chapter 220
yesternight.
In the secret meeting room in the Vatican, loud and small sounds were constantly coming and going.
“The heir of Carlione is coming to Italy!”
“What is happening all of a sudden at this time!”
They are priests belonging to the Vatican’s intelligence agency, which governs the entire Italian peninsula.
The reason they gathered at this late night was because of the latest news.
“Shouldn’t we stop it right now!”
“How do you stop it?! Do you know how much the Carlione family has donated to us Catholics over the years?”
“Then what are you going to do! You want to leave it alone? What kind of accident might happen?!”
“If you’re Carlione’s son, isn’t he the one who recently helped Bishop Augustus defeat Fafnir? In the midst of recent talk about recognizing Augustus as a saint, what the hell will the other camp say if we stop him from coming!”
A priest’s words engulfed the meeting room in silence.
After all, it meant that there was no way to stop it due to political issues.
“Right now, just from the rumors going around, Carlione’s successor is no different than a troublemaker. Standing at the forefront in the war against the Villains Alliance, and also at the forefront of defeating the evil dragon named Fafnir, and recently in ‘Walpurgis Night’. You were even invited to that pagan festival!”
“How is that a pagan festival! It’s just a simple social gathering!”
“what?! how do you know that! Are you a heretic too?!”
──Thung!
“——Quiet.”
There was someone who froze the meeting hall, which had become noisy again, in an instant.
“Let’s calm down a bit. Do we need to fight among ourselves?”
A man with a crimson hat on his head and a smile.
In the Vatican, he was the head of the intelligence service and was called a cardinal.
“It is certain that wherever Eugene Han Carlione goes, accidents happen. However, it has not been proven that the child is a wicked person. It’s just that I might have gotten caught up in it because of bad luck.”
What he said was right.
No matter how much rumors about him were heard here and there, there was no story that the child had committed a crime or acted wickedly in the end.
However, he is still Carlione’s successor.
I don’t know how this land will change if I get caught up in anything in mainland Italy. whether it is intentional or unintentional.
Is that why? A priest looking at the cardinal slowly, as if worried.
“… … Cardinal. Then what are you going to do?”
It seems that the cardinal has already decided on this. He replied by stroking his ring.
“I will send a child to watch over Carlione Jr.”
“yes? Ira means… … .”
“Michaela. I am thinking of sending him.”
Starting from those words, all the priests who had been sitting still so far kicked off their seats and started to stand up.
“Isn’t it overreacting to send Michaela away?”
“The child is the main force of the Intelligence Agency. But you’re sending Michaela away just because of a little kid!”
“I’d rather send a nun from another department. Other nuns can do enough if they just watch!”
──Boom!
And in response, the cardinal strikes the ground once again with the staff in his hand. But if there is something different from before… … .
“They are really dumbfounded.”
His expression is not a smile.
“I hate this and I hate that. I don’t like the plan I came up with either.”
It was that it was cold.
“Do you guys play cardinals?”
The meeting room is once again enveloped in silence.
The cardinal, who was gripping the staff with great strength, took a deep breath for a moment, took a deep breath, then returned to his normal expression and said to them.
“As you are concerned, Eugene Han Carlione is a being that can be a big variable for our Holy Empire. If you are caught up in an incident or want to act strangely, wouldn’t it be most desirable for us to step forward and take an initial response? or not… … .”
Standing up from his seat, he looked at the priests and asked.
“After something happens, it’s too late. When things go wrong, who the hell is going to take care of Carlione?”
No one could answer his questions.
Most of them had witnessed firsthand how Carlione closed the underground dungeons of the Vatican in the past.
“This is a child raised for times like this. This is a child who has been trained for such a time. When else can you entrust that child with a proper job? when to protect you? When carrying a holy relic? No. Wouldn’t it be right now?”
After confirming that the atmosphere in the meeting room has finally changed to one of acceptance, the cardinal sits down again.
“Give the mission to Michaela. The external purpose is to protect the successor of the Carlione family, a distinguished family that has made a great contribution to Catholicism. The mission of the intelligence service is to monitor and report on every move.”
The Cardinal, who had finished the urgent agenda, raised both hands and pointed to those inside the conference room.
“——Everything for the sake of the Lord’s kingdom.”
“——Everything is for the sake of the lambs of this world.”
“──Now that the conference is over, go and prepare to preach the gospel.”
