Genius Prismatic Mage Chapter 255

#255. Faith and Belief (2)

A garden located in the center of the cathedral.

Dalgrak─ Dalgrak─

The sound of dishes moving neatly echoed from the small pavilion.

“I would like to ask your understanding for having a meal in a place like this. I have a lot of work to do and it is not convenient to go far from the office.”

The Pope’s benevolent smile.

Solitaire on the other side of the table answered in a surprised voice.

“It doesn’t matter where it is. Just being able to share the same space with the Pope is a great honor.”

“Haha, thanks for understanding.”

The meal resumed, and Solité looked at the Pope nervously.

‘Is this what it feels like to be overwhelmed by a presence?’

A private meeting with the Pope.

It was a completely different feeling from when I saw it with many people in the audience room.

Well, that’s true.

Although he is said to have lost his energy as he grew older, he is considered to be the highest authority in the religious order and is close to the 5th Circle.

I didn’t know that such a distinct aura was something to be expected.

Solitaire licked her lips.

‘The church is currently under invasion by an outside group called the Nambit Dawn Society.’

How and where to start with this shocking story.

I kept watching the timing, but I couldn’t open my mouth.

Then a voice was heard.

“I feel like time really flies. It seems like only yesterday that I saw you complaining about the side dishes in the restaurant and getting scolded by Bishop Pelin, and now you’ve grown up and are waiting for the day of the sun together.”

“Coolook!”

Solitaire, who was drinking water, was surprised and stopped talking.

This was because he had no idea that the other person was aware of his existence, and that he could remember exactly what had happened more than ten years ago.

Solitaire took out a handkerchief and quickly wiped the moisture from the corner of her mouth as she spoke.

“You knew me.”

“Of course. I first saw you when I visited the training center’s dining hall for an inspection. Today is the second time. So, are you eating carrots well now?”

“… It’s an embarrassing past, but I’m not a picky eater anymore.”

The Pope chuckled at Solitaire’s answer and added:

“Not only you, but I remember the faces and names of all the priests of the church, regardless of rank or age.”

“That’s amazing. There must be at least a few hundred people there.”

“No. It is natural for a pope to have affection and a sense of duty towards the religious order.”

The Pope, who was speaking, suddenly turned his gaze outside the pavilion.

“Anyway, I’ve been really feeling the passage of time lately. The garden you see outside was just a barren land a few years ago. It’s the result of a lot of love and care over a long period of time. The light that falls from the sky is limited, and it also needs to be protected from the black rain, so it really took a lot of effort.”

The Pope, speaking in a voice full of emotion, turned back to Solité.

“But more than anything, there was one incident that made me feel like a lot of time had passed. That was when, after countless years of searching, we were finally able to find the saint who had appeared before us.”

The Pope continued:

“When the new sun rises, there will be no need to put in much effort to cultivate such garden-like landscapes. Bright light will illuminate the world and also drive away the dark clouds. The long-cherished wish of the sect will be fulfilled.”

A long-awaited wish.

Solitaire felt that now was the time to speak.

“Your Holiness, what will you do if there are those who seek to hinder or even exploit the wishes of the Church?”

Moon-

The moving dishes stopped.

The Pope stared at Solitaire for quite some time, then opened his mouth.

“That’s why you asked to see me today.”

“you’re right.”

“Speak comfortably. I am ready to listen.”

Phew.

Solitaire took a deep breath.

The story of the Nambit Dawn Society and the current state of the church was told in great detail over a considerable amount of time.

“The Southern Light Dawn Society, a group with an unfamiliar name. The order has been invaded by those with impure intentions. Solité, can you take full responsibility for what you just said?”

The Pope’s eyes, which had been calm until then, took on a sharp light.

Solitaire flinched for a moment, but answered in a straight voice.

“I can take responsibility.”

“… … .”

There was silence for a moment.

The Pope, who had been locking eyes with Solité, nodded.

