Somebody Stop the Pope – 140



Episode 140

5.

After hearing Mr. Jin Seo-jun’s strange report I came out in front of the temple and nodded my head as I looked at the scene unfolding before my eyes.

“One thing is certain.”

“What is it Your Majesty?”

“I can bet my Baekseol that those guys are not from Baekmyeonggyo.”

Luna quickly joined the scene after receiving a call from Jin Seo-jun.

Luna was smiling as if she was having fun while eating popcorn next to me.

“Why not Baekmyeonggyo?”

“If they were Baekmyeonggyo there’s no way they would do something so stupid and meaningless. Don’t you know their personalities? They’re extremely gloomy and cautious. What could they possibly gain from doing something like that?”

“I admit that.”

The ‘small problem’ that Jin Seo-jun mentioned.

That’s right.

“Everyone! Don’t fall for the quacks!”

“The Limen Church must explain its source of funding!”

“The Limen Church which is turning the Republic of Korea into an old-fashioned theocratic state must reflect!”

“The Limen sect that oppresses other religions with the help of the media and power! Reveal the truth!”

It was an illegal protest that started by surprise in the early morning not far from the temple.

The total number of people staging the surprise protest was twelve. They were each holding picket signs that said “Explain” “Stop theocracy” etc.

Of course it was a surprise protest without any prior notice. In addition behind them several MeYouTubers suddenly appeared out of nowhere and were filming the protest with cameras.

“It’s fun to watch. It’s perfect for watching while eating popcorn.”

“Popcorn in the morning?”

“Instead of breakfast. I’m on a diet these days.”

I heard you roasted a whole Korean beef last night. What do you mean by diet?

I glanced at Luna and then looked back at the protest site as I spoke.

“Did you report it to the police?”

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“I heard that Manager Jin Seo-jun did it earlier but was it really necessary to call the police? Those guys could have just called our family members and it would have been taken care of.”

“It will be resolved.”

Even monsters will disperse on their own in shock and fear when their ‘family members’ appear ready to eat them alive.

Even in my opinion the new recruits in our church have visuals that are more suited to ‘that side’ than clergy.

I’ll leave it to your imagination where ‘that side’ is.

Anyway it would be a headache if the new recruits forcibly disbanded. And I thought that was exactly what they wanted.

“As expected it’s the Republic of Korea. It never disappoints me. Every single day is truly enjoyable.”

“His Holiness.”

“why.”

“Honestly you want to take those guys to the underground interrogation room? You can be really honest with me.”

“Not to that extent. Those people will die if they go there.”

The underground interrogation room of our temple is a forbidden area that is off-limits to the general public.

You can’t use a slaughterhouse knife to slaughter a chicken.

So I silently watched the protest site for a while and then slowly walked away.

Then Luna who was standing next to me said while putting the popcorn down next to me.

“What should I do Your Majesty?”

“We need to resolve this through talking.”

There’s no way that Baekmyeonggyo or Jeonghwaja would do something as stupid as this.

I walked to the protest site with a big smile on my face and then the people watching the protest behind me started to recognize me.

“uh?”

“It’s Pope Kim Si-woo!”

“It’s the Pope!”

“Here! Look here!”

Despite the passage of time our church’s holy site remains one of the most popular tourist attractions in Seoul.

A few days ago it was selected as the ‘#1 place you must visit in South Korea’ and thanks to that it was packed with people even on a weekday morning.

Each and every one of those people is now a witness to this event.

I waved lightly at the people cheering me on and walked up to the very front of the protesters.

They had been waving their picket signs and raising their voices just a moment ago but they shut their mouths as soon as they saw me.

Faces with obvious signs of tension.

Judging from the way they were looking at each other at that split second it seemed like they weren’t from the same group.

Everyone seems a little nervous. Should we try some ice-breaking?

“Go on with your work. But this is the sacred ground of our church. Do you think I would eat you all? Haha!”

I thought it was a joke but it could be interpreted differently depending on the person receiving it.

At those words the bodies of all those participating in the demonstration froze.

The effect was absolutely outstanding.

I walked towards the young man who was at the forefront of those who had frozen like statues and was raising his voice.

Early 20s at best.

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The young man was holding a placard in his right hand that said “Down with pseudo-religion” and as soon as I approached he looked at me with trembling eyes.

This is a place where tension is suddenly created and you become instantly immersed.

Only the cameras of the YouTubers filming this scene were moving diligently.

I glanced at the young man then leisurely looked around at the cameras. Then I took out one of the candies that Siyeon had given me that morning from my pocket.

“Did you have breakfast brother?”

The young man barely shook his head in response to my words.

“no.”

“Koreans are rice-dependent so how can that give them strength? From now on please register your assembly formally and eat a hearty breakfast before you come. We all have to eat to survive so we shouldn’t starve.”

As I said that I put a piece of candy in the young man’s hand and said with a gentle smile.

“My sister gave me some candy. I crave sweets when I’m tired. If you’re hungry go to the training facility next to the shrine. There’s a restaurant there. I’ll tell you separately so you can fill your hunger there.”

It’s not always a good idea to just force it out.

Just by looking at them you can tell what purpose these guys have come here for.

It seemed like he came here to find fault with me somehow but I had no intention of falling for such a low-level prank.

A large crowd gathered around.

There are even some MeYouTubers who seem to be live streaming this scene.

If you think about it differently it’s a really good opportunity. And how could I miss such a good opportunity?

