When the Pope Becomes Competent - Chapter 59



Only Noblemtl

◈59. Timor Ban Freeburn

‘But what is this… … . Why is it written in Korean… … ?’

As I read over and over again the contents of the karma that the sage gave me, I began to have such questions.

Of course, there was no Hangul in this world.

Therefore, Seon-gwan also would not have learned Hangul, let alone seen it.

But why are you writing in Korean like this?

When he looked at the seon-gwan in embarrassment, she also showed her embarrassment.

“Can’t you read it either…? I don’t know the meaning of the letters I drew in my dream, just as the spirits showed me. I just assumed they were letters from your era and passed them over….”

“Oh, that’s not it. I can read it.”

It seemed that the official did not know how to write Hangul.

Somehow, it seemed understandable.

If the messenger knew and wrote in Hangul, it would have been strange, but if he was a spirit, he would probably know Hangul.

Isn’t it some other being and not God?

Of course, he would be omnipotent enough to read and write Korean.

Convinced, I raised another question this time.

“By the way, that’s strange. The spirit told me about my karma… … I thought karma could only be checked with the Salpuri Dance skill.”

“That’s how it was originally. It’s an unprecedented event, but it seems the spirits are fond of you. Seeing how they’ve done this for you.”

“I see. Thank you. I think it will be a great help.”

Of course, knowing the content of karma does not mean that the karma will be cleared.

Still, I felt like I had at least learned something about it.

If we know the karma of the original Nickelus guy, it will be much easier to deduce his past.

I held the letter the messenger had given me in my arms with a grateful heart.

“I’m really going to go now. My people in reality are probably waiting for me.”

“I see… … In that case, even after you wake up from your dream, you should deeply engrave in your heart the karma I just told you about. And try not to repeat the same sin again.”

“Yes, I will keep that in mind.”

A smile formed on her lips.

“If your karma is lightened even a little, then that will be my final success after all my failures.”

The seon-gwan added later that our meeting was an opportunity for both of us.

I was given the opportunity to learn about my past karma and correct it, and Seon-gwan himself was given the opportunity to decorate the end of a life that had been full of failures with success.

He also said that since each of them had such a precious opportunity, they shouldn’t feel too sorry even if the meeting was short.

After that, we bowed our heads and greeted each other.

With gratitude for the opportunity we gave each other.

* * *

After saying goodbye to the priest, I took a walk around the temple.

Because it was my last day here.

I was thinking of looking around for a bit and then leaving right away.

That’s what happened―

“Black Moon!!”

The members of the Black Moon Party came running towards me, calling me.

The first one to arrive in front of me, Jeokun, immediately asked.

“I just heard from the missionary! You’re going away to another country for a year!?”

“Hmm? Oh… Right, that’s right. I plan on staying out that long.”

It seemed like the messenger had informed them that I was leaving.

Could it be that they meant to say a proper goodbye since they were only together for a short while?

In the meantime, instead of telling the truth that it was a permanent farewell, he said something like he would only be gone for a year… I think it was probably because he didn’t need to be honest.

Anyway, once I leave, this world and these children will all disappear.

Or tell the truth that you’re leaving forever―

Or you could lie and say you’d come back in a year―

In the end, it would all disappear and become meaningless.

So, Seon-gwan must have thought that there was no need to tell them the truth at this moment and cause them the pain of separation.

“I plan to travel the world for exactly one year and then come back soon.”

“That’s ridiculous, Black Moon! I don’t know what the purpose is, but why are you suddenly on such a long-term business trip!”

As Jeokun said that, other members of the Heukwol Party also started to express their complaints one after another.

“That’s right. And why now of all times? The Master said that we must leave soon to find another place to live. But if Heukwol-nim gets lost and can’t find it… … .”

“Don’t go! Or take us with you!”

“It’s dangerous to go alone! We’ll go too!”

These are the people who were filled with a sense of tragedy when they decided to leave this village following the Black Moon.

When I see those people now with moist eyes, I feel both cute and pitiful, and I want to take them all with me.

If possible, that is.

Unfortunately, I didn’t have the talent to take them out of my dreams.

Therefore, I had no choice but to repeat the same white lie that the prophet had told them.

“I’m just going to go out and get some fresh air for a year. If I get tired of going, I can come back.”

It’s not a permanent separation. We’ll meet again in a year… or before that.

They seemed to somewhat believe that lie.

Cheongun asked me in a still small voice.

“Really… right… ? You said you’d come back right away when you got bored… .”

“Of course, have I ever lied?”

Although they were all uninhabited, with bodies that were shabby and faces covered in scars, they looked like children as they cried.

So I hugged them one by one for the last time.

As we exchanged goodbye hugs without missing a single one, the day finally came to an end.

Around that time I returned home.

When I arrived at the house, a somewhat unexpected situation was waiting for me.

‘… …Why is he here?’

For some reason, the succubus was lying face down on the desk in my room, asleep.

It was a time when I was contemplating whether I should wake him up or not.

“Huh… … . You’re here now? Tsk, I’ve been waiting for you for a long time.”

The succubus was the first to wake up, stretching.

I asked her, thinking that her tongue curled up like a cat when she yawned.

“You were waiting? I thought you guys were playing around somewhere since you didn’t urge me to come quickly.”

“How dare you rush me. It seemed like we were saying goodbye.”

“hmm…….”

I was a little surprised by the surprisingly human answer.

It wouldn’t have mattered to the dreamers whether I said goodbye to the people here or not, even if I had just been dragged out of the dream.

I scratched my cheek and asked quietly.

“Bliss?”

“I already sent it out.”

“What about your brother?”

“My brother left first too. He said he didn’t want to talk to you. He didn’t like this situation either.”

