Volume 6, Chapter 69 – Speculation and Determination

Standing behind Julius, an old man with a monocle and holding a thick book presided over the meeting in his stead.

“First is the matter of the monsters annihilated by Lady Evelyn two days ago. As you all should already know, this humanoid monster has never appeared in any records. It is a new species unknown to humanity. Even in the perilous Dark Ages, there has never been a monster that could grow to level forty in just one week.”

As the old man said, the people standing in the temple had already learned of the monster’s strength through various channels and were not surprised by the fact that it had grown to level forty in a week. The hall remained silent.

“While His Holiness Julius was busy with the oracle ceremony, the monsters wreaked havoc in the city. Thanks to this, negative sentiment towards the church has appeared in Mitters Bayer. Fortunately, Lady Evelyn took the initiative to attack, and was able to curb their growth before they could cause a great disaster.”

The Head Priest’s words made people turn their gazes towards Evelyn. Except for the cardinals who disliked her, most of the gazes were filled with goodwill. As the next Pope, the respect Evelyn received in the church was greater than Yisi had imagined.

The old man presiding over the meeting continued to speak.

“Regarding the origin of the monsters, after discussion with the cardinals and the members of the Inquisition Hall, it is preliminarily believed to be the work of the demon race. The Demon Lord of the Sky, Ouranos, is dead. Before a successor appears, the demons will not stay obediently in the void. The demons that Lady Evelyn eliminated are very likely their minions. However, there is one thing that is currently incomprehensible. According to Lady Evelyn and the accompanying paladins, so far, the demons have appeared twice. Apart from the batch that Lady Evelyn eliminated two days ago, she had also encountered the same demons when she went out half a month ago. These demons did not exist from the beginning, but were transformed from humans.”

“Transformed from humans? This is the first time I’ve heard of it.”

“How can a perfectly fine person turn into a demon? Could it be that they have mastered a magic that can deceive the identification stele and are hiding in the human world?”

For a time, some miscellaneous noises echoed in the main hall. The old man silenced the people with a serious tone.

“Silence. The people who were transformed into demons are all the Fallen. There is no need to worry too much.”

“Tsk, the Fallen again.”

“At first, we believed that the reason demons could transform people into demons was because they had planted a seed in the Fallen. When the host was alive, it would lie dormant in the host’s body. Once the host died, it would immediately crawl out of the host’s body and reveal its true form. But Lady Evelyn, the Fallen bandit you first encountered who turned into a demon was not in a state of death when the transformation began, was he?”

The old man’s gaze pointed straight at Evelyn. Now, Evelyn was sitting in the seat below Julius, while Yisi was sitting a little behind Evelyn, the difference in their status clear.

Very seriously, Evelyn raised her head and answered.

“That’s right. He turned into a demon while he was trying to take me hostage. As for the second Fallen who turned into a demon, because I found that he was carrying a church token, out of curiosity, I examined his corpse. As it turned out, at that moment, the corpse came back to life and became a mother body that gestated demons. Including the first bandit, the Fallen Marks of both of them had already spread all over their bodies. If the ‘seed’ theory is correct, the bandit shouldn’t have turned into a demon while he was still alive.”

Immediately following Evelyn, a cardinal frowned and proposed.

“Could the main factor in the formation of the demons be attributed to the Fallen who are on the verge of going berserk? Although there has never been a case of a Fallen turning into a demon after going berserk before, we cannot deny the possibility that this is a new phenomenon. Some Fallen have already broken away from the human category.”

One of the hunters snorted coldly.

“Those filthy things have already offered their souls to the devil. Now, they are satisfied.”

“We can take this opportunity to publicize the harm of the Fallen and awaken those who have not yet recognized their true nature, so as to prevent them from continuing to provide shelter to the Fallen in the future and to accelerate the dismantling of the Fallen’s power on the continent.”

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“Mm, I think this is feasible.”

“And we must also speed up the annihilation of the Fallen organizations and put all our efforts into subjugating them. Since the Fallen may turn into demons that threaten all of humanity after they die, we must annihilate them before they grow up. Otherwise, in time, we will have to pay a greater price to compensate for today’s hesitation.”

