Chapter 153: The New Pope (1)
As the Pope was imprisoned, the Holy Kingdom plunged into chaos.
This was expected, as the country had lost its guiding leader.
With a mountain of issues to address and no one to take responsibility, the confusion only grew.
Many nobles tried to seize the opportunity to ascend to the papal throne.
It was a chance for anyone to become king.
While the archbishops and nobles squabble over who should be the new Pope, Ray was busy holding the inquisition accountable, indifferent to their disputes.
He didnt care who would become the Pope.
This was because he had already planned to fully support Eil for the position.
He believed she could lead the Holy Kingdom well, considering its future.
At least she wouldnt exploit the people to fill her own pockets.
If Eil was trusted with the position of Pope, the Holy Kingdom would surely flourish.
Of course, there might be issues with a female Pope, but still.
With that in mind, Ray, who had gathered all the heresy inquisitors at the current inquisition meeting, addressed them.
He had completely dismissed the issue of the Pope from his thoughts.
Looking around at those assembled, he said,
Most of you probably know why I called you here today. Its to discuss the fact that you, as heresy inquisitors, have been oppressing innocent people and even looting villages like bandits.
.
.
No response came.
Some seemed clueless about the great wrong they had committed.
Still dont get it? Your thoughtless actions have rendered the inquisition unnecessary.
At his words, Deus objected.
Why would that be a reason for the inquisition to disappear?
Do you think arbitrarily killing people by branding them as heretics is proper heresy inquisition?
They were heretics!
Really? Then you must have evidence of them being heretics. Show me. But keep in mind, if Im not convinced by your evidence, the inquisition will be thoroughly eradicated from the Holy Kingdom. A new organization will take its place.
Deus stuttered at Rays icy words.
Evidence?
You judged them as heretics, didnt you? You must have destroyed the village for a reason. Show me that evidence.
.
Ray frowned at Deus, who stood silently without an answer.
You mean to say you burned down the village without any evidence?
There was evidence. When Proxia invaded, they did not resist at all and opened the village to them!
Ray looked incredulous at his non-answer.
Was that really their reasoning for passing heretical judgment?
Then, they were truly despicable.
In front of an army of tens of thousands, what resistance do you expect from a village of barely a hundred?
They should have struggled! How could the proud people of Gaia kneel before a human army!
This guy, seriously!
Ray punched him in the face with a fist full of mana.
Boom-!
With a sound like an explosion, Deus was slammed into a wall.
He seemed to have fainted, his body limp.
Ray approached and kicked him a few more times.
Dull noises echoed, snapping the heresy inquisitors, who had left, back to their senses.
Ray gritted his teeth as they looked on in shock.
Good, caught you at last. Ill grind you to dust!
His fist began to glow blue with mana.
Due to Deuss influence, the Saint had lost his mind.
The others, who had been still and were about to be hit, glared fiercely at the fallen Deus.
Regardless of that, Rays fists kept hitting the judges faces.
As if splitting firewood, the judges flew through the air one after another.
Ahhh! Please save me!
Just die!
Pl-please forgive me
Forgiveness? Seek that from the goddess Gaia after you die!
His words were not an exaggeration; his fists continued until he had destroyed most of the inquisitions luxurious headquarters.
The proposal to elevate Eclair to the papacy was actively pursued.
At first, factions both supported and opposed her, but Iriels command silenced even those.
Iriel truly lived up to the saying, the most efficient in handling matters.
Thanks to her swift actions, Eclair garnered ample support and seemed poised to ascend to the papal throne.
She skillfully enlisted the support of nobles who had started fence-sitting from the outset, aligning them with Eclair.
As a result, the supporters outnumbered the opposition.
This shift was partly due to the nobles who lingered around, hoping to reap some benefits.
Eclair herself seemed concerned about whether she could fulfill the role of Pope, but it appeared there was no cause for worry.
The mere fact that she contemplated this was evidence that she would be a better Pope than her predecessor.
The decision for the new Popes inauguration came about quite swiftly.
The papal seat could not remain empty for long.
This was the consensus among many nobles and healers, and even Eclair concurred, so the remaining procedures were expedited.
The troops, their concerns about Proxia now alleviated, departed from Gehel Castle and returned to Selonia.
