Suicide Before Defeating the Final Boss

Suicide Before Defeating the Final Boss – 93

EP.93 Gratitude

Jeong-hyeon nodded as he examined the completed Paladin infusion jar and the grotesque, living remains of the Cardinal.

‘This should suffice.’

However, sending them as they were risked interception or censorship, meaning they might never reach the Pope. To ensure the delivery went as intended, Jeong-hyeon decided the items needed to be extravagantly packaged to guarantee they caught the right attention.

After some thought, he called Miria, the most reliable person for the task.

“Miria, could you wrap these for me? Make it as flashy as possible.”

Miria held her head, as though she felt a headache coming on, and sighed deeply.

“…That’s not too difficult, but… are you seriously planning to send this to the Pope?”

“Of course. He sent me something first, so I’m just returning the favor.”

“…I mean, that’s fair, I guess. Ugh, fine. If I wrap it, that’s enough, right?”

If even Miria, who had dealt with some of the most bizarre and horrifying tasks imaginable, found this unnerving, it was a good sign that the “gift” would have the desired effect. Satisfied, Jeong-hyeon started thinking about how to enhance the delivery further.

“By the way,” he asked, “do we have any magical tools with a recording function?”

“Recording magic? Of course, we have those. Why?”

A faint smirk played on his lips.

“Get one for me, too.”

At this, Miria tilted her head, confusion clear on her face.

“I can get one, but you know you can’t use it to film the Pope directly, right? Ever since your little ‘incident’ with the Church, they’ve banned all outsiders from entering their grounds.”

“That’s fine. I’ll just use dimensional transfer to record it remotely.”

“…Ah, the Golden Goblin artifact. Yeah, that would work.”

Jeong-hyeon nodded at her reply, deciding to proceed with his plan. Before he left, he added another request.

“Oh, and don’t send it under my name. If it’s from me, they’re sure to inspect it beforehand.”

“Then whose name do you want to use?”

“Karina’s.”

He decided to borrow the authority of the Second Princess, along with her royal seal, to ensure the package wouldn’t be tampered with.

“Princess Karina’s name? That would definitely make it harder for them to open the package. Even with her diminished influence, no one would dare ignore the authority of the royal family.”

“Exactly,” Jeong-hyeon said with a nod.

“Get it done.”

Miria sighed but agreed.

“Alright. And what are you going to do in the meantime?”

“I’m going to drop by Karina’s place to grab her seal.”

“Before you go, can you check on Hana? She’s been upset since earlier. She’s still sniffling.”

“…Alright, I’ll go comfort her first.”

With that, Jeong-hyeon headed to Hana’s room, planning to both console her and praise her for protecting Lucia earlier.

***

A recently promoted senior nun carefully carried the Pope’s gift in her arms as she made her way to his office.

Normally, any package delivered to the Pope would undergo thorough inspection, with officials unwrapping and checking its contents before passing it along. However, this particular delivery bore the name of the Second Princess, Karina, and was sealed with her royal insignia. Given her rising influence and the authority her title commanded, the order had been clear: Send it directly without inspection.

‘It’s the Princess’s gift, after all. There’s no way around it.’

Even though Karina was no ordinary royal, being a prominent contender for succession, the nun couldn’t ignore the tension that gripped her. She moved with painstaking caution, fully aware that even the slightest scratch on the exquisite packaging could result in her punishment—or worse, a stint in the confession hall for negligence.

‘If I damage this in any way…’

The thought alone made her shudder. Determined not to make a mistake, she focused all her attention on walking steadily, her steps deliberate as she ascended to the higher floors of the church.

“Are you alright?”

Her slow pace had caught the attention of two paladins assigned to escort—and subtly monitor—her progress.

The nun startled, nearly dropping the package. With a burst of panic-fueled strength, she managed to regain her grip just in time, her heart racing.

“Y-Yes, I’m fine!” she stammered.

“Then please proceed.”

Despite their polite tone, the intent behind their words was clear: Hurry up.

Understanding their message, she quickened her pace, her anxiety growing with every step closer to her destination.

After enduring multiple identity verifications at various checkpoints, she finally reached the Pope’s office. Her relief was palpable, though short-lived, as the paladins by the door instructed her on the next steps.

“Place it on the table over there.”

“Y-Yes, of course!”

Carefully, she set the packages on the designated table, ensuring they remained immaculate. Only after everything was perfectly arranged did she allow herself to exhale in relief.

As the Pope stepped out of his office, his gaze fell upon the packages neatly arranged on the table. His calm yet commanding voice carried an air of undeniable authority.

“And what might these be?”

His refined, dignified tone sent a chill down her spine, as if her blood had turned to ice. Struggling to suppress her nerves, the nun steadied herself and replied cautiously.

“They are… gifts sent by Princess Karina, Your Holiness.”

“From Princess Karina, you say?” The Pope raised an eyebrow, his expression thoughtful. “Ah, intriguing. How very interesting.”

He nodded to himself, as if piecing together a puzzle only he could see. Then, with a small, serene smile, he made an unexpected request.

“However, I have a particular suspicion. Could you open one of these gifts for me, here and now?”

“P-Pardon?”

