Chapter 40
Chapter 40: Selection (4)
"The Princess will be truly delighted to see what you have above your head, Director Erik. Even I do not know what this object is."
It was something the Emperor said as he personally escorted Erik to the front of the reception room.
It was about the glimmering ring.
'As expected of the Emperor.'
Even though Ruelle had concealed his presence with his Divine Power, the ring was clearly visible to the Emperor's eyes.
Yet the Emperor had hidden the ring's existence.
'Quite the magnanimous gesture.'
A generosity befitting the great empire.
As Erik was thinking thus.
"Please take good care of my youngest princess, thanks to you."
The Emperor spoke and disappeared.
The remaining Butler Park opened the reception room door wide and guided Erik inside.
Thump! Thump!
Upon entering the reception room, Erik plopped down onto the sofa.
'The Emperor harbors lingering resentment after all.'
The solemn Imperial Family.
Frankly, that statement was nonsense.
'He made the Princess into the youngest.'
So the Princess was delighted and wanted to meet him?
Erik pressed his temples firmly and lowered his head.
"Oh, Brother. A carpet made from dragon hide!"
Erik and Jang Du-sik were waiting for the Princess in the luxurious reception room.
"Dragon hide is in such short supply that there isn't enough to make armor……."
A place so magnificent that they used the skin of Dragons as mere decorative items.
On the dining table sat tea brewed from the leaves of the World Tree, and the refreshments were fairy wings.
Yet even in a reception room filled with such luxury, Erik remained utterly still.
At this oddity, Jang Du-sik's words trailed off.
"Du-sik, what do you think the Emperor meant?"
Erik directed a question at Jang Du-sik.
His voice was sharp.
'What's made him so angry?'
Usually when Erik was in this state, getting hit was the result no matter what answer you gave.
Based on experience, Jang Du-sik chose the answer that would result in the least beating.
"Brother, you killed the Fourth Prince, so the Third Princess became the youngest, right? That's what... the Princess is happy about that role as the youngest."
Jang Du-sik's best effort was to give a simple answer grounded in fact.
By killing the Fourth Prince, he had made the Third into the youngest.
It wasn't an incorrect statement.
"I see."
Erik scratched his head quite calmly and adjusted his posture.
"Remarkable. I didn't know Jang Du-sik would come up with an answer to avoid punishment. How is it? Does it seem like this Du-sik is gradually ripening in learning?"
"Indeed."
As continuous positive responses came forth, Jang Du-sik broke into a grin.
"Kuhehe! Receiving Brother's recognition after so long!"
The flat-topped head of hair gleamed as he laughed heartily.
'Laugh while you can.'
Erik swallowed bitterness in his heart.
He already knew the dispositions of the Princes and Princesses through his information network.
'That crazy woman.'
The Third Prince who had been possessed was famous as a reckless madman even before the possession.
The Princess possessed a different kind of madness, and in some respects, you could say she was even more unhinged than the Third Prince.
Particularly exceptional was her scholarly enthusiasm, or so it was said?
Having earned recognition for that scholarly enthusiasm, he was on 'Grandpa!' terms with the famously difficult Master of the Imperial Magic Tower.
"Du-sik, didn't you say you needed a Magic teacher?"
"Brother, I've come this far through self-study. What use would a teacher be at this point?"
Jang Du-sik, despite his appearance, possessed outstanding talent in magic.
However, compared to his brilliant talent, his mind matched his appearance.
'Self-study is ridiculous.'
The reality of Jang Du-sik's "self-study" meant that Erik and Riferoze had hammered magic circles into his head through rote education.
And he calls that self-study…….
'Still, Du-sik's talent is real.'
Not befitting a knight, he had the vicious appearance of a backstreet gang leader.
'Yet there's a stubborn purity within him.'
A naturally innocent fellow whose ignorance feels like purity.
'Yet more faithful than anyone.'
Jang Du-sik is a bundle of such contradictions.
Erik felt inwardly apologetic.
What he would do from now on would be an unreasonable burden for this person.
However, there would be commensurate gains as well.
All things considered, it would be the story if things went well…….
'Life is all high risk, high return, Du-sik.'
Erik finished his thoughts.
Jang Du-sik was still boasting of his "self-study" ability.
Swinging his cudgel and puffing out his chest proudly.
"—Do you understand how amazing it is to use magic by memorizing without understanding?"
Clink!
Erik picked up his teacup.
A delicate forest scent wafted gently from the refined tea brewed from the young leaves of the World Tree.
