What If the Scoundrel Pope Becomes Competent

◈ 9. The Spirit Takes Hold of the Arrow

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‘I feel dizzy… They must have taken a significant amount.’

Fortunately, the price for summoning the spirit wasn’t one of my kidneys. 

Instead, it felt like a massive amount of divine energy had been drained in one go. 

Thanks to the sheer capacity of Nikellus’ divine power reservoir, I was still standing. 

If I had been an ordinary person, this dizziness would have escalated straight to unconsciousness. 

[The Spirit of Wind has been summoned!]

[With the spirit’s assistance, your accuracy has increased!]

[Current accuracy: 92%]

Out of nowhere, a refreshing breeze swept through the area. 

Along with it, something faint and shimmering began to appear, clinging to the tip of the arrow.

It resembled a tiny child with dragonfly-like wings. This must be the spirit.

“Your Holiness? Where’s this sudden breeze coming from?”

It seemed Argelio couldn’t see the spirit. 

He just looked around, puzzled, trying to figure out where the wind was coming from without ever glancing in the right direction.

‘Is it only visible to me? But this is definitely a spirit, right?’

Overcome with curiosity, I squinted to get a closer look at the spirit. 

As I did, a chorus of small, high-pitched voices began to chatter at once.

“Stop staring and just shoot already! My arms are aching from holding this arrow in place!”

“We’ll make sure it hits! Fire now!”

“Ahhh! My arms hurt! The accuracy’s dropping! Current accuracy: 89%… 88%… 87%…!”

The accuracy was ticking down in real time. 

Panic struck, and I quickly raised my voice.

“Luciana! Step back!”

Luciana, ever quick on the uptake, immediately retreated from the protective barrier.

I aimed carefully at the weakened spot she had been hammering away at earlier and released the bowstring.

Ping!

A radiant white arrow of light shot forth with a crisp sound, streaking through the air.

…And then veered completely off-target.

For a moment, my mind blanked with incredulity. 

‘I used up a ton of divine power, even summoned a spirit to help, and this is the accuracy I get?’

Just as that thought crossed my mind, a system message appeared: 

[The spirits are adjusting the arrow’s trajectory!] 

The little spirits that had clung to the arrow earlier were now flapping their wings frantically, nudging the arrow back on course.

Thanks to their efforts, the wayward arrow corrected its path, flying straight toward the target—

Crash!

The arrow struck dead-on, shattering the protective barrier. 

A dazzling burst of light erupted, scattering fragments of the barrier into the air.

As if on cue, Luciana’s blue petals swirled into action, the gale of flowers growing sharper as they converged.

[Grrrrk…!]

Amid the fierce whirlwind of petals, the statues crumbled without even a final scream.

‘It’s over.’

I shifted my gaze past the gradually fading petals to check on Luciana. 

She seemed unscathed, her stance composed as she sheathed her sword and tucked it into her inventory.

Even that simple motion was polished to perfection, almost mesmerizing enough to keep me staring indefinitely—

If not for the spirits abruptly popping into my field of vision.

“Wow! A human who can summon us still exists in this era? Amazing!”

“I heard humans have degenerated in both mana and divine power since ancient times!”

“Hey, for a human, you’re pretty! Your golden hair is so shiny! Can I take a few strands? I want to offer them to the Spirit King!”

“Can I touch your eyes? Don’t worry, I won’t take them since you’ve only got two!”

“Me too! Just 20 strands from the crown of your head! I want to take them home!”

Their chatter was a chaotic whirlwind of curiosity and enthusiasm, leaving me utterly overwhelmed.

They were fascinating creatures, and under normal circumstances, I might have indulged in observing them a bit longer despite their noisiness. 

However, this wasn’t the time. 

I promptly retrieved my divine power and sent them back, especially since Luciana had approached me in the meantime.

“Your Holiness, thank you for your assistance.”

“Are you alright? You’re not hurt, are you?”

“Yes, I’m unharmed. But…”

She hesitated for a moment—something she rarely did—before continuing.

“Earlier, when you were holding that bow, did you know you surprised me a little?”

“Hmm? Why?”

“Do you remember back when we were in seminary together? There was that time we volunteered at the Royal Hunting Tournament.”

“…Did we?”

“You said you were bored just watching, so you found a bow from somewhere and decided to try it out. But you missed your shot and ended up lodging an arrow in some noble’s backside.”

