Civil Servant in a Romance Fantasy - Chapter 904



904 – There is no paradise where you run away – 3

I was dizzy watching the growth of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith landing softly from the ceiling.

This room was prepared by the Holy See for its distinguished guests, so the ceiling was higher than that of a regular room. Even though the ceiling was easily over 3 meters high, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith came down to the floor without any trouble.

If Tanian had acted like that, it would have seemed like a return to his habits from his academy days, but how could someone so old, no matter how young he may seem, act like that?

‘The divine power is amazing.’

Finally, I was truly amazed. The divine power had the power to turn even the knee joints of an old man into steel.

If the situation had taught him divine powers, he would still be sitting on the throne. Then the Emperor would still be the Crown Prince.

‘it’s a shame.’

If he had been the crown prince, I would have been able to rub shoulders with him with the titles of minister, imperial count, knight of the Order of Rishijariune, and saint. I missed the opportunity to match him.

“Hello, holy man. This is my first time meeting you in private. It is truly an honor.”

“…Ah, yes. I am also very happy to meet you, Your Highness.”

Anyway, I bowed my head towards the growth that greeted me calmly.

However, I couldn’t suppress my bewildered feelings until the moment I lowered my head. At that age, if I had crawled through the ceiling, wouldn’t I have at least pretended to be tired? Seeing that there wasn’t even a speck of dust on his clothes, I couldn’t tell if I was looking at a person or a god.

“Yes. I asked Brother Karel to send you a letter in advance. Did you receive it?”

“Of course. I treasure it since it came with good tea leaves.”

“I see. I was a little worried that it might have been missed, but fortunately it wasn’t.”

In the meantime, Seong-rang showed off his composure and smiled with a calm expression.

Yeah, let’s just think of them as immortals. I think it’s easier to think of cardinals who have accumulated a high level of divine power as immortals.

“It makes me feel uneasy to see Your Majesty come here in such discomfort. If Your Majesty were looking for you, I would have gone to see you first.”

As I ate with peace of mind, my trembling mouth opened easily.

If you want to have a private meeting, why don’t you make an appointment normally? I wonder why you came in such a strange way. If Seong-rang had asked to meet in the first place, there would have been no reason to refuse.

In the urgent situation where the replacement of the Pope is imminent, meeting with Seongjang is not only beneficial but also absolutely not harmful. Seongjang is the one who opposed the Pope’s retirement announcement with a gun. Rather, I am the one who should be the one to ask for a face-to-face meeting first. There was no need for Seongjang to lead the old man and film an undercover action.

“I’m sorry. The things I wish to convey to you are very sensitive, so we must formally not meet.”

I couldn’t help but sigh at those words.

It’s a sensitive topic. How sensitive must it be that they chose to use covert maneuver through the ceiling?

“That’s why I sent Brother Karel, who I had no great connection with. I had a hard time persuading him, but when I got down on my knees, he granted the old man’s request.”

‘What is that?’

Those words were so horrible that I felt like I was breaking out in a cold sweat.

The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith is the head of the conservative faction within the church and a political opponent of the Pope. How desperate must Cardinal Karel have felt to get down on his knees and ask for a favor?

“My heart starts pounding when Your Majesty says that.”

“Haha, I guess I’ve been burdening the holy one from the start.”

As soon as Growth finished talking, both I and Growth let out a small laugh.

Of course, it’s not because it’s funny. It’s just a ritualistic laugh to finally relieve tension because we’re going to talk about serious topics later. Or, since there’s nothing to laugh about later, we laugh in advance for the sake of our mental health.

When you say it like that, both of you mean the same thing. You’ve already lost half your mind.

The man sitting across from me maintained a polite attitude throughout, despite his overwhelming age and rank.

“No one can stop His Majesty’s retirement.”

However, just because his attitude was polite, it did not mean that his lines were soft.

“The old man opposed His Holiness’s retirement, but it was only to buy a little time. However, that little time was needed for the future of the sect.”

“If Your Majesty’s will is firm, then it will only be for a short time, as You said. What can we do during that short time?”

“You can select a candidate for the next pope. It is a matter of utmost need and urgency for the current church, so I went against His Holiness’s wishes.”

It is said that the person who opposed the Pope’s retirement more strongly and quickly than anyone else actually saw the future before anyone else. These are not soft or gentle words.

‘no way.’

And after hearing the inside story of growth, doubts began to arise in my mind.

Was he perhaps preparing for his own ascension to the throne or the establishment of a third party in preparation for the Pope’s death? But then suddenly changed course to abdicate while alive instead of upon his death, and is he trying to buy time?

If so, we can understand the rapid response and secret actions of growth. Since he had already seen the future, he was able to move quickly, and since he was preparing for the death of his enemy, it would be a blow to the priest’s character, so he secretly─

“Ah. This old man has no intention of becoming the Pope. Neither do his fellow countrymen who share his views. The next Pope will be the one who will carry on the will of the present Pope in an excellent manner.”

