My Past Life is Riddled With Many Sins - Chapter 131
Perhaps the intruder had threatened the Pope, instructing him to act as if everything were fine so that no one outside would notice. It was hard to believe that such a slip-up could happen, especially given that the safety of the Pope was at stake.
As she pondered this, the knight on the other side of the door stood up and left. She exhaled in relief, only to be quickly overcome by another kind of anxiety. She was now left alone in this sealed, unfamiliar space with only one other person.
Moreover, the person holding her was…
“How about we change positions, Senior Valen?”
“You don’t look all that surprised.”
He muttered with a hint of amusement, then released the arm that had been holding her waist. As she was freed from his grasp, she awkwardly responded.
“It didn’t seem like you were trying to hide your name.”
Pope Valenti. Valen, a student at the academy. Their names were similar, and they both belonged to the church, with dark hair to boot. Additionally, his past life, Friedrich, had been considered a potential future Pope. If she hadn’t recognized him, she would have been a fool.
“I thought if I showed up with my past life’s name, my current name, and a completely different alias, it would be too tiring for someone who dislikes attention.”
He lit a candle with a silver candlestick, responding smoothly. Regina couldn’t argue with that. It was the kind of insight one would expect from someone who had been her partner for so long.
As the candle’s flame flickered, the dim room brightened slightly. As the knight had said earlier, it seemed that Pope Valenti had been sleeping, as he was dressed in nightwear. The fabric was so thin that the contours of his body were visible, and Regina found herself at a loss for where to look.
What kind of Pope wears such nightwear while sleeping in the church…?
To break the awkward atmosphere, she hurriedly asked.
“I definitely went out of the church, but when I came to, I found myself back inside. It felt like my sense of direction was completely messed up, and I kept moving in the opposite direction of what I intended. Do you know anything about this phenomenon?”
“Do you know why no Pope has ever been assassinated in the Sanctuary?”
At his question, Regina suddenly realized. She hadn’t consciously thought about it before, but as she reflected, she realized that no Pope had ever been killed inside the Sanctuary. While some had died of natural causes, none had been assassinated.
Perhaps he hadn’t expected her to figure it out, as he answered his own question in a soft tone.
“Anyone who steps into the Sanctuary without permission cannot leave. Whether they’re an assassin or a spy, if they haven’t received prior authorization, they cannot leave until they’ve been granted ‘pardon’ by the Pope.”
Regina’s eyes widened at this new information.
She knew that the Imperial family had sent assassins and spies into the Sanctuary countless times, but none had ever succeeded. Even the underworld’s information guild had failed in their attempts.
While they knew everything about the happenings within the Empire, the affairs of the Sanctuary had always been shrouded in secrecy. After hearing this, it made sense. Anything uncovered there could never be shared with the outside world—making it essentially useless.
‘Those devious church bastards!’
She had always been puzzled as to why assassins and spies sent to the church never returned. To think they had been hiding such a secret all along.
Her hatred for the church flared up once again, and she frowned slightly. At that moment, Valenti approached with the silver candlestick. Instinctively, she tensed.
The soft rustling sound of his thin nightwear made her acutely aware of his skin brushing against the fabric with every movement. She tried not to focus on it, attempting to ignore the fact that it was his body making the sound.
He reached her, and with a gentle touch, he brushed his fingers against her forehead. Startled by his soft caress, she quickly relaxed her face. He seemed to have no hesitation, pulling his hand away and speaking again.
“There are two choices for an uninvited guest. You can be caught, pay the appropriate price, and receive the Pope’s ‘pardon,’ or you can wander the Sanctuary until you lose your mind and die.”
Regina swallowed nervously without realizing it. He had a way of making even the most terrifying words sound calm.
Had she not experienced it herself, she might have found it hard to understand. The sensation of being guided in the wrong direction, as if she was being led by an unseen force.
She had clearly left the church, but when she regained her senses, she found herself heading back inside. If this strange phenomenon repeated itself, it would have been impossible to endure without losing one’s sanity.
‘So, I need his pardon to leave here?’
If he refused to pardon her, would she be doomed to wander in this directionless state indefinitely?
Realizing she needed his help to return to the academy, she hesitated, glancing at him nervously.
“And within the Sanctuary, the most blessed place by the gods is called the ‘Holy Ground.’ No one may enter or leave without the Pope’s permission.”
As he spoke, the flame of the silver candlestick flickered unnaturally, and his silver eyes gleamed with an ominous intensity, unlike his calm tone.
A sudden sense of foreboding gripped Regina.
The church knight who hadn’t seemed concerned at all about the intruder entering the church… Could it be that this place is…?
She hurried to try opening the door she had entered through, but the seemingly normal door didn’t budge.
With her mana at a manageable level, she knew she would be able to force it open. Determined, she transformed her bracelet into a sword and encased it in a blade of mana. With all her strength, she swung the sword at the tightly sealed door.
The mana blade shattered the demon stone into pieces, and she felt the power of a blow that could slice through massive boulders. Yet, the door remained completely untouched.
Regina stared, wide-eyed, at the impossible result. There was no explanation other than God’s protection. Human strength was simply powerless here.
Though her mind recognized this, she stubbornly struck the door several more times with her mana blade. Despite her utmost efforts, not even a scratch appeared.
It felt like a matter of pride now—if the door refused to give, she would break it. Her face twisted in a mixture of stubborn fury and the humiliation of defeat as she ground her teeth and continued to strike the door.
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