### Chapter 117: Conspiracy
“…Cough! That useless emperor is nearing his end, yet he’s still lost in the sweet embrace of women, partying all night long.”
In the grand hall of the Baihao City church, flickering candlelight swayed with the night wind blowing through the stained glass windows. Old Pope Anseier sat in a leather armchair at the ear hall table, looking a bit tired after conducting a prayer ceremony with the fleeing townsfolk outside. After hearing the news delivered by Selamus, the Commander of the Fourth Knights Order, from the royal city, he shook his head in amusement, perhaps finding the whole affair absurd.
“Forget it, you can’t help a mud wall stand up… Does he really think that fortress is as solid as a rock? No wonder he’s turned the enormous empire into this mess… Ha! Just a petty power monger—how can he talk about governing a country?”
“Haha, Mr. Anseier, you sure love to worry for no reason,” Selamus chuckled, placing his sword horizontally on the table, “An emperor like that will surely stumble into a ditch eventually. Whether it’s Skarlij or his powerful cronies, the Winter Moon family is running out of successors. Have you seen what they’ve achieved in recent years? Their ancestors fought fiercely to stabilize the territory, only for it to be ruined… Sigh, if you ask me, Skarlij might actually do something worthwhile.”
“True… I can’t deny that,” Anseier sipped some cold tea, sounding less hoarse than before. “If it weren’t for all the troublesome matters these past two years, and if the Western Continent was developing smoothly, we could’ve sided with Skarlij, helped him take Chielis City, and driven that foolish emperor off the stage, returning peace to the people of the empire…”
“Now that’s a truly benevolent plan for the masses! Besides, after that, the relationship between the empire and the church would likely improve significantly. Skarlij… he’s a Pope Knight, after all, he counts as part of the church in the end. With the Light in his heart, he wouldn’t stoop to colluding with heretics for personal gain or ruining the land…”
After this statement, there was a moment of silence in the ear hall.
“…Pfft.”
The knight commander couldn’t hold back and burst out laughing.
He looked at the old pope with a playful glint in his eye, teasing, “Mr. Anseier, is that your heartfelt opinion?”
“Would I lie about that?”
Old Anseier didn’t get mad; he pretended he didn’t grasp the commander’s intention and said half-jokingly, “Skarlij may not be very old, but he’s steady and capable—a clever and ambitious pragmatist. It’s no wonder he has become close friends with someone like the Sword Saint. If it weren’t for this mess, cough cough… I’d also want to build a good rapport with such an outstanding junior.”
“Haha, I know you don’t mean it that way…”
Seeing the old man evade the topic with humor, the knight commander didn’t want to press further. Some things are just better left unsaid; everyone knows what the other is getting at.
“I know, your Grace, that you have a broad mind and a generous spirit, which offers much for us younger folks to learn from. But… are you really not concerned at all about the matters from the day’s meeting?”
“Heh! Look at how you phrase that…”
Anseier chuckled, “I’m no saint; to say I don’t care… that would be a lie. Of course, there are still some knots in my heart, but it’s little things, really. Just sleep on it, and it will all be water under the bridge… One must never let emotions control them; otherwise, they might make mistakes they shouldn’t have. Right?”
“Indeed, you are wise,” the commander nodded with a laugh.
“So…”
Switching gears, the old pope gathered his composure and said seriously, “Have they both arrived in the city?”
“They have,” the commander replied, his expression turning serious.
“Bring them over here.”
The old man lowered his head, taking a sip of his cold tea, hiding his eyes from the man across the table. “Rustle rustle rustle… The Pope Knight, ha… without that Sword Demon, how reliable can the others be for these tasks…”
“Rest assured,” the knight commander said dismissively. He didn’t want to guess the old man’s thoughts. He knew that the Sword Demon had died at the hands of the other party, but it seemed unavoidable. Although he didn’t know the details, he understood that knowing too much could land him in a bad situation.
“Those two are highly regarded among this generation of Pope Knights, one of them being the Firekeeper Tarlasya—you’ve heard of him, haven’t you? He used to be a disciple of the Meteor Shower Magipani; after she went into hiding, he was knighted for slaying Abyssal creatures and once fought to a stalemate with the fiery Lapria…”
“And the other one is even more impressive; she’s the disciple of the Sword Saint—Sister Kaimilante, the head of Cardinal Iliena’s guards… Surely you’ve heard of her name, haven’t you, Mr. Anseier?”
“Oh?”
Anseier raised an eyebrow and set his cup down. “Now, that’s a tough character… I have some history with Sister Kaimilante and am aware of her abilities and temperament… However, letting her handle this? There’s always been rumors that her power of faith has surpassed that of Cardinal Iliena… But you understand, someone who’s hard to control is the most likely to screw things up completely.”
“Sister Kaimilante has been secluded with Cardinal Iliena for many years, away from the world. It wasn’t until last year’s troubles in the Holy City that she had to return and work alongside the current Pope… I met her once back then; she seemed a lot more restrained.”
Selamus was well aware of the old pope’s concerns. Although he worded things delicately, it was common knowledge that long ago, Anseier and the young Kaimilante had unpleasant disagreements over certain matters, and they hadn’t interacted since. After so many years, who knows if they’ve let go of their grievances—by Anseier’s tone, it didn’t seem like it.
Kaimilante had a notoriously fiery temper, and if she wasn’t willing to cooperate, it could indeed become a massive headache…
But it was an order from above. At this moment, Selamus could only speak positively to reassure him: “Though Sister Kaimilante isn’t the easiest to get along with, when it comes to real issues, she won’t drop the ball. That woman has earned Lady Iliena’s trust and has her unique way of dealing with complicated problems… In other words, if something goes wrong, haven’t you and I got each other’s backs?”
The man paused, revealing a cunning smile: “Your Grace, please don’t keep saying you’re getting old or unwell. Making such jokes will lead everyone to take you seriously. You’re just a step away from being promoted to Cardinal, and this mission… is crucial for you.”
“…Sigh, that’s true…”
The commander’s words seemed to slightly stir the murky depths of the old man’s eyes, but such subtle changes are hard to notice without sharp observation skills.
The old man sighed, “You know, I’m not really joking… Sometimes, one can’t deny getting older… While I’m not yet at the point of being unable to move, cough cough… don’t forget, no matter what we do next, there’s a mother lion named Ethanbel in the city… showing her fangs and looking at us.”
“True enough…”
The old pope’s words seemed to shake the commander into a state of clarity.
But right after that, in the flickering light, confidence glimmered clearly in the man’s smiling eyes: “However… the Choir of Saints isn’t made up of pushovers either…”