“okay.”

I immediately reflected on it. How could I doubt such a neat and greedy person? I’m trash.

“In fact, if it had been before the Council, I would have challenged the next Pope. Isn’t it a natural desire for a human being to want to reach the end of the path that he has walked throughout his life? It is embarrassing that a priest cannot completely control his desires.”

“How can it be shameful to have desires? To create a better world and make believers happy are also desires. To achieve these desires with the power of the Pope is something that will make the Lord in Heaven smile.”

“Oh, really. When the holy one speaks like that, the Papal throne that I had finally given up on appears before my eyes.”

Seong-gong, who burst into a small laugh, quickly cleared his expression and tilted his upper body toward me.

“But I will keep my desire to myself. If a symbol of conservatism were to take the position of the Pope, who must carry out great reforms in the future, the people of the world would misunderstand that the great council was nothing more than a bluff. That would be a terrible sin for a priest.”

Then he continued speaking in a voice that was smaller than before, but still clear.

“As I just said, the next pope must be someone who shares the same ideals as the current pope. However, if he becomes pope with the support of those who are as narrow-minded as we are, how can he be called the successor to the current pope?”

“So, I guess you’re saying we’ll wait until a candidate who carries the progressive camp’s consensus emerges.”

“you’re right.”

Growth that speaks the truth without beating around the bush or intentionally leaving out information. I quickly organized my thoughts while looking at such growth.

It is ironic that the leader of the conservative party is trying to produce a progressive pope, but it is understandable that it is a decision for the public good of the church, regardless of personal beliefs. It is a bit, very strange that a conservative pope is enthroned at a time when a major reform is needed, as the saying goes.

At the same time, the words “the consensus of the progressives” also struck me quite strongly.

– The current progressive cardinals are full of people with both ability and popularity. They are so outstanding that it is hard to choose just one.

“It’ll be hard to get support since everyone is there.”

– I said it as nicely as I could, but is it okay to be so direct?

When the Emperor ordered me to be his local correspondent, I spoke of the situation of the progressives and talked about growth.

Of course, it is better to have more candidates than no candidates, but there is a limit to that. If there are easily more than 10 candidates, the votes will just be divided. No wonder there are speculations that if the conclave continues like this, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith will have the highest chance of being elected.

“So, I have a favor to ask of you, holy one and noble of the empire.”

“Please speak. I will do whatever I can to help you for the good of the church and the continent.”

“The next Pope. Why not make him with the power of the Empire?”

There was so much I wanted to say, but my mouth wouldn’t open.

The emperor, who received a surprise call in the middle of the night, frowned for a while and could not raise his head.

– Count.

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

– Are you sure you’ve got the luggage properly?

“Your Majesty’s ears or the magic of the Demon Lord. Which do you trust more?”

– Damn. You heard me right.

A deep sigh was heard through the communication port.

I understand. I too was almost out of my mind at the words of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. Even I was confused by the expressions, gestures, and intonations of the growth. How would the Emperor feel when he heard it from across the bridge?

– Establish the next Pope with the power of the Empire.

This is especially true if the words of a senior member of the religious order are condoning imperial interference.

“Let me be honest. As things stand now, it won’t be weeks, months, or even longer before a candidate emerges who will carry the progressive consensus. The conclave will be rejected dozens of times.”

“If you look at the history of the Order, there was a time when cardinals were locked up in the cathedral. Since a pope had not been elected for a year, the citizens of Enestie were impatient and locked up the cardinals to demand that a pope be quickly created.”

“We don’t want to repeat that history. We also don’t want to let conservative influence get in the way of the progressives.”

“So it’s the Empire. If the Empire secretly supports one candidate, that candidate will get the most support among the candidates, even if it’s not overwhelming.”

“At that time, we conservatives will also pretend to negotiate with that candidate, as if we were dealing with the next pope.”

As I thought about the words growth, my head started to throbbing again.

If the conservatives support a particular candidate from the beginning, the pope will be established by the conservatives. However, if the empire secretly supports a particular candidate and the conservatives quietly lend a hand, they can somehow package him as a talented person who stands out among the progressives.

‘…let’s think positively.’

Yes, let’s think about it as positively as possible. In a way, you could say that he is a great pope who has been in control of the empire and conservatives since before his accession to the papacy, and who has the support of the continental superpowers and the opposing factions within the church.

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“Personally, I think Cardinal Lisiuko would be a suitable candidate, but what does Your Holiness think?”

Even the great Pope is the Archbishop of Ausen, who cannot help but be friendly to the Empire? This is a blessing of unparalleled proportions for the Empire.

– The religious world really is complicated.

It’s just ironic that the leader of the conservatives set up all these boards.