Chapter 52: No! The Useless Pope Can't Step Down! Otherwise, I'll Be in Trouble!
Chapter 52: No! The Useless Pope Can't Step Down! Otherwise, I'll Be in Trouble!
Two hours later.
The Pope lay utterly spent, sprawled across the bed.
Her long, silver-white hair fanned out in disarray, damp with sweat, stripping away her usual frosty aloofness. Her unfocused eyes stared blankly at the ceiling, all their brilliance faded. In this moment, the sacred aura that always clung to her was tinged with a languid, almost sinful allure.
“See? I told you I wasn’t lying.”
Right now, Miss Veya was thoroughly exhausted.
Lin Wei held her gently in his arms, a soft smile on his lips as he offered silent comfort.
Her warm, fragrant body radiated a kind of magic that words couldn't capture. The unique holiness she carried as the clergy of the Holy Church only made her presence more intoxicating, adding a flavor all its own.
It was always like this with his wife at home. No matter how cold and distant she seemed upon returning, after two hours of “negotiation,” her defenses would inevitably crumble, leaving her utterly surrendered and pliant in his embrace.
“So, are you alright?” “Not really…”
She shifted her head, nestling closer into his arms.
Even as Lin Wei teased her, Veya managed to recover a sliver of consciousness. She drew in a shaky breath, her body still trembling faintly.
But all the pressure she’d carried from the Holy Church seemed to melt away in this moment, replaced by a bone-deep exhaustion. Her mind was hazy, unable to muster even a hint of energy.
“I told you I trusted you. Why did you have to go so hard…”
“I still have to go back to the Holy Church and keep working, you know.”
Her gaze was unfocused as she pressed herself closer to Lin Wei, mumbling a quiet complaint. Then, as if in protest, she bit him lightly on the shoulder.
Honestly, sometimes when she came to see Lin Wei, all she wanted was a few moments of peace at his side, to soothe her weary mind.
But every single time, he would wear her out completely, leaving her so tired that all she could do was collapse in bed.
Of course, it wasn’t as if she actually enjoyed these things—she was simply doing her duty as a wife and keeping Lin Wei company. Or so she told herself. Still, he really ought to show a little restraint. At this rate, once she returned, her work efficiency would surely plummet.
Her voice, usually cool and dignified, now sounded soft and sweet, stripped of all authority.
“Hm? Wait, you really have to go back to the Holy Church and work?”
Lin Wei looked at her in disbelief, holding her close.
He’d heard her say this before, but he’d always thought it was just an excuse to avoid him. Was she actually telling the truth?
“It’s already so late. What could possibly be left to do?”
“I thought your job at the Holy Church was mostly handling aftermath and tying up loose ends around the country.”
“Has there really been that much chaos lately?”
Hadn’t the Coalition Army swept through without a hitch, pushing all the way to the northern fortress? By all accounts, the demon threat should have been dealt with, and her workload ought to be lighter, not heavier.
Unless—the Cult of the Evil Gods was stirring up more trouble than all their past enemies combined...
“It’s not quite that bad. Actually, it’s just… well, Her Holiness the Pope has run into some trouble lately and can’t handle everything herself.”
“So we ordinary clergy have to pitch in and help. That’s why I can’t get away.”
Truth be told, she rarely ever let her work troubles burden Lin Wei.
Even back when she’d first ascended to the papacy, Veya had relied on Lin Wei’s clever, if roundabout, ideas to weather each crisis.
But now, the pressure from her work only seemed to be mounting. In public, she had to maintain the image of the Pope and couldn’t confide in anyone. Other than venting to Lin Wei, there was simply no one she could turn to.
At times like these, it really was only her Lin Wei she could complain to, wasn’t it?
“You know the Coalition Army have already reached the northern fortress, right? They’re about to seize the demon’s last stronghold.”
“Yeah, I’ve heard,” Lin Wei replied. News like that was everywhere—hardly a secret.
