After Bitterness Comes Sweetness(4)
'Right. There's no downside to getting in the Imperial Family's good graces.'
In truth, the Skull King's empty eye sockets were practically grinning after meeting the Emperor.
And who could blame him?
Sure, the House of Eshua — this body's family — might be a wealthy ducal house. But so what?
That's the family's money — not his.
A fox is said to dig nine dens for safety. The Skull King was no different. He had always been the type to prepare multiple escape routes for security.
Besides, this family had been suspicious from the start.
'What kind of duke's child gets stuck with a fake nanny?'
And no one's come looking for the lost child all this time? Maybe this body had some defect he didn't know about. Perhaps he was an abandoned child, cut off from any claim to the family fortune.
That would be… problematic.
His status had been forcibly switched by the gods anyway. The Skull King had already made up his mind — he would naturalize as a citizen of the Holy Empire and start a new life.
From now on, he would live as Isaac Eshua.
His demon army? Oh, them? They were fine. After centuries of building his underground network with nothing but bones and perseverance, the infrastructure was solid.
They could manage without his head for a while. He'd already delegated everything to his most trusted subordinates before ascending to the divine realm.
Anyway, that was the situation.
Now broke and penniless, the Emperor of his new home would naturally be a vital financial backer.
This wasn't called an Empire for nothing.
With that in mind, the Skull King had planned to play the innocent little saint, cozying up to the Emperor — or rather, seducing him into friendship — when…
"You mustn't be fooled by that child of a demon, Your Majesty. A child who uses magic — could they truly be a saint?"
Did that bastard just try to block his plan?
As expected, the Bishop's words sent a ripple of unrest through the temple.
"They say the young lord uses magic…!"
And it wasn't just slander — it was practically a declaration of intent to kill him.
Of course, in the Holy Empire, they all knew what magic symbolized.
'Magic is the power of demons!'
For priests who instinctively associated magic with demons, this was bound to cause a stir.
But the Emperor himself? He merely chuckled, completely unfazed. No — if anything, he looked at the Bishop with thinly veiled displeasure.
"You, of all people, should know that not only demons use magic."
The Bishop bowed politely, acknowledging the point — but cast a wary, hostile glance at the Skull King.
"Precisely why I believe we must be absolutely certain. Magic and divine power are natural enemies. And since there's already a child the Pope has deemed the true Saint, this one might very well be an assassin sent to kill them."
At that, the Emperor let out a hollow laugh and stared at the Bishop.
"There's already a confirmed Saint?"
"Yes, Your Majesty. I could not speak earlier due to the secrecy of the matter, but the Pope has already chosen a child from the House of Verit. This twenty-fifth candidate wasn't even mentioned in the prophecy."
The Bishop looked at the Skull King — Candidate Number Twenty-Five — with blatant hostility.
The Skull King raised a brow.
Already chosen?
'Damn it. This just got complicated.'
Revenge aside, this was a major headache. When the Holy Knights had brought him here, they had discussed this very scenario.
— What happens to the other candidates when the true Saint is revealed?
— Who knows. They might bear a grudge and target the Saint. To prevent that, they'll probably be sent off to some remote village, never to see the light of day again. Odds are, they'll die along the way.
If things went badly, forget revenge — he might just vanish without a trace.
Of course, he was convinced that he was the true Saint.
'I mean, what else would this monstrous body be if not a Saint?'
That much, he could guarantee as the former Demon King.
He'd stake every last hair on his head on it.
If anyone was fake, it was the child being pushed by them.
'Not that it matters — looks like they never intended to consider me a candidate in the first place.'
Sure enough, the Bishop was glaring at him like he was some kind of beast.
"That fake should be handed over to the Inquisitors."
The Skull King let out a dry, mocking laugh.
Hah. Hahaha. Look at this old friend with his prematurely white hair.
Already calling for the Inquisitors?
And he's dragging the entire Eshua family into it too, to keep him company on the pyre. What a splendid abuse of power — rolling out the VIP treatment straight to the stake.
Even the priests who had taken a liking to him couldn't say a word. Everyone knew that once the Inquisition got involved, they'd destroy your family down to your eighth cousin.
'Especially in the Holy Empire — the Pope is an absolute authority.'
And now the Pope himself had chosen the Saint? How many priests could possibly object to that?
Feeling that his explanation was complete, the Bishop bowed to the Emperor and shouted.
"Summon the Inquisitors immediately!"
At his command, the Holy Imperial Knights who had brought the Skull King here quickly seized him.
"To call the Inquisitors for a mere child? Do you intend to kill him?!"
"There's no way the young lord is an assassin!"
"We felt the very aura of the divine from him!"
"Yes! He is surely the one sent by God to destroy the last remnants of that loathsome Skull King!"
"To purge that hated Demon King's legacy!"
Uh… about that loathsome guy — you're literally hugging him right now, you know?
'Still, not bad for Holy Knights.'
