Regressor Instruction Manual

Chapter 1241. Blue Guild’s Youth Center (10)

"Oppa, I think Commander Jin is really angry."

"Why?"

"An official letter arrived, and there’s not a trace of humor in it. It read like something you’d send to another nation... Stuff like, 'We’ll no longer tolerate your tyranny,' and 'Cease your arrogant and childish provocations right now.'"

"..."

"It’s actually strange that he’s not threatening to turn Lindel into a sea of fire. However, I think he's going to officially shut down the communication channel as well. He even told us not to contact him in an extremely polite way."

"Did he send it to my communication channel?"

"Of course he did. Want me to read it?"

"No, there’s no point in reading all of that. That man has no sense of understanding at all. Coworkers are bound to experience ups and downs. He didn't even care about the mess he made on the continent. He only cares about protecting his pride, and that’s why the continent ended up in this state. No one told him to ruin everything as well."

"That’s true."

"So, has he made any official announcements?"

"No, he’s really quiet. It seems he wants to officially announce that he doesn’t have a son... but how could he possibly make that kind of announcement? The rumor has been circulating among the high-ranking officials in the Republic, and most of the public doesn’t know about it. It’s not like he’d go out of his way to announce it..."

"You’re right."

"He’s probably thinking about how to handle this issue. He can't just recklessly deal with it, or he could end up looking like a scumbag who abandoned his son.

"However, there's no need for him to do that, as such rumors are already spreading. The people are talking about why he had to hide his illegitimate son, why he abandoned his child. You know, that sort of thing..."

"I thought he’d lose his mind on the post, but he’s surprisingly cautious."

"Maybe it’s because he’s ashamed."

"Ashamed?"

"He just can’t find the right time to raise his voice. You need to have actually done something to raise your voice, right? And it’s not like he hasn’t done much of anything, so how could he keep his pride?

"That’s just the kind of person he is. From what I can see, he’s angry, sure, but I think this is a big part of it, too. He knows he’s got no ground to stand on."

"That makes sense..."

Honestly, if I were him, I’d probably act just like him. One had to be confident in oneself to be able to talk big. I was sure he was doing his best to avoid meeting Ji-Hye noona and me.

"He’s probably trying to fix his mistake."

"Exactly. I honestly have no idea what’s on his mind, but he’s probably focused on fixing the mess he caused. He’s determined to fix this, so the outcome shouldn’t be too bad. It probably won’t take long... so what are you going to do now? You got suspended, after all."

"I’m going to meet some people. It’s been a while since I visited Father Basel, and I’m not sure if I’ll have time to meet everyone, but I should at least meet one of them."

"Are you at the Vatican right now?"

"Yeah."

"You move pretty fast. So, I just need to get them ready, right?"

"Yeah. The twins who worked with you back when the continent turned into a dungeon... those villain-looking guys. If possible, lend me Ha Yeon-Soo as well. She’s got some pretty good instincts."

"I don’t know if she's available, but... I’ll talk to her."𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝑤ℯ𝑏𝓃𝘰𝑣ℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

With that, my call with Lee Ji-Hye ended.

‘She’ll at least call them over, right?’

The first brigade members who worked alongside Ji-Hye noona when the continent turned into a dungeon looked impressive, but on their own, they were a bit lacking.

After all, they were true psychopaths who likely never learned social skills, so how well they’d fit in the play was questionable. It was extremely important that someone could keep those wild ones in check.

‘So it's going to be the twins, the tall guy, and the one-armed guy?’

I couldn’t really remember it, but given that they were experts who had never revealed themselves publicly, they seemed perfect for staging an attack on the youth center.

As I tapped my thigh with my fingers, I became more and more engrossed in the plan.

Just then, a voice echoed outside the door.

"Father Lee Ki-Young is here, and you should’ve told me about it, you idiot!” Father Basel shouted.

“I-I’m sorry, Your Holiness. You were in the middle of praying...” a follower answered.

“Father Lee Ki-Young has decided to visit the Vatican! Who cares about some prayer?! I-It’s been so long... How long did you make him wait?!” Father Basel questioned.

‘It’s no ordinary prayer... Father Basel. And I’ve only been waiting for thirty minutes...’

