CA - Chapter 236

Chapter 236

After the campaign in the Shas Principality concluded, everything began moving in a positive direction. The Wolf Race and the Elf Race returned to their territories to rest and recuperate. The Holy See, having cleansed the last of the dark forces from the Statu Continent, also withdrew to its own nation to reorganize.

In this war, the casualty rate among the Holy See's middle and lower ranks reached nearly seventy percent, and that figure included Gabriel's forces, which had suffered almost no losses.

Casualties among the bishops were around thirty percent. All the Cardinals were severely injured, but fortunately, no one was killed.

It was a trial by blood. For millennia, the Holy See had stood high and mighty, with no race or power capable of rivaling it. On the Statu Continent, anyone who could enter the Holy See was an object of great envy.

This attitude had persisted for millennia, as if simply donning the clerical robes bestowed an air of arrogance and the right to look down upon others.

But in the war, this arrogance was brutally ground into the dust. The cruel conflict and horrific casualties served as a wake-up call for the survivors, and the atmosphere slowly began to shift in a more positive direction.

Because the war had dealt a heavy blow to the Holy See, the Saintess directly ordered the bishops to remain in the Holy See's nation to recover. They could only leave with her approval. Joining them were some priests whose qualifications and strength were deemed outstanding.

Many bishops had been lost, and the vacant positions needed to be filled with promotions as quickly as possible.

The Central Church was methodically restoring stability. Gabriel and the group he had taken with him seemed to have been forgotten, as was the Pope, who was also being deliberately ignored.

The Pope's last appearance had been the spectral image that rebuked Gabriel in Light Square; his physical body had not even been present. At the time, the Saintess explained that the Pope needed to enter seclusion to prepare himself, ensuring he would be in optimal condition to face the impending disaster.

Yet when the disaster truly arrived, there was no sign of the Pope at all.

After the campaign in the Shas Principality ended, the Pope still did not appear. The Saintess merely relayed a few lukewarm, placating words on his behalf, while all of the Holy See's orders were issued by her.

If they couldn't understand the meaning behind this situation, they would be truly foolish.

The Pope's seat would likely soon have a new occupant.

The minds of the bishops recovering in the Holy See's nation began to stir. The succession of the papacy was a major event, and everyone began to speculate who the next Pope would be.

Under normal circumstances, with the death of the first heir, the Holy Son, the position of Pope should be inherited by the Saintess. Of course, she would need to secure at least seventy percent of the support votes from the Cardinals and bishops.

But compared to the Holy Son, the Saintess had cultivated pitifully few supporters. Without the Pope paving the way for her, her succession could be easily vetoed if just two Cardinals secretly opposed her.

Setting aside the Saintess, the Cardinals also had the right to inherit the papal seat. Among them, both Gabriel and Reese had large followings. Of course, the former now refused to return to the Holy See, meaning he had lost his eligibility unless he planned to seize power through rebellion.

The latter was the one with the greatest advantage.

If not for the battle in the Shas Principality, no one would have thought anyone could compete with these three after the Holy Son's death. But after that battle, a figure quietly entered their minds: the former Bishop of the Gosse Church, now the one who had broken Reese's record to become the Holy See's youngest Cardinal-Grace.

In terms of status, she lacked the Saintess's advantage, and her supporters couldn't compare to the deeply established followings of Gabriel and Reese. But she... was simply too powerful.

In the face of absolute power, status and supporters seemed pale and insignificant.

Besides, it wasn't that she had no supporters-they just weren't within the Holy See.

The Wolf Race and the Elf Race were her supporters. Some bishops from the Bill or Gosse Churches even knew something others didn't-the royal families and nobles of those two great empires also deeply admired Cardinal Grace.

If she wanted to contend for the papal seat, she could likely secure her position very quickly, even if it meant resorting to rebellion.

Once this struggle for power began, the victor would be decided from among these three. The bishops and Cardinals who understood this grew uneasy, wondering what great storm was about to descend upon the Holy See.

While outsiders watched their every move with trepidation, the three individuals at the center of it all were not actually concerned with such messy affairs and continued to interact as they always had.

Upon returning to the Holy See, Tang Qiu was immediately buried under a mountain of clerical duties. Although the darkness had been driven out, its malevolent influence lingered on the Statu Continent. Natural and man-made disasters began to erupt frequently, the Vampires were stirring, and requests for aid from hundreds of branch churches across the continent flooded the Central Church, forming a terrifyingly large pile.

Tang Qiu stared at the mountain of paperwork in momentary surprise, then found a place to sit and began to go through it, one document at a time.

Reese, who had been "tethered" by the Saintess using Monica and kept busy for several days straight, impatiently put down her work. She propped her chin on one hand, stared at Tang Qiu, and started a conversation out of boredom. "Where have you been these past few days?"

"Recovering at a small manor in the Gosse Empire."

"Oh? Are you all healed?"

