episode_0187

The Pope’s office.

The air there is heavy.

“Whoa… Is the Archduke’s condition that bad?”

When Gregory XV spoke to Senna with a worried expression, Senna nodded with a stern expression.

“In my left eye, the optic nerve has started to deteriorate. If you don’t get surgery soon, you won’t be able to recover.”

“Heh heh… A person who has worked hard to hide his identity for the sake of humanity could become blind.”

The Pope feels deeply sorry for Debian.

No one will ever know what he has done for the empire and humanity until now.

The pope, the representative of God, who is respected by all nations on the empire…or the continent.

He has a noble mission to protect humanity against demons, but he feels deep regret for not being able to help Devian.

“This is the first time I have felt this helpless in my time as Pope.”

I really hope Devian gets the surgery, but the Pope knows.

What a great disgrace it was to be a person with an incomplete body in the Roman and Nicene cultures.

Sena says, lowering her head and clenching her skirt with both fists.

“It’s the same for me, I’ve healed many people over the years of serving gods, but there’s no one else I want to heal like this.”

She doesn’t know how much she hated Devian after he became Grand Duke.

The name of the Augustus family chosen by the divine god as the royal family was changed to the Ryan-Augustus family, and a civil war was fought, and how many people were sacrificed?

Senna hated Devian, thinking it would have been better if he had killed Valorant and returned to the Grand Duchy.

She also realized how noble what Devian was doing was, how wrong she had been, and if only she had realized his actions sooner and been by his side before his eyes became like this…

Sena blames herself because things would have been a lot different.

That’s right, because everything he’s done so far is understandable if he says it was to stop demon worshipers.

‘He’s trying to save humanity by sacrificing himself like a saint from a fairy tale.’

A saint who appears in legends.

Although he died and received the title of saint, his life was extremely unhappy.

A person who sacrificed everything he had for others.

When she learns Debian’s secret, she feels that Devian is noble, like a saint from a fairy tale, and her heart breaks.

‘I… what did I study medicine for? Why did I become a candidate for sainthood?’

When she blames herself. The Pope blames himself in a hollow voice.

“No, this is all… When Valorant died and the Archduke asked for our help. The problem is that I refused.”

It has already passed, and it is almost a taboo for the Pope to intervene in politics.

If the Pope had actively defended Debian, Debian would not have had to work so hard to restore the empire.

Perhaps there was no reason to give Epirus and Ezip to the imperial faction.

Because it is something supported by the Pope, who is respected by all the people of the empire, and indeed, all people on the continent.

“But, does Sister Sena know why she is refusing my support now?”

Although she hasn’t been going to the Grand Study to make Devian’s eye drops recently, she was going to work at the Grand Study until then, so I asked her with the thought that I might be able to find out his thoughts.

Sena gently shakes her head.

“I don’t know either. However, the Archduke is a wise and patient man. They probably thought that receiving the support of the Pope would not be advantageous in eliminating demon worshipers.”

The Pope feels frustrated by Senna’s words.

“I don’t know what the Archduke is thinking. It is beyond my ability to fully understand why my support does not help eliminate the demon worshipers.”

However, you cannot force your support to an archduke who refuses to support you.

Because that would be disrespectful to the Archduke, who has worked alone so far.

“Soon, when the eye drops are completed, I will stop by the Grand Duke’s office, and then I will ask about His Highness’s intentions.”

The Pope nods at those words.

“I hope you do so first.”

Sena nods and says to the Pope who is caressing the lukewarm teacup.

“I’ll just go.”

“Sister Sena, it looks like you haven’t been able to sleep lately. Take it easy.”

At those words, Sena cleared her throat and spoke.

She knows better than anyone else that her skin has become dull due to lack of sleep recently.

“Kuhm… I understand. May God bless you.”

The Pope responds to Senna’s words.

“May God bless you.”

***

Savinelli is currently writing a letter to the Pope.

This is because he is convinced that Devian is connected to demon worshipers.

‘If the Vatican comes forward and interrogates him, it could increase the antipathy of the nobility and the people of the Empire toward the Archduke.’

Of course, the Archduke can exercise the emperor’s prerogatives, so he cannot be arrested or sued.

However, Savinelli believes that that event alone will shake his authority and make it easier to unite the nobles and people of the empire who hate him under the name of Theodora.

Well… it’s actually putting humanity in danger, but he doesn’t know that right now.

-Sreuk…

Savinelli took the seal of the Minister of Justice and the seal of the Count of Lazio.

He strokes his chin and gets lost in thought.

‘But it’s strange… If he’s connected to a demon worshiper, there must be a sense that he’s trying to lie somehow.’

In fact, it would be easy for Debian, which has a tight grip on the intelligence department, to manipulate evidence.

