Chapter Thirteen: The Papal Council (II)

The Supreme Council of Salonia was a council established by the Papal Court to handle major affairs. Its members were limited to cardinals belonging to the College of Cardinals, as well as priests and deacons responsible for specific related tasks, collectively referred to as cardinals. The term “archcardinal” specifically referred to those twelve cardinals, who were the highest authorities in governing various regions and departments of the Papal Court.
In other words, this was a council that could determine the future direction of the Papal Court. Participating in it as an archcardinal was undoubtedly an extraordinary honor, one that countless local priests longed for, yet such an honor seemed utterly out of reach.
For this reason, Bon Hamsworth could not calm his emotions for a long time. As an ordinary local priest in the southeastern port area of Salonia, Bon Hamsworth had no outstanding talents or extraordinary strength. In his forties, he simply fulfilled his duties as a cleric with diligence. Yet no one could have imagined that this ordinary priest, who only knew the most basic white magic such as healing, disarming, and dispelling, would one day be honored enough to become a cardinal.
Gazing at the magnificent and solemn sacred building, Bon Hamsworth suppressed his excitement and murmured, “This is God’s temple!”
Seeming to notice the priest dressed in a heavily wrinkled red robe, a cardinal deacon in charge of reception stared at him for a long time before approaching and asking strangely, “Are you Lord Bon Hamsworth?”
“Uh, I am…” Bon Hamsworth was momentarily stunned and replied awkwardly, “And you are…”
“I’m Beverly Amistad, your receptionist. I’ve been waiting for you here for a long time…” As he spoke, the cardinal deacon glanced at the priest’s dusty face and muddy boots and said oddly, “I remember the meeting notice was sent along with your promotion message, about half a month ago. You… didn’t walk here, did you?”
“Uh, how could that be?” Bon Hamsworth laughed and scratched his head. “You’re joking. I took a carriage…” As he spoke, a few strands of grass fell from his hair and clothes.

“A carriage?” Cardinal Deacon Beverly Amistad really didn’t know what to say. As someone familiar with those he received, he naturally knew everything about this newly appointed cardinal archbishop—what kind of person he was. How could he end up so desperate during this important meeting as to have to ride in a commoner’s carriage used for transporting fodder?

Bonn Hamsworth, a parish priest from the port city of Polysnia, had average abilities and no notable achievements. Yet over his more than twenty years as a cleric, he had risen from an ordinary priest to overseeing local priests, and surprisingly, he enjoyed the trust and respect of the local people. He possessed a firm faith and a special personal charm. Rather than being described as a local administrator, he was more like a selfless cleric who helped others.

Ignoring the bits of straw and the awkward expression on the other man’s face, Cardinal Deacon Beverly Amistad slightly bowed his head and said in a low voice, “Then please follow me to the conference room. You are the last cardinal archbishop to arrive. The others have been waiting for a long time…”

“Uh, have the others already arrived?” Bonn Hamsworth asked, surprised and puzzled.

“Yes, you’re the last. If you were any later, the meeting might have had to be postponed…” Beverly Amistad shook his head, somewhat exasperated, then raised his hand and said, “Then please follow me, Your Eminence…”

“Uh, yes…”

“Please don’t be formal. Formal speech puts me in an awkward position…”

“Uh, yes…”

“Very well… Please follow me!”

Following Cardinal Deacon Beverly, the newly appointed cardinal archbishop Bonn Hamsworth headed toward the venue of the Holy See’s highest council. Watching the deacons bowing to him, it was clear he was very nervous, especially when he saw the prominent figures in the conference room.

It was a bright room, not luxuriously decorated but uniquely styled—silver cups, statues, silver crosses, and a large black wooden table covered with a red blanket. On either side of the table sat nearly a dozen elders in red robes with serious expressions. Undoubtedly, these were some of the Holy See’s twelve cardinal archbishops. Behind them were their subordinates—cardinal deacons responsible for observing and taking notes.

To be honest, when those powerful figures turned their gazes toward him all at once, Bonn Hamsworth, who was over forty, still felt extremely nervous. After all, this was the center of power in Salonia.