“That’s right. We must dismantle them before they grow strong. The Fallen’s organizations may not have yet discovered the growth potential they possess. We must speed up our progress.”

“Let the spies of the Inquisition Hall find their stronghold first, and then organize the hunters and the Inquisition Knights to wipe them all out in one fell swoop.”

It wasn’t just the hunters who were speaking, but also many high-ranking priests who were whispering to each other. Everyone’s words revealed a disgust for the Fallen. Yisi could also see fear and apprehension in some of their eyes. To grow to level 40 in just one week… although it was because there were many magic scrolls and magic cores in the city of Mitters Bayer that could be devoured, for these clergy members, the fact that ‘the monsters grow very fast’ was enough to make them restless.

If this continues, let alone slowly restoring the status of the Fallen, it will be a problem whether they can even survive. Once fear reaches a consensus among the crowd, it will be very difficult to dispel. If the Fallen are no longer seen as human, even if Evelyn takes the stage, I will be powerless.

Especially since the conclusion drawn by the cardinal is wrong. The reason why the Fallen turn into demons has nothing to do with them being on the verge of going berserk. The problem lies with Evelyn, or rather, with Julius.

After the people in the main hall had finished their discussion, Julius, with only a sliver of white hair and wearing a white round cap, nodded slightly.

“Since everyone is in agreement, I approve. The propaganda will be carried out by the various subordinate temples. The Inquisition Hall is to find out the location of the Fallen organizations as soon as possible and annihilate them before the summer arrives.” Just as Yisi thought Julius would move on to the next agenda item, he pointed at Evelyn at a critical moment. “The command of this matter will be fully entrusted to Evelyn.”

“E-Evelyn? Your Holiness, although Lady Evelyn is the child of God chosen by the Goddess, she is still young and not yet capable of shouldering such a great responsibility. In my humble opinion, we should appoint—”

“Bishop Srifox, are you implying that His Holiness’s decision is ill-considered!”

The one who was dissatisfied was, of course, Evelyn. If it were Yisi, she would have been more than happy for someone else to take the task so she could laze around in the temple. But Evelyn liked a stage to showcase herself, not to mention that the Fallen were beings she detested.

“This matter is entrusted to Evelyn.”

Julius’s emotionless emphasis made the opposing cardinal’s momentum gradually weaken. He slowly retracted his leaning posture and shot a fierce look at Evelyn.

To make Evelyn the executor… it’s clearly to make it impossible for her to turn back after becoming the Pope. If I don’t say something, it will really be irreversible.

Although speaking up at this time would make me seem like I don’t know how to read the room, impulsive and immature like a youth just entering society, if I really let Evelyn go and slaughter the Fallen, my plan would be half-lost. No matter what, I must prevent her from continuing to persecute the Fallen.

Coughing lightly twice, Yisi drew everyone’s attention to herself. The feeling of being the focus of all eyes made her very uncomfortable.

“Ahem, although it is for me, an outsider, to say—”

“Yisi is not an outsider. She is my friend.”

Although it’s a little embarrassing to say it in public, I have to say, well done, Evelyn.

Due to Evelyn’s words that closed the distance, Yisi could even feel that the dissatisfaction in the gazes of the crowd had lessened a lot.

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Sending a silent thank you to Evelyn in her heart, Yisi said with a straight face.

“I have no intention of refuting this bishop.” In general, such a statement meant ‘I am about to refute you’, but the reason she said it was to disguise herself as an innocent person and to have an ‘objective and fair’ image in front of the public. “I think you should all consider it from another direction. I was present both times Evelyn came into contact with the demons. When Evelyn came into contact with the bandit who had taken her hostage, the bandit overused his ability—it might have been a magic that caused those around to be dazed. When he came into contact with Evelyn through his ability, a very strong white light flashed from her chest. After the white light appeared, the bandit turned into a monster that gestated demons.”

“What are you trying to say?” The cardinal who had proposed the idea earlier narrowed his eyes. “The reason the demons appeared was because Lady Evelyn was behind it? You are slandering the child of God, slandering the church!”

