We Must Unite (4)
When Shuri opened the door, she froze in shock.
Inside, the room was full of people rolling on the ground, clutching their stomachs.
"Aaaargh! Please, no!"
"We're begging you, bro! Please spare us!"
Shuri grabbed the back of her neck.
"…Isaac! What did you do this time?!"
Isaac scratched his ear.
I didn't do much.
"I just gave them the Gold Elixir and made it have side effects."
…Grandpa. I want to just go back to the academy.
Shuri looked like she was about to tear down the wallpaper, while Whisper ground his teeth in disapproval.
[To waste the master's precious mana on those trash!! What a waste!]
'Don't be so dramatic. I only gave them a speck of it.'
In truth, Isaac had added a concentrated extract of the Skeleton King's mana into the Gold Elixir.
And for clergy, mana is poison. The moment it hits the stomach, it causes such extreme internal twisting it feels like their organs might burst out of their mouths.
Especially when it's mixed with an incredible elixir that spreads throughout the entire body the moment it's ingested, the effect multiplies hundreds of times.
Hence, the current situation.
"Ugh, uuuuurgh!!"
"S-Save us! Give us the antidote!"
Isaac clicked his tongue like they were weaklings.
'Even after diluting the mana extract by 1000%, this is all it takes to make so-called clergymen scream like this?'
Of course, the Skeleton King's mana is so powerful that even high-ranking demons struggle to digest it. It was a miracle the young clerics didn't die on the spot.
Whether she understood this or not, Shuri let out a sigh, thinking Isaac had at least improved a little.
"Well… still, I guess it's something that you didn't scam them and gave them the Gold Elixir…"
"All of it? I gave it all?"
…What?
"Are you crazy? You gave all of that precious elixir to them?"
…What the hell??
Shuri panicked and grabbed Isaac.
"What exactly did you give them?!"
"
…In other words, he scammed the hell out of them.
Shuri's eyes nearly flipped.
"Hey! Aren't you supposed to be a priest?! How can you lie like that?!"
"I didn't lie! I did put in 0.0000001%!"
"Goddamn it! You'd put more poison than that in a drink!"
But Isaac just laughed, pulling out a vial of the Gold Elixir from his robes.
"Still, this stuff must really be valuable. The moment I showed it to them, every single one said, 'We won't betray you!' I'm thinking of using it again next time."
Ah, Grandpa… I was wrong… This bastard has zero intention of becoming a real priest.
Meanwhile, the apprentices writhing on the floor could only grind their teeth in frustration.
'Damn it… Eshuaaaa!'
'I thought they were just suckers…!'
***
50 minutes before the vote.
Back then, they had been rejoicing.
Sure, when Isaac walked in grinning with Shuri, they thought, "Shit, we got caught?" And when they were pulled into a room without Shuri, they thought, "We're screwed." But then—
"Wanna trade this for your votes?"
"!"
They couldn't believe their eyes or ears when Isaac pulled out the Gold Elixir.
A box adorned with dazzling golden decorations, wrapped in a golden seal. On it, luminous holy script engraved with sacred magic.
'Holy crap, it's the Pope's secret elixir!'
They thought it might be fake, but the box bore the crest of House Verite: "Shield Crown". It was unmistakably real.
Isaac smirked at their reaction.
"Big bros. You were sent here with a message to betray us, right?"
"?!"
"It's fine, it's fine. I'm here to make you an offer too."
The apprentices looked confused, but Isaac gave the box a little shake, tempting them.
"This elixir can advance your training by over ten years. You know you can't buy this even with money. And it's not like you need the support of House Jeok, right? So why not take the elixir and win the vote? Sounds like a win-win, doesn't it?"
"...!"
Right. It wasn't just a win—it was a huge win. Even if they sided with Jeok, they wouldn't get the Gold Elixir.
"There's a rumor that even Kina Verite became a genius after taking that…"
The offer was too tempting to ignore. But they still had some sense.
"Everyone on the continent knows House Cheong and the Pope's family don't get along! How the hell do you have that secret elixir?"
"Oh, I'm on good terms with the papal family. They took a liking to me after the ordination. Kina Verite even suggested we study together and meet His Holiness. This was a gift from House Geum."
"…R-Really? To you?"
"Yup… I even heard someone say they saw Kina Verite come visit him."
