The Pope’s Meeting
Translator: Cinder Translations
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The Golden Dome Cathedral is a complex of buildings located in the very center of the City of Light. Most of the important institutions of the Holy See, such as the College of Cardinals, the Evangelical Institute, the Holy See Council, and the Inquisition, are housed in this vast palace.
Within the cathedral resides the most important figure in the entire Church of Light—the Holy Father.
The current pope is Harrington II, who has been in this position for twelve years and is seventy-three years old.
At this moment, the pope is in his residence, receiving reports on the situation in Horns Bay, attended by many prominent figures.
"There have been several armed conflicts along the border between the two factions since last year."
"There are no signs of easing in the current situation; the conflicts between both sides are growing larger."
The head of the Inquisition, Turs, a middle-aged man in his forties and also the intelligence chief of the Holy See, spread his hands helplessly as he spoke to the pope.
Harrington II turned to Cardinal Bloom, who is responsible for diplomatic affairs, with a headache, "Have we received any news from our envoys?"
Cardinal Bloom coughed awkwardly, "We just received a reply stating that neither side is willing to compromise. Elvis believes we have been too lenient towards heretics, while Nisberg thinks we are overly biased towards the Horns Bay Church."
Harrington II shook his head, feeling utterly confused.
Director Turs said with concern, "Reliable intelligence indicates that both sides are mobilizing their forces in preparation for a potential large-scale war."
The pope said in frustration, "How did the situation in Horns Bay escalate to this point?"
Cardinal Bloom quietly voiced his opinion, "As a cleric, Elvis's faith in the Father is beyond doubt, but as a district archbishop, he... lacks flexibility."
Harrington II lamented, "Who was it that pushed him into the position of district archbishop?"
The crowd exchanged glances, understanding the unspoken agreement to remain silent.
Alas, the Holy Father is getting old, and his memory is failing him.
Seeing no one respond, Harrington II pointed at himself in surprise, "Ah? Was it me?"
To spare the Holy Father's embarrassment, Cardinal Bloom quickly said, "At that time, Elvis performed excellently in all aspects—devout, just, and upright. He was the best candidate for district archbishop."
Director Turs muttered under his breath, unheard by others, "He was also the most rational among a group of madmen."
Cardinal Bloom continued, "At that time, it was Anthony who conducted the investigation in Horns Bay, so the information was reliable, but I never expected Elvis to become so paranoid now."
Harrington II remarked, "Anthony? I remember he was a very capable and promising young man."
Bloom replied, "Yes, he was the one sent to the Holy See to mediate the dispute this time, but unfortunately, he failed."
Harrington II looked a bit dejected: "At this point, I bear an inescapable responsibility."
"How can you blame yourself, Your Holiness?"
"Indeed, it's all that fool Elvis's fault for messing things up and causing this witch hunt."
Everyone tried to absolve the pope of blame.
The head of the Inquisition, Turs, shook his head, saying, "We have sent several groups to instruct the local church on how to identify real witches, striving to avoid miscarriages of justice, but we still cannot stop the expanding scope of the witch hunts. Many ill-intentioned people have joined in, turning it into something entirely different."
"For instance, the inland countries represented by Icolins have always coveted the maritime trade of the coastal countries, seizing every opportunity to create all kinds of trouble."
Bloom said bitterly, "Moreover, Elvis is foolish enough to offend the authorities of various nations. It's utterly arrogant. Now, under the instigation of those in power in various countries, the people of the coastal nations have begun to harbor hatred toward the Church, which is a disaster."
Turs, the head of the Inquisition, said sternly, "Your Holiness, esteemed gentlemen, I believe the situation in Horns Bay is already beyond salvage. We should not consider how to stop the war now, but rather think about which side to support once the war breaks out. We must prepare for the worst."
"Is that even a question? Although the Horns Bay Church has its flaws, they are still our own people. How could the Holy See abandon these devout believers?"
"Indeed, if we stand by and do nothing, how will the other powers on the continent and the various local churches view us? The Holy See will lose its credibility."
"The coastal countries of Horns Bay are on the verge of becoming heretical. I've heard they are planning to form a 'new sect' to stand on equal footing with the Holy See. It's simply outrageous."
"Gentlemen, I must remind you that a significant portion of the Holy See's finances relies on the tithe from the Horns Bay Church. Once Horns Bay slips out of our control, I don't need to explain the severe consequences."
The attendees shared their opinions, all in agreement—no matter how foolish Elvis may be, he is the archbishop appointed by the Holy See.
The City of Light can intervene continuously to stop the radical witch hunts locally and even punish this archbishop, but right now, they cannot let him be taken down by a group of secular authorities with heretical tendencies; otherwise, the Holy See's face would be lost.
Essentially, the message was: if our own dog bites someone, we will handle it ourselves and will not allow outsiders to interfere.
Listening to everyone's opinions, Pope Harrington II looked worried, but finally said, "Alright."
Thus, the tone regarding the Horns Bay situation was set.
"Your Holiness, gentlemen, I have one more matter to bring up."
Director Turs pulled out a thick book.
"Recently, a book has emerged in Horns Bay that is very detrimental to us—'Records of Injustice.' This book specifically collects various… cough, so-called 'injustices' that have occurred during the witch hunts, including this recent one in Horns Bay, along with many from history. Of course, I must emphasize that aside from the Horns Bay cases which have some factual basis, the others are all fabrications. However, no one will actually verify the truth of these stories. If this book spreads, it will cause a massive blow to the reputation of the Church of Light."
The pope took the book, quickly flipped through a few pages, and his expression darkened as he huffed and tossed it on the table.
"It's all the ravings of a madman. Who is the author?"
"Uh… we haven't tracked him down; he's very well hidden."
Turs suggested, "We should mobilize our forces to ban this book elsewhere. In the past, I wouldn't have worried, but since the introduction of Aldo paper, the cost of copying books has dropped significantly, so its circulation will widen."
Cardinal Bloom said, "There's no need to be so cautious. Even if paper has become cheap, someone still has to copy it word by word. A book this thick is not something we need to worry about in the short term. We should focus our attention on the upcoming war."
"Hmm, for now, that may be the case, but I hope you all don't forget about this matter."
Turs nodded; in fact, he only intended to mention it at today's meeting.
(End of the Chapter)
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