Pope Chreshler

Was there any more? Ash's eyes that were blank for a while lit up. He started to search the entire cave again.

The coffin which had been watching Ash closely asked,

-Did you wake up Marie Rose?

"...?" Feeling stunned, Ash was lost for words, he has only read Overgeared to some extent , so he wasn't aware of such scenario.

The coffin introduced itself,-I am 2nd Pope Chreshler.

"...?"

"No, it wasn't me. It was empty when I came here, " Ash denied it. He didn't know what would happen if he revealed the truth. Ash overlooked one fact. The first pope and second pope—those who made the Rebecca Church transcended the category of ordinary humans. Ash couldn't deceive the ego of a transcendent.

-You are lying to me right now.

The coffin flew and hit Ash.

"Eek...?"

A coffin tackle took, 20% of his health!!!!.

////////////////////////

The seven malignant saints had betrayed the gods and deceived the people. Faith had declined, and great demons had appeared on the ground. That was the age of grief. The people who suffered from war and hunger resented the gods while a poor saint went on the path of penance—this was the birth story of the Rebecca Church.

The saint speaking here was the first pope. The holy sword of light had been given to the saint who completed the path of penance. The saint had defeated the great demons with the power of the holy sword and sang the goddess' praises. Righteous heroes had been drawn to the song. They had built temples and statues for the goddess.

The saint had been crowned by the heroes and had become pope. The pope was above the heroes. This was the final chapter of the story. As could be seen from the overall picture, the first pope had been a very special person. He had destroyed the great demons and built up faith. He was the great person who had saved all of humanity. It was highly-rated compared to other legends.

The Rebecca members revered him as a god-class being. Would such a great person select just anyone as his successor? Absolutely not. The first pope had searched for someone more talented than himself to be his successor, and this was Chreshler. Hundreds of years later, he became a person who couldn't leave a coffin but it wasn't good to look down on him.

"It's a lie? But I really wasn't lying."Ash tried to resolve Chreshler's misunderstanding."Your Holiness' coffin was already empty when I arrived here. Marie Rose was already gone. Really."

-You are a really bad guy.

"Huh?"

-My ego was sealed in the coffin made of sacred wood and is designed to wake up when an intruder enters.This is the second time I woke up.

"...?"

-The first time I woke up, Marie Rose was still sleeping in me.Now she isn't.

"i am speaking the truth, I was on my way to Vatican, when some assassins ambushed me, we fought at the entrance and then, I sensed a evil presence, so I decided to explore this cave and rest is as you saw.

-You are lying and not lying at the same time.

-speak before I kill you.

a blink, this was the time, coffin took to reach Ash.

"well, as we were fighting she appeared and killed my partner, which was rebecca church priest and then vanished, I thought, something is wrong with the cave so, I decided to to explore it, while thinking I can, hunt some vampires and obtain their elixir.

-Hmm, now you are speaking the truth.

-I guess the lifespan of the sacred wood was shorter than I thought. I think you didn't release Marie Rose from the seal. It is that the divine power of the coffin weakened and Marie Rose woke up herself from the seal.

It was true. Ash might've stimulated Marie Rose, but he wasn't the one to release Marie Rose's seal. She woke up by herself and left this place by herself. Ash just gave her the smell of blood.

'...In the end, I am a contributor.'

He wasn't stupid enough to explain it though. Ash took a potion and asked Chreshler,"Were you killed when you sealed Marie Rose?"

-No?I sealed Marie Rose and lived well for decades, dying after a long time.I lived until I was 110.

"Then how did you seal Marie Rose before you became the coffin?"

-I naturally sealed her with my holy power.However, the third pope was short-lived, and the fourth and fifth generations were so weak that they couldn't bear Marie Rose's evil influence.I felt that Marie Rose was going to awaken, so I was forced to die and become a coffin.I placed my ego into the coffin made of sacred wood.

"Was it Pagma who helped you at the time?" Ash asked, as he is the only one capable of making a item such as this coffin.

-Yes.That jerk...He cheated me.

"...?"

-He told me that my senses would remain, so I could feel Marie Rose in me forever even when I'm asleep. It was fucking bullshit.

"...?"

-I lose all my senses when I fall asleep.Thus, I never felt her.Sigh.I was looking forward to waking up and feeling her again...

"..."

'He is a pervert' Ash thought but didn't let it display on his face.

"Can you tell me about Pagma? Additionally, the first intruder..."

-What are you going to do if I tell you?Are you going to bring Marie Rose back?

"..."

He wanted Ash to catch Marie Rose? Ash thought it was ridiculous, and Chreshler laughed.

-you were going to Vatican right?, if you receive goddess blessing I will tell you.

Ash nodded and the coffin said.

-Go on, I will wait here.

Ash left the cave not before picking other dropped ores, he also found ores imbedded in wall, but couldn't take them as he doesn't have mining skill.

-Greedy guy but he sure has potential. Chreshler thought before he fell asleep once gain.

~he was a transcendent

Madra spoke as Ash appeared outside the cave.

"Hmm, " Ash nodded.

~he reminded me of the Grandmaster .

"Grandmaster ?" Ash asked.

~hmm, he is the reason, I wasn't able to remove Saharan Empire, he was an Ancient Guy.

[New Information learned]

[Int +100]

Ash thought he must be a great guy as just by leaning few words about him, his int rose by 100.

'I am happy, I didn't check the story script of Overgeared, it is fun this way, exploring the unknown' Ash Smiled as he went towards the Vatican.