I’m Going to Destroy this Country

“You, are you really the Pope?”

Everyone doubted their ears at Isaac’s words.

…Crazy, what did he just say?

Silence fell over the hearing room. The shock was so great that not only the 1st class priests, but even the Cardinals seemed to lose their minds.

Of course, only the Red Cardinal couldn’t contain his smile, as if he was thrilled to death.

At this level, it was worth bringing him in despite taking responsibility.

No, is it just worth it?

It’s the best!

He’s properly crazy!

Who would have thought he’d try to grab the hair of a lofty person standing on the clouds and drag them down!

On the other hand, Benjamin, standing at the entrance, could only hold his forehead.

‘I knew that child would blow something big, but.’

This isn’t just instigation and fabrication!

It was a statement at the level of blasphemy and national subversion.

Sure enough.

“What is this brat blabbering about!”

“What are you saying now!!”

Shouts erupted like an explosion in the silent hearing room. Especially the Gold priests were having fits.

“This is contempt!”

“Does the Blue want to be exterminated along with the Red!”

In that pandemonium, even the Blue family head, who hadn’t expected this at all, was rarely opening his mouth. That’s how shocking it must have been.

But Isaac boldly went to the front of the table and spread out documents.

“These are His Holiness the Pope’s records from the Imperial archives.”

“The Imperial archives?”

At the mention of the Imperial archives, the Pope’s family flinched, and everyone stirred as if surprised.

“Aren’t the Imperial archives where the records of past Emperors and Popes are kept?”

“That’s right. Certainly, the magic of the first generation Sacred Dragon that no one, not even past Imperial families or Popes could touch, is said to record only objective facts…”

“But… Didn’t they say the librarian who could access it was destroyed?”

“Yep. I fixed that.”

“What?!”

Isaac chuckled while reading the documents.

“Pope Julio. His old name was ‘Julio Berit’. Anyway, according to the records, the older brother ‘Julio Berit’ and younger brother ‘Brutio Berit’ have the same coming of age ceremony day and birthday.”

“!”

“Not only are those two the same, but seeing that their birth year is also the same, His Holiness the Pope is clearly a twin. Some of the 1st class priests here might know this.”

At those words, the Gold priests of similar age to the Pope were dumbfounded.

“What does it matter if they’re twins!”

“Even if they’re twins, the talent to be Pope is concentrated in one child, so there’s no problem in becoming Pope!”

“No, no, that’s not what I’m trying to say. What you should focus on from the fact that they’re twins isn’t that kind of thing.”

“What?”

Isaac smiled while reading the documents.

“At eighteen, the older and younger brothers return home after their coming of age ceremony at the Papacy. But on the way home, they were attacked by assassins. It’s said that all the coachmen and attendants died in that attack. The only survivor was the older brother, Julio Berit.”

“…!”

The faces of the priests who caught the meaning of those words visibly hardened.

Sure enough, Isaac’s narrowing eyes turned towards the Pope.

“They say the younger brother died instantly, but well. So I’m asking if you’re really the older brother, ‘Julio Berit’.”

“!”

“In fact, wasn’t it the older brother who died then, and you’re the younger brother?”

What’s going on?! Even the four Cardinals couldn’t close their mouths as if exasperated.

Only the Red Cardinal’s eyes were crescent-shaped, as if urging him to continue.

“Even looking at the records, it’s strange. How could they be certain it was the younger brother who died when twins died?”

Of course, identity could be determined by sacred technique or magic, but the only exception where that was impossible was twins.

“Everyone thought the older brother survived only because the ring of the next family head was on the hand of the dead one, and the surviving one claimed to be Julio.”

“…!!”

“So who knows? Maybe the older brother actually died then, and the younger brother pretended to be him. No, did you actually kill your brother because you wanted to become Pope?”

At Isaac’s provocation, the Gold priests stood up as if they couldn’t bear it anymore.

“Such insolence!”

“Drag him out! There’s no greater contempt than this!”

“Does the Blue know what they’re saying now!”

But the priests of other faiths secretly whispered and stirred.

“Did you know they were twins?”

“No… They didn’t reveal it on purpose.”

The fact that their coming of age ceremony and birthday were the same was taken as being blessed by God together. It seemed unusual for the Pope’s family, but among priests who value community, it could even be seen as a good thing.

“The younger brother didn’t show himself much from the beginning.”

The reason why no one questioned it was because of the slightly unusual succession method of the Gold family head.

The position of the Gold family head was a system where the older brother learned family affairs and made all connections with nobles, then passed it on to the younger brother.

This was so that connections with nobles wouldn’t be cut off even after becoming the Pope. At the same time, it was to give the perception that the Pope and family head were one.

So everyone didn’t pay much attention to the younger brother. The Berit family head was just the Pope’s shadow for generations.

That’s also why Kina, who will become Pope, is currently called the junior family head.

‘Probably only the direct Gold lineage knew they were twins.’

And to that extent, there was enough reason to be suspicious about the incident where the younger brother died.

“Shouldn’t this be properly verified…?”

As the priests other than those of the Gold stirred, the corners of Isaac’s mouth reached his ears.

Good! They took the bait! Once humans start to harbor doubts, they endlessly spread their wings of thought!

