms.
‘A mediocre upstart count could host such distinguished guests! There is no such thing as a really happy day. Come on, sit comfortably. Have you eaten?〉
A tall man who laughs and smirks like a merchant who has summoned some business partners.
What kind of person would think of him as an overlord who puts two great powers inherited from ancient civilizations in the palm of his hand and rolls them? Even the Pope of Fortuna, who had been so alert, almost relaxed for a moment.
Scratching away his pride, the Popes greeted each other with a squared sign of the cross.
〈Welcome and thank you! Count Wolfheddin!〉
Nord pointed to the table and giggled.
***
Permitted to sit down, they ate a meal full of all sorts of delicacies over an hour or two, and oiled their stomachs and tongues while taking care of themselves for a while.
“Fuck the etiquette,” Said Nord, who was drinking hot chocolate.
‘I don’t know if the food was to your liking. I wanted to show off my wife’s wonderful cooking skills, but I thought it would be uncomfortable if it didn’t suit my mouth.>
Nord, who had been making jokes, gasped inwardly as the Popes’ expressions did not resolve at all.
If you can’t relax even after spending 1-2 hours, it was honestly a waste of time to spend more than this. It was a pretty blasphemous thought, but it was also undeniably true.
The head of a religion deserves respect for that alone, but both of them know very well that their trading partners on both sides are not particularly good and faithful saints.
That’s why the Nords laughed at defining the seven Popes as opponents in a war of words, but not enemies. His laughter hardened the popes.
Nord drank the cocoa after long words, and when he didn’t feel thirsty at all due to the sticky texture, he convinced himself.
‘Fuck, I’ll just get the black tea I’ve been drinking all the time.’
Can’t do anything Isn’t failure the mother of success?
Slightly strict parents, but it must have been necessary discipline.
With an exaggerated gesture, Nord shuddered.
‘… You make obvious excuses while you know everything.’ ‘Is this a pretense of not knowing the truth about the artificial gods until they caught the emperor?’ Like an aristocrat who was born and raised and learned royal studies, it was a skilful evasion. ‘But it’s useless.’ ‘As far as I know, the count and his gang are also accomplices with us.’ It was barely settled, but what is still shaking is the situation in Romania. In order to maintain this framework, the existence of the gods… No, the cooperation of each denomination is indispensable. As long as Nord can’t pull off some outrageous final blow. Even with their hair worn, the popes wore sad faces. Because it’s still just an appetizer. 〈Annit?! Is that really true!!!!〉 〈… Really shamelessly, yes. That’s right.〉 I want to give you just one hit. Perhaps the Popes would have their foreheads lowered by a single blow from the Nords. “Oh my God, this is… !! Hehe, that Nord understands the thoughts of the popes!! How sleepy you must have been, feeling guilty for your followers! <... Khumm.>
〈…Hee hee!!〉
In particular, when the Palestinian pope, who had a lot of flab, cleared his throat, Nord nodded in full sympathy. With tears in his eyes, he said resolutely.
As the popes’ faces twitched, Nord wept as if he was really sad. Is it stolen? New seat? Break a long, long bad habit? What are you talking about? ‘… No way!!’ ‘This Norse von Wolfhedin! He has lived his whole life following only the truth.〉 The moment the Popes, who had not been fully explained about the situation, fell into panic thinking about the answer, Nord performed passionately like a famous actor and recited earnestly. ‘Hey, wait! Please wait a moment—-〉 Nord, of course, did not wait. ─Corruption! Embarrassed, he took the Fortuna pope’s hands and nodded like a priest pardoning a penitent sinner. Nord presented the basic blueprints for the A record containing the design ideology of Even the journal of the first Senator, who left a memoir about Arma Shunas! It was the result of the creation of Romania’s gods from the beginning, and the clear evidence and justification that the Nords knew about it after catching the emperor was in his hands. It was the moment when the trump card prepared by the Popes for mutually assured destruction turned into radioactive waste that strangled them beyond disposal.
