novelraw Chapter 93: At This Point, Can the Holy See Even Be Trusted Anymore?
Chapter 93: At This Point, Can the Holy See Even Be Trusted Anymore?
Chapter 93: At This Point, Can the Holy See Even Be Trusted Anymore?
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Miss Rennie departed in haste.
The room fell silent once more, leaving Lin Wei sprawled alone on the sofa, stretching out with a weary sigh.
“Tch... What a shame Duke Ous didn’t die.”
Recalling the firsthand intel from the secretary, Lin Wei couldn’t help but sigh with regret.
Of the three involved in last night’s confrontation, if he’d had to choose one to die, it would have been the high noble—without hesitation.
After all, he barely knew the Grand Commander of the Retribution Knights, and the cultist priest could just as well meet his end a few days later. But Duke Ous—who had barged into the Holy See demanding answers and made his own Veya cry—was a lingering thorn in his side.
If only he’d learned of this sooner, he might’ve arranged a little “accident” for the duke the very night they’d crossed paths at the Imperial Capital’s Magic Academy.
But there was no use dwelling on it now.“With the countermeasures I wrote myself, that useless Pope shouldn’t run into any trouble.”
“Even if she’s incompetent, she’s still the Pope. According to the Saintess, she used to be quite capable.”
“It’s a pity the Saintess is still too young. And now that the useless Pope has gotten tangled up with my Veya, I have no choice but to keep her safe for the time being.”
Lin Wei muttered helplessly, fully aware of the contradictions twisting inside him.
On one hand, he couldn’t stand the useless Pope and wished she’d disappear. On the other, with the Saintess so young, he was forced to help her secure the throne for now.
Especially now that his Veya had been inexplicably drawn into the Holy See’s inner circle by the Pope herself.
If he wanted Veya’s work to be easier and her burdens to lighten, he’d have to help prop up the Pope’s authority within the Holy See—even if it made no sense at all.
He’d ended up doing so much for them, and for what reason?
Not just the Pope—even the goddess Alicia herself ought to bow before me!
“Let’s hope that by taking a hardline stance this time, we can finally put these problems to rest once and for all.”
“But then again, last night when Viscount Montoya colluded with those cultists to attack the academy, he mentioned that the Holy See’s investigation into market data had already been discovered by the nobles.”
“Thinking back on it, that Duke Ous isn’t as much of a fool as he seems... Still, at the very least, getting supplies to the front lines shouldn’t be a problem.”
Lost in thought, Lin Wei unconsciously drummed his fingers on the sofa.
Once today’s business was settled, it looked like there’d be plenty of chances to cross paths with the duke again.
“Whatever. I’ll swing by the Magic Academy for a look.”
Outside the window, the sky was already brightening with the first light of dawn.
Lin Wei nodded to himself, deep in thought, then rose and headed out.
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“It’s truly astonishing, Your Holiness the Pope. That such a shocking incident could occur in the heart of the Imperial Capital just last night...”
“To think that Evil God Cultists could breach the noble district’s manors?”
“Are you, as Pope, trying to make fools of us?”
The Holy See.
Within the sanctified halls of the council chamber, the air rang with the righteous fury of the assembled nobles.
Duke Ous stood at the forefront, his expression thunderous as he glared upward. Arrayed beside him were his fellow nobles, united in outrage.
Even though the Holy See had prepared thoroughly for this confrontation, having learned in advance of the nobles’ arrival...
Standing here now, facing such public censure, the pressure was overwhelming—almost suffocating.
Even the golden eyes, usually aglow with holy radiance, couldn’t help but waver ever so slightly.
Fear? No, there was none of that.
She had been Pope for two full years now. The mere presence of imperial nobles wasn’t nearly enough to make her afraid.
It was just... in the face of such pointed accusations, even she struggled to find a truly effective solution.
“The matter of the Evil God cult’s attack... The Grand Commander of the Judgement Knights is currently conducting a full investigation.”
She met the nobles’ righteous glares head-on.
Even under fire, Veya could only maintain the dignified bearing of the Holy See and respond calmly.
“It must be admitted—the fact that such an incident occurred is indeed due to the Holy See’s lax oversight. The clergy responsible are already reflecting on their failures.”
