**Chapter 471: Nomination**
In a spacious room somewhere, a vibrant carpet was laid out on the floor, and countless pieces of armor and weapons adorned the sides of the room. A massive Glimmer emblem hung on one wall, while a detailed and gigantic world map was displayed on the opposite wall.
Religious decorations filled every corner of the room. Beneath the Glimmer emblem stood a large desk, and seated behind it was a figure dressed in a crimson robe.
He was a handsome man, with short golden hair and a sharply defined face, lacking facial hair. At first glance, he appeared to be around thirty years old, his eyes carrying a natural sharpness. The man sat upright, focused intently on the documents laid out before him, occasionally raising a pen to mark down notes.
In front of him stood a cleric dressed in high-quality clerical robes, with a small amount of armor underneath. The cleric, with a buzz cut, stood at attention, watching the man before him with a serious expression, seemingly waiting for something. Aside from the quiet scratching sounds of the pen from the red-robed man, there was no other noise in the air, allowing a tense silence to spread.
“So, the pilgrimage ceremony in the Rachel Valley went smoothly this month, did it?” After finishing marking a document, he lifted his head and spoke to Blake. Upon hearing the man’s words, Blake paused slightly before responding.
“Yes, Lord Hilbert. Although there was a delay due to the incident with XiasTree, the general pilgrimage has concluded. In this ceremony, a nun who preached the gospel was selected as the main promoter of the event and was arranged to appear in many places, even taking on the nominal role of the pilgrimage’s host. To elevate her status during these activities, the Rachel Valley even held a promotion ceremony for her ahead of time, allowing her to rise to the position of senior deacon.
“Overall, this pilgrimage in Rachel Valley, although different from previous years, was quite successful. That young nun seemed to gain quite a bit of prestige during the ceremony, and it’s foreseeable that this group of pilgrims will further spread her reputation once they return. The impact of the XiasTree incident will therefore expand to those other nations.”
With a solemn expression, the cleric spoke directly to the man named Hilbert. Listening to Blake’s words, Hilbert raised an eyebrow slightly and then muttered, his eyes glimmering.
“Heh… It seems Amanda is determined to give that young nun a proper lift. It makes sense; what a good promotional material. Wouldn’t it be a shame not to utilize it more?”
Hilbert spoke calmly. Hearing his words, Blake couldn’t help but interject.
“Lord Amanda is expanding her influence using that young nun. If this continues, they’ll eventually obstruct our affairs. Lord Hilbert, shall we just stand by and watch?”
“Of course, we will stand by and watch; what else can we do? Since they have already gained the upper hand in the XiasTree matter, there’s no need to confront them further on this front. It would look bad, both before the congregation and in front of the Holy See, to clash directly, Blake.”
Hilbert said nonchalantly. His demeanor suggested he was not overly concerned about the situation with XiasTree or the young nun. Instead, he set down the pen and picked up a newspaper from the desk to read.
Blake, the cleric, spoke up, somewhat angrily. “The publicity opportunity for XiasTree was just handed over to Lord Amanda. We had solidified our strategy against XiasTree, but unexpectedly, the Abyss Cult stirred things up, completely changing the situation. It’s such a pity.”
Blake’s words carried a tone of regret, while Hilbert remained impassive, quietly reading the newspaper as he spoke slowly.
“There’s nothing to regret… Just a small opportunity, and if we lose it, we lose it. We’ll have another chance next time. Compared to peace, conflicts and disputes are the norms in this world. There are many more serious cases similar to XiasTree in the border areas.
“In the history of the Church, there have been more than a few naive individuals like Amanda, trying to sing a different tune on the path of fire and sword paved by the Church. However… as long as heretics still exist, conflicts and upheavals will never cease, and their melodies will not amount to anything.”
While continuing to read the newspaper, Hilbert spoke calmly. Hearing his words, Blake hesitated briefly, then pondered for a moment before speaking.
