Chapter 118….
Into the Lion’s Den
“Over at Bell Road, they openly posted a declaration supporting the temple, didn’t they?”
At the gathering of parliamentary representatives, a man who had arrived late dropped a newspaper onto the table with a casual thud as he delivered the news.
Since everyone had convened to choose who would go to the royal palace as their representative, quite a few pairs of eyes turned toward him.
“How reckless. Looks like his business only succeeded thanks to luck.”
One of the men affiliated with the merchants’ association sneered as he replied, then picked up the newspaper.
“And they even explicitly mentioned us, asking the merchants’ association to lend its support as well.”
“What? Is that true?”
The flustered man scanned the paper from top to bottom, but Bell Road only contained content supporting the temple’s stance—there was no mention of the merchants’ association at all.
“I told you it’s true. I brought a copy.”
The man who had first brought the paper pulled out another sheet from his coat and handed it over. Sure enough, in the full text of the statement was a line expressing hope that the merchants’ association would also share the same view.
It was a complete drag-you-down-with-me tactic.
“Damn it. We should’ve cut it off at the root earlier, even if it meant taking a financial loss.”
After reading the statement, the man crumpled the paper and threw it aside, his face contorting in irritation. He had been the most vehemently opposed from the very beginning, when Bella had entered the group through the Fog Guildmaster’s introduction.
“What’s so bad about it? In the end, we’re businessmen and members of the council. And we share the same views as the president of Bell Road, don’t we?”
“She’s a woman! And a commoner at that! How much could she possibly have learned? From the looks of it, she probably sweet-talked the Fog Guildmaster and succeeded with the money she wrung out of him.”
As the man sneered openly, the expression of the man who had brought the statement stiffened awkwardly.
He tried to lighten the mood somehow, but his face clearly said he knew it was hopeless.
“Well now, isn’t that going too far? What era do you think this is?”
“What’s too far? The Fog Guildmaster doted on her like a lover.”
“…I think I’ll stay out of this. That wasn’t the intention behind sharing this news.”
Raising both hands to signal his withdrawal, the man moved to an empty seat some distance away. As if that were a cue, the room suddenly erupted into loud chatter about Bella.
Some insisted she should be actively brought into a joint alliance between the council and the merchants’ association. Others worried that, just as sailors claimed, the moment a woman became active in the organization, it would fall apart.
In short, it was chaos.
“That’s enough. Even if we share the same views as the president of Bell Road, we cannot include that woman here. Exclude her completely.”
The chairman slammed the table with a loud bang, drawing everyone’s attention and putting an end to the discussion.
Seemingly dissatisfied with the conclusion, the man who had brought the statement frowned slightly.
“At a time when even uniting our strength isn’t enough, is this really when we should be fighting over things like this?”
“You don’t put women on a large ship. Especially not an uneducated commoner woman. Just imagining sitting at the same table as someone like that is horrifying.”
“…Fine. I understand.”
With a scrape, the man stood up from his seat and left, and the council resumed its meeting.
In the end, the representatives chosen to enter the royal palace—strangely enough—were the very man who had brought the statement, and the man who had shown such strong aversion toward Bella.
“Hmm, so that’s how things turned out.”
After hearing the news Ridel brought, Bella nodded lightly and casually tossed the cumbersome veil back.
“But we did manage to plant someone on our side. He’s someone I’ve worked with for a long time, so he’s trustworthy.”
The man who had delivered Bella’s statement to the meeting faster than anyone else was none other than Ridel’s business partner.
Not knowing what might happen to Bella once she entered the palace, it seemed Ridel had taken out a kind of insurance—someone to call on in case of an emergency.
“Well, it’ll be easier for me to move alone when meeting His Highness Bi. Just don’t leak unnecessary information about me over there.”
“What do you take me for? Of course I won’t. More importantly, Bella—are you really okay?”
At Ridel’s cautious question, Bella lifted an eyebrow.
She had been turned away by both the merchants’ association and the council. But so what?
You only seek recognition, form expectations, and feel disappointment if you have affection in the first place.
Chey was a warm person who had affection for the world, but Bella believed she herself was nothing of the sort.
“I expected this. I’ve been knocked around society enough to know. There are plenty of fools who can’t even tell the difference between cooperation and restraint.”
“Bella.”
“Did you think I’d be hurt by this?”
At Bella’s bright expression and tone, Ridel let out a defeated chuckle.
“…I just thought you might be disappointed.”
“I’m not. We just need to think about the next step.”
After finishing her conversation with Ridel, Bella turned and looked toward the Pope standing by the window.