Just as he was worried about this, a cardinal stood up and said with a smile that still carried authority, “You must be Lord Bon Hamsworth. I’ve heard of your deeds. Ah, even those who have committed crimes haven’t given up—spreading the light of the Lord to them and guiding them back on the right path. Truly remarkable!”
“This is Arch-Cardinal Naomi Metmenter from the Dierschi region…” Beverly whispered as a reminder.
“Ah, um…” Bon Hamsworth scratched his head awkwardly and said shyly, “Thank you for the praise, but it’s nothing of the sort. It’s you and the other great ones who are the pillars of Salonia…”
“Hehehe,” another cardinal laughed, stood up, nodded in greeting, and said with a smile, “Please don’t be so modest. We are all servants of God. Come, please sit…”
“This is Arch-Cardinal Jasper Warrenner from the Milimar region…” Beverly whispered again.
“Uh, yes, thank you very much…” Though a bit awkward, Bon Hamsworth didn’t want to leave a bad impression on these important figures on his first meeting. He bowed to each of the about ten cardinals present, and of course, they responded in kind.
Suddenly, Bon Hamsworth saw a boy of only fifteen or sixteen years old, arms crossed and eyes closed, sitting at the other end of the long table. What shocked him even more was that the boy seemed unaware of how sacred this place was—he was sitting with his chair tilted back, his black boots resting on the table. Such a posture was simply outrageous.
Blasphemy! Blasphemy! After all, that table was the one used in Salonia’s highest council meetings—it wasn’t meant to be a footrest! This wasn’t some rural tavern!
What was even more strange was that the cardinals present seemed to turn a blind eye to this act of desecration.
“Who… who is he?” Bon Hamsworth asked in confusion. “Isn’t this a meeting room? How can this child…”
“Speak softly,” Cardinal Deacon Beverly Amistead hurriedly reminded him, then said in a strange tone, “This is Lord Volmon Kleist. Like you, he is a cardinal and belongs to the Central Church. He heads the Inquisition Bureau and the Court of Darkness, responsible for handling special missions…”
“He’s… a child?” Bon Hamsworth stared in disbelief.

A child who was only fifteen or sixteen years old had already become a cardinal archbishop—just like him… no, even earlier than him? This was…
Suddenly, Bon Hamsworth felt an unprecedented pressure, as heavy as if the sky were collapsing, like a black hole filled with darkness and silence. The immense pressure made it hard for him to breathe. Yet the reason was simply that the other person, that seemingly fifteen- or sixteen-year-old child, opened his eyes and gave him a casual glance.
Guh…
What was going on? Bon Hamsworth subconsciously swallowed hard, forced a smile, and said dryly, “U-um, hello. I’m Bon Hamsworth. It’s a pleasure…” But before he could finish, his smile froze on his face because the other person closed his eyes again, as if uninterested at all.
He… he ignored me…
Bon Hamsworth felt his thoughts struggling to keep up.
“Well…” Beverley, the cardinal deacon, licked his dry lips and said softly, “This lord has just come out of his cell. His mood is always at its worst at times like these. I think it’s best if you ignore him…”
“Igno… ignore him?”
“Yes. Haven’t you noticed the attitudes of the other archbishops? That’s definitely not tolerance…”
“Uh…”
Just as the two were whispering to each other, the door to the meeting room creaked open. Pope Maliz Clester and Archbishop Gary Weplington walked in together.
“P-PopeYour Majesty?” After a brief moment of shock, Bon Hamsworth immediately knelt on one knee as the highest sign of respect.
The old pope smiled slightly and bent down to help him up. “Hehe, Father Bon Hamsworth, right? I’m very grateful for your dedication to the faithful over these twenty years. I hope you’ll continue to uphold this noble spirit!—Power isn’t what truly defines a person. What’s more important is the spirit of dedication to the faithful and the firm faith to sacrifice oneself for the Lord!”
“Yes… yes, PopeYour Majesty!” Bon Hamsworth nodded in awe.
“Good.” The old pope nodded in satisfaction, then glanced toward the end of the table. His expression darkened instantly. At the same time, the young boy seemed to sense the old pope’s gaze and lazily stood up, joining the others in greeting the supreme leader of the Church.

Shaking his head helplessly, the old pope walked to the head of the long table, gesturing for everyone to sit down. He spoke in a solemn voice, “I am deeply sorry to have to ask you all to return to Salonia despite your busy schedules to attend this meeting, but I believe it is necessary!” He paused briefly, then smiled slightly and added softly, “Firstly, let us congratulate Bon Hamsworth on becoming the last cardinal of our Holy See. He will take over from the late Father Andrew Ashworth, and I hope you will all offer him your support and assistance!”

