Chương 128: Chapter 120-A Chosen Favor

I have morals. Yes, I know. It may surprise you, but I do. They're loose and probably not at all related to what most people consider morals, but I like to sleep at night without having a guilt-ridden mind. Which is why I'm picky about the things I'm willing to do. Use the God's names in vain? I'll do that in a heartbeat. [Steal] from a Holy Man? Done it more than once. Not every 'Holy Man' out there is worthy of the title. Steal from a church? They didn't need all those fancy candlesticks.

Now, the reason I'm bringing this up is simple. Is it against my morals to use a Holy Relic to get what I want? Hells the fuck no it isn't. Pushing the doors of the Cathedral open, I step through like I own the place. Not like I would want to. A bit too spacious for me. I'm a fan of smaller places where I can actually touch the ceiling. I mean… how do they even [Clean] all of the way up there? Do they get someone with [Fly] to do it? One of the many mysteries of life.

"Chosen One?" David asks as he looks over a list.

"Ah, David. Just the Dwarf I wanted to see. Any chance you know if the Pope is in?" I ask as I look around for a possible stray Pope.

"Yes… He's in the Inner Sanctum with the Holy Maiden. Would you like me to go get him?" He asks as about ten students from the Endurance Club come in behind me, carrying something with a blanket over it.

"Thanks again for the help. You can just put it down there," I say as I give one of them a good slap on the back.

"Don't mention it. After all, this was some good training for my club members and me," the Endurance Club President says as their muscles ripple under their shirt.

"Uh, Chosen One? What is this?" David asks as he walks over to the covered statue.

"That's a special present I brought for the Pope. Trust me… he's going to love it. Anyway, I'll see you all later. I'll come over and [Clean] some of your equipment later," I say as the Endurance Club walks… handstands away. David reaches for the corner of the blanket that covers the statue.

"What exactly is this present?"

"Now, David, you know better than that. It's a surprise for the Pope. You can't spoil the surprise," I [Lie] as I gently tap his hand. He cocks his head in confusion.

"Fine. Would you like me to get him?"

"No. I'll do it. Would you mind watching the present? Wouldn't want some thief to get their hands on it, would we?" I ask as I head further into the Cathedral. Before he can answer, I'm already past the nearest door. I do a quick scan of the hallway I somehow ended up in. With a slow nod, I contemplate my life. I have no idea where the Inner Sanctum is… Eh, I'm sure if I just head in, I'll find it. Not like they have this place rigged or anything.

As I take my next step, a click reverberates through the empty hallway. … What was that? It couldn't have been a trap. No way. I mean, this is just a hallway, not a war zone. Looking down, I see a loose stone under my foot. Ah, thank the Gods! It's just a loose stone that made the noise. Without a care in the world, I continue my trek. The sound of metal clinking against stone fills the space as I step on many of these loose stones. Gods, you would think they would keep the ground level in the Cathedral.

What if some old fuck walked in here and slipped? Squatting, I examine the loose stone. With a child-like curiosity, I push the stone down over and over and over again. Yet, for some unknown reason, it keeps coming back up. There must be something stuck down there. I'll let the Pope know. I mean… this is a safety risk after all, and maybe I'll get some coin out of it. Pushing past the hallway of loose stones, I eventually make it to the end. More specifically, the door at the end of this hallway.

Without a hint of hesitation or even thought, I go to open the door.

"What do they say?" the Pope asks.

"They are in high spirits today. It makes it difficult to understand them. I am unsure of why," the Holy Maiden responds. Keeping my hand on the doorknob, I slow my approach. Would you look at that, I'm suddenly tired from walking that long stretch of hallway. Maybe I should take a quick rest.

"Do you think it has something to do with the Tyranus situation?" he asks.

"I believe that to be the case. I'm sure that the Gods are overjoyed at the prospect of reversing the Blight's effects," she says with a hint of hope.

"Reversing the Blight's effects… Ever since the Blight appeared over a thousand years ago. Nobody has been able to reverse the effects of the Blight. It truly is a miracle. If we ever figure out how it was done, we might be able to help the people who have lost their homes to the Blight," he says with a hint of sadness.

"That would be great, but don't forget what eliminating the Blight could truly do. The Gods would fina-" the Holy Maiden goes to say, but is interrupted when my foot accidentally kicks the door. Damn fucking foot!

"Hello?! Sorry to bother, but it's me, The Chosen One," I [Lie] as I pass off the kick as a knock instead. The door promptly opens to reveal the Pope.

"Chosen One? What brings… Are you okay?" he asks with a hint of worry. Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.

