Sheep (1)
New Year’s Eve.
It is a festival held throughout the empire at the beginning of the new year.
Along with the founding festival, the New Year’s celebration, which is considered one of the largest festivals, was even hotter in the holy city of Hisera than in the imperial capital, Lorgarden.
As the New Year’s Day is a festival to welcome the new year, bless the future, and pray for good health, it was inevitable that people would flock to Hisera, the home of the Lu Nera religion, the state religion.
Therefore, it could be said that the priests of the Runera Sacred Church, who supervised the festival in Hisera, were overflowing with pride and a sense of duty.
Among them, what about the high priests who are among the best in the church?
Beretinio, one of the high priests who is respected by priests and followers, had a satisfied expression in the carriage.
Although it was still before the eve ceremony started, the inside of Hisera was already crowded with many people.
Almost all of them were followers of the Church of Lu Nera, so each one of them bowed their head and made the sign of the cross while looking at the carriage with the church’s pattern on it.
Even though he didn’t show his face or let his voice be heard, the sense of superiority was indescribable when he voluntarily bowed his head like that.
Of course, as long as he was wearing the mask of a high priest, he couldn’t carelessly look like that.
Still, wouldn’t it be okay if it was inside the carriage without any watchful eyes?
Beretinio, a middle-aged man with gray hair, slightly raised the corner of his wrinkled mouth.
“Brother Berettinio.”
At that moment, a small window connected to the coachman’s seat opened, and the priest who claimed to be the coachman spoke.
Although he could be called Berrettinio’s true brother, he still managed his expression and said with a friendly smile.
“Why is that, brother?”
“Soon we will arrive at the Great Church. Can we go as is?”
“Yes, do it.”
When the small window closed again, Beretinio licked his lips with his tongue.
I smiled naturally as I was gradually getting closer to my goal.
It’s still not perfect, and it will take a little more time.
Still came this far
That day, too, will be not too far away.
Beretinio looked with satisfaction at the foolish people who were praying to him, thinking of the dark future that lay ahead.
Soon after, the carriage came to a slow stop, and Beretinio got out of the carriage and gazed at the largest building in Hisera.
“Oh oh… … !”
If others saw it, they might think that they were just admiring the majesty of the Great Church, but Berrettinio had a completely different mind.
He had visited once when he was appointed as the high priest, but this time he had been entrusted with an important mission within the Holy Church.
It felt like I was gradually building up my position within the church.
If this continues, the day when you really achieve your goal may come soon. At the thought of taking the target with his own hands, Berretnio smiled with satisfaction.
However, if he made a mistake in this place, the center of the Holy Church, he could ruin everything, so he quickly erased his smile.
He climbed the stairs with a slightly nervous expression on his face because he had to be faithful to his role as a high priest.
“Welcome, High Priest Berrettinio.”
The paladins guarding the main gate greeted each other with a light nod, and Berrettinio answered with a cross sign.
“You are suffering a lot. May the path ahead be full of light.”
Feeling a slight sense of superiority, Berettinio greeted them and led several priests who followed him into the Great Church.
Along with a solemn atmosphere, the aura of divine power that filled all directions knocked on the lungs.
In its original state, it would have been quite painful because of the divine power, but now that the special procedure was completed early, it felt like normal air.
As soon as I went inside, a familiar face approached and greeted me.
“You have worked hard to come this far, Brother Beretinio.”
“Hey, long time no see. Sister Miriam.”
When a middle-aged woman with a difficult look greeted him, Berrettinio replied with a soft smile.
Miriam was one of the High Priests and one of her main targets, so it was inevitable that she would be a little nervous. Beretinio spoke in a friendly tone, hiding his feelings.
“I didn’t know you would come to pick me up. How have you been?”
“Yes, thanks to the grace of light. I did not know that you would come earlier than expected.”
“hahahaha, I couldn’t sit still because I was in charge of an important role. I was worried that the brothers I sent earlier might be doing well.”
“They are working more passionately than anyone else. I will guide you myself.”
The preparation process for the blessing of purification entrusted by Beretinio takes a long time.
However, the position of the high priest was not too light for him to come, so the procedure was to send a replacement in advance.
Although it was strange that those who were selected by the Holy Church for him and the entourage who now follow him are also comrades who pursue the same purpose.
But Berretnio had no doubts about it.
It was only a matter of probability because there were so many comrades, and there were a lot of people who stayed in Lista.
Rather, I thought it was a good thing to be with my comrades here, where I had to keep my tension, because it would give me time to catch my breath.
Beretinio opened his mouth again, following Miriam, who had volunteered to be the guide.
“Thank you on purpose. By the way, has the believer who will receive the blessing of purification come?”
“No, I heard that they will arrive in Hisera tomorrow. Do you have something to say?”
“I just want to express my gratitude to the one I call the benefactor of the Order.”
“Then, I will put the news as soon as it arrives.”
At Miriam’s words, Beretinio nodded with a smile.
The believer heard the story of Aira, who restored the holy relic to the Holy Church.
I had a glimpse of the idea that if there was an opportunity, I might be able to pull it this way.
If it’s hopeless and it’s judged to be a problem later, we’ll discuss disposing of it.
Beretinio asked another question while hiding his intentions.
“Oh, have you seen the holy relic that the believer found at that time?”
“Me too. They said it would be revealed at the New Year’s celebration, so we can see it together then.”
“Oh, that is very fortunate. I really wanted to see with my own eyes the holy relics returned to the bosom of the church.”
“The Pope has asked us to talk about it.”
Beretinio looked at Miriam with startled eyes at the unexpected words.
It was because I felt uneasy because I had never had a solo meeting with the pope before.
Miriam looked at him and smiled softly.
