Episode 8. When Bitter Ends, Sweet Comes (4)
'Right. Becoming friends with the imperial family can't be bad.'
In truth, the Skeleton King's eyes were laughing 'huhuhu' after meeting the Emperor.
He couldn't help it.
This body's family, House Eshua, appears to be a wealthy ducal house - so what?
That's the family's money, not mine.
As foxes dig nine holes for safety, so did the Skeleton King. He'd always been the type to prepare multiple escape routes.
And this family had problems from the start.
'Does it make sense for a ducal heir to have a fake wet nurse?'
They still haven't come looking for their child? Perhaps there's some flaw in this body. Like being a discarded child who can't expect a single penny of inheritance.
That would be troublesome.
Since the gods forcibly changed his status anyway, the Skeleton King planned to naturalize in the Holy Empire.
From now on, he'd live as 'Isaac Eshua'.
Demon subordinates? They'd worked their bony asses off for centuries building infrastructure.
They'd be fine without him now. He'd already delegated everything to his direct subordinates before ascending to the divine realm.
Such was the situation.
Now penniless, the Emperor - leader of his new nation - would become his golden goose.
No wonder they called it an Empire.
In that sense, he'd been considering seducing- no, befriending the Emperor by pretending to be an innocent Saint when-
"Your Majesty shouldn't be deceived by some demon spawn! How could a magic-user be the Saint?"
That bastard dares block my plans?
As predicted, the temple erupted at the Bishop's words:
"Young Lord uses magic...?!"
They were even considering execution!
Of course - every priest here knew magic's meaning in the Holy Empire:
'Magic is demonic power!'
For clergy who associated magic first with demons, panic was inevitable.
Yet the Emperor laughed casually. No - he glared at the Bishop with displeasure:
"You know better than most that magic isn't exclusive to demons."
The Bishop bowed respectfully while side-eyeing the Skeleton King:
"All the more reason to verify. Magic and holy magic are natural enemies. With an officially confirmed Saint candidate present, this could be an assassin sent to eliminate the true Saint."
The Emperor emitted a hollow chuckle:
"An officially confirmed candidate?"
"Yes, Your Majesty. Though still classified, His Holiness has designated a child from House Verit as Saint. This twenty-fifth candidate wasn't even mentioned in any revelation."
The Bishop glared pointedly at the 'twenty-fifth' ranked Skeleton King,
whose eyebrows shot upward:
A Saint was already chosen?
'Damn, this complicates everything.'
The holy knights had explained during their recruitment:
What happens to other candidates when the Saint is revealed?
They might grow resentful. Sent to the countryside to never see daylight again. Most likely die during relocation.
At this rate, forget revenge - he might vanish without a trace!
Of course he was the real Saint!
'What else could this monstrous body be if not the Saint?'
He'd bet every hair on his current head!
The fakes were clearly those being pushed by the establishment!
'Not that they'd ever consider me a candidate.'
True to form, the Bishop stared at him like vermin:
"This impostor belongs with the Inquisitors!"
The Skeleton King laughed mockingly:
"Ohoho... So the white-haired youngster wants Inquisitors? Dragging entire families into it? Planning a special express delivery to the pyre using political clout?"
Even priests who favored him couldn't intervene - everyone knew involvement with inquisition meant extermination up to eighth cousins in human territories!
The situation worsened when the Bishop declared:
"Summon the Inquisitors immediately!"
The imperial knights who'd brought him here quickly shielded him:
"Calling Inquisitors on an infant?! Are you trying to kill him?"
"The Young Lord couldn't be an assassin!"
"We sensed divine energy from him!"
"He's heaven-sent to eradicate remnants of that abominable skeleton!"
"The executioner of that wretched Skeleton King!"
That 'wretched' thing you're currently hugging, you mean?
'Not bad for holy knights.'
Keep protecting me! Keep declaring me Saint!
I finally obtained this precious non-skeletal body - you think I'll die here?
The Bishop narrowed his eyes arrogantly:
"I hesitated to mention this earlier... but there are testimonies about this child emitting demonic energy."
"......!"
The priests who favored him wavered:
"Demonic energy...?"
"Wait... could it be...?"
"Is that why House Eshua abandoned him?"
The atmosphere turned dangerous instantly.
Even the Skeleton King's eyebrows - usually only interested in extorting high priests - twitched violently.
Ah, this bastard's spouting personal information to get me killed!
Can't you see the golden goose before you? Just because this infant body drinks soy milk quietly?
His decade of corporate patience had been trashed after one year as a skeleton.
Surface thoughts: 'Stay calm... innocent Saint... angelic forgiving Saint...'
Then it struck him.
'Verit?'
Why does that name sound familiar?
The Emperor laughed derisively:
"The Pope choosing his own house's child as Saint? How transparently nepotistic."
The Skeleton King's face twisted.
Of course! All previous Popes came from House Verit!
Meaning...
'The Saint candidate is the Pope's brat?!'
Those greedy bastards! Making me starve on soy milk right after immigrating!
The Bishop continued lying brazenly:
"Recent demon interrogations revealed the captured Skeleton King ordered all demons to kill the Saint."
You never gave that order!
Besides, the Skeleton King's right here!
"And this lowly creature who surrendered to a single divine finger-"
Which gods hid behind barriers during our fight!
"-must be desperate to eliminate God's true Saint."
The Skeleton King's temple throbbed.
Can't you see this holy hair color? Rarest in the Empire!
"Precisely because it's impossibly rare," the Bishop sneered, "we suspect magic fabrication. A honey trap placed beside the true Saint."
Bullshit! I couldn't make this color if I tried!
"As Bishop, I confirm sensing demonic energy from him."
Demonic energy my ass!
I concealed my magic core first thing!
Liar! You never even checked!
The Bishop snatched him from the knights, hands gripping his buttocks.
"Let go! Stop groping my ass, you bastard!"
CRACK!
The rattle struck the Bishop's face.
THUD!
A holy light flashed as baby teeth shattered.
