Episode 137

“What reason did you have to lie just to see this old woman?”

The Pope spoke like an elderly lady, but in truth, she appeared to be just barely entering adolescence—no older than thirteen or fourteen.

Seated in a rocking chair, she looked up at the two men standing before her.

“I’m here to ask for help with a second awakening.”

“And for that, you used Emperor Bricesys’s name?”

“If this succeeds, I’ll be willing to do far more than just grovel at your feet.”

Yurian felt confused—by how shamelessly the Marquess spoke and by the Pope’s amused smile as she listened to him.

“Please, Your Holiness.”

“You must be Duke Yurian Leonhardt.”

“I am.”

“Are you serious about undergoing a second awakening?”

“Yes.”

The Pope raised a long sleeve to cover her mouth, rolled her eyes in thought, then looked back at Yurian, seemingly still lost in contemplation.

“If you push through with a second awakening, you could die.”

“I’m aware.”

“Even if it fails, you’ll die.”

“I know that, too.”

“Hm…”

The Marquess knew Yurian might die. He had hoped Yurian’s expression would show even a hint of hesitation when he heard those words—but Yurian’s gaze remained steady and resolute as he faced the Pope.

“Why go so far?”

“Because there’s someone I want to protect, even if it costs me my life.”

“Ah…”

Though she looked like a girl, the Pope was in truth a woman well over eighty years old. She had seen and heard many things in her long life, and Yurian was not the first person to come seeking a second awakening.

But he was the first to do it for someone else.

“A lover?”

“Yes.”

“I see…”

That’s why it intrigued her. Since becoming Pope, all she had seen was human selfishness. People sought a second awakening to gain fame. If not that, then revenge—or money.

Since taking on the papal role, she had become even more distrustful of people than she had during her days as a saint. She had always been told to forgive, to show the divine nature of the Goddess through that forgiveness.

But no one had ever been thankful for it. So she had stopped trusting people. No matter how strong someone’s resolve seemed at first, when the moment of awakening came, their shallow hearts were revealed.

“It could just be a fleeting emotion, Your Grace.”

“It’s far too heavy to be something so trivial.”

People always said such things—yet when the time came, they fled.

“All right, then. Shall we try next month?”

“No. Please—make it sooner.”

“Hmm, next week then?”

“Today.”

“That’s impossible.”

You couldn’t use a gate to travel from the Bricesys Empire to Rokenia Island. They must have come by ship—it would’ve taken at least a week.

And yet, his heart hadn’t wavered once during that entire week?

“Tomorrow, then.”

“Hmm…”

The Pope suddenly felt like testing him.

“If you pass a trial.”

“Let’s do it now.”

Yurian was in a rush. The sooner he awakened, the sooner he could return and confirm Yvonne’s safety.

The Emperor wouldn’t kill her. But if he were too late, Yvonne’s suffering would drag on. He couldn’t stand the thought of her in pain. He wished he could take that suffering on himself instead.

“Right now.”

“Hmm…”

The Pope, perhaps thrown off by the sincerity she saw in his eyes, looked slightly startled.

“All right.”

Having regained her composure, she smiled with a spark of amusement in her expression.

“One of you has to die.”

“…What?”

She rose from her rocking chair and turned toward the terrace.

They were on the first floor, so the ocean was just steps away.

She gazed at the setting sun, then walked over to a nearby table. She flipped an overturned glass upright, poured in a vial of poison, and then filled it with liquor.

“If you drink this, you’ll die in agony. Your lungs will start to harden and you’ll suffocate slowly, in pain, with every breath. Your lung function will collapse, and every breath will become torture.”

“…”

“…”

Yurian stared at her and spoke.

“Why go this far?”

His polite tone shifted. He knew that the Pope’s abilities were unlike those of other priests. He also knew that if he wanted to, he could snap her neck in an instant—she wasn’t physically strong.

“Everyone who’s tried to use me has paid a price.”

“And that price is… death?”

“Yes. I can’t help just anyone.”

The Pope smiled as she looked at the two men. The Marquess was visibly shaken. Yurian simply glared.

“If I drink this and don’t die, heal me.”

