Chapter 54: Once Lady Yalis Becomes Pope, The Holy Church Will Be Ours!
Chapter 54: Once Lady Yalis Becomes Pope, The Holy Church Will Be Ours!
The sudden proclamation made Veya’s heart skip a beat.
Lin Wei’s intense gaze locked onto her, and for an instant, she truly thought her secret had been uncovered.
But as she retraced the thread of their conversation, realization dawned—he was simply asking her to imagine herself as the Pope. Relief washed over her in a long, silent exhale.
Her true identity remained safe. Lin Wei was only prompting her to envision a future at the helm of The Holy Church.
Now, replaying his words, Veya saw the wisdom in them.
After all, she was the type to immerse herself in work, never pausing to consider how the world perceived her.
If all you know is how to get things done, but not how to make a show of it, you’ll never win support.
There were factions opposed to the Pope everywhere: within the Empire, among the northern nobles, and even inside The Holy Church itself. No matter how sound her policies, the public rarely heard of them. But if a single mistake occurred? The entire city would know in an instant.
No wonder people outside say the Pope is only good for launching failed crusades… So this is why. Damn it, I never even thought about this side of things!
Veya clenched her fists in silent regret.
If only I’d asked Lin Wei sooner. After struggling for so long, what was the point if I never understood this?
Even when it came to countering negative rumors, he’d offered a solution: have Saintess Yalis step forward and respond. It was almost flawless.
After all, Yalis wasn’t just The Holy Church’s Saintess.
She was the scion of a ducal house, supported by powerful nobles.
With her, they could craft a positive image of the Pope in the eyes of the people, building broad support.
And in the realm of news and rumors, with Yalis guiding the narrative, even the nobles would struggle to stir up trouble.
A perfect plan!
Once I return, I’ll put it into action immediately!
“By the way… how do you know Yalis?”
Veya’s excitement faded as a new thought struck her. She fixed her gaze on Lin Wei, who was still grinning from ear to ear. At her question, his handsome face froze for a heartbeat, but he quickly recovered, answering as if nothing were amiss.
“I met her over in Lotai. The day you returned to The Holy Church, I had nothing better to do, so I took a mapping job for the first three levels of the Pascal Labyrinth.
I’d just finished and was heading back when I stumbled across Miss Yalis, collapsed on the ground, poisoned by goblin venom. So, I picked her up and brought her back.”
Thinking back, it all made sense—
For a saintess of her stature to be poisoned, those goblins must have been some kind of demon-bred hybrids.
Their bodies must have carried a trace of the Evil God’s power; otherwise, there’s no way they could have brought down Yalis so easily.
“So that’s how it happened. The day I returned to The Holy Church, Miss Yalis went off into the labyrinth?”
Send her back for punishment, and she still sneaks out for adventure?
The corners of Veya’s lips curled into a wry, knowing smile.
“And today… what did she want with you?”
“She didn’t actually come to see me today.”
As he spoke, Lin Wei suddenly remembered he hadn’t told Veya that he’d already found work.
His eyes lit up, and he looked at his wife with a hint of pride, eager to show off.
“I just arrived in the Imperial Capital today and was looking for work, right? Turns out, it’s ridiculously hard to find a job, so I ended up wandering the streets, hoping for a stroke of luck.
Who would’ve thought I’d run right into Miss Yalis, sneaking out of The Holy Church to buy some fried snacks? Thanks to her, I went to the Imperial Capital’s Magic Academy to look for a job.
And now… heh, allow me to announce with pride: I, Lin Wei, have outshone all the other candidates and become a proud general assistant in the Department of Alchemy! As for why Yalis came to my room, she just helped me write up a guarantor statement.”
Looking quite pleased with himself, Lin Wei reached out and gave his wife’s head a gentle pat, adding,
“After all, you need a guarantor to pass the Imperial Capital’s residency screening and secure a job.
It’s a shame I didn’t run into you first—otherwise, I’d have asked you to be my guarantor for sure.”
Sneaking out for fried food while she’s supposed to be under punishment?
Veya nodded in satisfaction, the curve of her lips growing ever more mischievous.
“You and Yalis seem to get along rather well?”
“Yeah, well, I did save her life, and honestly, she seems like a good person.
Besides, she’s the Saintess—basically the next Pope. Once the current useless Pope steps down, The Holy Church will be hers to command.”
“Oh, right. Let me tell you a secret—but you can’t breathe a word of it to anyone, alright?”
Originally, Lin Wei had planned to wait until their relationship was even closer before sharing this.
But since the moment had arrived, he figured a little heads-up couldn’t hurt. Of course, he couldn’t mention the earth-shattering plan to remove the Pope—just a small warning would do.
“What is it?”
Veya’s expression remained cool as ever.
Lin Wei straightened, his tone turning serious.
“First off, let me ask… what’s the relationship like between the Pope and Miss Yalis?”
Veya’s holy, aloof features paused for a moment. She looked at Lin Wei and replied, unhurriedly,
“They get along well. The Pope sees her as a promising protégé, someone worth cultivating.”
“That’s perfect,” Lin Wei said, lowering his voice conspiratorially as he leaned in.
“So even the current useless Pope sees Yalis as the heir, right?
My relationship with Yalis is pretty solid these days, and the current Pope is… well, a lost cause. In other words, if I play my cards right, I can use Miss Yalis’s influence to raise your standing within The Holy Church.
At the very least, I can help you transfer out of your current post—get you something both powerful and comfortable. You’ve told me yourself it’s been ages since you got promoted, haven’t you?”
He remembered her complaints about her stagnant career back in Aurens Town.
Seeing her expression flicker, Lin Wei pressed on, voice even softer,
“And besides, Yalis is currently a student at the Imperial Capital’s Magic Academy. She loves adventure, but her family and The Holy Church keep her on a short leash, so she can only sneak out to the labyrinth now and then.
That’s why, while I’m working as a substitute instructor, I plan to tag along whenever she slips away. That way, I can keep her safe and get closer to her. Once you’re firmly established, we can help Yalis build her own circle of allies in return.
And years from now, when all the factions finally force this useless Pope to step down, Miss Yalis will ascend as the new Pope… And do you know what that means?”
It was a grand, audacious scheme—a stroke of genius!
No one would ever suspect that Saintess Yalis, the future Pope herself, was being courted by someone long before she ever came of age.
And even less would anyone imagine that an ordinary person could dream of steering the fate of the mighty Holy Church.
A surge of bold ambition welled up in Lin Wei’s chest, unstoppable and irrepressible. Even here, in this unremarkable inn, he felt as if he could see the vast wings of destiny slowly unfurling before him.
“Miss Veya!”
He fixed his gaze on his wife, his expression solemn and earnest, as if declaring a vow destined to change the world.
“The Holy Church… will soon be ours!”