NOVPUB
Chapter 354: Deceiving Others
After being introduced to some of the archbishops, Aldrian was brought to the inner part of the church. As they walked toward one of the halls for a more proper welcome, Aldrian turned to Angelica and said,
"Your Holiness, I believe it would be best for me to examine His Holiness first so I can quickly assess his illness and determine a cure. His condition cannot afford to wait, after all. Perhaps I can even heal him immediately if his illness is one I am already familiar with."
Walking beside him, Angelica nodded in agreement.
"Alright, I will bring you to the Pope’s chamber," she said.
A few high-ranking members of the church who followed them also overheard the conversation and felt relieved that the prophesied one would personally examine their leader immediately. However, one among them did not share their enthusiasm.
Cardinal Carsius watched the backs of Aldrian and Angelica, a subtle smile forming on his lips.
"What a foolish attempt. You can’t heal that old man," he thought.
Suddenly, a voice transmission reached him—it was from Cardinal Darius.
"Cardinal Carsius, it looks like your path to the Pope’s seat will have to wait for some time. With the appearance of the prophesied one, His Holiness’s life may very well be saved."
"Yes, I’m glad it has come to this," Cardinal Carsius replied. "Our church won’t have to be divided, and His Holiness can continue to lead us for many more years. However, don’t count your chickens before they hatch. We must still be prepared in case something happens."
"You do not believe that the prophesied one can heal His Holiness?" Cardinal Darius asked, confused.
"Of course, I believe that the prophesied one can perform miracles, and perhaps he can heal His Holiness. But we still do not know the exact future, do we? I’m merely saying that we should leave a little room for doubt and be prepared in case the healing is unsuccessful. I just don’t want us to be disappointed or place blame on the prophesied one or Her Holiness. After all, His Holiness’s illness is quite unusual."
Although Cardinal Darius sensed something off about Cardinal Carsius’s words, he could not refute them—because, in the end, they were true.
"You are right, but at least with the prophesied one’s appearance, the chances are higher, so let’s be optimistic," Cardinal Darius said before falling silent.
Cardinal Carsius, however, simply smiled. He could hardly wait to watch as the young man or the Saintess lost some credibility if they failed to heal the Pope’s illness.
After walking for a few minutes, they finally arrived at the Pope’s chamber, guarded by several knights. As the door to the chamber opened, they all saw the Pope still bedridden, a blanket covering him.
His complexion was pale, and although his eyes remained closed, he occasionally grunted and grimaced, as if even in his sleep, he was tormented by pain.
All those who witnessed it felt both pity and sorrow, silently praying to the heavens for the Pope’s recovery.
"As you can see, he is—" 𝘯𝑜𝘷𝘱𝘶𝘣.𝘤𝘰𝑚
"Arrghh, my body! It’s hot! It’s painful!"
Before Angelica could finish her sentence, the Pope’s agonized voice suddenly filled the room. He writhed on his bed, his eyes still closed, groaning as if he were enduring unbearable pain.
"Argh, it hurts... Urgh!" he moaned, even rolling onto his side, his blanket tangling around him.
Watching the scene unfold, Aldrian’s eye twitched and utterly speechless. Meanwhile, Angelica covered her face with both hands as if overwhelmed with sorrow. From an outsider’s perspective, it seemed as though she was devastated by the Pope’s worsening condition.
However, in reality, Angelica was actually feeling incredibly embarrassed hearing the Pope act like that.
Although she couldn’t see the Pope directly, just hearing his deliberately pained voice and the commotion on the bed made her face flush with embarrassment. She could hardly believe that the Pope was actually putting on such an exaggerated act. Fortunately, none of the others found it suspicious—instead, they pitied him even more.
Cardinal Carsius inwardly grinned, as if victory was already within his grasp. The Pope’s condition appeared much worse than it had been just a few days ago. With such a reaction, Carsius was convinced that the Pope wouldn’t last more than a few days. He refused to believe that the young man could heal the Pope when he was already in such a dire state.