"…What?!"
"If you don't believe me, I can even bring a certificate of guarantee from Cardinal Verite."
"...!"
"But voting starts in 20 minutes. Not enough time to fetch it. So if you don't want the deal, that's fine. But then you're missing a once-in-a-lifetime chance to be like Kina Verite."
"...!"
Isaac smiled like a ghost tempting lost souls.
"We're not in a rush, after all. We're from one of the Five Great Ducal Houses. Both of us are early graduates. What do we have to fear? But you guys? You'll be branded as traitors, lose Eshua, and not even get the Gold Elixir. Support from House Jeok? Let's be honest—who does that really benefit? You? Or your families?"
"...!!"
Those who had been planning to betray Eshua suddenly found their resolve shaken.
That's when Molek, the first one who'd suggested betrayal, made an unexpected proposal.
"Then give us the Gold Elixir first."
"!"
"Why? You could promise it now and not give it later."
Molek was thinking smart—trying to get both the Gold Elixir and House Jeok's support.
'We'll vote unanimously for Eshua, take the elixir, and then betray them in the vote. Simple.'
The others caught on quickly.
"Yeah. It's called Unity, right? Help us believe in Eshua."
Isaac grinned.
"Sure. If that helps you believe in Eshua. But since I'm giving it to you first, you have to vote to 'Maintain Unity,' okay?"
Isaac smiled innocently, while they snickered to themselves like he was a fool.
Some even considered hiding the elixir and selling it later, but ultimately their plan hinged on betrayal.
And Isaac, of course, knew this.
"If you betray us after this, I'll take back the elixir and kill you with my own hands."
Haha. Better to eat it now than risk losing it—and still get House Jeok's support. Best of both worlds.
"Fine! We'll definitely vote to 'Maintain Unity!'"
"Thanks, big bros! Shuri will be so happy!"
Hahaha! What a sucker, Eshua…!
…or so they thought.
But after taking Isaac's elixir, the pain in their stomachs nearly made them pass out.
"U-Ugh! Wh-What the hell?! I definitely felt power surging through me at first…!"
"Why does my stomach hurt all of a sudden?!"
"Kurgh!"
Isaac walked over to the writhing boys and sat down, curling his lips into a smirk. The innocent, smiling child was gone—his eyes now cold and chilling.
"Hey. You're voting for 'Maintain Unity,' right? If not, no antidote. Better think carefully, yeah?"
"What did you say, you little—?!"
"Oh, and if you try crawling to the infirmary for help, I'll report everything to Nizer Sephet. I'll tell him you tried to betray the enemy for a taste of the elixir. Not that it matters—since I added a mana core to it, only Eshua can make the antidote anyway."
"?!"
At that, the apprentices broke into a cold sweat.
If they really had ingested a mana core, there were very few priests outside of Cheong capable of treating them.
Sure, maybe if they combed through the Papal Court, they could find someone… but odds were they'd die from the pain before that.
Worse, they'd already taken it. No way to deny it now—Nizer wouldn't believe anything else.
'Wait, the hell… Since when did Cheong start pulling stunts like this?!'
In the end, there was only one path left for them.
***
And now, in the present—
'Damn it! Who would've thought Eshua would pull something like this…!'
Having been utterly played by Isaac, the apprentices ended up casting a unanimous vote—and now they had no choice but to grovel.
"Aaaaargh! We passed the Unity vote! Give us the antidote already!"
"I seriously can't take it anymore!"
"Hm… now where did I put it?"
"HEY!!"
At this point, they genuinely found Isaac terrifying.
'Shit, didn't they say this kid swallowed the Skeleton King's bones as a baby?'
'If what we're feeling is even a fraction of that… how the hell did he survive?!'
The pain was killing them, but somehow that made them feel a weird kind of respect. Maybe this kid really was the one the Skeleton King called a Saint?
"I'm sure I put the antidote with the other medicine…"
Isaac rummaged through his belongings and finally pulled something out.
A cloth diaper.
"Ah, here it is—the antidote."
Oh! He kept it in a cloth diaper. That's… a little gross, but right now, who cares? He's their savior!
Shuri, though, had something to say to their 'savior.'
"…Hey. Isn't that the diaper you wore during your ordination ceremony?"
