Chapter 138: In That Case, Let Lord Lin Wei Take Charge of the Holy See

​The Demonkin.

​An ancient race, older than memory, who had never truly seen eye to eye with humanity.

​It wasn’t that they held any particular grudge against the Empire itself—after all, human kingdoms had risen and fallen on these lands more times than anyone could count.

​Yet the Demonkin endured. Empires passed like fleeting shadows, while they watched, patient and untouched, beneath the shifting skies.

​There was, however, one notable exception: the matter of Goddess Alicia. Steeped in history as she was, her relationship with the Demonkin had long been fraught with tension, flaring again and again through the ages.

​When the Age of Gods ended and the deities receded from the world, something else was quick to fill the void: the Holy See, radiating divinity and light.

​This gave rise to a strange tradition. Whenever Demon Lords grew too deep into their cups, they would half-jest, half-boast about conquering the Holy See—tales spun from centuries of rivalry, bold words never truly meant to come to pass.

​And now—of all people—was I really the one who’d made those wild, drunken legends a reality?

​Granted, my methods weren’t exactly orthodox. Yet here and now, the Holy See was, for all intents and purposes, firmly under my hand.

​“Well, since you put it like that, I suppose I’ll have to take good care of your Holy See,” I said, sighing theatrically.

​“After all, it’s our shared legacy now, isn’t it? I can’t just stand by and watch you squander it.”

​Lin Wei snapped back from his reverie, shooting his companion a dry, disbelieving look.

​A Demon Lord—presiding over the Holy See? The mere thought should have been ludicrous.

​And yet, here he was, living it.

​Wait... Did Goddess Alicia still watch over the mortal world from on high? If she learned a Demonkin like me was sprawled about her sacred halls, would she strike me down where I stood—or take Veya with me out of sheer outrage?

​“This isn’t some back-alley business deal! This is the Holy See, symbol of virtue and divine light!” came a sharp, indignant reply.

​“If you really want to argue details, the Holy See technically ‘belongs’ to Goddess Alicia!”

​Pope Selena—reputed pillar of justice—gave a small huff and tapped her foot pointedly.

​“Ahem... Anyway, let’s get back on topic.”

​Lin Wei cleared his throat, the lazy warmth draining from his voice as he grew serious.

​“So. The problems you brought up before—are they the same ones you told me about at the inn?”

​Seeing her husband shed his usual nonchalance, Veya nodded, unwilling to break the rare spell of his focus.

​That familiar sense of dependence—the trust she’d always placed deep in her heart—rose up in her again, bright and palpable.

​“It’s all as I told you. The situation hasn’t changed,” she said quietly. “Nothing complicated about it.”

​“These past two years have been… difficult. All because of that—well, that useless—no, that very diligent Pope Selena, who only knows how to throw herself into work, never politics. Because of her, the authority of the papacy among the people has gradually eroded. The nobles are inside stirring up trouble, outside pressures are mounting… There’s no respite.”

​Lin Wei’s mouth twitched in sympathy; he shook his head. “Honestly, it’s a marvel you’ve lasted this long. The next step is obvious: reestablish your authority and remind everyone exactly what sort of Pope Selena is. What you need is something grand, a spectacular revelation that rips everyone’s attention away from the nobles’ narrative.”

​It was reassuring—this sense of partnership, the comfort of having someone truly trustworthy by her side to chart a course forward. No matter what, if even Lin Wei turned out to be a demon or a noble’s spy, then truly there was no one in this world left worth believing.

​Veya nodded firmly, ready for whatever plan he devised next.

​These things—she realized—she’d never thought of herself.

​“The greatest leverage we have right now,” Lin Wei continued, “is the Duke Ous we managed to capture and bring under the Holy See’s authority.”

​“As for the inner workings of the Church… sure, your actions today publicly humiliated the nobles and showed the world Pope Selena has a spine. But it’s all surface-level bravado. It’s not enough.”

​When it came to the common folk, they had no idea what went on behind the Holy See’s doors. Even if the state’s propaganda machines roared at full blast, all that did was barely hold ground against noble rumors… Wait a minute—do you actually have control over the Church’s newspaper?”

​The thought struck Lin Wei, and he blurted out the question.

