Chapter 211 - Chapter 210: Kifrod's Change of Heart
After speaking with Archbishop Wagnare, Mika went out to the Central Plaza for a bite to eat.
It was a sunny day, so the plaza was packed with people, and many stalls had set up shop.
"Munch munch... You really ask for the impossible. And to make that Kifrod the Pope."
While gnawing on a hot dog, he muttered such things.
Wagnare had also explained the conditions for becoming Pope or a Cardinal simply.
"You could become the Pope, you know."
When he said that with a smile, Mika was taken aback.
Apparently, the only conditions required to take the papal throne are being a male believer of the Church of Light, and being chosen unanimously by all the Cardinals.
That was it.
(Well, I don't qualify. ...Though I can't say that.)
I can't say I'm not a believer.
As he walked, Mika scouted the stalls and bought three skewers of meat.
A bald man's stall with a very noticeable scar on his right shoulder smelled incredibly good.
And so, he munched and munched away.
"...But honestly, can he do it? Kifrod."
His age was his age.
He couldn't possibly endure such heavy work.
"Aaah, munch munch... Maybe they just need him as a figurehead? Just having him there is enough?"
He stuffed the last skewer into his mouth.
Mika looked around, searching for his next target.
And so, he crossed over numerous stalls, finished off the desserts, and took a breather.
"Well, I did say I'd talk it through. For now, I'll head back to Rish Village."
There's school tomorrow, but returning to the Royal Capital too early would be suspicious.
If I skip school for two or three days, what should I do in the meantime?
My original plan was to stay cooped up at home, but depending on the situation, maybe I'll stay in Rish Village (this side) for a few days.
"For now, I'll talk first."
Mika left Sarbengeal and headed for Rish Village.
He descended into the forest next to the village and jumped over the wall surrounding it.
Arriving at the church, he called out.
"Sup!"
"Huh? ...Mika?"
Kifrod's eyes widened at Mika's sudden appearance.
Kifrod, who had been wiping the long bench with a rag, froze in that very motion.
It seemed the "Laughing Virgin (Radi)" was, as usual, visiting the villagers' homes.
"Oh, this is a souvenir from Sarbengeal."
Mika took the rag from Kifrod's hands and handed the purchased souvenirs to the frozen Kifrod.
It was tea cakes that he often brought to the old woman at the Appraisal Shop.
Taking over for Kifrod, he began wiping the bench.
(I used to help out with this a lot.)
Suddenly, he felt a sense of nostalgia.
The six months before attending the Magic Academy.
Since I was left at the church every day, I often helped with the cleaning inside the church.
As Mika wiped the bench, Kifrod finally came to his senses.
"What about the Academy, you?"
"Eh, no way. Today's a sunny day, right? School is closed."
So, being Pope is impossible, huh?
I've even forgotten the days of the week.
"I'm not saying that! How many days have you been skipping school since coming from the Royal Capital, you!"
"Ohhh... I see."
Come to think of it, didn't the shared carriage take eleven days one way?
It seems the one who's losing it isn't Kifrod, but Mika.
Phew, phew.
"There were various things going on. I had business in Sarbengeal."
"Sarbengeal, huh...?"
Kifrod made a suspicious face.
I told the Village Head about the engagement with Leventein's Cleiria, but I hadn't told Kifrod yet.
Why am I here?
Unless I explain the reason, I don't think I can get to the main point.
"Um... I know you'll be surprised, but..."
With that preamble, Mika briefly explained the situation.
"It's impossible. Give it up. If you enter a high-ranking noble's house, it's not just suicide; your family will be crushed."
Grabbing Mika's shoulders, Kifrod said with an intense, terrifying aura.
While listening to the explanation, Kifrod grimaced, held his head, and hung his head weakly.
After hearing the full explanation, he approached Mika with a desperate expression.
"They're doing it on their own. Even if they get crushed, it's not my fault."
Mika didn't enter on his own.
They were forcibly dragging him in.
"That's not the issue! The Leventein family is the shield of this country! In these important times when the Empire's invasion is whispered about, what are you doing!"
"What do you want me to do with that! Tell the guy who forced it through!"
"Who is that idiot!"
"Marquis Leventein."
When Mika said that, Kifrod's face twisted and he froze.
This is the second freeze of the day.
I've rolled an 819/2 again.
"Please, give him a lecture. Tell that idiot. As expected, Kifrod-sama is reliable."
When Mika smiled and said that, Kifrod suddenly snapped back to reality.
Kifrod averted his eyes from Mika and looked down slightly.
Then, he slowly turned his back.
"...Shall we have some tea? Oh, why is there tea cake here of all places?"
He was escaping reality.
"What are you pretending to be dense for! Just tell him straight!"
"It's hot today. Is Mika from the Royal Capital doing well?"
