However, after staring at the arsenic jar for a long time, Cardinal de Mare eventually decided not to pour the poison into the Pope's teapot.
Instead, the Cardinal slumped his shoulders and sighed, looking at the ceiling.
"Ha."
Then he sat in a surprisingly upright position for a very long time, almost like meditating or praying.
It was unclear exactly what the Cardinal was doing, but it was clear that he was not going to poison the Pope right away.
Boom!
Suddenly, with a loud noise, the side door leading from the lounge where the Cardinal was sitting to the Pope's reception room opened.
Clap clap clap clap clap!
And then came the applause. It wasn't just one person clapping. It was at least four or five people clapping.
“de Mare!”
Immediately afterwards, the deep voice of Pope Louis burst out. Then, led by the Pope, those who had clapped their hands rushed into the narrow corridor.
“?!”
Cardinal de Mare looked around with his eyes wide open, not knowing what to say.
Pope Ludovico was approaching like a pirate, with a huge smile on his face that seemed more like a captain than a pope.
Cardinal de Mare leaned closer to the back of his chair in awe.
“What is this...”
His speech was interrupted midway by Pope Louis XIV.
“As expected! I told you so. That guy is a model student.”
At Ludovico's one word, ignorant congratulations followed from those around him. They were Ludovico's temporary confidants who had emerged after Arthur's fall from power.
“You have great self-control, Cardinal de Mare!”
“Yes! Congratulations!”
Cardinal de Mare still looked around in shock.
“Your Holiness...? What on earth...?”
“You passed my test!”
Cardinal de Mare, who had been skeptical, finally realized after hearing those words that this was really a prank arranged by Ludovico. A third firecracker went off in his head.
"Ugh!”
He jumped up from his seat in anger. His anger made him forget both fear and hierarchy. Cardinal de Mare opened his eyes and rushed at Pope Louis.
“You crazy bastard, the Pope, and madman! Such outrageous pranks...!”
He was in a hurry, so he couldn't even remember Latin.
However, Ludovico easily subdued de Mare with just one hand, even though he was suffering from muscle wasting.
“Are you kidding me?”
Ludovico smiled broadly. His white teeth were revealed. He, too, answered in his native language.
“Most of it is true.”
Cardinal de Mare could not believe his ears at the shocking words.
“T-It’s true...?”
The Pope continued speaking fluently, looking at the little Cardinal who was even stammering.
“The first place in the anthology of best essays was originally yours, but I was included instead. You were originally supposed to be appointed as the bishop of Chiriani, but I, your predecessor, rejected you and gave the job to someone else. I deliberately sent the apostle of Asereto to you at that time. Your wife flirted with me.”
Pope Ludovico looked at Cardinal de Mare with a broad smile.
“Two of those are true and two are false. Which one is the false one?”
The Cardinal was deeply disappointed in himself for not pouring the rat poison into his teacup a minute ago.
Rat poison? No, that guy deserves to be burned alive.
The Cardinal clenched his fists. Even if it meant getting dragged away after one punch, he had to punch that bastard once.
It was a single word from the Pope that stopped the blow.
“de Mare. I’ll die soon. At least a month or two, at most half a year.”
As Cardinal de Mare paused for a moment, some incredible words flew into his ears and lodged themselves in his mind.
"You are my successor. Congratulations on passing the test."
“Wait a minute, what? The successor? Dying?”
The honorific had returned. Ludovico placed his thick hand, like a pot lid, on Cardinal de Mare's frail shoulder.
“Yes. You will be the next Pope.”
Pope Louis, sitting on his plush chair with his usual smirk, which, according to Cardinal de Mare, would bring bad luck to the next day at noon, explained the reasons for his choice of Cardinal de Mare as his successor.
“I need a successor who will complete my holy war.”
As he sucked up another drop of the mysterious purple liquid.
“What is that?”
“The poison that keeps me alive.”
Pope Louis was infected with a type of brain parasite that caused his muscles to shrivel, and he would have seizures when he saw water.
The ointment he was taking was a mixture of mercury and various herbs, and was the only drug that controlled the parasites.
“The problem is... If you wear this, you’ll die anyway. The average is about three months?”
Heavy metals were steadily accumulating in every cell of his body.
It made him suffer from dry mouth, blurred vision, various dermatitis and stomatitis, but it did prevent him from immediately collapsing on the floor with his limbs curled up and dying of a panic attack.
“The Third Crusade was a tremendous victory for the Yesak Church world. We reclaimed the Millennium Capital and preached the greatness of the Central Continent to the pagan lands. The praises of Yesak Church resonate throughout the world!”
And also a round song about the holiness of Ludovico.