“I committed a grave sin—”

“Shut up, you fool! I can say with certainty that there’s a demon in your heart, seeking to tear apart the bond between Father Lee Ki-Young and me!” Father Basel yelled.

“No! That’s not true, Your Holiness!” they shouted.

“Please calm down and go inside, Father Basel. Father Lee Ki-Young is waiting for you inside,” another follower chimed in.

“Father Basel, for now...”

I presumed that with age, his temperament had softened, but his voice remained resonant and commanding. The letter mentioned that it was nearly time for him to leave this world and join Benigoa...I was certain that he had at least fifty, or perhaps even seventy more years left in him.

With a creak, the door opened slightly, and in came an elderly man. The elderly man was slightly hunched, and he no longer looked like the same old man who had just been shouting about swinging his mace on some heads.

It seemed like he wanted to quietly admit that he was growing weaker. Well, it was about time to start thinking seriously about the next pope, so it made sense.

‘Even still, he’s overreacting.’

“F-Father Lee Ki-Young?” Father Basel said.

“It’s been a while, Father Basel,” I greeted.

“Huh... is it really you?” he asked.

His eyes widened immediately and I heard his trembling voice as he examined me.

“O Benigoa... O Benigoa...” he mumbled.

Just as I expected, he moved with surprising agility for someone his age, striding over and gripping my hand tightly. The rest was obvious–pretty much everyone who’s met me has done the same, so it wasn’t hard to guess what Father Basel was going to do next.

‘The old man looks pretty happy.’

He had the exact face of someone who was meeting his grandchild for the first time. Sure, he never married or had children of his own, so I understood how he was feeling, but still, seeing him with the face of a grandfather doting on his grandchild was a bit startling. Even when I was in my adult form, I’d sometimes catch that kind of look in his eyes, but now that I looked younger, it was much more obvious. That gentle smile never left his face.

“H-Have a seat. Can you tell me what happened?” he asked.

“When I was in Laves, I ended up in a fight with Evil God Gela and Sahaga. They’re expected to return within two years, or maybe even within one, so there’s no need to worry too much, Father Basel,” I answered.

“I see... I remember you saying you were heading to Laves. While I, an old man, remained in the dark, you were out there once again fighting for the continent...” he said.

“Protecting the Vatican is no different from protecting the continent. Please don’t worry and take care of your health,” I said.

“Cough, cough. Lately, I can’t help but feel that I’m getting closer and closer to Benigoa, Father Lee Ki-Young,” he said.

‘Ah... there he goes again.’

He ought to hang in there for a while longer.

Miss Kim Mi-Young was one thing, but Father Basel’s retirement wasn’t exactly great news as well. He wasn't the most competent pope in history, but when it came to control and command, I’d give him top marks.

Above all, we had been working together this whole year, and I could say that it was really comfortable working with him. Who would be happy about suddenly having a new business partner?

‘He’s still pretty healthy.’

“I think... my time is coming...” Father Basel mumbled.

“Please don’t say such a thing. I’m sure Bengioa doesn’t want you by her side just yet,” I told him.

“If you say so, then I won’t argue... but I, too, must prepare. I wish I could live for a thousand—no, ten thousand years to watch over the Democratic Country and the continent you’re trying to build, but all mortals have their limits. It’s about time that I leave this blessed place,” Father Basel explained.

‘No...’

“Father Basel...”

‘Ah, this old man has a favor to ask.’

“Is there anything I can help you with?” I asked.

“It’s fine,” Father Basel answered.

“If it’ll help you...” I said.

“Actually, there’s one small favor I need to ask...” Father Basel said carefully.

“What is it?” I asked.

“It’s fine. What more could this old man hope for? I only want you to make this continent a peaceful place for a long, long time...” he answered.

“It’s really fine, Father Basel. Please tell me,” I said.

“Ahem...ahem...”

“...”

“Ahem...ahem... In that case, I have a small favor to ask...” Father Basel paused.

“...”

“Would you... possibly join me in a portrait? I want to leave a memory of having been with you before I die...” Father Basel requested.

“...”

“...” I’m sure he was referring to the portraits of former popes hung up all over the Vatican.

It was tradition to place them alongside personal belongings or garments used during their lifetime, and they were mostly alone, but it didn’t seem like a big deal.

