TILPO 03

Chapter 03

“Please have some refreshments as well.”

The finger foods decorated with fruit and chocolate were not the kind of food served by the Church.

Gabriel hid his face behind his long sleeve and teacup, pretending to drink the tea. There was a possibility that something had been put in the food or tea.

“This tea has a wonderful aroma and taste.”

“I’m glad you like it.”

“What was making you uncomfortable in your room?”

Since there was nothing to be gained from dragging the situation out, he asked directly.

But then Anat suddenly reached out with both hands and took Gabriel’s left hand, which was resting on the table.

“Gabriel.”

Gabriel’s eyebrows rose strangely.

Anat’s palms were soft and smooth.

‘Those aren’t the hands of someone who handles a sword.’

Then she wasn’t trying to assassinate him. Of course, there was no reason for House Dubinchik to assassinate him in the first place.

As Gabriel’s raised eyebrows gradually settled, Anat leaned closer to him and spoke.

“You’ve risen all the way to the position of cardinal, so I’m not unaware of your political ambitions, Gabriel…”

Political ambitions?

‘You think I have political ambitions?’

Gabriel stared at Anat, who was speaking about something he couldn’t understand. The situation was unfolding along a strangely familiar course.

“Even if you rise to a high position, how lonely would you be if you were alone?”

“What do you mean?”

“Gabriel, I’ll become your family.”

“…”

Gabriel’s eyebrows rose once again.

One of his predictions had been correct.

There was nothing wrong with this room. The only problem was Anat Dubinchik herself.

“I love you, Gabriel.”

“…”

Gabriel composed the corners of his mouth before they could twist into a grimace.

“You may not believe me, but I’ve given this a great deal of thought. Before finally bringing this up with you.”

It was a story Gabriel had absolutely no interest in hearing.

“Lady Dubinchik.”

Gabriel calmly pulled his left hand free from her grasp.

“How many confessions from female believers do you think I’ve received on my way to becoming a cardinal?”

Ever since his days as an apprentice priest, people had talked about him as a handsome silver-haired man. Naturally, there had been plenty of people who approached him in strange ways.

Even taking into consideration that being the Pope’s godson had kept some of the more presumptuous ones away, there had still been plenty of crazies.

The Church allowed priests to give up their positions and marry, so people would often pester Gabriel, asking why someone with his looks was wasting them by becoming a priest.

“I know what you’re trying to say, Gabriel. But I’m different.”

Anat’s eyes shone with determination.

“I’m not asking you to give up your position as cardinal and marry me.”

“Then?”

“Make me your mistress.”

‘Insane…’

Gabriel bit the inside of his cheek.

“I’ve already persuaded my father. I’ll live as your woman in the shadows if I have to. Take me when you need me and cast me aside when I cause you trouble.”

As she said this, Anat took Gabriel’s hand again.

It was utterly absurd.

“My love is willing to accept living in the shadows. And I can even give you a child.”

Gabriel couldn’t say anything.

No.

He chose not to.

Even cooling his head with cold water wouldn’t have made it this cold.

“Of course, the child would be registered under my father’s name… but it would carry your blood…”

At that moment, Gabriel roughly pulled his hand away and abruptly rose from his seat.

“There’s one thing missing from everything you’ve said.”

“Gabriel?”

“You’re simply not my type, Lady Dubinchik.”

Anat froze.

Anat was a beautiful woman with attractive blonde hair and blue eyes, and she was a young lady of House Dubinchik, the family that had produced the Crown Princess.

She had never heard anything like this from anyone.

“Then what kind of woman is your type?”

Anat asked while grabbing the sleeve of Gabriel, who was about to leave.

Gabriel stopped for a moment because of her grip before answering.

“A quiet young lady with pink hair like spring flowers and turquoise eyes like fresh blades of grass. Someone so reserved that she wouldn’t even dare speak to me carelessly.”

Gabriel smiled beautifully as he roughly pulled his sleeve free.

“There doesn’t seem to be any particular problem with the room. Still, if you find it uncomfortable, I suggest you return home.”

As soon as he finished speaking, Gabriel left the room and immediately headed toward the prayer room with the Holy Knight.

If he returned to his quarters in this state, he felt like his unpleasant emotions would linger throughout the night.

The weather was quite nice from early in the morning.

The last Controller, Noah Kaplan, had arrived the day before, so it was finally time to have a proper discussion.

Gabriel had invited the Controllers to his cardinal’s office after lunch, saying they needed to discuss the Demon Dragon subjugation.

However, just before the meeting was about to begin, the Pope suddenly summoned him.

Gabriel excused himself from the Controllers and hurried to meet the Pope.

“I receive the touch of your grace.”

“Enough. I didn’t call you here today because I wanted to see the cardinal.”

At the Pope’s gesture, Gabriel straightened and gave a slight bow.

There was no one around the Pope today.

Even the Holy Knights assigned to guard him were standing quite far away.

It was a sign of the Pope’s trust in Gabriel.

“I hear all the Controllers have gathered.”

“Yes, Your Holiness.”

“Good. Are there any talents worth using?”

“I’ve only just seen their faces.”

“Are your eyes ordinary eyes?”

