Chapter 54: Conversing with the Pope
[POV]:Arthea
"P-Please... I want to go with you."
...
My husband merely glanced at me with indifferent eyes before walking away.
A sharp pain gripped my heart. Anxiety welled up inside me, growing stronger with every passing second.
I didn’t want him to go alone.
I was afraid the Pope would punish him. I was afraid I might lose him. There were too many things to fear.
"D-Damn it..."
I sniffled as tears streamed down my face, biting my lip as I desperately tried to force my crippled limbs to move.
But it was useless.
No matter how hard I struggled, my limbs did nothing more than tremble faintly.
"Madam, are you all right?"
Li hurried over and helped me back into my wheelchair.
Sitting in my wheelchair, I could barely breathe. An overwhelming sense of emotions gnawed at my heart, as though countless beasts were tearing it apart from the inside. I cried, hating my own helplessness.
I could only let out a weak whimper as two streams of tears fell onto my trembling hands. My quiet sobs echoed through the room as Li gently patted my back, trying to comfort me.
A few minutes later, I finally managed to calm myself down, but the worry inside me refused to fade. It wouldn’t disappear until I saw my husband safe and unharmed.
Li let out a quiet sigh.
"I never thought you loved the young master this much."
I sniffled, trying to hold back my tears.
"I don’t love him... I hate him."
Li blinked in surprise for a moment before smiling.
"Then what was all that just now?"
I lowered my gaze, staring into empty space. It was difficult to put my feelings into words.
"I’m afraid I might lose him. I don’t know... maybe it’s because he’s my husband."
Li was about to say something, but in the end, she simply closed her mouth and nodded.
"If that’s the case... I think you just need more time to understand what you’re truly feeling."
She paused before adding,
"For now, let’s head back to the apartment and wait for the young master to return. All right, Madam?"
***
[POV]: Henry.
I stepped into the office and saw an old man sitting on a long sofa, leisurely sipping a cup of tea.
The moment I took a step forward, an overwhelming weight pressed down on my legs, as if a pair of hundred-kilogram weights had been chained to them.
I took another step, but the crushing pressure only grew heavier.
My vision began to blur, and my head started spinning with a dull, buzzing sensation.
The old man spoke in a quiet voice. There was no killing intent in it, only a chilling calmness.
"If you give up, I’ll kill you. If you take another step, you’ll die..."
He took a sip of his tea before continuing.
"I want to see your choice, kid."
His voice was warm and gentle, yet every word carried nothing but malice.
I smirked. So this was the price I had to pay.
Without the slightest hesitation, I took another step.
A sickening pain exploded through my knees, as though they had shattered beneath the overwhelming pressure. Yet when I looked down, there wasn’t a single wound.
Whether it was an illusion or not, I couldn’t tell.
My buzzing sensation and blurring vision gradually faded away when two drops of blood came out from my noise.
The scent of blood floated through the air, triggering the monsters within me.
I regained my calmness and awareness, then took more steps, and more steps. One by one... until drops of blood streamed down, staining my collar and the floor.
Eventually, I came to a long bench and sat opposite the old man. At this point, I could barely feel my legs anymore, as if they had totally vanished.
My mind would’ve collapsed if I didn’t have [Ironbound Will].
My face was now as pale as a dead man. But I still kept an empty face and no fear when I stared at the old man in front of me.
A gentle yet weathered face, marked by peace and kindness. His golden eyes gazed at the tea in his cup with an unreadable indifference. Then, his eyes fixed on me, showing no emotion, as if he had seen through me, as if he had known me for a very long time.
I asked.
"Have we ever seen each other before?"
The Pope said.
"Everyone always says that when they meet me for the first time."
He took a sip of tea before continuing.
"Because you completed my challenge, I will spare you for the sin of nearly killing the Saintess."
I shrugged.
"With her personality, do you think if I don’t do it, no one else will?"
The Pope said calmly.
’’You’re right. That’s why I sent her to your side. She needs to learn and grow."
The Pope sighed while glancing outside.
"You’re very special."
I asked.
"What’s special?"
The Pope lingered for a moment before saying.
"You’re the incarnate of evil."
He let out a tired breath as he gazed at the ripples in the tea.
"You possess all the qualities to become the 13th Knight, but you will never be chosen."
I totally didn’t understand what the hell the old man was talking about. He was completely talking to himself like some old man who came from an ancient era, rambling about legends, myths, and such.
He glanced at me and continued.
"You’re a monster. But sometime, this world needs a monster, not another hero."
I frowned.
’’What are you trying to talk about?’’
The Pope paused for a moment before speaking. His voice carried a hint of regret and sadness.
"The next time we meet, I want you to kill me."
I narrowed my eyes.
Was he crazy? How could I kill an [SSS–] Rank individual from such a powerful organization like him?
But I remained silent. I guessed he had some hidden meaning behind his words. As someone who stood between the gods and humans, his words were not a joke.
He stood up and walked toward the door with his hands clasped behind his back. Before he stepped out, he glanced at me the last time.
"Do you intend to change?"
For some reason, I began to understand what he meant. A faint smile spread across my empty face.
"No."
The Pope grinned before leaving. Her laughter echoed through the hallway.
"See you in hell."
I frowned and quickly wrote down all of the Pope’s words on my phone. I was sure he was trying to convey signals that he couldn’t explain clearly.
What was the 13th Knight? Why did I have all the qualities but still wasn’t chosen? Did that mean someone else had been chosen?
...
Why had he said, "See you in hell?" So many questions.
But my vision began to blur, and my head ached. Finally, I collapsed with my phone in my hands, the screen showing my wife’s call.
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