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Chapter 282

Yu-Hyun felt a slight disdain when saw those who shamelessly tried to get close to him even at a ceremony for mourning the deaths of clergymen.

Nevertheless, Yu-Hyun accepted all their greetings without showing any disdain. He also tried to build some rapport by engaging in conversations.

It was important to win the favor of many clergymen in order to succeed in the upcoming papal conclave.

Right after attending the memorial service, he went to meet another Pope candidate, Yeon. Yeon was playing with elderly people in the park as usual.

The sight of him playing chess with his left hand and playing go with his right hand simultaneously against two opponents was truly impressive.

Yu-Hyun quietly watched as Yeon played both chess and go at the same time. When the game was almost over and the elderly players declared their surrender, he said, "Yeon, I\'m here."

"Ah, Yu-Hyun."

Yeon cleared the chess pieces and go stones that were cluttering the boards. As the boards were cleared, the elderly players and the spectators watching Yeon\'s game all dispersed and disappeared.

Yu-Hyun sat across from Yeon. Yeon, who had been lost in thought while staring blankly into space, grinned and looked at Yu-Hyun.

"Did you attend the memorial service?"

"Yes. Aren\'t you going, Yeon? It could be politically beneficial for you to attend. Many high-ranking officials were present at this memorial service because it was an incident where a Satanist Executive appeared."

"I’m good. It\'s exhausting to be involved in political matters."

Yu-Hyun looked at Yeon with narrowed eyes and said, "Involvement in politics is essential to become the Pope. I think it wouldn\'t hurt to gradually get used to it during this opportunity."

The intentions within his gaze were clear. Yu-Hyun discreetly glanced at Yeon\'s eyes, then chuckled and shook his head.

"I’m not interested in becoming the Pope. Just living like this, playing chess or go with the elders, is the life for me," Yeon said.

Yu-Hyun didn’t hide his smile. He nodded and said, "Oh, really?"

Yeon looked at Yu-Hyun with a stiff expression.

"...Seeing you say that, it seems like His Holiness is not in good health."

Yu-Hyun silently nodded in response to Yeon’s words. The fact that the current Pope\'s health was not good was widely known through various rumors.

While the Holy See hurriedly dismissed it as baseless rumors, Yu-Hyun knew the truth.

He knew that the Pope\'s days were numbered. And he knew that the papal conclave was soon to take place. He had come to visit Yeon, who was both an ally and a competitor, to ask for his opinion on whether he was running for the papal conclave.

Yeon nodded with a bitter smile and said, "Well, then... Alright, how about playing a game of shogi while we talk? Or should we play a game of chess?"

"No, forget it," Yu-Hyun interjected, stopping Yeon\'s attempt to take out the chessboard.

Yu-Hyun continued, "Let\'s get to the point and I\'ll be on my way soon. I\'m short on time."

"The point?"

"Yes. Yeon, how about resigning from the Pope candidacy?" Yu-Hyun said bluntly.

Despite the sudden proposal, Yeon did not show any signs of surprise and slowly nodded.

Yeon brushed back his long hair and tied it tightly with the string he had around his wrist. Then, with a somewhat different demeanor than usual, he glared at Yu-Hyun with a fierce look in his eyes.

"What benefits do I gain from doing that?"

"If I become the Pope, I\'ll give you a position as a minister and ensure your safety," Yu-Hyun replied.

"Then, in addition to resigning from the Pope candidacy, you should also propose that I wholeheartedly support you in becoming the next Pope. If you don\'t become the Pope, there will be little benefit for me in return," Yeon said.

"You don\'t need to worry about that part. I am convinced that I will become the next Pope."

"What is the basis of your conviction?"

"I can\'t tell you yet. But if I were to give you a hint..."

Yu-Hyun paused for a moment. He was contemplating the best way to express himself.

"I know the true identity of a figure that many people fear. I will use this information to win the election."

"Are you talking about the leader of the Voodoo Cult?" Yeon whispered.

Yu-Hyun nodded.

He knew that the leader of the Voodoo Cult was Sun-Woo. And he knew that for some reason, it seemed like Sun-Woo\'s purpose in joining Florence Academy was to gain access to the underground prison.

If Yu-Hyun\'s prediction was correct, this information could be utilized. Predicting the future actions of Sun-Woo, who was the leader of the Voodoo Cult, and even influencing his actions according to Yu-Hyun\'s intentions was possible.

If he properly utilized this information, not only would he be able to win the papal conclave but solidifying his position as the Pope afterwards seemed achievable.

"How do you plan to utilize that information?" Yeon asked.

Yu-Hyun smirked and said, "I can\'t reveal that just yet, not until you are completely on my side."

"Hmm... Alright, I\'ll be on your side. I\'ll resign as the Pope candidate and support you," Yeon said.

"That\'s a very wise choice," Yu-Hyun nodded with a bright smile.

After completing the negotiation with Yeon, Yu-Hyun was about to leave when Yeon stopped him.

"Wait, before you go... How many people have you recruited using this strategy? It doesn\'t seem like you only came to me."

"Everyone except one of the Pope candidates," Yu-Hyun replied.

"Why did you leave one person?"

"It\'s more impressive if I secure the majority vote and squash my opposition rather than swaying everyone over to my side,” Yu-Hyun explained emotionlessly.

"So, that guy’s the sacrificial lamb, in a sense. A necessary sacrifice for the sake of a glorious victory."

"I see... But are you really not going to play chess?"

"What\'s the point of playing chess with you? I\'ll lose anyway," Yu-Hyun said.

Yeon looked up at Yu-Hyun with a slightly surprised expression, then soon smiled as if dejected.

"Ha ha, alright."

