Regressor Of The Fallen Family [EN]: Chapter 363

“You can’t see the Pope? What do you mean, Cardinal Tracy?” Harmon asked, his eyebrows pulling together in a frown.

As soon as Harmon frowned, a cold feeling filled the office. It wasn’t just cold air; it felt like a heavy weight pressing down.

Tracy felt tiny bumps rise on her skin, like cold pebbles.

Oh no.

This was the ‘Saint Aura’ power. Only those who had become more than human in holy magic and inner strength could use it. It was the opposite of the magic from the Cassel Magic Tower.

Even for Tracy, this feeling was strong. She was a rare kind of magic user, focused on life and light magic, not soul or dimension magic. This was unusual for someone important in the Soul Wizard group of the Cassel Magic Tower. No matter how strange her magic was, even if it could trick important church leaders like cardinals, the feeling of Saint Aura was the same.

It feels like something cold and sharp is slowly eating away at my insides, she thought, her heart racing.

This power felt even stronger than the Sword God’s power. The Tower had almost been destroyed when they finally defeated the Sword God’s group a long time ago.

Tracy tried to hide the crawling feeling on her skin. She forced her lips into a warm smile, a smile she had practiced many times. She had been secretly working in the Order for a long time, all to find the Ancestor’s relic, the Bracelet of Supremacy.

“Since becoming the Pope, His Holiness has been very tired from working too much and needs to rest. He told me to let you know that he won’t be meeting anyone for now,” Tracy said.

“Even though I brought the fake Saintess, who the Pope himself ordered to be kicked out, you’re saying he won’t even look at her?”

Tracy frowned a little at the way Harmon stressed the word ‘personally’.

…He suspects something?

Yes, it was possible. If Harmon had caught the Saintess himself, he would have felt that her stigmata was real.

So, the Saintess went all the way to the Gaia Kingdom on purpose.

Otherwise, there was no reason for the commander of the Holy Knights, who was sent to the far southwest, to capture the Saintess.

At least it was lucky that the Holy Sword had escorted the Saintess instead of helping her, but that made it even more impossible for them to meet, at least for now.

“Oh, you know the Pope is quite old, right? He needs time to rest and recover because he was shocked by the Saintess’s terrible actions.”

“Terrible actions?”

“Oh, didn’t you know? The Empire’s superhuman, who volunteered to guard the Saintess, was killed in her home. And the Saintess even disobeyed the Pope’s order to stay put and ran away.”

Max Illeya, who had been sent to protect the Saintess as a substitute for the Pope, was now said to have volunteered to serve the Holy Nation.

“As you may have heard, the Empire is putting more and more pressure on us because of that. The strongest superhumans in the Empire, the Sword Soul and the Mage of Sapsorrow, have even given us a strong warning that they will visit the Holy City soon.”

She blamed the increased pressure, which was because she was going against the Imperial Family’s orders, on that.

But Harmon didn’t know that, so Tracy looked confident.

“The Saintess couldn’t have done that alone. Someone must have helped her… Did you see any other helpers?”

When the Holy Sword nodded without showing any emotion, Tracy smiled, feeling like she had won.

Someone who always follows the rules. Very easy to trick.

As she thought, the Holy Sword readily told the truth.

“…There was someone, but I missed him because the Saintess blocked me.”

“Are you saying that the Commander was blocked by the Saintess, no, that woman? I find that hard to believe.”

“…The Saintess said she would kill herself and blocked me, so I couldn’t stop her.”

Tracy had to clear her throat when she heard those words.

“Ahem, that woman has already been kicked out of the church. Calling her Saintess is a bit…”

It was just a comment because that was the only thing she could criticize, but Harmon calmly interrupted Tracy.

“I have checked the Saintess’s stigmata many times while escorting her. I also plan to officially complain to the Order about the excommunication.”

“You checked the stigmata… Then why did that woman run away?”

“Hmm?”

“There is already an example from the past Pope. It wouldn’t be strange if she tricked even the Commander.”

Seeing Harmon unable to answer, as if his weakness had been revealed, Tracy smiled to herself with satisfaction.

