Novel Full Chapter 285 : Chapter 285
Chapter 285. Had I Forgotten? (2)
The drunk Perios told him everything.
After morning prayers and then morning training, it was Perios’ role to attend to the Pontiff in his chambers in the afternoon.
And Perios liked attending to the Pontiff.
Because, along with the honor of being able to perform the glorious duty of attending to the Pontiff, he could also sneak a few of the snacks His Holiness the Pontiff ate.
[Is that okay?]
[Hehehe. He leaves a few every day…]
[…….]
[It’s not good for His Holiness the Pontiff to eat too many sweets at his age, so….]
It was Perios, spilling all his weaknesses while drunk.
Well, what big of a deal could a young priest sneaking a few cookies be, but….
‘I have a feeling.’
Patrick got a feeling right away and said to Perios.
[Can you get me a few of those cookies?]
[Why?]
[…I like sweet things too, you know?]
[Ah, is that so? Then shall I bring them now? I have some in my quarters.]
[Bring them.]
Perios had been sneaking the cookies meant as the Pontiff’s snacks and hoarding them in his quarters to savor.
It seemed that the sweet cookies were hard to resist during the ascetic temple life.
‘Well, soldiers and knights also craved sweet snacks a lot during training.’
The cookie Perios brought looked, at a glance, like an ordinary cookie made of flour and honey.
But….
Crunch!
Patrick, who took a bite, immediately spat it out.
Then, the corners of his mouth curled up and he said.
[Found it.]
He had finally found the tail.
***
Patrick’s guess was correct.
Black mages had infiltrated the Holy Theocracy.
That was how the black mages were able to use their status as priests to infiltrate the Schneider Duchy.
Yes. So far, so good.
All good, but….
“This is too big. Of all people, for the Pontiff himself to have fallen to a black mage.”
“Are you sure? You’re not mistaken?”
At Matthew’s question, Patrick said firmly.
“The cookie that kid Perios brought had a drug that clouds the mind and a small amount of demonic energy planted in it. I don’t know how they made it, but it’s clear that if consumed over a long period, one would be eroded by demonic energy.”
“In all my life…. I’ve never heard of infusing demonic energy through food.”
“Huh? Really? You don’t have that over here?”
“What?”
“In the place I knew, it was a relatively common method.”
In the Murim, it was very common to bewitch and blackmail opponents by putting poison, drugs, or parasites into their food.
That was why Murim-in were always sensitive about what went into their mouths.
“Well, anyway, this is undeniable. It’s clear the Pontiff is being brainwashed right now. If you look at it that way, the situation where the Holy Theocracy is continuing a reckless war with the Empire also makes sense.”
At Patrick’s words, the others all nodded.
Currently, the Holy Theocracy had deployed all twelve of its Paladins into the war with the Empire.
But even so, the situation on the front lines was not good.
Usually, if the mood on the front lines is not good, they would pull back and consider a truce or ceasefire, but the Holy Theocracy showed no signs of backing down at all.
Even though the number of the 12 Paladins had been reduced to nine due to this war.
A reckless war.
And yet, the Holy Theocracy does not back down.
If the brainwashed Pontiff, controlled by a black mage, was behind this situation….
“It logically fits.”
At Riman’s words, the others also nodded.
Although he sometimes spouted nonsense, that man was still the smartest among the swordsmen gathered here.
If such a Riman agreed with Patrick’s opinion, it added significant weight to this hypothesis.
But then.
“What are you going to do now?”
“What?”
“Are you going to go to the Pontiff and beat him up until the demonic energy comes out?”
Like you did to me?
The words were left unsaid, but anyone who needed to understand understood.
And they thought.
‘No way…. that’s not it.’
‘Even so, that’s not it.’
The opponent was the Pontiff who ruled this massive Holy Theocracy.
No, beyond just a nation, he could be said to be the religious pillar of the entire continent.
To beat up such a holy and sacred person?
Even if he was Patrick Schneider, he wouldn’t think of doing such a crazy thing….
“……”
“Hey, why aren’t you answering?”
“Were you thinking of doing it? Were you really thinking of doing it?”
At Matthew and Riman’s interrogation, Patrick yelled.
“Ah! What? Is there any other way? It’s natural to beat up a crazy person to bring them to their senses, isn’t it?”
“You crazy bastard!”
“Are you in your right mind? Are you really a demon from the demon world?”
“I knew it. I knew this would happen. There’s no way this great demon would hold back just because it’s His Holiness the Pontiff… Kuweek!”
Booooom!
Patrick, who had kicked Oliver away, frowned and said.
“That’s the most certain way. The Pontiff will thank me after being beaten up and coming to his senses.”
“Who in the world says thank you after being beaten up?”
“Huh? Isn’t that normal?”
“……”
They do that because they don’t want to be beaten up more, you crazy bastard!
The words that Matthew couldn’t bring himself to say.
And Patrick yelled.
“No, then is there a better way?”
“Huh?”
“What?”
Patrick asked again with a serious face.
“I don’t know any other way than to go to the Pontiff and beat him until he comes to his senses. But do you guys have any other way?”
“……”
“……”
When faced with such a question, they had nothing to say.
These swordsmen didn’t know how to save a person who had been invaded by a black mage’s demonic energy in the first place.
Just then, Riman suddenly thought.
‘Wait a minute? A swordsman?’
“How about we seek wisdom from someone other than ourselves?”
At that, Patrick retorted bluntly.
“Other than us? Who?”
“Isn’t the 3rd Sage with us? Don’t tell me you forgot?”
“…Ah, right.”
It seems he really did forget.
