There's Something Here (1)
Even Ghislain, the ever-unfazed, hadn't expected the Pope to give them a request.
Everyone waited, curious about what would be said, when the priest next to him grabbed his arm again and said,
"Who do you think you are, linking arms like that!"
"........."
"Let go and kneel, now!"
"…This is insane."
Ghislain asked with an exasperated look,
"Seriously, who even are you?"
The priest responded with a solemn expression,
"I am Borisco, one of the six cardinals who serve His Holiness the Pope."
This time, even Ghislain was visibly surprised.
"Forisco? For real?"
"Borisco!"
"Ah… close enough, I guess."
Indeed, unlike Forisco—the false saint of Lutania known for his greed—this man at least looked austere. His personality, though, seemed rigid to the extreme.
Clicking his tongue inwardly, Ghislain let go of his arm. He could have resisted, sure—but there wasn't much point in doing so.
Borisco looked like he was about to demand Ghislain kneel again, but the Pope cut him off.
"Cardinal, please step aside with the knights. I have important matters to discuss with these people."
"Your Holiness! This is unacceptable. To converse with lowly mercenaries whose origins are unknown…"
"Are you doubting your Pope's judgment?"
The Pope's tone carried a subtle chill, and the cardinal promptly closed his mouth. The surrounding knights also grew visibly tense.
Ghislain caught a fleeting emotion in their eyes—fear.
'Hmm… He doesn't seem to radiate any power, though.'
Maybe it was because Ghislain couldn't detect holy power properly, or perhaps the Pope was being veiled by some kind of barrier.
But judging by the reactions around him, the Pope definitely possessed some extraordinary power.
Eventually, the cardinal, the priests, and the surrounding knights bowed deeply and withdrew.
Once they were gone, Ghislain casually folded his arms again and asked,
"So, what sort of request do you have for us?"
The Pope remained silent for a moment before slowly speaking.
"Let me ask you simply. Do you know the cause of the war between humanity and the Demon Realm?"
"Well… I know the gist of it. The goddesses tried to stop the demon god and his followers from crossing into this world. The demon god was killed, but his energy still lingers… and now his followers are trying to conquer the world and revive him. So humanity is still fighting against them… something like that?"
Ghislain didn't really know. All he had was what Erenes told him. But he remembered it being considered common knowledge in this era, so he tried to gloss over it.
He stole a glance. Beyond the veil, he caught the faint nod of the Pope's shadow.
"You're not wrong in the broad sense. I will not burden you with theological intricacies here, so I'll summarize."
The Pope's ethereal, mysterious voice continued,
"As is commonly known, those referred to as the Salvation Church are using the demon god's energy to fight against humanity. But there's a reason the war continues, despite humanity repelling them multiple times and winning."
"It's because the demon god's energy still remains in the world. That energy continues to empower his followers, making it impossible to end this conflict. Humanity has tried to eliminate that energy, but has failed time and time again."
"People are growing weary of the endless war. You must have seen it yourselves—the way people increasingly hate each other and treat life so lightly."
To that, Ghislain nodded. This era in particular had a strong disregard for life.
Everyone chased their own interests, indifferent to others' suffering.
The powerful mocked and trampled on the weak, while the poor tried to sink their teeth into anyone with more than them.
Not everyone was like that, but most were. Even Ghislain's group had once nearly been attacked by people they had helped.
They had only survived such injustices because of their strength. Others still lived in a world of kill or be killed.
The world had already gone mad. And the greatest cause of that madness was...
"It's the Demon Realm, isn't it."
"Indeed. The anxiety of not knowing when they might die has changed people. They no longer look to the future—only chasing immediate gain and fleeting pleasures."
"Then this request of yours—it's related to the Demon Realm?"
To this, the Pope did not answer right away. After a moment of silence, he began speaking of something unfamiliar.
"Now, I will tell you a myth that few remember anymore."
Ghislain's eyes sparkled. Learning something unknown was always a thrill.
Seeing his reaction, the Pope offered a faint smile from within the veil. The mercenary was truly unconcerned, no matter the situation.
"The goddesses stopped the demon god, but as a result, they lost their physical forms and could no longer directly intervene in this world. Since then, their vast wills have existed beyond dimensions."
"But that does not mean they are powerless. If they were, holy power itself wouldn't exist in this world."
"The goddesses left behind four gemstones imbued with their power. Through these, they can still watch over the world, albeit indirectly."
The Pope's radiant voice echoed once more through the hall.
"We call them the Holy Stones."
'Holy Stones?'
Ghislain tilted his head. He'd never heard of them—not in his era, not in any myth, scripture, or oral tradition.
If they were that important, surely they'd be known. Even the saint Parniel had never mentioned them.
And it didn't seem like something the Church deliberately kept secret—Parniel wasn't the type to hide things, unlike Erenes.
Erenes had spoken of the source of the Demon Realm's power, but even she hadn't known about this myth.
'Well, I suppose…'
In the myths of Ghislain's original time, Deneb was called the "first saint." Yet the title of saint still existed in the current era. Deneb couldn't have been the literal first.
'Could it be Deneb changed the definition of a saint?'
In the dream before he traveled to the past, Deneb had used the powers of all four goddesses.
She might have been the first to succeed in channeling them all—more than enough to monopolize the title of "saint."
How she came to possess such powers, however, was still a mystery.
"What are you thinking about?"
Snapping out of his thoughts, Ghislain gave an awkward smile.
"Oh, nothing. Just amazed, that's all. Please go on."
"…Each of the four Holy Stones has long been entrusted to one of the four races. Humans, Elves, Dwarves, and lastly, Dragons."