They received a temporary leave for having risked their lives to maintain their positions.
After being stationed in Gehel under constant tension, they promptly shed their armor to revel in their well-deserved vacation.
If one had to choose the most exhausted among them, Iriel would undoubtedly claim that title.
Yet, she dove back into the affairs of the Holy Kingdom without showing any fatigue.
Her mental fortitude was truly remarkable.
The sight of her in her office, addressing a mountain of neglected documents, was somewhat pitiful.
Furthermore, her substantial efforts in resolving the inquisition and the Popes imprisonment merited recognition.
Frankly, without Iriels help, everything might have been destroyed.
Ray, after asking a servant for tea, personally delivered it to Iriels office.
Creak-
He entered without knocking and saw her lift her head upon sensing his presence.
Engrossed in paperwork, she pushed up her glasses, making a noticeable first impression.
Iriel greeted him, looking more fatigued than usual.
Good morning.
She tried to sound energetic, which brought a smirk to his face.
You dont look so good.
Thats right.
Her candid response drew another chuckle from him.
He handed her the warm tea, and she eagerly took a sip.
She drank it down as if it were cold water, likely casting healing spells on her esophagus as she drank.
Divine power surely wasnt meant for such a purpose.
It was a testament to how busy she had been.
Ray cast a spell on her.
Clean.
Beautiful mana danced around her as the spell took effect, visibly draining the fatigue from her body.
This rejuvenation left her feeling lively once more.
She had already used healing and enhancement magic on herself.
Yet, her accumulated fatigue had barely dissipated.
But his magic was very different from hers.
The complete eradication of her physical fatigue left her feeling entirely refreshed.
Magic surpassing the divine spells of a Saint? Such a notion was unfamiliar to her.
Iriel looked at Ray with a dubious gaze.
Whats this? Did you eat something bad? Why are you being so nice?
Usually, not even her sweet, melting charm could thaw his icy demeanor, which reminded her of high-level ice magic. His sudden kindness aroused her suspicion.
Contrary to her doubts, Ray was simply expressing gratitude for the assistance she had provided.
She had supported him with initiatives such as the new farming methods, the deployment of priests, the medical academy, the Proxia issue, the inquisition, and the recent Pope incident.
Always feeling indebted, he was thankful to repay her in any small way, even with something as simple as the Clean spell.
It would have been nice if things had ended warmly there.
But her imagination took over.
Do you like me?
Rays expression soured immediately.
How did we get to that?
Well, if you start treating me this well all of a sudden, what else am I supposed to think?
She jabbed his side with a knowing smile, likely driven to distraction by too much paperwork.
Ray regarded her with sympathy.
Anyway, whats the situation with the Pope?
As he changed the topic, she muttered to herself, So its true, before replying.
Hes currently locked up in the underground dungeon. The evidence against him is overwhelming, so its unlikely hell be set free, but his trial will begin soon.
I never would have guessed that the Pope was involved in the construction of the academys magic circle. The repercussions will take decades to overcome.
Thats probable. However, on that note, the academy is partly to blame for the damages.
Ray nodded, grasping the implication.
A war with Proxia.
Exactly.
The three major academies abstained from participating in the war.
As entities within the Holy Kingdom, they were obligated to join, but they hesitated, dreading the potential losses.
From the children of nobility to the prized heirs of esteemed merchants, the students, often described as born with a silver spoon, were valuable to the academy.
Consequently, the kingdoms demand for reparations was valid.
Should the academies refuse, the dispute would promptly move to litigation.
Numerous nobles harbored resentment towards the academies inaction.
Understandably, since they had deployed their own troops to the warfront while the academies withheld support.
The compensation rightfully belonged to the kingdom, and the academies had to acknowledge their part in the liability.
Avoiding the war entailed grave ramifications.
The absence of a single local noble could balloon into a significant dispute, much less the collective withdrawal of the three major academies.
While only the academy within the Holy Kingdom might face legal proceedings, it was probable that any punishment would be confined to those directly responsible.
Closing the academy would have also harmed the kingdom.
Therefore, substantial compensation and the handling of the responsible parties appeared to be the likely outcome.
With the resolution of various issues, including those involving Proxia, the kingdom finally began to feel like a nation again.
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