Please Stop The Pope

Chapter 82

The Plague

1.

The moment we entered the quarantine area, a quest appeared for the first time in a while.

[A quest has been triggered.]

[Plague]

Type: Sub – DLC

Description: A mysterious plague is spreading in the area you’re currently in. Moans of those afflicted echo everywhere, and many have lost hope for the future.
Oh Holy Pope, please drive out the vile plague that has seized this place and save those who are suffering.

Completion Condition: Eliminate the

Rewards: <10,000 Divine Points>, <1 Relic Point>

Since there was no reason to refuse the quest, I immediately accepted it and closed the message window. Then, I slowly observed my surroundings.

Containers scattered everywhere and buildings that barely reached three stories high.

The incessant sounds of coughing and groaning revealed the grim reality of this place.

“This really shows how fascinating Earth is as a world.”

“What do you mean?”

“Just look at Seoul, where our church’s temple is. It’s filled with towering skyscrapers and is so advanced compared to Eden. But here, just a little lower down, it’s so different. I used to think civilization’s progress would mean everyone could live well, but that’s not the case.”

“That’s just how human worlds are.”

“True. A world where everyone is equal and happy can’t exist. If it could, there’d be no need for religion.”

Sometimes, Luna’s words can be quite cynical.

Perhaps this mindset came from her childhood, when she had to work tirelessly to feed her siblings.

“Still, this place is much better than where I lived with my siblings. At least people don’t go hungry for long periods here, right?”

Luna said this as she continued moving forward.

From the moment we entered, numerous eyes had been fixated on us.

The combination of me in priestly robes and Luna in pristine white armor was too eye-catching to ignore.

Under their intense stares, we headed toward our first destination.

Because the plague was spreading, there were very few people out on the streets.

“According to Manager Kim’s message, it should be there.”

Luna spoke as she skillfully navigated her smartphone.

Recently, Luna and Leo have been using smartphones better than I have. They must be spending most of their breaks glued to them.

“I see it now.”

“Hm?”

“That’s a cross. It’s a symbol of Christianity. At one time, you could see it everywhere in the country.”

I looked at the container with a cross on it.

Though it wasn’t very large, faint divine power was emanating from inside.

It must be the pastor Manager Kim had mentioned.

“Let’s go inside.”

“Yes.”

Together with Luna, I entered the container. Just then, a young boy gripping a sharp metal skewer shouted at us.

“D-don’t come any closer! You can’t be here!”

The desperation in his face was palpable, and his trembling hands showed just how nervous he was.

Luna glanced between me and the boy before lightly flicking her fingers, causing the skewer to fly out of his hand.

Then, she patted the boy on the head with a smile.

“Don’t worry. We’re here to help.”

“R-really?”

“What’s going on, Heemin?”

A middle-aged man suddenly rushed out from inside the building.

His white shirt, stained with dust, had its sleeves rolled up. He was holding a wet towel, as though he had just hurried out in a rush.

The man’s eyes met ours.

Three seconds later.

“Kim…Siwoo?”

Realizing who we were, his eyes widened as he dropped the towel he was holding.

I waved at him and greeted him.

“We should’ve asked permission before entering, but we’re in a bit of a hurry. May we come in?”

“Oh, thank God. Thank you! Truly!”

“Well, we actually follow Limen.”

“Oh, my apologies! I spoke out of habit…”

Luna leaned toward me and whispered softly.

“He seems like someone fun to tease, doesn’t he?”

“What’s fun about it?”

“Well, it’s like teasing you. Hehe.”

I ignored her.

Pushing Luna’s face away with my hand, I smiled and spoke to him.

“It’s fine. By the way, this young man is brave. What happened?”

“This morning, some patients stormed in here. Their extreme aggression nearly hurt the children badly. Heemin must’ve become wary of outsiders because of that. Heemin, you should apologize.”

“I-I’m sorry. I thought you were bad people since you came in so suddenly.”

“It’s our fault, too. Sorry about that, Heemin. We’ll knock before coming in next time.”

We were at fault for barging in without knocking.

Still, his courage in facing us with a metal skewer was impressive.

Moreover, I could sense a seed of divine power within the boy.

It was a shame, though, that the seed wasn’t ours.

“The other children are struggling due to an unknown illness, but Heemin remains unaffected. Thanks to him, I’ve received a lot of help. I’m Pastor Seo Seongshin. I’ve been serving here for two years.”

“I’m Kim Siwoo. This is Luna.”

“Meeting such renowned individuals in person is overwhelming.”

Pastor Seo smiled as he shook my hand.

Wooooong-!

Through our handshake, I could feel his pure divine power. He had awakened through deep faith, and his divine power was astonishingly pure—worthy of being called prophet-level.

Such divine power alone could significantly alleviate the symptoms of the plague.

“I’m sorry I can’t offer you anything more.”

“Your welcome is more than enough. Would you mind if we took a look inside the church?”

“Of course not.”

Pastor Seo led us to a room inside the church.

There, six children lay, all in poor condition.

Their fingertips and toes had turned black, a clear sign of the plague.

“These children lost their parents to the plague. I’d like to send them to better facilities outside, but due to the quarantine, that’s impossible.”

“They don’t look well.”

“While other patients improved after coming into contact with me, these children didn’t.”

