When the Pope Becomes Competent - Chapter 103



Only Noblemtl

◈103. Awakened Ego Sword

As soon as the enchantment scroll was torn, the skill contained within it was activated.

The power of the skill was soon imbued into the Baekhwamyeongwoldo I was holding.

The sword began to glow blue, and then a message window appeared in the air.

[Do you want to modify this weapon?]

―Yes

―No

When I selected Yes, another message appeared.

[The weapon is an ego sword imbued with a spirit (inactive). Please select the task you wish to perform.]

– Enhanced cutting power

-Special effects

-Spirit activation

Activating an inactive spirit means awakening the spirit of the Ego Sword that is currently asleep.

As someone who planned to learn how to use a sword from that spirit, of course I needed to activate the spirit first.

[You have chosen to activate the spirit. The sleeping spirit will awaken.]

Finally, when I chose to activate the spirit, this message came to my mind.

Within a moment, a strange, dim light flowed from the sword.

Perhaps it was the spirit that had been inside that had been manifested as light.

The faintly glowing spirit gradually took on the shape of a human being, repeatedly gathering and dispersing.

Seeing that, the group started muttering from the side. “Didn’t they wake up some kind of evil spirit?”

It was when things got a little noisy that a voice came out of the spirit.

“Who woke me up… … . ”

What should I say… I was a little surprised because it sounded more like a grandmother’s speech than I expected.

I tried to hide my embarrassment and continued to stare at the ghost that was becoming clearer and clearer.

When the hazy spirit became a perfectly clear human figure, I was startled for the second time.

‘Not only the way you speak… but you’re actually an old person… … ?’

The fully formed spirit took the form of an old man.

She was a grandmother who looked quite old.

She was an old lady wearing oriental clothing, and for some reason she had a cat mask hanging askew on her head.

‘I think I’ve seen that mask somewhere… … .’

I tried to remember, and then it came to me.

A person who used to wear a cat mask that looked exactly like that on his head, tilted up.

“Black, Black Moon?!”

『Huh? Young man, do you know me…?』

As Black Moon Grandmother(?) said, I knew her.

I couldn’t not know.

Because when I entered the Seon-gwan’s dream to lift Ernen’s curse, I was possessed by the Black Moon’s body the whole time.

I couldn’t hide my bewilderment, as I never thought I would see the Black Moon again… and that I would see it in the form of an old man.

“Why are you… No, why is Grandma holding a knife?”

I couldn’t bring myself to speak informally to my grandmother, so I asked her formally.

After hearing my question, Grandma Heukwol immediately answered.

『Hmm… I was a master who reached the realm of immortality during my lifetime. In my time, there was no one who could defeat me.』

In the ‘real past’, not in the seon-gwan’s dream, Grandma Heuk-wol escaped from the village.

Perhaps after escaping from the village, he had practiced Tao and reached a high level.

He was an S-rank Awakener even when he was young, so it wouldn’t be strange if he reached a high level while still alive.

However, I was curious as to why it was suddenly stored in the sword when it had reached such a high level… Then, Grandmother Heukwol explained that part.

『One, even I, who was called an absolute master, had one dream that I could not achieve, which was that I could not have a disciple who could teach me my swordsmanship.』

“ah…….”

『So, I couldn’t close my eyes in peace, so I went to see Sanyoung, who was known as the best craftsman of the time.』

According to the information window of the Baekhwamyeongwoldo, the name of the person who forged the Baekhwamyeongwoldo was Sanyeong.

Grandma Heukwol closed her eyes tightly as if recalling the time she had met him.

『I went to see Sanyoung and asked him to sharpen a sword and put my soul into it. Why?』

“To find a disciple to teach you swordsmanship?”

“That’s right. Since I couldn’t take in a disciple while I was alive, I wanted to find one even after I died and became a ghost.”

Grandma Heukwol looked at me with eyes that had deepened with time and continued to speak.

『So after my death, I stayed in the Tao, waiting for someone with outstanding talent to get their hands on this Baekhwamyeongwoldo… so that I could teach him my swordsmanship… … But I fell asleep.』

“… … .”

After finishing her explanation, Grandma Heukwol smiled awkwardly.

You fell asleep for a moment… …. So that’s why it was disabled?

Anyway, I was wondering how to respond and then I asked casually.

“Anyway, you have reached a certain level and are looking for disciples, right?”

『That’s true, but… .』

“Then here it is, the disciple you were looking for.”

I thought this was the moment, so I said that and stepped forward.

Looking at me like that, Grandma Heukwol’s eyes widened slightly.

“You want to be my disciple… …?”

“Yes, that’s why I woke you up. You need to learn how to use a sword.”

『Hmm… … .』

Grandma Heukwol looked at me with sharp eyes.

Her answer was quick and didn’t take long to arrive.

“I’ll refuse.”

“……yes?”

『Experts like me can tell the level of their opponents just by looking at them. In my opinion, you seem like a beginner who has never really learned anything.』

It seemed that Grandma Heukwol had truly reached the realm of a master.

I can tell right away that it’s something I can recognize.

Although it hit the nail on the head, I still felt a little wronged, so I asked her back.

“Shouldn’t a beginner learn…? He’s a beginner, so he wants to learn. If he were an expert, he wouldn’t have even asked to learn.”

“Hmm, but you have to be at least somewhat of a beginner. You’re not a total beginner. ”

“… … .”

