◈ 3. Why That Place Is Teeming with Monsters
Argelio, surprisingly, had a dazed look on his face, which was quickly replaced by a visible frown.
“The reason monsters swarm in that forest…? There’s no such thing as a specific reason for that. Isn’t it simply because it’s an uninhabited area, and monsters naturally gravitate there?”
“Tsk, you’re never going to make money through investments with such simplistic thinking.”
I clicked my tongue, and his already crumpled expression twisted even more.
Relishing his reaction, I continued explaining.
“I’ve got a hunch about why monsters congregate there. It’s probably because of some treasure buried in that place.”
“Treasure? What on earth are you talking about? This is becoming increasingly absurd.”
“Hard to believe? Fine, then. If it turns out I’m wrong, I’ll take full responsibility.”
“And how exactly do you plan to take responsibility? Even if you wanted to, you have no means of doing so.”
Naturally, a penniless man like me daring to utter the word ‘responsibility’ must have rubbed him the wrong way.
But contrary to his assumptions, I still had one card left to play.
“If no treasure is found there, I’ll personally go to the Imperial Family and Count Filma to apologize, bow my head, and step down from the papacy as a gesture of atonement.”
“Your Holiness!!”
The one who shouted my title wasn’t Argelio this time.
Luciana, who had suddenly raised her voice, strode toward me with hurried steps.
Her voice, now low and simmering with anger, was meant only for me.
“What in the world are you saying? Step down from the papacy?”
“Why not? It’s a convincing plan, isn’t it?”
“…Convincing, you say?”
“Let’s be honest. The Emperor and the Count both despise someone like me, a troublemaker, and would love to see me gone. If I offer to disappear myself, they’ll gladly shoulder the costs for the Blonka Forest hunts. The Count would likely even waive the reparations.”
Growing up dirt poor and then being thrust into society taught me one crucial thing: nothing in this world comes for free.
Even as a disgraceful pope with a reputation in tatters, the rule was the same: no one would let me act freely.
Unless I first earned their trust—even if it meant staking my position as pope—everything I attempted would be blocked.
“I’ll make sure the Church doesn’t suffer for this. I’ll do everything in my power to prevent such a situation.”
I thought I had done a decent job convincing her.
But instead, Luciana clenched her teeth with a sharp grinding sound, her expression growing even darker.
‘…What’s this about? Judging from the relationship between Nikellus and Luciana, she’s probably not concerned about me personally. Did I lack persuasiveness?’
Ever since I ended up in this body, Nikellus’ memories from the past three months had merged with my own.
Those shared memories revealed that Luciana’s attitude toward him during that time had been primarily one of disdain.
Sure, she had helped Nikellus on a few occasions, but only because her duties as the leader of the knight order required her to support the pope.
No doubt her worries now weren’t about Nikellus himself, but rather about the Church and her own position within it.
“Hah. So, you’ll just quietly step down from the papacy when the time comes? I bet you will. And then, as usual, you’ll come running to me for help. How long am I supposed to clean up your messes—”
“Then just ignore me.”
Her expression, tinged with confusion, prompted me to elaborate.
“There won’t be any reason for you to help me. Even if I do come asking for your aid, turn me away. Let Argelio or the other priests use my words today as an excuse to force me off the papacy.”
“…”
“That way, you won’t have to waste your energy cleaning up after me anymore.”
Luciana’s grip on my wrist loosened.
Her hand fell away, almost like a puppet with its strings cut.
I found myself distracted by the sight of her retreating hand, wondering if I should say something more.
Before I could decide, Argelio cut in, his excitement poorly concealed.
“Do you truly mean what you just said? That you would step down?”
“Yeah. Originally, I didn’t plan to go that far. Even if we couldn’t find the treasure, I intended to handle everything within the Church’s means. Of course, anything we discovered in the forest—even down to the last coin—was going to be returned to the Church’s funds.”
I laid out my reasoning step by step, carefully setting the stage.
“But then you brought up the issue of subjugation costs. That’s why I decided to take the risk of staking my position as pope on this.”
“…What exactly do you want me to do?”
