I’m Going to Destroy this Country

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

The Pope couldn’t answer.

At that sight, the priests stirred. It was a stirring of a completely different dimension from before.

“Why is he silent?”

Especially the eyes of the Gold priests were trembling.

“What’s going on?”

“When someone causes such a disturbance, you should respond in kind. To choose silence…”

It was a reaction showing they were troubled in many ways.

The priests of other faiths who were watching also started whispering.

“Could it be true?”

“…It can’t be true, right? He must be silent because it’s not worth responding to.”

“Right… That must be it. How could His Holiness…”

But Isaac snorted.

What? Not worth responding to?

So that’s why he’s silent?

No, that wasn’t silence for ignoring. He was truly flustered. So Isaac couldn’t help but have his mouth corners split.

‘What? It was true?’

Well, he had strong suspicions so he probed, but it seems it was unexpectedly true.

Of course, this guy had been Pope for decades. And the priests weren’t fools either, could they not distinguish a fake during that time? He had even deceived Grandpa, which said it all.

So there must have been some method that allowed him to act as Pope.

‘Maybe it was possible because they were twins, or the Gold god overlooked it, well. There must be something.’

A powerful method that could deceive the entire Holy Empire. The only variable this guy hadn’t expected was Isaac. A being with the Supreme God.

‘No matter what method he uses, the truth is bound to be revealed before the Supreme God.’

[For someone who says that, you have no connection with the Supreme God.]

Shh. I’ll make one someday.

Seeing that even the Supreme God doesn’t stop his actions, well. He must not get along with this Gold god.

Anyway, you need to be able to handle the Supreme God to be able to speak boldly with your head held high, but even if that’s not the case, words spoken by someone chosen by the Supreme God carry weight.

Sure enough.

The priests stirred, and even the Gold Cardinal called out to the Pope in confusion.

“Your Holiness.”

But the Pope still had no answer.

“Your Holiness?”

When anxiety started to fill the calls, the Pope soon let out a long sigh.

It was a disgusted, hateful sigh.

“What nonsense are you spouting. I was at a loss for words because it’s so absurd.”

“!”

The Pope rarely didn’t hide his anger.

“How does the Blue educate their successors?”

“!”

The priests swallowed hard, chilled by that killing intent.

For a moment, it was a presence that made them ashamed for mistaking him as fake. Honestly, the level of Isaac’s statements had already surpassed national subversion and blasphemy.

As proof of that, as if he wouldn’t just stay still, the Pope glared at Isaac.

“I can’t help but wonder about your intentions in slandering me. Aren’t you already a child looked upon with suspicion for seeming to lack faith? It only looks like you’re trying to sow discord among the priests and cause confusion to plunge the country into chaos. Isn’t this something only a child of demons would do?”

Not a child of demons, but the Demon King?

Isaac raised one eyebrow, but in the meantime, the Gold priests had become emboldened.

“That’s right!”

“He’s trying to endanger the Holy Empire by slandering His Holiness the Pope.”

At the sight of them banding together and starting to deflect, Isaac smiled contemptuously.

Ah, so this is how you’ll play it? These guys are underestimating the Skeleton King’s experience. Even though I look like this, I’ve never lost a war of words.

[It’s because you only have teeth left to pluck. Sob sob.]

Shut up.

Soon Isaac smiled and said:

“Your Holiness. I’m just a mere 2nd class priest after all.”

“!”

“If Your Holiness is truly real without a shred of doubt, I’m just a piece of trash whose head will be cut off for causing discord. Ah, well, if it goes a bit further, it’s just extermination of the family. All the family members’ heads will go chop chop.”

Isaaaaac!

Benjamin and Elai screamed internally.

And Benjamin was especially flustered.

‘Do you know what you’re saying right now!’

But Isaac chuckled.

‘The Blue won’t collapse from just this much.’

How did I seduce the Crown Prince and Emperor?

‘Kya, you worked hard. Finding a Sacred Dragon that wasn’t even in your destiny, restoring imperial authority that had suffered for 20 years, how can you not love me?’

At this point, bringing down the Blue would be directly challenging the Emperor.

Furthermore, the Sacred Dragon and… well, yes. The Crown Prince might be upset, but they could face invasion from the Magic Empire.

I’ve also joined hands with the White Cardinal, so if they touch the Blue, they’ll have to watch out for the White.

So this level of disturbance is fine. Isaac, who knew his cards exactly, smiled like an angel.

“I’m just a loach, so if my head gets cut off, no one else gets hurt and it ends, but what about Your Holiness?”

“!”

“Your Holiness is a completely different person from the likes of me! If Your Holiness is fake, the repercussions are beyond imagination!”

“…?!”

Isaac put on the face of a kind patriot.

“Just think of the Five Great Families and the countries that have asked for the Pope’s help, and the innocent people under them! The scale of damage is on a different level! Which side is really endangering the Holy Empire? Is it me? Or is it Your Holiness?”

“…!”

“It’s an issue that concerns the Empire’s fundamental credit and trust, and it’s the imperial citizens who will suffer because of this! So I’m appealing with a heart for the country! Because I want to believe Your Holiness is real!”

