Chapter 176: If You Won’t Listen to the Saintess, Let Me Knock Some Sense Into You!

Translation by: Weebsread👹

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What in the world is happening?

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For a member of the Holy See’s clergy to react like this—unthinkable!

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City Lord Tawatz had barely reached for his teacup when cold sweat broke out across his back. He sprang to his feet, turning sharply—only to find two strangers standing behind him.

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Their eyes swept over him, utterly impassive, yet that very lack of emotion sent a chill crawling up his spine. They hadn’t even moved, but their mere presence made his scalp prickle.

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The room was thick with a tense, unnatural silence. From the moment they’d appeared until now, not a single alarm had sounded.

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So that’s why the cathedral felt so deathly still today. Not even the usual murmur of prayers reached his ears.

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Could it be… because of these two?

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“Who are you people!?”

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“How dare you barge in like this!?”

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He had no choice but to bark out the question, his voice sharp and brittle.

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Tawatz instinctively stepped back, eyes wary as he sized them up. Behind his back, his fingers silently traced the sigils of a spell, ready to strike at the first sign of danger.

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But the magical aura these two exuded… It was impossible to ignore, even if he tried.

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“Barge in unannounced?”

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“Are you saying the Holy See’s clergy are trespassers here?”

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The man’s voice was calm—so calm it was terrifying. He saw straight through Tawatz’s feeble tricks, not even bothering to acknowledge the panic on the city lord’s face.

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Lin Wei’s gaze drifted to the two figures in clerical robes nearby.

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A faint radiance of Holy Light shimmered about him—an aura any clergy member would recognize instantly, so pure it could never be mistaken.

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“You’re with the Holy See?” Steward Doro finally grasped the truth.

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His lips trembled as he looked at the pair. He’d just been explaining to the city lord how the clergy were being dispatched everywhere for inspections.

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And now, of all days, he’d actually run into them?

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Damn it! What rotten luck!

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“By order of Her Holiness Selena, we are here to inspect and assess disaster relief across the region.”

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As soon as he realized they were clergy, not some unknown threat, City Lord Tawatz let out a long sigh of relief.

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After all, the disaster relief orders had been issued to the clergy, not to him. They weren’t even in the same chain of command—no matter how deep the investigation, it wouldn’t reach him.

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“So, you’re Her Holiness’s inspectors.”

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“You’ve come at the perfect time. I was just discussing the refugee relief situation with Steward Doro.”

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Still, he’d known Doro for years.

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Having regained his composure, Tawatz put on his most amicable smile, eager to smooth things over.

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He couldn’t help but think—he’d been worrying about this very issue, and now it had landed right in his lap. No wonder Doro had never managed a promotion all these years. With luck like this, even Alicia herself would have to laugh.

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“Perhaps the two of you aren’t fully aware of Argos’s situation. Ours isn’t exactly a wealthy city.”

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“We’re outside the Border Wall, barely noticed by the Empire. When refugees from the Northern Countries pour in, we have to respond immediately. The only way is to send word and have trade caravans bring in supplies.”

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“I recall Steward Doro already reported the funding shortage to the Holy See. Are you here to resolve that? Please, have a seat and try our local black tea—”

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But his attempt at hospitality was cut short.

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Lin Wei pressed his hand lightly, signaling that there would be no more small talk.

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He nodded at the Saintess beside him—her cue.

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“W-We’re from the Holy City,” Yalis began, voice trembling, unused to confronting anyone so directly.

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But with Mr. Lin Wei’s encouragement, and the memory of the desperate refugees outside the city, she drew a shaky breath and steadied herself.

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“Not long ago, Her Holiness Selena issued an order: all cathedrals near the Border Wall were to mobilize all resources for disaster relief. Why, then, has Argos Cathedral—the closest to the crisis—remained silent?”

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“Are you deliberately ignoring Her Holiness’s command? Or have you simply lost your faith?”

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Though the man had dominated the room with his presence, it was now this girl—barely more than a young woman—who spoke.

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A young nun, sent on a mission for Status: Training?

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That she would dare question a senior Steward of over a decade—utterly disrespectful!

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“I received the order, of course. But we haven’t distributed supplies because we simply don’t have the funds.”

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“I wrote a letter this morning informing the Holy City of our situation. Now we’re waiting for approval.”

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“This has nothing to do with faith. But you, young sister—using that tone with your elders, what do you take us for?”

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Doro’s panic faded as he regained his composure.

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So what if they found out? He’d prepared his response long ago: if there’s no money, there’s nothing to distribute—not even Her Holiness could argue with that.

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“Not enough funds? So you just keep all the clergy holed up in the cathedral praying, instead of sending them out to help the refugees?”

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Yalis’s voice wavered, her confidence faltering. Even with Mr. Lin Wei behind her, she struggled to keep her composure.

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“As for funds, the Holy City always releases next month’s payroll early, just in case. They also send the gold coins for the annual Holy Ceremony three months in advance.”

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“There’s still plenty of time before the next payroll or the annual ceremony. You could use some of those funds for disaster relief and replenish them when the Holy See sends more.”

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It was true: the Holy See had strict rules about earmarked funds—gold coins sent for a purpose had to be used for that purpose. But in emergencies, local cathedrals were permitted to reallocate resources, as long as they explained and repaid them later.

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“You want me to give the annual Holy Ceremony funds to the refugees?” Doro looked at her as if she’d lost her mind.

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He nearly laughed at the naïveté of this young nun.

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“Are you joking?”

