Chapter 99 - Heroes and Saints

About a week ago.

A knight commander was spending a blissful time with his loyal subordinate and the princess of the empire by his side.

The atmosphere at the headquarters of the Celestial Church, the Cathedral of Mercy, was more solemn than ever.

It was because of the first public meeting since the war with the northern barbarians.

Famous priests and theologians began to show up one by one to attend this precious event that only happens once every few years, discussing important matters that would affect the entire church.

"Cardinal Goldenbaum, the head of the Order of the Holy Cross, enters to receive the will of the Holy Celestial."

In a territory of moderate size, there were bishops who were treated as minor popes, and only cardinals, the highest rank of the clergy, could stand tall.

The lower-ranking priests who assisted them had to be careful not to bite their tongues, and the knights lined up on both sides with their faces covered by winged white helmets also looked tense.

"The Southern Patriarch, Cardinal Constantine, enters in obedience to the will of the Holy Heaven."

"The Dean of the Faculty of Theology, Archbishop Rosenberg…"

It was natural.

Just as knights who have reached the realm naturally intimidate people, so too do the priests.

The divine power that resides in high-ranking priests is so great that even just watching them around makes people feel awe.

When the air lightened a little after seeing Archbishop Rosenberg's back as he hurriedly entered the narrow door, the priests and knights were finally able to let go of their worries.

"Whew… Brother, you have truly had a rare experience today."

"That's right. How deep must the cardinals' faith be..."

The priests below the rank of bishop quietly retreated outside and made the sign of the cross. The event that was about to take place was not yet permitted for them.

One of the holy places of the Catholic Church, the Temple of Light, where the blessing of God resided directly.

Contrary to its lofty reputation, the interior of this place seemed like a shabby space with only a few wooden chairs on a stone floor without even a ceiling.

When all the appointed number of people gathered in one place, an old man wearing a pure white robe began to recite a prayer with his lips quivering.

"Lord, your servants are gathered in one place. Please allow those gathered here not to be blind, deaf, or speak nonsense, but to follow only your will."

—Paaaaat!

Then, several huge pillars of light descended from the sky, dyeing the surroundings brilliantly.

"Oh, Heavenly Father…"

For the miracle that was granted to only one person on earth, the priests looked up at the sky for a moment, made the sign of the cross, and then bowed their heads to the old man in unison to pay their respects.

The Pope of the Church of Heaven, Ambrose, who had been watching them blankly, slowly opened his mouth with a kind smile.

Unlike the other priests who wore various relics and elaborate attire, he wore a simple white robe, but this added to his dignity as a Pope.

"Brothers and sisters. It is truly a pleasure to see you all gathered here in the midst of your busy schedule. You all look healthy. This too must be the grace of Heaven."

"I meet His Holiness the Pope."

As the Celestial Church was a huge organization with influence beyond ordinary religious groups, the relationships among the people gathered here were quite complicated.

The interests of the high-ranking clergy were somewhat similar to those of the aristocracy, so there were some who would blush whenever they met.

"Hehe. I would like to chat with my long-time comrades in faith and relieve my worries... but I have work to do, so that would be difficult."

Since they shared the same faith, whether they liked it or not. Also, since the Pope was the central figure, there were no meaningless wars of nerves or clashes.

After a brief silence.

"Under the protection of the Celestials, there are two major issues to discuss here. The coming light and the revealed darkness. Let's start with the latter. Light is more dazzling in the darkness."

The 81st General Council of the Celestial Church opened with Pope Ambrose's declaration.

The first to open the meeting was the Grand Inquisitor, Cardinal Malleus.

He was the head of the Inquisition, one of the most powerful forces in the Celestial Church, and his influence as the leader of the church's legal system was considerable.

"It is truly unpleasant, but we cannot deny the fact that forces worshipping evil spirits have been active throughout the empire recently. It is a shame that the land blessed by God is now under the clutches of evil."

"Eclipse, weren't they completely defeated?"

"No. Their momentum was only dampened by the thwarting of their evil sacrifice rituals that took a great deal of effort. They remain dangerous. The roots of the anti-imperial forces that joined hands with the heretics have not been uprooted, and they are still alive and well."

Since it was a council that prioritized common goals, at this moment, pure discussions took place without any restrictions on positions or interests.

"Why do they keep running wild? This is an issue that both the sect and the imperial government have been keeping a close eye on."

"It's been almost a year since the war ended, and now we can no longer make excuses about resolving the post-war chaos."

Among them, there were some statements that were a bit too strong or off topic.

"Is the Millennium Empire losing its light? Or is it that our sect has become too complacent and is holding the reins of faith in our hearts too loosely?"

"We must further refine our faith in God through asceticism and asceticism. True faith sprouts from the trials and sufferings of oneself."

"Archbishop Mosguz. Why are you still clinging to a stale tradition from hundreds of years ago?"

Under the pretext that there can be no such thing as pretense under the direct watch of the heavenly beings, free expression of opinions is permitted.

The Pope, who had been silently watching the increasingly heated atmosphere of the conference room, smiled bitterly and clapped his hands to gather attention.

"Now, brothers and sisters. That's enough constructive criticism of the lax imperial administration and our complacent religious order. Now let's find a solution."

His role was to hold the conference, conduct it, and adopt opinions.

As the head of the religious order that follows God's will, he was required to have the wisdom and determination to match.

"Your Holiness, this is all happening due to a lack of manpower. We need to increase the number of seminaries and train more junior priests."