Want to believe the Pope is real…?

Really?

Elai and Benjamin looked at Isaac with disgust, but Isaac piously placed his hand on his chest.

“If you prove you are the Pope, this Isaac Eshua will gladly accept punishment. I will accept the results and offer this neck.”

In a sense, this time it was Isaac making a bet.

Whisper seemed to be getting worried.

[…Master, what will you do if he’s real?]

‘It doesn’t matter even if he’s real. Because I’ll make him fake.’

[What if he proves it with something unexpected?!]

‘He can’t. Because they’re twins, we have no way to find out who’s real, but conversely, that means they have no way to prove it either.’

Yes, if he were to prove it at all…

“Come to think of it, Grandpa said. That there was an important promise he shared with Your Holiness in your youth.”

“!”

At those words, Elai looked at his grandson as if dumbfounded.

A promise?

But Isaac smiled shamelessly.

“There must have been a promise. Certainly.”

…I understand well that he’s telling me to make one up even if there wasn’t. Elai, who noticed his grandson’s intention, twitched his eyebrows.

‘He wants to hold the knife handle.’

It’s reckless beyond compare, but actually Isaac’s words weren’t wrong either. There really was a promise Elai shared with the Pope in their youth. They were such close friends that of course we had many shared memories.

But he had never once spoken it out loud.

From the point of becoming Pope, the Pope is treated as a Saint, not a human. In other words, he becomes someone Elai can no longer be close with as his friend.

But at this moment, Elai opened his mouth with the heart of facing a friend he shared promises with in his youth.

“My old friend. Do you remember the conversation we had before our coming of age ceremony? That promise you made to me.”

But the Pope only glared at Elai.

At that sight, Elai’s pupils shook.

At that silence filled with many meanings, Isaac grinned.

‘Good, I knew it would work.’

[What if he makes excuses saying he doesn’t remember?!]

‘It doesn’t matter even then.’

[Why?]

‘Because this time I’ll drive him into dementia.’

[…Are you Satan?]

And actually it doesn’t matter even if the Pope remembers something.

‘Because this time we can just say it’s not that!’

[…Wow, Master. You’ll really live a long life.]

Ahi, I love it! Puheheehehe!

Yes, either way, in the current situation it’s disadvantageous for the Pope. He must know that well too.

The existence of Elai, who remembers his brother in detail because they were close friends, must be extremely bothersome.

‘We hold the cards.’

Seeing that he’s not trying to summon a god for proof, he must have something that could be exposed.

‘He’s staying silent because he’s afraid I might say I’ll call out the Supreme God.’

The Gold god would take his side, but the Supreme God would take my side.

Even if that’s not the case, there’s someone who can summon a god stronger than the Pope? He doesn’t want to go down in history as incompetent.

Thinking about it now, I think I understand why that Pope tried so hard to take away the Supreme God.

It was then.

The priests stirred.

“Then isn’t there no way to resolve the suspicion?”

“We can just hear the Blue Cardinal’s testimony, can’t we?”

“What if that guy is lying?”

“Are you saying the Blue would lie?!”

At that stirring, the Red Cardinal stepped forward.

“This will never end at this rate.”

“!”

“The Pope succession issue greatly affects the power structure, so there must absolutely be no corruption, and it is the most important matter formed by the promise of all priests. Until all suspicions are cleared, I will temporarily suspend all of the Pope’s authority and begin an investigation.”

What did you say?

The Gold priests gaped as if exasperated.

“You…!”

Before they could object, the Red Cardinal called the other Cardinals.

“Since His Holiness is not in a situation to make a decision, we will decide by vote of the five Cardinals according to custom. Those in favor of this agenda?”

Two raised their hands.

“I agree.”

“I concur.”

It was the White and Blue Cardinals.

The Red Cardinal grinned.

The Blue Cardinal is probably trying to identify his friend’s identity. As for the White Cardinal…

‘Is she taking Isaac’s side?’

Hmm, it’s troublesome if rivals increase.

Well, it doesn’t matter.

“The Gold is obviously against it.”

At those mocking words, the Gold Cardinal glared fiercely at the Red Cardinal. But the Red Cardinal ignored him and looked at the last remaining person.

“The Black…”

“I abstain.”

“Good. With three in favor, one abstention, and one against, this agenda has passed.”

“What…!”

He looked at Isaac.

“Ah right, I’ll give the investigative authority to Isaac Eshua.”

The Gold priests stood up as if they absolutely couldn’t listen anymore.

“What did you just say?!”

“Not even the Red faction, but to the Blue… and to that guy?!”

“To a kid with nothing!”

Then the Red Cardinal laughed like a devil.

“A kid with nothing? The prophesied ace who will deal with the Skeleton King, top of his class, Saint candidate, the Blue’s successor, even earning the Sacred Dragon’s trust. And as you all know, even the Supreme God’s love. The most likely candidate for the next Pope in name and reality, what exactly is the problem?”

“…Kuk!”

The Pope’s family and the Gold priests bit their lips as if humiliated.

Isaac smiled with crescent eyes. Huhuhuu.

What are you going to do? What can you do?