The moment when the face of the sculptor, currently the center of attention among people, is revealed. Attention from all directions was focused on one place.
The fox mask went down, revealing his pure white skin. Red lips, black eyes, and black hair.
Soft sighs came from all over Paul’s face, which was a little different from what people expected.
“What did you put on your face like that?”
Osilia said, unable to hide her irritation.
“I got a scar on my cheek when I was young, so I always walk around like this. If I don’t do this, I get nervous and things don’t go well… … .”
Osilia, who was about to tell him to erase what she had spread on her face, closed her mouth.
This was because things would get more complicated if we went any further.
If you remove your makeup, you have to apply it again to be able to work. Doing so while the Pope is waiting is an act of ignoring the Pope’s time.
The situation was too ambiguous to force him to remove his makeup.
“Did you make him take off his mask for no reason because of me? “I’m sorry.”
“no. it’s okay.”
Osilia’s expression only hardened at the Pope’s apology.
“It’s my fault. Please forgive me.”
“Osilia. How can I not know what you think? “It’s okay.”
A faint respect blooms among the priests for his benevolent and gentle manner of speaking.
“You can use it again.”
“thank you.”
Paul put his mask back on.
“Where should I be?”
“You can sit here for a moment.”
“Sure.”
The Pope sits diagonally behind the statue. Paul checked on him and climbed onto the statue.
* * *
‘I almost got in big trouble.’
If I hadn’t been cremated in advance to prepare for this kind of situation, my identity would have been discovered for nothing.
In addition to musical instruments, cosmetic products used by noble women were airlifted in advance, and she put on her makeup every day before putting on her mask.
The hair had been discolored from brilliant using a dye that could make it a little darker. Gray hair wasn’t a very common hair color.
Archbishop Harman reassured Acro and me several times, saying that he would never take off his mask, but it was better to trust Flake than to trust Harman.
‘If I had been caught here, things would have been twice as difficult.’
From Noble mtl dot com
Although they cannot detain or punish me at will as I am at the peak of their fame, they can kick me out of the castle.
Just because a master-level prosecutor went near the Pope while hiding his identity would be enough to scare many people.
‘It’s right in front of you.’
It can be reached in just a few steps. It was a shame that I didn’t have both my first marriage and my blood test in my arms right now.
If it were anyone else, they would have picked up any weapon and fought without a sword, but the opponent was Procopius Doukas. A person who you wonder whether or not you can kill even if you give your all.
I checked his abilities.
[Procopius Doukas]
Characteristics: Stigmata Five Lines, Divine Wisdom
Skill: Holy Magic 6 stars
Strength: 9.4
Agility: 10.1
Health: 10.4
Senses: 8
Holy Power: 40.2
I almost let out an expression of astonishment without realizing it. Holy power exceeds 40. Moreover, compared to other priests, his basic physical abilities are not bad.
But more than anything, what made me the most despairing was the characteristic of Doukas’ ‘magnificence’.
[deity]
This is an ability that only humans who are closest to God can have.
# You will not die as long as your divine power remains.
‘I’m going crazy.’
In the end, this means that the Pope cannot be killed unless all of that monstrous divine power is destroyed. Is it possible to kill the Pope?
As I was looking at Doukas’ status window, I felt like I was losing my will to kill him.
“What are you doing?”
He looks at me with a puzzled expression.
“no. let’s begin.”
First, I erased all distracting thoughts and focused on my sculpture.
Pieces fall with a crunching sound and powder scatters. As the face is the most important element in creating the overall atmosphere of the sculpture, more effort was put into it.
As I was moving the carving knife, my previous worries naturally disappeared and I was filled with thoughts of completing the work in front of me.
“You’re crazy.”
“no… … , It seems like your skills have improved more than before? “Is it an illusion?”
“No, it’s not an illusion… . “That’s how I feel.”
Exclamations of exclamation continued to be heard from those around me. Those noises gradually became a small background, and only the plosive and friction sounds of the marble became clear to my ears.
“Whoa… … .”
How much time has passed?
I was so focused on my work that I didn’t even realize that the Pope was in front of me. After coming here, I was more immersed in the work than ever before.
Contrary to the time I thought it would take to sculpt the face, I was able to finish the detailed look and main points of the face in an instant.
‘Has my skill improved this much?’
It wasn’t even Gemma’s command, but for a moment, my body reacted as if she had entered my body.
It was when I was blankly looking at the work I had made.
match.
I heard someone applauding.
match. match. match. match… … .
One by one, the clapping began to increase, and everyone present was applauding me.
Even the Pope, who was sitting, stood up and clapped.
“That’s amazing.”
Although I haven’t even completed the work yet, many people’s expectations have already been poured towards me.
It seemed like the work would be completed faster than planned. The festival schedule will be delayed accordingly.
The priests who were admiring my skills and applauding me out of respect were soon folding their hands and closing their eyes.
“Oh God… … .”
The Pope is also praying for God.
Divine power began to flow from their bodies.
‘Huh… … .’
Only high-ranking priests, from Bishop Bastian to the Pope, were gathered.
The sacred power flowing in all directions covered the space and flooded my space. If I wanted to, I could push away these divine powers, but I accepted them completely.
‘This… … , I feel like my body’s fatigue is recovering.’
Reverence and respect for the sculptor who created outstanding statues. Their feelings of wanting compensation for those who had suffered turned into divine power and seeped into me.
‘Did I look at it too narrowly?’
To be honest, ever since I found out about the true nature of the high-ranking priests of the Holy Kingdom, I have even doubted their religious faith.
However, what I felt now was a divine power that could never be shown by those with false faith.
Respect for the highest priest of the Holy Land, the Pope. And thanks to the sculptor who created the best statue of him.
