Bastian, the capital of the Holy Kingdom. A large palace at the center and beautiful buildings surrounding it.
The exteriors of the buildings were magnificent and splendid, as if revealing the power of the current Pope.
Buildings and statues symbolizing the power and glory of the kingdom are placed here and there, and churches and monasteries are crowded with people every day.
Korean citizens lined up along the entrance to the monastery. People fill the wide streets to receive free relief food, eat a meal, and offer prayers of thanks to the priests.
If it were me in the past, I might have been moved by Seongguk’s dedication to serving his church members. However, after seeing the Pope’s greed and the corrupt behavior of the high priests, everything seemed undesirable.
“Tsk.”
Before starting work in earnest tomorrow, I walked around Bastian and looked at people’s lives.
People’s faces were brighter than I expected. He looked lively and happy.
For a moment, I thought that the Pope might be a good Pope to the people of the kingdom even if he did some trash behind the scenes, but that thought changed as soon as I went to the outskirts.
“hey.”
A child poking my arm. He is wearing tattered clothes, his entire body is covered in grime, and he is full of a foul odor.
“Do you have anything to eat? “If you give it to me, I will do whatever you ask.”
Although he speaks quite calmly, he is still too young to hide the fear in his voice.
I feel all the eyes around me focusing on me. After letting the child think about his reaction first, if I hand him something, he will eat it one by one.
This is what slums look like in any country, but it is incomprehensible in the case of a country that distributes free food to those who do not have it.
“Where are your parents?”
“… … “Do you have anything to eat?”
Are you saying you will answer only if I give it to you? When I glance down, I see him flinch. The cuts and bruises on my body were hidden by rags and dust, but they were clearly visible to my eyes.
“Eat.”
I put a fist-sized loaf of bread into his mouth and asked him again.
“What about your parents?”
“uh… , Gigi too… , dear.”
I answer eagerly while chewing the bread in my mouth.
“pray? when?”
“mole… Yes. “It’s been so long.”
I looked around. You can see children hiding everywhere and spying on this place.
“You guys come too.”
At my single word, the children gathered together.
“Instead, I’ll only give you people who answer my questions.”
The children nodded their heads at the top of their lungs.
“Where have your parents gone?”
* * *
I left the slums and returned to the palace. The priests at the palace were very kind to me because Harman, who received my sculpture, spoke well of it.
“Please come this way.”
The statue I will build this time will be in front of the palace in the shape of the Pope. A task that is so important and must be done perfectly. The best quality ingredients were laid out in front of me.
“There must be no mistakes.”
“That won’t happen.”
I received a painting depicting the Pope’s full body and several existing sculptures of him.
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It would be nice to start the sculpture in front of the Pope in person, but realistically, this would be difficult, so these were given to him.
Of course, when we started sculpting the face, the Pope himself decided to come out and serve as a model, even if just for a moment.
‘Then, we can check the Pope’s abilities.’
“Is work going well?”
Harman smiles and approaches. After seeing my sculpture, his attitude towards me was very friendly.
‘I don’t think I would do this just because I like the sculpture… … . It must have been estimated after the statue was completed.’
Once this large statue of the Pope is completed, there will be no sculptor who will be more famous than me, at least within the Holy Kingdom. Moreover, if the quality is that high, the Pope may favor me.
“yes.”
“It’s going to be hard to do this big statue alone. “Don’t you need assistance?”
“it’s okay. “If someone else gets involved, the quality of work may decline.”
“That’s great! “This is craftsmanship!”
The trust on his face deepens even further. I don’t know if that trust is towards me or my own judgment.
It is a large stone statue carved from marble, 7m high. It will take at least a week.
‘Flake, where is this guy and what is he doing?’
Given his personality, there’s no way he wouldn’t appear unless he’s really dead. Maybe he’s looking for an opportunity somewhere.
A few stone tombs were made near the statue, as was customary before my sculpture.
It was a tomb prepared for unexpected situations.