“Are you saying… that we don’t need to pay too much attention to Lord Amanda and that young nun, and just wait for the next opportunity?”
“Exactly. We don’t really need to wait long. Isn’t there one at hand right now?”
Hilbert replied, then laid the newspaper flat on his desk. Seeing his movement, Blake glanced at the contents of the paper and noticed a large headline that read:
“The turmoil in the Kingdom of Adus continues, rebel forces have taken control of the capital, Adis, and King Mahand is missing.”
Upon reading the article, Blake was slightly taken aback and then exclaimed in surprise, “Is this… the rebellion in Northern Ufeiga a few months ago? Has it already developed to this extent? If the opportunity you speak of refers to this, then that means the rumors are true, the rebellion in Adus is related to heretics?”
“Of course, there’s a connection. If there weren’t heretical support behind them, how could the opposition have progressed so quickly? Recent intelligence from Adus has confirmed that the Savior’s Incarnation Sect has been highly active in that area; they must be deeply involved in this rebellion.”
Hilbert spoke with a calm tone, then turned his attention to the news in the newspaper.
“Not long ago, the Adus noble faction sent envoys to the Sacred Summit, requesting support from the rebels in exchange for heretical backing, intending to install heretics in power and seek our military assistance. The rebels have also written to say… they do not wish to oppose the Church. They only want to overthrow the corrupt reign of the current dynasty, but when it comes to heretics and faith, their stance becomes ambiguous.”
Hilbert explained. Hearing his words, Blake’s expression turned serious, and he immediately responded with gravity.
“The issue of faith cannot be ambiguous; it must be clear. If they entangle themselves with heretics or even intend to elevate them, then a holy war is inevitable! Even for a marginal country like Adus, they must at least maintain the clarity of faith on the surface! Lord Hilbert, we have every reason to mobilize our troops in response to their actions!”
Blake spoke earnestly, as if anticipating an immediate deployment towards Adus, but Hilbert continued calmly.
“Yes… They aren’t even willing to clarify their stance on faith in formal discussions, but this is already enough for us to agree to the request from the Adus noble faction and send troops to purify the heretics.
“Now that the Holy See has ascended to the upper realm and is attuned to the divine will, while His Majesty is absent, more decision-making power has temporarily been entrusted to the cardinal meeting. The affairs of Adus will also be entirely handled by me in the cardinal meeting. The joint request from the Adus nobles, combined with the ambiguous attitude of the rebels, presents clear evidence of heretical activity in Adus, along with my influence in the cardinal meeting… Together, these factors are more than enough to pass a resolution for a new holy war, and Amanda cannot stop it…”
Hilbert spoke with a composed demeanor. Listening to him, Blake’s face broke into a clear expression of excitement, as he openly asked, “Then, my lord… when do we march on Adus?!”
Hilbert’s response was unexpected. “Marching on Adus? Heh, that may need to wait a while…”
“Wait a while? Why do we need to wait? Didn’t you say that under so many favorable conditions, passing a resolution to deploy our troops would be easy?” Blake questioned, somewhat confused. With the Holy See currently absent, the Church’s highest decision-making body was the cardinal meeting. As a prominent figure among the cardinals, Hilbert should find it easy to push through the resolution for a holy war against Adus under these advantageous circumstances.
Such a holy war should be resolved quickly, decided swiftly, attacked rapidly, judged, and purified without delay. This kind of hesitation was not typical of Hilbert’s character.
Faced with Hilbert’s words, Blake felt perplexed, and Hilbert’s response left him stunned. He smiled mysteriously and replied lightly.
“Because… I did not propose troop deployment in the cardinal meeting; instead, when Amanda insisted on taking a more cautious approach towards Adus, I supported her opinion.”
“What…?”
Blake’s eyes widened, and he instinctively took two steps back, unable to believe that the man before him would say such a thing—that he would agreement to the views of his political rival all along.