“The Limen Church will not discriminate against you just because you have different beliefs than us. Limen loves everyone.”

I bowed my head politely toward the protesters.

“I have one request. Please do not cause any harm to the citizens who come here. Please keep in mind that there are also people who come here to pay their respects to their loved ones.”

As soon as my eloquent story ended voices criticizing the protesters began to arise loudly from all sides.

“What kind of Pope is that? Persecuting other religions?”

“You have to have a real conscience.”

“Hey hey take a picture of those people’s faces quickly!”

“The real Limen Church is the Limen Church. They are great people. Their mindset is different.”

Public opinion of criticism is created in the blink of an eye.

No matter how shameless you are it’s hard to endure one-sided criticism.

For those types of people this method is much more effective.

I slightly lowered my head as I listened to the torrent of criticism directed at the illegal protesters. Then I stepped back again.

Luna who had been watching the scene from beginning to end clapped and smiled with satisfaction.

“No matter how you look at it our His Holiness is born to be a politician. How can he be so good at showmanship? Isn’t that why Limen chose His Holiness?”

“Sometimes you have to know how to solve things with words. Do you always have to resort to force?”

“It feels so new to hear such words from Your Majesty.”

Since public opinion has been created against them the illegal protesters will likely disperse on their own before the police even arrive.

By the way I am curious about the people behind those people. What kind of gutsy guy must they be to stage an illegal protest in our church’s sacred grounds and tell such ridiculous stories?

There is one way to find out without having to drag those people into an underground interrogation room.

I took my smartphone out of my pocket and called Director Kim of the Ability Management Department.

A call that connects immediately after a brief connection tone.

-I got a call.

“Director Kim. Good morning. It’s nothing more than….”

Isn’t this the good thing about having friends?

6.

Two hours after talking to Director Kim.

Director Kim came to my office with the information I requested.

“There is a religious group called the New Heaven Temple. It is a fairly old religious group…”

“The New Heaven Temple that I know?”

“you’re right.”

“Wow it’s been a long time. It’s been a long time.”

A religious group called Saenuri Church that has been the subject of much talk and controversy since the coronavirus outbreak around 2020.

It was such a famous group that I couldn’t not know about it.

I knew they were involved in this.

Compared to guys like Baek Myeong-gyo and Jeong Hwa-ja they were just a handful but it was still embarrassing.

“Aren’t they originally the ones who fought against the Protestants?”

“According to our investigation the people who carried out the illegal protest earlier are members of the New Heaven Temple and the so-called….”

Director Kim’s words were vague and I could vaguely understand what he was trying to say.

I said waving my hand lightly.

“Are you trying to say that I belong to a cult?”

“…you’re right.”

“It’s a bit unfair. Where else can we look at other religions without prejudice as much as our church does?”

It’s not like we rejected other religions but seeing this it seems clear that the influence of the Limen sect has expanded significantly in South Korea.

Flies tend to swarm food that smells good.

I took a sip of the green tea Leo had given me. Then I exhaled quietly.

“There’s nothing more frustrating than seeing your competitors in the same industry doing well. Tsk. But still you have no business ethics.”

At my words Director Kim nodded with an awkward smile. Then he quickly continued his story.

“Perhaps this is just the tip of the iceberg Your Holiness.”

“hmm?”

“I’ve heard that there are already quite a few religious groups in the provinces who are operating under the guise of the Limen Church. There are even groups that approach you saying they’ll teach you the doctrines of the Limen Church.”

“…That’s interesting. Thank you for letting me know Director Kim.”

“It was something I had to tell you.”

There are countless counterfeit products that copy luxury brands.

It’s the same in any field. When something is good everyone tries to follow it and get attention because it’s much cheaper and more effective.

I can understand imitating our church’s policies and social activities but imitating our church’s name is a completely different matter.

“Archbishop Laparte.”

I frowned and called Archbishop Laparte.

Then Archbishop Laparte who had been quietly drinking tea for some time answered quietly.

“Yes Your Majesty.”

“What does Archbishop Lapart think?”

“As the power of the sect expands the number of people who are jealous and envious of the sect increases. This is not surprising. Weren’t there those in Eden who impersonated the name of the sect and sullied the name of Limen?”

As the influence of our church expanded there were many who wanted to take advantage of that influence.

Humans are definitely that kind of being.

A being that can do anything if it benefits them.

There are people who sell out their parents for profit so it wasn’t that difficult to impersonate someone else’s god.

“Your Majesty we cannot afford to leave such people alone. Those who spread false and distorted doctrines under the pretense of the sect are no different from the enemies of the sect.”

“This is something that cannot be overlooked.”

“To fight against those who threaten us by impersonating the name of Limen we need thoroughly trained professional personnel. Your Majesty you know this well don’t you?”

No one knows better than Archbishop Laparte what the “professionals” are.

Tremendous mental strength.

Extensive knowledge of doctrine.

They are beings who inflict merciless punishment on those who threaten the values ​​of the church.

This is a position that was previously updated in my DLC store but I had put it on hold because I had no use for it right away.

“Your Majesty now is the time for the Inquisitor.”

The Inquisitor.

A position given to those who specialize in heresy in our church.

It is certainly a job that is completely out of place for the 21st century….

[Sub-quest <The Inquisitor> starts automatically.]

A message window suddenly pops up.

After checking the reward for the sub-quest that was created after a long time I couldn’t help but nod my head and sigh.

“…Let’s raise the Inquisitor.”

It was too good a reward to turn down.

Our Pope please stop this