“let’s begin.”
When I stand on the marble, I feel nervous for no reason. In any case, the level of completion of this sculpture must be good.
‘You have to create a masterpiece to obtain Gemma’s sculpting skill.’
Regardless of the Pope’s handling, I plan to do my best when it comes to carving.
Creep- Creep- Creep- Creep-
To get the basic frame, I used a carving knife without hesitation. The marble was chipped away, creating a shape in an instant.
“Oh oh… … . “He’s unstoppable.”
“I was anxious when I saw the sculpture that Harman showed me, but seeing him work on it made my anxiety disappear.”
The priests around me who were watching my sculpting continued to let out exclamations of exclamation.
“How about making him a sculptor exclusively for the Holy Kingdom?”
“oh! “Is this a good idea?”
The nonsense sound coming from below made me lose my hand and almost threw the carving knife at their heads.
Since the Pope uses people like objects, doesn’t his subordinates also say such absurd things without any hesitation?
I thought it was okay because he was kind, but I should also remember that priest next to Harman.
* * *
Bastian, the capital of the Holy Kingdom.
Cardinal conference room inside the palace.
A large chandelier hung from the extremely high ceiling and colorful decorations hung on the walls.
Six cardinals are seated around a large circular table.
“The priest who died this time is twenty-three. And there were twelve of Bastian’s paladins.”
The long-haired black cardinal gave the introduction in a low voice.
The man wearing pure white armor with the emblem of the Holy Kingdom engraved on it is Cardinal Rem, leading the Holy Knights.
He was questioning Aston about this incident.
“It is annihilation. “Except for one person.”
thud!
Aston slammed his fist on the table. He was a little more excited than usual and glared at the cardinal who had just spoken.
“This is! “It’s someone’s conspiracy.”
“If it’s a conspiracy, shouldn’t you be dead too, Aston?”
“Have I said everything? Rem?”
Aston’s eyes widen at Rem’s nervous tone.
Justin, who brushed away his blonde bangs as the conference room heated up in an instant, stopped the two people.
“Stop it. “You didn’t come here to fight, right?”
Aston calmed down his excitement at those words and sat down.
“I almost died too. “If someone hadn’t appeared at the right time and attacked the secret branch of the Black Star, I would have died too.”
“Who is that?”
At that time, Osilia, who had not said a word, suddenly asked a question. Aston glances at him and answers.
“I do not know either. “Our priests were wiped out and I was the only one left alive, so I didn’t have time to check.”
“What happened to that secret branch of the Black Star?”
“It all exploded and disappeared without a trace.”
There was a sigh of relief among the cardinals. I was surprised at the boldness of blowing up the entire branch.
“How are you going to take responsibility for this? “You know how difficult it is to raise paladins, right?”
“Sacrifice was inevitable from the beginning.”
bang!
This time, Rem slams the table and jumps up. He said, glaring at Aston with wide eyes.
“Even if it is inevitable, it should not be a meaningless sacrifice… … !”
“Is it meaningless that the Black Star branch flew away?”
“That’s not what we did!”
“Stop, stop.”
This time, Justin stopped the two.
“Anyway, it flew away, right? “If the information Aston said is true, it seems like a branch in Black Star that put a lot of effort into it, but in terms of damage alone, it would be a bigger blow to that branch.”
“That would be if Aston didn’t lie.”
Osilia intervenes.
“Are you saying what I said was a lie?”
“Maybe you don’t know? Aston. Has there been a time or two when you didn’t follow the orders of the church and acted as you pleased? “You have to be able to trust it.”
“I follow only the revelations of the Holy Father and God. “Other than that, my judgment takes precedence.”
“That decision is what led to this situation.”
Osilia spoke in a tone that was half annoyed and half sarcastic.
“Did you say how you were going to take responsibility for me? I will take responsibility. “I will take my clothes off.”