"Mercy is good, but sometimes a hammer is also necessary. We should assume atheists and heretics as potential threats, and deal with them more strictly..."

"Your Holiness! Declare a holy war!"

"Austerity! Austerity is the only answer!"

'Lord... Please give wisdom to these little lambs...'

The Pope thought. As expected from those who are leading the way in the forefront of faith, their opinions are truly diverse and creative.

For a moment, a suspicion flashed through his head that the authors were just spouting nonsense while leaving the judgment up to him.

But he soon shook off that delusion with his firm faith.

Although the Church's council is usually held in this kind of atmosphere, he was preparing himself, thinking that if things continued like last time, there would be no conclusion even after several days.

In the midst of the chaos, a story that caught the Pope's interest was heard.

"If necessary, our church should actively join forces with external forces. This is something we can no longer stand by and watch."

"Everyone, let's listen to the Grand Inquisitor's story."

The council, which had been close to chaos, regained its composure in an instant due to the Pope's intervention, which had been sitting quietly until then.

Cardinal Malleus, who was suddenly given the right to speak publicly, looked slightly surprised, but soon bowed his head slightly toward the Pope and explained his opinion.

"Although the Order and the Empire maintain a cooperative relationship, it was only a passive exchange. It was due to an implicit promise to respect each other's territories."

"Then, the Grand Inquisitor wants to openly say that the Order should bow down to the Imperial Family? Because of a crisis of this magnitude?"

"It is an absurd misunderstanding. You should listen to the end."

One of the cardinals immediately criticized the sensitive remark, but the experienced Grand Inquisitor accepted it without blinking and continued speaking.

"The existing methods clearly have limitations. The enemy is increasingly acting without regard for means and methods, so how can we just sit back and do nothing? We need to approach it from a completely different perspective."

"... Could you explain in more detail?" "Until now, the power called Eclipse has expanded its influence by cleverly exploiting the chaos caused by war and inciting the public. It's the strategy of the northern barbarians. We have no choice but to open our eyes and accept it."

"Yes. That must have been a headache. However, from what I've heard, it seems that the Grand Inquisitor has come up with a special solution."

The Pope smiled happily as he looked at the Grand Inquisitor, who was naturally leading the meeting after he had openly laid out the plan.

He may have been a bit aggressive, but he was still an extraordinary talent. He's not that old either. If he could just fix his personality flaws, he would be a worthy successor.

'Well, the first thing the gods took from humans was perfection.'

The Pope, who was soon to be called by the gods, wanted to find a successor. Cardinal Malleus was one of the strong candidates.

"The reason the public is deceived by the words of rebels is because they have distrusted the existing ruling class. This is a fact proven by history. If that is the case, shouldn't we restore the lost trust?"

"That makes sense. So what do you mean?"

—Boom!

"We need a hero! A superhuman hero whom the masses can trust and rely on from the bottom of their hearts. A hero who represents the will of the Empire and the Celestial Church, who will mercilessly sweep away 'evil' and realize justice. So that they will not even dare to question the existing order!"

As the Grand Inquisitor pounded the table and spoke passionately, the Hall of Light was enveloped in silence for a moment.

It was evidence that everyone was seriously considering his opinion.

Among them, the most learned and renowned theologian, Archbishop Rosenberg, pushed up his thick glasses and muttered.

"...I understand what you mean. This is truly a great insight and vision. It is bold, but it clearly sees through the core of the current problem and the solution. So who would be the right person for the job?"

"Ahem. What about the Commander of the Templars, Sir Serion? He is young, handsome, and skilled. Doesn't he fit the profile of the Grand Inquisitor?"

Cardinal Goldenbaum, who had been glaring at the Grand Inquisitor to find a flaw in his remarks, quickly changed his stance and casually mentioned his nephew.

The Commander of the Templars was actually a representative figure of the young blood of the church, so several people nodded their heads absentmindedly.

Cardinal Constantine, who had a bold personality due to his southern blood, shook his head and made a bold statement.

"Ah. Sir Serion... That young man has deep faith, but frankly, his military skills are not very good... and his personality is not very good either."

"What? Then who is he?" "Well, the person who submitted the opinion must have had a person in mind. When I look closely, the depth of the thought doesn't seem to be the result of just one or two days of thinking. Who are you thinking of, Grand Inquisitor?"

At the Southern Patriarch's remark, everyone's eyes were once again focused on the Grand Inquisitor.

Then, Cardinal Malleus declared with a meaningful smile.

"Commander of the Black Lion Knights, Wolfgang von Schwarz. He is the right person for the job."

"What? He is not a member of the Order! Besides, I cannot trust your opinion, having worked with him before. Let's find someone else."

"Please, Master of the Order of the Holy Cross. Are you bringing up your personal feelings here?" "Hmm, he seems to be a proven talent in terms of military power. Everything else is unknown."

"Holhol… So… Who is that guy? This old man who only delves into the Bible is completely ignorant of the current affairs of the world…"

Looking at the meeting that was once again becoming chaotic, the Pope thought as he rubbed his eyes with his fingers.

It's good that they came up with good opinions, but when should we bring up this more important story when everyone is so absorbed in the meeting?

He said that a saint had appeared on this land for the first time in hundreds of years, after receiving a revelation from the heavens.

'I guess… It seems that one of the young female believers has already received the grace of God.'

It seemed that the schedule for this council would have to be set for at least a few days.

The old man, who was the Pope of the Heavenly Church and was now starting to feel reluctant about excessive schedules, secretly sighed inwardly.

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