A Snake’s Life Ch 102

Chapter 102

[It is the Water God…….]

The snakes within the sacred relic were summoned by the Water God and were now circling around in their serpentine forms. It looked as though the many small snake figures were brushing against the Water God as if they had missed Him. The Water God observed each of the snakes one by one.

The Water God looked down in anguish. He saw all that had been wounded by the rain. Having poured all His power into manifesting in this world, the Water God could no longer remain in the human realm. Thus, His sanctuary—an extension of His power—was beginning to crumble. The children within it had already become a part of Him.

The Water God had watched over the Empire for a long time, but He now sensed that the end had come. He realized that it was His power that made humans greedy and tempted them to exploit Him.

[Matters of humans should be handled by human hands.]

The Water God swept His gaze across the people below. The pope and the emperor were no exception.

Everyone who heard those words lifted their heads abruptly. The tone of the Water God sounded as though He was declaring a farewell, leaving the people flustered. However, no one dared to ask if He was truly leaving. Instead, they nervously exchanged glances.

The emperor could no longer control his trembling legs. He had just witnessed the divine, and when his gaze briefly met the Water God’s radiant golden eyes, his heart jolted. Fear gripped him—fear that those eyes knew of his sins, and fear that the guardian deity protecting the Empire was about to disappear.

And among them, there was one person who felt even more anxious than the rest. While everyone else remained frozen in awe of the divine presence, one person broke past Kasa’s attempts to restrain him and shouted fearlessly at the Water God. That person was Zerpell.

The Water God had manifested using Shuiren’s body. That was why, to Zerpell, it sounded as though Shuiren was leaving with his own body. And he wasn’t exactly wrong.

“So, you are the being known as the Water God.”

[……Ah, so you are someone the child cherishes. Very well, do you have something to say to Me?]

Seeing Zerpell speak so calmly with the Water God, the crowd gaped in disbelief.

“Where do you plan to take Shuiren?”

[……As I thought, the child will be just fine.]

After holding Zerpell’s gaze for a moment, the Water God smiled with His eyes and left behind only vague words. Zerpell raised one eyebrow sharply in response. Just as the Water God was about to depart with the now-cleansed sacred relic, He paused.

[Yes, a punishment must be delivered.]

The Water God remembered that Shuiren had once shouted that someone else deserved the punishment. Observing Shuiren’s actions, He had realized that a deity must not be only gentle.

“Pu-punishment, you say?”

“Who do you mean?”

The crowd began to murmur and look around in alarm, worried that they might be the target. The Water God spoke to the snakes lingering near Him. Go, He said. Upon hearing the command, the snake figures created a great swirling vortex, split into two, and one flew toward the pope, the other toward the imperial palace.

“Wh-what is this……!”

The pope was swept up in the vortex while the priests below panicked. The vortex soon spat something out and returned to the Water God’s side. In the hands of a priest who had reached out to catch the pope was a small snake. It was a pale yellow, frail-looking serpent.

Startled, the priest dropped the snake. It raised its head and hissed as if trying to say something, but no words were heard. That snake was the pope. The pope’s mouth hung open, and his wildly trembling eyes confirmed the truth.

[Live as the being you looked down on and tormented. You shall never become human again. Live as a snake and end your life as a snake.]

The other vortex that had flown in the direction of the palace also returned to the Water God’s side. After glancing sideways at Zerpell, who was still glaring up at Him, the Water God ascended rapidly into the sky. He whispered only to Zerpell.

[If the child wishes it, I shall return to your side.]

Zerpell’s eyes widened.

As the Water God ascended toward the heavens and His long, sinuous body disappeared behind the clouds, people erupted in joyous uproar, ecstatic to have seen a god.

The priest, unable to believe the snake was actually the pope, continued searching for him.

Zerpell stood with his head hanging low in utter despair. Ian had once asked what he would do if Shuiren returned to the divine realm. Back then, Zerpell had believed that such a thing would never happen. That Shuiren would leave his side… he still thought that way. Yet, for some reason, he had a sinking feeling that this wait would be long.

“Your Holiness! Your Holiness!! Where are you?”

The pope, now transformed into a snake, cried out that he was the pope, but no one heard him. Instead, he was kicked about by people’s feet. One priest, finding the constantly approaching snake unsettling, even lightly pushed it away with his foot.

“……”

Kasa had quietly approached from behind and, upon seeing Zerpell’s slumped shoulders, said nothing. At last, Zerpell spoke.