Unconventional words came out of Aston’s mouth. Even the cardinals who were mocking him could not hide their surprised expressions, as if they had not expected him to make such a statement.
“Instead, reveal the source of this information. It was reliable information from the cardinal level. It was strange to find out the clues about the southern branch of the Black Star in the first place. “Someone must have set a trap to kill me.”
Aston spit out his words clearly, without hiding the glistening look in his eyes.
“now… … “Are you doubting us?”
Rem raised her sacred power and raised her hand to her sword as if she could not hold back any longer.
The others also hardened their expressions as if they could not easily ignore this remark.
“There are degrees of recklessness. “Do you know what you just said?”
She narrowed her eyebrows. Justin, who sighed deeply, also kept his mouth shut this time.
“I will reveal the source. “Once I deal with the traitor inside, I will personally give up my position as cardinal and return to being a priest.”
“Aston, I know what you mean, but asking for the source of information is against the rules.”
Justin stopped him.
“It’s okay if we all agree. is not it? “If we do that, the Holy Father might give us permission this time.”
“Do you want to act like a fool at that age? Aston.”
“Then let’s weigh the pros and cons. Rem, tell me first. “If there had been no false information in this incident, the paladins would not have died.”
“… … .”
Rem’s expression hardened and she rubbed her chin as if lost in thought.
“But I am against it. Anyway, this is not it.”
“Hmph, you think I’ll agree to that nonsense?”
“Yes, Aston. “I am also against this issue.”
Rem, Osilia, and Justin all opposed. Of the two cardinals who remained silent, only one agreed.
The result was four dissenting and two agreeing. The agenda could not be passed on to the Pope.
“Then I have my own way. “I have information obtained from the fierce battle with them.”
“what? “What information?”
Ignoring Justin’s question, he stood up.
“I will find out myself! “Don’t worry, I won’t break any rules.”
Aston then went out to the conference room. The expressions of the remaining cardinals become serious.
After the meeting, the cardinals dispersed. One of them moves somewhere in the palace and meets another priest to have a private conversation.
“Watch for Aston Cash.”
“yes.”
The priest leaves and another cardinal appears.
“It might be a trap.”
“Still, it would be a good idea to prepare for just one. Aston was strangely excited today. “It’s like you’re floating.”
“Then shouldn’t we be more careful?”
“If a celebration is held after the statue is completed, the entire kingdom will go crazy. “I will aim for that time.”
“Don’t act recklessly.”
“Do you think you will be safe if my name comes up?”
“If there was evidence, it would have been revealed a long time ago.”
“Even if there is no evidence, if suspicion persists, I will be the only one in danger.”
The cardinal frowned and chewed his lips.
“We’ll deal with the Aston. The cause of death is revenge of the Black Star… . “That should be enough.”
* * *
“Huh… … !”
Basil jumped up, frowned at the stench that filled the room, and lowered his head.
Naked bodies and debris flowing everywhere.
Everything that came in contact with the dirt, including the dirt floor, trees, and grass, was melting.
“body… … .”
A torrent of energy pulsating throughout the body. It is so intense and hot that it feels unfamiliar.
“under… , hahahaha… , Ha ha ha ha ha!!”
I kept laughing without even realizing it. It was true. That you can restore your body. But it wasn’t just that.
“I got stronger. “The wall that was blocked has been opened.”
Even within a master, there is a difference in level. Basil has now broken through the barrier that had been blocked for many years.
bang!
He was in a small hut, but because he couldn’t control his strength, he broke the door and jumped out.
“uh? Basil has finally woken up… … , oh!”
Adeline, who was chopping firewood outside, turned her head in surprise.
“hahahaha!! wren! Where is Ren? No! Should I call you my lord now?”
“Ren has gone to the Holy Kingdom! “Get some clothes on sooner than that!”
“You went to the Holy Kingdom? sh*t! You went far. “I guess we should leave right now.”
Basil roughly put on the clothes Adeline had hung outside, took his greatsword, and ran into the forest.