Civil Servant in a Romance Fantasy - Chapter 903



903 – There is no paradise in the place you run away to – 2

The canonization ceremony was over, but he was unable to return home.

It’s not that the school asked me to stay. It’s just that the atmosphere at the school was so complicated that there was no room to say, “I’m going to have fun.”

I would like to tell Tanian and run away, but Tanian is already out of his mind. In this situation, trying to return home would be an ugly way to run away.

‘But I ran away.’

Actually, it is true that he ran away. But isn’t the retirement of the Pope and the selection of a new Pope the work of priests? Even though I am now Saint Charles, I am an outsider who has never been formally ordained, let alone studied the Bible.

Of course, if you bring up such a statement, you will immediately be met with aggro. Cardinals who are busy gossiping among themselves, or ambitious men who are already aiming for the next papal throne, will recognize the existence of a living saint and rush to him. To add the authority of a saint to their opinions.

– When on earth are you planning to come?

About three days after the canonization ceremony, the emperor contacted me first.

– If you are thinking of seeking asylum in the country, please let me know in advance. I am willing to send the Special Forces Department to actively assist the Count in his return.

He reflexively lowered his head at the emperor’s words, which still contained his father’s anger.

If I return, I will face the Emperor’s wrath, and if I stay, I will face the priests’ contact. It is truly a tearful and sorrowful choice. I tried to avoid the Emperor’s wrath, but I faced a new disaster.

‘Didn’t you say that there is no paradise where you run away to…?’

I don’t know who said it, but that gentleman was probably a victim of all the hardships of life.

I can assure you that a person who has only enjoyed honey would never leave such words.

– No. Now, it would be more correct to call him Saint Karl, not Count.

As he remained silent in confusion, the Emperor quietly blurted out a terrible word.

Not a minister or a count, but Saint Charles. The day will come when that word will legally come out of the Emperor’s mouth.

…

‘wait for a sec.’

But I haven’t told you yet that I’ve been canonized? The Catholic Church has also been shocked by the Pope’s bombshell announcement, so the official announcement has been delayed.

Within the country, it is already the Holy Sword, but outside the country, it is still─

– There are more than a few cardinals who have shared friendship with the empire.

‘ah.’

I was immediately convinced when I saw the emperor calmly open his mouth as if he had noticed my doubts.

Indeed, the friendly relationship between the royal family and the religious order spans hundreds of years, and the empire is also the country that pours the most money into the religious order. It would be even stranger if the empire were to remain in the dark about news within the religious order.

And the Emperor knows about my canonization,

– My close friends must have been out of their minds, because they contacted me only a day after the funeral.

This means that the Pope’s retirement announcement and the opposition of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith have also been heard.

– The Pope has a surprisingly mischievous side. Who would have thought that he would announce his retirement right after the canonization ceremony?

“It was truly astonishing. Even the cardinal in chief, the secretary of the Congregation, was unaware of it until His Holiness’s declaration.”

– Wow, you’ve been keeping your secrets to an excessive degree.

The emperor, who had said so, touched his chin and looked at me with a mysterious look in his eyes.

His eyes seemed to be questioning why he told you about his retirement, which he had kept a secret from even his secretary.

‘Don’t look at me like that.’

It’s an unfair accusation. I still wonder why the Pope mentioned his abdication in front of me while he was still alive. If he had said it to his close associates, Secretary Seong Seong, and the next saint, Tanian, I would have been convinced. Why would he say it to me?

‘But you kept the timing of your retirement announcement a secret.’

Not telling everything, not hiding everything. This is truly a strange virtue of moderation.

I don’t know what the purpose of the moderation is, but it is moderation anyway.

– Count.

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

– Are you not thinking of returning home right now?

At the repeated urging to return home, he just rolled his eyes here and there and then slowly lowered his head.

“I am sorry, but the atmosphere of the country is so chaotic that it is difficult to leave. However, I cannot leave without saying anything as I have been given such a polite and splendid welcome.”

– Then I’ll have to stay in the country for a while. At least for two or three weeks.

“yes?”

It was an unexpected order, so a question naturally arose.

The person who most desires my return is the Emperor. When I received the call of the Church and made an emergency escape, didn’t he show a strong expression of regret?

Of course, no matter how much you hate someone, if they are no longer in front of you, your feelings will cool down. The Emperor’s anger may have subsided a little while I was living in the kingdom.

But it wouldn’t have subsided to the point where he would order her to remain in the kingdom? The anger that was directed at the Crown Princess, of all people, would cool down so quickly? The emperor, who is a great fool for his daughter?

– The entire kingdom is in an uproar, so it’s hard to get information quickly. But isn’t the count, who has now become an adult, in the kingdom at the moment?

Still, I was convinced again by the slightly annoyed tone in the Emperor’s voice.

The Emperor has not yet completely resolved his resentment and anger toward me. However, he is desperately suppressing his father’s feelings because the urgent situation of the Pope’s abdication and the election of the next Pope is imminent.

‘thank god.’

I have never been more fortunate than now that he is the Emperor. If he had not been the Emperor, I would not have felt such a sense of duty as to suppress my father’s feelings─

‘If you’re not the emperor, can you still be defeated?’