“Would it have been better if I had ended everything with my own hands before all this happened?”

“Your Majesty.”

“I hated force, and that’s why I took the long way around……. I never wanted to ascend stained in blood. But at this point, maybe it wouldn’t have mattered.”

Nothing anyone said could reach Zerpell at that moment. Understanding his state, Kasa remained silent. Zerpell turned around. He approached the pope, who was trembling in fear.

“……Are you looking for the pope?”

“Y-Your Majesty.”

“Isn’t that what you’re doing?”

“Uh… Yes… That’s right……”

The priest couldn’t meet Zerpell’s eyes. He had once been the pope’s right hand and knew of all the things the pope had done. Most of the priests present knew as well.

Zerpell bent down and picked up the snake with his hand.

“If you’re looking for the pope, he’s right here.”

Zerpell casually held out the flicking-tongued snake toward the priest. He had wondered what kind of punishment the Water God would deliver, and in the end, it seemed like a perfectly fitting one. Rather than delivering swift judgment, being forced to live as the very being one had scorned didn’t seem too bad.

Zerpell remembered the other vortex that had gone toward the palace.

“H-how could this be…….”

“Did you not hear what the Water God said? He declared that punishment would be delivered.”

Zerpell emphasized the final words. At that, the priest fell silent, lips tightly shut.

“Now that the Water God is no longer here, I wonder if the temple itself is still necessary. Is it not already overrun with the corrupted?”

The priest took the pope-turned-snake in his trembling hands.

“……What do Your Majesty’s words mean?”

“Who knows……. I’m not sure myself.”

“But the Water God said He would deliver punishment. Was that really the pope?”

The murmurs spread and reached Zerpell’s ears. He looked at the emperor, who stood like a statue, staring at the snake.

“Is it all right for Your Majesty to remain here?”

“……”

“The pope is in this state. I wonder if she will be safe.”

Zerpell threw a veiled jab at the emperor, whose face turned deathly pale. The emperor hastily climbed into his carriage and returned to the palace.

“……Let us return as well.”

“As you command.”

It hadn’t been long since the uproarious incident, and yet now, the Empire was being completely overturned. The marquis’s case now seemed trivial. The marquis and the mage who had aided him were safely captured by Banse’s group. The rain that had poured from the heavens had dispelled the mage’s barrier, exposing their hideout and making the arrest easy.

The mage was dragged back to the Magic Tower in accordance with its rules, and the marquis was sentenced under the laws of the Empire of Ailfelt. However, no one paid attention to him, and he quietly faded away on the execution platform.

Rumors had started to circulate among the people that the pope had turned into a snake, and they suspected he might have been the one the Water God punished. Yet, no one dared to speak openly of it. Just like the pope, the empress too had turned into a snake. Although there were many rumors about her sudden disappearance, no one knew her whereabouts. The emperor secluded himself in the palace, practically in self-imposed exile.

“It’s truly a relief that the thorn in our side has finally been removed.”

“……”

“Now, all that’s left is for you to become emperor. Your Majesty… no, Your Imperial Majesty.”

“……Indeed.”

Zerpell sat with his back to Ian, gently toying with a pen that fit perfectly in his hand, as if unsure whether he was even listening.

Then, the sound of loud banging echoed. It was Kir, the only one left. Ian glanced sideways at Kir. Locked in an iron cage, Kir thrashed and pleaded to be released, but Zerpell remained silent.

Zerpell had imprisoned Kir in the cage with a single message: if you want out, bring back Shuiren. A month had already passed since the day Shuiren, who had promised to return, had not come.

“Pardon me.”

Ian stifled a deep sigh and left the office. Cedric was waiting outside.

“His Majesty……?”

Ian quietly shook his head. Cedric gloomily nodded back, and the two of them let out heavy sighs at the same time.

Though Shuiren had promised to return soon, there was no sign of him. Zerpell, having lost his purpose, was spending each day in emptiness.

“He’s about to become emperor…”

The coronation ceremony was all that remained, and yet Zerpell had lost interest in everything, often just gazing out the window. He no longer responded to any talk of the coronation. All he did was long for someone who wasn’t there. And so, sighs continued to echo around him.

“Just where is Lord Shuiren now…….”

The people revered Shuiren, believing he had saved the Empire and then departed. Meanwhile, Zerpell continued to wait, day after day, for the Shuiren who had ascended toward the heavens.

Thanks to Shuiren, the once relaxed atmosphere of the palace had once again become tense. If he were to return—may it be soon.