When the Pope Becomes Competent - Chapter 138



Only Noblemtl

139. Ninth Main Trust
2024.03.18.

Original Nickelus’ inner thoughts were relayed to me.

-‘It’s becoming increasingly difficult to maintain reason.’

This time, it wasn’t just his monologue that was relayed to me.

I could also feel the despair he was feeling.

Nickelus, who had healed Luciana’s curse and taken in her power in return, had gradually lost his reason and become a rascal.

He felt this fact fully, and was also suffering.

That painful agony was being vividly relayed to me at this moment.

-‘I am an apostle of God. I have a duty to save humanity.’

-‘Why should I do that? I didn’t become an apostle because I wanted to.’

-‘As an apostle, I must comply with God’s choice.’

-‘It’s unfair for me to carry such a heavy burden alone.’

Two thoughts were fiercely intertwined inside him.

As an apostle of God, he wanted to fight against those who were erased.

And the desire to live comfortably as a normal human being.

Even in that midst, the power of the curse left by Romun was slowly eating away at him.

I could feel his heart gradually becoming twisted.

-‘Yeah, it’s unfair. It’s only me who’s sacrificing myself.’

He roughly put down another empty bottle of alcohol on the table.

Then he thought.

-‘Let’s just let the erased ones use Petros. After all, he’s just my spare.’

-‘Let’s just let them target Petros instead of me. Then at least Luciana and I can be at ease.’

-‘I’m so tired. I don’t want to be bothered by those damn erased guys any more.’

I was bewildered by the monologues that were continuously being delivered to me.

Petros was my… so to speak, the ‘spare’ of the Apostle of God?

So he was going to let the erased ones target Petros instead of Nickelus himself?

I couldn’t understand anything.

In the meantime, the original guy emptied another bottle of alcohol, and finally thought to himself

– ‘Bystandership isn’t such a serious crime.’

*

That was the extent of the memories I saw with the memory fragment item.

I blankly stared at him for a moment, then activated the Deification skill.

Soon, a familiar being appeared before my eyes.

“Doria.”

【I guess you have something to tell me. Judging from the fact that you came looking for me as soon as the skill was activated.】

Doria was right.

There was something I absolutely had to ask him.

“I… so, did the Apostle of God have a spare?”

【… … You regained that memory?】

Did Doria himself not know what kind of memory I had regained through the memory fragment item?

Judging from the fact that he asked again after hearing me, ‘You regained that memory?’ as if confirming.

Anyway, that wasn’t what was important right now, so I asked again.

“Tell me quickly. Petros was my spare?”

【… … Well, I think you already know, so I’ll be honest.】

Doria continued to respond.

【That’s right, there isn’t just one Apostle of God. It would be too dangerous if there were only one person with such an important role. There is a reserve Apostle.】

“That was Petros, right? He had similar divine powers to me… … .”

【Yes, he is your reserve. If you die, he will officially become the Apostle of God. You could call him the ‘reserve key.’】

I wasn’t that surprised.

There wouldn’t be just one person who would play the important role of ‘Apostle of God.’

I had expected that there would be a reserve Apostle. There was

something else that I was really curious about.

“In my previous life… That is, before my regression, Nickelus knew that fact. And he also knew that the erased ones were after Petros, the reserve Apostle.”

【… … .】

“And yet… Even though he knew everything, he let them aim for Petros. Even though he knew that if they got Petros, Romun would access this world’s system and gain powers no different from gods… Nickelus just stood by and watched it all happen because he wanted to make himself comfortable.”

【… … .】

Doria acknowledged my words by remaining silent.

My guesses were all correct.

I let out a “Ha.” laugh before continuing.

“So that’s why this world was destroyed once before the regression. The erased ones used Petros to eventually destroy the world, and that’s why my crime became the ‘sin of inaction.’”

Doria, who heard my last words, shook her body up and down and answered.

[It’s all true.]

I had never known what the ‘sin of inaction’ was.

That was why I couldn’t understand it when I saw my low karma points.

I didn’t really understand what I had done wrong.

Now I thought I knew for sure. What my sin was.

‘The original guy had the power to protect Petros. He had enough time to protect him. And yet, just because he wanted to be comfortable, he let Petros fall into the hands of the erased ones.’

Of course, at that time, Nickelus was under the curse of Romun and his reasoning was clouded.

His personality became so sensitive and twisted that he was called a loser, and eventually even Luciana despised him… … .

But even so, Nickelus was chosen as an apostle of God.

For an apostle of God, I thought he had watched the destruction of the world for a very pathetic reason.

[Apostle.]

“… … .”

【It’s already past.】

Doria’s cool voice cooled my heart that was burning with guilt.

Doria continued in a calm and cool tone.

【The first world has already disappeared. This world you’re living in now is the real one.】

“… … .”

【And this world hasn’t perished yet.】

It was all true. The fact

that the first world has already disappeared and is now a thing of the past.

And that there is still hope in this world.

Doria quietly floated around me and whispered in my ear.

【As I always said, I’m just a clone of Lucid Miller. So I don’t know all of his plans. But there’s one thing I can be sure of.】

After a brief pause, Doria continued.

