Only My Magic Levels Up - Chapter 149
Only Noblemtl
Episode 149 The Vatican (3)
The Pope’s name was Julian.
Because he was such a high-ranking person, he was so distant that the common people simply called him “the Pope” or “His Holiness the Pope.” However, for Galen, who was a servant, it was common sense to know the Pope’s name, even if he didn’t know his face.
“Is this the Galen canon?”
The old man, who had been staring at Galen for a few seconds, slowly opened his mouth. Galen gave a slight nod.
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“Have a seat.”
Julian’s eyes moved slightly to the side. It must have been pointing to the reception area decorated on one side. Galen turned in the direction he was walking and headed there.
The armchair, which seemed like it could easily accommodate Galen if he were to gain twice his current weight, gently wrapped around Galen’s body. It was luxurious.
Galen, sitting in a neutral posture that was neither humble nor arrogant, stared at Julian who was slowly walking towards him.
‘You’re young, really.’
It was a rather awkward word to use for an old man, but that was exactly what Galen felt.
This was because he knew that the current pope had not changed for over fifty years.
Julian’s age, although not exactly known, was definitely over a hundred years old. Even on modern Earth with its advanced medical science, it was a longevity that was rare to find.
Yet, he showed no signs of weakness. He didn’t look fit for his age, but rather healthy. If I were to exaggerate a bit, he looked like a young man.
“Young, really.”
Coincidentally, Julian must have felt the same way as Galen.
Of course, there was a difference in meaning between Galen’s intention being ‘compared to his age’ and Julian’s intention being ‘compared to his realm’.
Julian added, sitting down in the armchair opposite him, his voice deep and elegant, without any hint of staleness.
“I heard you’re twenty-three.”
“There are four of us. It was my birthday about a month ago.”
“It’s not a distinction that has much significance. At least for a Gem Wizard.”
“Lilia attaches great importance to the difference between nineteen and twenty.”
“Is that so?”
A faint smile appeared on Julian’s lips. It seemed that he was not the authoritarian type who could tolerate even this level of small talk.
However, even though the atmosphere was clearly not stiff, the pressure Galen felt was considerable.
‘It’s because of those eyes.’
Galen knew instinctively.
Since all priests have the first miracle, the stigmata, in their eyes, it was only natural that their eyes would shine.
Galen met with three archbishops: Damus, Varga, and Lilia.
Still, Julian’s eyes were special.
On the surface, it seemed to be a little brighter and clearer than the Archbishop, but… there was definitely something invisible. It felt like everything was being seen through.
“That feels good.”
Galen flinched for a moment at Julian’s sudden words. He wondered if he had really read his mind, but Julian let out a soft laugh.
“No need to be surprised. I can easily tell what you’re thinking just by looking at where your eyes are looking. It’s not the first time this has happened to me, even though it’s your first time.”
“… I guess I’m just scared and have illusions.”
“I told you, it’s all about having a good sense. Just because it’s a jewel doesn’t mean you’ll always be able to tell.”
Julian said that and lightly stroked his eyes.
“Actually, it’s not that special. It’s just that I’m a little higher up than other people, so I can see a little more.”
“Do you mean it is an acquired ability?”
“That doesn’t mean you can have it, though. Bishop Lilia might have a chance.”
It seems to be a miracle only for priests. Galen was not interested.
At that moment, a priest came in cautiously, put down a teacup, and left. Just smelling the tea made me feel as if my head was clearing.
Julian took a sip of tea elegantly and opened his mouth again.
“First of all… I should say this. On behalf of the church, I would like to express my gratitude for the incident in the southwest.”
“I’m sorry.”
“That’s a word used when you’ve received excessive praise. No amount of praise can ever be enough for what you’ve done.”
Galen scratched his cheek. He knew very well how many people he had saved, but he also knew that bragging about it would diminish his achievements.
“Well, then I’ll stop being so embarrassed. But seriously, you can stop praising me. It’s embarrassing.”
“If that’s what you want.”
“I’m more curious about… why His Majesty wanted to see me before Lilia.”
Galen, who had said so, sat up slightly.
