When the Pope Becomes Competent - Chapter 83



Only Noblemtl

◈83. Michelin

I said this because I felt sorry for Elina’s situation.

To this Argelio replied shortly.

“Everyone does that.”

“… … Is that so?”

I was a little surprised because Argel said, “Everyone does that,” as if it was so obvious.

In this world where the caste system exists, it is taken for granted that nobles marry for political gain for the sake of their families.

Even though I knew it, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of disconnect sometimes.

“There was no sign of reluctance? Or of being depressed.”

“There was no such thing. Of course, when she was young, she was also averse to political marriages.”

Argel paused for a moment as if recalling the past, then continued speaking.

“Timor had once tried to get Elina engaged to the Grand Duke of Delton… but she had refused so strongly that she even went on a hunger strike. Fortunately, that engagement fell through for another reason.”

“Now? Are you not feeling any resistance?”

“Yes, it seems that way now. He is actually more proactive now. He even pestered me about a dozen times to ask His Majesty if he has a lover or not… … .”

As he became the head of the household and his sense of responsibility grew stronger, it seemed that he readily accepted political marriages.

Still, I felt a little disappointed.

Until just a few months ago, I was living in a modern world where free love and marriage were taken for granted.

So, after thinking about what to say to Elina, I opened my mouth.

“When you tell Elina my answer, tell her this. The family’s prestige is important, but don’t completely ignore her feelings.”

“Your heart?”

“If you’re going to do it, you should choose someone who you like at least a little bit. You’re choosing someone to spend your life with, so it’d be sad if you only considered your family’s reputation or personal gain.”

Argelio suddenly flinched and shook his shoulders.

As if someone had been shocked by something.

Argel, who had been silent for a while, finally opened his lips stammeringly after a while.

“That’s right… As Your Majesty said, the child’s happiness is also important. But I… Come to think of it, I’ve never once said anything like that to the child.”

The shock of thinking of something important you hadn’t thought of before.

It was written all over the guy’s voice.

It seemed as if they had never even considered the obvious idea that the happiness of the individual involved was more important than their family.

“Thank you, Your Majesty, for reminding me of something important.”

“Okay, from now on, pay more attention to your little brother.”

“Yes, I will make sure to tell the child what Your Majesty said.”

Argelio said that and left the room.

The guy was already a good older brother.

But if the conversation we had today left something in his heart, he would become an even better older brother in the future.

* * *

I couldn’t rest for long.

As many people are still suffering because of the Elcapist dungeon, we finished our short day’s rest and prepared to leave again.

So, after completing all the preparations from dawn, we gathered in front of the ship.

Elina led the Duke’s servants out and saw us off.

“Take care, brother. Never go to dangerous places again.”

“Of course. I will stick close to Your Majesty.”

Elina let out a laugh after hearing Argelio’s brave and courageous(?) answer.

After that, the person her gaze landed on was me.

“And Your Majesty.”

She who called me immediately started walking.

The hem of her deep blue dress swayed like flower petals as she walked.

As I got a little closer, a faint floral scent soon wafted from her.

It was a scent that reminded me of white flowers blooming with morning dew.

“Please take good care of my brother.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll keep a close eye on you so you won’t be dragged into a dungeon like this again.”

“I will believe you. One more thing―”

The conversation stopped midway and she came a little closer to me.

Then he bent his upper body slightly as if beckoning me to listen.

She whispered in my ear in a ticklish voice.

“If you change your mind about the engagement at any time, please let me know.”

“… … !”

“I am not pushing forward with the engagement solely out of a sense of responsibility as the head of the household. This is what I am saying to you after listening to the voice of my heart, as Your Majesty has told me.”

When I straightened my upper body, which had been bent down in surprise, I looked down at Elina’s face.

She was smiling as pure as the scent of white flowers emanating from my body.

“Because you are such a wonderful person that I fell in love with you at first sight.”

The last words were conveyed to me in a very, very small voice.

It’s almost as if he said it with just his mouth.

Thanks to that, her words, which were no different from a confession, could be conveyed only to me.

“Should we go?”

Panicked, I quickly ordered my group to depart.

After that, the group all boarded the ghost ship, and the ship began to move.

In the direction of the cathedral where we should return.

“Take care! Send me a letter sometimes, Oppa!”

Elina waved warmly at us until the end.

Without stopping until we can no longer see each other.

And then I―

“… … .”

I was lying on the deck in a daze.

It was because what I heard from Elina earlier had given me quite a shock, making it difficult to come to my senses.

It’s not just a matter of responsibility that I’m pushing forward with the engagement…

It was love at first sight… … .

When I hear someone’s true feelings, my heart becomes so complicated.

So I was just sitting there blankly.

The sound of steady, regular footsteps could be heard.

“His Holiness.”

“Luciana?”

“What was it that the Duke of Freeburn whispered in your ear earlier? It seemed to be something about an engagement. I didn’t mean to eavesdrop, but—”

Luciana continued, tapping my ear with her fingertips.

