Chapter 015: A Busy Day

Nio nodded and said, “These matters are complex, but we’ve been prepared for them. As for the Pope…”
“There’s no problem with him…” Anthony waved the Purgatory Angel statue in his hand casually. “With this, even if we lose that ‘abomination,’ I don’t think the Pope will be dissatisfied. Though that ‘abomination’ possesses immense power, it’s also a force beyond our control… And once the Angelic Array is completed, its functions are something the Pope understands better than I do.”
Nio gave the angel statue in Anthony’s hand a deep look and said calmly, “Was this handed over by that Du Fan? It seems he’s once again done a service for our Holy Church.”
Anthony glanced at Nio and smiled slightly. “What? Nio… Are you jealous?”
Nio replied softly, “Lord Anthony, you’re joking. I, Nio, have no interest in worldly power. What I crave is the pleasure of moving in the darkness… Controlling the lives and deaths of others unseen. Lord Anthony, don’t you think this is far more interesting than power struggles?”
Anthony snorted. “If you have no power or influence, how can you move in the darkness? The two go hand in hand. Among the major forces on the continent, which one doesn’t possess dark powers? Even in this imperial capital, there’s no end to the darkness hidden beneath its prosperity. You surely understand this.”
Nio smiled. “Of course I do…”
Anthony snorted again. “That’s good… Right now, various factions are stirring in the capital. Emperor Austin III’s health is failing by the day. If he can’t decide who will succeed him before he dies, the capital will likely be drenched in blood again.”
Nio said calmly, “Even if someone is chosen, won’t the capital stay free from bloodshed?”
Anthony took a deep breath, glanced at Nio’s calm expression, and shook his head. “You’re right. Even if someone is chosen, bloodshed will still occur. This has always been the case during imperial transitions—times of turmoil in the capital. Just look at how much stricter the city’s defenses have become these days. It’s clear that both sides are now distributing favors and trying to gain support. Who knows how many noble families will fall and how many will rise after this…”

Nio smiled and said, “That’s true, but haven’t you forgotten, Lord Anthony, that the rules of my Holy See have always been independent of the secular world? Could there be any exception this time?”
Anthony shook his head slightly, his eyes filled with gloom. “Nio, you’re from the Divine Might Prison—don’t you understand? The Lanny Empire is now almost completely aligned with Roland Academy, while our relationship with the Gavin Empire remains rather tense… It wouldn’t be a big deal otherwise, but Du Fan’s actions this time have caused serious consequences… If we don’t take action now, by the time the Gavin Empire joins Roland Academy’s side, all the efforts of past popes will be ruined… So this time, weprobably have to make a choice.”
Nio nodded slightly and said, “But then, what about the status of the Holy See…”
Anthony snorted. “At a time like this, we probably can’t afford to worry about that… If we’re going to show favor, we need to choose the most appropriate moment. If we succeed this time and the Gavin Empire sides with us, we’ll have more leverage even when dealing with Roland Academy. But… which side to take is a huge question. After all, it ultimately depends on the Pope’s decision.”
Nio shook his head. “Lord Anthony, in my opinion, the Pope probably won’t give any clear instructions this time. At most, he’ll give us a hint—if I succeed, everything will be fine. But if we fail, the Pope just needs to say it was an independent decision by our Gavin Diocese, and Roland Academy probably won’t have any excuse to trouble our Holy See… And right now, we maintain good relations with both sides… I’m only worried that this will not only make it difficult for you to choose but also put you in an even more awkward position…”

Anthony stood up, shaking his head slightly, as if aging a few years in an instant. After a moment, he sneered and said, “Nio, you needn’t worry too much. Though I, Anthony, am old, I’m not yet so foolish as to fail to distinguish right from wrong. Even without the Pope’s orders, we must make a choice… I already have my decision. But after all, we’ve always held a position of independence. Even if we need to take a stance, there’s no rush. You should know that offering help in times of need is quite different from adding extra perks… If we’re going to do this, we must gain the greatest benefits. It’s all for the glorious Holy Church, for the Supreme God of Light!”
Nio’s expression changed slightly. “For the glorious Holy Church, for the Supreme God of Light!”
Anthony shook his head slightly, pondering for a moment before forcing a wry smile. He handed the Purgatory Angel statue to Nio and said calmly, “Alright, I’ll handle these matters myself. For now, arrange for people to deliver this item to the Holy City as soon as possible. With the Angel Array having seven components and two missing, and now one more available, I believe our long-held wish is about to come true.”
Nio slowly took the wooden box containing the Saint Angel statue and smiled gently. “I think the Pope will be very satisfied this time… extremely satisfied.”
Anthony nodded. After a while, as if remembering something, he said, “Oh, and I almost forgot… Besides sending people to investigate Du Fan, you should also assign a few people to protect him. At such a critical moment, many responsibilities may fall on his shoulders. You must ensure nothing happens to him!”
Nio smiled slightly and responded. Moments later, his figure slowly disappeared into the garden.
Anthony sighed, hands behind his back. After a while, he looked up at the sky and murmured, “What a busy day!”
…
After leaving the back garden, Du Fan headed straight to the prayer hall in front of the cathedral. He had originally planned to see Tasia to gather some information, but the clergy inside, upon seeing him in white, couldn’t help but show strange expressions.
Du Fan was well aware that standing there in white was quite conspicuous. Though he wasn’t used to such looks, he had no other choice but to leave quickly.

Upon arriving at the prayer hall, many believers recognized him as their “First Believer” and quickly gathered around to inquire after him. Some well-informed ones even began to ask vaguely what had happened in the Northlands. After all, Du Fan had conducted an heresy trial there, and Aldas, the genius from the Green family’s archrivals, the Belinger family, had stormed the venue, killed his own teacher and over a hundred others, only to die at Du Fan’s hands. Such events, spread deliberately by certain people, had already given rise to countless versions.

Of course, aside from the messages deliberately spread by the Green family and the Holy Church, few other rumors were favorable to Du Fan. Yet those people, despite all their calculations, forgot one thing: Du Fan’s reputation in the imperial capital. Du Fan enjoyed an excellent reputation there. Although some tried to smear him, most believers did not believe it. Moreover, over half of the capital’s residents were followers of the Holy Church, so their attempts to use public opinion against Du Fan failed to achieve their goal.

As for rumors among the nobles, though there were many, most understood that this incident represented a clash between two major forces in the empire, with consequences that were impossible to predict. Apart from those nobles who had already chosen their sides, the rest could only pretend to know nothing. After all, when these two forces clashed, the political situation in the capital would turn into a massive vortex. If smaller families got caught up in it, they would be utterly destroyed in no time!

Du Fan had anticipated all this and had prepared countermeasures. He wore a holy smile, casually explaining that heretics should be tried and that the Light God was supreme. He also promised to lead the prayers the next day before taking advantage of the slightly thinner crowd to quickly leave the church.

After leaving the Holy Church, sitting in his brand-new carriage, Du Fan gazed indifferently at the scenery of the capital outside the window, while inwardly pondering Anthony’s words… This Anthony, after meeting him, not only told him things he could never have known before but also hinted that he seemed to hold great significance for the Holy Church…

Even Du Fan knew in his heart that this Archbishop Anthony didn’t really believe what he had just said about the trip to the north. Yet, for his own “usefulness,” he didn’t expose the truth and instead showed an attitude of only caring about the outcome, not the process—which was extremely strange!