After taking a light sip of tea, Erik asked Jang Du-sik.
"How would the Master of the Imperial Magic Tower be?"
"……What, what is that? You mean a magic teacher?"
Erik nodded calmly.
It felt like Jang Du-sik had taken the bait.
"Huh—. Isn't the Master of the Imperial Magic Tower the commander of the Emperor's Right Arm Combat Magic corps?"
"So what?"
Jang Du-sik's eyes gleamed with excitement.
"Is, is that possible?"
He was hooked.
"Just do as I say. Then the Princess will guide you to the Master of the Imperial Magic Tower."
Erik smiled a bitter smile.
Jang Du-sik's hair stood on end at the familiar scheming smile, but he was tempted by the name Master of the Imperial Magic Tower.
Erik drove the wedge home.
"Consecrated War-Mage Jang Du-sik."
"Kuuuuuu!"
The Master of the Imperial Magic Tower was the originator of "War-Mage."
An existence that changed the perception of gentleman mages to that of ruffians.
For Jang Du-sik, born in the backstreets and living by his two fists, it was nothing less than the ideal he had dreamed of.
"Du-sik, do exactly as I tell you."
"Understood!"
***
Diiing!
A cross floating in the air.
A giant Paladin emerged from within.
Scrunch! Clang!
"That, the Miracle of Teleportation!"
"This is the Papal palace!"
Upon arrival, a blade was pointed at Erik's neck.
Erik had literally performed a miracle, moving to his desired location.
There, among them.
"Who are you!"
Startled Holy Knights drew their swords and surrounded Erik.
Erik's face was not yet known to the Papal palace.
'They don't know me.'
Today's baptism ceremony was precisely the event that would make Erik's face known.
He had not made achievements like his teacher, nor had he left a name through great deeds.
'I understand not knowing, but…….'
Erik thought he should say something to these ruffians.
For these so-called clergy to rush into a woman's room en masse and sweat like that.
"There are many uninvited guests in my teacher's room."
Erik was a Pilgrim of the Holy Order.
He had brought sacred relics and received the Pope's recognition.
What did it matter if they didn't recognize his face?
Thunk!
Erik pulled out the iron badge attached to the shoulder of the Empire's conquest uniform.
The crude and weathered blue-green iron badge was the mark of a Pilgrim.
The Holy Knights bowed their heads at the sacred object.
"We greet you, Pilgrim Erik."
"We apologize for not recognizing you!"
Erik's brow relaxed slightly.
'They're treating me as a proper superior.'
It felt rewarding for his hard work.
He had inwardly worried about receiving territorial resentment or being treated as a parachute appointment, but there was no need.
His face was simply unknown.
But his name and Pilgrim status had been officially announced.
'Of course, since I invoked Father's name.'
Truly, he was the Pope.
Once he received the baptism, there would be no one in the Astia Religious Order who did not know Erik's name and face.
'But that's not the important thing right now.'
Being recognized as a Pilgrim and whatnot.
In fact, that wasn't a problem for Erik.
Why were these fellows sweating in this room?
"What were you doing here?"
Having made his status known.
Now it was time to solve the mystery.
Erik's eyes swept meticulously around the room.
The Holy Knights were startled as his slow gaze moved across the space.
'My memories feel defiled.'
The place Erik had moved to was his teacher's room.
The largest room in the Papal palace.
On one side of the room hung a stained glass window in an ornate frame, positioned to let in abundant light.
He was curious what the Holy Knights gathered in front of that stained glass window had been doing.
On the floor in front of the glass window, drops of sweat had pooled into puddles.
"His Holiness ordered this room to be used as a training ground for the Holy Knights……."
"Training?"
Erik's face contorted again.
His emotions manifested in fierce Divine Power.
The Holy Knights trailed off and stepped backward.
From the perspective of those who handled Divine Power, Erik's presence was no different from a monster.
'And they say he's only fifteen…….'
Over two meters in height.
And overwhelming musculature.
On top of that, Divine Power of such vivid, brilliant golden hue.
'A monster.'
And he had such a grim expression on his face.
Instinctive fear arose.
"What kind of training are you doing here exactly?"
Erik was displeased by the sight of about a dozen men gathering in his teacher's room and sweating.
The lace-trimmed bed his teacher had used remained.
The high-quality furniture made from the wood of the Demon Realm remained.
The room that had been filled with the subtle rose scent his teacher had exuded.
'Now it's filled with the stench of sweat.'
