The Demon Lord's Bride (BL)-Chapter 697: The Heretics’ shamelessness knows no bounds

[This is...]

Jin took a deep breath, staring at the relic without blinking. This time, I was sure, he did not act. I couldn’t help but ask Ignis if it was real, if it wasn’t a replica like what I made to fool the magician, and Jin replied by answering the Pope’s question.

[What do you think?] the Pope smiled.

[Yes] Jin nodded, replying almost in a daze. [Yes, this is what I’ve been looking for]

[I’m glad] the Pope’s smile grew wider, while the pale eyes grew colder.

Oh, I didn’t like that smile. Jin didn’t like it either; it was clear from how much his hands tensed up along the box of relics, which gradually retreated from the middle of the table. I was sure he wanted to hide the relics right away, but he couldn’t do that before asking what he was there for.

[Your Eminence, I would like to purchase this directly--is it possible?] Jin asked earnestly. And honestly, we still had maybe a one percent chance to believe we could avoid too much violence if this request was to be accepted.

Of course, it wouldn’t be that easy. frёewebηovel.cѳm

[Ah--unfortunately, I don’t think you can] The Pope shook his head with a sad, solemn face.

[What? Why?!] Jin leaned forward and asked agitatedly, before quickly getting a hold of himself and followed with more calm and grace. [Oh, is it because I have to go through the auction first? Haa...I guess that’s inevitable, but--]

[No, that’s not it] The Pope cut him out while placing the seventh relic back inside the pouch.

[No?]

Placing the pouch in front of him, and his hands on top of the pouch, the Pope raised his gaze to look at Jin and spoke with an eerie calmness. [Rather than buying it, why don’t we work together, Jin?]

Oh-ho? Wasn’t this what we were talking about? Curiously, Jin leaned back and frowned. [Yes? What do you mean?]

The Pope looked at Jin as if he were a clueless child, full of a condescending gaze that I could feel even through the flame. Because of Ignis’s point of view, it felt like the old man was also talking to me.

[Do you know what kind of people participating in the auction, Jin? They are people with a lot of money--even more money than your little friend from Midas has] The Pope spoke with a gentle tone, but that made everything even more annoying. [Do you think you can beat them?]

Jin, with amazing perseverance, acted worried. [That bad?]

[Yes, it might be that bad] the Pope replied sympathetically, even though his eyes were anything but. [Rather than that, we could pull some string to keep the relic as the Goddess’s artifact--which means it will have to stay in the church]

"Oh?"

My brow arched at this...proposition. Even at that point, they still hid the fact that the relic belonged to the church in the first place.

[By law, I can’t just give it to you. But, if we work together, we can have a joint right over the relic and work together to find the rest] the Pope continued.

Jin tilted his head. [How...would that work?]

[Easy] the Pope smiled and opened his arms wide as if announcing a magnanimous blessing. [We’ll provide you with all the support we can--even the holy knights--to collect the rest of the relic. For safekeeping, you can leave your relics here and--]

[No]

Firmly, Jin refused the unreasonable proposition. Leaving there for safekeeping? Yeah, right--just say you’d take it off his hand, you old prick.

The corner of the pale eyes twitched. [Pardon?]

[No, I don’t want to leave my relics here] Jin repeated. [I am on a mission from the Goddess to collect all of the relics. It needs to stay with me]

[Oh, how admirable] the Pope leaned back on his seat while intertwining his fingers. [But don’t you see? We are also the Goddess’s soldiers. Surely you can trust us with Her relic?]

Wow...how shameless. See? This Pope was a military man who initiated a coup de etat against the Goddess. It wouldn’t surprise me if he was actually there to put a seal on the Goddess himself. Granted, he didn’t look like he was past a hundred years old, but who knew? Maybe he found a way?

It didn’t matter, though. The fact that he shamelessly called himself the soldier of the Goddess was disgusting enough that Jin could no longer keep his act.

I mean...if it was me, I wouldn’t be able to keep it from a long time ago.