"Of course. Why would you ask? Oh, actually, you have a bunch of loose stones in this hallway. Might want to get that checked out," I say with worry.

"I see. Do you mind?" he asks as he reaches for my horns.

"No, go ahead." Carefully, the Pope plucks something out of my horns and then shows me a handful of thin needles in each hand.

"Didn't you feel these?"

"Nope. I don't feel much in my horns other than pressure and the temperature. The needles must not have pierced the outer layer. My horns are pretty hardy, after all. Must've picked them up outside somewhere," I say as I knock on one of my horns.

"Hmm. Truly astonishing. What brings you to the Inner Sanctum, Chosen One?" the Pope asks as he gestures to the room behind him. I go to answer, but am I blinded by the levels of Holiness in that room. Gods, I can feel it in my toes. How can anybody sit in there without being constantly bombarded? Maybe you get used to it. Actually, I'm already kind of getting used to it, considering I can see bits and pieces of the room now. Let's see, we have some chairs, a desk, a table, a pool of mana, and that's kind of it.

I guess this is more a meditative room than anything else, maybe an office? Either way, the Inner Sanctum has nothing to do with me right now.

"I came all this way to give you, or more specifically, the Church something," I say with a devilish smile.

"A donation? Thank you, Chosen One, but the funds are better in your hands," he says with a kind smile.

"Funds? Oh, it's not that kind of donation. I have a statue that I want to give you," I say, a bit clearer this time. The Holy Maiden walks over to the door.

"A statue? We've never had a statue made by one of The Chosen Ones. We are truly thankful for this donation," she says with a respectful bow.

"No. I didn't make it. You know what… It would be easier just to show you. Follow me," I say as I turn around and head straight back down the hallway.

"Wait… the traps…" David waits impatiently by the covered statue. Based on the look on his face, he hasn't checked what's under the blanket yet. Good to see he's a man of his word. Just what I would expect from a Paladin.

"Chosen One, you're finally back. Greetings, your Holiness and Holy Maiden," David says in one breath.

"Paladin David," the Holy Maiden responds with a bow. The Pope, on the other hand, just stops.

"There's divinity radiating off this," he says.

"I sensed that too. What is this, Chosen One?" David asks.

"Why, let me show you," I say as I walk over to the covered statue. With one graceful pull, I uncov- I pull on the blanket, but it seems to be stuck on a part of the statue. Huh, odd. With a second, less graceful pull, I- Gods damn it! What is it stuck on now? One more time. With a third, not at all refined pull- I slip and rip the blanket straight off the statue. David, the Holy Maiden, and the Pope go wide-eyed at the sudden reveal. It was less graceful than I expected it to be, but it worked out in the end.

Now to enact my plan.

"It's the Faceless Goddess! To think after all these years I would ever be able to see it in person," the Pope says with reverence. The Holy Maiden walks up to the statue and gently touches it.

"With this, we now have all five of the Faceless Statues. Where did you find this, Chosen One?" she asks.

"It was hidden deep within the Whisperwood Forest, surrounded by Giants. I had felt its divine presence and selflessly took it upon myself to go and retrieve it. I didn't know what it was until I laid my eyes upon it. Then I knew that this was the depiction of one of the Gods," I [Lie].

"Indeed, you are The Chosen One the Gods spoke of. I must go and alert the antiquarian of this development," the Holy Maiden says as she leaves.

"I will go and help the Holy Maiden," David says as he follows, leaving the Pope and me alone. The Pope stares at the face of the statue with a bittersweet expression.

"Your Holiness?"

"Sorry, I was lost in thought. Thank you, Chosen One. You don't know what this means to the Church… to me," he says with a sense of somberness.

"No worries. It's the least I could do," I say, setting the bait.

"I appreciate your modesty, but this is something worthy of praise. Please allow me to thank you. If you ever need anything, I will personally see to it that it is done," he says, falling right into my trap.

"Well, if you insist. Actually… Are you planning on going to the Ball?" I ask nonchalantly.

"I was not. Although I was given an invitation. I rarely attend those kinds of social gatherings," he explains. With a devilish smile, I ask, "Is there any chance you could do me a favor and go to this one?" The Pope looks at me with a keen eye. He's no fool. After all, the politics involved in becoming the Pope aren't very different from the ones I plan to dive headfirst into. Which means having an expert like the Pope on my side would only be a boon. Even if it is for only one day.

"For you, I can attend. Although I will warn you that I have no plans to support any of the candidates for the throne," he says with a small smile.

"That's okay. Although I should warn you that Penelope is a very convincing person," I say, returning his smile.

"We will see." +1 CHA +1 INT Skill <Lie> has Leveled Up