​“Whenever street gossip labels you a useless Pope, those Church papers just report blandly, never steering public opinion. Don’t tell me you haven’t laid claim to that tool either?”

​Veya hesitated, pondering the question. “Well… the newspapers are meant as official records, aren’t they? They’re not supposed to distort the records just to clear my name.”

​“If people complain, isn’t it simply a sign I haven’t done well as Pope?” she finished, softly. “If I used the press to redirect scrutiny, wouldn’t that prove I’m covering my mistakes instead of fixing them? That’s what my press officer told me, and it sounded sensible. So I’ve left it that way.”

​Lin Wei couldn’t help himself—he reached out to flick her lightly on the forehead. “Your enemies won’t care about what’s proper—they’ll seize the narrative however they can. And your press officer clearly has an agenda. Can’t you see it?”

​There was rot within the Holy See that needed to be rooted out. That would come later, though—first, Lin Wei pressed on with his outline.

​“Right now, we need a thunderclap. Something that seizes everyone’s attention, high and low.”

​“Arresting Duke Ous on suspicion of collusion with the Cult of the Evil God isn’t enough on its own. If we can’t dig up solid proof within a couple of days, we’ll be forced to let him go. I did consider trying to use Miss Rennie’s contamination as leverage. The nobles would only be able to contest that it wasn’t Ous who did it—no proof, just ambiguity we could twist to our advantage. But now, that’s not even necessary.”

​He looked intently at his audience—the newly instated Pope Selena, his Veya, his ever-earnest Pope. Lin Wei’s gaze sharpened, his voice darkening to match.

​“This time, I’m going to destroy Duke Ous. Not just his career—but his very life.”

​“What?!”

​Veya’s cry rang through the chamber, echoing her dismay.

​It was one thing to hold Duke Ous accountable, even to keep him under house arrest at the Tribunal. Was Lin Wei really talking about killing him?

​How had the situation escalated so quickly?

​“Duke Ous is a peer of the Empire,” she protested anxiously. “Even as Pope, I can’t just execute a noble at will without sparking the Empire’s wrath. After that, nothing could be hidden—”

​“The royal family—even if we haven’t seen their Guardian Deity in centuries—I doubt she’s vanished. Should something so grave occur, Goddess Alicia would issue a divine decree herself.”

​Lin Wei leaned his chin on one hand, a lazy, almost mocking smile curving his lips. “I never said to kill Duke Ous for no reason. All we need is proof of his crimes. Once we have that, we unveil everything publicly—before the nobles can even form a response.”

​He had already, long before this conversation, mapped out every detail of the scheme.

​“It’s already clear Duke Ous is collaborating with the Cult of the Evil God. Our task is to seize evidence—and, if necessary, eliminate him on the spot.”

​“As long as he never leaves the Holy See alive—or better, if he’s provoked into striking a priest first—the royal family will have no cause to shield him.”

​“Do you remember what I said about tracking down the origin of those enhancement potions?”

​Of course Veya remembered. Anything threatening the Holy See, she’d etch into her soul. Still, she struggled to connect all the pieces of his intent.

​“Since we’ve already lured Duke Ous out once, why not draw him in the same way again? Let his men try to seize the contraband a second time.”

​“First, we catch them red-handed, use a Memory Stone to record everything at the scene, then spread the tale across the city. At the same time, put the press to work, exposing their charges: ‘collusion with the Cult to endanger Grand Commander Arflon,’ ‘conspiring with demonkin to sabotage the war front,’ ‘exploiting and oppressing the people’—heap every crime upon him.”

​“When Duke Ous, trapped and desperate, dares to lay hands on clergy—and receives divine retribution—don’t you think the people will sing your praises?”

​Lin Wei’s eyes were cold as steel.

​“This way, not even the royal family will have grounds for protest.”

​“A noble provocatively slanders the Pope in public just to seize control of logistics? Even a fool would realize the royal family must be complicit—or at the very least, aware of his dealings with the Cult.”

​“They provoked this, not us. As for Duke Ous, he’s nothing more than a pawn, sacrificed to appease the mob. No matter how bitterly the aristocracy swallows this loss, they’ll have no choice but to choke it down in silence.”