Chapter 157 – Rolling in By the Vine (4)

Loot the tower.
Take everything from the tower.

Choi Han was used to Cale's way of speaking by now.

'Although he is phrasing it like that, I'm sure he'll use it for good again.'

Everything Cale had done until now was used to help others or for something positive. Choi Han trusted Cale.
That was why he responded back with no issues.

"I will prepare for it."
"Good. We are going to wear the fake outfits as well."

Choi Han flinched after hearing that they were going to wear the fake secret organization outfit, but still quietly nodded his head.

* * *

Cale started to think about the Church of the Sun God and the Vatican.

The Church of the Sun God had existed as a religious body on the continent for a long time.
It became a powerful church after the Vatican was created in the Mogoru Empire a couple hundred years ago and has strengthened its influence as the official religion of the Empire for the past 150 years.

'This tower was supposedly built when the Vatican was created.'

Cale touched the surface of the tower.

It was currently the middle of a winter night.
The tower's walls were cold.

Boom! Boom! Boom!
The Sound of the Wind was running wild.

– Human, why are you smiling in such a scary manner?

Raon's voice echoed in his head. Cale ignored Raon completely as he started to speak. It was a quiet voice.

"It's new."

Choi Han responded to him.

"The Empire seems to have put it up recently."
"Yes. They probably destroyed the original lock and replaced it since there was nothing in the tower."

Cale pointed to the new lock.

"Break it."

Shhhhh.
A small black aura silently destroyed the lock.

The door to the top of the tower opened without a sound. Raon flew in through the gap.

– There are no people nor magic devices here. Human, this really was thrown to the side!

Cale nodded his head at Raon's report and walked in through the door.
The fifteenth floor. The small window was the only window on this floor.

Paaaat.
A small orb of light appeared in front of Cale.
Choi Han closed the door while leaving just a small gap before he started to speak.

"I will be right here."

Cale nodded his head and slowly started to speak.

Eruhaben should be sleeping peacefully in Cale's bed with his hair changed to match Cale's red hair.
The spy in Cale's bedroom should be looking at the real Hilsman guarding the door to Cale's bedroom and the fake Choi Han guarding the inside of Cale's bedroom.
They would think that Eruhaben switched shifts and went to his room to sleep.

– Human, let's hurry up!

Cale did not respond to Raon's urging and slowly walked up.
Tap. Tap.
His footsteps echoed as he followed the circular staircase up to the top.

'All of the guards are gathered by the eastern Annex.'

The highest level of security in the Vatican started from the eastern Annex, then the Western administrative offices, and finally the central building. The garden didn't even have any guards.
Cale had floated in the air for a long time in order to determine the patrol paths and learned that there was approximately an hour gap between when the guards would come to the garden.

'They're pretty much advertising that the eastern Annex has a secret room.'

Cale found that to be stupid.
He recalled what the sword master Hannah had said.

'The Church's patrols and the Empire's current patrol patterns are probably different, but I'll tell you anyways since it may help.'

The fake Holy Maiden explained the patrol patterns.

'They barely go to the garden.'
'Ah, Hannah. But didn't the Pope go to the garden a lot?'

Hannah scoffed and added on.

'He did. That sleepless old bastard. He always walked around the garden. He wouldn't even let others come to the garden when he was there. Funny bastard. Is the garden his private area?'

Cale could finally understand the Pope's actions.

'The Pope seems to have known about this tower.'

He seemed to have known that a divine item was here.

'Although I don't know why he didn't give the divine item to the Saint.'

Even if he was just a half Saint, Jack should still have been able to use the divine item. Then the believers would have become even more faithful.

Of course, the Pope may have thought it would be difficult to control the Saint if he had a divine item. That may be why he hid the existence of the divine item.

– Human, why are you continuously smiling as you walk up? Hurry up so that we can get our things!

Cale started to walk a little faster.

Swooooooosh-
The Sound of the Wind surrounded Cale's feet. He was able to climb up quickly without much effort.
Cale finally arrived at the 15th floor.

"Human, I will break the lock!"

Raon must have determined that it was okay not to be quiet, as he shouted out loud.
The Black Dragon broke the new lock on the small and old iron door and pushed the door to the side.

"Human, let's crawl!"

The door was only half of Cale's height.
Raon folded his wings and slowly crawled in. He then pushed his head back out.

"Human, why are you not coming in?"

"Haaaaa."
Cale let out a sigh as he crawled through the doorway.

The 15th floor. Cale stood up as soon as he entered the narrow room.

"…Human, it's so barren."