As her husband—even if their marriage was in name only—it was still his duty to listen when his wife needed to vent about work.
“The truth is, our Pope’s position has never been secure,” Veya said, nuzzling her cheek against him as if she were talking about someone else’s troubles.
“When I pushed for the new residency registration system and started rooting out corruption in the Holy Church, I made a lot of enemies. Then, when the war began, I took charge of logistics myself and stamped out graft—which only made the Empire and the northern nobles hate me even more.”
“That’s why I have no one reliable or trustworthy left under me. I’ve had to take everything on myself… If I ever loosen my grip, I’ll never get my authority back.”
“And that’s not even the worst of it. The people don’t trust the Pope and constantly criticize me. Even though everything I’ve done has only benefited the common folk, I just can’t understand why they’re so against me.”
This was the most bewildering part of taking the papal seat.
Back when she was just a Saintess, Veya had never dreamed of becoming Pope. She used to travel beyond the Holy Church, getting to know the people and understanding their needs.
Because of that, after ascending to the papacy, she’d focused on maintaining stability and pushing through reforms to abolish Church-imposed taxes, lifting burdens from the populace.
And yet, even after all that, she was still cursed at every day. It was simply outrageous.
If the goddess Alicia herself hadn’t issued a divine decree appointing her as Pope, Veya would have thrown in the towel long ago!
And yet, despite everything, Veya still felt anxious and utterly at a loss.
Maybe, when the war ended and the final judgment came, having the title of Pope stripped away wouldn’t be such a bad thing after all.
“If you just work hard without building a reputation, it’s a miracle if ordinary people praise you.”
“Eh? What did you just say…”
She hadn’t expected to actually catch her husband’s muttered comment.
Faced with Lin Wei’s faintly sardonic smile, Veya hesitated for a moment, then—with some reluctance—wrapped her arms around his waist and nuzzled her cheek against him.
This isn’t my real personality, she told herself. I’m only acting this way to get more information out of Lin Wei.
Normally, I’m the epitome of cool dignity—the very image of a proper Pope! I’d never let myself show this kind of emotion!
“I mean, your Pope might have done a lot since taking office,” Lin Wei said, unbothered by her catlike affection, “but the problem is, she never tried to build her own reputation. In other words, she has no real prestige among the common folk, right?”
“Build a reputation?”
The term was completely foreign to Veya. She stared at Lin Wei, curiosity lighting in her eyes.
“Mm… It’s not that complicated,” he replied.
Honestly, he wouldn’t mind if the so-called ‘useless Pope’ got ousted soon and someone else took the throne. But then he remembered—Yalis was still too young to take over. If the useless one stepped down and was replaced by someone clever and ambitious… well, that could spell real trouble.
Seeing his wife looking so lazy and sweet-voiced, Lin Wei thought for a moment—maybe this was a good chance to offer some practical advice.
If he could help that “useless Pope” shore up her position for a while, at least she’d be able to hold out a few more years. By then, Yalis might be old enough to inherit the title. That wouldn’t be so bad.
“A Pope who only knows how to work hard, but not how to put on a show, is just… inexperienced, really.”
“From what you said, there’s already a lot of dissent inside the Holy Church. The Empire and the northern nobles are just waiting for her to step down.”
“If she can’t win over the common people, then when the war ends, she really won’t be able to hang on to the papacy.”
TL Note:
In this chapter, I'm a bit surprised and confused. I thought Veya had slipped up and admitted she was the pope, but when you read it carefully from the beginning, it becomes clear that she has been doing this ever since she first became pope—acting in the role to get Lin Wei’s clever and unique advice. This has perhaps been going on for two years during their marriage.
Throughout this chapter, it seems they have both become accustomed to this kind of ‘role-playing,’ with Veya acting as the pope and Lin Wei giving advice.
Just a quick note for anyone who might misunderstand these chapters.