***
The seven sages who rule the Tower of Truth.
Their social standing is comparable to that of a king of a nation, and with their high wisdom and powerful magic, no one on the continent dares to ignore the Seven Sages.
Yes. That’s how it should be.
“Hahaha. I’m sorry. I forgot.”
“……”
Should I kill this bastard?
Anyone would be able to understand if such a thought crossed the 3rd Sage’s mind.
He had been reluctant from the beginning when asked to join the delegation to the Holy Theocracy.
But….
[Cooome ooooon. I didn’t ask for anything big, just to come along, and you can’t even do that….]
And so, he had no choice but to join the journey.
But the problem started from there.
[Shh, stay hidden like you’re dead. Got it?]
[But why?]
[I need to use you at a crucial moment, Sage. So it’s better if your existence isn’t revealed until then. Just eat and sleep in the carriage.]
[…….]
At first, he thought it was a joke.
But it really wasn’t a joke.
When he said he was frustrated and annoyed and asked if he could go outside for a bit….
[Tsk tsk tsk, this is all because your mental strength is weak. The damn monks and Taoist bastards I know, once they start training, they chew on fasting pills like they’re steel bars in a cave without a single ray of light….]
[Who on earth are these species of damn monks and Taoist bastards you speak of?]
[They exist. Those kinds of people.]
In any case….
As a mage, his pride was on the line, so the 3rd Sage couldn’t back down from Patrick’s words questioning his mental strength.
In the end, he himself became stubborn and thought, ‘Alright. Let’s do this,’ and had been consistently meditating in the carriage until now.
Every day was a difficult time that ate away at his mental strength, but he had immersed himself in training with the thought that even the Double Dragon would be impressed by his patience and mental fortitude, but….
“You had forgotten?”
“……”
“Me? Me, one of the Seven Sages of this Tower of Truth?”
“It’s not that I forgot, I just put it on the back burner because it wasn’t an important issue.”
That’s even more offensive.
The 3rd Sage ground his teeth and said.
“So, what is the reason you’ve finally sought me out, who is not very important? What business brings you to call me?”
“Ah, about that.”
Before hearing Patrick’s explanation, the 3rd Sage thought.
It really must be nothing special.
Since it’s this mad dog’s doing, it’s probably just that someone pissed him off or it’s related to money.
He had thought.
But….
“…that’s what happened.”
“……”
This was a really big deal.
He had come to the Holy Theocracy tracking the traces of a black mage, and the place where he found those traces was a direct attendant of the Pontiff?
And it seems the reclusive Pontiff is contaminated by the black mage’s demonic energy, and it is presumed that this is why the Holy Theocracy is continuing its reckless war with the Empire.
After hearing all of Patrick’s words, he couldn’t argue.
No, rather than arguing….
‘This friend is really…’
Double Dragon Patrick Schneider.
He was still a young man in his early 20s.
And yet, this young man was striving alone to resolve a war started by two of the continent’s superpowers.
Even though no one in the world would recognize his efforts.
The 3rd Sage gazed at Patrick.
“What? Is there something on my handsome face?”
“No, it’s just…”
“Just what?”
“I just had the feeling that this is what a pushover looks like.”
“How can you say something so harsh?”
Patrick jumped up and down, but in the 3rd Sage’s eyes, Patrick was as much of a pushover as the Grand Duke Schneider.
It was of no benefit to him, yet he had come all the way to the other side of the continent to stop a war started by black mages and was moving so diligently….
If you didn’t call a friend like this a pushover, there was only one other word to call him.
‘A hero, I guess.’
…Nah, that’s not it.
***
After hearing all of Patrick’s explanation, the 3rd Sage deliberated.
If the Pontiff was brainwashed by the black mages’ magic, there were several ways to deal with it immediately.
Mages, too, had long considered black mages their enemies, studied them, and developed mental magic to counter their brainwashing.
“Is that more effective than me beating him up?”
“…Probably.”
“Tch.”
Why is this bastard disappointed?
His face showed a look of regret, as if thinking, ‘What a waste. When else would I get the chance to beat up the Pontiff?’
“Well, anyway, is it okay? So if I bring you to the Pontiff, you can handle it from there, right?”
“That’s right. The problem starts from there.”
“Ah, what now?”
To the annoyed Patrick, the 3rd Sage said.
“How are you going to get me in front of the Pontiff?”
“Well, that’s… we could just charge in normally? Or, alternatively, we could request an audience.”
His definitions of normal and alternative were very strange.
But apart from that….
“Both are impossible.”
“Why?”
“Hasn’t the Pontiff been avoiding external activities for a long time, using illness as an excuse?”
“Can’t we even meet him for a moment?”
“It will be absolutely impossible. Because, if you are right, isn’t the Pontiff currently completely conquered by the black mages and in a puppet state?”
“Ahhh…. Then he won’t come out.”
“That’s right. He will definitely be hiding.”
“Then we have no choice. We have to break through by force.”
“That’s also impossible. The Pontiff’s chambers are protected by an Aegis barrier, protected by Yupinel’s miracle.”
“Aegis barrier? What’s that?”
“It’s an absolute defense deployed in the name of God. No one can break through it.”
“Oh, really? Let’s try beating it up…”
“It is said that during the Roman Empire era, three 9-star swordsmen attacked it with all their might, but it held.”
“That’s quite impressive. But if I really put my mind to it…”
“The great mages of the Roman Empire era researched and concluded. It is a blessing directly from God. It can never be broken by human power. Even a dragon cannot break through it.”
“……”
Hearing that, this seemed like it would be a bit tough.