“Of course!” Except for Thos, who continued to rest with his eyes closed, the other archbishops greeted Bon Hamsworth warmly.

This was indeed a significant matter for the Holy See. Since the war between the Empire and the Holy See nearly twenty years ago, and with Archbishop Saint Charles George missing, and Father Andrew dying indirectly at the hands of Argus three years ago, the twelve positions of cardinal archbishop had remained vacant. Even though Thos had temporarily taken over Saint Charles George’s former role, Father Andrew’s position had stayed empty until now, when the Holy See finally filled all the cardinal archbishop positions.

“Quiet, quiet,” the old pope raised his hand to restore silence in the room. He took a deep breath and said seriously, “Secondly, and this is the main reason I called this meeting—Argus BartClarkfield. I believe everyone here has heard of this name. Three years ago, this man fled from our Salonia to the Empire. Back then, we underestimated him. Now, he has taken control of the Empire’s power structure, pushing the entire Empire to the brink of destruction. Worse still, this man has connections with some ancient wills, granting him immense power…”

“Ancient wills?” Bon Hamsworth was puzzled. Suddenly, he noticed that several of the cardinals at the table glanced intentionally or unintentionally at the young archbishop sitting at the end, which surprised him.

Seizing Bon Hamsworth’s confused expression, the old pope paused and explained, “Ancient wills are beings superior to us humans. They possess eternal power and eternal life. In other words, they are powerful entities with divine strength…”

“Divine…” Bon Hamsworth’s eyes widened in shock.

“But that is an evil god, a dark god—a being even more terrifying than demons! Um, Father Andrew risked his life to bring back important information. We compared this information with data found in ancient ruins… Mammon, the dark god who rules over desire—this is the power upon which Argus relies, as well as the ancient name for that evil will!”
“Your Holiness, does that dark god called Mammon truly possess eternal and powerful strength?” Bon Hamsworth asked in surprise.
“Hmm!” The old pope nodded after glancing at Thors, speaking solemnly, “The evil will is the supreme existence at the pinnacle of darkness, and Mammon’s power is beyond even the demons I’ve known before. If he invades this world, it will undoubtedly face catastrophe…”
“Invases this world?” Archbishop Adlington Kanto frowned. “Is it related to Argus?”
“Hmm,” the old pope nodded again and said gravely, “You must have heard about the strange incidents that have occurred frequently in the past two years. Some demons from the abyss have somehow entered our world. Once upright people, ordinary citizens, believers, and even devout priests have been corrupted by evil forces, unable to control their desires, turning into demons. As for this…” The old pope pointed at Thors and said firmly, “Vormon, briefly describe to everyone here what you’ve encountered over these two years!”
“Tch!” Under Bon Hamsworth’s astonished gaze, Thors reluctantly pouted, scratched his head, and said lazily, “In these past three years, my Inquisition has dealt with over 300 such incidents. Most of them were demons of the Hous or Telvi levels—just low-tier demons with no special abilities, easy to handle. There were 30 of the third-tier Chastus-level demons and 3 of the fourth-tier Ambersad-level demon servants, which are considered more difficult to deal with…”
“Fourth-tier Ambersad-level demon servants?” Bon Hamsworth asked curiously. “What kind of demons are those?”
Thors gave him a brief glance, thought for a moment, and replied in a perfunctory tone, “Fourth-tier demons can probably destroy a city with 2,000 people in two days. Aside from a few with special abilities that are harder to deal with, the rest are fairly easy…”
“Fairly easy? A demon that can destroy a city of 2,000 people in two days is considered fairly easy?”

