Chapter 425

The group that entered the Cardinal’s office turned out to be the remaining members of the Special Operations Unit in the Holy City and the extremist believers who had been incited by them.

Facing them, Drexler seemed to understand the situation and gave up resistance, accepting the “rest” proposed by Lacey.

What he truly felt inside was unknown, but at least outwardly, it appeared to be a “peaceful” transfer of authority.

Afterward, Lacey and her supporters took control of the Church Order with the speed of a fired arrow, as if they had been waiting for this moment all along—relentlessly and thoroughly.

It was announced that Drexler had entered recuperation due to a serious deterioration in his health, and Lacey appointed herself as the Acting Cardinal. A temporary position to handle the duties until the Cardinal’s seat was filled, or so she claimed.

It was essentially a blatant usurpation, but contrary to my expectations, there was almost no opposition. It was an undeniable fact that Drexler’s health had deteriorated to the point of requiring long-term recuperation, and everyone knew that he and Lacey had once been as close as a grandfather and granddaughter.

To those unaware of the details, it likely seemed that Lacey, concerned for her grandfather’s health, had stepped up to take on his responsibilities.

Some who understood what was happening chose to comply rather than resist. For those who sympathized with Lacey’s ideology or were dissatisfied with the current state of the Elpinel Church Order, which had been pushed aside by other Church Orders, this event was actually something to welcome.

Even those who were purely loyal to Drexler remained silent. To them, Drexler looked as if he was on the verge of death, and they feared that restoring him to power might result in them having to hold his funeral with their own hands.

Or perhaps… they simply thought it would be too dangerous to step forward.

Lacey’s justification was reasonable, and her military strength was overwhelming.

In any case, the leadership of the Elpinel Church Order had effectively fallen into Lacey’s hands.

—

“…You said you would only request authority to negotiate with the Menes Church Order, but this seems a bit different, doesn’t it?”

I clearly remember hearing that the plan was to “persuade” Drexler and obtain “some” authority, but to completely oust the Cardinal and seize full power? That was unexpected.

“Did you plan this from the start? To negotiate with another Church Order’s Cardinal, you needed Cardinal-level authority.”

Lacey tilted her head as if to ask what I was talking about and laughed. She spoke as if it were the most natural thing in the world, leaving me at a loss for words.

“But to take the position like this… Won’t the other Church Orders say something?”

“If I had formally tried to become the Cardinal, they would have opposed it. The Cardinal’s position also serves as a member of the Grand Assembly, and traditionally, only men have been appointed to it.”

So, Lacey becoming the Cardinal itself would have been opposed. That’s why she created the ambiguous position of Acting Cardinal.

“However, since I am only temporarily acting in the Cardinal’s authority… as long as I do not claim the voting rights of the Grand Assembly, they have no grounds to intervene. Internal personnel decisions are the exclusive right of each Church Order, so interfering would be a clear violation of internal affairs.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes. Even the Vimos Church Order, for example, has never shown the faces of any priests other than the Cardinal, so no one knows what their internal organizational structure is like.”

What kind of people are they? They don’t even have a cathedral in the Holy City, and they never come out from their stronghold on the southern coast.

Sending a Cardinal is just a formal measure to maintain their presence in the Eleven Divine Church. They are a Church Order that seems to embody the essence of doing their own thing.

—

Of course, the lack of opposition was only “almost” complete, not entirely non-existent. Those who had no interest in Lacey’s ideology or Drexler’s health, and who possessed enough power not to fear stepping forward, had every reason to condemn Lacey’s actions.

The most prominent figure among them was Sir Richard, the leader of the Paladins.

“Lady Elmain, what on earth have you done!”

“Ah, Sir Richard. It’s been a while.”

Richard burst into the office, now Lacey’s, with a mix of anger and confusion on his face. His momentum was as unstoppable as a knight charging on horseback, though he did flinch slightly when he saw me leaning against the window, smoking.

“You came at just the right time. I had a proposal I wanted to make to you.”

Lacey greeted him with an unshakably calm smile, as if she had anticipated Richard’s reaction.

And then, nothing happened.

Richard, who had come to demand that this outrageous act be stopped and Drexler be reinstated, left with a convinced expression after Lacey’s persuasion. Well, even I had to admit her reasoning was convincing.

The content of that reasoning was…

—

“His Eminence is no longer in a condition to perform his duties. I have no choice but to shoulder his burden for now… but this is only a temporary measure. The Cardinal’s seat cannot remain vacant for long, and someone must officially succeed His Eminence’s position… I believe you, Sir Richard, are the right person for the job.”

“Me, you say…?”

Richard was stunned by Lacey’s bombshell. He had come to protest the arbitrary confinement of the Cardinal, never imagining that he himself would be offered the position.

“Yes. Paladins, due to their role in handling external affairs rather than internal Church matters, have traditionally not been appointed to positions higher than Archbishop… but I consider that a bad practice. Aren’t those who honorably protect the Church Order at the forefront the ones most qualified to lead the believers?”

By this point, Richard’s momentum had significantly weakened.

Lacey’s voice, soft and smooth like a coiled snake, wrapped around him. Her tone, as if she understood and empathized with all his struggles, began to dissolve Richard’s resistance.

“Think about it. If a Paladin were to become a Cardinal… the treatment of Paladins, who have been excluded from major Church decisions and merely wielded as swords, could also improve. I want you, Sir Richard, to be the precedent. Is that too much to ask?”

It was an offer too meaningful to refuse.

—

Having stabilized the internal discord within the Church Order, Lacey soon visited the Menes Church Order’s cathedral.

It was for the prearranged behind-the-scenes negotiations. While Drexler’s ousting was an internal matter of the Elpinel Church Order, allowing for a forceful approach, dealing with another Church Order required a different tactic.

The Menes Cathedral was quite different in style from St. Eluniel Cathedral, making it an interesting sight. While the exterior was similarly painted white, the interior was a world apart.

Unlike the St. Eluniel Cathedral, filled with elaborate sculptures and golden decorations, the Menes Cathedral was dyed in deep indigo, creating a night sky-like atmosphere. Particularly striking was the mural of moonlight pouring from the sky, melting the beastmen.

There were also holy paintings of Menes to admire. In the paintings, Menes appeared as a mass of faces, with five pairs of different faces side by side.

Five smiling faces and five grotesquely distorted ones, ranging from children to the elderly.

The number five symbolized the phases of the moon, and the two expressions represented good dreams and bad dreams, respectively. The meaning itself was good, but with all those faces crammed together, it looked more like a monster crawling out of a nightmare than a god.

It was as if an artist, suffering from insomnia due to nightmares, had poured their hatred into the painting.

—

In any case, thanks to Archbishop Gwinnel’s prior arrangements, we were able to meet with Cardinal Paulus of the Menes Church Order without any hindrance.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Sir Median.”

Cardinal Paulus was a middle-aged man with a square face and a long mustache. His stubborn and rigid demeanor made him seem more suited to being a soldier than a clergyman.

“I’ve heard much about your deeds in Holon. I am grateful for your significant contribution in crushing the Dream Paradise Society.”

“You flatter me. It was all thanks to Archbishop Gwinnel’s generous support, both materially and spiritually.”

I shook Paulus’s outstretched right hand lightly. Despite being an elderly man around Drexler’s age, his grip was as firm as a young man’s in his prime.