“Lord Hilbert, you… you must be mistaken…”
“I certainly am not mistaken. I supported Amanda in the meeting, asserting that we should handle the affairs of Adus with caution and not use force lightly. I even took it further by proposing to send a special envoy to Adus, attempting to mediate peace between the warring sides while also educating the ordinary people of Adus who might have been blinded by heretical ideas, giving them a chance to return to the embrace of the Lord…”
Hilbert spoke languidly. As he spoke, Blake’s incredulity deepened, eventually shifting to a state of astonishment. Observing Blake’s stunned face, Hilbert continued amiably.
“And to let Adus feel the Church’s sincerity, I nominated the Holy Mother Evangelist, Vania Chafiron, who has recently been shining brightly, as the leader of this envoy. With her track record of having converted hundreds of thousands of people in XiasTree, she will surely utilize her enthusiasm well to educate the heretics of Adus.”
Hilbert spoke with ease. Listening to his sentiments, Blake’s expression shifted from shock to realization. After a moment of contemplation, he suddenly came to a significant understanding, and his demeanor brightened.
“Yes… That young nun Amanda is paying attention to, the one who became the evangelist of XiasTree by luck, if we put her in charge of the situation in Adus, once the situation worsens, her status and influence will plummet. The promotional efforts by Lord Amanda centered around her will be in vain! She will be significantly affected!”
Blake spoke rapidly. He had fully grasped Hilbert’s intentions; he aimed to seize this opportunity to pull down the young nun, who had been elevated by Amanda, weakening their influence!
Blake understood that the reason that young nun succeeded in converting the people of XiasTree was entirely due to the Abyss Cult. The Abyss Cult conspired to incite a confrontation between XiasTree and the Church, which backfired when XiasTree realized they had been used and sought peace with the Church, and thus turned to this nun as a stepping stone. This laid the groundwork for a nun converting tens of thousands of XiasTree people; this was the insidious backstory known to many in the higher-ups of the Church.
Therefore, Blake realized that the nun named Vania was merely lucky, lacking the capacity to cause widespread conversion. She had no such capability! Essentially, she was a beautifully packaged vase, with her primary role being propaganda and public display—good for appearances but not for use, a vessel of an ordinary nun’s inherent capabilities!
Clearly, Hilbert understood that the best method to deal with a vase was to elevate it higher, to raise her to a level beyond what Amanda had expected, so high that she would be unable to adapt, thus allowing her to fall and shatter.
As a special envoy on the Church’s behalf concerning the turmoil in Adus, she would be wholly responsible for resolving the heretical issues within Adus, and even mediating between the warring sides. This was a position far beyond what that young nun could handle, one that would inevitably result in her crashing down after being raised.
Hilbert understood that the internal issues of Adus could not be solved by a mere young nun, so he purposefully aimed for her to go there; he used all his influence in the cardinal meeting to send her there, simply to watch her fail.
After her failure, Hilbert could return to lament the unfortunate situation in Adus for having ruined his noble expectations, then once again raise the banner of using force. This would strike a blow at Amanda’s recent influence expansion, while he could still extend his own power through military means. Additionally, he could showcase his own image of being competent in wielding force. This was a far better option than initiating military action from the start.
“Amanda wants to elevate a vase… then I’ll grant her wish and raise it even higher. When the wind blows and it topples, it will be her who gets crushed.” Sitting back in his chair, Hilbert spoke with a relaxed demeanor, as if he held all the cards in hand.
“I’ve already arranged controllable media both within and outside the Church to start cultivating the news of the evangelist heading to Adus. Alongside Amanda’s publicity efforts, this momentum should be considerable. I eagerly anticipate… Amanda being overturned by the waves she herself has created.”
Hilbert stated, then cast his gaze toward the world map hanging in the room, focusing on the northern part of the continent of Ufeiga, where he looked forward to the ongoing development of the situation.
