NOVEL NEXT Chapter 51.1
“Get lost, I refuse.”
Duchy of Eshua.
Without any warning, the family head began to curse towards the communication device. In response, the person on the other side of the communication device, who had heard the cursing, smiled.
[Why do you refuse? Wouldn’t it be a good thing if the youngest grandson was ordained a priest?]
Damn, why would he refuse?
Because that brat looks like trouble!
‘If Isaac is ordained a priest, he gets closer to the Papacy.’
Then, wouldn’t they all learn about Isaac’s faith!
Normally, the family head would have smashed the talkative communication device, but the other party was none other than the Papacy.
If his grandson were to be dragged into an inquisition someday, he couldn’t break it outright, so only spoke these words.
“I’ve decided to educate my grandson at home until he becomes an adult.”
[Keeping a child locked up at home can cause personality issues.]
They’ve already occurred.
[Well, fine. Leave the child out of it. But, Your Excellency, you should come. Is it appropriate for a Cardinal to be absent from the ordination ceremony, one of the most important ceremonies?]
“I sent a representative due to family circumstances.”
[The Pope might be upset.]
The family head raised his eyebrows.
Is the Pope a big deal now?
He’s busy looking for his kid!
No matter where I search in the command, he doesn’t show up!
“Anyway, as long as nothing happens…”
[Oh, by the way, I heard a rumor that a platinum-haired child was seen at the academy.]
Thud.
The connection on the communication device was abruptly cut off. At the sight of it, Lilai, who was standing nearby, broke into a cold sweat.
“Was there the Red Cardinal? Is it true that Isaac is at the Academy?”
“Nonsense. Why would he be there?”
No, it would have been problematic even if he were there.
‘There’s an inquisitor at that Academy.’
Isaac’s answers in the integrity test included responses about the Pope.
[Q. What message would you like to convey to the Pope as a new priest?]
[A. Wipe your neck and kneel, so I can easily rip your head off.]
Oh Lord.
Is this the answer sheet of a priest, or the answer sheet of a heretic?
Did the child’s mind change when he was a newborn?
From blasphemy to the crime of rebellion, he does all sorts of things.
His mind was distant.
And that’s not all!
‘The imperial princess is at that academy.’
And the thought that Isaac would peacefully pass by the imperial family after meeting them… Honestly, it doesn’t seem likely.
An inquisitor and an imperial princess.
Whether he encounters one or the other, the probability of being dragged to prison was high. The only difference is whether he’ll be taken for blasphemy or for disrespecting the imperial family.
The knights of the Blue who were searching for Isaac approached them.
“Master, we’ve searched thoroughly, but there’s still no sign of him.”
“We’ve checked every possible place where the child could go in, but…”
The family head sighed.
“There’s nothing we can do. You guys stay and continue searching for Isaac. It’s time for me to leave.”
Although he had said he would send a representative, he couldn’t afford to miss the ordination ceremony.
Then, not far away, knights with blue horses approached with haste. The preparations for a distant journey were already in place.
“How much time is left until the ordination ceremony?”
Then Lilai, who was carrying his father’s luggage, loosened up and checked the pocket watch.
“Exactly 23 hours and 48 minutes.”
The knights came out, ready to follow.
“Master, please ride. Among the summoned creatures, these are the fastest breeds…”
“No, they’re too slow. They won’t make it in time.”
“Yes? Uh, but!”
“You guys follow slowly. I’ll go first.”
“First…? Ah!”
Before the words could finish, the ground shook with a tremendous noise.
Thump!
The family head and Lilai stepped on the ground and jumped forward.
Disappearing with the noise, they moved faster than the wind. Elai took the lead, and Lilai followed behind.
The knights could not keep their mouths shut as they watched Masters disappear across the plains in an instant.
“How… how fast…”
“What speed is… more importantly, can they really reach the capital in just 23 hours?”
“But the fastest summoned creatures take a week to cover that distance?! Even without anything to carry?”
However, because it was Master and Lilai of the Blue family, the knights remained silent, thinking it might be possible.
