"What did you just say?" (5)
Goel froze.
The shape was quite distorted, but it was unmistakably a medal. It was the same item Goel had claimed he had taken care of through a servant.
Rilai suddenly jumped up.
"That! Where did you find it?!"
"It was at the bottom of the lake."
…What? The lake? Not the Esua landfill?
Everyone turned to look at Goel.
Even Isaac gave him a baffled, unimpressed look.
But Goel only stared at the table, sweating profusely. The elders glared at him with obvious displeasure.
It was known they disliked Isaac, but no one had expected he'd go so far as to lie.
Rilai thought Goel had gone a bit too far, but either way, the medal had been found, and that was what mattered.
But that wasn't the important part.
"Father. That's it. If we compare that medal with Isaac's energy, it'll be solid proof… Wait, but it's melted… Did you do this, Father?"
"Would I do such a thing?"
Uh-oh.
Everyone's expression froze.
But the family head nonchalantly tapped the medal.
"It was like this when we found it. Must've been melted with the sacred flame."
"Ah, I see. Melted with… wait, what?!"
Hold on, what?
"You're saying Isaac melted the Pope's gold?"
"The gold blessed by the Pope that neither a cardinal nor the Demon King could melt?"
Goel shut his eyes tightly, as if he had expected this moment.
At the same time, Rilai began to understand why his brother had desperately tried to hide the medal and discredit Isaac.
This wasn't just a matter of talent.
This was an anomaly.
The family head looked at Isaac with great interest.
"Though it's the lowest grade of medal, it was still blessed by the Pope. For it to melt… I was curious about the unfamiliar energy I felt—so it was all you."
The head of the house's gaze shifted, but Isaac's expression was strangely blank.
Which made sense.
'What the hell, I don't even know, dude.'
Seriously, he had no idea.
'Why the hell is it melted?'
[That's what I'm wondering too.]
Seriously—why is it melted?
'Could the Pope's side have found it first and melted it?'
[You wanna get smacked by the Pope or something?]
'Then could someone other than the Pope have melted it?'
[Then they'd get smacked by you. Who could melt something not even you could?]
Right?
Isaac stared hard at the medal.
It had melted like chocolate, and its shape was slightly warped. Even the name seemed to have been erased by the heat.
Judging by the signs, it had definitely been melted by fire.
But how?
'Papal gold shouldn't melt that easily.'
The Pope was the only person connected to God.
Which meant the gold blessed by the papal house, Blessed Gold, was special.
It neither melted nor broke.
That was why the holy faction hid their most important treasures in it.
Of course, Isaac could melt it under certain circumstances, but it required rare and expensive ingredients—so he had given up on it as inefficient.
Yet here it was—partially melted?
By his fire?
With ordinary fire?
'Has my power gotten stronger?'
Even sacred fire used by priests was just fire at its core. That's why Isaac had used his own version of it.
But now the power seemed… different?
'Did I get stronger after being reborn in this body?'
Or perhaps it was due to a mix of holy and demonic energies.
In any case, this wasn't something just anyone could do.
As proof, Goel bit his lip, and Rilai's eyes sparkled.
"Father, if he can burn the symbol of the papal house with his fire—!"
At those words, Isaac grinned like he'd been waiting for it.
'Yes! That's it! Material proof I'm superior to the Pope! Something I can show the world!'
"He'll be able to withstand even the flames of the Skeleton King!"
"That's right, Patriarch! He's a born Skeleton King hunter! An Anti-Skeleton!"
You damn Skeleton King fanatics!
He's gone now! Leave him alone!
I'll burn you all first!
But Rilai and the elders weren't listening.
"Didn't the people suffer recently from a hidden Skeleton King?"
"Exactly. If we leave it alone, the age of the Skeleton King will rise again!"
Damn it! Who the hell is it, that knock-off bastard?!
At the same time, Isaac's eyes flared with rage.
They kept going on and on about the Skeleton King, so he had half-dismissed it as a joke…
[It does seem like someone is pretending to be him.]
Right?
But in truth, it had nothing to do with Isaac.
Who cared who the people of the Holy Faction decided to follow?
If anything, it helped divert attention, which was good for Isaac.
So there was no need to worry about it...