"It's fine. I didn't poop in it. It's clean."
Goddamn it! This bastard's no saint—he's a demon!
But even so, the apprentices reached out their trembling hands.
"G-Give it… please…!"
"Please! I can't take this anymore!"
"Sure, here you go."
Just as Isaac reached out with the antidote in his tiny hand—
BANG!
"Hand over my men!!"
A familiar face burst into Cheong's dormitory.
Storming in from the door was a red-haired guy.
Apprentices aren't supposed to wear colors representing their faith, but this guy clearly didn't care, showing up in bright red casual clothes.
Tall, muscular, built like a knight, he stormed in, clearly looking for Isaac.
"You little bastard, what did you bribe my men with to steal them away?! You're dead—urk!"
He reached for Isaac's collar—but was instantly tackled by the very people he came to rescue.
"Don't lay a hand on Isaac! Touch him and we'll kill you!"
"?!"
"That's right, you crazy bastard! Why the hell are you barging in here?! You trying to kill us?!"
"???"
Nizer, the one who barged in, looked utterly confused. Meanwhile, Shuri was speechless.
She had seen everything—how Isaac had slowly moved the antidote closer to the fireplace the moment Nizer showed up.
And every time Nizer moved, Isaac edged the antidote closer to the fire. Again. And again.
No wonder the poisoned victims were holding him back with fire in their eyes.
Isaac walked up to the now-frozen Nizer.
"Your men? If you thought you could take, you should've expected them to be taken."
"…!"
He grabbed Nizer Sephet by the head.
"They say you told them this: 'When it counts, what people really look for is overwhelming power and authority.'"
"!"
Their eyes met—Isaac's cold red eyes stared into Nizer's soul.
"You're wrong, kid. When it really matters, people look for their lifeline."
"...!"
Power? Authority?
"When you're staring down death, none of that shit matters, brat."
Isaac was smiling—but his eyes were colder than ice.
What Nizer saw wasn't madness or fury.
It was something deeper. Something that transcended death itself—an abyss of pure, original darkness.
A chill ran down Nizer Sephet's spine.
Tremble.
'How… how can a human have eyes like that?'
The followers of Red are trained in fear and pain from a young age. Especially direct bloodlines like Nizer, who undergo brutal discipline.
And yet this boy—this outsider—looked more "Red" than any Red ever had.
But Isaac just curled his lips into a wicked smile.
"Now that you get it, hand over all the sponsorship money you were gonna give them, the damages, and your house deed with your family seal on it! Got it, punk?!"
Are you a priest or a mob boss?!
"…Fine! But can you at least give us the antidote first?!"
The apprentices wailed.
***
Meanwhile, at the Papal Office—
Knock knock.
At the sound of the knock, Cardinal Verite of Gold stood from his seat, as if he'd been waiting.
"Come in."
The attendants who had gone to retrieve Isaac entered. Seemed like he had finally arrived.
'Seven days just to see one apprentice? Absurd.'
He'd wanted to keep the meeting discreet, but this was excessive.
Even so, the Cardinal composed himself to greet the guest—then froze.
Because—
"…."
He wasn't there.
The door had opened, but there was no Isaac. Just a bunch of sweating attendants nervously looking around.
"Where's Isaac Eshua?"
"...."
"…Didn't he borrow the Gold Elixir from the papal family? Said he'd come if we gave him that."
He hadn't said what he'd use it for, but it was obviously for the Unity vote. There was no other way Cheong could've won unanimously.
"But he's not coming?"
"Yes, Your Eminence."
"He just took the elixir and vanished?"
"…Yes."
The attendants hung their heads, on the verge of tears.
"Y-Your Eminence… Should we accuse Isaac Eshua of cheating to win the Unity vote?"
"That's not cheating."
The Gold Elixir is a rare treasure of the House of Gold. If he used it to recruit allies, it was a transaction—not fraud.
Cardinal Verite pressed his temples, a headache forming.
"Did he say anything else?"
"...."
"Anything else?!"
"…He… said to send a bigger gold bar next time…"
The Cardinal was stunned.
This… insane little bastard…
Finally, he snapped—the quill in his hand broke in half.
[T/L: Read extra chapters on my ko-fi page "Pokemon1920" : https://ko-fi.com/pokemon1920 ]