“Wasn’t it originally only Lilia you had business with?”
“Did you think that because I didn’t send you an invitation?”
Julian shook his head slightly.
“No, Lord Galen. I had business with you, too. It just happened to be in this very interesting form.”
“What do you mean?”
“I’ll tell you the private story later. Let’s talk about the public story first.”
Julian, who avoided a direct answer, wiped away his faint smile and took on a serious expression. That alone made the pressure conveyed through his gaze even stronger.
“Let me get straight to the point. Duke Galen, to what extent can you cooperate with the Church?”
“You’re so captivating from the very beginning.”
Galen’s eyes narrowed slightly.
“Let me ask you this in return. If I were to cooperate without limit, how far would the church go in demanding it?”
“I would like to be on the same level as other clergy.”
“…Are you a priest?”
“Oh, it seems there was a bit of a misunderstanding during the communication. I forgot about your origins for a moment.”
Julian continued, clicking his tongue softly.
“I am asking this question only to Jewel. It is not a question of worldly politics, whether to support or oppose the church.”
“Somehow I felt it was too explicit.”
“It’s not like children are playing soldier. Where else would you force someone to choose a side right in front of you? Politics isn’t something that flows in such a one-dimensional way.”
Galen, who grew up at an extremely fast rate on his own from the ground, is a very special case.
Other gems usually grow in good soil, meaning that most of them, whether warriors or wizards, come from noble families.
If you asked them which they would choose between their family and the church, the result would be obvious. They would make a few excuses in front of the Pope, and then turn around and immediately choose their family.
In short, there was no reason for Julian to ask such a stupid question in the first place, and there was no reason for Jewel to misunderstand it.
The misunderstanding arose because Galen was a true independent. Fortunately, it was quickly corrected.
“I am talking about the original mission of the church.”
“You’re a devil.”
Galen understood right away. If you had told me that from the beginning, I wouldn’t have had to worry so much.
Anything related to the devil was a treat for Galen.
Experience points only come from killing things, but you can’t go around slaughtering people, and there are very few evil species left that give meaningful experience points.
No matter how many demons and their byproducts were killed, they were the only ones who received praise rather than criticism.
“Your Majesty, you probably know all the requests I have received from the church so far.”
“of course.”
“I would be happy to cooperate if you could guarantee me that level of autonomy.”
“Could you be more specific? You always said that you follow your interests, but I want to know the exact criteria for your interests.”
“Hmm… That’s literally true.”
When asked specifically, it was difficult to answer. Galen let out a sigh.
“The church’s requests were all really interesting. Catching fake demons, fighting cavalry, exploring ruins, chasing suspicious wizards.”
“Are you serious?”
“I think not only me, but most people would be interested in it. Even if it’s dangerous to go there in person, I think most people would be excited just by hearing the story.”
“Yeah, usually it is. It’s funny because you’re not a normal person.”
Julian muttered something meaningful and then returned to his original voice.
“Anyway, your request is a natural one. It’s something that should be guaranteed as a matter of course when seeking cooperation.”
“That’s good. But when I heard that, I suddenly had a question.”
“Tell me.”
“You said earlier that you would only ask this question to Jewel.”
“That’s right.”
“Did you really call the jewel yourself and ask her questions?”
“That’s true. At least the Jewels that the Church knows about have been invited here once. The Jewels are those who possess the power to be worthy of such an invitation.”
“So are they so uncooperative that we have to ask them separately for their willingness to cooperate?”
“Oh, oh, oh.”
Julian suddenly burst into laughter after hearing Galen’s question.
When Galen looked at him with eyes that seemed to say he didn’t understand English, Julian spoke with a slightly amused tone in his voice.
“It is time to talk about the personal story that I put off for a moment. Duke Galen, the fact that you even asked such a question shows how special you are.”
“yes?”
“You became a Jewel at the age of only twenty-three, and according to Bishop Hamel’s report, you handle magic of other types besides water magic? Do you consider yourself ordinary?”
“That’s not it, but… … .”
“You are very special. I’m not just talking about magical ability. If we’re just going by that, then we can understand it, even with Bishop Lilia’s example.”