It was a story from the past between Nikellus and Luciana, one I had no personal connection to.

And yet, for some inexplicable reason, hearing it filled me with a bittersweet, almost aching sense of nostalgia.

Even amidst my momentary confusion, Luciana’s voice carried on, recounting the memory.

“That’s why I was a bit nervous this time. I worried you might miss again and accidentally shoot me instead. But… It seems I underestimated you. You must have practiced and trained a great deal without me noticing, to hit your target so precisely.”

Her normally icy blue eyes, which often looked at me with nothing but cool detachment, softened momentarily with warmth.

At that moment, a new system message appeared before me: 

[Luciana van Lazar’s favorability toward you has slightly increased.]

I froze, startled. 

I hadn’t expected to see this kind of message even after possessing Nikellus.

In <CRW>, similar messages appeared when you completed minor quests given by certain NPCs, earning their favor.

When an NPC’s favorability reached a certain threshold, they would begin to regard the player as a ‘special friend’, often rewarding them with rare items.

I had never thought of Luciana as a soulless game NPC before, but seeing this message made me feel strangely conflicted.

“Your Holiness! And Dame Lazar! It’s safe to start collecting the dropped items now, right?”

“….”

Argelio’s question snapped me out of my thoughts.

Somehow, he had already wandered over to where the items were scattered, his eyes glinting with greed.

As usual, he had an uncanny knack for breaking the mood.

“No, don’t touch them. Leave everything where it is—don’t even move a pebble.”

Worried that he might pocket something for himself, I hurried over, almost running, to keep him in check.

 

---

 

The lower level yielded no significant rewards aside from the weapons.

Of course, selling just one of those weapons would be more than enough to cover the compensation fees and still leave a hefty profit.

The bow had a spirit-summoning ability, while the shield could generate an incredibly durable protective barrier, one that even an A-rank Holy Knight would struggle to break.

The sword came with a fire damage enhancement, and the spear…

[Nerbloka’s Spear (??)]

Used by the warriors of the ancient god Nerbloka.

Special Notes:

―The spear’s embedded holy power stone is missing.

―Ask the guide about the stone’s whereabouts.

―If the holy power stone is restored, the spear’s true potential may be revealed.

The spear’s description indicated that it was missing a crucial component—a holy power stone.

On closer inspection, there was indeed an empty slot at the base of the spear’s blade, where the stone likely had been originally embedded.

Having scoured the lower level for everything of value, we prepared to move up to the upper level.

“This place is huge. Should we split up and search?”

As soon as I suggested splitting up, Argelio’s face turned pale.

Without hesitation, he stuck close to me again, his expression betraying his unease.

“Split up…? Isn’t that dangerous? We don’t know what might come out….”

“It should be fine. If you’re that worried, use this.”

I pulled Nerbloka’s shield out of my inventory and tossed it to him.

“It can generate a protective barrier. If something jumps out at you, just shield yourself and call us.”

“Your Holiness…”

The overly sentimental look in his eyes made me uneasy. My instincts were spot on—that message appeared. 

[Argelio von Freebern’s favorability toward you has slightly increased.] 

…Of all the system messages I had received, this was by far the least welcome.

It felt like being handed a piece of junk I didn’t want, something that would just sit around taking up space.

“…Let’s hurry and search the upper level.”

Wanting to escape this awkwardness, I quickly urged the group onward and turned away.

Before long, everyone scattered in different directions to explore on their own.

The sound of my footsteps echoed as I ventured further alone.

Tap. Tap.

It was after walking for a while that I felt a different kind of chill—unlike the discomfort of receiving Argelio’s favorability message.

‘Why is it so dark here? Aren’t there lights?’

The lower level had been dimly lit but wasn’t unsettling.

Here, however, the suffocating darkness gave the impression that a ghost could leap out at any moment.

Still, I was the pope. 

Surely, I wouldn’t be possessed by some mere evil spirit… right?

After all, the Holy Inviolability Pact skill was active.

Trying to calm my nerves, I entered the most open and spacious area of the upper level.

And there, I discovered it.

‘Ah, so that must be it—the thing the temple guardian touched in life and ended up cursed.’

In the vast space that seemed to serve as the upper-level chapel, a solitary golden statue stood, glowing with an almost otherworldly luster.

A statue of a god, entirely made of gold, with a brilliant gem embedded in its forehead—no wonder it attracted thieves like moths to a flame. 