Pope Benier narrowed his eyes as he looked at Gabriel. Gabriel merely smiled gently, wearing an expression that suggested he had no idea what Benier meant.

“I still wish you wouldn’t participate in this Urbas Subjugation.”

“You say that after giving me the position of cardinal specifically for this task?”

“The other cardinals agreed as well, and in truth, there is no one more suitable than you… But it’s dangerous. If there is someone among the Controllers who have gathered this time with exceptional talent…”

“Even if they have exceptional talent, they won’t have trained as much as I have.”

“You’re too straightforward and self-sacrificing.”

“You value those qualities in me, don’t you?”

“…”

After staring at Gabriel for a long while, Benier gestured for him to come closer.

When the distance between them narrowed to barely a handspan, Benier whispered,

“I hear there’s a child among the Controllers whom Dina cherishes.”

“Your Holiness.”

Gabriel suppressed a sigh.

“I know what you’re about to say.”

“Why do you refuse to turn down Dina’s requests every time? Interfering with the selection of the subjugation force… Lady Dina has gone too far this time.”

“Don’t say that. Apparently, the girl is like a daughter to her, and she’s a Controller.”

“When you brought me before His Holiness, you also said I was like a son to you.”

Professor Dina Ehrenberg was a priestess whom Benier cherished greatly. He had never once refused her whenever she asked him for something.

He had even accepted Gabriel as his godson at her request.

“I have never once regretted making you my son. You’re an incredibly intelligent and wonderful child.”

“If I had lived a reckless and self-indulgent life, would you have been a little more reluctant to accept Dina’s one-sided requests?”

“What? Hahaha.”

Benier burst into laughter before leaning toward Gabriel’s ear and whispering,

“Noah Kaplan.”

For an instant, the space between Gabriel’s brows stiffened.

“She asked me to have that priestess removed from this subjugation.”

“Isn’t Dina the one who asked you to have me removed from the subjugation as well?”

“I’m simply passing on the message.”

“Noah Kaplan is the priestess among the Controllers who have joined this time who has manifested the widest variety of abilities.”

“Oh?”

Gabriel’s expression became noticeably colder.

“She’s a talent who must not be excluded from this subjugation, yet you’re asking me to remove her? Please stop indulging Dina’s requests. Is this subjugation some children’s game?”

“She’s doing it because she’s worried. She doesn’t have many people precious to her, so she doesn’t want to send someone she cherishes into a dangerous place.”

“…”

“If she could, she’d probably want to go herself. If her condition allowed her to make such a long journey, she would have taken the lead immediately. Can you imagine how much she must be hurting? She has nowhere else to complain, so she comes to me.”

“If it’s merely complaining, can’t you listen with one ear and let it go out the other?”

“But I already promised her I would deliver her request.”

Gabriel answered firmly, unable to hide his irritation.

“I’ll refuse Dina directly and make it perfectly clear.”

“Don’t be too harsh with her.”

“Your Holiness is too soft.”

Benier merely smiled.

Gabriel found that strange attitude increasingly puzzling.

What exactly was the relationship between those two?

Yet he had never once asked. Somehow, he felt that he shouldn’t.

All he could do was suppress his doubts and speak even more coldly.

“From now on, I’ll make it clear enough that Your Holiness won’t need to summon me for matters like this again.”

There were four Controllers gathered in the reception room.

As soon as the order to gather Controllers was issued throughout the country, those who came to the capital numbered four, excluding those who had grown too old to work.

Sitting across from one another despite being complete strangers was incredibly awkward.

To make matters worse, the cardinal who had summoned them had gone to see the Pope, saying it was an urgent matter.

No one could exactly complain when he had gone to meet His Holiness.

The Controllers spent quite some time sneaking glances at one another.

The silence became so strange that even sipping the cookies and tea brought by the apprentice priests felt awkward.

Perhaps deciding that this atmosphere really wasn’t going to work, a brown-haired priestess cautiously spoke up.

“Um… Before His Eminence returns, why don’t we introduce ourselves to one another and… perhaps talk about our abilities as well?”

Her voice was very quiet, but in such a silent room, everyone could hear her clearly.

Everyone nodded slightly.

“Yes. Let’s introduce ourselves first.”

“Since I was the one who brought it up, I’ll introduce myself first. I’m Rina. I worked as a teacher at an academy in the capital before coming here, and my ability makes people speak to others kindly.”

The introductions proceeded clockwise from Priest Rina.

“I’m Noah. I worked as a teacher at an academy in a small city called Soal. My abilities can put people at ease, help them sleep, and make them less angry.”

After Noah finished introducing herself, a young man with wheat-colored hair and glasses spoke.

“I’m Will. I came here with one year left before graduating from the Divine Power Training Center. My ability makes people speak without worrying about what others think.”

The last person was a thin, hunched man whose bangs hung so low that his face was difficult to see.

“I’m Anas. I’m a pilgrim who was traveling on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. My ability changes large movements into small movements.”

Once the introductions were over, everyone’s expressions became a little more relaxed.

Noah thought,

‘Thank goodness. All of our abilities are pretty insignificant. It doesn’t look like we’ll be dragged off to fight a dragon…’