* * *
For a moment, I was at a loss for words.
I understood what the Pope was hoping to hear, but I didn’t know the exact reason why the Calamity had died. Even if I wanted to answer, I needed to have something to say.
How did the Calamity die…?
That’s the thing—I wasn’t sure either.
I traced my memories carefully, trying to recall anything that might be useful.
But all I could remember was that I had traveled to the past through the Seriel Lake, and when I returned to the present, the Calamity was already dead.
There had been something strange about it. I had fallen into Seriel Lake and ended up in the past, but when I returned, I was in some cave—right in front of a dazed-looking Kaindel.
…The Calamity.
I forced myself to remember more.
The last time I saw it, it had been crumbling away.
Like it was being consumed by flames, turning to ashes.
And in the midst of it all, the only thing that remained intact was the Calamity’s Heart.
Now that I thought about it, people believed that Kaindel had pierced the Calamity’s heart and extracted it.
But that wasn’t the case at all.
In reality, the Calamity had relinquished its own heart and perished on its own.
“The Calamity was… truly an enigma.”
“What do you mean?”
“Let me tell you something interesting, Esch.”
“What is it?”
“I never stabbed the Calamity.”
“…….”
“It was already asleep. Probably long before I even reached its lair. The very being we feared so much, the embodiment of terror itself… wasn’t even awake.”
Suddenly, I recalled a conversation I had with Kaindel.
While staying at the Ducal House of Schudelgarten with him, I once asked him to tell me about the time he subjugated the Great Calamity.
That day, Kaindel revealed a story he had long kept buried, unable to completely conceal the unease in his expression.
He admitted that, in truth, he had not slain the Great Calamity.
It had already been asleep.
Whether it had simply fallen into slumber or had truly died remained uncertain.
Could this be the truth of the world that the Pope sought?
I parted my lips before finally speaking.
“The Great Calamity was asleep.”
“Asleep? Could you explain what you mean by that?”
“I heard it from Kaindel. When he arrived at the cave—at the nest of the Great Calamity—it was already in a deep slumber.”
“A deep slumber, you say…”
“That’s why the heart of the Great Calamity wasn’t obtained through battle. Rather, it would be more accurate to say that the sleeping Great Calamity left its heart behind and disappeared. Of course, I only saw that part, so I don’t know what happened afterward. But… but.”
“Yes, but?”
“One thing is certain—the Great Calamity wasn’t the kind of being we thought it was.”
I laid out everything I had heard from Kaindel.
I wasn’t sure if any of it contained the ‘truth of this world’ the Pope spoke of, but I figured it might be of some use.
“And when the Great Calamity died, the monsters in the vicinity all perished at once. The same happened with the monsters in other regions. Considering they all vanished the moment the Great Calamity fell, there must have been some kind of link between them.”
“Hm.”
The Pope, who had been listening intently, stroked his chin, his expression darkening.
He seemed both surprised and unsettled.
“The tale of the Great Calamity tearing through the heavens and descending upon this world is a common one.”
“Yes, I’ve heard the same.”
One day, the sky had roared with thunder, and a black mass had torn through it, descending upon the land.
It had taken the form of what we called a ‘dragon.’
Its arrival had led to countless deaths and the corruption of the earth.
That was the story I knew.
Just as the Pope said, we had always been told that the Great Calamity had ripped through the heavens and invaded our world.
“But I have always found that part questionable.”
“Questionable?”
“Long ago, His Majesty the King sent an elite legion to subjugate the Great Calamity. However, they were all slain in battle, and the campaign ended in failure.”
“Yes, that’s true.”
“But if the Great Calamity was asleep… then where did that story come from?”
“……”
“It’s hard to believe it was only awake during that specific period. Perhaps it’s a meaningless suspicion, but… what if the truth we’ve known all this time was nothing more than a lie, shaped by someone’s intent?”
“……”
“It’s just a thought.”
I bit down hard on my lower lip. It was a perspective I had never once considered.
As if he understood my silence, the Pope’s smile deepened.
“So, the Hero did not personally slay the Great Calamity. I see. But even if that is the truth, as Sir Isaac says, it doesn’t change the fact that the Hero returned with the Great Calamity’s heart. His status as a hero remains intact. Regardless, I appreciate you sharing this. It was valuable information.”
Reeling the conversation back from its tangent, the Pope spoke with an air of finality.
His eyes, which had flickered with intrigue moments ago, had returned to their usual calm, like a tranquil lake.
It was a stark contrast to Alexander’s gaze.
“Well then.”
“Yes. I will assist you. Let’s proceed as you wish, Sir Isaac.”
As if he had already anticipated my answer, the Pope gave a small nod. I clenched my hand into a fist atop my thigh.
Choosing to meet the Pope’s expectations wasn’t a bad decision—it was the best one.
It was done.
With the Pope’s cooperation, the heavy burden Kaindel carried alone would no longer threaten to derail the princess’s plan.
I didn’t know the full extent of Kaindel’s plan, but for now, that alone was reassuring.
Just as I let out a relieved breath—
“Actually, Sir Hero’s original plan was to call it off during the wedding vows.”
“…What?”
“I believe I mentioned that the day of your wedding to the princess is the same day she plans to carry out her coup. Ah, but you were already aware of that. In any case, the princess intended to strike the royal palace while everyone’s attention was on her marriage to you.”
“……”
“And Sir Hero had told me he planned to reveal the truth in the middle of the wedding vows.”
Casually shrugging, the Pope revealed his and Kaindel’s scheme.
For a moment, I was speechless.
I never expected Kaindel to be cooperating with the Pope.
Kaindel had always despised the clergy.
I never imagined he would go so far as to reach out to the Pope for this.
The Kaindel I knew would have handled things alone rather than involve him.
“But if that happened, a direct conflict between the princess and the Hero would have been inevitable.”
“Yes, so—”
“So I will assist you. I do not wish for violent confrontation either. I simply hope that everything is resolved peacefully.”
The Pope dusted off his hands as he spoke.
It was as if he had no particular attachment to Kaindel’s plan, ready to accept whatever outcome unfolded.
In that sense, he reminded me somewhat of Alexander.
But unlike Alexander, who pursued amusement above all else, what was it that the Pope sought?
Before I could dwell on the thought, the Pope posed a question.
“Then, Sir Isaac—what would you have me do?”
＊ ＊＊＊＊
After finishing my conversation with the Pope, I left the temple.
Not much time had passed, and the sky had hardly changed.
Good.
The conversation had wrapped up smoothly.
Muttering to myself, I moved toward the place where I had left my horse.
That was when—
“Isa.”
* * *
