What Should I Do If I Find Out My Wife Is the Pope?

Chapter 20: This Town Must Be Harboring Unfathomable Evil!

“Is that the insignia of the Imperial Capital’s subjugation squad?”

“They’re back in Aurens Town again? This group looks a lot more formidable than the last.”

“Finally, a real chance to take the Demon Lord’s head!”

The unmistakable emblem of the Holy Church drew every eye in the street.

No one could ignore it: a band of adventurers, clad in gleaming armor, radiating an aura that set them apart from the common crowd.

As they strode down the avenue, a wave of hushed speculation rippled along the roadside—everyone awestruck by their dazzling presence.

Lin Wei was just as taken aback as the rest, though his shock had nothing to do with their impressive gear.

No, his concerns were far simpler: the path they’d chosen led straight toward the Adventurers’ Guild.

Seriously, am I some kind of trouble magnet? Did I step on a cursed grave or something? Why do these people haunt me like vengeful spirits, clinging on and refusing to let go? This wasn’t even the first time he’d crossed paths with a subjugation squad in Aurens Town.

Since arriving here two years ago—right up until he’d recently disposed of that so-called “great adventurer” Weiss—he’d personally dealt with seven such squads.

And it’s not as if Aurens Town is the only route out of the borderlands. There are plenty of other exits, yet somehow, these people always wind up here, grinding levels and hunting monsters like it’s the most natural thing in the world.

If someone told him this wasn’t the result of divine meddling—some god deliberately steering disaster his way—he wouldn’t believe it, even if the Pope himself swore it on his own grave.

“So, how am I supposed to deal with this batch?”

Watching the scene unfold, Lin Wei couldn’t help but sink into thought.

The last few times he’d “dealt with” these subjugation squads, it had honestly been pure self-defense.

After all, right now he was just an ordinary human. The real target of these squads was the Demon Lord’s domain—the heart of demon territory, ruled by the one currently sitting in the Demon Lord’s Castle, orchestrating the war.

In other words, as long as his true identity remained hidden, there was no reason for conflict. Once they’d finished training, they’d simply move on.

Yeah, best to keep a low profile and steer clear of trouble if possible. Let’s just hope this batch is quieter than the last.

As the adventurer squad drew nearer, Lin Wei made up his mind. He rapped his knuckles on the table, snapping the guild clerk out of her daze, ready to pick up a commission and make himself scarce.

“Miss Lilia, I’ll take care of all these Potion Crafting commissions.”

“Huh… Wait, Mr. Lin Wei, did you say all the potion commissions?!”

Lilia was still gawking at the newly arrived subjugation squad. It had only been a few days since the Pope announced the reformation of the squads, and now a new team had already arrived. Judging by their presence, this group looked even stronger than the last.

Naturally, this inspired hope among the townsfolk—surely, this time, the Demon Lord’s head would finally roll.

But whether the Demon Lord was defeated or not was a matter for the higher-ups; all Lilia needed to worry about was the mountain of unclaimed commission slips piling up on her desk.

So when Lin Wei suddenly declared he’d take them all, Lilia was so stunned she nearly lost her composure on the spot. Surprise and delight tangled on her face, making for an expression worthy of a portrait.

“I have over twenty Potion Crafting commissions here, Mr. Lin Wei. Are you really going to take every single one?”

Keep your voice down, will you?!

Lin Wei startled as well. His original plan had been to quietly take a few jobs and slip home unnoticed. That way, he could use potion brewing as an excuse to hole up until the subjugation squad left town.

But Lilia’s outburst turned every head in the room.

Even the adventurers who’d been fixated on the subjugation squad now turned to stare, their faces lighting up with surprise.

“That’s Lin Wei for you—only someone with his alchemy skills would take on so many commissions!”

“Haha, looks like Lilia’s troubles are finally over this time!”

Aurens Town wasn’t exactly a bustling metropolis—most folks here were long-time residents, and in two years, Lin Wei had gotten to know nearly every adventurer in town.

But seriously, could they not treat him like the main character right now?

All he wanted was to quietly pick up the tasks and slip away unnoticed.

Why did these people insist on painting a target on his back for the subjugation squad to see?

“Just so happens I’m free these days,” Lin Wei replied, striving for nonchalance as he forced a natural smile. “Hand me the commissions and the materials—I’ll get everything done on time.”

Now more than ever, the most important thing was to make a swift exit.

The Adventurers’ Guild usually sold crafting supplies as well, so picking up the materials here and getting straight to work was much more efficient than running all over town gathering ingredients.

“Mr. Lin Wei, thank you so much! I’ll fetch the materials for you right away!”

Lilia wiped tears from her eyes, her face radiating gratitude. “You really are the best—if you ever need anything, please just ask! Even… even if it’s something a little naughty, I’ll do my best!”

With that, she dashed off toward the storeroom, arms spread wide to gather up the supplies.

Task complete at last! No need to worry about my bonus getting docked this month~

As expected of Mr. Lin Wei—no matter the problem, he always manages to solve it!