There really was nothing in here.
An old metal bed, a table that seemed like it would break at any moment, and a metal chair. Those were the only things in the room.

"Human, I think I understand why the Empire just left it alone."

There really was nothing in here.
It just seemed like a forgotten prison.

Raon recalled the dark cave he had been chained in. This room was as gloomy as that cave.

"…Human, there is a weird violent and scary aura in here."

The Black Dragon felt something odd. Cale was silent.
At that moment, an interesting noise reached Raon's ear.

Swooooooosh-

It was the wind. Raon turned his head. He could not say anything.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

The uneven slates on the prison's floor.
Cale Henituse was crouched over and tapping on the slate. Raon just continued to watch. Eventually, the Black Dragon made eye contact with the human who started to speak.

"It is right here."

Whirlwinds were roaring by Cale's side.

Clunk. Clunk.
The old metal bed and chair started to clunk. The prison was quiet other than the noise of the roaring whirlwinds. Raon had never seen this power working in such a manner.

Cale had used the Sound of the Wind as soon as he entered the prison.
He then felt the emotions stored within the ancient power.
This was the first time he had felt it.

'Cheering.'

The Sound of the Wind was cheering.
Cale looked toward Raon. The Black Dragon nodded his head before using magic to lift up the slate Cale was tapping on.
The slate that had been there for hundreds of years took a bit of effort to move.

Swooooooosh-
The wind gathered on its own and brushed away the dirt once the slate was removed.

"…Found it."

There was a black box.
It was a box with a lock that was so old that the right key probably wouldn't even open it. It was a small box.

Cale quickly brushed the dirt off of the top of the box.

Boom! Boom! Boom!
He could feel his heart going wild as he brushed the dirt away.

The Condemnation of the Sun.
It was now in his hands.

This would make it possible to create a mess in the Empire earlier than he planned.
Raon, who had been approaching Cale, could not get any closer due to the whirlwinds and so he destroyed the lock from a distance.

Crack.
The lock broke easily.
Cale slowly opened the box.

Screeech, clunk.

The inside of the box was revealed for the first time in hundreds of years.

"… What the?"

Cale was confused.

Swooooooosh-
The whirlwinds slowly disappeared as if they could finally relax. Raon was then able to stick to Cale in order to see inside of the box.

"Hmm? Human, this is very scary and violent!"

Cale could not respond to Raon's statement.
He slowly took the item out of the box.

It was a book.
The white book seemed to be in perfect condition. Cale read the title.

< How to Die Peacefully >

'… Scary.'
This did not seem to be the Condemnation of the Sun.
It was at that moment.

– Are you trying to sacrifice yourself?

He could hear the voice of the Super Rock. Cale flinched and looked toward Raon.

"Raon, is there a curse on this book?"
"No! It just has a violent and scary aura!"

Cale turned stoic. Raon had been saying it was violent and scary since earlier.
Was it because of this book? Based on what the Super Rock was saying, it really did seem to be scary.

Cale slowly put the book down.

"Hmm? Human, isn't it ours?"
"…No. This is a bit."

Swooooooosh-
A wind suddenly gushed. Cale could feel the Sound of the Wind's silent anger through the wind.

"Haaaaa."

Cale picked up the white book again.
The wind stopped.

'It is definitely a divine item. It is also not cursed.'

Cale felt odd while looking at the book.

'…Why is it in the Roan language?'

The words Cale could see were in the Roan language.

"Raon, the title is in the Roan language, right?"
"Human, isn't it a runic language?"
"'…What?"

Raon was saying that the title was runic to him. Cale's expression changed. He opened the book without any hesitation.
He flipped to the first page.

< All of the world's lifeforms are beautiful once they are dead. >

He turned to the next page.

< Do you wish to die? >
< Follow me! >
< Come learn about the easiest way to die! >

Raon, who was stretching his neck up to see the book, continued to tilt his head in confusion. It was weird. He then heard Cale's voice.

"Raon."
"What is it, Human?"
"Miss Cage is part of the Church of Death, right?"

The crazy priestess Cage.
Raon looked toward Cale with an odd expression.

"…Yes?"
"It has been a while since they had a Saint or a Holy Maiden, right?"
"…Yes?"

Raon's eyes seemed to be asking why Cale was asking such obvious questions, but Cale just silently continued to turn the pages until he returned to the cover.
He could see the name of the author.

< Author: A Heartfelt Death. >

'Ha, this…'
Cale was flabbergasted.
I think this is –

'A divine item of the God of Death.'

It was not surprising that he found a divine item. However, he was confused.

'Why is this over here?'