Well, it was a bit disappointing that I was the one who expected someone to sacrifice something, but it was resolved without any of that.

I guess he avoided me because he didn’t want to admit that he was wrong in front of me.

Narrow-minded guy.

“Let’s proceed quickly without wasting any time.”

As she said this, the succubus opened a passage.

It was the same passage I passed through when I came here.

“If you go out here, you will wake up. After that, I will transplant this dream you created into the actual Seon-gwan… that is, the vengeful spirit.”

“Then the curse will be lifted?”

“If she likes your memorial service, then it will be okay.”

“Really? What do you think? Will you like it?”

The sage I know was not the type of person to continue cursing someone who had been falsely accused.

That is why I was confident that she would readily admit that she had misunderstood the first emperor and that she would also lift the curse on the imperial family.

But I asked anyway because I was curious about the succubus’ opinion.

Because I was going to answer my question and add my own personal opinion as a succubus.

So, after waiting for a while, I finally heard her answer… … .

“It seems like this memorial service is not enough to appease the resentment.”

“……why?”

“She probably needed someone to vent her anger and take revenge on. But now that she’s learned the painful truth that she was the one who got screwed over because she couldn’t properly manage one of her own close associates… she won’t be able to blame others anymore.”

“… … That’s a novel point of view. You’re feeling bad because you can’t blame others… … No matter how I look at it, you’re not that kind of person.”

“That’s your opinion.”

The succubus immediately denied what I said and continued speaking.

“The more miserable a person is, the more he or she desperately wants someone to blame. It’s painful to admit that the mess in your life is all your fault.”

“hmm…….”

“You caused such pain to the Emperor. If you had just blamed the first emperor, he would have been able to vent his anger and leave in relief.”

At first glance, it sounded plausible, but in the end, it meant to give him a sandbag to vent his anger on.

That sandbag… I mean, if you hit the fake criminal, you’ll feel better.

But in the end, it’s fake.

Fake culprit, fake revenge, fake vindictiveness… … .

Can you call that a memorial service?

If I were the election official, I don’t think I would ever want something fake like that.

‘Tsk, he won’t admit that he was wrong until the very end. It’s so hard for siblings to be so narrow-minded.’

I clicked my tongue and entered the hallway.

They might have complained the whole way, saying they were narrow-minded.

If it weren’t for the words the succubus added the moment I entered the passage.

“Still, it wasn’t a completely ruined memorial service.”

Just as I turned around and asked, “What?” the passage closed.

I wanted to ask if he had finally admitted that I was right, but unfortunately, I felt like I would have to wait until next time.

When the vision that had darkened for a moment became bright again―

“……ah.”

I was already back in reality, not in a dream.

* * *

The second audience room in the palace, designed for secret conversations between the Emperor and his loyal subjects.

Two men were sitting across from each other at a table.

The first to speak was the current Duke of Freeburn, Timor van Freeburn.

“Your Majesty, faith is something that should not be treated so cheaply.”

Timor Ban Freeburn.

He was the one who ended up taking the ducal throne after a fight for the right of succession with Argelio, the second son of the ducal family.

People called him an ambitious man, an assessment that was not far off the mark.

As an ambitious man, even after taking the position of Duke, he did not neglect his efforts to gain greater power.

And, as it is now, sitting in front of a young emperor and gradually eroding his self-esteem was part of that effort.

“Your Majesty’s faith is especially so. It is so precious that it should never be given to just anyone.”

“… … .”

“Only place your faith in the proven few. For example, Your Majesty’s oldest loyal subject who is currently giving you advice… …? Haha, just kidding. Anyway, one thing is certain, you should not include the Pope, who is known as the worst scoundrel in history, in that ‘list of people to trust.’”

Listening to the Duke’s story, Ernen asked this question carefully so as not to reveal his true colors.

‘It’s uncomfortable.’

The Duke of Freeburn was a powerful family that staunchly supported the royal family.

So, even though I was giving him my time, I was always at a loss when I was talking to the Duke.

Especially when he, the Duke, dares to subtly ignore and undermine the opinions of the Emperor, Ernen himself, and tries to emphasize his own worth.

“… …Enough. I don’t regret trusting the Pope.”

“Shouldn’t you… regret it?”

The peacock, who had been smiling like a snake, suddenly turned cold.

“If the Pope actually lifted the curse, who would say anything? But since he was the first to say that the curse could not be lifted, isn’t it just that the secrets of the imperial family were exposed?”

“… … .”

“If the story of the imperial curse spreads, how much damage will it do to the imperial family’s reputation? Since such a grave secret has been revealed, there should have been something to be gained, but oh well… … .”

Ernen felt sick at the tone that seemed to be raising the medicine.

‘I’m upset… but… .’

The teacup I held with all my might began to shake.

‘But it’s all true.’

It would have been foolhardy to tell anyone about the imperial curse.

Even though he knew that, he trusted Nickelus and told him his secret, but in the end, he was unable to lift the curse.

So it was difficult to sharply refute the Duke who told him to reflect.

Even now, contact with Nickelus had been cut off.

Even when I went to see him in person, I often only got the following reply: ‘His Holiness is currently on vacation.’

‘Was it just my illusion that I had become close to the Pope…?’

Ernen let out a bitter sigh.

I really hate to admit it, but maybe Nickelus was not a man to be trusted, as the Duke of Freeburn had said.

As soon as you found out about the royal secret, you hid like this.

My heart burned with worry day after day, wondering if this secret was being secretly spread.

Of course, the burning down was only a feeling, and it never meant that a fire had actually been set somewhere.

That’s what happened―

“… … !!”

There was a crackling, burning sound.

It was nowhere else but the nape of Ernen’s own neck.