“Weren’t you the one who served the previous Pope for many years, Commander? Can you be sure that the Saintess is real? Isn’t that woman the same, so the Order could easily tell?”

“Huh…”

As a sigh mixed with sadness came from Harmon’s mouth, Tracy felt like she had won and delivered the final blow.

“That woman’s trick hasn’t been revealed yet. She ran away when we tried to reveal it. After killing the Empire’s superhuman!”

Tracy stared closely into Harmon’s eyes, who was looking at her, and shouted as if she was angry and upset.

“She deserves the worst punishment for putting the Holy Nation in danger!”

He won’t be able to say anything now.

Someone who always follows the rules can’t break the rules.

Tracy was smiling to herself, but the Commander of the Holy Knights, whom she thought she had completely defeated, said something unbelievable again.

“Then will the Pope come out for that trial?”

“…That’s for the Pope to decide. But for now, he has left it to me.”

“You mean deciding what to do with the Saintess?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“Then the Pope…?”

“The Pope will start working again as soon as he recovers.”

As long as you’re in the Holy City, the Pope will continue to be sick.

That thought was hidden behind a smile.

But at that moment, Harmon, who had not shown any emotion during the conversation, gave a fierce smile.

“That’s definitely suspicious.”

“Yes? What rude things are you saying…!”

“Do you know this, Cardinal Tracy?”

“Yes? What… what is it?”

“The previous Pope, no, that fake, never let me get closer than 10 meters. He avoided it by making excuses, even until the final trial. Of course, I didn’t know why at the time…”

Harmon suddenly took a big step forward.

And by doing so, the distance between them was now less than 10 meters.

“I think I know why now.”

“Wh, what do you mean?”

Tracy’s voice shook with a sudden feeling of worry.

“Clang!”

The sword, drawn with a clear sound, was aimed at Tracy’s neck like lightning.

“Wham!”

Was this what it felt like to be struck by lightning?

Tracy, whose secret had been revealed after many years, was shocked for a moment. But soon, realizing how bad the situation was, she quickly stepped back and waved her hands.

“Wh, what are you doing, Commander!”

Tracy spoke, her voice shaking. She had asked for this private meeting alone, making sure no one else was there. Harmon was alone with her, and no one could stop him.

“Even the old Pope, that fake, had some power! Even the dead cardinals held onto the last bits of their fading power! But….”

Of course, even if someone were there, they couldn’t stop the Holy Sword. It was clear he wanted to kill.

“What are you!?”

The killing intent in his voice echoed through the office, forcing Tracy to step back, overwhelmed.

“C-Commander! Calm down! I don’t understand what you’re talking about.”

In truth, she understood perfectly.

But because it was the truth, she couldn’t admit it.

‘H-How?! Even Cardinal Austin and the Saintess didn’t recognize it?’

Such a thing was unheard of in the history of the Cassel Magic Tower.

“Nonsense…!”

But at that moment, perhaps because Harmon’s voice and killing intent were too great…

Bang!

The Holy Knights who had been waiting outside the office—Harmon’s subordinates—burst in, nearly breaking down the door.

“Commander!”

“C-Commander! You can’t do this here!”

Each of them abandoned the dignity of a Holy Knight and clung to Harmon’s arms and legs. In the midst of the chaos, his adjutant, Line Harper, whispered something in his ear, and Harmon paused, putting away his sword.

Even so, he cast a chilling glance and uttered a word.

“Who’s judging whom? How absurd.”

“Commander!”

Only after Line Harper shouted in alarm again did Harmon shut his mouth with a stiff face.

Watching him, Tracy realized that all her plans had been shattered.

Even so, she shouted as a last resort.

“T-The Holy Knights cannot interfere in the politics of the Order!”

She didn’t know how he had noticed her secret so quickly, but he wouldn’t be able to prove it.

And he couldn’t force proof. The Holy Knights, the core of the Order’s military power, were completely excluded from politics because of their danger.

The Holy Knights were merely an executive department that carried out the results of the Pope or the Council of Cardinals.