He quickly caught on to my intentions and asked.
I had to give him credit for his sharpness.
Without further ado, I got to the point.
“I’m saying you need to shoulder some of the responsibility, too.”
“And by responsibility, you mean…?”
“If we find something in that forest, you’ll cover all the expenses it took to retrieve it. For example, the exploration team’s wages—”
“What?! No, that’s ridiculous!”
This was the same man who had to stifle a grin when I offered to take full responsibility and step down.
Now, he was practically jumping out of his seat at the mere suggestion of sharing the burden.
After a moment, perhaps realizing how undignified he looked, he regained his composure and suppressed his agitation.
“Ahem. Very well… I’ll agree to your terms. I’ll personally cover the wages out of my own pocket. However—”
“I know. I’ll keep every word I’ve said today.”
“…Understood. Scribe, are you recording this conversation accurately?”
“Yes, High Priest. I am documenting everything.”
Argelio, ever meticulous, ensured the scribe was taking note of our exchange, likely to prevent me from backing out later.
He seemed to view this as the perfect opportunity to oust me, banking on the slim odds of finding any treasure in that forsaken forest.
‘Fine, revel in your moment now. When ‘that’ is unearthed, you’ll be biting your tongue over how to scrape together the money.’
Suppressing a smirk, I allowed the corners of my lips to curl upward ever so slightly.
With the situation now settled, the meeting naturally came to an end.
Luciana stormed out without a word, while Argel left with a smug ‘Good luck’ that felt more like a taunt.
After the two exited, the remaining two High Priests, who had been silently observing the proceedings, rose from their seats.
They approached me, seemingly intending to exchange a few parting words.
I glanced at them in turn.
‘Delsi. And Bliss.’
The first to step forward was Delsi.
She was a remarkable individual—despite being of common birth and still a minor, she had risen to the rank of High Priest thanks to some rare and extraordinary ability.
Considering that a High Priest held power second only to the pope within the Church, it was no small feat for someone like Delsi, with no backing or connections, to achieve such a position.
As her silvery hair swayed with each step, Delsi approached and grasped my hand tightly.
Then, she spoke—
[Surely, Your Holiness has a plan, right? I… I believe in you. Quack, quack.]
The words didn’t come from her lips.
Instead, they flowed from the duck plushie perched on her shoulder, complete with the ridiculous ‘quack, quack’ sound effect at the end.
Apparently, the plushie wasn’t just a toy but some kind of special item.
Delsi didn’t speak directly; she used it to convey her words.
When I first encountered her, I’d assumed she was a ventriloquist because her lips didn’t move while the voice came through.
I was taken aback, wondering, ‘Why would she be doing ventriloquism?’ But now, I am used to it.
I’d also learned there was a reason she couldn’t speak to herself.
But right now, it didn’t matter whether she spoke with her own voice or through an odd puppet with quirky sound effects.
What mattered was this:
‘I have at least one ally.’
If I recall correctly, it was Nikellus who had first discovered Delsi, a commoner who had endured a harsh life, and brought her to the Church.
Perhaps because of that, Delsi was friendlier to me than the other High Priests.
Though she didn’t wield much influence or authority, and thus couldn’t offer significant help… What did it matter?
When surrounded by enemies on all sides, even the smallest show of support felt profoundly moving.
“I have a plan. You can trust me. If nothing else, you know I don’t lie.”
At my words, Delsi seemed to hesitate as though she wanted to say something—
“……”
But in the end, she didn’t speak in her real voice.
She simply gave a quiet nod and stepped away.
Now, only one remains.
I quietly repeated the last High Priest’s name in my mind.
‘Bliss…’
Bliss van Friske.
Once a crown prince, he’d relinquished his position to his younger brother, been effectively exiled, and eventually found himself here as a High Priest.
That man, too, eventually approached me.
“I enjoyed the show. If things go awry and you find yourself kicked out of the Church…, why don’t you come to my estate?”
Bliss’s words carried an air of mockery, his lips curling into a smile.
Behind the curtain of his jet-black hair, his golden eyes gleamed with amusement.