A very unpleasant smell wafted through.
If his teacher returned…….
They might all have their heads broken.
Opening a drawer, he found his teacher's clothing neatly arranged.
Yet the room hadn't even been vacated.
'They come into a woman's room without permission and train?'
The lingering remnants of Park Ji-hun's Confucian nature stirred within.
Even as such thoughts arose, no answer came forth.
As silence continued, Erik added a remark.
"If the room still reeks of sweat when I return, all of you should be prepared."
He wanted to personally oversee and manage the purification work of the room.
But the time for the baptism ceremony was fast approaching.
In fact, he was already somewhat late.
***
The Papal palace of the Astia Religious Order.
While called a Papal palace, it was no different from a massive castle.
On its first floor stood the largest prayer hall in the world.
Using an entire floor of a giant castle solely for prayer was ordinarily impossible, but……
For the most powerful Astia Religious Order, it was possible.
"Your Holiness, over thirty thousand believers have gathered."
A strong but impoverished Religious Order had purified the Monster settlements in the stateless lands and built their Papal palace there.
That's why its scale was overwhelming.
In such a massive Papal palace, people exceeded capacity and poured in.
With thirty thousand crammed into a prayer hall that could hold ten thousand, it was like a bucket of overcrowded sprouts.
"It seems everyone has high expectations since it's been a long time since a baptism ceremony was held. That, but……."
A baptism ceremony of the Pope.
The Pope was the representative of God possessing a Divine Body. a supreme powerful being beloved by the God Astia.
"When exactly is the Pilgrim Erik arriving?"
The Archbishop voiced his anxiety in a pitiful tone before the Pope.
The lunch meeting with the Emperor was supposed to be at noon.
There was an implication that he had stood them up attending that.
'Unable to use the Miracle of Teleportation, he won't be able to attend the 2 o'clock baptism ceremony.'
Neither the Imperial Capital of District 1 nor the Papal palace of the Astia Religious Order were places where the Miracle of Teleportation was possible.
Leaving such places was possible, but the destination could not be set.
Even if Erik had hurried as much as possible, he should have arrived at the outskirts of the Papal palace by now.
"Even if he arrives late, he'll be climbing the cliff."
Furthermore, the Papal palace was built atop a precipitous cliff.
It was designed so that Holy Knights would climb the cliff themselves to cultivate their endurance.
"Your Holiness, the believers are becoming restless. How much longer must we delay……."
The middle-aged Pope slowly closed his eyes.
'So you chose the Empire after all.'
If one had such a teacher, such a student should have chosen the Religious Order.
Riferoze, Erik's teacher, was a person who prioritized the Religious Order above all.
'This too is your choice.'
The Pope decided.
Before the thirty thousand believers, the baptism ceremony of the Pilgrim Erik was to be cancelled.
It was a resolution to utter words that would tarnish his own face.
A decision only possible because he was the Pope.
"I shall speak directly to the believers—."
That was when.
Boom! Boom!
Erik came down from above.
Having rushed urgently, the pure white priestly robes of the Religious Order were slightly askew.
"Oh, Pilgrim Erik. You've arrived in the nick of time."
The Archbishop greeted Erik.
Now if he entered the prayer hall with the Pope, everything would be complete……
"Hmm. Something seems off."
The Pope was bewildered.
The Pope's location was the office on the third floor of the Papal palace.
The fourth floor above was where Riferoze's room and the Holy Knights' training grounds were located.
Wait, he came down from above?
"Did you perform the Miracle of Teleportation?"
"I apologize for being late, Your Holiness."
Instead of answering, Erik lowered his head respectfully.
'Riferoze, where else have you tunneled a passage?'
The Pope grasped the general situation.
That he had seen the Emperor was somewhat vexing…….
But it was only slightly late, so he decided to forgive it.
"Come here."
The Pope stood with Erik in the corridor connected to the prayer hall.
Light shot from the Sanctuary slowly guided the Pope and Erik to the prayer hall like an elevator.
Thud!
Soon their feet touched the ground.
"I hereby conduct the baptism ceremony of the Pilgrim Erik!"
Along with the solemn proclamation of the Religious Order's elder, the shout of thirty thousand believers crashed down like a wave.
Waaaaaaaa!!!
The resoundingly overwhelming space of the prayer hall.
And the Pope and Erik walked side by side down the center.
At its end was the sacred object of the Astia Religious Order emitting brilliant light.
[The Holy Grail of Astia]