“As you know, I have sharper ears than most people. I could hear it, vaguely.”

As expected, he is a class A knight.

It seems that Elina ended up hearing even the words she whispered so quietly.

But even so, I couldn’t tell Luciana the exact situation.

That would be a great disrespect to Elina, who trusted me and confided in me.

“Sorry. It’s private, so I can’t tell you.”

“It’s a private story… … . I see. Are you saying that it’s a private story that even I, your knight, shouldn’t know?”

“I… really? I think this is something between the Duke and me. Ahem, sorry.”

After hearing my apology, Luciana remained silent.

There was no other reaction whatsoever.

He just looked at me quietly, very quietly, in silence.

but-

‘It’s been a long time since I’ve seen you… … .’

The time he spent looking at me was strangely long.

A silence that seemed to contain some intention.

Because of that, I was almost out of breath.

“excuse me?”

“… … .”

I was about to tell her if she had anything else to say, but before I could, Luciana turned around.

Then he went inside the ship.

So she left quietly without any incident.

No, really, nothing happened?

It was hard to explain how my mind had become so complicated that it was impossible to say that nothing had happened.

‘Dungeon… Let’s focus on the dungeon.’

I tried to force myself to think of the dungeon to calm my complicated mind, but―

“… … .”

Of course, things didn’t go as planned.

Even after a long time, Luciana’s strange gaze was not erased from my mind.

* * *

“Netelon! Come out now! Before I feed you to the lions!”

The young man’s voice echoed cheerfully throughout the forest.

Nethelon, who was hiding in the shadows of the forest, became increasingly anxious.

‘Damn, if only I hadn’t been hit by that ridiculous attack… … .’

Nethelon’s original body had already been reduced to ash due to the divine judgment used by Nickelus earlier.

However, the fact that he was still able to survive was entirely thanks to the skill “Eternal Flower (L)”.

A flower that never withers.

It was a skill that allowed the caster’s soul to ’emergency escape’ when the caster’s original body was destroyed.

The soul of the caster who escaped in an emergency will then reside in a nearby Elcapist tree, and after some time, will be reborn with a new body.

Just like other demons born from trees.

In other words, it was a skill that gave you two lives.

Even though it was a skill that could only be used once in a lifetime, I barely managed to save my life thanks to it.

But it was still too early to feel at ease.

Because now, someone more dangerous than Nickelus was waiting for him.

That too, among the same returnees.

Just then, the dangerous man shouted again.

“I told you to come out! I know you’re hiding here!”

-Woof, woof!!

Micheln. A returnee with the title of ‘breeder’, unlike Netelon himself who was a cultivator of Elkephist.

He, who had once been my comrade, was now unleashing his hunting dogs to search for Nethelon.

-Woof, woof! Woof!!

Micheln’s hounds were approaching, following the scent of the elcapist tree.

The barking sound is getting closer.

Nethelon trembled in fear, his soul embedded in the tree.

‘If we get caught, it’s over… …!’

Although Michelin speaks in a condescending tone, he is actually one of the returnees who has a particularly cruel disposition.

There was no way to know what would happen if he saw me now, in such a weakened state, with my body gone.

That’s why, even after the defeat, he didn’t tell the returnees about this fact and just hid away―

“Ah, I found it. It took me a while to find it because the tree is small.”

Micheln finally found the Elcapist tree where Nethellon resided.

Pale green hair as fresh as a sprout. And golden eyes like those of a beast.

Michelin, dressed in a colorful costume like a circus performer taming a lion by whipping it, grinned at Nethellon.

“Why are you hiding for no reason? The negotiations failed and this is what happened… Did you think we didn’t know?”

Michelin’s eyes flashed with madness as he asked the question and smiled.

The same goes for the fancy performance hats that circus performers might wear.

It sparkled with that smile.

“Why are you so stupid? There’s no way we wouldn’t notice that you’ve been defeated. Lord Romun is always using his skills to monitor our energy.”

“… … .”

“You forget such basic things and hide it without making a sound… … Are you stiff-headed because you’re cornered?”

As he spoke, Micheln tapped the elcapist tree where Nethellon resided.

“I wish I had gone to Lord Romun himself and apologized for my defeat… Ah, I guess I couldn’t go because of that.”

“It’s not like the tree has legs—” Michelin giggled as he said that.

Then, in an instant, he stopped laughing and said.

“Did you get hit by that last apostle of Lucid Miller?”

As soon as he heard that question, Nethelon’s soul within the tree was stirred.

There was only one last apostle of Lucid Miller.

One chosen by Lucid Miller to bear great power and heavy responsibility.

And they are also an essential item in the plans of the returnees.

Micheln was convinced as he watched Nethellon’s aura ripple and quiver.

“Judging by your reaction, I guess you were right. Well, if you ended up like that, it must have been the apostle’s doing.”