The true successor of the first Pope, who opened the era of the thousand-year Yesak Kingdom, and the founder of Yesakism. Pope Louis I.
But the Moorish empire was like moss in a swamp.
It's the kind of thing that, no matter how hard you try to remove and cut it off, it will sprout back in the same spot in the blink of an eye.
“But anyone can see that the Kingdom of Yesak will not last long.”
Yesak is not a port city, but a city trapped deep inland. And the Yesakists' sphere of influence barely extends to the coast, starting from Valianti.
“This beautiful city that we have recaptured will fall into the hands of dirty barbarians once again if we do not secure its hinterland. I cannot bear to see that with my eyes open. Even after I die, I will keep my eyes open. Certainly.”
Pope Louis needed a Fourth Crusade, a final war that would seal his glory not as a line in the history books, but as a chapter.
“The next Pope must prepare the Fourth Crusade and send it beyond Yesak to the Latgalin region. Gallipol, Aeson, and Diyarssa. All of these must become eternal lands of Yesaphites, and the thousand-year-old city of Yesak will be in our arms forever.”
Gallipol, Aison, and Diyarssa were cities located in the interior of the Latgalin region, which gradually surrounded Yesak.
Even among them, Diyarsha was further inland than Yesak, that is, it was located so far back that there was a long-standing dispute over whether the city belonged to the Latgalin region, where Yesaphians were permitted to travel, or to the Hejaz region, which was part of the Moorish Empire.
“What that means is...”
“A great Yesak kingdom, no, an empire, will be created that spans the Latgalian and Hejaz peninsulas!”
The achievements of Pope Louis I established a new dynasty that would last forever.
Cardinal de Mare, who also wanted to leave behind a family line, was left dizzy in front of Ludovico de Giustini, who had an ambition of this absurd scale.
Isn't this just plain crazy? But the Cardinal's thoughts were interrupted by the Pope's impulsive actions.
“And you are the perfect person to achieve that goal!”
Pope Louis grabbed the hand of Cardinal de Mare, who was sitting right in front of him.
“You're the manager type, smart, and timid! I knew it when I saw you trembling because you couldn’t ride my dagger. This guy is the one who should be my successor!”
Just as Cardinal de Mare was about to start looking for the vial of rat poison, the Pope asked him secretly, still holding his hand.
“Your Eminence, did you want to do it?”
“...”
He had spent so much energy today that he simply could not answer 'No.' The Cardinal's lips trembled.
The Pope took the Cardinal's hand and led him inside without waiting for his answer.
“You’ve never been in a conclave before, have you? Let me start with that.”
Anger won over greed. If he becomes the Pope, he will be the highest person in the Central Continent! From orphan boy Simon to Pope Simon VII!
“Last time I collapsed, I saw you walking around with your head up here and there, but you didn’t even think about it, did you?”
Oh no, Cardinal de Mare is starting to feel angry again.
“That would be great. If you do it, Pope, it would be great.”
Greed won out again. The Cardinal decided to forget all about the rat poison and follow Ludovico to the inner chamber where the various documents were stored.
If he could just endure this annoying man for six months, it would be his world. For six months, he'd just lie down and eat cake.
Today, Cardinal de Mare was not the only one in Trevero who was taken aback by the unexpected call.
Grand Duke Odes was also in a state of panic when he received word that someone who should not have appeared had appeared.
“What? How did Philippe show up here!”
If it were Philip IV, he would have left it in the palace of Montpellier because the condition was clearly still bad.
It was because it didn't seem like he would come to his senses for a while. But, King Gallico is showing up in Trevero now?
And there was a visitor even more unexpected than Philip. The face of the Grand Duke Odes turned pale when he heard the name of who was coming.
“What? Why is Lariesa here now?”
He grabbed his head and rubbed his eyes.
“No, no, no. She can’t come here now. We have to send her back quickly before the Prince sees her. Listen, send someone to...”
However, after receiving the report from his subordinate, Grand Duke Odes's face became even paler.
“Your Highness, the Grand Duchess is moving right along with the King’s procession. It is not a situation where our personnel can go and forcibly capture her or anything...”
Odes was already walking a thin line with Philip.
No matter how hard he tried to bring his daughter back, he couldn't guarantee what would happen if he used physical force in front of Philip's procession and offended the King.
“Hap-ha, for now, we should wait until the Grand Duchess arrives at Trevero...”
Bringing Lariesa to Trevero was never the right answer. But there are times in life when you have to unfold the answer sheet even though it is not the right answer.
Grand Duke Odes grabbed his hair and banged his forehead on the desk. He made the sign of the cross and muttered.
