Chapter 127: Why Does the Man Meeting with Mr. Lin Wei Look So Much Like Her Holiness the Pope?

Translation by: Weebsread👹

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Just a few calmly spoken words—and Lin Wei exposed the entire web of calculation behind the nobles' schemes.

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Veya’s eyes flickered, then suddenly brimmed with comprehension.

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Of course!

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This way, their intervention would be fully warranted.

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She knew all too well: the nobles had dared act with such brazen impunity within the Holy See only because the Church stood on shaky ground. If they had challenged the aristocracy without just cause, what would set them apart from the greedy, self-serving aristocrats they despised?

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If word reached the papers, the Church’s reputation—and its authority—would suffer irreparable damage.

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But now, the tables had turned.

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“Now, it’s the nobles who are in the wrong. They used Evil god’s energy to lure the secretary into their manor, all to ferret out secrets about the Church. Any one of those charges is enough to bring them to their knees. Even Duke Ous himself wouldn’t dare protest... How did you think of this?!”

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Last time, Lin Wei had defended her against the aristocrats right in the heart of the Holy See itself, even forcing them to pay compensation to make amends. She’d never imagined that when the stakes grew even higher, he’d conjure up yet another way to keep those nobles in check.

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For a moment, Veya was almost breathless with excitement.

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If conflict broke out, she would be in the right—the one wielding justice. No one could accuse her of wielding the Church’s authority unjustly.

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Even the Empire would have no grounds for objection.

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“I mean, any reasonable person would see it this way,” Lin Wei replied, unable to resist needling her a little for her excitement. “What I find truly strange is that the Pope allowed herself to be bullied by nobles for so long in the first place. That’s just absurd.”

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His wife’s shining eyes and the fire in her voice made him blurt it out without thinking.

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Of course, the Pope’s woes had little to do with her ability to grasp the situation; as Pope, she wielded power none could ignore.

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Even with restraints—like ecclesiastical law forbidding her from acting violently against humans without risking divine punishment, or the ever-present threat of sullying the Church’s hard-won reputation—she was not the sort to simply curl up and let the nobility walk all over her.

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At the very least, she should have found a loophole, boxed them in with clever rhetoric, or, failing that, reminded them why the Holy Light was feared across the land.

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But deep down, Veya knew the true reason. It all boiled down to this: the Pope’s authority—her presence, her ability to command—simply wasn’t strong enough. Not yet, at least.

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If only a few trusted confidants could have stood by her side back then, someone reliable enough to act as her proxy, this never would have spiraled out of control. The nobles wouldn’t have dared to be so audacious unless madness had seized them.

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“The Pope... Her Holiness was never very skilled at handling that sort of political intrigue,” Veya murmured, quietly defending her past self. “She never had any real experience in wielding power, had to be painstakingly careful about the Church’s image... She couldn’t risk others seeing her as a bully. And to be fair, the nobles did have a point that time. She just... didn’t know what to do.”

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Mostly, Veya thought, it was because she had no one she could truly trust.

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If the Retribution Knights had been willing to step forward, Veya believed they’d have reduced Duke Ous and his lackeys to stammering apology with a few words.

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Or perhaps... if a certain person named Lin Wei had been present at the Holy See back then?

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If only Lin Wei’s true strength hadn’t been hidden, it would have been laughable to send him off to some second-rate Magic Academy in the Imperial Capital. The Church would have pulled every string—risking even the strictest scrutiny—to bring a talent like his to their side.

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So, really, Veya decided, Lin Wei bore the tiniest sliver of responsibility for how things had turned out.

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Not much—just enough for her conscience to nibble on, fair and square.

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“Ah, yes, yes, the Pope’s just inexperienced.”

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Lin Wei nodded along, face schooled into a look of practiced composure.

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Honestly, it was as good an excuse as any. If anyone but his own wife had said it, he’d already be heckling.

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“To be honest, you’d make a far better Pope than her.”

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“If we joined forces, imagine what we could achieve together. That’s bound to be better than working under such a useless figurehead.”

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He couldn’t help but picture such a future. If only the current Pope hadn’t been personally chosen by the Goddess Alicia herself...

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If there weren’t the hidden threat of some divine eye—capable of seeing through his prior identity as the Demon Lord—he would have found a way to engineer a meeting, seeking any opportunity to trick her into surrendering all that power.

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After all, if she couldn’t even cow a few third-rate nobles, how could she ever hope to resist the Demon Lord of legend?

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“Never mind, it’s better to stick to the original plan and help Lady Yalis rise.”

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“Enough daydreaming—you’re getting carried away.”

