Chapter 1417 Elias Tase
"Yes, it is me," Ning said as he reached forward for a handshake. "I am Ning. It is a pleasure to meet with you, Cardinal Elias."
The thin man remained with an emotionless face, with his hands by his side as he stared at Ning's hands for a few moments.
Ning gave a dry laugh. "Are you going to leave me hanging like that?" he asked.
"Why do you wish to shake my hand?" the man asked. "I am told that this is what you have been wanting to do with all of us Cardinals and His Holiness, but it makes no sense to me. Why?"
"It's just a handshake," Ning said.
"But I am also told that this will lead to my death or one of our deaths," the man said. "That makes me reluctant to shake your hand."
Ning frowned a little.
"Forgive me, but I won't be shaking your hand without knowing explicitly what I am getting myself into," the man said.
Ning stared at the man for a bit and wondered if this was Zurinus, hiding himself in plain sight. He decided to learn some more before getting into the touch aspect of his quest.
"Very well," Ning said and sat down on the couch opposite him as he brought out a pistol. As soon as the pistol was out, several swords came out of their sheaths, and multiple rifles were cocked in his direction.
Ning slowed down and slowly raised one hand while lowering the other toward the desk where he placed it just as slowly.
"Down!" the Cardinal of Justice ordered and the guns were put down, the swords slowly being sheathed once more.
The thin man took the gun and looked at it all over, seeing as though he wanted to see everything he could. "Have you bonded with this gun yet?" he asked Ning.
"I haven't touched it since the day we caught those criminals," Ning said. "You can bond it right now and see."
The Cardinal of Coins took it and attempted to shoot it before stopping. "No, someone more worthy of it should own it," he said before placing it down. "Thank you for giving it to us for such a small price. If we can do anything for you—"
"Actua—"
"Beside getting you in touch with the pope," the Cardinal stopped Ning before he could intervene. "We will happily do it for you."
Ning put on a grumpy look and sighed a little, thinking about what could he want that was not a handshake with the pope.
"Would you mind telling me about the church then?" Ning asked. "Like who does what. Where do most of the laws come from, and who is overall the most important person besides you and the pope."
The two Cardinals looked at each other, trying to gauge each other's response, and shrugged. "This isn't really a big secret so we can tell you," Cardinal Farsas said.
Cardinal Elias nodded and started explaining things.
Ning listened to everything clearly, trying to remember names and their influence in the church. There were many names thrown around, from Archbishops to bishops and other paladins as well.
However, in the end, Ning realized that there was no one more influential in the church than just the 3 Cardinals and the Pope.
So, if anyone in the church was going to be Zurinus, it would have to be one of the 4 of them.
And given Ning already checked the other 2, he only had two more people to go through.