But even at those words, Harmon merely chuckled.

“Fortunately, this person’s reputation isn’t bad, so we can sway public opinion. So, be prepared, Cardinal Tracy… no, fake priest.”

If the priests of the Order, not the Holy Knights, demanded it, she would have to face an impeachment trial like the former Pope. And if Harmon proved something in that place, her fate would be sealed.

But then, as if she had thought of something, Tracy, who had been flustered, quickly composed herself and bowed politely.

“Hmm, I think there must be some misunderstanding, Commander. I don’t know why, but I am naturally prepared to accept all accusations and prove myself.”

Her face was as if she had never been flustered.

Harmon merely snorted at that.

“Lesman, Harper. From this moment on, closely ‘escort’ Cardinal Tracy….”

“Yes!”

“Do not interfere with her work or take away her freedom of movement, but do not allow her to leave Noviens. This is an order from the Commander of the Holy Knights, who is responsible for the security of the Holy City.”

“Yes!”

A way to put the most pressure on the Cardinal within his authority.

“Surely you won’t refuse this either? Cardinal. Your. Eminence.”

Harmon said, flashing a cold look.

“I have no choice. I will accept it.”

Tracy simply accepted it with a bitter smile.

Was that unexpected?

Harmon frowned slightly and just turned around.

On the other hand, Tracy bowed politely to him despite his rude behavior, seeing him off.

The remaining Holy Knights, seeing this, tilted their heads, looking back and forth between their Commander and the friendly Cardinal.

They were also elites of the Holy Knights, but their expressions showed that they didn’t feel anything.

That made Tracy feel a little more stable.

“You will have a hard time for a while. Thank you for your help, brothers.”

“Ah, yes.”

“Yes, Your Eminence.”

Still with bewildered expressions.

She was confident that she could manipulate these underlings, who were not the Holy Sword, as much as she wanted. Of course, she didn’t feel good about it anyway.

‘…This move was wrong.’

It was certain that everything had gone wrong. Far from executing the Saintess, she was about to face an impeachment trial and a cross-examination of the Pope.

But it didn’t matter.

‘Well, there’s no need to force it.’

She had to disappear soon anyway.

Her mission was complete by causing a conflict between the Empire and the Holy Kingdom and causing chaos in the world.

Now, all that was left was to escalate the situation so that the Emperor couldn’t chase them.

In addition, she would take the Supreme Bracelet, the relic of the progenitor, and ‘the other one’ and leave. There was no need to forcibly execute the Saintess and provoke the Holy Sword.

‘The worst situation I was worried about was the Holy Sword trying to meet the Pope by force. I stopped that, so it’s okay.’

If the Holy Sword had tried to overturn the situation with force, there would have been no way to stop it. In the end, it was the opposite of her original intention, but her idea of tying down the Holy Sword with the Saintess’s problem had been achieved.

‘If he’s going to sway public opinion, the Holy Sword will be busy traveling elsewhere.’

If the situation unfolded as he wanted, he would not use extreme measures, breaking the rules.

‘I just need to move the cardinals I’ve been picking as puppets to buy time.’

Thinking so, Tracy calmed her surprised heart. If she had known who the Holy Sword, who had left her office, was meeting, she wouldn’t have thought so easily.

“……I heard that the Prince of the Empire was staying in the Central Temple, but I didn’t expect to meet you like this.”

The Holy Sword frowned slightly as he looked at the handsome young man with black hair, black eyes, and yellow skin who had suddenly appeared before him.

But the other person smiled brightly and bowed to him.

“Haha. I’m also sorry that I’m only now meeting the world-renowned Commander.”

“But what brings you here?”

There was no need for courtesy greetings. State your business.

Considering the etiquette of a typical aristocrat, this was no different from a cold reception that was too much even for the Prince of the Empire, or even the Prince of some small country.

But Baros did not lose his smile and brought up the main point as if he had been waiting for it.

“Are you aware that the current Pope is being manipulated by someone?”

At those words, Harmon’s eyes shook violently.