The Pope had been watching the priests walking outside with a faint smile, but sensing her gaze, he turned his head.
“Is the pleasant reunion over?”
“More or less. But, Your Holiness, I have a request.”
“What might that be?”
“Even if I enter as the representative Saint, I’m not truly a person of the temple, so I can’t genuinely represent it. Please assign someone to me—someone Your Holiness can trust to represent the temple.”
Rather than a request, it sounded more like a suggestion made in consideration of the temple.
The Pope stared at Bella with widened eyes, then rolled his gaze to the right as he pondered.
He had never intended to send Bella in alone.
The royal palace lay beyond the reach of the temple; it wouldn’t be able to protect her. Of course, Bella was the sort who could survive on her own, so he wasn’t overly worried.
“I’d like to go myself.”
“If the royal family loses their heads and decides to kill first and justify it later, even Your Holiness’s life would be in danger.”
At his words, Bella shook her head. In this situation, the one person who absolutely could not die was the Pope.
“Hmm, I suppose you’re right. It’s a shame I can’t go, but someone who fits your request is already right beside you, Bella.”
At the Pope’s gentle voice, Bella tilted her head, about to look around—
“Huh? Beside me—who, aaah!”
A scream burst out of her as someone suddenly appeared right in front of her, and her fist clenched on reflex.
“…I wasn’t tailing you. Nor was I spying.”
“Hael? How are you here, Hael?”
Fortunately, Bella’s fist stopped just before slamming into Hael’s abdomen. The sight of her in saintly robes with a clenched fist was oddly comical.
Pressing a hand against her still-pounding chest to calm herself, Bella asked, and Hael replied quietly, glancing around.
“I have been guarding you from the beginning. You didn’t notice?”
“Of course not! You suppress your presence that thoroughly! Even though I’ve learned swordsmanship, it’s hard to detect Hael when you’re deliberately hiding.”
“There was never a moment when Bella was alone, so I couldn’t reveal myself.”
Avoiding her gaze with an embarrassed look, Hael turned to the Pope and knelt.
“Your Holiness. I am a disloyal one who disobeyed your orders. How could someone like me represent the temple?”
“No. No, Hael. You are closer to the will of God than anyone else in this temple.”
“What do you—”
With a kind expression, the Pope bent down and met Hael’s eyes. Hael’s pupils wavered.
“No matter what you do, I won’t reprimand you. Go with an easy heart. Just think of it as guarding Bella.”
“…But I cannot reveal my identity.”
“And if not you, then who else would be qualified? You seem to have forgotten—”
“…!”
The Pope grinned and tapped Hael lightly on the chest. At that, Hael easily inferred what the Pope was about to say.
“You are the Commander of the Holy Knights. Even if you are the secret commander.”
“……”
Because he always worked like a shadow, even Hael himself had forgotten—but all shadows possessed authority and status equal to a Holy Knight Commander.
Some were cardinals. Some were commanders of the Holy Knights.
Among them, Hael, exceptional in martial prowess, held his position within the order.
“Protect Bella well. She’s my friend.”
The Pope patted Hael’s shoulder a couple of times and stood up.
Having listened quietly, Bella frowned slightly. Friend?
“Pardon?”
“Isn’t she?”
When Bella asked, the Pope instead shot back shamelessly, smiling slyly with crescent eyes.
Bella stared at him in disbelief, then burst into laughter and shrugged as if it couldn’t be helped.
“Well, shall we say so from now on?”
“Bella, did you know you’re my first friend in my entire life?”
The Pope’s eyes widened in surprise as he quickly stepped closer and lightly tugged at the end of Bella’s sleeve.
“I didn’t know. But there’s something more important.”
“What is it?”
“What’s your name? If we’re friends now, I should know what to call you.”
“You’ll really… call me by it?”
“Of course.”
As the Pope asked in a trembling voice, Bella answered calmly.
Anyone who heard Bella’s voice would feel at ease, reassured.
That was how steady she was—unless it involved Chey, she was rarely shaken. Even now, stepping straight into the lion’s jaws, she showed not the slightest sign of fear.
The Pope gazed at her unwavering violet eyes, then smiled—a surprisingly innocent smile.
“…Sein Onette.”
“It’s a lovely name that suits you, Sein. I’ll bring back good news!”
“…!”
At the sound of his own name spoken aloud by Bella, the Pope’s body trembled.
How long had it been?
A Pope was meant to lose his name, erase it, forget it—live as a Pope and die as a Pope.
A name.
Only now did the Pope realize how important a name was. Bella had protected Bella, and so she could live as Bella.
“Come back… safely, Bella.”
