Chapter 98: Prelude to War – 2

Chapter 98: Prelude to War – 2

“……That is all, Your Holiness.”

“Yes. I understand, even though you failed to deal with the heretic, and the Captain of the Guard has been permanently imprisoned.”

“……I am only ashamed that my inadequacy prevented me from carrying out His will.”

“No. To have emerged without any repercussions in such a situation is already a good job. If even you had been captured by those Imperial bastards, the Empire’s unbelievers would have run rampant.”

The always sacred Grand Cathedral, and the Pope’s audience chamber, always filled with splendor.

There, unlike usual, only two people were present.

The Saintess of the Church, and the Pope of the Church.

A situation where the Pope, who could be called the heart and brain of the Church, faced the Saintess, who could be called its face,

Naturally, it would normally be a meeting where excessive guards wouldn’t be strange… but not today.

A heretic hunt that was thought to be easy but failed.

And a formal letter of protest from the Empire.

Amidst all this, the Saintess, though alone, managed to escape well.

Because the Saintess, due to the Church’s education which always valued truthfulness and purity, was not good at lying and lacked social skills, it was even more of a blessing from the Pope’s perspective.

The Pope had even considered the possibility of having to appoint a new Saintess if she were discovered by the Imperial army.

“By the way, it’s truly regrettable. The Captain of the Guard… he was a very useful fellow.”

“…I am sorry.”

“And you’ve grown quite a bit, it seems. I had assumed that if the Captain of the Guard failed, you too would be captured by the Imperial army.”

“……I merely stopped the Captain of the Guard from trying to kill someone presumed to be a heretic based solely on circumstantial evidence.”

A light atmosphere, and the Pope with a very faint but definite smile.

And the Saintess, maintaining a calm, expressionless face, but with her hidden hands subtly trembling.

Unfortunately for the Saintess, there was no way the Pope wouldn’t notice that small tremor.

“You don’t have to act in front of me. I dismissed all the other guards for this very reason.”

“…Yes, Your Holiness.”

“Yes, the Empire claims you were actually helping the heretic… but a little investigation reveals that a massive divine barrier was deployed at the time, doesn’t it?

And the Captain of the Guard had no talent for barriers whatsoever.”

“……”

“You may be honest, Saintess. I have very high expectations for you.

I don’t know what methods you used, but you successfully deceived the Imperial army and returned safely to the Church, so I have no intention of punishing you.”

At the Pope’s words, the Saintess forced a smile.

…It was a terrible performance, stemming from a purity that had never properly deceived anyone.

“Your only problem was being overly pure and never telling lies, but seeing this incident, I’m satisfied that it seems to have been somewhat resolved.

……Of course, looking at it now, it seems there’s still more work to be done.”

“…Your Holiness. How can deceit and trickery be necessary for the Church to serve His will?”

“You can see it just from this incident. Outside this Church, there are too many ignorant beings. They are too easily swayed by heretics.

Therefore, if you hadn’t escaped well from the Empire this time, wouldn’t the ignorant Imperial citizens have blamed the Church for branding one of their own as a heretic?”

“That’s… right.”

“Hmm, even if you don’t fully agree, listen carefully, Saintess. ‘God’s’ will is noble, but it’s difficult to act on it as is, unless the world is as ideal as it is.

Purity and truthfulness are the same. ‘He’ made these two virtues, and so do we… but it’s difficult to uphold them in the human world.”

After that, it was a rather one-sided sermon.

However, the difference might be that it wasn’t the usual ‘live virtuously’ sermon the Church gives, but rather a sermon implying that a little evil is necessary for ‘God’s will’.

It was quite crude for a sermon from the Pope to the Saintess, but there was no one else in the audience chamber anyway.

“……I have heard your words, Your Holiness.”

“Yes. Even if it’s difficult now, gradually… these are things you will understand as you follow ‘God’s’ will.”

“Then, I shall take my leave.”

The Saintess, looking subtly tired, bowed to the Pope who had finished his long sermon, and the Pope accepted it.

…Adding a quiet remark.

“Yes. It’s about time you learned about the Church’s ‘practical matters’ as well.”