【Unlike the first time, you’re doing a good job as an apostle.】

“I… … .”

【Of course, you’re not perfect. Sometimes you make mistakes. But even so, I believe that you’ll eventually save this world. I can be sure because I have been watching you from the side.】

In the past, Doria proposed a bet, saying that she didn’t trust me. She

wanted to test my qualifications under the pretext that I would repeat the same mistake I made once, having watched the world fall.

Doria, who had been like that, was now saying that she trusted me.

As I was realizing the change once again, Doria continued to speak.

【Don’t chase the shadows of the past that have already been erased. Focus on the present moment you are living in. Then, you will surely be able to draw a future different from the first time.】

After hearing that, I nodded.

The guilt and anxiety that had filled my heart had melted away.

After that, I thanked Doria and deactivated my Deification skill.

Left alone in the dark room, I made a promise to myself again. I would draw a future that was completely different from the first time.

And when I finished making that promise, the message finally came to mind.

[Ninth Main Oracle – Defeat Breeder Micheln (In progress)]

Sub-Oracle (1) – Head to the Northern Grand Duchy within 3 days!

Sub-Oracle (2) – Hunt the Giant Chimera created by Breeder Micheln there! (0/1)

Sub-Oracle (3) – Defeat Breeder Micheln who created the Chimera! (0/1)

[Trust Completion Reward]

– Invitation to the White Moon

– Breath of the One Who Stole Eternal Life

* * *

The morning after receiving the ninth main oracle.

I immediately started preparing to leave again.

The destination was, of course, the ‘Northern Grand Duchy of Crellin’ as instructed by the main oracle.

It was a territory covered in white snow and ice. It was

a cold region so I felt bad about taking my companions with me because I knew they would have a hard time, but fortunately, they all seemed to be feeling a bit better.

Surprisingly, all of my companions expressed their desire to go with me.

Even so, I needed someone to stay and guard the cathedral, so I selected from among the applicants those who would go with me.

The selected people were six people. Bliss, Luciana, Elodie, Dionique, Cheong-Gwang, and Rubin.

Including me, the seven of us boarded the ghost ship and headed to the Northern Grand Duchy of Crelin.

‘I think we’re almost at our destination. It’s already cold.’

While practicing the quiet waning moon on the deck, I suddenly felt a chill and shivered.

Even with my thick coat on, the cold was already scratching my skin.

It would probably be colder than it was when we arrived at the Grand Duke’s residence, located in the center of the Crelin territory.

‘Should I finish my training and go into the cabin and warm myself by the fireplace? But… … .’

I stopped rubbing my arms to ward off the cold for a moment.

Then I stood in front of the deck railing and stared into the distance.

I could see smoke rising from the middle of the snow-covered coniferous forest.

‘Is there a fire in the forest?’

I squinted my eyes to examine it more closely.

It was far away, but fortunately, it was a distance that was not too difficult for my S-class eyes to see.

When I looked at the source of the smoke, there was surprisingly a person there.

‘A woman in a dress… … ? What is she doing, lighting a fire alone in the middle of the forest?’

The smoke that I could see from afar was the smoke from the bonfire she had lit in the forest.

What on earth is she doing there alone?

She didn’t seem to be a hunter or a lumberjack, but she was alone in the forest… … .

‘Are you stranded?’

I thought about

it that far and immediately told my companions. “I’ll stop the ship for a moment. I think I found someone stranded.”

After telling my companions that, I landed the ghost ship where the person was stranded.

She was warming her frozen fingertips while lighting a campfire, and she looked surprised by the sudden appearance of a large ship.

Her eyes widened, and she drew her sword toward us.

“Who are you? Identify yourself!”

Her tone was quite noble.

Furthermore, when I looked up close, I could see that her clothes were unusual. She

was wearing a high-quality dress that commoners couldn’t wear.

Judging from the fact that she was wearing a silver fox scarf that looked quite expensive, I could tell that she was a noble.

Anyway, I stepped forward before she could swing her clumsily held sword.

“I landed because I thought you were stranded because you were lighting a fire alone, but am I right?”

“… … ”

Even if you’re not stranded, it’s dangerous to be alone in a forest like this. “I’ll take you home, so get on.”

When I said that, the woman finally relaxed a little.

It might have been because I was wearing clothes that openly shouted, “I’m the Pope!”

She asked again in a slightly more relaxed tone.

“Who are you?”

“I’m the Pope. This is my colleagues.”

“His, His Holiness the Pope?! I thought so, but… Are you really the Pope?”

“Yes. You can tell by my clothes. And if you’re a noble, you’ll know what ship I’m on.”

Only then did she look at our ghost ship.

As expected of a ghost ship, it was so old that she must have misrecognized it at first.

After looking at it again, she exclaimed, “Ah!”

“This ship… is the Morning Star’s Footsteps! It’s the one His Holiness uses when he goes far away…!”

“That’s right. Are you a little more suspicious now?”

“I apologize for not recognizing you, Your Holiness. I’ll greet you again.”

She bowed her head, elegantly tucking her blonde hair behind her ears.

“I am Nadia van Crelin of the House of Crelin… the sister of the current Grand Duchess of Crelin.”