There was a noticeable agitation due to the bombshell revelation that far exceeded expectations.
Of course, it was to be expected.
The Pope’s true identity being the embodiment of the light deity the church serves, or rather, a spirit claiming to be the light deity—it was an absurd story that no one would have taken seriously even as a joke.
However, only one person, Aria, who was a step closer to the truth, did not change her expression.
She merely closed her eyes briefly at the reality that she desperately wanted to deny but could no longer ignore.
“Not surprised at all, huh? When did you figure it out?”
Pope Argo Servinus—no, Luminous, asked with a hearty laugh, as if delighted.
“You left quite the hints for me to pick up on,” Aria muttered under her breath.
Right, it was such an unrealistic story that it was hard to believe, yet Luminous appeared to have no intention of hiding it, leaving behind considerable information.
Even while talking about the past, Luminous had a lot of personal opinions sneakily reflected in it, and the complete lack of faith for someone who claimed to be a Pope was another clue.
The abandonment of the so-called Luminous Kingdom could be understood if viewed from the deity’s perspective, as if treating the church and the kingdom as mere possessions.
And above all, the vampire blood coursing through Aria’s veins instinctively felt both fear and hatred toward the old man in front of her.
Facing someone who shared her status yet was also her opposite, that primal fear felt like an imprint she had no choice but to accept despite her unwillingness.
Moreover, using the barrier of light that had dulled her powerful regeneration, which had been impervious to any other means, was also a significant clue.
But the mere fact that she had approached the truth a few minutes earlier brought no comfort to Aria.
From her perspective, this was a major incident.
She had always thought that the archenemies of herself and the vampires were the humans of the Luminous Church; finding out that the true mastermind was not a human but an embodiment of a spirit like her was a massive oversight.
Not to mention, it meant that this being was someone who had survived since the time of the first Progenitor.
At this point, it was impossible for her to even predict how vastly superior that existence might be.
“Is it really true that the current Pope… is the light deity Luminous?”
Martini looked at her in disbelief, as if unable to accept it.
But her skepticism was denied in an even worse direction.
“No, no. Not just the current Pope; all the past Popes have been me.”
Even Aria seemed taken aback, her pupils trembling.
She had merely suspected that the first saint and the current Pope were the same person and that he was Luminous, but she never anticipated that every single Pope throughout history was the same individual.
‘But how?’
A brief question flashed through Aria’s mind again.
She could roughly accept that the old man before her was the embodiment of the light spirit.
But to believe that every past Pope was the same person was a completely different matter.
“Have you ever thought about why, in a world where kingdoms typically pass down the throne by bloodline, the leaders of the Luminous Kingdom are elected?”
Even at the church’s founding, there had been only one person per generation who could wield divine magic, leaving no choice, but after officially becoming a nation, Luminous had chosen Popes in a unique manner.
Specifically, the Cardinal deemed most fit to be the next Pope was selected based on a multitude of factors, including support within the church, achievements, and the previous Pope’s recommendations.
In theory, the position of Cardinal could be achieved regardless of social status as long as one had the ability, dedication, and a fair amount of luck, allowing experts from fields like priests, knights, and scholars to pass through the office of the Pope.
Having the memories of her past life, Aria could not find anything wrong with this method, but the kingdom’s approach was quite unique in comparison.
In the Terra continent, aside from the Suwong Kingdom, the peak of each nation was typically determined by bloodline.
However, considering the Suwong Kingdom’s method was a kind of survival strategy, the Luminous Kingdom was the only nation where the ruling class changed dramatically each generation.
“If the physical performance gets too low, it’s inconvenient in many ways. You can drink the blood of others and absorb their life force for eternal life, but my way of living is a bit cumbersome. I just mentioned that I draw strength through a mental connection with others, right? If I expand that passage to the maximum and transfer my very existence, I can seize that body.”
Finally, Aria understood what Luminous was talking about.
In order to obtain better bodies, Luminous had kept the path to rise in the church’s high ranks open to individuals regardless of their status for a certain selection process.
Naturally, it was only right for the powerful to rise during the times when strength was needed and for those with political clout to rise during politically tumultuous times.
Thus, Luminous had cultivated the kingdom to his liking by borrowing the abilities and networks built by humans who ascended to the Pope’s position.
“So, it wasn’t that you disguised yourself as different people and acted as Pope over and over again; you stole the bodies of those newly elected as Pope.”
“Exactly. If I had a convenient way like you, it would have been wonderful! But just as you were born a vampire, I was born like this. Of course, I discreetly supported those researching ways to gain the same longevity as vampires, but it wasn’t very successful. Do you remember Raul Carlos?”
At the mention of Raul Carlos, a former Cardinal with ties to Aria, a chill seemed to drop the temperature around them a few degrees.
“You mean. You, you orchestrated this?”
“More accurately, I’d say I allowed it to happen. Logically, with me having lived as a human for nearly two thousand years, would I not have noticed the discrepancies between the funds and usage records received by the Cardinal every year under the guise of research funding? Of course, I allocated a generous budget.”
With a snap, I ground my teeth unknowingly.
An unbearable rage surged alongside disbelief.
In this moment, my anger toward the enemy overshadowed the primal fear ingrained in me.
“You.”
Luminous, it was really you.
The mastermind who twisted my life so drastically is truly you.
The one who attempted to put me on the gallows merely for wanting to live.
The insane Cardinal, who performed twisted human experiments on me, tearing and slicing my body countless times before carrying out the execution…
All those things that broke me so thoroughly originated from your hands?
“Die.”
I wrapped my arms around myself, as though crossing my arms, and thrust my hands forward.
In an instant, a mass of blood surged forth, crashing onto Luminous like a tidal wave.
But it was deflected.
Both the physical assaults and flanking attacks were futile, as the barrier began to shine again, standing firm without a scratch as if denying all efforts.
How frustrating.
Even with my enemy right before me, I couldn’t lay a finger on him—I found myself resenting my weakness for the first time in ages.
“Oh, how impatient you are! Didn’t I say I was still conscious? It’s almost over, so just wait a little longer.”
Conscious.
With the reappearance of that word I had temporarily overlooked while my mind was occupied with Luminous’s identity, I gradually regained my composure.
Yes, the questions we faced in the current situation had yet to be resolved.
Luminous was currently protected by the barrier of light, but it was clear that he was a being of higher rank than I.
Yet, he had not retaliated even once.
Thinking back, there should have been no reason for him to hold back.
Wouldn’t it be natural for him to come and kill us directly, especially since he could win against us effortlessly?
The math just didn’t add up.
If I put together everything Luminous had said so far, that barrier must be some sort of protective device while a “consciousness” was taking place.
Then, what was the purpose of that consciousness?
For it to be worthwhile for Luminous to pay such a hefty price, it needed to have significant value.
…Could it be that he isn’t strong enough to take us all on?
If he was already prepared to reveal his identity, he could have simply killed us without this convoluted setup.
Thinking back, he had made excuses about aging, cleverly sidestepping the attack I launched earlier.
At that moment, it dawned on me that he truly was a being that lived by changing bodies.
Argo Servinus was not a combat-capable Pope; he was simply old.
If the limits of his physical body affected Luminous, causing a decline in his combat prowess, then in order to resolve that… Wait, could it be?
My heart sank, and I swallowed hard.
Beyond the light barrier, I still felt two life forces.
Yes, two. Not one.
The moment I realized that, I was already shouting at my allies, who were slowly preparing to surround the enemy.
“Everyone, retreat!! Quickly!!!!”
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