Mika clung to Kifrod, trying to make him face forward, but Kifrod resisted desperately, turning away.
"Gygygy...! Look this way, please! What are you looking at! Are you really seeing something!?"
"Rude! I'm not seeing anything! Let go! It's stuffy!"
Panting heavily, both of them ended up drenched in sweat.
"...Well, forget about me for today. I came here for Kifrod-sama."
"Me? What is it?"
Kifrod grabbed the hand towel he had draped over the back of the long bench and wiped the sweat from his forehead.
"I was at the Great Cathedral in Sarbengeal, you know? Do you have any idea?"
When Mika said that, Kifrod grimaced.
"Wagnare (rascal)... He dragged Mika in too."
Kifrod shook his head and put the towel around his neck.
"I don't know what you were told, but leave it be. I'll tell Wagnare myself. ...Sorry for dragging you into this."
At Kifrod's words, Mika shook his head.
"No, I wasn't told to persuade you. In fact, I told them 'I won't persuade you,' so it's fine."
"I see. Then that's good."
When Mika said that, Kifrod looked somewhat relieved.
"Then, what did you come here for?"
"Huh? To persuade Kifrod-sama?"
When Mika answered that, Kifrod stumbled.
Are you okay?
If you do that, you'll hurt your waist?
"You said you wouldn't persuade him! —!"
"I don't have any intention of saying 'You must become Pope no matter what.' But if a decent person is in a high position, I'd feel more at ease."
"Why would Mika feel at ease?"
Kifrod made a puzzled face.
It seems Kifrod doesn't know the original cause.
He seemed to think the King was just angry at the church doing whatever it wanted and used the Kingdom Army.
Did Wagnare not tell Kifrod about Mika while persuading him?
Did he find out about Mika and Kifrod's relationship after coming to persuade him?
"It's a long story... Please, keep it confidential?"
Saying that, Mika told him everything about the background of the heresy trial that started it all, and the aftermath of the church incident.
Humus and Aquu.
The power to break curses.
The church became the enemy, and I was almost assassinated under the name of a heresy trial.
The ones who moved in that crisis were Marquis Leventein and Archbishop Wagnare.
Currently, the Kingdom Army is inside the church exposing corruption, and Wagnare is providing that information.
Marquis Leventein treated Mika as a relative to explain himself to His Majesty the King.
I had mentioned my usual commission requests during this year's return home, but this was the first time I spoke of the various things caused by the power to break curses.
Also, due to Mika's special power, I received a medal from His Majesty the King in the spring.
I told him all the necessary information to understand the situation surrounding Mika now.
Kifrod listened silently to Mika's story, but when he finished, he let out a deep sigh.
And he shook his head weakly.
"In the end, it was all in vain..."
He muttered such things quietly.
"...? What is it?"
Mika asked casually, but immediately, an aura rose from Kifrod.
Kifrod stretched out both hands and pulled Mika's cheeks with a mu-gii sound.
"Ahh, le, ho, do! I've told you over and over and over again, until my mouth was sore and calluses formed on your ears! Didn't you understand anything at all, you!"
"Ihyai, ihyai! Hifuhoha-ma (Kifrod-sama)(It hurts)!"
Under Kifrod's merciless scolding, Mika's eyes filled with tears.
"I tell you and you won't listen! Then go directly to the Gods and get scolded yourself!!!"
Does that mean "Go die, fix your stupidity, and come back!?"
While pulling Mika's cheeks, Kifrod was angry as if demanding his worries and hardships back.
"Ho, ho-hen-ha-hai (Sorry)!"
"You're just saying it, aren't you!"
How did you know!?
Kifrod did not forgive Mika even after he apologized.
It seems Kifrod's patience bag had exploded.
For over ten minutes after that, Mika received a lecture from Kifrod.
With his cheeks still pulled.
"Ugh... It hurts..."
After the lecture ended, Mika rubbed his stinging cheeks.
"You could use [Heal] and it would heal right away."
Kifrod said coldly with a squinting eye.
Ugh, Kifrod is scary....
Mika used [Heal] as instructed.
Yeah, it's back to normal.
Mika, whose cheek pain had vanished and felt refreshed, was stared at intently by Kifrod.
"Shall I cast it on you too? You fool..."
Kifrod's voice was slightly hoarse from shouting.
He was quite exhausted.
"You're at an age where you shouldn't push yourself so hard..."
Mika, who was using [Heal] while saying unnecessary things, was glared at by Kifrod.
"Mika, no matter how you look at it, you're pushing too hard! Do you know how dangerous it is? You could have easily lost your life!"
Kifrod said that tiredly, but Mika just looked blankly.
"Lost my life? Why?"
"Why? You were actually put on trial for heresy!"
Kifrod raised his voice again, asking why Mika didn't understand.
However, Mika remained calm.