“Hmm?”

But just as Lilia hurried away, a puzzled voice sounded softly behind her.

A subtle aura of blessings seemed to fill the air, the atmosphere growing heavy with a dazzling sense of sanctity.

“The subjugation squad is here.”

The idle chatter died down as everyone’s eyes shifted to the group advancing behind Lin Wei.

Bathed in shimmering light, the newcomers looked almost radiant—so much so that even the most seasoned adventurers couldn’t help but feel a twinge of envy.

Over the past two years, squads from the Holy Church had passed through Aurens Town now and then, but it was rare for the townsfolk to see them up close.

Now, with the team approaching, curiosity ran rampant. People stared, sizing up their strength, whispering guesses about the newcomers’ levels.

Yet the subjugation squad seemed utterly unconcerned with the murmurs around them.

At their head was a strikingly handsome young man with golden hair. He carried a long sword of unusual make strapped to his back—a blade that radiated a sacred aura so potent that, even sheathed, its church-blessed power was palpable.

His gaze landed on the unfamiliar figure at the counter with his back turned—someone he’d never seen before.

For some reason, he found his eyes lingering there, unable to look away.

“What is it, Oshu?”

A companion leaned in, puzzled by the sudden halt. He couldn’t understand why the squad leader had stopped in his tracks.

“I have a strange feeling,” Oshu murmured, eyes still fixed on Lin Wei.

It was almost instinct—a gut reaction, the kind where a fleeting moment catches your attention and suddenly spins out into a web of suspicion.

Evil? Villain? Threat?

He couldn’t put it into words, but the image of the guild clerk leaving in tears was still fresh in his mind.

Was this guy… bullying the staff at the Adventurers’ Guild just now?

There was no logic to it, no real evidence or deduction. Just an inexplicable, visceral sense of dislike—a physical certainty that “this person doesn’t seem like a good guy.”

Remembering the clerk wiping away tears, he imagined her fleeing in distress after being threatened.

With a frown, Oshu stepped forward.

“I am Oshu, Hero of the Sword,” he announced. “You there… were you bullying this young lady just now?”

What the hell?

Lin Wei, still waiting for his commissions, froze as the words reached him.

He turned, confusion written all over his face, and found himself staring at the advancing hero’s party. Was this some new way to pick a fight?

“Did we really run into something like this right after arriving?”

One of Oshu’s teammates looked around, bewildered by the scene. Though they hadn’t seen what happened at the counter, hearing the hero speak was enough for them to instinctively take his side.

“Huh? Threatening a guild worker—and a girl at that? What’s wrong with this guy? Is his life really that miserable?”

The red-haired girl with a magic staff wrinkled her nose in open disgust. “Gross. What kind of person does that?”

Standing next to her—besides Oshu, the only other male in the party—a young man scratched his head, putting on the look of an earnest fool. “Come on, it’s not that unusual to find guys like this in the sticks. Hahaha, don’t get mad—just let Oshu handle it.”

“Ugh… disgusting,” came a timid voice from a girl half-hidden in her black robe.

“Let’s just deal with him and get out of here,” she added, shrinking further into her cloak.

With his companions all voicing their support, the Sword Hero Oshu’s gaze grew even colder.

They were, after all, a hero’s party handpicked by the Holy Church, tasked with venturing beyond the border to defeat the Demon Lord. Being sent to level up in the outskirts of Lotai before their mission had come as something of a surprise.

After all, the Lotai region’s evil god disasters had already been subdued by Grand Commander of the Judgement Knight Meilin herself. By all rights, there should be no wickedness left here—coming all the way back to this area for training hardly made sense.

But now, it seemed this trip wasn’t so pointless after all.

The moment they’d approached, his instincts had started ringing alarm bells—and now, right before him, was a scene of wrongdoing. Could this be divine guidance from the goddess Alicia?

“Threatening a young woman—especially a guild clerk who serves the people every day—is a serious crime,” Oshu declared coldly. “Has the moral fabric of this town really decayed so far?”

He couldn’t get the image out of his head: the clerk fleeing in tears, bullied and humiliated.

Oshu’s stare was icy, and the fact that Lin Wei hadn’t uttered a single word in his own defense only confirmed his suspicions. In Oshu’s mind, that kind of silence could only mean one thing: guilt.

“We’re in a bit of a hurry, so I don’t have time to stand here and argue with you,” Oshu stated, his voice hard. “Suspect, do you want to make your appeal here, or would you rather report to the town constabulary?”

As a hero, punishing evil and upholding justice was part of the job. Still, even the righteous do not arrest people without evidence—at the very least, the accused deserved a chance to defend themselves.

That way, even if there was a misunderstanding, no innocent would be harmed.

Or so Oshu thought, expecting the man before him to stammer out some kind of nervous excuse.

But even though Lin Wei had tried to keep his cool, facing this self-righteous, overbearing hero, he finally couldn’t hold back any longer.

“Are you brain-damaged or something?”

Time seemed to freeze. The only sound left in the world was the heavy breathing echoing in Lin Wei’s ears.

