As a wisp of black smoke emerged from the chimney, the second round of voting ended, and the third round was about to begin.
Just then, the Cardinal who had been so pleased with himself, having received the most votes, suddenly convulsed, foamed at the mouth, fell straight backward, rolled his eyes, and then became still.
Everyone present was stunned. In the early 17th century, when medical knowledge was very scarce, hardly anyone knew what was happening. Caesar could only guess that this Cardinal might have suffered a myocardial infarction due to excessive excitement, leading to sudden cardiac death.
Moreover, even if they knew what was happening, the incident was so sudden, there was no proper way to respond, and the Cardinal died too quickly, leaving no time for rescue.
In fact, this Cardinal could even consider himself fortunate to have died so cleanly; otherwise, with the 'devil therapies' of that period—such as hanging to bleed, branding the head, or flattening ribs—it would have been difficult to preserve a complete corpse.
After the nearby Cardinals reacted, one checked his breath, confirmed he was dead, and gave a confirming look towards the altar.
"Three minutes of silence," the Former Papal Chamberlain announced. Everyone in the election hall stood solemnly, leaning slightly forward, eyes gently closed, right hand over their heart.
The Cardinals who had supported him felt as if they had fallen from the clouds to the bottom of a valley. Such a sudden situation was unforeseen by anyone, and it was unprecedented.
Caesar, at this moment, was also treading on thin ice. The sudden death of the leading candidate at this time clearly made him the biggest beneficiary, and even a fool could see that.
If he showed even a hint of joy, those who had previously voted for the deceased would never turn to him, and the Pope's position would still be out of his reach.
Therefore, Caesar had to appear more sorrowful than anyone else, and it had to feel completely genuine.
In reality, rather than crocodile tears, Caesar felt more like a fox mourning the death of a rabbit; in the face of illness and disaster, who could escape unscathed?
Especially now that he was in this era, once he fell ill, he couldn't even find a reliable doctor. Knowing that their strange therapies wouldn't work, yet having no other option, how could he not feel sorrow from the bottom of his heart?
With genuine emotion, Caesar's sorrow was impeccable. Three minutes later, when the Pope's Chamberlain announced, "Rite complete," Caesar deliberately waited a moment longer before slowly sitting down, his body stiff, his eyes vacant, taking a good while to recover.
"The election continues."
The Papal Election, the most important event for Catholics worldwide, would clearly not be halted by one person's death.
Everything continued as usual, as if nothing had happened.
Listening to his name being called out again and again, it was clear that his performance just now had been excellent, earning him the approval of many. Self-deception; if one cannot deceive oneself, how can one deceive others? Pretending is always pretending, and it always reveals flaws.
The third round still yielded no result, but it was just one step away from a two-thirds majority, and the outcome of this election was already very clear.
The faithful outside the church were unaware of all this. Seeing black smoke emerge from the chimney for the third time, some had even started packing their bags.
The fourth round of voting began. Although the result was already obvious, the process still had to be followed.
No one wanted to be pointlessly confined here for a few more days, and some Cardinals who knew they had no hope no longer resisted. The result was as expected: Caesar was successfully elected the 233rd Pope with a vote count far exceeding two-thirds.
When the Former Papal Chamberlain announced the result, all the other Cardinals stood up together and applauded in celebration.
Their movements were uniform, but their expressions varied. There was sincerity, hypocrisy; blessings, malice; relief, resentment…
Caesar swept his gaze across them and couldn't help but feel a slight tremor. What a spectacle of human emotions; if a painter were to capture this scene, it would surely be a world-famous painting. But it seemed that being the Pope would not be easy.
Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, Caesar followed the Former Papal Chamberlain to a private room to change into the Pope's vestments.
The Pope's vestments are the only all-white garments among Catholic clerical attire, with approximately 30 hand-stitched buttons and buttonholes. The vestments are adorned with various embroidered patterns, and a golden cross is at the heart area.
He put on the vestments, then a short, bright red shoulder cape, a white brimless miter on his head, red shoes on his feet, and held a golden crozier with a large cross on top.
Fully dressed, Caesar looked at himself in the full-length mirror and was extremely pleased. Before his transmigration, Caesar's favorite color for clothes was white. Now, looking at his dignified self in the mirror, a sense of solemnity and sacredness naturally arose.
"Your Holiness, please choose your pontifical name."
Right, choose a pontifical name. The first thing a newly elected Pope does is choose a new name for himself.
If he hadn't become Pope, changing the name Claude simply because it was unlucky, and choosing Augustus, a name of great significance in European history, would have been too attention-grabbing.
But now that he had become Pope and was choosing a new name, it was perfectly legitimate. Most Popes throughout history chose the names of saints, adding a regnal number if it was a repeat, though there was no explicit rule about what name to choose.
In other words, even choosing the name "Father of Jesus" would theoretically be permissible. However, Caesar did not intend to try such a holy-defying name, and the name he intended to choose was one he had thought of long ago.
"From now on, my name is Augustus!"
This statement was not only for everyone present to hear but also a reminder to himself: he must quickly embrace his new identity. From this moment on, here, he was no longer Caesar, but Pope Augustus!
A wisp of white smoke slowly rose from the chimney, and the square erupted. Overwhelming cheers instantly echoed through the sky, and the earth seemed to tremble. Everyone stared intently at the balcony where the Pope was about to appear, fearing they might miss something.
At this moment, Augustus and the Former Papal Chamberlain were hurrying towards the balcony. Augustus felt very anxious, the short distance seeming exceptionally long. Generally, the faithful would cheer and celebrate the birth of a new Pope, but he couldn't rule out special circumstances.
The Pope elected in 1522 was a Dutchman, which angered the Italians. They stormed the Sistine Chapel, beat up the Cardinals participating in the election, and looted all the valuable items in the church. One year and eight months later, this Pope died mysteriously, and the Italians not only did not express mourning but organized a "celebration."
Although Augustus's current identity was Italian, having transmigrated, he still had his original face, which looked different from theirs. He didn't know how the faithful would react.
However, Augustus's worries did not materialize. The moment Augustus stepped onto the balcony, deafening cheers erupted in the square. It took a while for the noise to slowly subside, and almost everyone had a look of fervent devotion.
Looking at the scene before him, the stone in Augustus's heart fell, and he was deeply moved at the same time.
His thoughts also quietly changed: to hold a position is to fulfill its duties; this is a truth every ruler should understand. These faithful trusted him so much, how could he not lead them towards a better future?
"I, the 233rd Pope, Augustus, will surely lead the Catholic Church to new glory!" At the same time, his right hand, holding the crozier, was raised high.
The Pope's address was the indispensable final step. Augustus understood the saying, "the more one says, the more one errs," and he truly couldn't say much more at this moment.
Most Popes, upon election, would give a long, complex, and tedious speech that would bore the public. Such a concise and powerful speech, on the contrary, elicited a strong reaction from the faithful and solidified their belief: this Pope is different!
The cheers that had just faded roared back, even louder than before. "Jesus bless!" "Mother Mary bestow grace!" "Long live the Pope!"—all sorts of shouts erupted, the wave of sound rising higher and higher.
Augustus felt as if he were dreaming: I am truly the Pope now! Pope Augustus!