Bonn Hamsworth widened his eyes.
“Ahem,” the old pope coughed twice to silence the whispers of the cardinal deacons, then concluded, “The situation is this: Demons, who could only enter this world through the summoning of dark magicians in the past, have found other ways. No, to be precise, the world’s defenses against such dark creatures have become quite weak. The root cause lies in the altar built by Argus—let’s call it the ‘Dark Altar’ for now. From the information we have, we can guess that it is a coordinate, a gateway created so that some powerful force can descend into this world. Thanks to it, even our Salonia has been affected, not to mention the empire now. Once Argus opens the path to darkness, this world will face an unprecedented crisis. But unfortunately, the empire is currently embroiled in civil strife. If we, Salonia, intervene during this sensitive period, it could lead to unnecessary conflicts. So, I’d like to hear everyone’s opinions!”
Before anyone else could speak after the old pope finished speaking, Thos took a deep breath and said in a firm voice, “Whatever that Dark Altar is, or Argus… leave it to me!”
Yet the old pope seemed not to hear him, turning instead to look at the deep-thinking archbishops.
“Tch!” With a scoff from Thos, Archbishop Gary Weplington spoke first, “Originally, I didn’t recommend intervening during a time of civil strife in the empire, but since evil forces threaten the entire world, we really must take this risk…”
“Mm,” added Archbishop Naomi Metment, “Besides, our Church is the servant of the Supreme God, a sacred entity. How can we stand by while evil forces destroy world peace? I suggest taking this opportunity to liberate the people of the empire, those lost sheep, from pagan rule, so they can return to the Lord’s embrace and let His light illuminate the whole world!”

“Isn’t this going too far?” Archbishop Jasper Warrenner shook his head. “Although the Empire has been severely damaged, the power of the dark magicians has not diminished. According to records, aside from Agus’s forces, a large number of dark magicians have gathered in SgSgデル. They possess the ancient relic [Thunder Tower – Vandel]. If a conflict breaks out, the consequences would be unimaginable. Perhaps that’s why Agus allows the dark magicians in SgSgデル to exist! In short, I don’t recommend engaging in conflict with them at this time—we share the same goals!”
“But isn’t now the best opportunity?” Archbishop Dilait Cosgriff smiled as he glanced at those present. “Because of Agus, the forces of the dark magicians are currently divided and at odds. Praise the Lord, as this gives us a chance to save those who are lost and helpless…”
“I disagree…”
“I suggest…”
After dozens of minutes of discussion, the members of the supreme council still failed to reach a consensus. Aside from the issue of Agus, they couldn’t agree on their attitude toward the Empire. One group advocated helping the dark magicians eliminate Agus and maintain the status quo of the human factions separated by the Church and the Empire for hundreds of years. The other group suggested taking this opportunity to liberate the Empire from the control of the pagan dark magicians and corrupt nobles.
“Quiet, quiet,” the old pope finally raised his hand to stop the endless debate. Shaking his head, he said, “Ladies and gentlemen, let me speak for a moment. The Empire and the Church have been at odds for a long time, and the confrontation between dark magicians and our white magicians has also lasted for centuries. We are aware of both sides’ strengths and hidden powers, as are the dark magicians. The Empire won’t be destroyed so easily. It’s not really a country ruled by nobles but rather one controlled by those dark magicians. In terms of magical prowess, they are on par with us, if not stronger—such as forbidden spells and domain powers that desecrate the gods. Especially the Vandel Mage Tower in SgSgデル. If Heliorox is the Empire’s backbone, then Vandel is Heliorox’s backbone. As long as the ancient relic, Thunder Tower Vandel, stands, the dark magicians will still have the power to fight back. Therefore, engaging in conflict rashly would be extremely unwise. Moreover, our enemy is that man, Agus, that dark altar that’s affecting the world! What do you all think?”

“Hmm…”
The archbishops closed their eyes in thought for a moment before nodding in agreement. “His Holiness is right—the top priority is to eliminate Argus…”
“Well, I hope one of you will represent the Church in Vandel to discuss matters with those dark magicians, seeking cooperation to eliminate Argus together. After all, this isn’t just about the empire—it’s about the entire world! So, who’s willing to go?”
“I’ll go!” Thors spoke up again.
Feeling the immense pressure from that young archbishop, to be honest, none of the bishops wanted to compete with him, as the dangerous aura around him was enough to serve as a warning.
“Well…” After scanning the room, the old pope’s gaze finally settled on Bon Hamsworth, who he smiled at and said, “I’ll have to trouble you with this task, Archbishop Bon Hamsworth!”
“Uh, me?” Before Bon Hamsworth could react, a gust of wind seemed to sweep through the conference room. Immediately afterward, a powerful holy force laced with darkness erupted like a storm, accompanied by a deep, gritted-toothed voice.
“What’s the joke!—Didn’t I say I’d go?”