Yu-Hyun left without even saying a proper goodbye. Yeon silently watched his departing figure.

Yeon knew that Yu-Hyun had always gone easy, whether intentionally or unintentionally, whenever he played chess with him. Yu-Hyun was far superior at not only chess but also games like shogi and go compared to Yeon.

However, for Yeon\'s sake, or more precisely for their friendship, Yu-Hyun always chose the path of defeat.

"I can\'t handle this," Yeon muttered.

By then, Yu-Hyun had already disappeared from Yeon\'s sight.

***

After the aftermath of the incident subsided, I went to school.

The classroom I returned to after such a long time felt unfamiliar. I rarely went to school due to dispatch training and various other activities that I had to do.

The scenery of the classroom, seen after a long time, felt empty, dry, and bleak. The faces of the students from the Class of Charity, whom I recognized by faces but not by names, had sad expressions for reasons unknown.

Ye-Jin had quit her teaching job long ago and no longer came to the Class of Charity’s classroom. Instead, Jung-Hak, who constantly had a tired and worn-out face, took over as the homeroom teacher.

There weren\'t many important messages to deliver. The only significant message was that the dispatch training grades had been released.

This time, Ha-Yeon, Jin-Seo, and I, who had contributed to combating Satanist Executive Lust, received scores close to perfect. I was especially able to earn a score that was beyond perfect, perhaps due to the various points that were added on by Han Dae-Ho. However, I wasn\'t particularly happy about it.

I spent the morning classes almost absentmindedly, and when lunchtime came, In-Ah approached me and said, "Long time no see."

It had been a long time since I had seen In-Ah, and her face had improved a lot during that time. I could feel a new sense of healthiness in her expression and gestures that I had never felt before.

"Yeah, it has been a long time," I stood up and said.

In-Ah looked at me intently with narrowed eyes. It seemed like she was observing me.

"Your face looks quite bruised," she said.

"Is that so?"

"Are you okay?" In-Ah asked cautiously.

Honestly, I couldn\'t confidently say that I was okay.

I was feeling a bit tired and had trouble sleeping lately, so my body was quite worn out. But it wasn\'t in a terrible condition either. I could manage.

"You don’t need to worry about me. I\'m perfectly fine," I said with a smile towards her.

However, with a somewhat displeased expression, In-Ah said, "How about no? I want to worry about you."

"Why?"

"Because you did the same for me back then."

I pondered over the meaning behind In-Ah\'s words. It was during the time when Yoon-Ah was still lingering in a zombie-like state, and In-Ah was at her worst. The \'back then\' that In-Ah mentioned referred to that time.

"That time... was a bit different."

"What was different? You can worry about me, but I can\'t worry about you? How does that make sense?"

"Well, that\'s true to some extent," I replied vaguely because I couldn’t really come up with a good comeback. Her words had a certain persuasiveness.

"How’s your sister doing?"

In an attempt to change the subject, I asked about Yoon-Ah on our way to the cafeteria. I was curious about Yoon-Ah\'s condition anyway.

In-Ah smiled strangely. It was hard to tell whether her smile was happy or sad.

"Not bad. She still doesn\'t remember anything from when she was missing... but she speaks well, and she’s studying again. She even seems to be doing well academically. She\'s very smart."

"Seems like she takes after you."

"Is that so?" In-Ah casually replied as if she didn\'t want to show that she was pleased, but the corners of her mouth were slightly upturned.

It seemed like she was in a good mood.

After that, we exchanged a few words of small talk and headed to the restaurant. There were students lined up in front of the restaurant, but unlike at the beginning of the semester, the line was quite short.

Due to the several incidents that occurred at the school, many students dropped out of Florence Academy, giving up on becoming a clergyman and instead choosing a different path.

"..."

It was then that I encountered Ha-Yeon in front of the restaurant. Even amidst a crowd of people, she stood out as always. It was because of her unusually white hair color.

Ha-Yeon also proceeded to stare at me after noticing me. Then, she glanced at In-Ah, who was next to me, and then she turned her gaze elsewhere without saying anything to me.

In-Ah alternated between looking at Ha-Yeon and me before she said, "...Weren\'t you somewhat close with Ha-Yeon before? Didn\'t you at least exchange greetings?"

"I was. But now..." I trailed off.

I had contacted and met Ha-Yeon a few times out of necessity.

However, after coming into contact with Sung Yu-Da, we hadn\'t even exchanged greetings, let alone met. It was because Sung Yu-Da had wished for me to do so.

Come to think of it, I had to meet Sung Yu-Da soon. Along with the entrance exam for the Central Paladin Order, there was a need to discuss entering the underground prison.

As we were leaving the restaurant and heading towards the classroom, In-Ah, who had hardly spoken a word throughout the meal at the cafeteria, said, "Oh, right."

She seemed to hesitate to continue speaking, as she pursed her lips and glanced at me, before she finally said, "Um, my sister has been saying that she wants to see you."

"Why?"

"She felt like she didn\'t properly thank the person who saved her, or something like that. You don\'t have to see her if you don\'t want to. Your opinion matters more than hers..." In-Ah added, almost as if making an excuse.

I pondered for a moment. Since I couldn\'t make any concrete plans until I met Sung Yu-Da anyway, there was still time for now.

Plus, I also wanted to check on Yoon-Ah\'s condition, so it seemed better to meet her at least once.

"I\'m fine with meeting her. I was curious about how much her condition had improved."

In-Ah showed a hint of joy as she said, "Really? Then next time... No."

She suddenly seemed lost in thought as she lowered her gaze. After a moment, she raised her head as if she had finished thinking and cautiously said, "Just, how about coming today?"