Of course, summoned divine creatures always needed rest and were greatly affected by the terrain. Therefore, unless there were constraints in those aspects, humans would be faster… but it’s impossible, isn’t it!?
‘They’re not human.’
But what’s even scarier than that…
“…Isn’t Madam stronger than them?”
“Uh… their fields are different. If we’re talking about physical strength alone, she’s about a hundred times stronger?”
“…”
Then, just how strong is the Skeleton King, whom they ultimately couldn’t capture?!
‘Well, we don’t know where that skeleton is hiding.’
It’s terrifying to think that such a being is still trying to destroy the Holy Empire.
* * *
And the skeleton that will bring ruin to the country was currently within the Holy Empire.
Right in the midst of the Academy.
“Well, well.”
The restaurant was buzzing.
All because of a baby.
Although there weren’t many people, a toddler who didn’t fit in with the Academy’s minimum age of 10 was enough to attract attention.
“Um, who is that kid?”
“If Shuri brought him, isn’t he from the Eshua family?”
“What?! The Duke’s people rummaging through the trash?”
“Moreover, throwing eggs at the portrait of the Pope…”
“Ahhhh!”
“Oh, Shuri caught them.”
Shuri, who managed to catch the eggs, became misty-eyed.
This voice, this scene, this situation.
‘…Is this déjà vu?’
It seemed like a similar incident happened ten years ago, damn it!
Of course, the difference from back then is that this is a gathering of noble children, and Shuri is the class representative respected by the students. This restaurant is where professors directly under the Pope dine!
‘If an incident occurs here…!’
Who knows how the factions of the Papacy will respond!
‘No, even if nothing else, if he catches the eye of the inquisitors, who can visually assess faith!’
Shuri felt dizzy at the thought of possibly being dragged to prison for the first time in his life.
‘No, that’s not the issue right now.’
“Are you the kid who bullied him?”
“W-What?”
Yeah.
The problem is that brat, damn it.
Shuri sighed, rubbing his forehead as he looked at the children facing off against Isaac.
The one Isaac was arguing with was a kid from the prosecution’s side. He was the younger brother of Naiser Sephet, a noble from the Red Faction.
“I didn’t bother Shuri Eshua! It was Naiser!”
He even knew that Shuri had been bothered.
Well, even if the Eshua family seems easy to such a kid, there’s nothing to be done.
‘After all, they have the second most power among the Five Great Families.’
Red.
Commonly known as the faith in punishment and torture.
Although not as traditional as Gold or White, they have recently expanded their power roughly. They are swallowing up emerging forces politically and increasing their influence.
While all faiths are like that, what they’re saying is also the faith of the prosecution, which wants to remove Eshua from the Five Great Faiths.
‘Most importantly, it’s where 70% of the inquisitors are raised.’
In other words, the ones Isaac should stay far away from! That’s why Shuri sighed and tried to take Isaac away.
However, Isaac looked at the red-haired kid as if he were curious.
‘His energy is similar to the guy who argued with Shuri. Why?’
The guy he detected through Shadow Lich.
It doesn’t seem to be just because of blood relations.
And as if to resolve that question, the kid looked at Isaac unpleasantly.
“Isaac Eshua, cursed and abandoned child by the Skeleton King, is that right?”
What, seriously?
When Isaac glared at him, the kid laughed as if pitying him.
“If not, a direct child like you must have not yet made a contract with God.”
“!”
At those words, Isaac immediately caught on to something.
‘Why does it feel like their energies are the same?’
[Ah, don’t priests make contracts with their own gods?]
Yeah.
Those damn bastards’ gods who used to lord over him!
And the Five Great Families serve the strongest of the gods among numerous gods. Naturally, they must serve the strongest of the Five Great Lords among the gods.
Anyway, for the direct descendants of the Five Great Families, from a young age, they undergo a ceremony… well, not so much a contract as a baptism.
Anyway, it means receiving a blessing.
Actually, both the guy who picked a fight with Shuri, Naiser Sephet, and the guy in front of her right now have the same energy.
‘That energy feels familiar.’
There was a god he could roughly picture in his mind.