Good — keep protecting me. Keep calling me the Saint!
Did they really think he'd come all this way, finally gaining a body that didn't immediately turn to bones — only to just roll over and die?
But the Bishop, his brow furrowed, looked down on him with increasing arrogance.
"I hadn't planned to mention this, fearing it would cause unnecessary concern… but there are also witnesses who claim that child emitted demonic energy."
"…!"
At that, the priests who had looked at the Skull King with favor began to waver.
"Did you just say… demonic energy…?"
"Wait a second. Don't tell me… is that what I think it is?"
"Hold on — is that why Eshua's been leaving him alone?"
The mood shifted in an instant — tense and dangerous.
Even the Skeletal King, who usually couldn't care less about anything besides extorting money from high priests, furrowed his bony brow sharply.
Ah, look at this idiot — spilling someone's personal info like he's got a death wish.
Sure, I'm his cash cow standing right in front of him. Sure, I'm still stuck in a baby's body that's supposed to quietly grow up for now. But does that mean he thinks I'll just sit here sipping porridge and letting him run his mouth?
Patience? Manners? Please. I threw those in the trash a year ago when I started living as a skeleton.
Honestly, if it weren't for the setting, I would've blasted him already. But this was the inner sanctum of the Temple.
And that bastard? He was a bishop sent directly from the Holy See — where the Pope himself resided.
No need to step in dog shit I could easily avoid.
Right. Calm down.
I am a pure and innocent Saint… a saintly figure who forgives all… an angel in human form…
But — right then.
'Wait a damn minute.'
The Skeletal King's face — which had just transformed into that of a baby angel — suddenly twisted into that of Satan himself.
'Berit?'
Why does that name sound so familiar?
Where have I heard it before?
Where…?
As if on cue, the Emperor let out a scoff — like he couldn't believe what he was hearing.
"The Pope handpicking a child from his own family to be the Saint? Isn't that just a little too transparent?"
The Skeletal King's face contorted.
Knew it — that damn Pope.
I'd been deliberately trying to forget about them, not wanting to remember scumbags like that — but sure enough, all previous Popes bore the surname Berit.
In other words, Berit was a sacred bloodline — the family that produced the supreme ruler of the Holy Empire.
In short…
'The so-called Saint… is one of the Pope's little brats?'
So the Pope's been pushing his own kin as the next Saint?
The Skeletal King rubbed his forehead with his skeletal fingers.
I mean… I get it.
After all, the position of Saintess had been long-established over hundreds of years.
But a Saint — a newly emerging figure.
Depending on the situation, the Saint could outshine even the Pope.
Of course he'd feel more secure putting his own blood there!
Fine. I get the greed.
But still…
'The Pope is a Berit… and the Saint is a Berit…'
For fuck's sake, could you people be any more shameless?
Am I seriously supposed to sit here eating bean porridge like an idiot right after defecting, just because of these bastards?
"And come to think of it, I heard something while interrogating a demon recently," the Bishop added. "Apparently, the Skeletal King — after being caught by God — issued an order for all demons to kill the Saint."
Huh?
Now you're just making shit up.
I never gave such an order.
And hello — the Skeletal King is right here.
The Skeletal King glared at the smiling bishop.
But the bishop just bowed his head slightly, as if asking for understanding.
"A lowly monster who dared challenge the gods — only to submit after a mere flick of their finger. Realizing his insignificance before the might of the gods, he's now thrashing about, trying to eliminate the Saint."
…Excuse me?
Who submitted to what with a single finger?
And which almighty gods are we talking about here?
Those guys hide behind barriers because they know they'd lose in a direct fight!
And why the hell would I want to eliminate the Saint?
I am the Saint!
Do you not see this hair color? It's rare and precious in the Holy Empire!
"True, it is an exceedingly rare and precious hair color… but precisely because it's so unnatural, I suspect it was created with magic. No doubt someone crafted a likeable candidate to stand beside the real Saint."
Bullshit!
Even I can't create a hair color like this!
"And as a bishop, I can personally confirm — I sense demonic energy from this child."
Demonic energy, my ass.
The first thing I did after crafting my magic core was suppress any trace of demonic energy!
And unless I'm actively using magic, no one should be able to sense it — unless they're in the realm of a 9th-circle archmage or a Pope-level powerhouse capable of countering a Demon King.
But what now?
'Who does this punk think he is?'
And more importantly — he didn't even try to sense it!
Liar!
"Therefore, we will deal with this fake child ourselves."
The bishop snatched the Skeletal King from the knights' arms.
Clutched tightly in the bishop's wrinkled hands, the Skeletal King was fuming.
Let me go, you bastard! And stop patting my ass!
"There, there, you're not crying. Good. Now, bring the Inquisitors at once."
As the priests moved at the order, the Imperial Holy Knights stepped in to block them in alarm.
"How dare you! You would send the Young Lord of Eshua to the Inquisition?"
