Chapter 77

Chapter 14, Episode 3

‘This is perplexing.’

Grid.

He is a very special existence to the Rebecca cultists.

After all, he is the hero who saved the church by punishing the fallen pope, Drevigo.

More cultists than expected were praising and honoring Grid’s achievements.

Now that he has taken on the role of Demian’s guardian, a significant impact is inevitable.

Many cultists are likely to support Demian.

‘That kid Demian, he had a trump card prepared.’

A trump card that acts fatally.

It was unimaginable that a guy who used to chase after expendables could ever reel in a big catch like Grid.

‘This is a crisis.’

Grid is not just someone who can provide electoral support to Demian.

He is also the one who can remove Demian’s weakness by unsealing Raphaël’s Spear, one of the three great holy relics.

‘This is quite a predicament.’

Despite these thoughts, Pascal’s expression was calm.

He had the ability to turn crises into opportunities, thanks to his experience.

‘Grid is not a hero.’

The reason Grid killed Drevigo.

It was not for the sake of the Rebecca cult, but for his own benefit.

Pascal knows this truth.

‘He said he killed Drevigo because he needed to be blessed by the strange mineral, Phabranium.’

Grid is selfish and violent.

When Phabranium was blessed by the god Juddar, Pascal saw Grid’s true nature.

‘The more selfish a person, the easier they are to handle.’

What could be the reason for Grid taking on the role of Demian’s guardian?

There must be some benefit for himself.

A smirk spread across Pascal’s lips.

‘Grid, I can satisfy you more than someone like Demian.’

Wealth, power, beauty.

I will give you everything you desire.

‘So, abandon Demian and come to me.’

If Grid can be obtained, not only will the election be a sure win, but all three of the church’s great holy relics can be unsealed.

It’s a golden opportunity to become a pope with the strongest Rebecca’s daughters in history.

With this thought, Pascal broke the uncomfortable silence.

“Wow, wow! Who is this! The savior of the Rebecca Church! The hero of heroes! Could it be Lord Grid!”

Pascal exclaimed with the brightest smile, exaggerating his praise and extending his hand for a handshake.

“It’s truly a pleasure to meet you again.”

Grid was taken aback.

‘This slippery guy, he’s not angry even after such an obvious provocation, and he’s smiling?’

It was a completely unexpected reaction.

‘Now that I think about it, he was like this in the past too.’

Even after the sacred light weapon set he so desperately wanted was taken from him, he did not become hostile but instead welcomed me.

He even hosted a banquet to thank me for punishing Drevigo and granted the blessing of Phabranium to Juddar without any conditions.

He is highly skilled, avoiding creating strong enemies and instead trying to win them over.

‘Should I provoke him a bit more?’

With this thought, Grid accepted the handshake.

“I’m also glad to see you.”

As Grid responded, Pascal’s momentum increased.

‘Of course. He can’t act so rudely to me, even if he does to other elders.’

Grid must also know that he is more beneficial to himself than Demian.

With renewed confidence, Pascal quickly took control of the situation.

“You’ve become a duke of the Etrnal Kingdom? Truly a hero. With your outstanding abilities, you quickly gained recognition and power. Come, let’s move to another place. I’ve prepared a banquet to celebrate our reunion, so let’s catch up after a long time.”

As he watched the situation, Demian’s expression hardened.

‘Lord Grid and Pascal know each other?’

This is a big problem.

Pascal is an immensely wealthy man and could also tempt Grid with money.

As Demian worried and became anxious, Pascal drove the point home.

“Lord Grid, I will prepare many gifts for you today.”

“Hmm, gifts? That sounds promising.”

Grid began to show interest.

With this, Demian felt defeated, and a deep smile spread across Pascal’s lips.

At that moment,

“Pascal, am I not a duke of a nation?”

Crack!

Grid applied a strong force to the hand he was shaking.

Pascal’s face contorted rapidly.

‘What is this…!’

An unbelievable grip strength.

Pascal felt as if his hand was being crushed.

Grid did not let go of him as he writhed in pain.

“Unless you’re the pope, I won’t accept a mere pope candidate bowing to me or even requesting a handshake. Do you find me amusing, Pascal? Your praise of me as a hero was just words, wasn’t it?”

‘A duke of a small nation dares to treat me like this!’

Pascal is a die-hard citizen of the Charan Empire.

He views all nations outside the empire as small and uncivilized and looks down on them.

He is a nationalist who believes that only the people of the empire can receive the blessing of the goddess Rebecca.

To suffer an affront from a mere noble of a small nation, a former adventurer, was the ultimate humiliation for Pascal.

“This is outrageous! Huh?”

As Pascal shouted, he was startled when he met Grid’s eyes.

‘This guy…!’

A gaze that cannot be read, a depth that cannot be gauged.

Grid’s eyes, which cannot yet express such profound intentions, were instead clearly showing provocation.

