Chapter 139: Kill First, Find Evidence Later—Let’s See If the Empire Dares Cross the Holy See!

​Anyone who truly believed the Imperial Royal Family was oblivious to Duke Ous’s depravity was either willfully blind or hopelessly naive.

​When the Holy See was trampled, when the Pope herself was pressured—there was no response from the Empire.

​When the rear lines descended into chaos and vital supplies were cut off, even as the frontlines roared with battle—they didn’t lift a finger.

​But now, the moment I lead a squad of clergy right to Duke Ous’s doorstep—intent on smashing my way not only through his gate but straight through the duke himself—suddenly, the Empire leaps into action. As if struck by lightning, they snatch him up and rush to hand him over.

​And their excuse?

​Obvious: they realized they’d finally gone too far. They heard about the Holy See’s fury, and panic set in.

​What next? Toss Duke Ous into a Tribunal cell for a few days, buy time for tempers to cool, then quietly spring him back out—back to their old tricks, as if nothing ever happened.

​But is this a world where the guilty always get off so easily?

​Even back when I lived as the Demon Lord, I never completely immersed myself in the intricacies of human society. But the day I attended that negotiation and saw how the Imperial nobles looked at the Dawnstar Pope—that single moment told me everything I needed to know.

​Tradition dictates that humans revere both Pope and Holy See. They might not all grovel, but respect, at the very least, equal to their own Emperor—that’s the norm.

​But behavior like this lays their true attitude bare: to them, our Pope is weak—easy prey. They jab and prod, always testing, always slicing off a little more, just to see where the limit lies, tightening their grip one thin cut at a time.

​Letting an Imperial Duke insult the Holy See and sabotage its lifeblood, then hiding him away for a few token days—do they really think that’s enough to wipe the slate clean?

​Oh, want to extinguish the fire? Then bring me Duke Ous’s head. Only then can we talk.

​If the Holy See doesn’t show iron resolve now, the world really will start to believe we’re nothing but weak and ripe for the picking.

​“Hey, are you angry?”

​A gentle touch—slender fingers brushing against his shoulder—pulled Lin Wei from his thoughts.

​Veya edged closer, curiosity lighting her eyes; she rarely saw Lin Wei wear such a grim expression.

​Truth be told, it was scarier than the face he’d made that one time she’d returned home on the verge of tears.

​For one brief, absurd moment, she even found his frustration kind of amusing.

​“Of course I’m angry. My wife just got bullied—how could I not be?”

​“What, do they think I’m made of paper?”

​The answer burst out so fast, so naturally, that Veya was momentarily dumbstruck.

​Her teasing smile faltered, her cheeks flushing red as embarrassment overtook her.

​A single line—yet it set her heart racing.

​“Wait, I—”

​“Earlier, I thought it was only the Pope on the receiving end, not you—so honestly, I was just a bit annoyed.”

​“I figured I’d rough up Duke Ous a little in passing. You got caught in the crossfire, but it hardly seemed worth blowing everything up with the Empire over it.”

​He’d never cared to help that useless pope cling to her throne, let alone solve all her problems.

​Pinching Veya’s cheeks, Lin Wei sighed, half helpless, half exasperated, as he tried to explain his reasoning.

​“But now that I know you are the Pope, that changes everything.”

​“Last time, you were the one humiliated. How could I, as your husband, just stand aside as if nothing happened?”

​“That’s why—once we deal with Duke Ous, we’ll do more than restore the Pope’s authority. We’ll remind the Holy See where its true strength lies. And, more importantly, it’s how I’ll settle the debt from last time. Seems like the best of both worlds, don’t you think?”

​The plan was airtight—Veya could hear the conviction beneath Lin Wei’s casual tone.

​After all, once he discovered she had been the Pope all along, everything changed. In one stroke, he could right the previous wrong and assert their power.

​“…But why do I get the sense that avenging me is what really matters to you?”

​For all her normally imposing dignity, Her Holiness the Pope found herself glancing away, unable to look him in the eye.

​When they first met, this sort of forthright tenderness and boldness had swept her off her feet again and again. Even now—after all they’d endured—just hearing him say something like that still sent her heart fluttering.