“I know you’re not the type to lie or speak without confidence. But that’s how it is when you get older. You become more cautious about everything. It becomes difficult to take action without solid evidence.”

It was a perfectly reasonable question from the Pope’s point of view to ask whether he could provide evidence that the church was full of apostates.

Solitaire took the small tape out of his pocket and put it into the device to play.

“Why did you infiltrate the church and corrupt the bishops and priests?”

“…To facilitate the execution of the plan. And to reform the religious order by putting the Dawn Society’s ideology first.”

The conversation between Ray and Jacob in the meeting room was revealed clearly.

Solitaire said, stopping playing.

“You may think it was fabricated, but this is the only evidence I can present right now. However, if you investigate the actions of high-ranking officials in the headquarters, I believe you will definitely be able to find something suspicious.”

He took a deep breath and continued speaking.

“If something of this scale could be carried out without the Pope’s knowledge, it means there was likely an internal collaborator from the beginning.”

and.

“I point to Archbishop Lutheran as that collaborator.”

For a moment, the Pope’s eyebrows twitched.

This was because the Lutheran Archbishop was a long-time friend of the Pope and the de facto number two figure in the church.

There was a hint of anger in the voice that followed.

“You are very confident. You are not only assuming the Lutheran Archbishop as an collaborator, but also pointing him out.”

“I have already figured out most of the list of apostates. From what I have, Archbishop Lutheran is definitely a mixed-link apostate, and it is very likely that he was the first to cooperate with the Dawn.”

The Pope extended his hand toward a building on one side of the garden.

Knock knock!

The office window opened by itself and a small piece of rock flew in.

widely!

The Pope placed the piece of stone he had captured on the table.

“It’s the Stone of Oath. It’s an ancient magical tool found in a ruins site. If you hold it and tell a lie, the ring will lock. No one has yet figured out how to release it.”

The two men’s eyes stared straight at each other.

The Pope spoke as if he were pronouncing a sentence.

“Take this stone and repeat what you have said so far. In the form of clear propositions.”

The bow string has already been pulled.

Solitaire took the oath stone without hesitation and complied with the Pope’s request.

“… and according to what I have figured out, the group called Yeomyeonghoe has taken over almost the entire religious order.”

The stone showed no reaction.

What I just said was true.

The Pope was silent.

“It’s a little confusing. How did you know all this?”

“There is a noble who helped us. We are currently working together to stop the Dawning Society.”

“Can I meet you in person? The sooner the better.”

“It’s not difficult.”

Solitaire gathered mana in her hand and then dispersed it into the air.

It was a tiny amount of mana that was difficult to even perceive, but someone waiting outside the garden would sense it.

“Your Majesty, you are a little young.”

“You can’t be older than this old man. If you’re younger than I thought, maybe in your 30s?”

“Younger than that.”

“Are you in your 20s?”

“It’s below.”

“Are you sure you just turned an adult?”

“no.”

“I’m 16 years old.”

The last voice came from the side.

Suddenly, a white-haired boy was sitting at the table.

The Pope was more embarrassed than he had been in decades.

Stealth magic?

I didn’t even sense the slightest trace of Mana, so how on earth did you approach me?

“This is the noble person I told you about. He is a magician of the 4th circle, and his name is─.”

“Ray.”

“─” he said.

A 16 year old 4th circle wizard.

The Pope could not hide his suspicion that the hermit master had changed his appearance through some kind of magic.

Solitaire spoke from the side.

“Based on our experience together, you are indeed 16 years old.”

“… … .”

The Pope felt embarrassed, realizing that he had been silent for too long.

“Ah, first of all, can I call you Ray-kun? My name is Betelgeuse. Although it is not enough, I hold the title of Pope of the Church.”

“Nice to meet you.”

Ray’s calm greeting further aroused the Pope’s curiosity.

Although he was a person far from being a person with a sense of authority, people usually showed emotions such as surprise and awe before the title of Pope.

‘What a truly reserved boy.’