"Wasn't it seventy years ago that the Skeleton King suddenly reappeared at the Eshua estate and laid a curse? That grudge hasn't been erased to this day."
A curse? What curse?!
And what estate?! I've never even stepped foot in the Holy Faction in the first place!
Would an undead even have unfinished business like that?!
"Yes, I still shudder when I think of how the Skeleton King stormed in, declaring he'd wipe out the Saintess and her bloodline... The newly born children, what did they ever do to deserve it?"
What the hell?! Bloodline this, bloodline that! I didn't even know what family the Saintess belonged to, so how would I have attacked her?!
This is driving me insane!
[That would mean it couldn't have been you, Master—since it was 70 years ago.]
No, you idiot!
It was 150 years ago that I fought the gods, and then I woke up to find myself here!
Besides, I deliberately left the Saintess's faction alone because it was more profitable that way. I even told my subordinates not to touch them!
'What bastard dared commit such karma in my name?'
Anyway, whoever that knock-off was, I had no idea what kind of curse they placed on Eshua—until now.
Now I understood why they were all so hell-bent on destroying the Skeleton King.
'A curse placed on a bloodline... So that's why Lila said those things to me?'
"It's okay, child. We've heard the story! Even if you're cursed, it doesn't matter to us!"
"It's good to treat the child well, but don't get too attached. He won't live long anyway."
Maybe the reason this body had no "owner" was because of that imposter's curse.
Maybe the original soul died at birth—or never existed at all.
Well, whatever.
Even if it was a curse, at most it was a demon's curse.
[Which is child's play to you, Master.]
Exactly. Sure, the best way is to kill the one who cast it, but if it's me, I could probably just interpret and break the curse myself.
Not that I even need to.
I ate the Skeleton King's body, after all.
'With the Demon King's magic suppressing it, it can't affect my life.'
No arrogant bastard can take the life of someone more powerful than them.
And as long as I live, most curses are within tolerable limits.
Why bother tracking down the caster and deciphering the curse?
Honestly, as the Demon King, this curse isn't even worth caring about...
"Most of them die young, but those who don't often suffer from infertility or stunted growth."
"One even lived their whole life bald..."
What the hell?! I'm going to crush and kill that imposter bastard!!
[…Uh… that might not even be from the curse, you know?]
Even if it's not, I'll still kill him!
"D-Did he really dare curse me like that?!"
"Ah! Master Isaac!"
"Why is he suddenly like this?"
The attendants rushed in with bells, but Isaac's eyes were already rolling in fury.
"I'll grind his skull into powder and make it into a nutritional supplement!!!"
He looked ready to kill the Skeleton King with a bell alone.
Then the family head gazed deeply into Isaac's crazed eyes.
"It's top secret, but… the red eyes. That child must have been cursed by the Skeleton King."
Really? So red eyes meant that?
That bastard even left a mark? What kind of lunatic is he?
No wonder the rest of the direct family all had blue eyes—no red ones to be seen.
But Whisper was puzzled.
[If someone like you entered the body, any curse mark should've vanished automatically. Strange.]
Then maybe my eyes were red to begin with! So what!
But even in that moment, Goel looked dissatisfied.
And for good reason—those with strong divine power can survive the Skeleton King's curse.
The third son of the family was one such example.
More importantly, if one becomes Pope and uses the divine advent ritual—which only a Pope can use—the curse disappears.
The moment a god descends into your body, you become a demigod. Disease, curses, fatal wounds—they all vanish.
In other words, if Isaac survived long enough to become a Saint and the next Pope...
Then the Skeleton King's curse would mean nothing.
So Goel was wary of this whole situation.
'He should have died from eating the Skeleton King's body.'
But if the family head helped extend his lifespan...!
'Then it's like giving Isaac wings.'
Still, water and fire blessings were within expectations.
Envy-inducing, sure—but still within the realm of what Shuri might receive in time.
Crucially, the family head never liked boys born in Eshua.
Water and fire were strong blessings—but also a way of saying, "That's all you're getting."
"Water and fire won't be enough. I'll grant him a Holy Spirit."
At those words, Goel nodded.
"Yes! That's right! Water and fire aren't enough… wait, what?"
At the same time, his eyes widened like saucers, and beside him, a voice louder than ever erupted.