Why was a divine item of the God of Death in the prison of the Sun God's final Holy Maiden?
Cale could not put the pieces of the puzzle together.

Cale put the white book back in the box.
He then pulled the box out of the dirt.

"…And what is this?"

Underneath the box was a book covered on both sides by an iron plate. Cale picked up the iron plates and the book in shock.
Thud.
The book fell out of the iron plates and landed on the ground.
The old book opened as it hit the ground.

There were just a few lines of text on the book after the effects of time.

"Human, this is in the Empire's language!"

The words were in the Empire's language.
Cale, who had learned the basics of the Empire's language for this trip, could read a few of the words.

< You fucking bastards! >

They were swear words.
Cale had memorized all of the swear words.

< I hope you all die! >

They were swear words.
The majority of the words that were still legible were mainly swear words.

"Human, doesn't it seem like the owner of this room wrote this?"

Cale carefully opened the book's first page.
He could see the Empire's language on the first page of the diary.

"Raon, read it for me."
"Alright. The great Raon knows all of the continent's languages!"

Raon started to read the legible text on the page.

"Pope, you bastard who deserves to die a miserable death. You decided to imprison me like this? You stupid bastard who will never receive even the slightest sliver of a blessing from the Sun God."

Cale looked toward Raon. Raon looked back with a serious expression.

"That is what it says."
"•••Sure."

Cale listened closely to Raon's continued translation.

"You imprisoned this precious person in this tiny prison! A hundred, no, a thousand days of suffering is not enough for you! I will never forgive you! Evil bastards! I was the idiot for trusting you! Shitheads!"

'•••Yes. Anybody would get angry if they were imprisoned.'
Cale understood the Holy Maiden's feelings. This diary was definitely the Holy Maiden's diary.
Raon turned the page and continued to translate.

"You imprisoned me with the God of Death's divine item in order to suppress my power? Just watch! I will leave this underneath the divine item so that someone in the future will see it! Hmm?'
"Hmm?"
Cale, who had been blankly listening to the swearing, and Raon, who had been realistically reciting the swears, looked toward each other. Raon pointed to the white book.

"Human, this-"
"Yes, Yes. Just read on."
"Alright!"

Raon smiled at Cale's cheery disposition and continued to read. He then flinched.

"Stupid idiots. You don't even know where the Sun God's divine item is located. You dare to put me, the one aiming to become royalty, in this- human, this is weird!"
"…Let's keep reading."
"Alright."

Raon looked at the diary that was in the Empire's language.

< For someone who was called the future Queen to end up like this. Who knew the second prince and the Pope would do such a terrible thing? >
< Why did I ask royal father to bring the Sun God into the Empire? Wasn't it because I was a Holy Maiden? >
< That was why I said the Pope, that was why I said that bastard could not become Pope! They were all tricked by that evil mask! This is unfair! >

Raon read it all for Cale. He then continued to read.

"You stole the God of Death's divine item because you are scared of the Church of the God of Death? How could that be the will of the just Sun God? You bastards deserve to die miserable deaths!"

The puzzle was slowly coming together for Cale.

The last Holy Maiden was the heir to the throne.

'The second prince was probably the one with the most influence after her.'

The second prince and the Pope had conspired to imprison the Holy Maiden in here.
They were also the ones to put the divine item of their enemy, the God of Death, in here.

'That was why the Pope liked to walk here a lot.'

The Pope did not walk here because of the Condemnation of the Sun.
It was because of this bomb that needed to be kept an even a bigger secret. It was something only he could know about.

'I guess it makes sense.'

The Church of the Sun God is one of the most famous groups on the continent.
The Church of the God of Death is not as strong in influence.
However, death was stronger than the sun. It made sense why they would still be wary of them.

At that moment, Raon's continued translation reached Cale's ear.

"Stupid idiots! You burned my palace once you imprisoned me? You then called me crazy and a heretic for laughing? Why do you think I laughed?"

Gasp.
Raon gasped as he continued to speak.

"Stupid idiots. You didn't even know that the Condemnation of the Sun was in there."

'What?'

"The divine item that you've been looking for is underneath that burnt palace!"

Cale looked toward Raon, who read one more thing in the diary.

"Ah, so funny."

'It really is funny.'
Cale looked toward Raon, who looked back at the smiling Cale, and asked.

"Human, are we looting the palace as well?"

***

If you find any errors or have suggestions, please feel free to provide feedback.

Thank you for reading!

[Author – Yu Ryeo Han]

[Translator – Anowa]

[Proofreader – Rai_Mayank]