Episode 334

Beatrice I, the current Pope of the Holy Kingdom.

It was the first time Sieg had seen the Pope in person, and he felt a strange mix of emotions.

Nevertheless, he knelt before Beatrice with reverence.

“Your Holiness, I am Sieg Draker, knight of the Draker family, heir to the Agamemnon family, and Duke of the Cusco Kingdom. I have come to offer myself as a sword to protect the Holy Kingdom of Vadoka.”

Beatrice approached Sieg with a warm smile.

“Sir Sieg, may the blessing of the Sun God be with you.”

She took his hand and helped him to his feet.

“Thank you for bringing Rovan back safely, Sir Sieg. I prayed every day for his safe return to Vadoka, and it seems my prayers were answered by sending you.”

Sieg looked at Beatrice and replied, “I am merely fulfilling my duty.”

With a radiant smile, she said, “I would like to offer a meal to our esteemed guests. It will be ready soon, so please join us.”

“It would be the greatest honor to dine with Your Holiness.”

Sieg and his companions followed Beatrice to the dining hall.

However, upon arrival, they were taken aback by the dimly lit room, illuminated only by scattered candles, and the lack of proper heating.

Beatrice arranged seats at an old round table and invited them to sit.

“Please wait a moment.”

Sieg watched in surprise as Beatrice, instead of sitting, went to fetch bread and food with Rovan.

“Why is Your Holiness preparing the meal herself? Where are the servants?”

Beatrice, placing bread and soup on the table with practiced ease, smiled and said, “It’s quite alright. This is what I used to do.”

She brought out boiled potatoes and a salad made from vegetables she had grown herself.

Then she sat down and offered a prayer.

“Thank you, Sun God, for providing our daily bread…”

There had been frugal popes before Beatrice, but they had chosen simplicity despite their authority. In contrast, Beatrice had no budget allocated to the papacy, forcing her to grow her own vegetables and bake her own bread.

This was a sign that the other bishops and cardinals did not recognize her as the Pope.

Felix, a descendant of the Arc Paladin, looked deeply troubled.

It was hard to believe that the Pope, a symbol of the church, was treated this way.

Sieg began to eat the bread and soup, savoring each bite with care.

Seeing him, Felix and Decker followed suit, eating their meal quietly.

After finishing, Sieg wiped his mouth with a napkin and spoke to Beatrice.

“Your Holiness, it was truly a precious meal.”

Beatrice beamed at his sincere words.

“Really? I’m glad you enjoyed it, Sir Sieg.”

Sieg asked her, “May I offer you a cup of tea, Your Holiness?”

She nodded with a bright smile. “Of course. The weather is nice today; shall we have tea in the garden?”

The group moved to the back of the papal residence.

What they found was not a garden but a plot of land Beatrice had cultivated herself.

Sieg remarked, “The crops are thriving. You must have tended to them with great care. That particular plant is prone to pests.”

Beatrice, surprised, asked, “Have you grown crops before, Sir Sieg?”

He chuckled and replied, “Yes, I used to grow and harvest crops myself.”

Though it was in a past life, not this one.

Sieg set up a makeshift table and prepared tea and snacks from his inventory.

Beatrice watched in awe as a proper tea table appeared before her.

“Amazing. Sir Sieg, you have many wondrous talents. It’s truly impressive.”

Her words and demeanor were as pure and unpretentious as a country maiden’s, making Sieg wonder how she managed to endure in a place as treacherous as Vadoka.

He served her tea from Ishtar, and she closed her eyes, savoring the fragrant aroma.

“It’s a soothing scent.”

As they sipped their tea in silence, Sieg finally spoke.

“Your Holiness, do you know why I have come here?”

Beatrice’s expression turned serious, losing her innocent smile, and she nodded.

“I may not fully understand the affairs of the Holy Kingdom, but I’ve heard that a terrifying monster army is approaching Vadoka.”

She set her teacup down and continued.

“As a noble knight, you must have come to save the Holy Kingdom of Vadoka. Am I correct?”

Sieg nodded. “Yes, I am here to defend Vadoka and Your Holiness against the Orc’s Iron Legion.”

Beatrice bowed her head slightly.

“Thank you, Sir Sieg, for coming such a long and perilous way to protect the people of the Holy Kingdom.”

Sieg looked at her intently and then spoke in a more serious tone.

“Your Holiness, I must apologize, but as things stand, it is impossible to protect Vadoka and the Holy Kingdom.”

Beatrice was taken aback.

“W-What do you mean? Are you saying that even with your strength, you cannot stop the monster horde?”

Sieg shook his head.

“The fortress of Vadoka is strong and tall. The forces here should be enough to hold back the Orc Legion. My concern is not with the monster army.”

He paused before continuing.

“It is the corrupt clergy that are the true rot within the Holy Kingdom, the ones destroying Vadoka.”