Of all the tasks she had imagined, opening the Pope’s gifts in his presence was not one of them. Yet, a thought sparked in her mind. Perhaps, if she handled this well, the Pope might take notice of her diligence, maybe even favor her. Casting aside her anxiety, she allowed a glimmer of excitement to surface as she nodded.

“Of course, Your Holiness. I will open it immediately.”

With utmost care, she began unwrapping the package. Drawing on years of experience handling ceremonial materials, she ensured the white wrapping paper was removed without a single tear or blemish.

However, what emerged from beneath the pristine exterior made her blink in confusion.

“A… glass jar with meat…?”

It was utterly baffling. Was gifting meat now a royal trend among the nobility? She had heard of eccentric noble fads, but this seemed excessive. Shrugging off her bewilderment, she placed the jar on the table and tried to rationalize its purpose.

Then, she noticed it—an inexplicable radiance emanating from within the jar.

“Divine power?”

Could meat even hold divine power? Was it perhaps a rare, sacred delicacy prepared with blessings? She decided to offer a compliment, hoping to showcase her attentiveness.

“It must be… a very high-quality cut of meat, Your Holiness.”

Her attempt at flattery hung in the air, met with silence so deafening it made her stomach churn. Regret settled in her chest. Perhaps it would have been better to say nothing at all.

The Pope’s smile remained fixed as he responded, his words cutting like a blade.

“Is that truly how it appears to you?”

“Pardon…?”

She blinked, confused by the question. Something in his tone felt ominous, yet she couldn’t grasp what it was. Her gaze instinctively returned to the jar she had just unwrapped.

And then, she saw it.

Although the contents were distorted and unrecognizable at first glance, she now noticed the unmistakable shape of a human eye, floating amidst the murky liquid.

Her breath hitched, her mind struggling to process the grotesque reality before her. The Pope stepped back slightly, his serene smile never faltering as he spoke.

“Well, now that we’ve seen the first one, kindly proceed to the next package.”

“…Y-Yes, Your Holiness.”

Her trembling hands moved hesitantly toward the next box, dreading what other horrors might be concealed within.

The nun finally realized that something was terribly amiss and considered fleeing the scene. However, her escape plan was immediately thwarted when she noticed the knights around her, hands resting on the hilts of their swords.

She resigned herself to her fate, tears welling up in her eyes. But even crying wouldn’t change the situation, and she knew it. Sniffling, she reached for the next package, her hands trembling as she cautiously began to unwrap it.

“… Ugh—”

The moment the wrapping fell away, the horrifying contents were revealed—a paladin’s corpse. More precisely, it was the dismembered body of a paladin, suspended in a jar filled with crimson liquid.

Her stomach churned violently as the realization struck her. The jars she had seen earlier weren’t simply containers of meat—they were grotesque remnants of human beings. She gagged, barely holding back vomit, when the Pope spoke again, his once-gentle tone now cold and unforgiving.

“That will suffice. Now, open the next package.”

Though she couldn’t see his face, his voice alone conveyed the depth of his fury. She could feel the weight of his wrath, a suffocating presence that made her hands tremble even more. Despite her rising nausea, she didn’t dare to refuse.

As her shaking fingers peeled away the next layer of paper, she was met with an even more grotesque sight.

“…Ah… Ahhh.”

Inside was a pulsating mass of flesh, writhing unnaturally within the glass jar.

At first, it seemed no different from the previous horrors. But then she realized with a sickening jolt—it was alive.

Her mind reeled, piecing together the implications. If the previous “meat” was once human, then this living, squirming mass…

Her legs gave out beneath her, and she crumpled to the floor. The knights quickly surrounded her, blocking any hope of escape. Her body trembled violently, her vision blurring as shock overtook her.

The Pope, meanwhile, regarded the jars with a cold, detached gaze. His fingers tightened around the rosary in his hand, gripping it so hard that blood began to seep from his palm.

“This is the first time I’ve received such… a gift,” he muttered, his voice laced with restrained fury.

After a moment of grim contemplation, he turned to the knights and issued a curt command.

“Ensure that this incident does not leave this room. Handle it immediately.”

For a brief moment, the nun thought he might have been referring to the jars. But the tightening circle of knights around her made it clear—he meant her.

Panic surged within her, and she frantically cried out.

“I-I won’t tell anyone! Please, spare me!”

Her desperate pleas were met with silence. The Pope didn’t even look back as he turned and walked away, leaving her to her fate.

‘Why…?’

As the gravity of her situation set in, memories of her grueling journey to becoming a senior nun flashed through her mind.

She had endured so much, taken on every unpleasant task, all to reach this position.

‘What was the point of it all?’

If she had known it would end like this, she would have chosen an easier, more carefree life. Her chest filled with overwhelming bitterness and regret.

But just as despair threatened to consume her, a deafening explosion rocked the room.

BOOOOM!

The air was suddenly saturated with divine power, a radiant force that swept through the chamber. The explosion’s origin—one of the jars—released an immense surge of divine power that engulfed the knights and the Pope himself.

She stared in awe, her heart pounding in her chest. It was then she understood.

The jars weren’t mere gifts—they were divine punishment.

Tears streamed down her face, not from fear but from gratitude. She clasped her hands together, silently thanking the goddess for her intervention.