‘Actually, it doesn’t matter whether the Pope is real or not.’

The important thing is that the priests have started to harbor doubts!

‘And I’ll definitely make you out to be fake! Kukukuk.’

But at that reaction, the Gold priests widened their eyes.

“Stop talking nonsense! There’s no reason for His Holiness the Pope to pretend to be his brother! Why would he…”

Isaac was thrilled at that gaze.

Kueh, to think the Gold priests would say those words!

‘You bastards, you fell for it.’

Isaac raised the corners of his mouth shamelessly as if he had been waiting for this.

“There’s plenty of reason. Usually when a Pope dies, it immediately passes to the next candidate, but in cases where the next candidate is also vacant and succession becomes impossible. Then a proxy is appointed according to the Cardinals’ meeting and God’s choice. Usually that proxy is the Sacred Dragon.”

“…!”

In fact, throughout the long history of the Holy Empire, there had never been a time when papal succession was difficult. Even if a young Pope took office, they never handed it over.

Except for just once, hundreds of years ago, when it almost passed to the Sacred Dragon.

And perhaps because of the memory of that time.

“You were probably afraid the power might pass to the Emperor or another faith.”

Well, if it’s the case that he killed his own brother, the story gets even worse.

‘Kinslaying is a capital offense.’

Whether he wanted to protect the family’s honor or his life was precious, there could be many reasons… Well, actually I wasn’t interested. What’s important to Isaac is that this guy is fake.

‘Because they’re twins, their appearance is identical, and as for ability, well, even if it’s not at the Pope’s level, fortunately because they’re twins, it’s enough to deceive to some extent.’

If he just keeps his mouth shut, no one would notice.

“An unchosen one becoming Pope is a serious crime. It’s sufficient grounds for resignation on fraud charges.”

Everyone couldn’t close their mouths.

It was truly an unprecedented situation.

But to that extent, the priests also had something to say.

“Do you think God wouldn’t know that!”

Then Isaac grinned.

“Don’t you know? The Pope isn’t directly chosen by God, but the one born to the Pope’s position ascends. The eldest son of the Berit family. God’s blessing rests on that eldest son’s position for generations. That’s the promise between the Holy Empire and God.”

“You…!”

“Or maybe the Gold god also didn’t want the Pope’s position to pass to another side, so turned a blind eye.”

This bastard?!

At that point, Whisper whispered anxiously.

[Hey Master, is it okay to just blurt out like this? Look at their eyes. At this rate, Master’s neck will be strangled to death.]

But Isaac chuckled.

‘I’m not just instigating without anything.’

[What?]

‘You felt it too, and so did I, right? That the Blue family head seemed stronger than that Pope.’

[Ah… That’s true.]

‘I feel the same. The Pope is a strong priest, but compared to past Popes, he’s a bit lacking in class.’

He lacked the unique aura of a Pope.

‘Well, only I would notice this.’

Soon Isaac continued speaking.

“There’s more evidence.”

What?! There’s more?

The priests became dazed. The Red Cardinal was thrilled to death saying ‘That’s right, it wouldn’t be fun if it ended here’, and Benjamin had a pupil earthquake.

‘The documents ended there though?’

Was there any element left to attack?

“His Holiness the Pope tried to kill my Grandpa, that is, the Blue family head.”

What’s going on?!

This time even the Blue priests had a pupil earthquake.

But Isaac smiled.

“The Pope once gave the Blue a reckless request. To go to a True Demon’s territory and find a sacred relic. And within two weeks at that.”

The Gold priests furrowed their brows as if it was ridiculous.

“Reckless? Don’t make me laugh. The Blue archenemy is True Demons.”

“What’s reckless about asking them to catch their sworn enemy?”

“It shouldn’t be a difficult task for the Blue family head.”

But the other priests criticized them with disgust.

“Are you in your right mind?”

“To give such a dangerous mission with only two weeks!”

“And around that time, Grandpa said. That the Pope had changed a lot from when he was young. He tried to deal with Grandpa, who was his close friend, because he was afraid he would notice his true identity.”

The priests couldn’t close their mouths.

Elai, who was listening, was dumbfounded.

…No, this bastard is connecting things like this?

He felt dizzy.

At the same time, Elai looked at the Pope who was extremely angry. Then suddenly his childhood memories came to mind.

He often hung out with Julio, who was called a genius, going back and forth between each other’s mansions. They were together at the Academy too. He also knew of the younger brother’s existence, but the younger brother always wore a mask because he had burns on his face. He was timid and admired them.

Anyway, as time passed, he had been thinking that the person had changed at some point, but still fundamentally thought that the position makes the person.

If that’s not the case.

‘Could it really be you, Brutio?’

Even Elai, the Blue family head, was shaken.

At that point, the Gold priests trembled with anger.

“Do we have to keep listening to these absurd words?”

“That’s right. The Red Cardinal who gave speaking rights to that wet behind the ears… no, crazy bastard, should be prepared.”

They all stood up and looked only at the Pope.

“His Holiness the Pope will prove his innocence.”

“Quickly, strike down those contemptible ones!”

But the Pope just glared at Isaac in silence.

The Gold priests couldn’t help but be flustered.

“Y-Your Holiness?”

Isaac grinned.

“Why can’t you answer? Your Holiness?”