Shock. Confusion. And then, a rising tide of fury, as if he’d just been slapped across the face.

For several seconds, Oshu simply gawked, his expression twisting in disbelief before he finally roared, “What… What did you just say?!”

“I said, Sword Hero Oshu, are you brain-damaged? Did you hear me clearly that time?”

Facing the righteous indignation blazing from Oshu, Lin Wei didn’t hesitate to repeat himself, unable to suppress his irritation any longer.

Honestly, he felt he’d been more than patient—he’d played the perfect bystander, tried to blend in, and kept his head down.

And yet, even after all that, someone still managed to come knocking with some bizarre accusation. There had to be something seriously wrong with the universe.

“You bastard, are you looking to die?!”

If before, Lin Wei’s words could have been brushed off as the careless mouth of some country bumpkin adventurer, now—after repeating himself—it was nothing less than a direct challenge to the entire hero’s party.

Sword Hero Oshu, seething with rage, grabbed the hilt of his sword. His once-cold eyes now blazed with fury, as if they could ignite the air itself.

“What’s wrong with you country bumpkins? How dare you insult Oshu?!”

Even his companions hadn’t expected things to escalate like this.

Since joining the hero’s party, they’d been celebrated everywhere they went—hailed as saviors and champions. They represented the Holy Church, the Empire, the hopes of all humanity longing for the Demon Lord’s defeat.

Undertaking such a noble quest was supposed to command respect, no matter the circumstances.

But now, someone actually dared to talk back and even insult them? This was simply unheard of.

“Just as I thought—adventurers from the sticks really don’t know the first thing about manners,” the red-haired mage sneered, clutching her staff with distaste. “We’re the Hero’s Party—destined to defeat the Demon Lord and save the world!”

“To show the heroes no respect, to insult us so brazenly, and to bully the weak without a shred of remorse—are you a minion of the demons yourself? Lie down and repent for your sins!”

“Wait, actually, Mr. Lin Wei just—”

A nearby adventurer, unable to hold back, tried to speak up in Lin Wei’s defense.

But Lin Wei raised a hand to cut him off, making it clear he didn’t need anyone else to intervene.

“I’m definitely not some demon lackey, but you people are seriously messed up.”

Seeing Oshu already poised to draw his sword, Lin Wei didn’t hesitate to let out his frustration.

“I was just standing here, minding my own business and waiting for a commission, and out of nowhere, you show up threatening and accusing me!”

"I was willing to let it go out of respect for your so-called hero status, but you just had to keep pushing your luck."

"So what if I insult you? Are heroes above reason now? Why don’t you try not disgracing the Holy Church for once!"

As Lin Wei spat out the words, a surge of Mana flared around him, spreading through the Adventurers’ Guild like a gathering storm.

He stood tall—confident, defiant, utterly unafraid of their heroic titles.

Where did this backwater adventurer get the nerve to go head-to-head with the Hero’s Party?

“You actually plan to fight us?” one of the subjugation squad members demanded, feeling the pulse of magic radiating from Lin Wei’s body. Instantly, the whole group tensed, gripping their weapons tightly.

Ever since their formation, the subjugation squad had been treated like celebrities wherever they went—praised, respected, held above reproach.

How could there still be someone willing to throw down with them at the slightest provocation?

“Your hero here is already reaching for his sword, and I’m just supposed to sit here and take it?” Lin Wei shot back with a cold laugh, already sizing up the situation.

Their strength was decent—the average level just over 50, about standard for a hero’s party ready to leave the “beginner village” behind.

Fortunately, his own cover identity was that of a mid-fifties-level adventurer.

That meant even if things got heated and he took down the hero, it wouldn’t raise too many suspicions. He’d just have to be careful not to go overboard with the rest of the party. Tʜe source of this ᴄontent ɪs novｅlfire.net

If he flattened too many of them at once, someone might start asking uncomfortable questions.

So… smack the hero around a bit, then bolt for the nearest exit. Once he reached the Holy Church, he could call in Grand Commander of the Judgement Knight Meilin to set the record straight.

After all, this entire mess was just the hero’s party picking a fight with a random bystander. He still had no idea why they’d suddenly decided he was the villain here.

But once he’d taught them a lesson and the dust had settled, sweeping the whole incident under the rug would be easy!

“Mr. Lin Wei, here are all the materials you asked for!”

Just as Lin Wei finished working out his battle plan, Lilia emerged from the storeroom, arms piled high with supplies. She staggered over to the counter, barely managing to set everything down.

Her face was still bright with excitement—until she suddenly registered the tense, explosive atmosphere in the guild hall.

On one side, the newly arrived subjugation squad stood bristling with hostility. On the other, the man who’d just helped her out—Mr. Lin Wei—was facing them down without flinching.

The scene was so bewildering, so far removed from anything she could make sense of, that Lilia’s mind simply blanked.

She stared for a solid three seconds.

Finally, unable to hold it in, she blurted out, “Wh-what… what’s going on here?”