“…Is that so?”
“Of course, I’m not saying that Bishop Lillia’s growth rate is within the realm of common sense. The reason wizards only delve into one magic is because it takes a lifetime to reach that level, but a wizard like Bishop Lillia who grows incredibly quickly should theoretically be able to learn multiple magics at the same time. Just like you.”
It was an accurate insight. It really was. Except that it wasn’t pure talent like Lilia’s, but rather the status screen.
“More importantly, your greatest specialness lies here.”
Julian tapped his temple. Galen asked.
“Are you talking about the brain?”
“No, mind.”
The Pope’s eyes sank as he answered.
“The power of the Holy Spirit is like a shield. It is optimized for guarding and protecting. The root of all miracles is directed towards it. Then, what would be the power like a spear?”
“It must be magic.”
“No, it’s the power of air. The warrior’s. It may sound unpleasant to you, a wizard, but that’s my opinion. The human spear is the warrior’s, and the shield is the priest’s.”
“… Then what about the wizard?”
“As an analogy, obsidian.”
“Obsidian?”
“Have you ever seen it in person? The cross-section of obsidian is incredibly sharp. Even if you lightly draw it, it will cut right through the cut, and its cutting power is so great. However… it’s as sharp as it is fragile.”
If you don’t know, think of a sword. If you sharpen a sword too sharply, the edge will go out after a few uses. It’s the same as that, said Julian.
“Because wizards have great power, it is easy for them to gain power, and so there are quite a few wizard families among the world’s prestigious families. However, they are no match for the number of warrior families, and the number increases as you go down. Don’t you know? How precious the existence of wizards is among mercenaries.”
“Because it’s so rare to see.”
“Homegrown warriors are abundant. They are so common that they don’t even use the word homegrown. All mercenaries are homegrown warriors. On the other hand, homegrown magicians are hard to find. That’s only natural. Even from noble families, not all blood relatives become great magicians. Despite the endless training they receive in that favorable environment.”
Galen’s expression hardened. Julian paused for a moment and then recited the cold truth.
“This is why there are so few magicians compared to warriors and priests. Magic power is not a power originally granted to humans. The human mind is too weak to handle magic.”
“…It sounds like you’re saying that wizards have collectively gone mad.”
“At least that’s true when describing wizards who have reached the Jewel. I don’t know about gold, but Jewel is a realm that can only be reached if something is definitely distorted.”
“… … .”
“Even now, that thought hasn’t changed. You’re just the only exception.”
Suddenly, an arrow was pointed at Galen. Galen tilted his head to the side.
“Me?”
“In your opinion, what differences do you see between your actions before and after becoming a jewel?”
“hmm.”
Galen thought about it for a moment and then answered hesitantly.
“I don’t know.”
“We don’t know either.”
“yes?”
“If you don’t see it yourself or others don’t see it, then it hasn’t changed. You’re the same. That’s what makes you special.”
“So… you’re saying that it’s special because you’re walking around normally, even though you’re supposed to be a jewel?”
“To put it simply, that’s how it would be.”
“Is that a compliment?”
“It’s not a curse.”
“Then I’ll take that as a compliment. Even though it makes me feel a little uncomfortable.”
“If it were another gem wizard, they wouldn’t even ask that question.”
“yes?”
“Because you already have an answer in mind. If you thought it was a compliment, you wouldn’t have asked back, and if you thought it was an insult, you would have already done as you said and stormed out.”
“… Doesn’t that mean you have a mental problem?”
“That’s why you’re saying I’m crazy. They’re so twisted that even the word eccentric doesn’t quite describe them.”
Julian, who had a troubled expression on his face for a moment, relaxed when he saw Galen.
“In that sense, I can’t say how fortunate it is. It is a great blessing to the church that the magician who best understands the cause of the church has maintained his upright spirit even after becoming a jewel.”
“haha…….”
“At this point, I think it would be okay to continue to leave Bishop Lilia in charge.”
“Yes, yes.”
Galen, who had been absentmindedly keeping the beat, groaned.
“…yes?”