[How could I?] Jin spoke sharply, dropping all the innocent acts he had been pulling. [You let the auction house have a relic with the Goddess’s blessing instead of acquiring it yourself. You even have the list and everything--surely, you’ve seen the relic before. But you did not secure it]

[Jin] the Pope was still smiling, but the pale eyes were devoid of emotions. Not even annoyance. Just nothing. [Why are you being difficult?]

[I’m not. I’m on a mission from the Goddess] Jim closed the box of the relics and stood up. [If you can’t help me, I just need to try to win it in the auction]

[Stop right there]

At that moment, the room stirred. The paladins and the holy knights who had been standing casually around the door and the window took a guarding stance. Two of them even came closer, standing behind Jin with hands on the hilt of their swords.

As Jin frowned at the movement, the Pope spoke calmly and condescendingly. The smile was openly cold now. [Sit down and let go of the relic]

[These are mine] Jin gripped the box tighter and was about to put it inside his dimensional storage when the sound of metal echoed and the tip of a sword came into projection.

[Let go] a voice came, probably from the one holding the sword, which was positioned above Jin’s wrist as if ready to cut the hand holding the box. [Leave the relics on the table]

[What are you doing?]

[Haa...Jin] The Pope shook his head. [We’re trying to do this nicely, so why do you have to act so difficult? All you need to do is stay obedient]

[What...]

[You should be more clever, Jin] the Pope sighed and leaned forward. [If I ask you to do something nicely, you should do it. Why do you think you can go against my word when you’re alone here?]

[You said you’re the soldiers of the Goddess--]

[Hahahahah!]

The words drowned in the Pope’s loud laughter. The pale eyes gleamed and the friendly visage vanished just like that. The other priests, who had moved to the back of the Pope while the Holy Knights brandished their swords at Jin, curled their lips in a smirk. It was as if they were compensating for the Pope’s lack of emotion at that moment.

[Are you being this difficult while knowing that your companions are under the mercy of my people?] the Pope asked with cold eyes.

[What...] Jin gripped the box and the sword grazed his arm bracer. [What do you mean?] his voice dropped. [What have you done to them?!]

The concern in his voice was real. He was probably thinking about Renna, and no matter what, without Ignis there, he would be worried.

Well...I was also worried, but they did have the teleportation scroll in case of emergency, and I was sure they would be able to make enough commotion for Jin to realize if something did happen.

[Don’t worry; I won’t do anything to them as long as you do what I said]

Jin gritted his teeth in response. [You mean leaving the relics here while looking for the rest of them?]

[Oh, no] the Pope smiled. [That was my offer before you acted difficult like this. Of course, the condition has changed now]

[What do you want?]

At that moment, the Pope curled his eyes. [It’s not about what I want, Jin. It’s about what can you do to save your...friends]

It was very unsettling the way the Pope said the word, but he wasn’t wrong. Since Jin was technically ’caught’, they could do everything they wanted to him. Even if they killed the others, there was nothing Jin could do from that room. No matter what the Pope asked, he had no choice but to fulfill it.

[What...] Jin paused to take a deep breath. [What’s my option]

[Oh, it’s easy] the Pope smiled. [You give those relics to me, that is non-negotiable]

[...and?]

[And you go with that gentleman over there] the Pope gestures at the man in formal attire who came with the pouch before. [You’ll go with him obediently, without making a fuss. You’ll do what he said and sign a contract, after which you’ll change your clothes and go to the auction stage]

The pale eyes gleamed and grew colder and colder.

[And you’ll do nothing but watch as the guest makes a bid on you]

[What?!]

[Of course, you may refuse. But then...who do you think will take your place?]

Damn--so that was what happened behind those suspicious meetings between the auction house and the church? The special auction was for the Hero?! I was cursing under my breath and waited for what Jin would do; but as I was leaning forward to watch carefully, my communication orb vibrated. The local one.

Damn it! Who could it be, when we got to the important part?!

When I took the call quickly, I heard Neel’s voice from the other side. [Boss, I have a message from Stan]

Ugh--now?!