Surviving as a Villain at the Academy chapter 92

92 – The Owner of the Candelabrum. (3)

After the grand welcoming ceremony, Adrian and his delegation finally disembarked from the carriage. It was a beautiful day, with warm sunlight shining down.

Adrian, feeling tense, gazed at the Papal Headquarters.

Many things would probably change. She thought so and took a step forward. Her delegation followed behind her.

The doors to the Papal Headquarters opened, and as always, Pope Angelus III greeted them with a gracious smile from his elevated seat.

“Welcome, Your Grace. And the delegation from the Empire. I heard that something big happened on your journey. The Revelation has occurred, is that right?”

“Yes. Thankfully, we were able to conclude it before the reinforcements arrived. It was quite a large-scale event, but thanks to the assistance of the delegation from the Empire, we were able to handle it without any casualties.”

The Pope drew a satisfied expression upon hearing Adrian’s report.

“It seems like Deus was with you. How are the wounded…?”

“Thankfully, they have all been treated.”

“That is also fortunate. Come, you must be tired from the journey. The priests will guide you to your lodgings. Rest for now, and we can discuss the details later. You do not look well at all.”

“Thank you for your consideration, Your Holiness.”

The current Pope, Angelus, disliked formalities.

Just like how the Saint treated the delegation, he did not enjoy receiving excessive respect. Ending their first meeting with a brief greeting, he smiled softly and gestured to the priests to lead the delegation.

The delegation felt a sense of relief for no reason. However, it did not mean that they took the Pope lightly just because of that. Even though he was smiling like a neighborhood grandpa, it was because of the unique atmosphere they could feel from him.

Solemn and calm… A distinctive atmosphere that overwhelmed everyone just by sitting quietly and smiling.

A gentle sense of intimidation. That would be the best way to describe it. He was not the leader of the continent’s largest religion, who commanded tens of millions of followers, for no reason.

As the delegation was guided away by the priests, the Saint remained standing in front of the elevated seat.

“Your Grace, is there something you wish to discuss?”

“Yes. I feel that I need to give a detailed report regarding the recent incident.”

“It might be better for you to rest and think about it first…”

“It is an urgent matter.”

“I see.”

The Pope stroked his chin and looked around before biting his lip.

“Okay. There are no ears listening now. What is it, Saint?”

Adrian quietly explained in detail what had happened to him, and took out a small piece of bone in front of him.

“That… I see. So, is that really the remains of Lady Estelle?”

“Yes.”

The Pope swallowed his saliva. It was a shocking event for him as well. The sudden increase in haunted lands in the Holy Empire recently, could it be because of the grudge between the former Saint and the Saintess?

Furthermore, Adrian’s story did not end there. Reports of someone engaging in illicit activities within the Holy Empire. The weight of the words coming from the Saintess made it all the more significant.

Originally, the Pope also felt that something was amiss. The haunted lands did not just appear for no reason. There must be those who bear grudges and act to prevent the spirits from advancing to the heavens.

One must not simply understand the spirits as evil concepts. They are pitiful beings. Beings that must be saved.

Thinking like this, the Pope cautiously asked the Saintess.

“Are there others besides the envoys and those who accompanied us on this journey who know about this?”

“No. I ordered them to keep it strictly confidential.”

“You did well. Hmm… since there is someone engaging in illicit actions, I think an investigation is necessary.”

“Do you plan to conduct a large-scale investigation?”

“hahahaha. I don’t think so. It should be done discreetly. If we do it on a large scale, it will be difficult to catch even a clue. We will probably need a lot of help from the Saintess as well.”

“Yes. If you call for me, I will gladly assist.”

Even as Adrian said that, he did not completely dispel his suspicions. Everyone could be acting together. Honestly, Adrian could not help but suspect the Pope while feeling guilty about it.

The Pope she had known since she was born until now was not the type of person to do such things. However, she had doubted several ‘people’ she had encountered so far.

Anyone can become good or evil. That’s how humans are. She couldn’t know everything the Pope did in places she didn’t know.

So she left a trace of doubt. Her heart was heavy, but she also believed it was necessary.

As she left the central hall of the Pontifical Palace, she looked up at the sky and silently prayed.

From Noble mtl dot com

Please, let the Pope not be the perpetrator of evil.

—

After Adrian left the central hall, the Pope supported his chin with his hand.

“Adrian is suspicious of me.”

The Pope had been watching Adrian since her birth. Naturally, she could sense that something had changed, whether she realized it or not. He had seen even her smallest habits for a long time, so he knew that she was currently quite agitated.

