Chapter 233

Was it really Elpinel’s will? Or was it just a coincidence?

The truth was something no one could know unless Elpinel herself revealed it.

However, to those gathered at that time and place, it was an undeniable sign.

Proof that Elpinel, out of love for her daughter, had descended to this very place.

“Elpinel…!”

Even the least devout among them crossed themselves and offered prayers at the sight of the miracle unfolding before their eyes.

—

After that, Lacey completely took control of the Elpinel Church’s capital diocese.

The damage to the cathedral and the persecution of the Archbishop were swept under the rug without any inquiry, and the apostate Robert and his associates were burned at the stake within an hour.

No one opposed it. No, they dared not oppose it.

The woman chosen by Elpinel, along with the descendants of the twelve knights, had captured the heretics, and divine punishment had been delivered to the sinners before the foolish ones who had persecuted her.

No one could deny her sanctity.

In the history of the Empire, there had rarely been such a clear manifestation of divine will.

With Leopold, Duke Bien, and even Duke Pailoon absent from the capital, there was no one left who could surpass Lacey’s authority.

They say humans make plans, but success depends on heaven.

And with just the fall of a single cross, all problems had been resolved.

—

After setting Robert on fire and quelling the chaos, Lacey immediately summoned all the Archbishops of the various church orders.

Even if their worshipped deities differed, no clergy in the capital at that moment could refuse her invitation.

All the Archbishops with dioceses in the capital gathered.

The five Archbishops of the Celes, Astraea, Imela, Kranus, and Ausrine orders.

And the remaining ecclesiastical elector, Archbishop Reinfelt of the Shaulitete Church.

The Bølberg Order had long since voluntarily joined the war, declaring that the era of warriors had arrived since the civil war began.

If the Archbishop himself went to the battlefield… they must be quite the war enthusiasts.

The Menes Order was guarding the north alongside the Imperial Army, and the Archbishop of the Vimos Order rarely showed up for official events anyway.

They seemed to be living as they pleased somewhere along the southern coast.

The Archbishop of the Grimnir Order had gone to investigate the strangely spreading flow of magic energy a few months ago, hadn’t he?

Being worshippers of the god of magic, they must be quite sensitive to things like magical power and energy.

In any case, six Archbishops gathered at the Exra-shapel Cathedral.

If you included Robert, who was lighting up the cathedral entrance in his human torch state, you could say seven.

Archbishop Reinfelt clicked his tongue at the sight of Robert burning, but there were no other disturbances.

They merely exchanged small talk about the events that had occurred in the cathedral and their meaning, and whether they were true or not.

That is, until Lacey stood before them and delivered a passionate speech.

—

*Bang!*

Lacey slammed the round table fiercely.

The Archbishops, who had been reluctant to join Leopold’s forces, were startled by Lacey’s sudden outburst and turned to look at her.

“Due to the rebellion plotted by heretics, countless people are bleeding and suffering even now! If the Empire declines and kneels before the threats of heretics and other races, what will become of the innocent lives of the people? What will become of the future of the faith you all hold dear? Once we kneel, we will never prosper as before! Humanity will become slaves once more!”

Archbishop Reinfelt coughed at the mention of rebellion but did not attempt to refute it.

With Robert, who had declared neutrality, now exposed as a heretic, Reinfelt’s position, who had supported Ernst and declared neutrality in line with Robert’s stance, was equally precarious.

If he wasn’t careful, he too could be branded a heretic and placed beside Robert.

While the Elpinel Church’s interference in the Shaulitete Church’s affairs was a clear overreach… at this point in the capital, there was no one who could stop Lacey.

“Though our nations and worshipped deities may differ, we must stand shoulder to shoulder and share the fate of the Empire. Isn’t it our mission to transcend the boundaries of nations and doctrines, to protect justice and safeguard the people?”

The Archbishop of the Astraea Order nodded.

The protection of justice. It was a phrase that perfectly suited her taste.

“As a servant of the Goddess of Grace, Elpinel, I implore the Archbishops gathered here. If you see innocent people bleeding before your eyes! If you hear their screams in your ears! With reverence for the divine and love for humanity, let us fight against evil with passion and conviction!”

With a powerful voice, Lacey passionately swung her arms.

Her eyes were filled with the certainty of one who believed without a doubt that her cause was just.

The Archbishop of the Imela Order stroked her chin.

She wasn’t looking at Lacey. Rather, she was staring at me, who was standing idly beside Lacey.

Her brown eyes held a deep fondness.

What’s this…?

It was a truly puzzling gaze for me.

Why would a clergy member who serves the goddess of love and children like me?

