Meeting Room Deep in the Sun Hall.
In the solemn ambiance, the key figures of our Order, including myself, had gathered.
The oldest priest, Archbishop Kelaout.
The Saintess Delora, who had lived with me at the convent.
And the mastermind behind the language auto-correction spell cast upon me, Archbishop Damon.
I wanted to invite experienced bishops or the leaders of the Holy Knights, but that couldn’t happen.
As we had to address an unprecedentedly serious matter, I intentionally gathered only a few individuals.
Breaking the prolonged silence, Kelaout quietly spoke.
“Then we shall begin the meeting. Your Holiness?”
Nodding, I described the nightmare I had had the night before.
A bizarre and horrific dream, filled with slaughter and constant laughter.
Had it just been that, I would have brushed it off as a mere dream, but the problem was that I had suddenly shed tears of blood.
It was a situation I couldn’t treat lightly.
“Have you undergone a physical examination?”
Kelaout, with a twisted expression, cautiously asked. I glanced down at my hands neatly placed on the table and nodded.
“I haven’t yet. I was too scared to do so.”
“……”
Silence.
An uncomfortable hush fell over the meeting room, as only those who understood the seriousness of the situation were present, and none dared to speak.
“…May I examine you?”
After a moment, Archbishop Damon cautiously suggested.
If anyone could uncover the cause, it would be Damon. After all, he was a master of sacred spells that even Kelaout couldn’t rival.
“Please.”
“Please relax your body.”
Thus, the examination began.
The red sacred power emanating from Damon gently enveloped me, spreading throughout every corner of my body.
Please, let it yield good results.
I sincerely hoped it wouldn’t be anything serious.
With my eyes tightly shut, I eagerly awaited the end of the examination.
How long did it take?
“…Oh.”
Damon, who had been calmly analyzing my body, suddenly narrowed his eyes. It was a foreboding expression.
I couldn’t bring myself to ask what was wrong.
“What’s the matter?”
Saintess Delora asked on my behalf.
Damon hesitated for a moment, then met my gaze. His eyes were filled with anxiety.
And finally, a trembling voice emerged from him.
“Your Holiness’s nightmare… is a precursor to the manifestation of a curse.”
A curse.
That was an unexpected reason.
“Have you recently encountered any demons or dark sorcerers?”
Kelaout shot a sharp question, but I couldn’t recall anything pertinent. My last confrontation had been during my time as a saint.
“Not at all….”
I was about to shake my head in response when suddenly, one memory flickered through my mind.
The strange energy that had enveloped me when I defeated Demon King Balreer. I had a terrible premonition it could be tied to this.
“Actually, there was something when I defeated the Demon King.”
As I recounted the incident, Damon’s complexion turned pale. Kelaout’s was no different.
Which only caused my heart to race even more.
“What do you mean by that?”
“The curse residing within you is gradually causing the inner malice and strength of your body to violently surge. But the fact that such a curse emerged from the deceased Demon King’s body means…”
“……”
Upon hearing that, I could roughly understand the situation.
I wanted to vehemently deny it, but given the circumstances, there was only one answer.
“Is it a curse that turns me into a Demon King?”
Damon did not refute my words and bowed his head deeply.
It was a silence that revealed too much.
*
“Please rest for now.”
Thanks to Kelaout’s consideration, I was able to retire to my room without carrying out any duties and lay on the bed.
Would sleeping soundly make me feel better?
No, that wouldn’t be the case. There was no way mere sleep could refresh my mind.
‘…Demon King.’
Because of the curse, I would someday become a Demon King.
Destined to become a demon who savors joy while mercilessly slaughtering people. Just like in those nightmares.
According to Damon’s analysis, the curse would fully manifest in about five years.
At least the silver lining was that it was still quite far off, giving me ample time to prepare. With the time cushion, it wasn’t entirely a despairing situation.
However.
Hope was granted to everyone else but me, leaving me with only a grim future ahead.
‘There’s no way to survive.’
The Demon King transformation curse was far too potent.
A formidable force that could even nullify sacred power. As of now, there was little means to safely disarm this ticking time bomb festering within me.
The future permitted to me consisted of precisely two choices.
To be eliminated after becoming a Demon King, or to die before transforming into one.
There was no other option.
‘…It’s futile.’
After all the effort it took to eliminate the Demon King and adapt to my arduous schedule as a pope, would it all culminate in a pitiful death as a Demon King?
How could fate be so cruel?
Why has bad luck relentlessly followed me through both my past and present lives?
A lament escaped involuntarily from my lips.
Overwhelmed by rising anxiety and frustration, I drew my hands to my chest.
“O noble Sun, please shine warm sunlight upon the new sprouts submerged in thick shadows.”
