Chapter 143: Great Sage
In the reception room of a lavish mansion. Before me sat a middle-aged man, sunk deep into a sofa. He was the head of the count’s family, the master of this mansion.
“Forgive my appearance, Count Baumgarten. I’ve said this before, but well, it’s as you see.”
“Please don’t concern yourself with it. I’ve come to heal that.”
The man’s left leg was missing from the knee down. From what I’d heard, it was apparently torn off by a monster long ago. They said it happened twenty years ago.
Actually, this was my second time visiting this man. The first time, I had also attempted to regenerate his left leg, but I had failed. I hadn’t been able to heal a missing limb after so much time had passed.
Even when my Gift was Sage, I could regenerate missing body parts. However, the limit was from immediately after the injury up to about a year at most. If more time than that passed, I would become unable to heal missing body parts.
However, my Healing Gift has evolved from Sage to Great Sage. I was confident that I could heal it now.
“Excuse me.”
I placed my hand on the man’s left knee and chanted.
“Heal.”
In that instant, a miracle occurred.
A pale green light gathered below the man’s left knee, then flashed brilliantly for a moment. And after the light cleared, the man’s left leg was there.
“What?! My leg?! My leg is here?!”
“Can you move it?”
“Yes! My knee, my ankle, even my toes move freely! Is this what it felt like to have a leg?! Haha! It moves! It moves!”
The man repeatedly stretched his left leg, his eyes sparkling like a child’s as he reveled in it.
Still, to be able to move a lost leg so freely without any rehabilitation. Magic is incredible.
“Thank you, thank you, Count Baumgarten! I can’t believe my leg is truly healed! Look! I can stand! I can walk! Haha! Wonderful! I have a leg!”
He must have been incredibly happy. The man walked, ran, and jumped around the spacious reception room, truly overjoyed.
When someone rejoices this openly, it makes me happy too.
“Thank you, Count Baumgarten! Truly! Ah, forgive me. I am truly grateful. But I can’t find the right words!”
“I’m glad you’re pleased.”
“I don’t even know how I can possibly repay you. If it weren’t for that damned, useless Church, I could properly show my gratitude, but it pains me that I can’t.”
“Your sentiment is more than enough. Not being able to heal you before was a regret of mine.”
“I’m truly grateful. By the way, regarding the Church, do you know that the Pope has changed?”
“The Pope?”
Is that so? I’d think such big news would surely be a rumor by now…
“I have many acquaintances in the Church, you see. They whispered it to me. It seems it will be announced soon, but the Pope is changing. The new Pope is Johannes, a proponent of Conciliatory Adaptationism. The previous Pope was a radical fundamentalist and thus hard-headed, but everyone expects Johannes will make decisions based on reality.”
“I see…”
It seems the Pope changing is indeed true. I don’t know what this fundamentalism or Conciliatory Adaptationism is all about, but the Church’s system might change too. If possible, I’d like them to train even a little before the war with the Evil God.
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Well, it probably has nothing to do with me. That’s what I thought about the change of Pope, but the new Pope seems serious about winning me over.
“Congratulations on your papal inauguration. I’m surprised that Your Holiness Pope Johannes would come in person…”
“Forgive my sudden visit. However, I very much wanted to meet with Lord Baumgarten.”
The Baumgarten Residence in the Royal Capital. In its reception room was Pope Johannes, a middle-aged man dressed in magnificent white robes.
He was a man with a gentle, likable smile.
Looking closely, he was the man who had officiated mine and Claudia’s engagement ceremony as the then-Pope’s representative. It seemed he had been in a position to assist the Pope, so his rank within the Church was apparently high from the start.
“You were a great help at my engagement ceremony with Claudia.”
“Not at all, by no means. On the contrary, I feel apologetic for the rude attitude the previous Pope displayed at that time.”
“So, what is your business today? I’m ashamed to say I haven’t been particularly devout since childhood, and I don’t understand why I would be granted the honor of a direct visit from Your Holiness.”
“There’s no need to be so guarded. I simply came to talk today.”
“To talk, you say?”
“Yes.”
Johannes showed that gentle smile again.
What on earth is his objective?
For me to join the Church? Or how to strengthen my Gift? Well, it’s probably something like that.
But after that, Johannes-sama stuck to small talk. And things like my upbringing.
Truly trivial conversation.
“Thank you for your time today. I shall take my leave around now.”
In the end, it all concluded with insignificant talk.
However, I somehow realized Johannes-sama’s aim. Johannes-sama had seen through my ill feelings towards the Church and had come first to win my trust.
Moreover, if Johannes-sama were to continue visiting the residence, what would those around us think? They would surely misunderstand and assume that I and the Church have a close relationship.
First, he’s establishing a fait accompli to secure the outer defenses, and then he’s aiming for the main keep—my heart. An extremely shrewd move.
I have to do something about this…