“Come on, Pascal. I want to crush you.”

Grid’s eyes were clearly saying this.

‘A beast-like guy!’

As Pascal was shaken, a figure fell from the ceiling.

A knight in red armor.

His name is Camian.

The 30th knight of the Red Knights, a force personally granted by the emperor who desires Pascal to become the pope.

“Let go of that hand.”

Camian, who pointed his sword at Grid’s neck, warned.

Grid snorted.

“What if I don’t?”

“I’ll cut off your wrist.”

Camian did not hesitate.

He stabbed his sword directly at Grid’s hand, which was holding Pascal’s.

Pascal shouted.

“Stop!”

Camian’s sword stopped just above Grid’s wrist.

Grid’s brow furrowed as he was summoning a failed item from his inventory.

‘What a shame.’

Pascal, who finally freed himself from Grid’s grip, gritted his teeth.

“Lord Grid, I will overlook today’s rudeness.”

“There’s no need. I already told you. If you have a complaint, come at me. Just come at me.”

“…”

Pascal’s anger boiled over.

Born as the son of an imperial noble and rising steadily in the Rebecca Church, Grid was the first to treat him so rudely.

No matter how cautious Pascal was, he could no longer remain rational. He wanted to order Camian to cut off Grid’s head immediately.

But he had to hold back.

To unseal the three great holy relics, he needed Grid’s power.

“Let’s hope that when we meet again, we can both smile. I will always have a gift prepared for you.”

With a red face, Pascal retreated. Camian and the elders followed him.

Grid’s face showed a hint of regret as he watched them leave.

‘His patience is impressive.’

Grid cannot attack high-ranking clerics first.

Unless he is abandoned by the goddess like Drevigo, they are always protected by her.

If he attacks them first, the goddess’s curse will be activated.

<Curse of the Goddess>

A Misfortune stat is generated.

Misfortune is a vague state, and Grid also feared the goddess’s curse.

Therefore, he kept provoking Pascal to make him the first to become hostile, but it ultimately failed.

‘Well, I’ll just wait and see without getting anxious.’

From Pascal’s perspective, I am a thorn in his side.

After all this, he will eventually turn his blade against me.

After Pascal and the elders left,

Isabel, who had been silent all along, approached Grid.

“It’s been a while.”

Her voice was cold.

The way she pouted suggested she had some grievances.

‘She must be angry with me.’

Isabel’s suffering was entirely due to Grid.

The situation had deteriorated because Grid forgot to unseal Raphaël’s Spear.

“I’m sorry.”

Grid sincerely apologized.

Seeing this, Isabel clenched her teeth.

“Why are you apologizing? Are you apologizing for unsealing Raphaël’s Spear? Don’t be ridiculous. Thanks to you unsealing the spear, I could save my friends. The entire church was saved thanks to you. So don’t apologize.”

It was touching to think that way.

‘But why is she angry?’

As Grid was puzzled, tears welled up in Isabel’s eyes.

“You always do this. Why do you only appear to help me when I’m in a desperate situation? Like a prince on a white horse.”

Isabel had fallen for Grid.

Being saved just before falling into hell had stirred her emotions.

However, Grid had already rejected her feelings once.

This time would be no different.

“Why do you keep making me fall for you when you won’t accept me…”

Isabel whispered in a barely audible voice, her head bowed.

Her words did not reach Grid. The problem was that she spoke too softly.

‘Her condition is really strange. Maybe she’s still in pain.’

Grid could only look at Isabel with pity.

Her once lustrous platinum hair was now almost white and lacked shine. Her once rosy lips were pale, and her emaciated body looked like a mummy.

The biggest problem was:

‘Her chest has shrunk.’

Due to weight loss.

Her chest, which was originally at least a B-cup, had shrunk to less than an A-cup.

It was truly a pitiful sight.

“W-What are you looking at! You pervert!”

When Isabel covered her chest, feeling his gaze, Grid was taken aback.

“What’s the point of acting if there’s nothing to see?”

“What do you mean there’s nothing to see? What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Can you explain?”

“Never mind!”

It was really a long time since he had seen Isabel’s lively side.

Seeing her bickering with Grid, Demian smiled.

‘Isabel, you always longed for Lord Grid.’

I hope your feelings reach Lord Grid.

It was a sincere cheer.

To Demian, Grid was not an enemy.

‘It’s natural for heroines to be connected to the protagonist.’

For someone like me, just an extra, a useless one, it’s enough to be able to watch over Rebecca’s daughters from the side.

As Demian thought this, Huroi whispered to him.

“Don’t worry. She is definitely not to Lord’s taste.”

“…”

Beautiful Isabel is not to his liking?

That’s also a bit disappointing.

With a complex expression, Demian was urged by Grid.

“How long are you going to stand there? Quickly guide me to a suitable place.”

It’s time to find out the method of making and sealing Raphaël’s Spear.