"A Holy Spirit?!"
"Yes. At the very least, he'll need to be able to purify the Skeleton King's magic."
"Head of the House!"
This time, even Isaac understood.
'This lovely head of the house bastard!'
Isaac threw his hands up in triumph.
The Holy Spirit?
He had thought of trying to get it, but at most, he expected to unlock speech and maybe receive it after he matured.
After all, he was planning to demand it as compensation for bringing back the Skeleton King's corpse.
But like this?
'The Holy Spirit is all about intuition, and the younger you start using it, the better. Getting it now is not just good—it's the best.'
Chasing off that errand boy from the Pope's family had been worth it. Who would've thought a guy from the Pope's house would end up helping like this.
Of course, Goel was grinding his teeth.
'People who can use the Holy Spirit are few and far between.'
The Holy Spirit was usually granted only as a reward.
But even then, it wasn't something just anyone could receive.
'! A treasure only the Pillars of Eshua can possess!'
And now they're giving that to a kid?
"Thank you! It will be a great help to Isaac."
"No! This is too much! It can't even be compared to water or fire!"
Lilai was delighted, but Goel was so bitter he could barely stand it.
Goel had already been preparing to sell Isaac off to another noble family as an adopted son.
The Eshua men were genetically desirable and popular for political marriages or adoption. And after this event, there were even more houses vying for Isaac.
So he had to be removed before he caught the head of the house's attention.
"Yes, Isaac has talent equal to Shuri's. In this Eshua house, for a boy to show such promise—I understand that you would want to reward your dear grandson. But!"
"!?"
"The Holy Spirit was bestowed upon those who shed blood and brought honor to Eshua. Has that child truly done something for the house?"
"Brother, Isaac—"
Goel cut off Lilai, who was trying to hold back her anger.
"To be blunt, even if the boy did burn the medal, that was a direct challenge to the Pope's house. Do you think the Pope's house will just sit back and take it? In the end, that was an action that endangered Eshua."
"!"
"And that's not all! Even if the boy brought back the Skeleton King's body from the treasure vault—he ate it. We had to use tons of medicine and manpower to get it out! It ended up being a burden on the house!"
Tons of medicine and manpower?
The medicine was all gifts sent to Isaac, and the "manpower" was just Lilai and the old men groaning and wiping his butt.
Isaac picked his nose, unfazed, but Goel stood firm.
"And now you're giving the Holy Spirit to such a child? If it's just because he's the eldest son's kid, then, Head of the House, you are showing too much favoritism. Please consider the other heirs who care deeply about Eshua's honor."
The Head of the House nodded.
"Is that so? Then I made a mistake."
Goel let out a sigh of relief. Finally, someone who made sense.
"I knew you would understand, Father! Lilai and the elders—so stubborn and unwilling to listen…"
"It's you who made the mistake. Goel Eshua."
Ack.
Goel looked at the head of the house in panic.
But when their eyes met, he froze.
The head of the house's sharp blue eyes burned with fury.
"What were you doing when the Pope's house sent that pitiful gift?"
"...!"
"You were going to just let those who picked a fight on Eshua's soil walk away?"
Something was wrong. Goel could feel the rising anger and grew nervous.
"T-The thing is…! If we start an unnecessary fight with the Pope's house, Eshua could be endangered…"
The head of the house's eyes grew colder.
"You, who belittle your own nephew—are you truly acting in the house's best interest? Or do you think Eshua is weak enough to be shaken by such a thing?"
"...!!"
Goel broke into a cold sweat.
"Just because you can't eat it, you're trying to break someone else's bowl? If you have no ability, then shut your mouth. You judged Eshua's risk without permission and ended up endangering it, bringing disgrace on a child who should rightfully be rewarded."
"...."
Goel couldn't lift his head.
"Even beasts protect the young of their pack. And what about you? Eshua is a house that protects even the smallest among us. The weakest one we were meant to shield ended up protecting our pride instead. If that's not a noble act that brings honor to Eshua, then what is?"
Goel only continued to sweat. Isaac smirked.
Come on, you're gonna make the guy cry. Why be like that?
It's getting good now—go on, give him more.
[T/L: Read extra chapters on my ko-fi page "Pokemon1920" : http://ko-fi.com/pokemon1920 ]