​“Huh? Was I that obvious?”

​Lin Wei scratched his head, chuckling, genuinely surprised by her reaction.

​“But either way, taking out someone like Duke Ous is cleaning up scum. The Empire should be thanking us.”

​“You’ve seen that assassination list, right? The one from Ous’s hitman, Fred? I bet you’ve memorized every name.”

​“This isn’t just personal. From a public safety angle, the man is practically the enemy of all humankind. Frankly, calling him worse than a demon lord isn’t even an exaggeration.”

​Demons and humans were natural foes by fate and race—that was simply the way of the world.

​But Duke Ous? A human at the pinnacle of imperial power, yet partnering with the Cult of the Evil God and consorting with demonkind.

​He was a true traitor—the most despicable sort.

​If he’d openly joined the demon side and fought on their behalf, it would have been less revolting than this.

​Look at me, the former Demon Lord: I led our race, yet even in war I held my followers in check, making sure no one ran rampant over human lands for sport.

​To be fair, in those early days, holed up in the Demon Castle and still lacking strength, we were in no position to enforce law among our own lowest ranks.

​“It does make sense…”

​By this point, the argument had run its course.

​Think about Fred, the assassin serving under Duke Ous—how many killings had he masterminded over the years?

​That long roster of targets was enough to make anyone shudder.

​Plenty were high-ranking officials across the northern nations, even key players in major institutions.

​Not even the Cult of the Evil God or the demons themselves had ever managed such widespread murders.

​Honestly, if you told me he’d pledged fealty to the demons and become one of their Four Heavenly Kings, I wouldn’t even blink.

​“In that case, I’m leaving it to you. Tell me—what do you need from me to help take him down, once and for all?”

​Veya decided swiftly, placing her trust wholly in Lin Wei.

​If you’re going to rely on your husband, then trust him all the way. Why trouble yourself with the headache? Sometimes, it simply pays to let go.

​“All I need is your authorization to collect the evidence.”

​“When the proof is ironclad, we’ll make it public—expose him through every paper in the Empire, and strike him down at the same time,” Lin Wei outlined, as if stating the most natural plan in the world.

​“I’ll prepare several handwritten copies of Fred’s target list and send them to every relevant organization. There’ll be no need for a trial.”

​“We get rid of him first, and just claim he died ‘launching a desperate attack on the clergy.’ For groups like the Adventurers’ Guild or the Mage Association—organizations neutral toward the Holy See—they won’t interfere with us.”

​“To the public, a Duke like Ous falls dead. No one’s going to shed tears, but neither will anyone dare protest. Once someone takes the initiative, the newspapers follow, public opinion turns, and that’s how the story gets written in stone.”

​What began as the Holy See’s solitary outcry soon swelled—the outcry became a global chorus condemning Duke Ous.

​If he were still alive, perhaps the Empire would have moved to defend him, if only to save face. After all, no noble would rest easy if the Empire could simply hand over one of its own.

​But a dead man? Who argues for the corpse of yesterday’s villain?

​That’s the price the royal family pays for years spent shielding their noble class.

​Between allies, probing for weakness is just part of the game—nothing personal—until someone crosses the line and outpaces the other’s tolerance. Unless you’re ready to sever all ties, once you’re caught, all you can do is swallow your medicine.

​As long as the games don’t go too far… well, it’s not just the Empire pushing back at the Holy See. One day, if the Empire ever really stumbles, Lin Wei would hardly mind using that opening to found a theocracy for Veya—if she wanted it.

​He smiled faintly at the idea.

​“Anyway, about those enhancement potions—it’s really not difficult to track their source,” Lin Wei remarked. “Just reinforce the tracking array until I can sense their movement. It’s what I do best. Leave it to me.”

​He spoke so lightly, but the meaning beneath the words was unmistakable.

​For a heartbeat, Veya looked startled. Then understanding dawned.

​“You’re planning to head north yourself? To track this newest batch of enhancement potions near the border?”

​“In other words—you want to leave the Empire and plunge straight into the war zones?”