After all, I wasn’t just Lee Ki-young but the very symbol of the Order of Benigoa...

‘Who would object?’

I thought it wasn’t such a big deal.

“I will accept your request with great honor, Father Basel,” I answered.

“Really? Hahaha! Is anyone there?! Bring in the painter at once!” Father Basel ordered.

“What?”

‘This old man...’

Just moments ago, the old man looked too frail to stand, but in an instant, he sprang to his feet and ran toward the door. He flung open the heavy door without hesitation.

“Father Basel...” I said.

“This won’t be revealed to the people anytime soon, so there’s no need to worry. You there, summon the painter immediately!” Father Basel shouted.

“If you could just wait a little—”

“Anyone is fine, so just bring someone here!” Father Basel yelled.

“Yes, sir!”

Everything was happening so fast.

The chairs for Father Basel and me were arranged; the backdrop was thrown together in an instant... Since all of this was still confidential, Sister Jayna and Sister Helena, whom I hadn’t seen in a while, came in to help me with my outfit.

Needless to say, the greeting included warm hugs.

The clothes were the same ones I wore during the prayer meeting, and because everything was happening so quickly, a tailor was called in to do on-the-spot adjustments.

I knew Father Basel was a man of action, but this level of efficiency was honestly overwhelming.

‘Times have changed... can’t we just take a photo instead?’

In the end, it took over an hour to prepare everything.

The painter came in and was trembling while preparing his brushes.

“Make sure you don’t say a word about what you saw or heard here today,” Father Basel warned the nervous painter.

“I-I won’t tell a soul, Your Holiness! It’s an honor to meet you, F-Father Lee Ki-Young,” the painter said.

It seemed like his plan to offer a quick greeting and head back to his dorm had gone down the drain. Sitting side by side and forcing a friendly smile for the portrait was no easy task either.

Still, the conversation I shared with Father Basel during the process wasn’t exactly a bad way to spend my time.

“Are you aware that the Democratic Country has been a bit chaotic these days?” Father Basel asked.

“Pardon?” I asked.

“Looks like the heretics are causing trouble again. The world is so peaceful, so what could they be so dissatisfied about...” he complained.

“Could you tell me the details?” I requested.

“We’re still looking into it, but traces were found along with books containing methods to worship demons. There was one near the border between the Union and the Federation, and there was another up north.

"A hexagram magic array was also discovered, possibly intended for human sacrifice. It’s not big enough to worry about just yet, but as always, we can’t let our guard down,” Father Basel explained.

He started out with a somewhat serious topic.

“Many followers are waiting for you,” Father Basel added.

“I was actually thinking about... holding a prayer meeting. Goddess Benigoa...”

Then, we talked about how the followers had been eagerly waiting for a prayer meeting.

Besides that, we talked about some random topics as well.

Although Father Basel kept standing up to check the painter’s progress, which would always break the flow of the conversation, the updates on the recent events in the Vatican were pretty interesting, making it an enjoyable time for me.

Topics included power structure within the order, trends among the younger followers, and new interpretations of the sacred democracy. At times, having to listen to Father Basel’s trivial stories made it feel like I was just passing time with a bored old man.

“Why don’t you spend the night here?” Father Basel suggested.

“I’d like to, but unfortunately-” I paused.

“...”

“...”

‘Wait, why is his back so hunched?’

The once vigorous old man was visibly growing weaker, but unfortunately, I couldn’t stay in the Vatican.

“Since we need to complete the painting, I’ll visit again, Father Basel,” I told him.

“Ooh... really? Then... I’ll be waiting,” he said.

Was there really no one here to keep this old man company? From afar, he waved his hand, and he looked just like an elder in rural areas often seen on TV.

With that image of Pope Basel lingering in my mind, I made my way to my room.

I saw a familiar figure standing outside my room.

‘What is he doing here?’

Naturally, I decided to hide.

“Damn it... damn it... that bastard,” I mumbled.𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎

'I thought you blocked me and wouldn’t contact me anymore. Why are you here?'

“...”

“...”

‘Maybe he came because he was angry...’

He looked like he couldn’t hold back the sudden surge of fury and got out of bed to visit me.

Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!