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.This chapter is updated by nov(e)(l)biin.com
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.
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.