"At that level, I wouldn't be beaten.
Even if a hundred or two hundred Temple Knights came out, I wouldn't be beaten. I could have escaped anytime. I didn't do that because I wanted to cut off the roots of trouble there if possible."
Mika said that calmly, and Kifrod's eyes widened in shock.
"Well, as planned, the church relations are settled. ...Thanks to that, I've taken on various other troubles."
Mika smiled with a hint of self-mockery, and Kifrod looked at him with an indescribable expression.
"Really... This isn't a time to be looking at Radi..."
Kifrod muttered quietly.
Scratching his head, he made a troubled expression as if pondering something.
"But, how should I go? A carriage is too strict, as expected."
He started muttering about something.
"...? What's wrong?"
"What's wrong? It's dangerous; I can't just leave it as is."
Kifrod said, looking exasperated.
"We must think of a way to get to the Royal Capital, or I can't sit still because it's dangerous."
"Eh!? Kifrod-sama, going to the Royal Capital!? Accepting the Pope!?"
"That doesn't matter! I'm going to supervise you!"
"Haaaaa!?"
At Kifrod's answer, Mika let out a foolish cry.
"Me!? Supervise!? Why!?"
"That's why I don't know! You fool!"
Something about today, Kifrod is very angry.
Is he irritable because it's hot?
Well, maybe half of it is, or maybe it's Mika's fault?
...No, just kidding, right?
"If Kifrod-sama says he's going to the Royal Capital, I think the church will happily prepare a carriage?"
"Will I arrive as my corpse? That's the problem because it's strict."
I see.
Even if we prepare a private carriage instead of a shared one, it will take over a week to reach the Royal Capital.
Even if we ask various churches for cooperation, it's a difficult time right now.
It won't proceed as planned, and we might get stuck halfway.
"Hmm..."
Mika crossed his arms and placed his hand on his chin, his usual thinking style.
However, what he is thinking about now isn't how to take Kifrod to the Royal Capital.
It's whether to show him or not show him.
Mika went to the entrance of the church and easily checked the surroundings.
Then, he closed the entrance door.
"What's wrong?"
"If we can arrive in a day or two, can Kifrod-sama go to the Royal Capital?"
"Well, if the travel period is short, it would be a relief. But in such a short time, ha...!?"
While Kifrod was talking, Mika's body began to float slowly.
If you couldn't hear Mika's whispered "Low Gravity" and "Blast", you wouldn't understand what was happening.
Well, even if you heard it, you wouldn't understand.
Mika flew up to the high ceiling of the church and hovered there.
"I can go back and forth between the Royal Capital and Sarbengeal in one day with this. Or rather, maybe two or three hours."
"Nn...nn...!?"
Kifrod opened and closed his mouth, but no words came out.
Dangerous.
If this continues, Kifrod's heart might stop.
Mika turned off "Blast" and landed silently.
In front of Kifrod's eyes, wide open and staring at him, he waved his hands.
"With this, I can carry you on my back to the Royal Capital. Even if I shorten the travel time to one day, I think we can reach the Royal Capital in two days."
He proposed that, but Kifrod didn't seem to hear, frozen with wide eyes.
"W, w, what was that just now!?"
"What? It's [God's Miracle]."
"There's no such [God's Miracle]!"
Tch... Was I exposed?
Mika said it casually, but he was exposed immediately.
Was it exposed, or did he just deny it because he couldn't believe it?
"Kifrod-sama knows that my [God's Miracle] is different, right? I learned various normal [God's Miracles], but the changed ones are also growing in various ways."
Saying that, Mika created a small "Fireball" on his palm.
I'm sure I only showed him "Waterball" before.
I used "Thousand Edge" for tree felling and "Earth Wall", but I shouldn't have shown him "Fireball".
"So, does that mean Kifrod-sama has the intention to go to the Royal Capital? Can I talk it through?"
"A, ah..."
Kifrod seemed dazed, but for now, I got his verbal agreement.
About what position to take, when to go, etc., I'll have him talk directly with the church.
Wagnare also said he might be good as an advisor, so as long as we get to the Royal Capital, it should be fine.
There's also the problem of Rish Village, but maybe the church can handle that.
Radi was originally preparing for years, anticipating the time after Kifrod passed away.
It might be a slightly different form than expected, but practically speaking, there should be almost no problems. ...I think.
(Then, I'll stop by Sarbengeal and talk to Wagnare. I should tell the Village Head first, just in case.)
Mika made various plans and left the church.
(Thinking about it carefully, why did Kifrod suddenly decide to go to the Royal Capital?)
In the sky heading toward Sarbengeal, he suddenly thought that.
I planned for him to watch over the church, but why did he say he'd supervise me?
(The object of watching is different, right? You need to watch over the church, not me.)
That's what Mika thought.