The Papal Envoy 3
Translator: Cinder Translations
...
Hearing what Libate said, Anthony showed a look of regret and pain.
"Sir, this is all my fault. When selecting the new archbishop for the Horns Bay, I supported Elvis. I never expected that after he became archbishop, he would turn Horns Bay into this mess."
The stern expression on Libate's face softened into a faint smile as he comforted the young cardinal.
"Oh, my dear Anthony, there's no need to feel so guilty. The appointment of the Horns Bay archbishop was the result of the papacy's comprehensive considerations. Haven't you heard that Elvis was chosen because he was the most rational among a group of madmen? If it had been someone else, who knows what Horns Bay would have become!"
Libate sighed lightly.
"Ah, perhaps this is the inevitability of history. Even if we install a relatively rational archbishop, the situation still develops into something we do not wish to see. It can only be said that Horns Bay is a place where various contradictions are intertwined and catalyze each other, ultimately giving birth to the monstrosity of war. Look at the poverty of the inland countries versus the wealth of the coastal nations, the church's desire for power versus the secular rulers' desire for power, the openness brought by commercial development versus the conservatism inherently supported by religion—none of these issues are easy to resolve. Elvis just happened to be the archbishop at this time, but whether it's Elvis or someone else in that position, no one can resolve all the contradictions. What we call war is merely the total eruption of these contradictions."
As he finished speaking, Libate noticed a flicker of confusion in Anthony's eyes.
"What's wrong, my dear Anthony?"
Having crossed fifty, Libate valued the young man before him, the youngest cardinal with a limitless future. He was more than willing to answer this young protege's questions.
"Oh, it's nothing."
Anthony slightly shook his head and said, "I just find it difficult to immediately understand your profound insights due to my own dullness."
Libate laughed heartily and replied, "This isn't some profound insight; it's merely the wisdom gained from living for decades. Once you're old enough, you'll naturally understand these things."
Anthony then asked, "Since you believe the situation is so grim and its development has a degree of inevitability, why risk going out in a hostile environment?"
"I…"
Libate did not answer immediately. He turned his gaze towards the sky, which had now turned a dim yellow, with half the sun already set. Night was fast approaching.
After a long pause, Libate finally spoke:
"Perhaps it's because I firmly believe that there is always a last thread of reason hidden in everyone's heart."
Then both fell into silence, walking side by side for a while before parting at the corner of the corridor.
Watching Libate's departing figure, Anthony murmured in a barely audible voice to himself, "Envoy, the purpose of my following you to Horns Bay is to shatter your so-called last thread of reason."
...
In the office of the Chairman of the Highest Tribunal of Horns Bay of Niceport, Chairman Marcus and several heavyweight members were discussing a letter, including one from the head of the Foster family, Joe Foster.
The Chairman asked, "My friends, how sincere do you think Lord Libate is in coming here?"
Foster replied, "Marcus, even if he comes with the utmost sincerity, I don't believe it will make much of a difference. Unless…"
The Chairman interrupted, "Unless?"
"Unless the papacy directly orders the Horns Bay Church to stop the witch hunt and no longer interfere in the domestic affairs of the countries along the river. The fire has already been lit; throwing dirt on it isn't going to help."
"This… seems unlikely!"
The Chairman sighed.
"Stop holding onto any fantasies! Prepare for war!"
The member advocating a hardline stance against the church, Horas, cracked his knuckles eagerly.
"This is our final moment; we stand at the edge of a cliff. Even taking a single step back would plunge us into the abyss, along with the glory of the Horns Bay Alliance and the wealth left to us by our ancestors, which will all vanish in an instant."
Horas was particularly excited because his family was involved in the slave trade, and war was the most effective means of quickly acquiring a large number of slaves.
The rapidly rising anti-church sentiment among the populace was something the council members had not anticipated.
After much thought, the mysterious book, The Chronicles of Injustice, written by an unknown author, seemed to be a significant catalyst.
Anyone with a bit of conscience who read this book would be filled with resentment toward the church.
Moreover, the main point of this book was particularly clever.
It did not oppose the widely believed main deity, the Lord of Light—this might have caused any potential reader to dismiss it—but rather separated the Lord of Light from the papacy (and the churches it governed), cutting them into two independent entities.
In critiquing the papacy, the book extensively quoted classic passages from the Holy Scriptures, showcasing the author's remarkable theological knowledge, and after reading it, one would feel that the papacy was violating the very Holy Scriptures it fervently promoted.
The book boldly posed several questions:
— On what basis can the papacy represent the Lord of Light?
— On what basis can the papacy monopolize the interpretation of the Holy Scriptures?
— Is the papacy using the banner of the Lord of Light to commit acts that violate the Holy Scriptures?
These questions had a tremendous impact on the believers.
For thousands of years, the papacy and the Lord of Light had been almost synonymous in people's minds; the papacy was seen as the manifestation of the Father's power on earth, the custodian of the Father's authority.
No one had ever doubted the papacy's qualifications to represent the Lord of Light.
Now, this data-rich, deeply insightful book planted the seeds of doubt in people's hearts.
With the diligent watering of these seeds by the Horns Bay Church's recent actions, they soon sprouted and grew larger.
The result of this growth was the emergence of new sects, with a large number of orthodox church members publicly breaking away from the Horns Bay Church to form new organizations.
The council also wanted to investigate who authored this book, but they ultimately could only trace it back to the Northwest Bay. When they inquired at the printing house that produced the book, the other party refused to answer, citing a confidentiality agreement with the client.
Later, this book was banned by the lord of Alden, but its quantity in Horns Bay continued to grow rapidly.
Perhaps someone had purchased the Aldan printing press and started printing it themselves.
(End of the Chapter)
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