"You must not lay a hand on the Young Lord!"
The bishop shot them a glare, as if to say how dare you raise your voice to me?
"I understand your reverence for Eshua. But how dare you speak so freely? Are you opposing the command of His Holiness the Pope's representative?"
The knights bit their lips and lowered their heads in frustration.
The bishop smiled gently and turned to the Emperor, bowing.
"These children were supposed to have received basic etiquette training from the Holy See… Please forgive their rudeness for causing such a commotion."
The Emperor didn't even acknowledge him.
He simply muttered one line.
"I heard a high-ranking mage moved because of that child."
"…!"
The bishop flinched.
He, too, had received a report.
Judging by the traces of Blood Magic left behind, though the investigation was still ongoing, it seemed that the notorious dark mage feared across the continent — Black Angel — had taken an interest in this child.
And sure enough, the Emperor, smiling faintly as he looked at the Skull King, narrowed his eyes at the bishop.
"A mage of such infamy wouldn't lift a finger for something worthless. Doesn't that make it even more likely this child is a Saint? I don't recall anything like this ever happening before."
"Uh…"
"How about it? I'd advise you have this child undergo another appraisal."
At those words, the bishop's expression twisted inwardly.
Advise?
Was that what this was?
No — that was an order.
Don't kill the child. Don't even lay a finger on them. Their family is already on the way.
As expected.
The bishop couldn't show it on his face, but his gaze toward the Emperor turned venomous.
"Understood."
With that, the Imperial Holy Knights moved to take the Skull King away, brimming with confidence. But the bishop hugged the Skull King tightly, curling his lips like a snake.
"However… His Holiness the Pope has mentioned something."
"…?"
"The date of the Crown Prince's investiture ceremony will be set only after the Saint has been confirmed."
"…!"
The Imperial Knights couldn't help but doubt their ears.
'That shameless…!'
There was no way they didn't understand what the bishop was implying.
By tradition, all imperial ceremonies were conducted under the Pope's blessing.
The investiture ceremony was no exception.
Meaning—
'Unless the child chosen by the Pope is acknowledged as the Saint, they'll refuse to hold the Crown Prince's investiture ceremony!'
It was outright blackmail.
Of course, strictly speaking, even without the ceremony, succession itself wasn't an issue.
The Imperial Throne of the Holy Empire stood that high — the Crown Prince was already the lawful heir.
But to be crowned without the Pope's blessing — without the approval of the gods — in this Holy Empire?
It would be a scandal of the highest order.
As the Holy Knights closed their eyes in frustration, the bishop allowed himself a faint smirk.
'Heh, I knew mentioning the Crown Prince would make them understand their place.'
Of course, if the Emperor truly wished, he could crush the Papacy.
But at the end of the day, he was still a parent.
'I can see him clenching his fists in fury, but he won't jeopardize his child's future.'
After all, having declared himself the Pope's representative here, even the Emperor couldn't cross certain lines.
Such was the delicate balance of this Holy Empire — a realm where the Emperor and the Pope coexisted.
For someone of the Emperor's stature, even a trivial clash with the clergy could spiral into political disaster.
The Imperial Family knew that better than anyone.
Still, now that those arrogant knights had fallen silent, all that was left was to convince the Emperor — who, for whatever reason, seemed to be favoring this child.
'Well, that's easy enough.'
He simply needed to pretend to use Holy Exorcism — a technique to purge demons — and destroy the child's vital point.
Then he could claim the child died because they were a demon.
Simple.
The bishop, having finished his calculations, smiled confidently.
"Then, how about this?"
The bishop lowered his head with theatrical grace.
"I shall perform Holy Exorcism right here. If this child is human, they will be unharmed. But if they are a demon… they shall be eradicated on the spot— KAHUK!!"
The bishop's head snapped backward.
An unbelievable sound echoed through the hall as the bishop staggered.
The knights gawked, speechless.
Even the Emperor blinked in shock.
The bishop —
The bishop had just been slapped.
By the Skull King.
With a toy rattle.
The Skull King, who had struck the bishop square across the face with his tiny rattle, glared fiercely.
'This little shit… I've been holding back, playing along like a baby, and now you're talking about purging me?'
"Holy Exorcism, my ass! You think a nobody like you can exorcise me?!"
And then—
"I told you to get your damn hands off my butt, you piece of shit!"
The Skull King roared like a lion.
"Ddaaah! Dda-ya-ya-ya-ya!!"
Silence fell.
It felt like even his skull bones were rattling.
The bishop, swaying unsteadily, coughed.
"Uh, uh… Well…"
Dazed from the blow, the bishop instinctively tried to scoop up the Skull King and leave.
It didn't matter whether the child was a demon or not.
All he needed to do was eliminate this brat with the hair color of Eshua.
"I mean, as I was saying — Holy Exorc— GAHK!!!"
Crunch!
This time, the sound of teeth breaking echoed.
A flash of divine light followed.
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