My suspicion was right. 

[Nerbloka’s Golden Statue (L)]

A golden statue of Nerbloka.

―The entire structure, except for the gemstone in its forehead, is made of pure gold.

Special Notes

―Imbued with the ancient god’s power and a suspiciously strong magical aura.

―Touching it recklessly will curse you, binding you to the temple as an eternal guardian unable to die. 

In other words, if I dared lay a finger on it, I’d end up like the guardian at the temple entrance, doomed to mutter, ‘Please… kill me…’ for eternity.

As tempting as all that gold was, some risks simply weren’t worth taking.

Deciding to leave it alone, I turned away to search for safer items.

But it seemed the ‘Call of The Ruined Worlds’ system had no intention of letting me off easy.

[You have discovered the ultimate power source, “Nerbloka’s Golden Statue”! Purify the discovered power source to complete the Fifth Main Oracle!]

―Current purified power sources: (0/1)

The moment I saw the system message, I couldn’t help but grit my teeth.

That statue, exuding danger from every inch, turned out to be the ‘ultimate power source’ referenced in the oracle.

Which meant that unless I purified it, I wouldn’t be able to complete the Fifth Main Oracle.

And without completing the fifth, there was no way to access the sixth.

Skipping oracles wasn’t an option. 

Each one had to be completed in order before progressing to the next.

‘…Looks like I don’t have a choice.’

As someone desperately trying to gather enough ‘Karma Points’ to stave off demonic corruption, there was no avoiding it—I had to purify that statue, no matter how dangerous it seemed.

Luckily, the Holy Inviolability Pact skill I activated earlier was still in effect, so I wouldn’t need to waste another use of it. 

Small mercies.

Clinging to that silver lining, I opened my inventory. 

I was ready to pull out the secret item I’d prepared for just this occasion—

“You’d better not touch that.”

The voice came unexpectedly from the chapel entrance.

Standing there, glaring at me, was Rubin.

Gone was the businesslike smile he had worn earlier. 

Now his face was stern as he issued a grave warning.

“This is the Moonlit Chapel on the upper floor. It’s a sacred place where warriors, fresh from battle and stained with blood, came to cleanse their sins. Unlike the lower floor, touching anything here will seriously get you killed.”

“Weren’t you done guiding us?”

“Does it sound like I’m here to give you a friendly tour?”

His voice was sharp, void of any pretense. 

“I came to keep an eye on you—to make sure you don’t run off with that golden statue.”

“Watching me won’t do much good. There’s no one left for you to report to.”

“……”

“Even if you report me, there’s no one to listen. No one will ever come here again. You might as well join us instead.”

Rubin’s round, glass-like eyes sharpened into a cutting glare, though at least this time he didn’t vanish without a word.

“Easier said than done. You have no idea what I’ve endured to protect this place. Whatever. Here, take this and get out already.”

He replied coldly.

Then he tossed something in my direction, and I caught it midair—a small, blue gemstone.

“Oh, is this the missing sacred power stone from the spear? I didn’t think you’d hand it over so easily. Thanks.”

“I’m only giving it to you because I know you won’t leave otherwise. Now go.”

“Hold on. I should at least give you something in return…”

Ignoring his clear dismissal, I began rummaging through my pocket.

‘Ah, it’s a little melted.’

The candy I pulled out had a slightly sticky wrapper. 

If I’d stored it in my inventory, it would’ve been fine, but the inventory only stored ‘items’. 

As a result, the candy had softened a bit from being in my pocket.

I tossed it to Rubin casually.

“Here. My thanks.”

”What’s this?”

“Cloud candy. They say it’s a specialty of the Blonka region. No idea what it’s made of, but it’s crunchy and tastes good.”

It wasn’t something I had back in my world, so I’d found it interesting. 

Rubin, too, seemed unfamiliar with it, fiddling suspiciously with the wrapper.

In the meantime, I returned to my inventory to retrieve the item I’d initially been searching for.

“Hey, do you have another one of these? It’s actually not bad—Wait!! What the hell are you doing!?”

Distracted by the candy, Rubin suddenly shouted in shock.

I couldn’t blame him. 

A priest like me holding something so ominous—it wasn’t holy water or even a divine sword but a weapon that practically radiated malevolence.

But there was no time to explain.

Instead of replying, I gripped the weapon tightly and raised it high above my head.