“—Let’s praise the Lord.”
thump- thump-
With the sound of the cardinal’s wand waving, signaling the end of the meeting, the priests began to leave.
* * *
A hotel suite in Palermo, the central city of Sicily.
I was looking at the message that arrived a while ago, killing my nervousness as much as possible.
[Latte: The Vatican’s intelligence agency is on its way to where the boy is now!]
[Latte: So I think it would be better to prepare in advance!]
“It’s too late… … .”
He clutched his face and glanced at the fainting woman lying on the bed.
It’s already been 20 minutes since that woman lost her mind.
A similar amount of time has passed since I asked Latte to find out why the Vatican came to visit me.
-Titling!
The message arrived after a long wait.
[Latte: Master. An official letter just arrived. Escorts guests from the Vatican’s distinguished guests, the Carlione family. is the reason for the visit?]
“ok?”
I was perplexed for reasons so absurd.
No, they’re sending an escort from the Vatican? Not to another family, but to the heir to the Carlione family? To the mafia son?
“Does this make sense?”
And the man over there who was hit by a door and passed out is a nobleman who will protect me?
“It’s ridiculous.”
Why they sent me an escort station.
No matter how much I thought about this, I couldn’t help but think that the horse was an escort, but in fact, someone was attached to watch over me.
Otherwise, there is absolutely no reason for the Vatican to attach a person to me.
VIP? It is true that our family pays a huge amount of donations to the Catholic Church every month, but it was never a family that was loved by the Vatican enough to be assigned an escort.
Then, who is the guy right in front of me?
I must have seen it somewhere, but I can’t remember. Did you see it in the game?
“Obviously I saw… … .”
Let’s keep an eye on her as she lies in silence with such thoughts in mind.
“… … You are great too. Carlione Jr.”
“hmm?”
She opened her eyes, which had been closed until now, and raised her upper body.
“I didn’t expect you to see that and notice that I woke up. Indeed, he is a person who fits the title of the best troublemaker of this era.”
… … yes?
Saying that, she stood up from the bed and began to introduce herself, bowing her head politely with her hands together toward me.
“The 0th Knight Commander of the Holy Knights of the Holy Vatican Empire. My name is Michaela. The eldest son of the Carlione family, an honored guest of the Vatican from today. Eugene I have been officially entrusted with escorting Lady Han Callione, so please take good care of me.”
ah. It came to mind.
Commander of the 0th Knights. This is a character that appears in the second half of the game, and unlike his appearance, he is definitely a powerful person who belongs to the upper ranks of the Vatican in terms of force alone.
It’s a little different from the person I know, but if you’re the 0th Knight Commander, you’re sure to be a person with potential.
I don’t know how someone like that managed to get knocked over by a door, but what is certain is that he looks very clumsy.
That would be too… … .
“But it is strange. Why is my forehead so hot… … .”
“… … It might be good for you to look in the mirror a bit.”
“Are you talking about the mirror?”
After hearing my story, she grabs her swollen forehead and heads to a nearby mirror.
after a while
“uh?”
Michaela sees herself protruding from the center of her forehead.
After a moment of embarrassment, she raised a hand and placed it on her forehead.
After a while, a green glow lingered on her hand.
Wounds entangled in light slowly begin to regain their original skin color, and soon the swelling subsides and they begin to return to their original form.
Come to think of it, most people belonging to the Vatican could use heels, right?
‘The other side doesn’t seem to think it’s a big problem, so let’s bury it quietly.’
I was lost in thought while watching her self-medicate like that.
A healer is a pretty rare resource in this world. Even that one is at the level of a knight commander.
It’s not a character I met in the original game, so I’m not sure. It’s no different than having such a talented person officially dispatched as my escort… … hmm? Doesn’t this mean I have a potion barrel with an auto-defense function?
“Hoo… … .”
“hmm? What is? Anything to say?”
“No, no. Please continue treatment.”
“?”
Can you pull this out and eat it more than you thought?
I’m already starting to picture in my head how to use it.
The corners of the mouth go up. It was a day that made me want to give thanks to the Lord for nothing.
* * *
Before Michaela arrives at the hotel.
She took out her cell phone and checked the final order from the Vatican, then clenched her fists to strengthen her will.
The target of this mission is a known mafia force that controlled most of the underworld. Eugene Han Carlione, the heir to the Carlione family.
