novelraw Chapter 92: Miss Secretary, You Wouldn’t Want Your Holy See to Stand Alone, Would You?
Chapter 92: Miss Secretary, You Wouldn’t Want Your Holy See to Stand Alone, Would You?
Chapter 92: Miss Secretary, You Wouldn’t Want Your Holy See to Stand Alone, Would You?
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Outrageous.
What an utterly outrageous claim!
“Watch your words, Mr. Lin Wei!”
Earlier, when he nearly blurted out “stray dog” but at the last moment swapped it for “stray cat,” she could still pretend she hadn’t heard. But now, when he so brazenly tossed out the word “useless,” even Miss Secretary—no matter how much she wished to turn a blind eye—could no longer keep her composure.
“Her Holiness is the most diligent and greatest Pope in the history of the Holy See!”
“The world outside may misunderstand her, but that is no excuse for you to slander Her Holiness so wantonly. I must ask you to mind your tongue!”
Oh… This secretary really is loyal, isn’t she?
“It’s just the commoners’ opinion of the Pope these days, nothing more.”Facing the earnest, nearly indignant secretary, Lin Wei waved a hand dismissively, offering a casual explanation.
He hadn’t truly meant to insult her. It was just that the topic of the nobles holding her accountable had reminded him of how Veya had once been so infuriated by the Pope’s incompetence that she’d been driven to tears—a memory that still stoked his anger.
In all the years he’d known his wife, apart from the first time they met—when he’d fished her out of the river—he’d never seen her so shaken.
Those damned nobles certainly deserved a harsh lesson, no doubt about that.
But to claim the Pope bore no responsibility at all? That was just passing the buck.
“You do realize that what’s happened this time is far more serious than the recent loss of supplies.”
“For decades, the Empire has been secure, and now suddenly the cult of the Evil God has managed to infiltrate—inciting chaos on such a scale.”
“Even a noble Duke was caught up in the battle. So tell me, do you really think the Pope, facing another round of noble inquisition, is capable of handling this?”
Though she’d been angered by Lin Wei’s earlier words, as she listened to him now, the secretary’s righteous indignation faded, leaving her momentarily speechless.
She knew all too well what had transpired within the Holy See. If not for Commander Meilin stepping in to defuse the situation, Her Holiness would likely have been forced into a dead end with no escape.
And now, once again, the nobles were preparing to hold the Pope accountable. Just as Lin Wei said, this crisis was far more severe than the theft of the supply stores last time.
“The mighty Empire, infiltrated by the cult of the Evil God—who could have imagined it? And the outbreak happened right in the nobles’ own manor district. What has the Holy See been doing all these years, hunting the cult? Where are the results?”
“Have the Judgement Knights grown corrupt? Or has the once-great Holy See lost its way?”
“Or perhaps… the real problem lies with a certain Pope. At this point, how do you intend to take responsibility?”
Lin Wei mimicked the sharp, aggressive tone of the nobles, each word pressing relentlessly.
They were standing outside, yet for a moment, the secretary felt as if she’d been thrust into the heart of a negotiation, beset on all sides by that suffocating pressure. She found herself utterly unable to refute him.
“If I were a noble, that’s exactly how I’d interrogate her. And judging from the Pope’s prior performance, I doubt she’d be able to answer any of it.”
“In the end, she’d probably just say, ‘The Holy See will take full responsibility,’ and leave it at that. But what concessions would she have to make to the nobles this time? For example, would she have to give up the exclusive rights of the Judgement Knights to investigate and hunt cultists?”
“If that happens, the entire Empire will end up in chaos at the hands of those nobles.”
Rennie’s eyes widened in shock.
The authority to investigate, pursue, and judge followers of the Evil God had always belonged solely to the Holy See. The Empire’s forces might lend support, but their role was always secondary.
If the imperial nobles seized this opportunity and gained the same investigative authority as the Judgement Knights…
Anyone could imagine what would happen next.
Innocent villagers would find themselves at the mercy of nobles wielding unchecked power—threatened, extorted, oppressed. To prove they had no ties to the cult of the Evil God, they’d be forced to hand over taxes or tributes just to prove their innocence.