“Going forward, the Holy See will intensify and expand patrols throughout the capital, to ensure that the Evil God cultists never get a second chance. I ask all of you, esteemed nobles, to rest assured.”
The Holy See had no way to dodge responsibility for allowing cultists to infiltrate the Imperial Capital.
Fortunately, Commander Alfron had been on the scene and responded in time, preventing the disaster from escalating.
Otherwise, if those cultists had run rampant in the heart of the empire, who knew what sort of catastrophe might have followed?
In a sense, one could even call it the goddess Alicia’s divine protection.
“How can you possibly expect us to trust you after this?”
But Duke Ous was clearly unmoved by her explanation.
He glared forward, his anger on full display. Yet deep in his beady eyes, a flash of cunning flickered—betraying a mind already plotting his next move.
“All these years, the Holy See has been trumpeting, ‘Thanks to the valiant efforts of the Judgement Knights, the Evil God’s forces are in retreat.’ So tell me—where exactly have they retreated to? Right up to the very walls of the Imperial Capital?”
“Is it that your Judgement Knights have grown corrupt? Or has the Holy See, which once bathed the world in holy light, finally lost its way?”
“Or perhaps... the real problem lies with a certain Pope’s lack of ability.”
A cold indifference swept across Veya’s eyes.
Rage welled up inside her, but as the Pope, she couldn’t let herself lose composure—not here, not now.
“So, Pope Selena—how do you intend to take responsibility for this? How will the Holy See shoulder its burden?”
“We nobles no longer trust the Holy See. Do you really think a few empty words are enough to appease us? At the very least, you must present a concrete solution, or prove your sincerity in a way we can believe!”
Duke Ous’s true intentions were laid bare, without the slightest attempt to hide them.
He faced the young Pope with open hostility, utterly convinced she lacked any real authority, and pressed his attack without hesitation.
As long as he could win the argument and claim the moral high ground, there was no way the Pope—champion of justice and light—would dare retaliate.
And as for the knights who ought to defend the dignity of the Holy See? Even if they were present, there was no way they’d intervene.
“The Holy See... will, of course, bear full responsibility.”
At a moment like this, there was no room for excuses.
Veya drew a slow, steadying breath. After all, the cult’s attack was an undeniable fact.
Even if the investigation wasn’t yet complete, she couldn’t shirk responsibility now.
“As long as the Holy See is willing to be held accountable, that’s enough.”
“We imperial nobles aren’t unreasonable. With the front lines in crisis, it’s only natural for the Holy See to make the occasional mistake.”
Seeing his scheme already half accomplished, Duke Ous let out a cold chuckle, his cunning practically written across his face.
“But it seems that ever since that disaster two years ago, the Holy See has been understaffed. Otherwise, such blatant negligence would never have occurred.”
“So here’s what I propose... There’s no need for the Holy See to worry about how to placate the nobles. The empire is perfectly capable of protecting its own, and of safeguarding the capital. When it comes to rooting out the Evil God cult, we nobles can contribute as well.”
He looked up, finally dropping all pretense and voicing his true intentions.
“Starting today, the empire will form a special task force dedicated solely to investigating the Evil God cult.”
“That way, the Holy See needn’t trouble itself with appeasing us, and we can rest easy knowing our own people are watching over us. I’d say this is a win-win solution.”
The anticipation on the nobles’ faces was impossible to conceal now—their ambition laid bare for all to see.
“Your Holiness... you just said you’d take responsibility for this matter.”
“You won’t refuse such a reasonable request, will you?”
So that’s their goal—to seize the right to investigate cultists themselves!
They’ve grown bold—reckless, even—to dare make such a demand.
In that instant, Veya understood the nobles’ true intentions.
If it were Master sitting here, how would she handle this?
She’d never studied this kind of political maneuvering, and there was no knight present to play the role of the Holy See’s iron fist and keep the nobles in check.
She clenched her fists, the sacred light in her eyes wavering for the first time.
Was there truly... no way out of this?
The rights and authority passed down through the Holy See for generations—no matter what, she could not hand them over to these nobles now!
Creak—
Just as Veya’s anxiety threatened to overwhelm her, the doors of the council chamber slowly swung open.
A moment later, Secretary Rennie hurried inside, her footsteps quick and urgent as she rushed to Veya’s side.
“Your Holiness,” she called softly.