15 Travel

Anthony is currently helping his father with farming.

"Father, do we have enough cabbages for this Halloween." [1]

"Don't worry, son. We have enough for food and decoration. Thank God for this, son"

"Yay! Thank you, Lord!"

"Hey, look, a priest!"

When the farmers see the priest passes by, they all kneel down. Because a priest is figuratively another Christ on Earth, and honoring a priest is like honoring Jesus Christ.

("Such piety was not seen back at the modern era.") thought Pope Benedict IX.

Currently, Benedict is traveling around to see the living condition of his flock, and of course, to avoid many guards following and therefore scaring the people away, he is currently in a parish priest garb, going with him is Vincent, the butler of Lateran Palace, who is in informal clothes also.

"Uh, isn't this priest too young? He looks like a child, he cannot be much older than my son, Anthony!"

"Maybe it's a child dressing up for fun, or for attention."

"No, maybe he is a priest. It's just that he was ordained when he was young."

("We can hear all those murmurs, folks.") Benedict turns around and sees Vincent is extremely mad.

"Holy Father, can I teach them a lesson?" Vincent whispers into the Pope's ear.

"If the lesson you are saying is telling them that We are a priest then, yes."

"Listen up, folks! This is Father Benedict, who came to work at Rome recently." Vincent cannot help but nags at the people who was murmuring just now.

"Oh, so that's it!"

Suddenly, a boy runs up to Benedict, holding a cabbage.

"Anthony?!" called the boy's father "What are you doing?" although he knows the answer.

"I just want Father to bless our cabbages." "Father, please bless our cabbages for this Halloween."

("Ah, yes, it's already the end of October, All Saints' Day is near.")

Benedict raises his hand and bless the cabbage Anthony is holding, then he proceeds to give blessing to the farmers and the whole field.

"Hahaha, those blessed cabbages won't make you farmers escape your poor lives, ahahaha." a mocking voice can be heard from a carriage nearby.

("Hmm, that emblem . . . the Tusculum House.") Benedict looks at the carriage and realizes which house it belongs.

Then a young man comes out of the carriage and says.

"Father, please bless me and this carriage also, so that when our house become more powerful, those farmers will know that God wills our riches and fortunes."

"Umm, ok, We . . . I bless that one day you will become a religious and become a glorious saint in Heaven." Benedict raises his hand and bless the young man.

"No, I don't want that kind of blessing. Bless me riches, woman and power."

"Woah, someone just refuse a blessing!" murmured the farmers.

"Then that blessing is bestowed on you now." Benedict says while touching Anthony's head.

"Woa, thank you, Father!"

The young man becomes extremely angry, he runs to Benedict and grabs his collar. Vincent is extremely angry now and intend to teach the youth a lesson but Benedict raise his hand, signaling for Vincent to stay calm.

"Huh, . . . cousin!" the young man is completely surprised when he sees the face of the priest clearly.

"Yes . . . cousin!" Benedict replies

("Theophylact is now in enmity with the House of Tusculum. I should just hit him right here, maybe I will receive applause from my family. Hehe, he only brings an old butler, after all, you are just a silly boy."

The young man raise his arm, ready to punch Benedict . . . but after his arm was raised, he can't move it anymore.

Turning around, he sees the butler Vincent is holding his arm firmly.

"You dare raise your hand against a priest of God!!!"

"Guards, help me, slay this old man!"

Two guards dash to Vincent from behind the carriage.

"Huh, I see, insolent and hot-headed youths, all of you."

With his strength, Vincent lifts up the young noble and throws him at the two guards. As a result, the guards fall on their back.

"Ouch!"

"Get off me, useless guards!"

"Young Master, but you are the one above us!"

"Pffft . . ." Anthony can't but laughing at the three.

"Argh, you brat, I'll kill you." the young noble gets up, and the two guards dash to Vincent again.

"Tch, these guys, . . . "

***

Just 5 minutes later, to everyone's surprise, the two guards lie down on the ground, beaten senseless.

"Why? How?" asked the young noble.

("Because Vincent was a bodyguard for the Pope before he retired and became a butler.") Benedict silently answers the question in his head.

"I will . . . I will return!" the young noble hurriedly run to the carriage, and tell the driver to drive away.

"Young Master, wait for us!" the two guards get up and run behind the carriage, trying to catch up with it.

"Pffft . . . hahaha" the farmers around cannot help but laugh loudly.

"Father, isn't hitting people a sin against the 5th Commandment 'Thou shalt not kill.', why did the grandpa with you hit those guards?" Anthony asks while holding Benedict's hand.

"Ah, We . . . I see that you are properly taught in the Faith. Yes, it's true that hitting people is a sin against the 5th Commandment. But trying to protect yourself is not a sin. You saw that those two guards attacked first, right?"

"Yes!"

"Then the grandpa with me was just trying to protect me and himself. So it is not a sin."

"Ah, I understand, thank you, Father."

"Ok, it's getting late, I'll return now."

"But I want you to stay with us more."

"No Anthony, Father has to return, he has to take care of other people as well."

"Alright, goodbye, Father!"

"Goodbye!" Benedict says goodbye to the boy and then leaves with Vincent.

***

"What happened? Why is the carriage so fast?" the young noble before asks the driver.

"Sorry, Young Master, I don't know."

"You stupid. Why did my father hire you?" the young man hit the driver's head, which makes him lose control of the carriage even more.

Finally, the carriage slams into a big tree and finally stops.

"Ugh, so dizzy!" the young noble can even see many stars flying around his head.

***

[1] Before Halloween traditions spread to the US in the 19th century, the Halloween vegetable mascot is cabbage.