"I have long pondered how to end this endless war. And finally, I have reached a conclusion."
"We shall use the goddesses' power within the Holy Stones to destroy the Demon Realm once and for all."
There was a strange fervor in the Pope's voice as he said this. But no one thought it odd.
After all, the Pope—like a saint—is considered a representative of the goddess.
It would be natural for such a figure to want to eliminate the Demon Realm and spread the goddesses' will.
As they listened in silence, Ghislain asked,
"Does this request have something to do with those Holy Stones?"
"It does. I possess one of them, as the representative of humanity. I wish to entrust you with retrieving the remaining Holy Stones from the other races."
Ghislain looked incredulous. So did his companions.
Entrusting such an important task to mercenaries? Shouldn't the most influential figure in the world be handling this personally?
"Um… Your Holiness?"
"Speak."
"Wouldn't it be quicker for Your Holiness to simply send an envoy and negotiate for the stones, instead of us?"
The Pope answered confidently.
"I already sent one, but they were rejected."
"......"
"It is the Holy Stone believed to safeguard the fate of their races. Of course they wouldn't give it up easily. I myself would never hand mine over if someone asked."
"......"
Maybe it was the privilege of his high position, but he was shameless in a strangely convincing way. Ghislain gave a dry chuckle and asked again.
"...And you're asking us to retrieve such things? We're just mercenaries. These people already turned down your request. Why would they hand it over to us?"
"I do not place great expectations on this. But are you not the most renowned mercenary group on the continent?"
"Hmm, well, that's true."
"I have heard that you've resolved difficult matters for many kingdoms. I hold your capabilities in high regard, and am placing a small hope on that."
"So you wouldn't mind if we fail?"
"Of course not. I am not one to make unreasonable demands."
"Hmm… in that case…"
Ghislain closed his eyes and nodded. It didn't sound like an easy task, but if failure was acceptable, there was no real reason to refuse.
Still, one thing was odd.
"Have you told them that you intend to use the Holy Stones to destroy the Demon Realm? That might change their minds. It seems like something worth trying."
The Pope chuckled again.
"Do you think that hasn't been tried over the ages? It has—many times—and each time ended in failure. It only sparked more conflict, as those who coveted the stones fought to claim them all."
"Fought over them?"
"These are stones imbued with the power of the goddesses. Of course greedy people would want to seize such treasures."
"Ah…"
"After experiencing such strife several times, the other races decided never to attempt using the Holy Stones to eliminate the Demon Realm again."
"And yet, Your Holiness still wishes to try once more."
"Because it is the only way to eradicate the Demon Realm."
Ghislain tilted his head slightly. There was a contradiction in the Pope's words.
"Haven't all past attempts failed? Are you implying something's changed?"
"Just because it failed before doesn't mean it will again. I, the Pope, am confident I can properly harness the power of the Holy Stones."
"......."
Ghislain simply held his tongue. If the man claimed he could do it and wanted to try, there wasn't much to say against it.
"What do you say? Will you accept this request? I shall cover all necessary expenses. And if you succeed, the Empire will grant whatever reward lies within its power."
"Sounds like a good job. I'll accept."
Ghislain agreed to the Pope's request without hesitation. Outwardly, he acted as though he was doing them a favor, but inwardly, he was nearly begging to take the job.
'There's something here.'
Deneb had clearly been a saint capable of using the powers of all four goddesses. Her strength was beyond doubt.
But Ghislain had never figured out how she had grown so powerful. It didn't seem likely she could have gained such strength through good deeds alone.
And now, he'd stumbled upon new information from an unexpected source.
'Holy Stones… They must be connected to Deneb's power.'
Anyone who knew the future would make a similar guess.
He couldn't let this pass. Even if there turned out to be no connection, he had to see the Holy Stones with his own eyes to judge for himself.
Ghislain looked toward the veil and asked,
"This won't be easy. May we use any means necessary?"
"So long as you can obtain the stones, do as you must. You may even invoke my name."
In other words, they had permission to tarnish the Pope's reputation if needed. That's how badly he wanted the stones.
At this point, unless they went to war and annihilated the other side, there was no other way to get them. This was a gamble on the slimmest of chances.
With the Pope's permission, Ghislain straightened his back and declared boldly,
"Then don't worry. I'll bring them back by any means necessary."
At those words, his companions gave him uneasy looks. Because Ghislain's "any means" always exceeded their wildest expectations.
But the Pope, perhaps pleased with Ghislain's confidence, let out a soft chuckle.
"What an amusing mercenary. I shall look forward to the results."
"Thank you."
"Still, knowing this will not be an easy journey, I shall assign someone to accompany you."
"A companion? That won't be necessary."
"If you are to use the Pope's name, then you will need a trusted agent to represent me. He is also capable, so he will not be a burden."
Ghislain made a sulky face. Companion or not, it was just a polite way of saying watchdog. At best, he hoped this person wouldn't get in the way.
He was just about to make up an excuse and decline—but when he saw the person entering the hall under the Pope's orders, he changed his mind.
'Well, well, what do we have here?'
A strikingly handsome man radiating the solemn aura of a temple knight. His demeanor was impeccable, and his appearance refined—someone who would instantly earn others' favor.
The man bowed slightly toward Ghislain and greeted him.
"A pleasure to meet you. I am Lionel, the sword acting on behalf of His Holiness the Pope."
Ghislain smiled with intrigue. He didn't recognize the face—but instinctively, he knew.
Lionel was the knight he had seen in his dream, fighting one of the Apostles of the Salvation Church, a companion of the Hero—and suspected to be the founding king of Lutania.