Beatrice’s face turned pale.

The real power in Vadoka lay with the council, including Chairman Pierre, who had stripped the Pope of her authority and manipulated the kingdom for their own gain. Beatrice knew this, but as a simple nun who became Pope only because of the Sun’s mark, she felt powerless to do anything but serve as a figurehead.

Sieg addressed her again.

“Your Holiness, those men have the means to stop the monsters but allow the people to die to protect their own interests. How can such vile individuals be considered divinely appointed clergy? You must rise and bring them to justice.”

Anthony, standing behind Beatrice, couldn’t hold back any longer and spoke to Sieg.

“Sir Sieg, Her Holiness loses sleep every night worrying about the people. She knows the issues, but Vadoka is not a place where one can act recklessly!”

Anthony, a member of the papal guard, secretly admired Beatrice for her beauty and purity. He was ready to give everything for her sake. He wished he could take her away from this den of vipers to a place where she could live peacefully. But Vadoka would never release someone with the Sun’s mark, and knowing this, he did his best to protect her.

Beatrice slowly raised her head and spoke.

“Sir Sieg.”

Her voice was solemn, and she was no longer the simple country girl who baked bread but the leader of millions of believers.

She asked Sieg, “Do you have a plan to punish those wicked men and restore the church’s authority?”

Sieg stood up slowly.

He drew the jeweled sword Roland from his inventory.

Anthony, alarmed by Sieg’s sudden action, moved to protect Beatrice, ready to draw his own weapon.

But Beatrice raised her hand to stop him.

Sieg held the jeweled sword Roland with both hands, pressing it to his chest, and infused it with power, creating a veil of light.

A warm glow spread, and those nearby felt a comforting warmth.

Rovan, in a daze, looked at Sieg and murmured, “The return of the first Holy King…”

Sieg, with the radiant sword, resembled the legendary Holy King Geo Luvern from the records. He spoke as the light shimmered around him.

“This sword was forged from the hammer of Sir Favre Valencia, who cast aside his title as Arc Paladin to restore the Holy Kingdom fifty years ago.”

Beatrice’s eyes widened at the mention of Favre’s name.

“Sir Favre?”

Sieg nodded and gestured to Felix.

“Felix here is Sir Favre’s grandson and has inherited his legacy.”

Beatrice’s eyes wavered as she looked at Felix.

“Sir Felix, may I verify if you’ve truly inherited Sir Favre’s progress?”

Felix, suddenly thrust into the spotlight, stammered in surprise as he replied.

“Y-yes, Your Holiness! It would be an honor! I mean… how should I proceed?”

Beatrice gently took hold of Felix’s wrist.

A warm sensation coursed through Felix’s body from where she touched him. Beatrice could sense the dormant energy of the Arc Paladin within him.

“It seems you have indeed inherited Sir Favre’s progress.”

From Beatrice’s reaction, it was clear she was already familiar with who Favre was.

At that moment, a voice echoed in Zeke’s ear.

―Sir Zeke, there’s something I need to show you.

Through the message, Zeke realized that Beatrice was concealing her magical prowess. He nodded quietly, and Beatrice dismissed the others before leading Zeke down to the Vatican’s underground chambers.

The underground room was cluttered with unused furniture and chapel tools, likely serving as a storage area. Beatrice navigated through the items and lifted a section of the floor in the corner, revealing a staircase leading further down.

“This way.”

Following Beatrice down the stairs, Zeke was astonished to find a catacomb where the remains of saints were interred. The underground catacomb, with its stone sarcophagi embedded in the walls, resembled the hidden tomb Favre had once concealed.

Beatrice led him deeper and deeper into the underground tomb. At the very bottom, a solitary coffin lay.

Beatrice gazed at the coffin with a look of sorrow.

“These are the remains of the former Pope.”

Zeke was taken aback by her words.

“Why are Pope Baor’s remains here? I thought they were supposed to be interred in a designated place with a state funeral.”

Beatrice nodded.

“That’s the protocol, yes. But the former Pope fought fiercely alongside Sir Favre to reform the Holy Kingdom.”

Zeke understood what Beatrice was implying.

“They didn’t even give him a proper send-off, did they?”

Beatrice nodded again.

“I pleaded countless times to cremate the remains and inter the ashes without any extravagance, but all I got were empty promises to wait.”

To those driven by greed, a principled and incorruptible Pope was nothing but a thorn in their side.

Then, Beatrice placed her palm on the sun emblem engraved in the center of the sarcophagus and infused it with her magic.

A low hum resonated as the sarcophagus vibrated and slid aside, revealing a staircase leading further down.

“Your Holiness, what is this place…?”

“Sir Zeke, while I am the Pope of the Holy Kingdom of Vadoka, I also bear another name.”

She spoke slowly.

“I am Beatrice Valencia, the leader of the Golden Dawn Society.”