Just voicing such a possibility was enough to conjure the scene in her mind.
The common folk would undoubtedly suffer terrible losses in the process, wouldn’t they?
“This can’t happen! I have to return to the Holy See and help Her Holiness at once!”
The secretary snapped back to herself, leaping to her feet, determined to rush back.
“At the very least, we need to bring Commander Meilin back. No matter what, we can’t let the nobles’ schemes succeed!”
“All right, sit down, Miss Secretary,” Lin Wei said, waving her back into her seat before she could take a step. “It’s true—the knights should be supporting the Pope with those ‘black glove’ tactics, but if the Pope leaves everything to others, her authority will completely collapse.”
She hesitated, but Lin Wei had already picked up his pen, resignedly beginning to draft a letter. As he worked, he explained in a calm, matter-of-fact tone:
“Since she lost face during the last round of noble inquisition, the Pope needs to win it back herself.”
“Now that the Commander of the Judgement Knights isn’t present, this is the perfect opportunity for the Pope to show some backbone. There’s nothing better for her reputation. Let me write a letter and help your Pope earn a little dignity.”
“Y-You?!”
Rennie stared, stunned, as Lin Wei’s pen flew across the page with practiced ease, not a hint of hesitation in his movements.
His phrasing was odd, but the meaning was clear enough—and Rennie was shocked.
“You actually have a way to help the Pope out of this crisis? But you’re just an adventurer from the borderlands… How is that even possible?!”
“If a villain said something like that, you’d know the next step would be a killing spree and a power fantasy plot, right?”
Lin Wei couldn’t help but retort, but for Veya’s sake, he didn’t bother arguing further with the secretary.
In just a few minutes, he’d written out a letter detailing methods for tracking down the stolen supplies, along with strategies for dealing with the nobles’ inquisition, all based on market dynamics and his own experience. After a quick review, he sealed the letter and handed it over.
“So what if I’m just an adventurer from the borderlands? Is everyone in the capital really so proud they look down on us country folk?”
“Ugh, so frustrating. When will us outsiders finally get some respect?”
“I didn’t—”
I’m not looking down on outsiders, I’m just suspicious about you, you ridiculous adventurer!
Rennie was practically screaming inside.
How could a mere adventurer possibly solve something as tricky as a noble inquisition?
Even if Her Holiness thinks highly of him, she simply couldn’t believe it when it came to this kind of problem.
“I’ve written everything out. Just make sure you get it to Veya as soon as possible, and have her pass it to the Pope after she’s read it.”
“Whether it works or not, you’ll see soon enough. If it all fails, I’ll come to your door myself and shout, ‘Lin Wei is a useless idiot!’ to apologize.”
Faced with this secretary—so fiercely loyal to the Pope—Lin Wei couldn’t help but rub his hands together in excitement, a wicked sense of mischief welling up in his heart.
“But if it succeeds… when you see me tomorrow, you’ll have to say, ‘Her Holiness really is useless,’ right to my face. That’s not too much to ask, is it?”
“As the Pope’s secretary, I’m sure you aren’t afraid of a little wager—especially since you clearly don’t trust me at all.”
This was provocation.
A ridiculously blatant, almost laughably transparent attempt at goading her.
And yet… faced with the letter waving before her eyes and that unshakably confident expression, Miss Secretary found herself with no other choice.
Right now, the Pope was about to be called to account by the nobles at the Holy See. Summoning Commander Meilin might resolve things—
—but as Lin Wei had pointed out, how many times could they afford to throw away the Pope’s authority like that?
Given the close relationship between Commander Meilin and Her Holiness, there would only be another round of snide remarks afterwards.
So why not give this a try?
“If you fail, there’s no need for you to apologize.”
She took a deep breath, snatching the letter from his hand.
Her eyes grew resolute as she met his gaze.
“Anyone who strives for the Pope’s sake—even if you fail, your intentions deserve to be honored.”
“I’ll get this to the Holy See as fast as I can. I’m off.”
“Goodbye!”