Chapter 99: The Corruption of the Shepherd Part 2

“Amon!”

As the priest called Amon’s name, Amon appeared from the corner, his eyes wild.

He was dragging two unconscious paladins behind him.

The priest was bewildered.

Why? How?

It wasn’t difficult to guess that those paladins had likely engaged in heretical actions.

In fact, they had called Sonia a demon and subsequently had their necks snapped by Amon.

However, to the cardinal, who was seeing Amon for the first time, he was nothing more than a madman.

And not just any madman—he wasn’t even the kind that could be called mildly insane.

***

“Child of man, speak to the shepherds. Thus says the Holy Mother: The shepherds who only feed themselves shall face ruin…”

To rise to the rank of cardinal, one had to know the scriptures so well that they could recite them even in their sleep.

Thus, the cardinal immediately recognized the passage Amon was muttering.

To summarize: Priests must be more exemplary than ordinary people, and thus, they bear greater responsibility for their sins.

To put it even more simply: It was a death sentence.

The cardinal’s face turned pale.

Even at a glance, it was clear that Amon was not in his right mind.

“Shepherds, hear the words of the Holy Mother. She declares: I swear upon my own life, my sheep have become plunder and prey for wild beasts because there are no true shepherds…”

“W-wait, Amon! Hold on!”

“Thus, she shall save her flock…”

“The negligent shepherds shall be cast out from the pasture…!”

The priest stepped between Amon and the cardinal, trying to stop him.

But Amon simply brushed past the priest and continued toward the cardinal.

Despite his panic, the cardinal managed to compose himself just enough to salvage his dignity.

“Amon, your actions could be seen as hostility against the Vatican—”

But logic only works on rational people.

“Thus speaks the Lord: Wait until the day of her reckoning. The whole land shall be consumed by the fire of her jealousy…!”

The cardinal had attempted to threaten Amon with war.

Instead, Amon welcomed it.

‘Dammit!’

The cardinal panicked.

‘I heard reports that he was insane…

But I didn’t expect it to be this bad.

I thought it was just a strategy—pretending to be mad to intimidate others.

So, I responded with the same strategy, acting just as mad in return.

But Amon isn’t pretending.

He’s just genuinely insane.’

There were some people in this world who appeared once in a while.

They were madmen, but unfortunately, they possessed the power to enforce their madness.

The best way to deal with such people was to avoid them entirely.

The cardinal regretted everything.

But it was too late.

By the time he realized his mistake, Amon had already reached him.

***

“A shepherd’s corruption is the greatest insult to their master…”

“Amon, please, calm—”

“I shall restore justice to this land.”

With that declaration, Amon hurled the two paladins at the cardinal.

As he watched the two unconscious men fly toward him like discarded laundry, the cardinal felt a deep sense of regret.

‘Damn it.’

He should have done more thorough research.

Amon knocked the cardinal unconscious without hesitation.

The priest sighed, rubbing the back of his neck.

But Amon remained unbothered.

“It doesn’t interfere with the plan anyway.”

“Oh, for heaven’s sake…”

He was right.

The incident didn’t cause any significant disruptions.

The original plan was simple:

First, they would meet with the Pope in the Holy City and discuss a few matters.

Then, once Sonia was canonized as a saint, they would use her newfound authority to hold an inquisition.

Finally, they would purge everyone involved in the past incident, including this cardinal.

The finer details were more complex, but that was the general outline.

And the cardinal being unconscious wouldn’t change much.

“It just adds a bit of controversy, that’s all.”

He had used violence against a cardinal and two paladins.

That was the extent of the problem.

Moreover, it wasn’t Sonia who had done it—it was Amon.

So, it wouldn’t affect the canonization ceremony.

That was why Amon hadn’t drawn his sword.

He might have lost his temper for a moment, but he still had a shred of reason left.

“Let’s go meet the Pope. We’ll take these three as gifts.”

The priest ran a hand down his face, sighing.

“You could’ve handled this more quietly.”

“And yet, you seem quite pleased, Father.”

“Move your hand away from your mouth.”

At last, Amon and his party made their way to the Vatican.

In the back of their carriage, they had tossed in the unconscious paladin commander, his deputy, and the cardinal.

There were some minor complications along the way.

A few priests had somehow caught wind of the incident and condemned them.

Some paladins showed resistance as well.

But in the end, the power of Amon and Sonia—combined with Cassie’s authority—easily resolved the matter.

And soon, they arrived at the Pope’s private study.

***

The audience request was quickly granted.

“Welcome, everyone.”

Amon—the unofficial paladin known only to the Pope and the cardinals.

Sonia—the semi-official saint.

Since the request came from these two, there was no waiting time.

The group first discussed Sonia’s canonization ceremony, adjusting the schedule and going over a few necessary preparations.

“You will be treated with the utmost hospitality until the ceremony.”

Next, they discussed Amon’s request.

“There are procedures required for entering the mausoleum. Would it be possible to wait until after the canonization ceremony?”

Amon nodded.

The procedures were a hassle, but it was better than causing unnecessary complications by skipping them.

Once these “surface-level” discussions were concluded, Amon brought up another matter.

“Your Holiness, there is something I wish to discuss.”

“Is this a matter that should not be overheard by others?”

Amon silently nodded.

The Pope signaled to his chamberlain, who also served as his secretary.