“…”

“Then we’ll proceed with the awakening.”

“All right. If you’re still alive after drinking it.”

The Marquess couldn’t bring himself to say he would drink it. A strange fear gripped him in that moment. If he died now, he’d never see Yvonne again. If he were to die, he wanted at least one last moment with her.

“I have no choice. If I don’t do this, people like you will continue to mock the power of the Goddess.”

“I’m not mocking it. I came because I’m that desperate.”

Yurian snatched the glass from her hand. The deep navy liquid shimmered in the crystal goblet, reflecting the light in dazzling ripples.

Without looking away from the Pope, he downed it all in one go.

“Kh…!”

Having emptied the glass, he threw it angrily to the floor. Crash! The crystal shattered and scattered in every direction.

“Don’t play games like this.”

“You figured it out already?”

“Yeah.”

Marquess Rohan was stunned to see Yurian completely fine. Gripping his chest, he looked at Yurian in disbelief. What Yurian had drunk was just colored water mixed with liquor.

“I’ve seen your resolve. You pass.”

“Do you always reject people this way?”

“No, it’s different every time—but similar.”

The Pope laughed, clearly entertained.

“But this is still the Temple of Life. We don’t take lives so easily.”

She met Yurian’s glare with a grin and returned his stare evenly.

“I understand your resolve now. I like it.”

“Ah…”

The Marquess tried to speak, finally recovering his senses—but he couldn’t quite form the words.

“Noon. Tomorrow.”

At the Pope’s words, Yurian nodded.

* * *

“Why do I have to take a mana suppressant?”

“You need to be able to use your powers even after taking one. And since you’re already right at the edge of stage two and still haven’t awakened…”

Yurian glared at the Pope as she handed him the mana suppressant.

“…you’ll need much stronger stimulation.”

Seeing that sly, snake-like smile of hers made him long for Yvonne again.

“Sigh.”

Feeling that ache in his heart, Yurian accepted the long bottle and downed it all in one go.

“Did you know? Before I awakened into my current ability, I was a telepath.”

“What’s your point?”

“Sometimes I can still hear people’s thoughts.”

“…”

“Who’s Yvonne?”

Yurian looked over at the Pope mockingly—only to smirk when he saw that the Marquess seemed even more shaken.

“What was he thinking just now?”

“Complicated things. Guilt? Envy? And a desire to punish himself through sacrifice.”

Yurian regretted asking.

“She’s the woman who’ll be my wife. Just help me awaken already.”

“Sure. Let’s do our best—for Yvonne’s sake.”

“…Sigh.”

Yurian wasn’t used to being teased like this. It left a strange feeling behind.

“Since you’ve taken the mana suppressant… this time, Marquess Rohan, you’ll be assisting. We normally use one of our priests, but I think it’ll be better if you do it.”

“Why?”

“Because in this entire Holy State, there’s no higher-ranked psychic-type ability user than Marquess Rohan.”

It was said that second awakenings were more successful when assisted by someone with an opposing ability type. But more often than not, they failed. Even when successful, it sometimes resulted in a person becoming broken—a husk. Mental collapse wasn’t uncommon.

“You must not hold back to protect Duke Leonhardt. Use your powers as if to kill him. Alter his memories to make him erase everything—including himself.”

“But…”

“I will be using my ability to amplify Yurian Leonhardt’s power. If you hesitate partway through, he will really die.”

The Pope spoke coldly, then extended her hand toward Yurian, who stood on the magic circle.

Her ability was amplification.

Just by being alive, her power amplified the abilities of those within the Holy State. Now she reached her hand out to Yurian, who had taken the mana suppressant, exhaling softly as she did so. Then, like a command, she looked to Marquess Rohan. The Marquess, trembling, stepped closer to Yurian.

He loved Yvonne. He still couldn’t forgive himself for the pain he had caused her. But if Yurian were to die here because of him… that would be an even greater sin against her.

“…Hey.”

“…”

“Marquess Rohan!”

“…Yes.”

Yurian, sensing his hesitation, spoke firmly.

“I won’t die. So hurry up and do it.”

“…Ugh.”

Marquess Rohan struggled to steady his trembling hands and began to activate his ability.