Chapter: 527
“Are you saying the church has been tailing us?”
“…So they were trying to keep an eye on the Young Lady?”
Karia chuckled in disbelief when I explained what had just happened, while Phoebe, unable to hide her displeasure, spoke in a somewhat icy voice.
“What was that interrogator’s name again?”
“Do you really think I’d remember the name of that lunatic?”
“Nian. You said his name was Nian, Young Lady.”
Thanks to my Mesugaki skill, naming anyone is nearly impossible for me, so as I frowned, Benedict spoke up on my behalf.
“If it’s Nian, he’s one of those directly under the Pope’s secretary. He’s known to be a bit extreme, but other than that, he’s quite competent.”
…Directly under the Pope!?
Wait. Hold on. Does this mean I’ve caught the Pope’s attention!?
Was my miracle causing this spotlight on me?
Gah! I can’t shake the feeling that I’m really in deep trouble this time.
I mean, I’ve thought countless times since coming to this world that I’d messed up, but this feels like the real deal.
I’m just not ready to deal with that guy yet!
Pathetic God! Why did you give me a miracle that set off this mess!?
What was the point of digging this hole for me?
Did you think I was getting too comfortable in my current life!?
Strutting around with my nose in the air, was that so bothersome!?
“No, Young Lady. The situation is a bit different now.”
“…What do you mean?”
“Have you heard the rumors about the odd atmosphere within the church lately? The King is said to be reshuffling the internal powers.”
I think I heard that before. Wasn’t it about how chaotic things were inside the church?
So, from months ago until now, things have just been a hot mess? What the heck is going on?
“I’ve heard some related talks. But he’s doing this purely to run the current church more efficiently.”
“Those who eliminate others always have some excuse.”
The moment the word “purge” was uttered, the air in the room turned icy.
A word that should never be spoken in a church that preaches love and mercy describes the current reality perfectly.
“It was the same when the kingdom was in chaos. Suppressed rebellions, standardization of regions. Even if they use various excuses, it doesn’t change the reality, does it, Saintess?”
“….”
“Maybe before, but you know the church isn’t a spotless place anymore, don’t you?”
“…I’ve come to realize that to some extent.”
Even though the fake Saintess created by the church couldn’t erase all the footprints she left while acting under that title.
Through the kind people who stood by her, Phoebe had heard some stories and wasn’t entirely out of the loop about the church’s situation.
“However, I believe the conflict currently occurring in the church is to eliminate internal corruption.”
The folks disappearing under the interrogators were the ones who used the church’s authority for their own gain.
They were people void of even the tiniest seed of faith, now catching on to the impending purge and screeching as they vanished one by one.
“I’d love to say that all purgers talk like that.”
“This time it’s different. Because those people truly… didn’t have any faith.”
Pausing momentarily, Phoebe bit her lip and continued speaking.
“I get it, Saintess. This time is an exception.”
Karia didn’t even bother to deny Phoebe’s words.
Phoebe was so overwhelmed that her shock was evident.
“Renat Lornat. Second son of the Lornat family and Bishop of Nebido Territory. Multiple charges including child abduction and woman harassment. Recently found decapitated.”
Speaking slowly, Karia pulled out a notebook from within her clothing and flipped through pages, naming several individuals.
“Pravi Kenna. Third son of the Kenna family, currently dispatched as a bishop in their territory. Colluding with the family under the guise of donations while embezzling taxes. Recently apprehended by church authorities, and members of the Kenna family are also under investigation.”
Karia named a few more before casually flipping the pages, shrugging as she tucked the information away.
“There are many others who’ve been purged, all nothing but black-hearted garbage, as you said, Saintess.”
In other words, this suggests that the church had descended into such open corruption that they were committing these crimes, but Karia chose not to mention that and returned to the original topic.
“Back to interrogator Nian. Among the many radical interrogators, he’s one of the most extreme. He’s faced discipline several times for exceeding his orders but opts to handle matters quietly rather than correct himself.”