I offered a heartfelt prayer, but sadly, no answer returned.
The Goddess, who was usually rather tight-lipped, was particularly silent today.
Even if the pope were cursed to become a Demon King, wouldn’t she at least have something to say? That struck me as odd.
“Please, I beg you, answer me….”
Afterward, I desperately sought the Goddess.
But no matter how much I implored, that gracious voice never resonated in my mind. Only my own voice echoed needlessly around me.
“……”
Exhausted from praying, I finally covered my eyes with my arms.
I felt unusually lonely and sorrowful today, so I could hardly hold back the tears spilling forth.
*
Even after learning about the curse of Demon King transformation, my life didn’t change drastically.
Each morning, I woke up as usual to offer prayers first.
Then I had breakfast, exercised, prayed again, and began my duties.
At the end of the day, I would return to my room, read, and then go to sleep.
An unremarkable and monotonous routine.
Yet, a distinctly different change crept in.
“Your Holiness.”
“…Thank you.”
Today again, I had a nightmare of slaughtering innocent people.
That made it a total of twelve times.
The frequency was steadily increasing. The content was growing longer and more detailed.
Just recently, I had killed two trembling sisters who were embracing each other. In a brutally cruel manner, I crushed their heads with my hands.
Not stopping there, I indulged in delight as I gulped down the fresh blood pouring from their necks.
Even now, the lingering metallic taste of blood that had slid down my throat made my face contort in disgust.
‘Damn….’
If I spoke out loud, the auto-correct would censor my words, so I only muttered profanities silently. It didn’t bring any relief whatsoever.
This feeling of frustration, displeasure, and nausea.
I wanted to smash everything.
Tear apart my robe, destroy the mattress, break the desk in half, and shatter every window.
“Get your hands off me!”
In a sudden outburst, I slapped away Delora’s hand that was wiping the sweat off my forehead.
Immediately, I came to my senses.
“…I’m sorry. That wasn’t my intention.”
“It’s alright. It could happen.”
Delora understood me, but I couldn’t.
If…
If I kept acting so sensitive and harmed those around me, I wouldn’t be able to forgive myself.
No, even now, I found it unacceptable, leading me to tightly clench my hands.
With clenched teeth, I continued to mull over my thoughts and finally spoke quietly.
“For the next month, if we cannot find a way to lift the curse, please kill me. I’m begging you.”
“……”
Delora didn’t offer any empty words about how she could never do that.
“Let’s work hard together to find a solution….”
I put on a false smile. Just to bear the pain a little less.
*
A month turned out to be shorter than I had anticipated.
Today was exactly the 29th day.
“I’ve been to every library within the Empire, but none of the ancient texts mention any ways to break the Demon King transformation curse.”
Me, Kelaout, Delora, Damon.
Throughout the past month, the four of us had diligently searched for a solution together, but we hadn’t come up with anything credible.
Rather, it became clear that the curse was something that could not be eradicated.
‘It’s all over.’
They say there are five stages in the process of accepting death.
Denial, anger, bargaining, depression, acceptance.
Just now, I had stepped into the last stage of ‘acceptance.’
“Please start preparing.”
I tried to smile brightly and addressed everyone.
“You should think of an excuse to cover up my death to the outside world. That way, it’ll create less chaos.”
“……”
Of course, I didn’t want to die like this.
I wished to live happily for a long time, growing old with Liam.
But for the sake of preventing the catastrophe of the Demon King’s return, I was ready to give up my life if necessary, even if it meant parting with my loved ones forever.
“I am grateful to you all for everything. I hope that you won’t be sad or troubled after I’m gone.”
Having said my preliminary goodbyes, I rose from my seat and, for no particular reason, walked over to the window to gaze outside.
Despite the cruel fate awaiting me, the world outside remained as peaceful as ever.
The sunlight was warm, the breeze was refreshing, and the birds chirped cheerfully.
Before long, I too would become a part of this nature and meet my eternal rest. Rather than fear, I felt a bittersweet sense of relief wash over me.
“O Sun, I will soon ascend to your side.”
As I murmured, awaiting answers that would never come, Kelaout spoke.
“If I had my way, I would gladly offer my life…”
The usually strict Kelaout’s eyes were glistening with tears.
And then, an idea buried in the flow of time resurfaced.
‘…Transfer of life?’
I remembered vague knowledge from when this world was a game.
“Everyone!”
I abruptly banged on the conference table, drawing the somber gazes of my closest confidants.
“What’s the matter?”
“It’s not time to give up yet! We have a final measure left.”
“A final measure?”
In [Apollis Tales], there was one item capable of overcoming this obstacle.
“We will search for the ancient artifact that could grant me an extra life.”
That artifact was the only solution.
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