If I retrace my steps… the god of war and orphans…

If it were someone else, maybe, but I doubt Ai-mel-ra’s followers would welcome me.

[…I heard that my maternal family, the Medians, were originally close to the Ai-mel-ra Church Order. My mother’s name was also derived from the name of the goddess they served.]

Ah, I see.

Ai-mel-ra Median and the goddess Ai-mel-ra. The names definitely seem related.

“This is a holy war! It is an offering to the gods watching from the heavens and a dedication to saving the innocent from evil! As clergy, we must not hesitate in this war!”

“…You speak the truth. However, what do you plan to do about the practical issues? Unlike Elmain, we are merely responsible for the capital diocese. Making such a significant decision as intervening in the Empire’s war on our own would be overstepping our authority. We must first report to the cardinals of our homeland and follow their instructions…”

The Archbishop of the Kranus Church Order, advocating caution.

He wasn’t outright denying Lacey’s argument, but he subtly tried to back away, saying it was a topic too difficult for them to decide on their own.

Archbishop Reinfeld also seemed to agree with him, nodding with a satisfied smile.

…Does that guy even realize he’s the number one target for purging?

Well, if he knew, he would have fled by now.

“Thank you for your advice. Under normal circumstances, I would have also reported to the Holy Kingdom and sought the wisdom of the cardinals. However, regrettably, that is not possible now.”

“What do you mean…?”

Lacey, seated, began to elaborate.

The allegations against Empress Isabella, the report to the Holy Kingdom, and the request for the dispatch of the Secret Apostolic Council. The fact that the information was leaked and they were attacked.

The archbishops’ expressions hardened.

Some let out heavy sighs. If Lacey’s words were true, this was far more serious than the betrayal of a single archbishop.

The presence of a traitor among the eleven cardinals, who were essentially the leaders of each church order, was a crisis that could determine the survival of the church.

“If this fact is revealed…”

Lacey shook her head.

“Without knowing who betrayed us or how many, we would only repeat suspicions and eventually split. If we’re not careful, it could even lead to another religious war.”

“Hmm… That makes sense…”

The archbishops also seemed to agree with her prediction, letting out deep sighs.

—

After about thirty minutes of discussion.

The archbishops, who had been debating for a while, finally made a decision.

Archbishop Reinfeld maintained a displeased expression until the end, but since the other archbishops all agreed, he had no choice but to reluctantly nod.

Perhaps it was Lacey’s persuasion—’Which is more important, following secular authority or following the will of God?’—that struck a chord with them.

Or maybe they liked the proposal to establish a decision-making body here, led by them, rather than in the Holy Kingdom.

Though their true feelings were unknown, this meant that most of the church orders in the Empire had agreed with Lacey’s intentions.

After finishing the discussion, the archbishops exchanged greetings and returned to their respective churches.

They, too, would now be very busy.

They had to inform their church members of the truth and prepare for war.

—

“It was easier than I thought.”

I shrugged and looked at Lacey.

She was sitting in the archbishop’s office of Exra-shapel Cathedral, soothing her fatigue with a cup of black tea.

“Elpinel watches over everything. If we do not forget His words and act in accordance with His will, everything flows as smoothly as a river.”

Lacey smiled brightly.

She was no longer just a saint candidate.

She was now the head of the Elpinel Church Order in the Empire and the Grand Archbishop of the Eleven Divine Churches in the Empire.

That was the new title bestowed upon Lacey Elmain Staldorf.

Grand Archbishop of the Empire…

I guess you could say she’s made it big.

In the history of the Eleven Divine Churches, the position of Grand Archbishop had never existed before.

The highest authority in the Holy Kingdom was the Saint, and the actual leaders of each church order were the eleven cardinals.

Below the cardinals, the archbishops governed their respective dioceses.

The creation of the position of Grand Archbishop, with authority over all the archbishops in the Empire, was essentially a declaration of independence from the Holy Kingdom’s hierarchy.

Better to be the head of a snake than the tail of a dragon, I suppose.

—

The next day.

Each church order publicly announced the evil deeds of Isabella and Robert, declaring that this was not a dispute over the throne but a holy war to exterminate witches.

Following that, they declared the establishment of the ‘Imperial Grand Diocese,’ which would oversee all Eleven Divine Churches in the Empire.

They even announced the election of Lacey Elmain Staldorf, the representative of Elpinel, as the Grand Archbishop.

It was still unclear how the Holy Kingdom would react, but this unified public opinion within the Empire.

Their announcement carried such authority that it made people believe even without evidence.

Finally, Isabella was called a witch.

All of this happened in just two days.