Chapter 53: Thats the Solution. Miss Pope Veya, Have You Learned It Yet?
Chapter 53: That’s the Solution. Miss Pope Veya, Have You Learned It Yet?
“That’s the gist of it, Miss Pope Veya. Have you learned the method?”
The logic was sound—Veya understood that much. If she hadn’t, she never would have fought so fiercely to seize the reins of power in the first place.
Yet understanding was one thing; the pressure from the three great factions was suffocating, and support within The Holy Church itself was far from assured.
Even if she managed to grasp all authority, once the war ended, wouldn’t she be forced to step down sooner or later?
“What do you mean by ‘winning the people’s support’? Are you saying you actually know how to resolve Her Holiness’s predicament?”
Her golden eyes blinked, fixed on him—earnest, expectant.
These were things her predecessor had never taught her—not while alive, nor after she ascended as Pope. No one had ever offered to guide her through such treacherous waters.
And yet, her own husband just happened to know all about this?
“Just to be clear, all of this is based on what I picked up while drinking with an internal affairs officer from a small northern country. Nothing official, mind you.” He did intend to help this so-called “useless Pope” steady her position, but there was no harm in putting up some preemptive disclaimers.
Lin Wei established his usual layers of defense before continuing his explanation.
“First off, you have to admit your so-called ‘useless Pope’ actually has the right idea—rooting out corruption, eliminating graft, and lightening the people’s burdens by abolishing those absurd taxes.”
“But here’s the problem—she’s been so focused on doing things her own way that she never thought to seek out allies. Worse, she hasn’t even considered using the war as an opportunity to purge her political enemies—let alone resort to a simple ‘kill, kill, kill’ solution.”
“The way she’s managed to make enemies on all sides is honestly unprecedented. Calling her useless is almost too kind!”
He was here to help, yes, but he wouldn’t sugarcoat the truth.
If he were Pope, even without resorting to brute force, at the very least he’d know how to secure his own position.
Lin Wei, completely oblivious to the way his wife’s jaw was gradually tightening in irritation, finished venting his criticisms before finally steering the conversation back on course.
“But anyway, it’s too late to worry about that now. You’ve already made your enemies—so just toss them aside and ignore them for now.”
“If you still want to keep your seat, your only option is to win over the people—rely on their strength.”
“After all, if I remember correctly, the Goddess Alicia can hear the faith of the people and, based on their collective beliefs, issue Divine Decrees, right? And her oracles override everything—even if the entire Holy Church opposes the Pope, it’s meaningless, isn’t it?”
That was the truly fascinating part—because, in this world, gods really did exist.
In fact, when he first crossed into this world, the only reason he’d managed to become the Demon Lord and suppress the demon race was thanks to absorbing a fragment of a Demon God’s divinity.
Even after he relinquished the Demon Lord’s throne and that divine shard left him, he’d never forgotten the power it contained.
Fortunately... after his recent “level up,” even without that divine fragment, he could still wield the strength he once had.
“That’s correct,” Veya replied solemnly.
Lin Wei nodded. After all, he was only helping this so-called “useless Pope” steady her footing for now—it wasn’t as if he planned to make her rule unshakeable forever.
The conflicts within The Holy Church, the Empire, and the northern nobles—those could all simmer for now.
As long as the oracle passed and he secured the people’s support, that was victory enough.
“So, if I were the Pope and wanted to win the people’s backing, besides issuing policies that benefit them and lighten their burdens, what’s even more important is finding people among the populace to spread the word—let everyone know these changes are thanks to the Pope.”
“Spread the Pope’s positive image among the masses as much as possible. Use comparisons, praise, and every trick in the book to let her reputation shine wherever the light of the Goddess reaches.”
Just explaining it might not help Veya fully grasp the point. Lin Wei thought for a moment, then decided to use the simplest example.
“Let’s say you come across a destitute farming family, and you happen to have a gold coin in hand. Would you give them that coin to help them through their hardship?”
“Of course I would.”
Not only that, but she’d also want to understand the cause of their hardship—and have her secretary handle the matter properly.
“So, Miss Veya, let’s have you play the role of Pope for a moment. Think it through carefully.”
“Suppose you’re giving that gold coin to the family. There are two ways: you could quietly leave it on their doorstep and wait for them to find it, or you—as the Pope—could hand it to them personally. In the end, is there any real difference?”
“Um… I suppose he’d be especially grateful to me?” Veya blinked, as if something was dawning on her.
“Exactly. If you leave the coin on the doorstep for them to find, all they’ll do is thank the Goddess Alicia for her generosity. They’ll never know it was the Pope’s doing.”
“But if you, the Pope, present the coin yourself, then that gratitude goes to you. He’ll spread word of what happened, and you’ll likely gain a loyal supporter—someone who believes the Pope herself saved him.”
“Because it was you who saved his life—not the Goddess Alicia.”
By this point, the answer was clear.
“So, all those things the ‘useless Pope’ has been doing—not only should she continue, she must also make sure there are people spreading the word. Let the world know that these blessings, this lighter burden, all these benefits—they exist because of you, the Pope. Their good fortune is thanks to you.”
“And if the Pope is ever removed from power, the new ruler will end all of it.”
“Of course, your enemies will try to use the newspapers to trip you up, spread rumors, and slander your name. That’s when you’ll need trustworthy voices within The Holy Church—people who can speak on your behalf. Turn it into a battle of proxies.”
Lin Wei clapped his hands and offered an example.
“For instance, Miss Saintess Yalise.”
“Yalise?” Veya froze, completely caught off guard by the mention of the little Saintess’s name. It took her a moment to recover.
“How do you know that name?”
“Because I know Miss Yalise, of course. To be precise, that scent you noticed earlier was actually hers… I didn’t say anything at first because I was worried you’d get upset, but thinking it over, there’s really nothing to hide.”
Only now did Lin Wei realize it himself.
Right… Why was I feeling so guilty just now?
Even if Veya’s sudden interrogation had startled him, on reflection, there really was nothing between him and Yalise.
She was the Saintess of The Holy Church, after all. If all went according to plan, once he established a good relationship with her, she could help Veya strengthen her position within the Church.
So why had he been jumping through hoops? Dammit, what a waste of two hours of energy!
But now, none of that really mattered anymore.
“Ahem… Anyway, as The Holy Church’s Saintess, Miss Yalise is the perfect person to refute, sincerely and powerfully, those who try to smear the Pope’s name in the newspapers.”
“She’s young, and the daughter of Imperial Nobles. Even if she offends someone, her father’s influence means no one will dare go too far.”
(And besides, she’s just a sincere, hot-blooded girl. Most people would probably assume she’s only speaking up because she’s been ‘bewitched’ by the so-called useless Pope.)
Lin Wei silently added that last thought.
“So that’s the situation for now. In short, our Pope Veya… have you learned the trick?”