Chapter 1419: Meeting the Pope
Ning and his two companions were allowed to stay at Level 1, in Galamor’s home where they would remain until they met with the Pope in a few days.
It was unsure when exactly they would get to meet the pope, but Cardinal Farsas had promised him that it wouldn’t be longer than just a few days.
In the time they remained there, Ning spent his time with the training paladins to help them learn more about fighting and learn more about them as well.
After spending enough time with them, he had come to learn that these people came from all around the world. Some had even crossed the Great Reef to come here.
A few of these were orphans who had been brainwashed from a young age to believe in Zurinus and had thus intended to come here from the start.
Galamor had his job to do going around the city. As the serial killer was dead now, and Ning was there, the city needed to be checked one last time before it was time for the Pope to make the decision to go on a parade.
Ning did see the pope the next day, a thin man standing high on his balcony as he waved down below. But he was so far away that Ning could get nothing on him. And he didn’t want to just jump right up to him and grab him.
There was no point in doing that.
Instead, he waited. Not like he had much to do.
Jasmine was similar to Ning in that she didn’t have anything to do either. Worse, she couldn’t even spend her time doing anything at all like Ning had with the trainees.
So, she spent her days walking around the Level 1 area, visiting different places in the area that she could only do while she was up there.
Tim, on the other hand, felt as though he had struck gold. In the Cardinal Farsas’s library, there were tomes and books from long ago, information that Tim so very wanted.
He spent his days in the library, reading and learning more and more. There was information here that even the University of Tremala would be hard-pressed to come across. They had a good library for sure, but it was not so well curated as the Cardinal’s library which had not only the best of books, but also the best books from all around the world.
The first thing Tim read about was the maps of the world. The maps he saw back in the university were nothing compared to what he got to see here.
Names from places all over the world filled him, especially the ones beyond the Great Reef. The Morgian Empire was great and all, but there were many significant names in the northern hemisphere as well.
The country of Evenine, the Kingdom of Veridia, the Kingdom of Hasajar, the Republic of Laayn, and so many other names quickly filled Tim’s mind.
Beyond that, he also learned a lot about the history of the world as well as the church, and more.
All in all, he had the best time of his life in the few days he got to stay there.
On the 4th day of staying there, Ning and the rest were finally told that the Pope would see them that day.
Ning and the rest left with the Cardinal and made their way to the building where the pope resided.
The Zurin Palace was a 4 storied building with many windows of repeating design that was tall and wide. It was a massive palace where everyone from the church spent their time.
It was practically the palace of the royalties of the country, so it was understandable why the place was so extravagant.
Ning and the other two were taken into the building, and they quickly started showing signs of awe at the interior. Beautiful paintings hung on the inside wall, with intricate patterns both carved and painted into the walls.
Tapestries hung from the side, perfectly reflected in the plain and polished white marble that covered the floor of the inside of the palace. The long hallway stretched for a while before they came across any sort of room or stairs.
They arrived at a Hall with many people in white sitting around, chatting, and that place made the hallway look as though they had barely tried.
A massive, beautiful chandelier hung from the ceiling, surrounded by smaller but equally impressive chandeliers. The room was brightened by the stained windows that seemed to be pouring light into the room.
Ning and the rest were given a few seconds to take in the scenery of the hall before being taken away to where the Pope would be.
They walked up the staircase with golden railings and arrived outside a room with a small seating area created for people like Ning and the others who came to meet the Pope.
“Sit here for a few minutes. I’ll come get you once I’m certain His Holiness is ready to see you,” the Cardinal said and walked into the room.
Ning and the rest stayed outside, and both Jasmine and Tim started exclaiming just how incredible the place was.
Ning nodded. This place was indeed incredible. It wasn’t as good looking at the palace he had spent a month ago in Candor, but this was still very impressive.
Ning joined in their excitement for a few minutes before the door opened and a young man with a thin smile on his face walked out.
“Sir Ning, Sir Tim, and Miss Jasmine?” the young man asked.
“Yes,” Ning answered.
“His Holiness will see you now,” the young man said. “Please follow me.”
Ning stood up and followed the young man with the other 2 following behind him. They walked into the room and found out that they still had to walk through a hallway to get to where they had to.
Ning looked at the young man before him and wondered what age the young man was. He looked older than Tim, but somehow still so very young. He couldn’t help but wonder just how it was that was possible.
They passed the hallway into a giant hall with many seats around the room, scattered in a symmetrical order.
Cardinal Farsas, Cardinal Elias, and Cardinal Marcus waited for them in the room, alongside the thin man who Ning had seen on the balcony a few times now.
Lucius Garnerwalt stood up from his seat and placed his hands in front of his chest to give a warm welcome to all 3 of them.
Tim and Jasmine immediately got on one of their knees and gave the best bow they could. Ning, meanwhile, simply gave a small bow of respect and no more.
Cardinal Marcus grimaced at the sight but said nothing. He looked toward the other two, of which Cardinal Farsas shook his head and Cardinal Elias showed no reaction.
“You stand before His Holiness, Pope of the faith of Zurnius, leader of the free people,” Cardinal Farsas said. “Introduce yourselves and your purpose in coming here today.”
“I am Timothy, Your Holiness. I came here today to have a chance to see you,” Tim said. There wasn’t anything that he wanted that he could get from this situation. Truth was, he didn’t want anything at all.
“I am called Jasmine. I am honored to see you so close, your Holiness,” Jasmine said.
Then it was Ning’s turn to speak. “I am Ning Ruogong, and I am here to shake your hands,” he said.
The Cardinals showed varying reactions from disappointment to anger to helplessness.
“You have come to touch me and tell me something about myself that I don’t completely understand,” the Pope said. “Do I have that right?”
“Pretty much,” Ning said. “Do you agree to this handshake?”
The Pope did not reply, but instead asked another question. “I am told that you have a power that you were born with. Is that true?” he asked.
“Uh… I don’t know,” Ning said. “I’ve had it for a long time, but I don’t remember where it started. I was either born with it, or I gained it sometime between when I was born and when I was 8.”
“And you can do something to people that you touch. Do you know what you can do?” the pope asked.
“It doesn’t work at all on regular people, but when someone comes along that isn’t a person, it does kill the person I’m targeting,” he said.
“And you’re certain this is a power? And not something that you could have gotten from a divine treasure that you don’t know about?” the Pope asked.
“No, I’m certain about that. My powers do not come from any sort of treasure of this world,” Ning said.
“I see. Then you may approach me,” the pope said.
The Cardinals looked toward the side for a second, wanting to tell the pope something, but decided not to.
Ning slowly walked forward and saw an intense look on him from all four, as though they were trying to see what he would do to fault him on a single mistake.
He wasn’t sure what they were looking for, but certainly they wouldn’t find it.
He walked straight to them and stopped right in front of the pope’s arm’s reach away.
The 3 cardinals looked toward the pope and waited for confirmation. The pope shook his head.
“It seems you truly do not own any treasures at all,” he said. “Now, let us check about the powers you have gained as well.”
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