245. The Emperor’s Eye (4)
The heart of Vaitas Church, ‘Adelochini’. This grand cathedral, usually referred to as the ‘Vaitas Papacy’, is a structure the size of a small town.
Every day, practitioners and pilgrims knock on the doors of the Papacy. Monks seeking knowledge. Knights who have voluntarily gathered from various places, and attendants working for the priests within the cathedral. Adelochini was a massive church equipped with all the living facilities for them.
Vaitas. The gatekeeper of the entrance to the Temple of the Gods, and one of the great deities who can decide whether to open the gates of the Temple of the Gods. Originally, the status of a god is built upon the years of divinity and the faith of the followers in the material world.
The scale of the ‘main hall’ of Vaitas Church is by no means excessive. A deep moat and towering city walls. The strong walls guarded by knights with gleaming lance blades and armor themselves proved the authority of the church.
And in the deepest and highest corridor of that massive fortress, Beorn was walking without a word.
*
Beorn was walking confidently with one eye wide open. Despite the long years, his robust physique still maintained its prime form, and even the simple monastic robe couldn’t conceal his build.
With neat steps and sharp eyes, he walked through the corridor, thinking. How wealthy this castle is.
For monks, frugality was not a virtue but an obligation. At least Beorn and his monastery lived by that belief. They believed that luxury and wealth inevitably lead to corruption.
-Ding. Ding. Ding.
The clear sound of bells occasionally came from outside the window. The singing of the choir practicing hymns. The soft cooing of pigeons, the shuffling footsteps of monks, and the low murmurs of prayers blended into a calm white noise that colored the corridor.
Everything seemed detached from the secular world, pristine. As if it had never been tainted by the dust of the mundane. The impression Beorn felt was sadness.
It was the sorrow of an old monk who had fully embraced the filth of the secular world, willingly staining the hem of his robe in the mud as he moved forward.
“Your Holiness. The head of St. Bartholomew Monastery requests an audience.”
His feet stopped in front of a massive door. It was a wooden door engraved with ornate carvings of biblical verses. As the attendant at the door spoke softly beyond it, a whispering sound was heard from inside the room.
“Let him in.”
The door opened, and Beorn stepped inside. Behind him, the door quietly closed.
Sometimes, cleanliness is not poverty. Even in simplicity and monotony, wealth can reveal itself. The Pope’s residence was also like that.
Never extravagant. Never excessive. But never, modest. Beorn, dressed in a pure white monastic robe, looked at the old man reading a book and thought that.
The Papacy was, by nature, a place that was the opposite of him.
“Beorn of St. Bartholomew Monastery greets His Holiness the Pope.”
“You’ve had a long journey, Monastery Head. Was there any trouble along the way?”
“Thanks to Your Holiness’s concern, the journey was uneventful.”
“What could this old body have done? Sit. Would you like some refreshments?”
The Pope smiled softly and handed him a teacup. Beorn sat by the large window overlooking the Papacy’s grounds.
“So. What brings you all this way?”
“Your Holiness. Regarding the recent series of events in the Empire, I could not report in writing and dared to come to seek your command.”
“What was the problem?”
The Pope looked genuinely puzzled. For the past 40 years, since Beorn joined Vaitas Church as a Heretic, the Pope had always maintained that expression.
The Pope is a lifelong position. The authority of the Pope, elected by the Conclave, is guaranteed until his death. And the current Pope, Paul IV, is immortal. A man blessed directly by Vaitas, the earthly representative until the Temple of the Gods closed its gates.
Therefore, the current Pope will continue his reign forever. In this era where the Temple of the Gods has closed its gates, Beorn was facing a sage god.
“Your Holiness. Vampires have been recognized throughout the Empire.”
“Not just the Empire. Aren’t they common monsters all over the world?”
“Vampires cannot be placed on the same level as ordinary trolls or ogres. Although not creatures of demons, vampires are clearly one of the diseases gnawing at civilized society.”
Vampire hunting is outside the rights of Vaitas. The ‘purification’ targets recognized by Vaitas are only demons, heretics, and witches, and their hostility is limited to demons, demonic creatures, and minions of demons.
Therefore, intervening in the political situation of secular kingdoms to hunt vampires is an internal interference on the council level and a violation of the ‘non-aggression pact’ of the Temple of the Gods Church.
“And?”
“……Also. Clear signs of heresy have been detected in the Emperor of the Empire. Your Holiness. A Heretic monk assigned to the Ribue region recently passed away.”
“May the Temple of the Gods bless him.”
“Yes, the brother must have finally found the peace and tranquility he never had in life in the arms of the sanctuary. But secular society is not like that. The heretic he was tracking was found to be either a subordinate of the Emperor or at least closely connected to the Imperial family.”
So, please authorize an investigation into heresy within the Imperial family. Beorn concluded his words and looked at the Pope. The Pope still wore an inscrutable smile.
Originally, heresy investigations prioritize action over reporting. If suspicious circumstances are detected, an investigation must be conducted, and a report follows.
However, the target is the Emperor. The ruler of the entire eastern civilization of the continent. Touching the Imperial family is not just a religious matter.
It is an issue that will inevitably have political and diplomatic repercussions. Therefore, Beorn had to first seek the Pope’s opinion on this matter.
“This old body has also read that report directly. Monastery Head. Have you forgotten who the brother sent to that region earlier?”
“……Second-class Inquisitor Fernandez.”
“Yes. Our saintly brother.”
The Pope put down his teacup and turned his gaze for a moment. On the table were the books the Pope had been reading. The books had no covers. That meant they were documents requiring secret clearance.
“This old body has lived a long life. A lifespan granted by the Lord, so I have lived a life fully dedicated to Him. In the process, I have read and seen many things. Pure things, corrupt things. Without discrimination. Only as a means to preach the will of the Lord.”
The Pope handed Beorn a file. Beorn took the file but dared not open it. It might have been the kind of document that couldn’t be read without the Pope’s clearance.
“Some books I have read repeatedly. And among them, a very few books have always brought new inspiration to this old body. Like the Bible, which contains the words and teachings of the Lord.”
The Pope gestured. It meant to open it. Beorn carefully turned the first page of the report. And beneath it, familiar handwriting was visible.
“Recently, such books have increased, making me very happy.”
“It’s Brother Fernandez’s report.”
“Yes. Our saintly brother’s report from his first mission to the most recent operation.”