『My swordsmanship was originally created to comfort souls. I created it to comfort the souls of those I was unable to save in the past.』

Suddenly, the expression on Grandma Heukwol’s face darkened.

I thought maybe it was the white plum and the seon-gwan that came to mind.

In the real past, she had run away from the village with only her subordinates, leaving them behind.

If the Black Moon Grandmother’s swordsmanship is a swordsmanship that was established with that sense of guilt as she said… … .

‘It’s not that I don’t understand that you’re trying to teach me something easy.’

As I expected, Grandma Heukwol was quite stubborn in her refusal.

『It’s such a precious swordsmanship to me, I don’t want to teach it to someone like you who has never even properly held a sword.』

“ah…….”

『Even if I teach you, you won’t be able to use it properly. That’s because it’s a sword technique that you can’t learn unless you harbor resentment and have a heart that truly wants to comfort those who remain in this world.』

I was at a loss as to what to say.

Suddenly Dionik joined our conversation.

“If that’s the case, then I think you’re more than qualified to learn.”

Dionik, who had intervened, continued to speak.

“I once consoled the spirit of a certain sage in the past.”

『What… … ?』

Dionic was with me in my dreams when I held a memorial service for the deceased.

Because he knew everything I did there, he seemed to want to tell Grandma Black Moon about it.

He was looking at me as if asking if he could talk.

Can I really tell you? That the seon-gwan cursed the wrong person due to a misunderstanding, and that Baek-mae betrayed and killed everyone?

After thinking it over and over again, I let out a deep sigh.

“Let’s go in and have a cup of tea while we listen. It looks like it’s going to be a long story.”

I don’t know if ghosts can drink tea or not.

Anyway, I decided to tell Grandma Heukwol the truth.

If she was a close friend of Seon-gwan and Baek-mae, she would have the right to hear the truth.

* * *

After Nickelus entered the cabin of the Ghost Ship with Black Moon.

The group left on deck began to focus on their own work, such as reading books or chatting.

Luciana was also given some free time.

But she didn’t use that time as freely as others.

It was because of a secret favor that Nickelus had given her.

‘We need to restore the relationship between Lord Bliss and Lord Petros… … .’

Before leaving the cathedral, Nickelus said:

The purpose of this dungeon raid is to restore the awkward relationship between Bliss and Petros.

There will be a lot of dungeon raiding to do in the future, so it would be problematic if the relationship between the two main forces continues to be cold.

So, Nickelus asked Luciana to keep an eye on their relationship even when he was away.

Remembering that request, Luciana looked at the two men.

As expected, they were each focused on their own work, far apart from each other.

Luciana, who was thinking about it for a while, approached one of them.

“Sir Bliss.”

Bliss, who was passing the time by reading a book, heard Luciana’s call and turned to face her.

“What’s going on?”

“His Majesty has asked me to explore this ship. Would you like to help me?”

“quest?”

“He said he wanted to find out where the ship needed repairs, what caused the ship to sink… things like that.”

“Ah,” Bliss replied, seeming to understand.

“Okay. Since I had nothing to do at the time… … .”

“Yes, then I would like to ask you to team up with Sir Petros and conduct an exploration mission.”

“… … .”

Bliss paused for a moment at the name Petros that came out of Luciana’s mouth.

At the same time, Petros, who was far away, also glanced in their direction.

It was because he had heard his name mentioned at first glance.

For a brief moment, Bliss and Petros’ eyes met, and the two looked at each other from a distance.

“… … .”

“… … .”

Petros was the first to avoid eye contact.

He started to stare off into the distance for no reason, as if he felt awkward.

Bliss stroked my chin as if thinking.

“Hmm… … . I’m good enough on my own.”

“But His Majesty wanted the two to act together… … .”

“Your Majesty?”

Luciana nodded toward the questioning Bliss.

“He said that we would often be raiding dungeons together in the future, and that it would be a bit awkward if we continued to act awkwardly. That’s why he told us to act together.”

“… … .”

“Wouldn’t you please accept Sir Petros? For Your Majesty’s sake.”

Bliss was silent for a long time.

He glanced at Petros and sighed deeply.

Then he approached Petros with a limping gait and held out his hand.

As Petros sat on the deck, staring blankly at the hand extended to him, Bliss’s lips moved.

“Exploration work… please help me.”

* * *

The situation where you arrive at the cabin of the ghost ship with Grandma Black Moon.

I was going to offer tea to Grandma Heukwol, but I thought she was a ghost and wouldn’t be able to drink it, so I just gave her the seat.

And said it all.

The story of how the sage cursed him for a long time due to misunderstandings.

The story goes that it was actually Baekmae who spread the disease in the village.

And there was even a story that the reason she did such a thing was because of her ‘resentment towards the world’.

At first, it was the Black Moon Grandmother who laughed.

She didn’t seem to believe what I was telling her.

But when I told her how deep Baekmae’s resentment was, only then did my grandmother let out a few tender words.

『A hundred and one… … .』

It was a voice soaked with moisture.

After calling Baekmae’s name softly, Grandma Heukwol remained silent for a while.

I just chewed on my sadness, and chewed on it again, biting my lips.

Only after a long time did she finally open her mouth.

“I apologize for ignoring you earlier because you looked like you’d never even held a sword properly.”

The Black Moon grandmother continued speaking.

“You seem more than qualified.”