'May the heavens look down on me and please, nothing happens...'
Instead, the Cardinal slumped his shoulders and sighed, looking at the ceiling.
"Ha."
Then he sat in a surprisingly upright position for a very long time, almost like meditating or praying.
It was unclear exactly what the Cardinal was doing, but it was clear that he was not going to poison the Pope right away.
Boom!
Suddenly, with a loud noise, the side door leading from the lounge where the Cardinal was sitting to the Pope's reception room opened.
Clap clap clap clap clap!
And then came the applause. It wasn't just one person clapping. It was at least four or five people clapping.
“de Mare!”
Immediately afterwards, the deep voice of Pope Louis burst out. Then, led by the Pope, those who had clapped their hands rushed into the narrow corridor.
“?!”
Cardinal de Mare looked around with his eyes wide open, not knowing what to say.
Pope Ludovico was approaching like a pirate, with a huge smile on his face that seemed more like a captain than a pope.
Cardinal de Mare leaned closer to the back of his chair in awe.
“What is this...”
His speech was interrupted midway by Pope Louis XIV.
“As expected! I told you so. That guy is a model student.”
At Ludovico's one word, ignorant congratulations followed from those around him. They were Ludovico's temporary confidants who had emerged after Arthur's fall from power.
“You have great self-control, Cardinal de Mare!”
“Yes! Congratulations!”
Cardinal de Mare still looked around in shock.
“Your Holiness...? What on earth...?”
“You passed my test!”
Cardinal de Mare, who had been skeptical, finally realized after hearing those words that this was really a prank arranged by Ludovico. A third firecracker went off in his head.
"Ugh!”
He jumped up from his seat in anger. His anger made him forget both fear and hierarchy. Cardinal de Mare opened his eyes and rushed at Pope Louis.
“You crazy bastard, the Pope, and madman! Such outrageous pranks...!”
He was in a hurry, so he couldn't even remember Latin.
However, Ludovico easily subdued de Mare with just one hand, even though he was suffering from muscle wasting.
“Are you kidding me?”
Ludovico smiled broadly. His white teeth were revealed. He, too, answered in his native language.
“Most of it is true.”
Cardinal de Mare could not believe his ears at the shocking words.
“T-It’s true...?”
The Pope continued speaking fluently, looking at the little Cardinal who was even stammering.
“The first place in the anthology of best essays was originally yours, but I was included instead. You were originally supposed to be appointed as the bishop of Chiriani, but I, your predecessor, rejected you and gave the job to someone else. I deliberately sent the apostle of Asereto to you at that time. Your wife flirted with me.”
Pope Ludovico looked at Cardinal de Mare with a broad smile.
“Two of those are true and two are false. Which one is the false one?”
The Cardinal was deeply disappointed in himself for not pouring the rat poison into his teacup a minute ago.
Rat poison? No, that guy deserves to be burned alive.
The Cardinal clenched his fists. Even if it meant getting dragged away after one punch, he had to punch that bastard once.
It was a single word from the Pope that stopped the blow.
“de Mare. I’ll die soon. At least a month or two, at most half a year.”
As Cardinal de Mare paused for a moment, some incredible words flew into his ears and lodged themselves in his mind.
"You are my successor. Congratulations on passing the test."
“Wait a minute, what? The successor? Dying?”
The honorific had returned. Ludovico placed his thick hand, like a pot lid, on Cardinal de Mare's frail shoulder.
“Yes. You will be the next Pope.”
***
Pope Louis, sitting on his plush chair with his usual smirk, which, according to Cardinal de Mare, would bring bad luck to the next day at noon, explained the reasons for his choice of Cardinal de Mare as his successor.
“I need a successor who will complete my holy war.”
As he sucked up another drop of the mysterious purple liquid.
“What is that?”
“The poison that keeps me alive.”
Pope Louis was infected with a type of brain parasite that caused his muscles to shrivel, and he would have seizures when he saw water.
The ointment he was taking was a mixture of mercury and various herbs, and was the only drug that controlled the parasites.
“The problem is... If you wear this, you’ll die anyway. The average is about three months?”
Heavy metals were steadily accumulating in every cell of his body.
It made him suffer from dry mouth, blurred vision, various dermatitis and stomatitis, but it did prevent him from immediately collapsing on the floor with his limbs curled up and dying of a panic attack.
“The Third Crusade was a tremendous victory for the Yesak Church world. We reclaimed the Millennium Capital and preached the greatness of the Central Continent to the pagan lands. The praises of Yesak Church resonate throughout the world!”
And also a round song about the holiness of Ludovico.