Suddenly, a thought occurred to me. If that guy hadn’t been the emperor, I wouldn’t be complaining like this.

– After hearing from Count Jim about the Pope’s decision to abdicate while he was still alive, he began to look for people who could become the next Pope. However, there was still no suitable candidate. It was in this situation that this chaos broke out.

This time, as if he had not read my thoughts, the Emperor continued speaking with a serious expression.

– We must contact the next Pope candidate before other nations. This will further solidify the eternal friendship between the Empire and the Church.

“I will do my best for the friendship between our two countries.”

– Hmm. It feels good when the Count says so. I will believe him.

It was not a very pleasant belief, so I smiled bitterly inside.

As soon as I became a living adult, I became involved in the selection of the next Pope. Wouldn’t this be seen by others as a vanguard for taking control of the empire’s religious order?

I’m starting to get more and more scared of how I’ll be remembered in history. I think it’d be sad to be remembered as a great power broker and a delinquent.

At the emperor’s request, he became a special correspondent who stayed on site and gathered unusual information.

The intelligence or secret service agents would be more skilled than I am at this, but unfortunately, there are no adults among them. In this case, it is more important to have someone who can act openly than someone who is secretive and skilled. What if they put a spy in a sacred place where the Pope could be replaced and then get caught? How awkward would the relationship between the two countries become?

“What should I do now?”

However, as a result of choosing a smooth relationship between the two countries and a firm cause, it is inevitable that there will be difficulties in gathering competent information.

To be honest, aside from Tanian, there’s no one I can call close to within the Holy Church. You need to be somewhat friendly to approach them, gather information, and secretly lobby them.

It’s hopeless. I said I would do my best, but it seems like the case will end with me only doing my best. If I return home without any results, the Emperor will take my soul away from me.

– Squeak…

Titi seemed to sense my confusion and licked my hand while whining.

Thank you, Titi. I feel a little better knowing you’re here with me. If I were alone in the church, my mental state would melt away every day.

‘What should I do?’

Unfortunately, however, Titi’s presence does not help resolve the situation.

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You protected my mentality, but you couldn’t ask me for information. You protected my side, but you couldn’t put your heads together.

‘Tanian is busy too, so it’s embarrassing to keep meeting him.’

As the Pope announced his retirement, the number of priests trying to contact the next saint, Tanian, increased dramatically. At the same time, Tanian’s wife, Cardinal Alexandrina, also did the same.

What option should I take in this situation?

– Smart

‘huh?’

The bitter thoughts were broken by an unexpected knock on the door.

“Who are you?”

“My name is Karel Stendum, Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs. I have come to see you despite my rudeness, as I have something to offer to your holy person.”

‘Holy One.’

It was such a wonderful title that I couldn’t help but flinch and tremble.

As far as I remember, the Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs was a Cardinal, like the Cardinal Willem. But the highest honorific title, “Holy One,” came out of the Cardinal’s mouth, not “Brother.” Is this the power of a living saint?

“Please come in. We are delighted to welcome you, our distinguished guest.”

Of course, I couldn’t just leave the cardinal who came to see me in person because he was embarrassed. I patted Titi’s head, who was still licking my hand, and then slowly got up from my seat.

“Hello, holy man. Karel Stendum, Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs, greeting you again.”

Then Cardinal Karel entered the room and bowed.

“And thank you for allowing me to make this sudden visit. It would have been proper to seek the Holy One’s understanding in advance and make an appointment, but I was in a hurry and was unable to do so.”

“It’s okay. But as you said, brother, this seems like a rather urgent visit. What brings you here?”

“Brother Willem is sorry that he cannot treat the Holy One properly, so he has prepared a small gift for the Holy One.”

“Is it a gift?”

Cardinal Karel nodded to my question and politely handed me a small box.

“These tea leaves are grown in the land where the first Pope was martyred and where the heretic who assassinated the first Pope repented and gave his name to the Lord. The secretariat governors of each church directly manage the tea, and when the cultivation is finished, the Pope gives a blessing.”

‘What.’

It was such an incredible thing, beyond my imagination, that my eyes trembled.

The land where it is grown, the process, and even the results are all splendid. The tea leaves themselves are like sacred relics.

“A new saint has been born, so it is right to commemorate him and dedicate it to him. Brother Willem, with His Holiness’ permission, presents it to the holy one.”

“Oh, I see. That is truly a grateful gift.”

“Never mind. This is something that only a holy person should possess.”

After saying this, Cardinal Karel nodded again and walked backwards out of the room.

“Then I will take my leave now. I apologize for bothering the holy man.”

He literally just gave me a gift and disappeared.

A cardinal and vice minister of foreign affairs. He simply ran an errand and returned.

‘What the heck.’

The atmosphere in the church is a bit, quite chaotic.

When I opened the box that Cardinal Karel had handed me, I saw a small note along with some tea leaves.

[ I will visit you, brother, at night. ]

A short, powerful note with just one sentence written on it.

“Ugh, it’s really hard to do this when you’re old.”

And indeed, as night fell, the ceiling of the room shook and a familiar face crawled out.

‘Growth of the Doctrine of the Faith…’

No, what the actual situation is here.

Why is a grown man crawling on the ceiling?