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“Divert the clergy’s welfare and salaries for the refugees? Only someone as green as you would suggest that. How does Her Holiness even select her clergy? She has no sense of pragmatism.”

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“Since Selena became Pope, she’s been strict about cathedral finances everywhere. If I hand out the annual Holy Ceremony funds and the payroll, what if the Holy See doesn’t reimburse us in time?”

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“I’m not risking everything for a few refugees from the Northern Countries.”

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“But… but how could they not reimburse you in time? Even if you can’t distribute supplies, shouldn’t the clergy at least go out and help? You can’t just hide in the cathedral and do nothing!”

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It sounded reasonable, but something felt off.

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If she were the Steward, she would have used the funds without hesitation. Even if the Holy See was late with the payroll, it was an honor to spread the Goddess Alicia’s light.

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Every member of the clergy had sworn to protect the weak and uphold justice.

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“If we have no supplies, what good would it do to send the clergy out to the border?”

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Doro, sensing Yalis’s uncertainty, grew bolder.

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He’d been caught off guard at first, but she was proving easy to handle.

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“Our clergy here are mostly low-level administrators.”

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“And the refugees from the Northern Countries—who knows what sort of people they are? If they get desperate and attack our clergy for supplies, what then?”

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His barrage of questions made Yalis bite her lip, hands clenched behind her back as she tried to draw strength from Lin Wei’s presence—the only thing keeping her upright.

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“As the Steward, I have a duty to protect my clergy. Having them pray in the cathedral is for the refugees’ sake as well.”

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“Once the funds arrive, we’ll buy supplies and distribute them. Besides, we’ve already gathered all the local traders to sell supplies—it’s another way to manage the problem.”

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“This way, the city earns income, the cathedral saves money, and the refugees are kept calm. Isn’t that better than diverting clergy funds? I see no issue with it.”

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Young people were so easy to sway—a few words and she was at a loss.

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Even an experienced inspector would need time to come up with a rebuttal. For a young nun like her, it was more than enough.

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“Hahaha~ Steward Doro does need to care for his clergy, but he should help the refugees too.”

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“Here’s an idea: since you’ve found this problem, why not send all the clergy to help the refugees? I’ll assign city guards to protect them the whole time.”

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City Lord Tawatz interjected at the perfect moment, smiling to ease the tension.

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If the Holy See’s inspectors left empty-handed, there would be endless trouble. Better to admit a minor mistake and correct it.

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This way, the inspectors could save face, and Doro’s “mistake” would amount to a slap on the wrist.

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“You’re right… I was wrong to focus only on my own and neglect the refugees.”

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“I’ll have to confess to the Goddess Alicia and thank you for catching my error.”

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Doro, seeing their aim, instantly fell in line—his attitude flipping from defiant to remorseful in a heartbeat.

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“Then, as City Lord Tawatz suggests, I’ll send everyone to help at the border.”

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“As for supplies, I really have done all I can. We’ll have to wait for the Holy See’s funding, or perhaps use half the payroll to buy supplies now. Since you’ve both made your case, I’ll do my duty.”

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“But the annual Holy Ceremony funds are the clergy’s most anticipated benefit. I hope you’ll understand—I truly can’t touch those.”

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First, he shut down the inspection. Then, with the city lord’s help, he “admitted” his mistake and even exceeded the earlier compromise.

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Willing to divert payroll and send out clergy—he’d given the inspectors plenty of “face.”

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This man… Is this what becomes of those who spend too long among Imperial nobles?

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His maneuvering was so smooth, not a single flaw could be found.

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“Th-then… that will do…”

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Saintess Yalis was backed into a corner, completely out of her depth.

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She’d grown up within the sheltered order of the Holy See—how could she hope to outmaneuver a seasoned schemer like this?

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But today, she was not alone.

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If reason won’t work, then it’s time for a different lesson.

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“Let me handle this, Saintess.”

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It was like being yanked back from the edge of a cliff. The dizziness from overthinking vanished the moment Lin Wei spoke.

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Yalis turned, realizing only then that she’d been gripping his hand so tightly. Embarrassed, she quickly let go.

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Had she really been clinging to Lin Wei this whole time?

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How embarrassing!

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“S-Saintess?”

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The sudden title left Doro speechless. Even City Lord Tawatz was stunned.

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He knew—Saintess Yalis was the pearl of the Perseus family, daughter of the legendary Griffin Duke.

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That she would appear here, right before him—was this some kind of joke?

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“I had intended to make an example of this cathedral, but the Saintess wished to resolve things with words, so I deferred to her.”

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“But you—your corruption is beyond redemption.”

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Lin Wei stepped forward, radiating an authority Yalis could never muster.

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No wonder they’d made it into the study without a single alarm raised—this was the real reason none of the other clergy had dared to stop them.

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“You… she’s really the Saintess?”

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There was nothing conciliatory in Lin Wei’s tone.

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Doro shrank back, a wave of déjà vu washing over him—the same panic he’d felt at first sight of them, now even stronger.

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“Whether she is or isn’t no longer matters to you.”

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Blinding Holy Light erupted from Lin Wei, a terrifying force that made even fellow clergy instinctively recoil.

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“You defied Her Holiness’s order, colluded with Imperial nobles for illicit gold, and have the nerve to call it ‘protecting the clergy’?”

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“You’ve lost all reverence for the Holy Light, playing the same black-hearted games as the most corrupt nobles in the Empire.”

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“Steward Doro… Have you forgotten the vows you swore when you joined the Holy See? Is this what it means to be clergy? You’ve been utterly corrupted by the nobles!”