"Can all of you, Your Excellencies, leave the Pope and me alone? Oh, Her Holiness may stay to observe the diagnosis and healing process," Aldrian said with a smile, looking at the people who had followed them.
All the archbishops and cardinals, of course, saw no problem with this. A serene and quiet environment was best for the healing process, allowing Aldrian to concentrate. Additionally, the Saintess might be needed if Aldrian required assistance with her techniques.
Angelica glanced behind her at the nun pushing her wheelchair.
"Arin, you can return to your post. I will stay with the young master."
"As you wish, Your Holiness," Arin replied with a slight bow.
After that, Aldrian took over, pushing the wheelchair himself as they entered the room. The door closed behind them, sealing them inside. Once it was fully shut, Aldrian activated a formation to cover the room, ensuring their privacy.
With a sigh, he turned to the Pope.
"Your Holiness, we are safe. You can stop your act now."
The moment Aldrian spoke, the Pope abruptly stopped rolling and writhing in pain. Then, as if nothing had happened, he stood up from the bed.
"Ah, acting like that is still quite tiring, but my performance was convincing, wasn’t it?" the Pope asked, his old face now regaining a healthy hue, with no trace of pain remaining.
"Yes, Your Holiness. The others even believe you won’t survive much longer after seeing you like that," Aldrian replied with a slightly rigid smile.
Angelica’s face was still a bit red from secondhand embarrassment after witnessing the Pope’s exaggerated display. She let out a deep breath to calm herself.
"Alright, now that we’ve deceived everyone, things will be much easier from here on," Pope Claudius said. "And since you’re already here, why don’t we talk for a while as we wait? It would be more believable if the healing process takes some time, right? It would be ridiculous if I were suddenly back to full health after just a few seconds of healing."
"Sounds good, Your Holiness."
After that, they sat in the same seats they had used a few days ago. The Pope suddenly looked at Aldrian and Angelica with a smile.
"Young Aldrian, did you know that Angelica—"
"Father, can you not drag me into this?" Angelica interrupted.
"Ahahaha, alright, alright, I was just joking." But then, the Pope’s expression shifted to one of curiosity.
"Young Aldrian, ever since I met you, I’ve been really curious about your true identity and origin. The way you look now—is just a disguise, isn’t it? And while it’s not my place to ask why you choose to hide your true appearance, even here, I can’t help but wonder. Your abilities and strength are absurdly beyond reason, and at such a young age... I truly wonder—what kind of family could have given birth to a genius among geniuses like you?"
Hearing the Pope’s question, Aldrian fell silent, deep in thought.
To be honest, he didn’t find it troublesome to reveal the truth to Pope Claudius and Angelica. At this point, his traces as the mysterious swordsman had already spread too widely, and the people of the continent had acknowledged his name among the strongest cultivators.
Both the Rivas and Flamecrest families had already met him. The only thing left was his own decision—whether he truly wanted them to know his real connection to them. His achievements had grown too significant to be ignored or denied, even by those who opposed him or his parents union.
With that in mind, he came to a decision—it was fine to tell the Pope and Angelica the truth. There was no loss in gaining additional support, after all.
"It’s okay, Your Holiness. I will tell you about my family—it won’t be much of a secret in the future anyway," Aldrian said.
The Pope and Angelica were stunned, but they quickly focused, eager to hear what Aldrian had to say next.
"Actually, my parents are Aldrey Flamecrest and Irene Rivas. So, I’m sure you understand why I must use a disguise everywhere."
Silence.
For a few seconds, the Pope, still smiling, felt as if he had misheard.
"Excuse me... who?"
"You heard me, Your Holiness."
"What?!" the Pope shouted. If Aldrian hadn’t placed a formation to shield the room, his voice would have echoed outside, causing a major commotion.
Angelica’s eyes widened in shock—this was truly an unexpected revelation.
"How is that possible? Aldrey and Irene were never known to be in a relationship—wait, forget about a relationship! Their families have been rivals for generations. There’s no way their families would have allowed their successors to—wait—"
Suddenly, the Pope stopped, narrowing his eyes at Aldrian.
"Were you born in the Everlasting Silent Forest?"