“The haunted lands…”

He pondered on how to eradicate those lands. How could he resolve their grudges? As Angelus III, he couldn’t think of a way to resolve their grudges. It was understandable…

“They hate us and wish for everyone to die. How can it be?”

The Pope understood. Why the haunted lands had appeared, and why they were growing gradually. And yet, he had left those lands alone.

Negation and corruption. Words that should not come out of an empire. But they have already come out, and the saint has realized it. The story of the pitiful Esthe.

At that moment, there was a voice ringing in the Pope’s ear. Chloride. A method of inserting my will into someone else’s mind to converse.

“…Your words are justified.”

The Pope descended from his high seat in a humble posture.

At that moment, everything stopped as if time itself had frozen.

Thud!

Immediately after, with a loud noise, all the doors leading to the central hall of the papal office closed and locked. However, despite the noise, no one jumped over to that side.

It was something “unknown.” No, it was something that was not perceived. Truly, because time had stopped.

At that moment, the light descended. To the Pope’s high seat.

Radiant golden hair. Eyes that held the proud and arrogant sun. And four enormous wings spread out magnificently.

The mere Pope had to align his lips to his feet.

For humans to call him.

Archangel Michael.

“Why have you graced us with your presence, Lord Michael?”

“I have something to say. Among the envoys that have come this time, there is someone I miss.”

“Envoys… do you mean?”

“Yes. Frach Rancel. Be careful of him and the girl by his side.”

“The Marquis Rancel and the girl beside him… do you mean?”

“More precisely, it would be better to pay more attention to the girl by his side than to Frach Rancel himself. If you do not want the empire to be destroyed, that is.”

A look of confusion appeared on the Pope’s face at the sudden words.

“The empire’s destruction…? Just what kind of existence is that girl?”

“She is someone with a painfully long fate with me. Archdemon Ishtar. No… maybe I should call her High-ranking Demon Ishtar now. She used to be celestial like me, but she fell into the underworld like Lucifer… she was once the highest warrior in Heaven.”

“…How.”

“But there is no particular hostility sensed, so just stay still. Do not provoke her recklessly. Although I despise my demons, Ishtar is an existence that cannot be tampered with.”

“…I will keep that in mind.”

Angelo felt cold sweat running down his back. High-ranking Demon Ishtar. Once an archangel, she turned into a demon of Hell like Lucifer… once a supreme celestial warrior.

Why on earth did she come here? No, it seems like I heard an even more shocking story.

The Marquis Rancel… a contractee of a demon?

That, in itself, doesn’t make sense either. How can a demon’s contractee become the owner of a candlestand?

“Lord Michael, I have a question.”

“What is it?”

“If Rancel’s Marquise is a contractee of the devil, as Michael said… then how could he have used Michael’s support?”

“Well…”

Michael just laughed without any clear meaning.

“When I first offered my support, the one who could hold the support had to be a just person. That means that Isshtar’s contractees are also just people.”

“Can devils be just?”

“At first, I thought it was impossible. But… I don’t know myself now. After Isshtar descended, she never caused any harm in the world.”

Michael looked somewhere with a slightly joyful expression.

“Although there are many stories circulating that the high-ranking demon Isshtar slaughtered her contractees…”

“Isshtar’s contractees, to be precise, were mostly humans who were close to being beyond salvation. They were ones who brought harm and spread misery. She simply swept them away in her own way.”

In response to the Pope’s words, Michael unknowingly defended his sister. He didn’t know why he did that. However, when Isshtar mentioned her descent, he felt a lingering regret, whether he realized it or not.

If only he had listened to her words at least once, would she have not descended?

“It’s a pointless thought.”

Michael erased the meaningless assumption.

“Anyway, try to leave Frach Rancel and Isshtar alone as much as possible. No matter what they do, just watch silently.”

“Understood.”

“What is happening in the Land of the Wandering Spirits?”

“It is gradually expanding. What should we do?”

“Leave it be. Father has given me instructions, so if we just leave it be, things will go according to fate. The movement of the Saintess is the course of fate, so let her do as she wants. I didn’t want to see a scene where corruption and vice prevail, but since it is what Father said, we can only follow his will.”

“Understood.”

“That’s the end of the conversation. I still haven’t fully recovered my strength to continue appearing in the human world… I will try again if there is another opportunity. I’ve already mentioned Isshtar, so I believe she will handle things well on her own.”

Angellus nodded without saying a word.