“He said let’s gather all the high priests attending the New Year’s celebration and have a meal together. We also talk about the holy relics.”
“Ah, is that so? I wondered if I was getting special treatment, hahahaha.”
She laughed awkwardly and said it around her, but fortunately, after confirming that Miriam had no doubts about her, Beretinio reminded herself that she was in the middle of enemy lines.
I arrived at my destination just in time at the moment when I wondered if I would make another mistake if I talked a little more.
“The blessing of purification that you were in charge of will proceed here. And a meal with the Holy Father is scheduled for this evening. The dinner will also be provided to other brothers and sisters, so please share the grace of light with them.”
“I just want to thank you for your endless grace, hahahaha.”
Beretinio suppressed the nausea rising inside him and thanked him with a smile.
It is not yet time.
With that thought alone, this New Year’s celebration was more faithful than anyone else’s, and I vowed to fulfill my role as a high priest.
* * *
The Blessing of Purification takes a long time to prepare.
In a nutshell, thorough preparation and following the prescribed procedure were all that was needed.
In other words, the ability of the one who administers the blessing is not very important, but it could be said.
That was the reason that even though he was a high priest, Berrettinio, who lacked divine power compared to the others, could take on the leading role.
Although he lacks divine power, some of them called him the High Priest in command after seeing him rally the priests and followers to face disasters.
Although it is a part of the area, it is giving hope to the almost abandoned Lista area, so it could be said that it became a high priest thanks to its achievements and popularity.
The person himself said it was an embarrassing title, but… … The original mind had no idea about him.
“Hmm, this should have solidified your status to some extent… … .”
It was a position he created with cooperation and support from the Dark Truth Church, not with his own strength anyway.
In addition, since it was only a cornerstone for the achievement of the original mission to come later, there was no way that there would be any special feelings.
Taking charge of the purification blessing this time was just thinking of it as an opportunity to solidify the cornerstone.
After finishing his brief thoughts while adjusting his clothes, Berrettinio left the room, and the priests who were waiting greeted him.
All of them were brothers who shared their will.
Beretinio, who entered the chapel where the blessing of purification was performed with them, was surprised by the unexpected guest.
“hehehe, did you sleep well? Did you eat breakfast?”
An old man with a languid expression on his old face with the age intact greeted him while holding a cane.
The man wearing the white Camauro was the current Pope, Uradio III.
Beretinio belatedly bowed his head toward him.
“School, His Holiness the Pope! Without a message, how… … !”
“After I got old, I woke up early, so I came here once. Still, it is a blessing for the benefactor of the church, but shouldn’t the face be reflected?”
The pope was talking as if nothing was wrong, but Berettinio felt like he was about to break out in a cold sweat.
Even when we had a meal together, I was so nervous that I didn’t know if the rice would go through my nose or my mouth, but there was no way I was happy with this surprise situation.
“Well, because I have something to check.”
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Saying that, the moment Uradio lightly struck the floor with his cane, Berrettinio felt the air around him change.
Somehow, he frowned slightly at the feeling of the air being squeezed to the point where it was difficult to breathe, but other than himself and some others, they seemed to be fine.
No, with all of his brothers included in it, Berrettinio sensed that things were going wrong.
“Now what… … .”
“Sir Irvin.”
Ignoring Beretinio, who didn’t know what was going on, Uradio called the person next to him.
A black-haired man with a strong presence that made me wonder why he hadn’t seen it before, handed over a bundle of papers he was holding to the pope’s call.
“Hmm, apparently only those listed here responded. So now can you show me the conclusive evidence you promised?”
“Can I understand that you gave permission to use the sword?”
“Of course. Let’s try it.”
The moment when Berrettinio, who had not yet grasped the situation, blinked once.
“… … !”
A man called Irvin was approaching me.
Then, without hesitation, he swung his sword and, starting from the left shoulder of Beretinio, cut off only the sleeve of his clothes.
His arm was exposed in an instant, and he panicked and tried to step back, but Irvine’s outstretched hand immediately grabbed Berrettinio’s left arm.
That hand lifted Beretinio’s left arm, and in an instant he was left with his armpit exposed.
However, Irvin frowned when he saw the lush hair sitting there.
“Ah, dirty.”
“What is this?!”
Beretinio, who had come to his senses in that gap, raised his voice and tried to protest violently, but Irvin’s sword, which had shortened in an instant, moved faster.
Along with the feeling of cooling under his armpits, Berrettinio’s face immediately turned to contemplation.
A pattern was drawn on the armpit, a secret part that no one carelessly sees.
A strange pattern with a large eye embedded in an inverted triangle.
It was the pattern of the Dark Truth Church.
fast!
As soon as I confirmed it, a threatening sound came from the staff that Pope Uradio was holding.
However, Uradio, whose face was so terribly crumpled that it couldn’t be compared to that, let out a boiling cry from within.
“N-no-oh-oh-oh-oh!”
Along with him, the paladins who were standing behind drew their swords and stepped forward, and Beretinio shook off Irvin’s hand and took a few steps back.
Right after that, I realized belatedly that now is not the time to cover the means.
“everyone! Liberate!”
Berettinio shouted and placed his hand on the pattern of the Church of the Dark Truth, and all the spies here took the same action.
Along with him, black energy of darkness rose from his body, and his body began to mutate.
Risking one or two lives on a mission that has already failed… … No, it was rather an advantage if the Pope’s life could be taken.
Beretinio’s body is getting bigger and bigger, and the power that fills up inside… … .
“Chehehe?!”
Feeling as if something was being stabbed with a knife inside, he vomited blood, and so did his colleagues who mutated together.
Irvin, who was watching the scene, spoke words mixed with a laugh.
“It transforms right in front of your eyes, are you going to leave it alone? Not sick.”