They came together to create this miracle. This clearly resembled the priests I had known all along.
‘Dukas’ divine power is the purest and most outstanding.’
Wasn’t his divine power over 40 for no reason? Regardless of his greed and corruption, his faith in God was sincere, so I thought he might be in the position of Pope.
‘That’s not a reason to forgive him, though.’
* * *
Night has come. As his liking for me increased, I asked to see the inside of the palace, and the Pope readily accepted.
“Here it is.”
“thank you.”
The priest who was guiding me through the interior of the palace handed me a map of the interior and a piece of paper with detailed information on it.
What is unusual is that there are several places that are separately marked.
‘The Pope’s bedroom, study, prayer room, secret space… … .’
There were all kinds of rooms.
In particular, this place, which is called a secret space, is said to be the place where he invites female church members from inside the palace.
‘It’s more complicated inside than I thought. There are many places I can’t go.’
The person who gave me this map was Aston’s confidant. We received materials from him in advance to familiarize ourselves with the Pope’s movements and the interior geography of the palace.
In order to appear natural, I slowly looked around to unrelated places and then came out of the palace.
The expected completion date for the statue is two days later. This too was intentionally extended by one day for perfect preparation.
Now that it is very late, there are no people on the streets of the city. As I entered the alley, someone was waiting for me.
“You’re here. “There was no tracking?”
“There was. “I was outdone in the beginning.”
The person who emerged from the narrow gap between the two buildings, hidden in the dark, was Aston Cash.
“Fortunately, the. As word spreads that Ren’s sculpting skills are excellent, more and more people will be splicing people.”
“I will do my best to avoid it.”
Since the last time I was chased by Flake, the number of eyes on me has increased. Although I had no choice but to ignore him today, I also had to refrain from contacting others from now on.
“here.”
He hands me a stack of papers with a serious look on his face.
“These are the cardinals’ movements and schedules. We also have a schedule of festivals.”
“thank you.”
I immediately checked the materials he gave me. The necessary information was written in detail.
“If I stay out of sight for too long, I’ll arouse suspicion, so I’ll just leave.”
“yes. “The next time I see you, it will be after the Pope dies.”
I nodded. This operation was too risky. The same goes for the Pope’s abilities, as does Aston, who will attract the attention of other cardinals and paladins.
If you don’t kill the Pope, Aston will definitely die. I had to somehow succeed in doing it all at once.
“Oh, and Flake came back alive.”
“You must be an extraordinary wizard to survive that explosion.”
“He will break into the palace to steal the holy relics. Send a cardinal there. “The burden will be reduced.”
He looks surprised at my words, nods, and disappears into the darkness.
‘I have to finish it all today.’
Any further abnormal behavior is likely to raise suspicion.
I immediately moved to the next location. The rooftop of a building not too far from here.
When you climb up the wall between the narrow gaps in the building, a flake is waiting there.
“Are you here?”
“I’m only going to say this once, so open your ears and listen carefully.”
“don’t worry.”
After informing Flake of the start date, role, and important points of the operation, he naturally appeared again in the alley.
‘One by one, they come together again.’
The presence of guards began to be felt. They are definitely better trackers than last time, but they are far from being able to monitor me.
Although he disappeared from sight for a moment, the time he was away was not that long.
Since they are immature, such a gap in tracking may be suspicious, but they cannot be certain.
“I exercised by running at night, but I’m tired. “I need to go to sleep quickly.”
I went into my dorm, taking steps to warm up a bit.
* * *
Another day passed and the statue was almost completed.
The road leading to the entrance of the palace was opened and a lot of people gathered.
A festival that started grandly with the Holy Knights under control. All of Bastian’s crowd gathered here to create a scene that would be completed with only the last eye engraved.
“That’s incredible. “The response is hot.”
“If you know that, don’t just let the paladins suffer, you should also help the priests, right? “Justin.”
“Rem, isn’t that too far-fetched?”
Justin chuckled and looked at Paul.
Waiting in front of the statue to carve the last one.
“Where did a sculptor like that appear?”
“Why do you want it?”
“It’s me, Tom. But I’m not stupid enough to covet that.”
“Well, not you. “I think the other guys are right, though.”
Rem casts his gaze somewhere. Some priests cannot hide their greed towards Paul.
The reason those above knew about their corruption but turned a blind eye was because it did not offend the Pope.
It was obvious to those who knew the Pope’s other side, as he smiled kindly and kindly at the citizens behind the statue.
The Pope looked at Paul. A misty desire forming in his eyes. The intense greed that stirs within him.
It was only a fleeting glimpse, but it was clearly visible to Justin and Lem.
“Others may not know. “I can’t help but wonder how patient your Holiness is right now.”
Justin laughs slowly. Rem watched the celebration begin in earnest with a stern expression.
“Let’s begin.”
At the Pope’s command, Ren sculpted his eyes very carefully. The perfect atmosphere was created with the completion of just one eye of the sculpture, which seemed a bit lacking until now.
Ooooooooooooo…
People’s exclamations pour in. The Pope, who was looking directly at his face, also looked at the statue blankly, as if he was momentarily entranced.
“Huh, that’s really crazy.”
Rem let out an exclamation without realizing it. Until a little while ago, I just thought that the sculpting skills were excellent, but after the statue was completed, my evaluation of it completely changed.
“Rem, who doesn’t even know the ‘yes’ of art, if you’re going to say that, I’ve said it all. “Kkkkkk.”
Justin says with a hearty laugh. Rem, who normally would have responded bluntly, stopped talking at this moment and concentrated on admiring the statue.
And Ren didn’t have time to check their reactions as he was busy checking the system messages that came to him.