NoGift

Chapter 134: one morning with the pope

HALF of the land area of Victoria City was being occupied by the Temple of Gaia. The biggest structure inside was the Holy Temple - a tall, white building with spires and stained glasses. It was known as the biggest church in the world. Beside it stood the Apostolic Palace, the official residence of the Pope. Then on the other side were the Temple Museum and the Temple Library. The museum contained a lot of famous artwork and the library had the biggest collection of historical books.

In front of the church was a wide and spacious plaza where people gathered whenever the Pope did a public mass. It's also the place where most of the activities for the Festival of Creation occured. At the back of the church was a garden with fountains, statues, and specially cultivated flowers.

At present, all the priests stationed at Victoria City were busy preparing for the Festival of Creation. Inside the Apostolic Palace, the young Pope was having a conversation with a middle-aged looking man. The man has a few white strands on his black hair and an innate arrogance that couldn't be hidden in his gaze. The man's name was Marcus Stillwell, one of the five Archbishops of the Temple of Gaia.

He was there to assist the Pope for the coming Festival of Creation. Every year, at least one of the five Archbishops came to Victoria City during this time of the year to give their support. This time, it was Archbishop Stillwell's turn.

"Your Holiness, I heard that you captured the elf. Could I perhaps have the authority regarding the welfare of it? Being that I'm responsible for the Midnight Auction, I would really love to have that elf as a finale," Archbishop Stillwell said.

"Marcus, we already discussed this. Didn't we?" Lucern looked up from the paper he's reading and smiled at the archbishop. "Or did I not make myself clear?"

Marcus suddenly felt chills ran down his spine. Then he couldn't help but secretly gnashed his teeth. He hated this fear. He shouldn't be feeling like this. Cowering over this bastard. He had a noble upbringing, a powerful family, a high level Gift. He's not just some nameless orphan that the Temple picked up. And yet why? Why was this person the one sitting at the very top?

When the former Pope died, he expected to be the one annointed as the next Pope. He was the youngest out of all the Archbishops. He was the one with the most potential. But things didn't happen as he expected. For some reason, the other four Archbishops chose a young priest to be the next Pope. A 16 year old boy with no experience whatsoever. The only thing he got going for him was his light Gift. He tried to protest but it all just fell on deaf ears. And just like that, an orphan boy named Lucern Faust successfuly became the next Pope.

It was simply unacceptable. He tried a lot of ways to take Lucern down but it all just ended in failure. Slowly, he learned the hard way that despite being young, there was nothing remotely simple about the new Pope. That behind his kind and gentle facade was a terrible monster. Even if Marcus didn't want to, the fear he had of him already became soul deep before he even realized it.

But Marcus still couldn't accept it. Bowing down to someone so beneath him, how could he do it?

"But Your Holiness, many of our guests are already expecting a top quality item for the finale--"

"Marcus, don't make me repeat myself," Lucern said, cutting off whatever else Marcus had to say. "You know that my patience is very limited. And you keep on testing that patience over and over again. This is going to be your last warning. Don't have any idea you shouldn't have. Or you might just end up the same way as Charles. Am I understood?"

Marcus couldn't help but feel that unprecedented fear again. Of course he knew about Charles Dupont. The bishop who was sent to Shandra. After that scandal, he disappeared. No one asked about his whereabouts. But they tacitly knew that he was probably already dead. And the one who disposed of him was none other than their saint like Pope.

Marcus lowered his head. "I understand, Your Holiness."

"Good. Then you may go."

He stood up and bowed, then walked out of the Apostolic Palace.

Once the Archbishop was gone, there was a swirl of Mana beside the Pope and a man with long gray hair and a domino mask on his face suddenly appeared.

"You know you should just get rid of that idiot. He'll definitely be a problem in the long run," Harlequin said pertaining to the archbishop.

"He still has his uses. And besides, it's hard to pick a new priest that could replace him," Lucern simply answered before turning to Harlequin. "Are the twins already here?"

"Yes. And their currently pestering Limos."

"That's better than having them causing havoc in the city. Tell Limos to temporarily supervise them."

"Yes," Harlequin answered. "I have news to report, Your Holiness," he added.

"What is it?"

"It seemed like the second prince of Albion already knew about the first princess' connection to us. Once the King find that out, it wouldn't be long before she ends up being kicked out of the Albion royal family. How should we handle it?"

"Let it be. She's just a single pawn in a big chess board after all," Lucern said, seemingly unaffected by what he heard.

"But what if she says something unnecessary?"

"Then kill her."

"That would be easy. Since we already have an Apostle hiding in their midst." Harlequin longed wanted to kill that annoying princess, so he was all in on that plan. "But I do wonder how the second prince found out about her connection to us."

The second prince just didn't have the resources to know something like that.

Lucern reached for the pen on his desk and played with it. "Just think about the timing. This happened right after your trip to Xing."

Harlequin widened his eyes unbelievingly. "No way... Argent Blackbourne? But how?"

The timing was really a bit coincidental. Just after he appeared in front of the young duke, the second prince of Albion suddenly received news about the first princess' connection to the Temple. But was that really enough for Argent to put two and two together?

"Don't underestimate Argent Blackbourne's means," Lucern said, a small smile on his lips. "Didn't you contact the princess a number of times before this?"

"Just because of that?" Harlequin said, still full of doubt. "But how the heck would he know about that?"

"Probably by using the sPhones."

Harlequin was unsure on how exactly those sPhone got anything to do with the young duke knowing his communication with the first princess. But if the Pope said it was, then it most probably was. Though if one thought about it, Argent was the one who invented those things, so he probably had a way to use it to spy on people. Was that the reason why the Pope never allowed them to use the sPhone?

If it was, then His Holiness was still the most fearsome. Because he managed to think of that possibility that early.

"Speaking of, is Your Holiness certain that the duke will come here in Victoria City?" Harlequin asked, choosing to change the topic.

"Oh, he will definitely come. He's probably already here now, wearing a different face."

"Should we look for him then?"

"No. Let him play to his heart's content."

Because whatever Argent chose to do, it wouldn't affect his overall plan. Lucern looked outside the window of his study. An ambiguous smile flashed on his lips. His blue eyes were suddenly filled with excitement.

[I'm waiting, Argent. Just how will you entertain me this time?]