Even Evelyn looked at Yisi with a complicated expression.

“Yisi… is what you said true? I didn’t see any white light coming from me.”

So Evelyn couldn’t see it?

While a doubt arose in her heart, Yisi continued to speak with a serious expression.

“I never said that Evelyn turned the Fallen into demons. That is a conclusion you drew on your own, Lord Bishop. Evelyn is my dear friend. If anyone says that she is in league with demons, I will be the first to stand up and refute them. I just wanted to explain that the formation of the demons may require Evelyn as a catalyst. For example, in order to get rid of Evelyn, who was bestowed with grace by the Goddess, the demons sowed evil seeds in the Fallen. When the Fallen go berserk and come into contact with Evelyn, the seeds will sprout from their bodies and turn into unimaginably terrifying monsters. This way, it can also explain why this kind of demon has only appeared now—because there has never been a child of God before, so the seeds could not naturally sprout.”

“But how to explain why it has only appeared recently? In the past, Lady Evelyn led the paladins of the Inquisition Hall to form a team that specialized in hunting down the Fallen. Lady Evelyn has purified countless Fallen and has also come into close contact with countless Fallen who have gone berserk. Why have the demons only appeared now?”

“Because Evelyn’s ability was not yet mature at that time. Just like before Evelyn came of age, because her divine power was not obvious, she was considered an ordinary person by everyone around her, even her parents.”

In response to Yisi’s refutation, the cardinal sitting opposite the round table pouted in contempt.

“Absurd.”

“If you don’t believe me, Lord Bishop, I think we can verify it in public. We just need to find a Fallen who has gone berserk. According to your speculation, Lord Bishop, the Fallen have now broken away from the human category, so as long as they go berserk, they will become demons.”

The clear provocation made the cardinal’s anger surge. His wrinkled face gradually became congested and turned a deep red. He was on the verge of standing up, trembling all over, pointing at Yisi, and telling her to get out.

“My premise was that ‘a portion’ of the Fallen had changed, not all of them. You are distorting the facts! Even if you are the vanguard who helped Lady Evelyn annihilate the demons, before joining the church, you are ultimately just an outsider. It is already a great reward for His Holiness to allow you to enter. Don’t get carried away!”

Surprisingly easy to deal with.

If this cardinal had answered her with a calm expression, she would have been at a disadvantage. But now, he was clearly acting like a cornered dog. Any personal attack that went beyond the argument would put one in a moral low ground in the eyes of a third party. The surrounding high-ranking priests all frowned. As if they felt ashamed, they averted their gaze.

This is the end of it.

Yisi raised her eyebrows in a deliberately frivolous manner.

“Is that so? Then let’s just find a Fallen who has gone berserk and have Evelyn touch him. Don’t worry, I’ll be by the side, using [Spatial Anchor] to lock the Fallen in place so he can’t move. If the Fallen doesn’t change, then it means I’m wrong. Is that okay?”

“[Spatial Anchor]? The magic that can fix an object in space, making it completely immovable? Isn’t that something only a space-based magic caster who has reached the hero’s domain can use?”

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“But I remember this girl is a warrior…”

What a hassle.

Originally, she had not wanted to reveal her strength, but in the situation just now, if she did not show a strong side, the other party would have pestered her endlessly.

If Andrea had seen this, she would surely have had stars in her eyes and exclaimed that she was strong. Andrea greatly admired the strong type like Pepe. Sometimes Yisi even felt that if the first person Andrea had met was Pepe, she might have been swept off her feet by her.

Listening to the whispered conversation of the priests, the cardinal’s face became even more flushed. As if to regain his face, he stood up angrily.

“Then let’s verify your idea! There are plenty of Fallen in the temple’s underground—”

“Matt.”

Before the cardinal could finish, Julius’s facial muscles twitched. It was impossible to tell from his hawk-like eyes, hidden behind his wrinkles, whether he was dissatisfied or angry.

Just by being called by his name, the cardinal’s whole body froze. Like a punctured balloon, he instantly deflated and sat back down in his seat without a word. On the other side, Evelyn fell silent. As if she were thinking about the possibility in Yisi’s words, she frowned deeply.