Rather, they could arrest nobles who join the emperor faction under the pretext of being active as a demon worshiper and show them as an example.

And the empire will be in such chaos. Because it will be a better environment for demon worshipers to run amok.

‘Is it really unrelated? Or is it that they don’t do something that could easily get caught?’

To be honest, it is difficult for Savinelli to understand the Archduke’s intentions.

Savinelli personally believes that the Archduke is not likely to have anything to do with demon worshipers, but if that is true, he expects the information to be shared in Part 5.

If we are to catch the demon worshipers, we will need to use all the might of the empire.

It is obvious that we need to respond quickly by sharing it in Part 5.

Even if you are a grand duke who rules on behalf of the emperor, it is impossible to exercise your authority without procedures.

However, there are many aspects that are difficult to see because Debian is said to be a demon worshiper.

Currently, neither the Emperor faction nor the Neutral faction have the power to stop Devian.

In that case, the empire must be thrown into chaos to create a space for the demon worshipers to make human sacrifices, but the empire is being managed stably to the point where it is difficult to believe that it has any connection to the demon worshipers.

‘Damn… I don’t know, I don’t know! I consider myself to be of great mind, but I don’t know anything about his thoughts.’

Currently, the Archduke is expanding protests against him nationwide.

Savinelli cannot help but feel anxious as he does something impossible without going crazy.

‘Could it be crazy?’

There are times when a crazy emperor ascends to the throne and commits bizarre acts.

During the thousands of years of history of the empire, there were many holy armies, but there were also many evil armies.

Appointing a horse as the prime minister of the empire, or ordering that a nun be beaten to death by citizens after coveting a nun, or a man being executed if he covers his lower body…

Such cancer soldiers did not hesitate to commit crazy acts even before ascending to the throne, but they became emperors in accordance with the powerful legitimacy and inheritance law.

And the tyrants were also quiet during their time as crown princes, but after ascending to the throne, they continued to commit cruel tyranny.

However, the Archduke does not fit either type of case.

Savinelli, who has dealt with him many times, knows well how wise, cunning, and thorough the archduke is.

His politics always make sense and are extremely reasonable.

When looking at the empire he rules, he shows such excellent governing skills that even Sabinelli nods his head.

Thanks to this, the overall economic and political situation of the empire improved to the level of the previous emperor.

‘Except for the technology investment fund, the Archduke’s politics are perfect.’

Savinelli is just afraid of the situation in which the Archduke, who maintains his sanity, is organizing nationwide protests to condemn him through the Ministry of Intelligence.

‘Did he go from being a saint to becoming a madman?’

That’s not how Sabinelli sees it, so Sabinelli feels afraid.

‘I don’t know what he’s thinking or what he’s after.’

That’s not all.

He appointed himself, a member of the imperial faction, the only force capable of ousting the current archduke, as Minister of Justice.

Considering the authority the Minister of Justice possesses, his actions are not easy to understand.

He is fearful of the unknown and has no idea what he is aiming for, as he is skilled in calculations and mental strength.

‘He… I don’t know what he sees or what he thinks.’

To be honest, there is no other reason for bragging that he was in cahoots with a demon worshiper.

I’m just curious as to why the protests are expanding nationwide.

The reason for increasing the number of security guards is actually to understand the reason.

The Grand Duke is actively organizing protests denouncing himself and spreading radical claims.

The Archduke must step down.

In fact, from the perspective of the imperialist faction, it may feel like a piece of cake that was formed in one’s sleep, but Savinelli does not think so.

Currently, the politics of the empire are stable thanks to the power of the Archduke.

A peace created by subduing the strongest kings in the empire with great military power.

If Debian steps down, it would be a perfect situation for infighting to occur as someone tries to take over the power vacuum.

‘The goal is to make him out of office, but I have no intention of doing so in this way.’

Theodora’s goal is not to oust and kill Devian.

Her goal is simple.

They are thinking of taking away Debian’s omnipotent power and giving it a place to control.

Savinelli, who is better than anyone else at reading his master’s mind, is confident in his thoughts.

In such a situation, Savinelli is nervous about his actions that seem to be trying to bring him down.

“Whoa… What are you thinking?”

He is wise, so there is no greater fear of Savinelli than not knowing what he is aiming for or what he is thinking.

After writing all the letters like that.

“I hope you… are not a demon worshiper.”

His heart is sincere.

If the Grand Duke happens to be a demon worshiper…

Because the empire is already over.

In fact, the reason for writing a letter to the Vatican stating that the Archduke is a demon worshiper is simple.

All they are doing is creating a loophole to undermine his authority and cause him to fall from office.

Because Savinelli doesn’t think he’s really a demon worshiper.