### Chapter 7: Church of Light (11)
==============================
At this very moment, as Morris stood on the high platform facing a crowd of followers, Bel quietly observed his shimmering golden silhouette, lost in thought.
“Master, this guy seems pretty suspicious. Is it really smart to let him be almost on par with the Pope?” Rong Ji casually chimed in, having appeared beside Bel out of nowhere with a rather lazy tone.
Bel shot her a glance and countered, “Don’t you think having a Messenger of the God of Light recruiting followers and solidifying faith could be quite effective?”
Rong Ji licked her fingertip and replied, “Well, you make a point. But I heard Morris was just a country earl a while back. When did he learn the art of brazen deception?”
Bel smirked, “Rong Ji, you underestimate my intelligence network in the Imperial Capital.”
“Oh? Spill the beans!”
“From the moment that old fox Monroe volunteered to interrogate the embassy crew, I instructed my people to report any unusual movements since Morris and his gang were locked up. Guess what? The Cold Moon Witch and Monroe’s daughter, Trissa, have met with Morris and his crew.”
Rong Ji exclaimed, “So that’s how it is! The Witch handed her ‘disguising as a Messenger’ tricks to Morris, and in turn, Monroe used the interrogation opportunity to reveal near-miraculous abilities. This way, Morris’s name as a Messenger will spread wider, and soon even Prince Eric’s family won’t dare to plot against him.”
“Ha! You think the Cold Moon Witch just wants to help him clear his name?” Bel shook his head. “I’ve seen through her plan long ago.”
Rong Ji asked with keen interest, “Oh really? The Cold Moon is not just powerful but also quite cunning. Otherwise, how would we suffer such a huge loss in the Sky Tower?”
“Listen carefully. She’s transforming Morris into the Messenger of Light for three reasons. First, to help him clear his name—no debate there. Second, if Morris performs normally, he’ll gain the support of the Followers of the Church of Light under his identity as a Messenger, which will help him undermine the original higher-ups of the Church. Third, when Morris completely takes over the Church, that’s when the Cold Moon Witch can claim the throne for herself.”
“She’s not satisfied with owning several major cities of both the Monster Race and Human Race and wants to use this to shake the Emperor’s grip on the Empire. Her ambitions are no small matter.”
Rong Ji nodded, “Oh, so it looks like the Cold Moon has already achieved two of her goals!”
“Not quite!” Bel injected with a hint of amusement, “Blame her for picking the wrong guy. Morris, a raw country bumpkin, hasn’t done anything of worth in the Imperial Capital these past few years. If it weren’t for this trip to Black Stone City, no one in court would even know he existed. Let’s just say, he couldn’t care less about noble ambitions; he was busy enjoying himself with a maid. And per my spies’ reports, this dude is all bark and no bite. Just give him a good whack, and he’ll change his tune in a flash. Don’t believe me? Just wait and see.”
Just then, Morris had just wrapped up his performance in front of the crowd, collapsed on the floor of the inner room, drenched in sweat. Suddenly, the Emperor’s voice echoed in his ears, and he immediately knelt down, banging his head on the ground three times.
“Your Majesty! Your Majesty! I had no choice! I don’t want to d*e, so I heeded that woman’s advice! I don’t want to be this so-called Messenger anymore! If you want, I’ll vanish from the Imperial Capital right now and never step foot outside my territory again!”
Bel smiled, “No need to be so tense, my dear. Of course, I know you are forced into this. However, while the d*ath penalty can be forgiven, the live sentence cannot. You, as the Messenger of Light, must continue your charade at this stage and strictly follow my orders. Understood?”
“Yes, Your Majesty! I understand!”
Under the Emperor’s intimidation, Morris instantly surrendered. All of this was part of Bel’s plan.
“I remember you weren’t a Mage before.”
Bel had seen the Mage skills Morris exhibited while shining holy light on the followers. If he wasn’t an S-rank Mage, he couldn’t possibly make the ‘Rejuvenation’ spell reverse aging.
Although this youth-reversing effect was temporary, it required a pure bloodline of the Four Warriors and profound magical heritage to pull off. Bel couldn’t recall Morris ever having a place in the royal Mage training program.
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Having decided to fully bend the knee to the Emperor, Morris’s speech finally grew a bit slicker. The Emperor was not just the leader of the Empire, but also a powerful Mage. Unbeknownst to Morris, Bel was currently in a state of depleted magic power, nearly as powerless as an ordinary person. Had he known, Morris might not have so quickly surrendered.
“Your Majesty, I don’t know what that Demoness did to me. She just patted me a few times, and suddenly I felt this incredible energy surging through my whole body, way beyond what I used to have.”
“Oh? Is that so?”
The Cold Moon Witch must have a method related to enhancing bloodline power. Originally, Bel intended to dispose of her once his powers returned, but now it seemed necessary to keep her alive.
Bel pondered, “Alright, you may go now.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Morris cautiously bowed and, upon standing, realized a captivating young lady had mysteriously appeared behind the Emperor, her beautiful eyes sparkling. He dared not inquire about her identity and quickly looked down, exiting the room in haste.
“Rong Ji, did you see that? If that Cold Moon Witch had picked someone else against me, I might’ve had to think twice. But with a dullard like Morris, it’s clear as day what he’s thinking.
I was a bit worried about the recent slow growth of followers compared to before, but with Morris’s help—especially today’s little performance—I’m sure soon the entire Imperial Capital will be the realm of the Church of Light.”
Rong Ji smiled, “Nothing escapes the Master’s grasp.”
Bel shook his head, “Morris is only kneeling before me out of power-obedience; he still has the potential to betray us again. Keep an eye on him, and if anything seems off, report to me immediately.”
Rong Ji obediently bowed slightly, “Understood, Master.”
Once that enchanting figure departed, Bel couldn’t help but feel a bit dazed. Rong Ji seemed much more compliant than before—could it be because she saw him seeing through the Cold Moon Witch’s plan and believed the odds of rescuing Fu Yetian had improved, leading her to adopt this submissive posture?
Heh, Bel slightly curled his lip. Even so, it was time to let her go.
