Soon we finally got to our first destination. People were already lining up there watching us as if there would be something important happening. They were not that wrong. I was about to heal some of them and create a wonder but I was definitely not one to just ignore the poor people. I was also not dumb. I could see that more noble people were in front of the line than the poor. Since it was my very own duty to heal them and I was not a puppet who would just simply go to my place to sit still and wait for the next one, I decided to do what I like to do.
"Saintess..."
Micheal softly called out to me and it was clear to everyone what he was about. I knew what he meant but I couldn't stand this. What was I supposed to do? Just watch this nonsense? No. I couldn't and I wouldn't be able to do that!
I knew I was supposed to sit right here in the tent they created in the middle of the plaza but I simply just couldn't stand this injustice. These people had enough money to buy medicine and also get treated by a doctor but the people at the back didn't have the same chance. They were the poor. The people that were doing everything to survive and the people which the nobles were exploiting. The wealth of the nobles all comes from the poor. If people wouldn't work for them, they wouldn't be able to live in luxury at all.
This just simply wasn't fair at all.
"Trust me."
Of course I tried to make him feel better while I decided to encourage him a bit more to dance out of the line. Sooner or later he would be the leader. Why not take this chance and show off. Stand in front of everyone and be the one he truly wanted to be. Ever since we got out of the church he was holding back and nearly never saying anything while we were in the presence of the pope like this very moment.
The pope didn't like me standing up. That was to be expected but I was not a puppet to be controlled so he should definitely brace himself for something.
"Saintess, where are you going?"
"Your Eminence, I am just stretching out my legs."
"Right now? This is not a place for this nor is this child's play! All these people are here to get healed and witness your stunning ability."
Childsplay?
How dare you act like this and call what I am about to do child's play?!
Screw you and your greedy ass!
I am not playing this rotten game with you!
"Then excuse me for my childish behavior since I am still a child!"
This was all I had to say to the man before I started moving away and down the line. I could see all the nobles but they seemed rather healthy. Some had some scars but that was all. None of them was coughing a lot or was actually about to collapse. They also didn't have any wounds which would be life threatening at all. Why they were all standing in the line, was quite puzzling for me.
On the other hand, I could spot a poor woman with a child in her hand. She was coughing a lot. Not only that but she looked very pale and even fell down to her feet. The nobles ignored her but the poor people around her helped her up. She was definitely desperate to be here. How could I just ignore that and treat someone who didn't need it that important or fast?
Ever since I spotted that woman, I had already made up my mind and started walking towards her. She needed the attention and the treatment way more than anyone here. The child also was crying all the time and I could even distinguish the painful cry from any normal child's cry. The baby in her hands was sick as well and there was definitely not much a normal doctor could do but I was different. I wouldn't give up this simply and leave her behind with that child untreated. I would do everything that I could to make her feel better. At least I would feel at peace after this.
Knowing I could do something and not doing anything was the worst feeling in my point of view. The guilt would eat at me and I wouldn't be able to sleep or forget this situation at all.
"SAINTESS!"
Scream all you want you fat rat!
I am not doing what you want!
I am not a slave!
I am not a pawn!
And no one is gonna use me at all!
I am my own person!
Slowly I made my way to the poor woman till I was standing right in front of her smiling ever so softly. She couldn't tell, of course, since I had my veil on but she could hear my voice.
"Can you give me your hand?"
"The baby!... please treat my ... baby ...."
Despite how she looked, she was still begging me to heal her baby before herself but I had no intention of just healing one. I would heal them both. Of course I could understand the woman being more concerned about the kid, so I focused on the child before looking at her again. Just the slight touch made the child stop crying and when I was holding the small child's hand, it stopped completely. Not only that but the breathing was steady and it seemed as if the baby just managed to fall asleep as well.
It was a wonder which just happened in front of everyone.
No one dared to say anything at all.
It was pure silence that I encountered while I treated this mother and her child. After I was done with the baby, the woman broke down crying, hugging the child closer to her and she looked a lot more relieved.
"Can I now have your hand?"
"But.... there are soo many other people in front of me."
"There may be a lot of people but they are not as close to death's door as you. You need my help more than them."
"Thank you."
The woman started crying more and more but in the end she gave me her hand so that I could touch her and use my ability. Meanwhile she was just hugging the child, shivering and shaking. The joy in this mothers eyes was just something else. I never saw anything like this and I wouldn't be able to put it down in words. She was just happy, glad and relieved that both of them would live to see tomorrow.
Once I healed the poor woman, all the other other poor people started bowing down to me. They may still be in line but when the woman bowed because of how thankful she was, the rest followed. One by one they went down on her knees and they all started chanting over and over.