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But before he could dispel the thought entirely, a gentle kick landed against his shin.

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Veya was glaring at him, a little exasperated. But as things stood, she couldn’t find a proper retort.

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“Her Holiness just needs time to grow into her role.”

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“But if you dislike the Pope so much, why help her accrue prestige? Why bolster the Church’s influence?”

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“Is it about rooting out the traitors, or do you have some secret plan?”

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Lin Wei hadn’t expected such a naive question.

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Confronted with his wife’s sincere, almost puzzled eyes, he could only look at her in mild disbelief.

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“It’s all for you, obviously.”

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“Huh?”

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Veya blinked, unable to process his meaning for a second.

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“If the Pope succeeds in securing her authority, she’ll feel indebted—and, if my hunch is right, she’ll reward you handsomely. Maybe with a promotion, something less taxing.”

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To be honest, a part of him worried the Holy See might simply... collapse.

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It was just like that time in Aurens Town, when he discovered Lady Iresha was among the Heroes’ party.

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No matter what happened, he had to be sure she survived—there’d be no substitute for her in the Hero ranks.

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It was the same now, with this hopeless Pope whom he'd never actually met.

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Of course, there was no need for Veya—who still seemed to believe in the Pope—to hear about that side of things.

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“In short, once you’ve helped the Pope root herself firmly, and accounted for helping fix the frontline’s supply problem...”

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“If she doesn’t make you an Archbishop at least, I may have to challenge her myself!”

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“Besides—this is the perfect excuse to humble Duke Ous. He sent his thugs to stir up trouble right at our door, and I haven’t gotten even with him for that yet!”

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Lin Wei didn’t see himself as particularly petty.

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But since the provocation was only last night—he wasn’t about to simply let bygones be bygones.

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“I... I see.”

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So it was all about helping me get promoted, so I could come home more often and spend time with him?

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A wave of guilt washed over Veya at his words.

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Even if everything went her way, the most she might earn would be a brief reprieve—a short vacation at best.

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But true rest? That could never be hers.

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After all, she was the Pope. She couldn’t simply abandon the Holy See.

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“If only Lin Wei could come to the Holy See as well...” she muttered softly.

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Taking a deep breath, Veya slapped her cheeks lightly and stood.

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Faced with such tempting thoughts, she could only shake her head. She’d wait until all this was brought to an end—there’d be time for dreams afterward.

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“I’m heading back to the Holy See to report to Her Holiness. You should stay put at the Imperial Capital Academy of Magic—don’t leave campus for now. If all goes smoothly, Vice Commander Guga will bring my orders by this evening.”

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“Make sure you’re careful tonight, all right? That nobleman is not to be underestimated.”

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“Relax! I’d never get myself into anything I couldn’t handle... If things go south, I’ll slip away before things get ugly,” Lin Wei promised, flashing a roguish grin at her concern.

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Veya finally let out a long breath, as if setting down some invisible weight, and reached for her mask.

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She straightened her cloak, allowed Lin Wei to escort her to the door, and once she’d made sure no one was watching, vanished down the path from the dormitory district as quietly as she’d arrived.

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“Well... now all that’s left is to wait for Vice Commander Guga.”

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With Veya’s silhouette fading into the falling dusk, Lin Wei lingered at the doorway, lost in thought.

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Let’s hope nothing goes wrong, he murmured to himself.

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The little chapel wasn’t far.

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At some point, after her lessons concluded, Yalis had slipped away unnoticed, choosing a quiet path from the main hall and doggedly avoiding anyone she passed—getting caught would only lengthen her ever-growing list of misdeeds.

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But just as she was about to cross to the other side, she caught a glimpse, out of the corner of her eye, of someone striding quickly down the lane beside the chapel.

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That silhouette—a posture uniquely familiar—made Yalis freeze mid-step.

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A frown tugged at her lips, confusion clouding her face. She couldn’t force her gaze away until the figure had fully vanished.

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Was it just her imagination, or did that person look exactly like Her Holiness, the Pope?

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As the Saintess of the Holy See, she had spent enough time in the Pope’s presence to recognize that bearing anywhere. There was no mistaking it.

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But... wasn’t the Pope supposed to be in the cathedral just now, dealing with official matters?

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And, come to think of it, hadn’t that person been walking from the direction of the dormitories?

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Suddenly, she recalled: Mr. Lin Wei—who had never once set foot in the dormitories before—had, apparently, arrived today.

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Still baffled, Yalis blinked, then blinked again. Inspiration struck, and she hastened her pace, heading straight toward the nearby dormitory building.

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“If I ask Mr. Lin Wei, I’m sure he’ll know what’s going on!”