Nian’s secretive dealings weren’t half bad. Some even believed he had changed his ways after receiving the deity’s blessings.
However, his cruel nature didn’t just disappear, and the church kept meticulous records of his wrongdoings.
“And recently, someone who pulled a similar stunt as Nian was tossed in prison. The charges are numerous, and he’ll likely face execution.”
The purge wasn’t just aimed at those lacking faith. It also targeted those with distorted beliefs.
“He doesn’t strike me as the type to ever realize he’s done something wrong, so he would want to prove he was right in some way. Then news of the miracle happens to reach him, and he jumps into action. He must’ve thought that if he could get validation from someone who received a miracle from the deity, he’d have a solid case for his claims.”
Seems like Karia had plenty of intel about the church’s turmoil, with no gaps in her storytelling.
“Is this information trustworthy?”
Even still, Benedict didn’t jump to conclusions and demanded proof.
“I’ve spread some feelers through Bishop Johan. The reliability is sufficient.”
“Any concrete evidence that suggests it’s solely the interrogator’s doing?”
“Well, first off, there’s been no news from Bishop Johan, who is expected to be the next Cardinal. This includes no knowledge about the situation from the Saintess and even the Academy’s church members. The Pope and his aides haven’t even been able to show their faces due to the chaos within the church over the events at Soul Academy.”
Thinking back, that did make sense.
It’s not every day you have the chance to hold your head high after a miracle, and to not see high-ranking church officials around is rather odd.
Normally, there’d at least be one cardinal standing alongside Phoebe, right?
That they couldn’t manage even that amid the busyness of handling their own matters shows how chaotic things really are. So the idea of sending an interrogator to keep an eye on me is utterly ridiculous.
“Initially, after a miracle like this happened, wouldn’t a top-level official come to discuss it formally? This lunatic showing up on his own is simply insane.”
[You get it? Why I said we’re in a mess? ]
As soon as Karia finished her explanation, Grandpa chimed in. Considering Karia had far less information than what I could glean, did he figure this out just by seeing that interrogator’s face?
‘Grandpa! You’re such a born politician! If you weren’t a hero, you could have founded a country at this point!’
[…Is that a compliment, though? ]
‘Of course! What else would it be? ’
[Doesn’t feel like it. No matter how I think about it, it sounds sarcastic.]
I heard the slight change in grandpa’s voice and breathed a sigh of relief inwardly.
Hah. So I’m not marked by the Pope just yet?
I can still avoid confronting that crazy guy for now.
What a relief. If I had been marked by the Pope, I’d have to be ready for a time attack on reality.
…But it seems the church’s internal situation has changed significantly from what I knew. Originally, the purging of corruption within the church was supposed to happen after Phoebe truly awakened as the saintess.
Specifically, the story I know involves her leading a civil war alongside the church’s cleansed ones.
Yet, the current reforms taking place within the church are happening completely separate from Phoebe. What is going on?
What is that Pope thinking?
Ugh. Like the first queen, that lunatic is just impossible to predict.
“So, this issue will resolve itself once the Saintess speaks to the church?”
“Yes. I will convey the actions of interrogator Nian through the bishop at the Academy church. With my name attached, I believe his extreme actions will be curbed swiftly.”
Ugh. I don’t know what to think. But the immediate problem seems to have been resolved. If the Pope is actually up to something evil, this pathetic God will surely inform me.
The mess he gets involved with is bound to end up with “Game Over” written all over it. Right now, I need to prepare for the confrontation with the first queen…
Knock knock. At the sound of a knock, I turned my head, and a man’s voice came from beyond the door.
“It’s Frete. I’ll be coming in for a moment. I believe Lady Alrn is in here.”
…Is that guy already up!? How!? I swung my feet, thinking about turning him into a servant, but can the strong of this world also train like that!?
“What’s up? What’s going on?”
“I’ve finished adjusting the attire, so now it’s time to paint.”
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