“Even with [Spatial Anchor], it is too risky for a child of God. The abilities of the Fallen are unpredictable. Who knows if they will awaken an ability that can break through space magic after they go berserk. Even if there is a ninety percent certainty of not letting Evelyn get hurt, we cannot let the only child of God take that ten percent risk.”

“That’s true…”

“Yes, it’s too dangerous.”

The tide immediately turned in Julius’s favor. Julius added unhurriedly.

“Similarly, it is also very dangerous to let Evelyn participate in dealing with the Fallen. So Evelyn can only stay in Mitters Bayer to command and is not allowed to go to other places without permission.”

“Tsk.”

Clicking her tongue in annoyance, however, Evelyn did not object. For her, having the authority to command was already quite satisfying.

Yisi breathed a sigh of relief.

Is it resolved… If it’s just commanding, Evelyn won’t make an irreversible mistake for a while—except that she’ll have to apologize to her later, after all, she took away the authority that should have belonged to her.

However, in a few days, Evelyn would understand why she had done this. Hopefully, she had prepared herself mentally, as she had said.

“Well then, the next agenda item, regarding how long after the oracle ceremony the Goddess will bestow her grace again…”

…

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With Julius personally presiding over the meeting, no one raised any objections in the middle of it. Only voices of agreement with Julius remained. Including giving Yisi a divine staff of excellent quality and awarding her a medal, the entire process took less than an hour to finish, and they reached the last agenda item.

Julius stood up with great solemnity. The magnificent divine staff in his hand tapped lightly on the floor, and the crisp sound echoed continuously in the main hall.

“Finally, I have an announcement to make concerning the future of the church. This is also the main reason why I have gathered you all here today.”

Pausing for a moment, Julius scanned the crowd with an imposing gaze. Only after seeing that everyone was looking at him without confusion did he nod in satisfaction.

“I will be stepping down as the 23rd Pope, and at the same time, I will be appointing Evelyn Anna Ymir Shalu as the 24th official Pope of the Ymir Church. The divine bestowment ceremony will be held in three days.”

As if a bomb had been dropped, the entire main hall was stunned for a moment, and then it instantly erupted in an uproar.

“Wh-What?”

“Your Holiness, are you unwell?”

“This is too rash! It hasn’t even been approved by the cardinals!”

This time, Julius did not let his subordinates continue to make a fuss, but instead struck the floor heavily with his divine staff, forcibly silencing the people with his own authority.

“Silence. This is my decision. To have the child of God chosen by the god serve as the next Pope is something that has long been decided. After so much time has passed, Evelyn is already capable of serving as the Pope. You should all assist her well.”

Bishop Srifox, who had opposed Evelyn before, stood up in a hurry. Perhaps the news was too explosive. The fat on his body was even trembling, and he couldn’t even speak properly.

“Your H-Holiness, are you really sure? Why didn’t we receive any news?”

“Are you questioning me, questioning the decision of the Goddess?”

Julius narrowed his eyes. Just this one action made Srifox shrink back in guilt, sweat pouring down his forehead.

“O-Of course not, Your Holiness. I just think that if you had notified us beforehand, we subordinates could have assessed…”

Feeling the embarrassment of his companion, another serious and old-fashioned cardinal frowned and interrupted Srifox’s speech.

“Your Holiness, I also believe that your consideration is lacking in propriety. Even if it has long been decided that Lady Evelyn will become the next Pope, to hold the handover ceremony in just three days… not to mention the Niru and Hima dioceses, even the Head Priests around our Ymir diocese will not have time to attend the divine bestowment ceremony. According to precedent, the divine bestowment ceremony should be announced and prepared for a year in advance.”

“My mind is made up. It will be held in three days. If it is a ceremony held for the sake of a ceremony, it can be left until later. If anyone else has any objections, they will be dealt with on the charge of blaspheming the will of the Goddess. The meeting is adjourned.”

Unceremoniously, under the dumbfounded and bewildered expressions of everyone, Julius stood up and walked straight out of the main hall.