Is it really true that there are 4 circles?

Is there a separate teacher?

The Pope felt the magical curiosity that had sunk beneath the waves of time resurrected.

I suppressed my interest and curiosity and got to the main point.

“Since the situation is urgent, let’s skip over things like proof of identity. What’s important, Raygun, is that you are helping the Solitaire priest. However, there’s one thing I’d like to ask you.”

“If I can answer that.”

“Solitary Priest, in other words, why do you help our Order? What is your purpose?”

A question that cuts to the heart of the matter.

Ray answered shortly.

“There is someone in the Dawn Society who needs to be killed.”

A moment of boiling anger.

Ray immediately took control and suppressed his emotions completely, but the red mana in the air had already resonated and was rippling fiercely like a blade.

“this.”

“Huh…!”

A wave of mana of the century that no wizard can fail to feel.

Unable to bear it, Solitaire began to bleed, and the Pope waved his hand in the air to calm the rampaging Mana.

The commotion died down, and Ray spoke.

“I’m sorry. I made some adjustments, but I guess I’m late.”

“It’s okay. But it seems like you have a huge grudge against that person you mentioned.”

The Pope, speaking calmly, realized that his palms were soaked with sweat.

It was because I was extremely focused on enduring the waves.

“… Anyway, I understand why you are helping the sect. Next, can you tell me how you were able to root out the Dawning Society within the sect?”

Ray, who was handed the Oath Stone, held it and spoke.

“I can see the color of mana with my eyes. The Dawning has a dark blue ring.”

The Pope, who understood the meaning of the words, immediately spoke with a shocked face.

“Oh my god… Are you saying that mana has color? You can even see it… .”

“that’s right.”

Mana has color.

It was absolutely ridiculous.

But since I am holding the Oath Stone, I cannot help but believe it.

‘If it were known to the magical world, it would cause a cataclysm beyond chaos.’

The Pope was very confused, but thanks to him he was able to immediately understand the situation regarding the identification of the apostate.

After that, the story progressed quickly.

“The first step we must take is to inform the priests who are pure-hearted, not apostates, of the existence of the Dawn Order and to unite them.”

“I think the same as Ray-nim. The numbers are already overwhelmingly different, but this is the only way to increase our chances of winning. But Ray-nim, why are you putting the carrots on my plate?”

The Pope, who had been deeply troubled by the story, said:

“Is there no way to persuade the apostates and bring them back to the faith? For example, by restoring the mixed chain to its original state─.”

“That would be impossible.”

Ray took a wad of paper out of his pocket.

It was research material on mixed rings obtained at the meeting place.

“It is written in the data that a mixed ring that has already been processed cannot be returned to its original state.”

Solitaire spoke as the Pope received the materials and examined them carefully.

“I’ve already had many conversations with the traitors. I can see that they are unconsciously intoxicated with their desire for power. I don’t think that persuasion or coaxing will work. If you try to deal with them too gently, you could end up causing great evil to spread throughout the world.”

The Pope sighed.

“Are we supposed to take down these people who were once like family to us?”

“I am also very distressed, but there is nothing I can do.”

“I understand the situation. Can you give me some time to investigate the activities of the Lutheran Archbishop and other high-ranking officials and to observe the atmosphere of the church?”

“Yes, the enemies will take action on the day the sun rises, so there is still time.”

Everyone agreed that we should not rashly touch the turncoats because of the difference in power.

“I think it would be better for us to take full-scale action after we finish analyzing the research data. If we know the weakness of the mixing link, we may be able to turn the tide. I will also give a copy of the data to the Pope.”

“I see. And please give me a list of traitors. The key is to work behind the scenes without their knowledge.”

The story moved quickly again.

“Have you ever heard of the phrase ‘beyond the wall’?”

Ray’s question at the end of the conversation.

The Pope thought for a moment and then slowly opened his mouth.

“Beyond the wall, beyond the wall… I have seen such words mentioned in the journal of the first Pope.”