The chamberlain exited the study and locked the door behind him.

Recalling what the priest had told him about the Pope, Amon began speaking.

“Your Holiness, there is too much darkness in the Vatican.”

According to the priest, the current Pope was at least a somewhat trustworthy figure.

He wasn’t entirely pure and incorruptible, but he also didn’t actively engage in corruption.

He merely turned a blind eye to the sins the Vatican had committed from the past to the present.

“I wish to unearth some of that old darkness. The darkness left behind by the previous Pope.”

The Pope glanced at Sonia and pressed his lips together tightly.

A crease formed on his lower jaw as he sank into deep thought.

The current Pope had no involvement in Sonia’s tragedy—that was the sin of the previous Pope.

Yet, the Pope seemed to feel some sense of responsibility, choosing to remain silent.

Amon took this as a positive sign.

At the very least, it meant there was a chance of cooperation.

Finally, the Pope spoke.

“As a shepherd, I must take responsibility for the shameful past.”

He extended his hand.

Following the formalities they had learned in advance, Amon and Sonia kissed the Pope’s ring.

The contract was sealed.

***

A few minutes later, Amon’s group stepped out of the study.

Only after they had distanced themselves from it did Cassie finally speak.

“That went more smoothly than I expected. Must be because the Pope is a moderate.”

Amon recalled something the priest had once told him.

“The Holy City is divided into three major factions.”

One was the Moderates.

One was the Hardliners.

And the last was the Secularists.

Historically, the Secularists were the largest faction, and they were also the ones Amon’s group was currently opposing.

As their name implied, the Secularists advocated for a loose interpretation of doctrine, encouraging active engagement with worldly affairs.

Their justification was that it would make the Church more approachable to the people.

Naturally, the priest had scoffed at this idea.

“They just want to make more money and throw their weight around.”

For that reason, the priest never called them the Secularists—he called them the Corrupt Faction.

Recalling this, Amon responded to Cassie.

“That’s part of it, but the Pope also seems like a genuinely good person.”

The Pope was the first moderate to be elected in decades.

While most of the high-ranking clergy—cardinals, archbishops, and the like—belonged to the Corrupt Faction, not all of them did.

The Moderates, the second-largest faction, believed in strictly upholding doctrine while spreading it in a more measured and reasonable manner.

This was why Amon’s group had sought the Pope’s cooperation.

They had expected a Moderate to accept their proposal.

But from Amon’s perspective, it wasn’t just a political calculation—the Pope himself seemed to be a good person.

He couldn’t explain it clearly, but it was a gut feeling.

Cassie seemed to share the sentiment, nodding.

“I can’t see the future, but… I think we can trust him. At least for this.”

As they discussed their impressions of the Pope, they made their way out of the palace.

***

Just before they reached the exit, a priest called out to them.

He was a handsome young man with a sharp nose.

But more importantly, he was a face they recognized well.

“Cardinal?”

Amon’s guard instantly went up.

The priest beside him desperately grabbed Amon’s shoulder.

“He’s someone else. Calm down…!”

“What?”

“He’s the cardinal’s nephew.”

“Then I should be even more cautious—”

“You don’t need to be. He’s from the Hardliner faction.”

The moment Amon heard that, the tension left his body.

The Hardliners were the third and final faction.

Like the Moderates, they adhered strictly to doctrine, but they believed in spreading it through forceful means when necessary.

If needed, they were willing to use the old ways—meaning a bit of violence and authority.

As such, the Hardliner faction was largely composed of passionate young men and confident paladins.

Recalling this, Amon waited as the young man approached.

The young priest immediately recognized him.

“Greetings, Sir Amon.”

“Have we met before? My apologies, but…”

“Ah, I neglected to introduce myself. I am Heinrich Laplace, the nephew of Cardinal Trimonde.”

Despite his introduction, Heinrich didn’t mention his rank, as if it were unimportant.

‘A humble attitude for an archbishop.’

Having received a prior briefing from the priest, Amon added a few positive points to his impression of Heinrich.

But despite that, it still bothered him that the man knew him by face.

Unlike Sonia, Amon was only famous in the underworld, and even then, not many knew his face.

Maintaining a level of caution, he asked a probing question.

“Pleased to meet you. I am Amon Perfume Rose. But how do you know about me?”

“Ah, that? How could I not know? You punished Cardinal Trimonde, did you not? And besides…”

Heinrich then proceeded to list all of Amon’s actions from the past day.

How priests had condemned Amon for attacking a cardinal, only to lose debates against him.

How paladins had picked fights with him, only to end up with more bones than they started with.

And, most dramatically, how Amon had nearly foamed at the mouth and raised his warhammer when he discovered a holy relic being auctioned in an underground market.

“A holy war…! This is a holy war…!!”

Amazingly, all of these incidents had taken place within just 24 hours.

Looking at Amon with genuine admiration, Heinrich offered sincere praise.

“You are an inspiration to the Hardliner faction. I wanted to meet you in person.”

Faced with such earnest admiration, Amon awkwardly scratched his cheek.

“Thank you for your kind words. But I actually lean more toward the Moderates…”

Behind him, the priest’s lips twitched.

• Do you even have a conscience?

Sonia, reading the unspoken words on the priest’s lips, pinched his side.

Cassie, watching all of this unfold, sighed.