“Surely, I can offer His Holiness a job. As it happens, my valet’s position is currently vacant.”
Ah, so he came to pick a fight.
Realizing his intent, I calmly responded.
“I’ll pass. I’ve heard what happens to those under your command.”
This deranged, dethroned prince, rumoured to have lost his mind after being betrayed by his trusted younger brother, was someone to be avoided at all costs.
It was common knowledge that his aides and attendants frequently vanished without a trace.
Despite his blatant wrongdoing, his status as a royal protected him from proper investigation.
In essence, he was nothing more than a rabid dog off its leash.
And when dealing with a rabid dog, you must never show any sign of retreat.
“I’d rather live on the streets than go to you. Not that I’ll be the one ending up on the streets this time, of course.”
“The streets, you say…? How disappointing. I meant well with my offer.”
“Lord Vizellef. Are you bored, sitting idly here in the Church?”
His original surname, Friske, marked him as a member of the royal family. But instead of using that name, I addressed him as Vizellef—the new title he was given after being ousted as crown prince.
Once royalty, he was now stripped of his former name and reduced to the rank of Duke Vizellef.
It was the sharpest jab I could land, reminding him of his fall from grace.
Bliss’s gaze fixed on me, unyielding and eerily calm. I took the opportunity to warn him.
“It’s one thing to amuse yourself by being insolent with me. But stop toying with the lives of your commoner servants.”
“…Oh?”
“If the royal family ever gets tired of cleaning up after your messes and cuts you lose, what will you do then? You should start behaving now, before it’s too late.”
I ended my words by giving his shoulder a deliberate tap, as if taunting him.
It wasn’t impossible that he might lose control and attack me with one of his skills, but I didn’t care.
Even if Nikellus’s character left much to be desired, as the Pope, his awakened rank was S-class.
If Bliss chose to pick a fight, I had enough power to handle him.
Besides, he was the one who started it, provoking me with that nonsense about becoming his valet.
I prepared myself for any sudden move, keeping my senses sharp—
But instead, he… smiled?
Rather than escalating the fight, he seemed entertained.
With a deep grin, he quietly left the room.
“…Creepy bastard.”
At this point, it felt like a talent in its own right.
Pulling off such a gloomy and oppressive vibe with a face that was attractive couldn’t have been easy.
After dealing with all these high priests, each with their overbearing quirks, my head was spinning.
Seeking reprieve, I immediately headed back to my private office.
Nikellus’s personal office occupied the entire second floor of the cathedral’s main building.
The space was vast, towering, and disgustingly extravagant.
I’d heard rumours about the Church’s financial struggles, but it seemed Nikellus couldn’t bring himself to give up his indulgent lifestyle.
I sat at the oppressive desk fashioned from marble and gold and took a deep breath.
Then, to double-check, I summoned the commands in my mind.
“Open Quest Window. Open Inventory Window.”
Two windows, reminiscent of those from <CRW>, appeared before me.
The first was the Quest Window, where I could check the tasks assigned to me.
The second was the Inventory Window.
The Inventory Window displayed a list of items stored in a personal subspace—a special storage that only awakened individuals could use.
Non-awakened individuals lacked access to an inventory, but every awakened being had one. From someone as powerful as Nikellus, the body I currently inhabited, to weaklings like Argelio, everyone had access to this feature.
These semi-transparent blue windows—not blades, not guns—were the most effective tools at my disposal for now.
And in this doomed world, where humanity’s destruction was all but certain, these tools were crucial if I intended to survive as a human and achieve a peaceful life.
With these, I could peek into the stats and abilities of other characters, assess the hidden value of certain items, and even discover concealed treasures.
For example―
“The treasure hidden in Blonka Forest… If I rely on the Quest Window, I can pinpoint its location immediately.”
My gaze shifted to the Quest Window. Slowly, I reread one particular sentence, letting it sink in.
Find and purify the final magical source hidden in the ancient ruins of the 『Temple of the Crimson Full Moon』 by the lakeshore at the centre of Blonka Forest! (0/1)
Were popes always such gamblers..??