Certainly not long ago, people called him ‘Callione’s idiot’, but that’s really an old saying.
If there was anyone who said such a thing at a meeting these days, it was so eye-catching that it was ridiculed.
That’s also because he has been reaping extraordinary achievements by intervening in several recent cases.
Even if it was just a rumor made with the power of Carlione, it was an achievement that could not be ignored.
‘You have to be careful and be careful. You should stick to him as much as possible to make sure he isn’t plotting any weird things, and you’ll have to figure out how he usually lives.’
Recalling the advice of the cardinal who took her in and raised her, Michaela entered the hotel.
“welcome. Sister. What business did you come to our hotel for?”
Religious people in Italy, which has now become the Holy Vatican Empire, are truly respected by everyone.
Of course, in Sicilian villages and other villages far from mainland Italy, he was wary, but in this mostly Catholic land, it was clear that no one could ignore him.
“It is the official business of the Vatican. The person in this suite has business, so I’m here.”
At the staff’s words, Michaela showed her a necklace to prove her identity and told her business.
Originally, information related to the customer’s personal information cannot be disclosed, but this is an official matter of the Vatican.
There was no way she wouldn’t cooperate, so the staff gave her the elevator key to go up to the suite, even though she put on a puzzled expression for a moment.
“God bless you. Sister.”
“God bless you.”
After exchanging simple greetings, Michaela immediately got on the elevator.
Her plan was like this.
1. First, knock, then greet each other face-to-face.
Michaela had already completed an objective evaluation of herself while undergoing training at the Vatican.
she is beautiful and cute
That’s why I thought it would be advantageous to greet each other face-to-face first rather than being wary before meeting face-to-face.
2. Doing actions that can draw attention from the side and grasp Carlione Jr.’s gaps. After obtaining the information, it is sent to the Vatican.
A deliberately visible loophole can rather make you look down on yourself and allow the other person to leak information.
Michaela planned to use this to send as much information as possible to the Vatican.
I practiced enough.
The plan is perfect.
Finally arriving in front of the suite, she calmed herself down with a simple prayer before going on a mission and then knocked on the door.
I heard a voice from inside, ‘Who are you?’, but I didn’t answer.
In this area, it is common to say ‘I’m from the church’ because most people know that they are wary.
But the door did not open.
What is it? Are you sure you heard a voice from inside?
smart!
Knock again and wait quietly.
It almost broke the rhythm, but she is a pro. He soon regained his composure.
But the door continues to not respond.
She tilted her head at this and started tapping lightly with a rhythm.
smart! Knock! smart!!
──Boom!
At the same time as the shock I felt in my head, my vision shook greatly and my body began to lose strength.
“Ugh!”
‘For sure… … I didn’t feel any signs… … .’
In such a sudden situation, he was unable to raise his divine power to protect himself and was attacked as it was.
‘I never thought I’d win from the start… … .’
She lost her mind just like that. And when I open my eyes again
‘… … The infiltration was successful.’
She smiled faintly in her heart as she realized she was lying in the target’s room.
Now, the opponent is in a state of not knowing that he is awake.
Even if you pretend to faint like this, you can get meaningful information——
“It’s ridiculous.”
‘… … ?!’
As if he knew he was awake. Feeling the gaze directed at her, Michaela was startled and raised her divine power, but she quickly suppressed it.
Because it was strange for someone who had passed out to use divine power.
‘1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 11… … .’
So, as she did in training, she dealt with her confused mind by counting decimals.
Yes, his breath control and acting are perfect. Even so, it would be impossible to notice——
“Obviously I saw… … .”
did you see that?
The divine power he raised was very weak. It’s probably impossible to grasp if you’re not paying attention.
But I never thought I’d find out about this… … .
Thinking that further acting was unnecessary due to the overwhelming power of observation of her opponent, she gave up acting and opened her eyes.
‘You’re a formidable person.’
The attitude of a moment ago seemed to be nothing. In an instant, Michael felt goosebumps at the attitude of worrying about himself with a worried expression on his face.
In the meantime, a swollen forehead.
She quickly ran to the mirror and treated her, but… … .
‘… … Are you laughing?’
Could this be all?!
… … Eugene Han Callione.
Watching him smile from behind, she raised her alert level to the highest level in her mind.
‘Eugene Han Callione. You’re really scary.’