Tang Qiu hummed in affirmation. She picked up a quill, wrote something on a sheet of parchment, and handed it to a waiting priest to see to the matter. "Just about," she replied casually.

Reese raised an eyebrow. Her gaze swept over Tang Qiu's face, and seeing that her complexion was even better than her own, she shook her head slightly. "Since you're healed, let's pick a time to deal with Gabriel."

She had deliberately suppressed the news of Tang Qiu's return to prevent Gabriel from finding out and fleeing, but the information couldn't be kept under wraps forever.

"It's time for his little dream to end."

Tang Qiu's hand paused as she was reviewing the documents. She looked up to meet Reese's gaze and said after a moment of thought, "Alright."

Seeing her agree so readily, Reese grew curious about her plans. "How do you intend to deal with him?"

Gabriel's subordinates are extremely loyal. Even if he were to die, it would be difficult to win them over. They might even disrupt the hard-won stability of the Holy See. But to kill them all... would be a waste.

It takes time for the Holy See to train a bishop, and Reese had already exhausted her own pool of candidates. Filling so many vacancies at once would be difficult, especially when the Holy See was in dire need of personnel.

It seemed every solution had its drawbacks.

"You want to know?" Tang Qiu leaned back in her chair, a smile playing on her lips. "Then you should come along with me."

After a moment, she thought of something and added, "Oh, and remember to bring Head Inquisitor Audrey."

"Oh?" Reese was a little surprised. She studied Tang Qiu for a moment, unable to fathom her intentions. She shrugged and replied, "I'll do my best."

Thinking about it, she realized she hadn't seen Audrey in a long time. A thought occurred to Reese, and her eyes darkened slightly. Tang Qiu's mention reminded her that she had her own business with Audrey as well.

It was just that her recent leisurely and pleasant time drinking tea and chatting with Monica had made her forget all about her official duties.

At the thought of Monica, the corners of Reese's mouth curved up slightly, and a smile slowly bloomed in her emerald eyes.

She and Monica had been apart for too long for their relationship to instantly return to the intimacy of their childhood. Though they often sat in silence, Reese cherished these moments, even finding them heartwarming.

Her smile grew more pronounced, so much so that Tang Qiu, who was focused on her work, noticed it. She spared a glance and asked with amusement, "What are you thinking about?"

Such a radiant smile was not an expression one would normally see on Reese's face.

Tang Qiu studied Reese for a moment before saying knowingly, "It seems you and Monica have reconciled."

No wonder she'd felt something was different about Reese since she returned. Thinking back, it must have been that her aura had softened.

The barbs she usually wore were slowly being retracted. Whether intentional or not, it was a very good sign.

Reese could finally live a little more freely. Tang Qiu was happy for her friend. "Congratulations," she said with a smile.

First the Saintess, and now Tang Qiu, had seen right through her. This left Reese feeling a bit strange. She touched her own face and frowned. Was she really that obvious?

Reese clicked her tongue. She glanced at the sky outside, stretched lazily, and pursed her lips. "I'm leaving."

She was going to get Monica and head back for tea.

Tang Qiu called out to her retreating back, "Don't forget what I asked you to do!"

Without turning back, Reese gave a casual wave, and her figure quickly disappeared around the corner.

Tang Qiu shook her head and returned her focus to the "mountain" on her desk.

After leaving Tang Qiu, Reese didn't go directly to find Monica. Instead, she changed direction and headed for Audrey's Inquisition.

The Inquisition existed outside the Holy See's center of power. Even with the vexing amount of work flooding the Central Church, the Saintess hadn't requisitioned anyone from the Inquisition to help.

For the campaign in the Shas Principality, only a few Holy Knights and priests had been transferred from the Inquisition; Audrey herself had been ordered to remain behind as a guard.

With the Pope in "seclusion," the Inquisition was like a masterless sword, forced to rest quietly in its sheath.

As a blade, they didn't even have the right to choose their own master.

The Inquisition was cold and deserted, utterly devoid of life. After the war, none of the surviving Holy Knights who had been transferred away were sent back. Audrey never asked for their return, simply allowing the Inquisition to languish in decline.

A few scattered knights guarded the entrance. They were surprised to see Reese's carriage but quickly moved to greet her.

Reese had been a frequent visitor to the Inquisition, often coming to see Audrey, so its members were not as wary of her as they were of other Cardinals.

"Cardinal Reese."

Reese nodded. "Where is Audrey?"

The knights exchanged a look, then said hesitantly, "Well..."

Reese frowned, displeased by their hesitation. "Speak plainly."

"We don't know where Head Inquisitor Audrey is," one of the knights said uneasily. "She hasn't been seen in a long time."

Reese froze for a moment, then slowly nodded. "I see." She started to walk past the knights. One of them, startled, reached out to stop her. "The Head Inquisitor said no one is allowed inside..."

"I know where she is. Move aside." A single glance from Reese made the knight flinch and step back. Expressionless, she walked past him and into the Inquisition.

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