To anyone who didn’t know, it would just sound like internal Church business…

But to the Saintess, who already knew what kind of place the Church was, it only sounded like the Church was slowly going to show her its ‘true face’.

……Subtly, the Saintess’s hand, as she bowed, tightened.

***

“…How do you find her, Your Holiness?”

“She has grown quite splendidly. I thought she would never be able to lie in her life, but seeing her escape from the Imperial army makes it even more so.”

“Isn’t there a possibility that she actually helped that heretic?”

After the Saintess left, the Pope summoned the First Cardinal to the audience chamber.

And, as he was considered the Pope’s right-hand man, he knew what the Pope wanted to say.

“No. No matter how benevolent the Saintess is, the Church’s command will take precedence. Didn’t we raise her that way, Cardinal?”

“…Indeed, we did implant a psychological suggestion to prioritize the Church’s words. It was a measure combined with childhood memory manipulation.”

“Yes. That suggestion will remain valid unless she somehow discovers that she is a manufactured Saintess.

But… no one knows that fact except you, me, and the regularly replaced nannies of the Saintess candidates.”

“……That is also true.”

“Therefore, this incident is the result of the Saintess’s instinctive, or intelligent, social maneuvering.”

Logically speaking, the Pope’s words were flawless.

Saintesses grow up with a subtle loyalty to the Church and a belief that the Church cannot be wrong.

Even if that belief is directly contradicted, it only weakens; it never breaks.

Because they were raised that way, and anyone who wasn’t was disposed of.

…The only exception would be if someone informed the Saintess (or the one who believes herself to be the Saintess) that she is merely a manufactured Saintess…

But only the regularly ‘replaced’ nannies of the Saintess candidates, the First Cardinal, and the Pope know that fact.

Naturally, there could be no betrayal, and while the Saintesses’ faith in the Church could waver, it could not be broken.

Therefore, as the Pope said, it was highly probable that the Saintess’s escape from the Imperial army without suspicion was due to her social skills.

‘……But, somehow, it feels too unsettling…’

His intuition, which had saved him countless times during his time in the clergy.

The First Cardinal was troubled by that intuition.

It is said that God gives a gift in the form of ‘intuition’ to those he favors, or to those who can open a new world.

There is even a legend that those who are truly greatly loved or chosen can reach a state where they intuitively categorize people the moment they see them.

Because of this, there were some high-ranking clerics with unusually strong intuition, and the First Cardinal was one of them.

“…Cardinal.”

“Yes, Your Holiness.”

“Teach the Saintess some of the Church’s ‘practical matters’.”

“Yes? Isn’t that, isn’t that too soon? Her loyalty to the Church hasn’t solidified yet…”

“I’m not saying to tell her everything. Just a little, and if her reaction is a bit strange, I plan to assign her other tasks.”

Saying that, the Pope handed the Cardinal a few documents.

…It was a questionnaire asking if it would be acceptable to charge slightly excessive treatment fees for their own benefit.

……And it was from a cathedral located in the Empire.

“Your Holiness, this is…”

“Yes. Give it to her once and observe how she handles it. If it’s not the direction I want… then we’ll use it for a new initiative.”

“I understand. If you mean a new initiative… is it related to the ‘Hero’?”

“Yes. The war ‘He’ foretold is approaching, so we must prepare. The Saintess will surely guide the Hero well.”

“I will obey.”

“This continent will soon be engulfed in war. And… when that happens, Elena, that madwoman, will also emerge.”

At those words, the Cardinal paused for a moment.

…It had been a very long time since the Pope had uttered her name.

“Even to stop her, who possesses the power of prophecy but is determined to lead everyone to ruin… the preparation for this Hero and the war is important.”

“…Yes. I will prepare this as well.”

“Yes. While it is necessary for the Saintess to handle ‘practical matters’ and inspire the Church members… do not forget that the Hero is equally important.”

“I will bear that in mind.”

“Yes. Then you may go and attend to your duties.”

At those words, the Cardinal bowed to the Pope, and the Pope accepted it.

…At the same time, whispering softly.

“…As of today, the plan to replace the Saintess is completely scrapped. She is useful enough.”

“……I will obey.”

It was always a sacred and noble shining Grand Cathedral.