Chapter 135: Do Knights Get Shortened? (3)
“You lucky bastard...!”
“...What?”
“Cardinal Raphael! Do you have any idea how many believers would give anything just to speak with him? There are people who’d spend fortunes for a chance to share a meal with him! And here you are, someone who doesn’t even care about religion, casually spending time with him...!!”
“Really?”
When Jake, who had come to relay news from the tunnels, heard about Ihan’s recent interactions, he reacted explosively, leaving Ihan to blink in surprise.
Ihan had already heard that Raphael was impressive, but he hadn’t realized just how high his standing was.
To Ihan, Jake’s outburst seemed excessive.
“But why do they still call him a cardinal? Didn’t he retire ages ago?”
It seemed strange to make such a fuss over someone who was already well past retirement age.
“...That’s a statement that would turn believers’ worlds upside down if they heard it.”
Jake pressed his fingers to his temples, as though trying to suppress a headache from Ihan’s outrageous remark.
“He only stepped down because he chose to decline the position. His potential rank is still far beyond that of a cardinal. Honestly, it wouldn’t have been strange if he became Pope, and if he wanted to, over forty percent of the temple clergy would back him.”