"LONG LIVE THE NEW SAINTESS!"
"LONG LIVE OUR NEW SAINTESS!"
"LONG LIVE OUR HOPE!"
This was not what I wanted nor expected and it made me flustered and hesitant. Honestly I was at a loss for words. I didn't know what to do but I also didn't have to know what to do. My heart was already telling me to heal them all. They all needed it. They were the poor but I had the power to make them suffer less than they needed.
On the other hand, I could hear the displeasure of the noble. Somewhere already talking behind my back and saying that I was not worth it seeing as I was associating with the poor and dirty scums. Then there were others who admitted what I was doing and said something along the lines of how big my heart was to think about the poor as well.
However what shocked me more was the pope. He started coming towards me quite angry as well. Micheal was following quickly from behind but soon he jumped in front of the pope to stop him from doing whatever he was about to do. Who knew, his face was reddened by the anger inside of him and there was definitely no telling what he would do.
"Your Eminence!"
"Move, you imbecile!""
"Please rec-"
Micheal couldn't even finish his sentence when he got slapped to the ground. He flew down immediately and not only that but I saw a drop of blood which came from him and that was it with my patience. The moment I saw this happening, I began walking towards the pope and I was about to give him a piece of my mind. Who cares if I would become a Karen in the process or not. This had to be said.
"HOW DARE YOU!"
"How dare I?! HOW DARE YOU GO AGAINST MY WORDS!"
"I AM NOT YOUR PUPPET NOR WILL I EVER BE ONE! THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO NEED MY HELP AND I WON'T TURN MY BACK ON THEM!"
This pope seemed to get angrier and angrier by the minute. I could even see one of his veins pop up around his head. This was not a good sign but I was also not better than him because I was currently trying my best to keep the bloodlust away from sipping out of me due to the anger in me.
"YOU THINK THINK YOU DESERVE TO BE A POPE?!"
"WHAT DOES A BRATTY GIRL LIKE YOU KNOW?! HUH!!!"
"I KNOW MORE THAN YOU THINK BUT I WON'T BE LIKE YOU!"
"COME OVER HERE!"
"AS IF! THESE PEOPLE NEED IT MORE!"
"BUT THESE PEOPLE CAN'T PAY FOR IT!"
"A LIFE'S WORTH IS PRICELESS! OR DO YOU THINK YOU ARE WORTH MORE THAN ONE OF THEM?"
"OF COURSE I AM! I AM THE POPE!"
At this point, the people around us started to gather up. It was not only the poor people but also the nobles which were displeased about this show. No matter how dumb the nobles were they still knew where their money was coming from and what the pope just said. He implied that his life was more worth than a single life that was standing in the line, noble or not.
"SO YOU THINK YOU ARE MORE WORTH THAN ONE OF THEM?"
This was a trap set by me the moment I got what he was inevitably saying. I knew he was stupid but I didn't know that he was this stupid. So when I said that, I pointed towards the noble side around us and not the poor ones intentionally. However this dumb idiot didn't even look where I was pointing at. He was just way too angry to get what was going on right now.
"OF COURSE! I AM THE POPE! I STAND ABOVE ALL!"
And that ladies and gentlemen is your doom!
How fucking stupid can you be?
Look around you!
There are not only poor people but nobles as well!
"OH BUT YOU ARE NOTHING BUT A HUMAN BEING YOURSELF!"
I was still screaming at the man and then it happened. He came closer stepping over Micheal, kicking him away even before coming straight to me but the knights stopped him. These knights were not holy knights at all. I did see the emblems but there were around 5 different kinds of knights there and one of them was a member of the Underwood duchy.
"We will take this from here on out."
"This is a crime and a felony at the same time. Insulting a noble is not something everyone can do, especially not this openly."
This was all I could hear the knights say but to be quite honest, I was focusing on Micheal more than anyone else but there were too many injured people. I wanted and wished to heal them all. There had to be a way to heal them all. The poor people despite how wounded and sick they were, they were revolting and the nobles were talking badly about the pope. The pope itself started fighting back while the knights were apprehending him. He even started ordering the hily knights around but they were not listening as he dug his own grave. None of the knights would follow the pope since they knew that his fate was sealed.
I can't believe this....
I can't believe his stupidity!
And how dare he kick his own successor?!
What an idiot!
The knights will love getting him back once the evening comes...
I doubt there will be time till the evening.
He screwed up too much!
I didn't really know what would happen with the pope but that was something I could find out easily later. For now I had more important things to do. Once again, I looked around and saw all the people and their wounds, illnesses and even old people standing there. They were screaming at the pope and each one was fighting for my sake, not their own sake, for a better treatment and equal treatment.
No one cared about what would happen next. They wanted justice and that was all.