The true successor of the first Pope, who opened the era of the thousand-year Yesak Kingdom, and the founder of Yesakism. Pope Louis I.
But the Moorish empire was like moss in a swamp.
It's the kind of thing that, no matter how hard you try to remove and cut it off, it will sprout back in the same spot in the blink of an eye.
“But anyone can see that the Kingdom of Yesak will not last long.”
Yesak is not a port city, but a city trapped deep inland. And the Yesakists' sphere of influence barely extends to the coast, starting from Valianti.
“This beautiful city that we have recaptured will fall into the hands of dirty barbarians once again if we do not secure its hinterland. I cannot bear to see that with my eyes open. Even after I die, I will keep my eyes open. Certainly.”
Pope Louis needed a Fourth Crusade, a final war that would seal his glory not as a line in the history books, but as a chapter.
“The next Pope must prepare the Fourth Crusade and send it beyond Yesak to the Latgalin region. Gallipol, Aeson, and Diyarssa. All of these must become eternal lands of Yesaphites, and the thousand-year-old city of Yesak will be in our arms forever.”
Gallipol, Aison, and Diyarssa were cities located in the interior of the Latgalin region, which gradually surrounded Yesak.
Even among them, Diyarsha was further inland than Yesak, that is, it was located so far back that there was a long-standing dispute over whether the city belonged to the Latgalin region, where Yesaphians were permitted to travel, or to the Hejaz region, which was part of the Moorish Empire.
“What that means is...”
“A great Yesak kingdom, no, an empire, will be created that spans the Latgalian and Hejaz peninsulas!”
The achievements of Pope Louis I established a new dynasty that would last forever.
Cardinal de Mare, who also wanted to leave behind a family line, was left dizzy in front of Ludovico de Giustini, who had an ambition of this absurd scale.
Isn't this just plain crazy? But the Cardinal's thoughts were interrupted by the Pope's impulsive actions.
“And you are the perfect person to achieve that goal!”
Pope Louis grabbed the hand of Cardinal de Mare, who was sitting right in front of him.
“You're the manager type, smart, and timid! I knew it when I saw you trembling because you couldn’t ride my dagger. This guy is the one who should be my successor!”
Just as Cardinal de Mare was about to start looking for the vial of rat poison, the Pope asked him secretly, still holding his hand.
“Your Eminence, did you want to do it?”
“...”
He had spent so much energy today that he simply could not answer 'No.' The Cardinal's lips trembled.
The Pope took the Cardinal's hand and led him inside without waiting for his answer.
“You’ve never been in a conclave before, have you? Let me start with that.”
Anger won over greed. If he becomes the Pope, he will be the highest person in the Central Continent! From orphan boy Simon to Pope Simon VII!
“Last time I collapsed, I saw you walking around with your head up here and there, but you didn’t even think about it, did you?”
Oh no, Cardinal de Mare is starting to feel angry again.
“That would be great. If you do it, Pope, it would be great.”
Greed won out again. The Cardinal decided to forget all about the rat poison and follow Ludovico to the inner chamber where the various documents were stored.
If he could just endure this annoying man for six months, it would be his world. For six months, he'd just lie down and eat cake.
***
Today, Cardinal de Mare was not the only one in Trevero who was taken aback by the unexpected call.
Grand Duke Odes was also in a state of panic when he received word that someone who should not have appeared had appeared.
“What? How did Philippe show up here!”
If it were Philip IV, he would have left it in the palace of Montpellier because the condition was clearly still bad.
It was because it didn't seem like he would come to his senses for a while. But, King Gallico is showing up in Trevero now?
And there was a visitor even more unexpected than Philip. The face of the Grand Duke Odes turned pale when he heard the name of who was coming.
“What? Why is Lariesa here now?”
He grabbed his head and rubbed his eyes.
“No, no, no. She can’t come here now. We have to send her back quickly before the Prince sees her. Listen, send someone to...”
However, after receiving the report from his subordinate, Grand Duke Odes's face became even paler.
“Your Highness, the Grand Duchess is moving right along with the King’s procession. It is not a situation where our personnel can go and forcibly capture her or anything...”
Odes was already walking a thin line with Philip.
No matter how hard he tried to bring his daughter back, he couldn't guarantee what would happen if he used physical force in front of Philip's procession and offended the King.
“Hap-ha, for now, we should wait until the Grand Duchess arrives at Trevero...”
Bringing Lariesa to Trevero was never the right answer. But there are times in life when you have to unfold the answer sheet even though it is not the right answer.
Grand Duke Odes grabbed his hair and banged his forehead on the desk. He made the sign of the cross and muttered.
'May the heavens look down on me and please, nothing happens...'
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