Typically, someone with prophet-level divine power could improve symptoms simply through contact.

I approached the children, who were radiating an intense malice.

“I’ve tried everything I can…”

“You’ve done everything possible. This isn’t something you could handle alone.”

Even with his immense divine power, he could only release it; he couldn’t use blessings or sanctification skills.

While this was sufficient to cure most plague victims, it wasn’t enough for these children.

I placed my hand on one of the children and asked,

“Have the children left this place since they fell ill?”

“Not at all. They’ve been too weak to move.”

“I see.”

[Curse has been lifted.]

Hoo-

The children’s ragged breathing normalized, and their strained faces relaxed.

Pastor Seo’s eyes widened as he observed the children’s transformation.

“They’re…”

“The problem has been resolved.”

“Thank you! Thank you so much! I was so worried about what would happen to them…”

“Before that, Pastor Seo.”

I stood and approached him, speaking in a calm voice.

“Has anyone else from outside visited here? Please be honest.”

It seemed there was no need to look far for the source of the plague.

2.

“There is a deaconess who usually attends our church services. For the past two days, she has been helping to nurse the children. She seems immune to the disease, just like us, as she shows no signs of infection.”

According to Pastor Seo, a deaconess named Lee Hye-seon had come to the church two days ago to care for the children and then left.

Despite the spread of the plague, she remained unaffected, suggesting she too had some form of immunity against it.

However, there was one critical fact that needed to be addressed.

For anyone other than a player to possess resistance to the plague is practically a miracle.

Take Hee-min, the boy who pointed a metal skewer at us earlier. His case was extraordinary—he possessed the seed of divine power and innate, monstrous resistance that allowed him to be unaffected by the plague.

Unless someone had such a special condition, there was only one possibility left: familiarity with demonic energy.

In other words, being a user of demonic energy.

“Luna.”

“Yes, Your Holiness?”

“What’s your take on this?”

“It’s obvious. That woman is a bad one. She might not be the source of the plague, but she’s definitely involved. She’s the only suspect who could have cursed the children. Even if she was an acquaintance before, there are plenty of cases where demons disguise themselves as humans.”

Pastor Seo wasn’t even slightly suspicious of this deaconess, Lee Hye-seon.

Why? Because they had known each other before the current situation began.

Even when we suggested that she might be the culprit, he found it hard to believe. It seemed like a significant amount of trust had been built between them.

“Sometimes, Your Holiness, you’re too soft. If it were me, I’d have already dragged her here by her hair.”

“…By her hair?”

“If I rip her head off, the hair’s a bonus, right? Or am I wrong?”

Such words coming from the mouth of a paladin supposedly following the will of the divine…

Anyway, we decided to grant Pastor Seo’s request for a single chance to verify things.

If it had taken longer, we would’ve acted immediately, but the deaconess was scheduled to visit the church soon, so we decided to wait.

And just as Pastor Seo had said, it wasn’t long before the deaconess, Lee Hye-seon, arrived.

“Pastor, I’m here.”

A middle-aged woman entered the church with a soft smile. Pastor Seo, forcing a smile, welcomed her.

“You’ve come, Deaconess Lee.”

“The children are alright, I hope?”

“They still have fevers, but they’re getting a little better.”

“I brought some leftover fever reducers from home. I hope they help.”

Luna and I were concealed behind a thin veil created by divine energy, a kind of camouflage.

Unless someone possessed divine power comparable to mine, it would be impossible for them to detect us.

Pastor Seo and the deaconess headed to the room where the children were lying.

And at that moment, a crack appeared in the serene smile the deaconess had worn.

Her expression of composure was replaced with one of urgency.

Pastor Seo, observing her closely, spoke in a low tone.

“The children are finally improving. It seems they’re overcoming the disease little by little.”

“…Really? That’s such a relief.”

She must have realized that the curse mark had been removed because she quickly tried to approach the children.

But Pastor Seo blocked her path.

“Deaconess.”

“The children’s clothes are soaked with sweat. I brought some fresh clothes, so I’ll change them myself.”

Despite her words, Pastor Seo didn’t step aside. Instead, he spoke firmly.

“I’m sorry, but I’d like you to leave for today. The children are just beginning to recover…”

“I was so close! I was so close!”

At that moment, black tendrils shot out from the deaconess’s body, striking Pastor Seo violently.

His body flew into the wall as though it were weightless, the blow devastating.

Right then, Luna emerged from the veil, catching Pastor Seo’s limp body.

“What do you want to do, Your Holiness? It’s clear she’s not the source of the plague. She’s just a worthless plague demon.”

“Even so, she’ll be useful. If we follow the demonic energy leaking from her body, it’ll lead us to the source.”

Luna gently laid Pastor Seo on the ground, then summoned her flail from thin air, her smile widening wickedly.

“Perfect. Mind if I let off some steam?”

“Leave the head intact. The children are sleeping, so keep it quiet.”

“What a shame. The best part is smashing their heads…But saving the best for last works too.”

I placed my hands over Heemin’s eyes as he peeked out from behind me. I spoke softly to him.

“Hee-min, cover your ears with your hands.”

“O-okay.”

“It’s alright. This will be over soon.”

Luna’s menacing divine energy filled the small church, heavy and suffocating.