Chapter 76: If the Useless Pope Had Even a Tenth of This Skill, the Holy See Would Have Been Unshakable!
Chapter 76: If the Useless Pope Had Even a Tenth of This Skill, the Holy See Would Have Been Unshakable!
What Should I Do If I Find Out My Wife Is the Pope?
Chapter 76: If the Useless Pope Had Even a Tenth of This Skill, the Holy See Would Have Been Unshakable!
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When did I ever admit to such a thing?
Nonsense! This man is spouting absolute nonsense!
The baseless accusation struck Viscount Montoya so hard that his already limited wits nearly short-circuited.
By the logic he'd always relied on, the sequence of events should have been simple: accuse, slander, fabricate a pretext. Then, with all eyes upon them, the Imperial Capital’s Magic Academy—ever eager to maintain order—would hand over the scapegoat. After that, charges like “harming soldiers” or “violating noble conduct” would be pinned on the unfortunate soul, and he’d be strung up in the street as a warning to all.
So why was this man flipping the script and accusing me instead?
How did he even dare—no, why would he even want to do that?
No, no… What am I supposed to do now?
Montoya’s mental inertia shattered, leaving him utterly at a loss. He could only turn helplessly to Duke Ous at his side, eyes pleading for rescue. But all he met was a cold, stormy gaze.
“Oh? So this is what’s been going on?”
Wait—that’s not the look I wanted!
It was just a casual glance, nothing more.
Yet, for some reason, Montoya suddenly felt as if he’d been marked for death.
“Th-this… What’s going on here? How could Duke Ous possibly get involved in something so petty, just for a bit of pocket change? And you—are you even part of our alchemy faculty? How dare you make such wild accusations?”
At that critical moment—
One of the Magic Academy’s vice-deans, who had been leading the group, stepped forward, sweat beading on his brow.
Right now, truth or falsehood was irrelevant. Anyone could see this was a clash between true heavyweights—far above his pay grade. All that mattered was calming the situation and not provoking Duke Ous.
“My apologies, Duke Ous, this man—”
But before he could finish, the recruitment officer beside him, Parkson, urgently mouthed a reminder:
[Yalis! The one sponsored by Saintess Yalis!]
“This man… Haha, I’m sure there’s just been some kind of misunderstanding, truly!”
The vice-dean, seconds from throwing the staff member under the bus, nearly burst into tears.
Of course he remembered now—Saintess Yalis herself had personally vouched for this particular recruit’s admission. The academy was full of students with powerful backers. If this were merely the scion of an ordinary noble, he could risk a reprimand for the sake of Duke Ous’s dignity. But this one was different!
This Lin Wei was sponsored by Yalis, a figure of the Holy See. Who knew what ties he might have to those “merciful” fathers in the church? The Duke’s reputation as the “Legless Duke” was not for nothing.
If anything happened to Lin Wei and it angered Yalis, the consequences would be unimaginable. So what was he supposed to do now?
“Ha…hahaha, so, how should we handle this situation…ha…haha…”
To outsiders, the vice-dean’s position might seem prestigious and powerful, but his twisted, nervous smile at this moment made him look more like a pitiable clown.
Cold sweat poured down his face. Caught between two titans, he was utterly powerless.
This was, without a doubt, the greatest crisis of his career.
“Speak, Montoya,” he managed at last.
“Why… did you bring guards to this place?”
He dares to challenge me so openly, without the slightest fear.
Is this man the son of a marquis or some even higher noble?
Duke Ous’s gaze swept over the man’s face, and in that instant, he reached a conclusion.
Though the man spoke with perfect politeness—even using the honorific “Your Grace”—it was as if a groveling servant were pretending at mastery. That effortless confidence… Only the true heirs of great houses, or the core members of certain elite organizations, carried themselves that way.
If that was the case, then this viscount—meant to be nothing more than cannon fodder—was hardly worth protecting.
“Ah? I—I—I… I only came here because—”
Montoya almost blurted out, Wasn’t it you who sent me here?
But before he could speak, he caught the venomous, icy glare shot his way. His whole body shuddered; the words died in his throat.
“If I recall correctly, you’re the viscount in charge of court protocol, aren’t you?”
“Seems you’re short on money and wanted to use the chaos of war to line your own pockets. For a noble, that’s truly disgraceful… I despise parasites like you—scum who exploit the people and profit from war.”
“Under imperial law, such acts in wartime are punishable by death.”
In just a few words, Duke Ous had sealed the viscount’s fate.
“Your Grace, I—”
Bang!
The next moment—
Duke Ous, having pronounced his judgment, raised his hand and clamped it over Montoya’s head.
A surge of formidable magic burst from Duke Ous’s palm, piercing through Montoya’s skull and erasing all trace of life.
One moment, Viscount Montoya was alive and squirming; the next, he let out a strangled scream and collapsed to the floor. His limbs, shattered by the spell, sprawled at unnatural angles. Blood gushed from his mouth as his ravaged organs failed—he was left clinging to his last breath.
What a ruthless imperial noble.
Lin Wei hadn’t expected the duke to be so decisive—or so merciless.
And judging by the precision and sheer might of that spell, Duke Ous was no mere figurehead. This was a true powerhouse, someone who had reached the LV70 limit—the apex for his kind.
So this is what it means to be a duke of the Empire—not just a title, but absolute authority backed by overwhelming strength. Without true power, he never would have dared lay a hand on someone connected to the Holy See, much less attempt to pressure the Pope himself.
“Drag him away. Announce to the imperial nobility that he’ll be executed as a warning. And make sure the body is displayed to the public—let them know exactly what happened today at the Magic Academy.”
“If anyone dares profit from this war, I, Duke Ous, will show no mercy. Even if you’re a count or a marquis, your fate will be the same—judgment and death!”
He spoke with the certainty of natural law, as if his words were absolute truth.
The sudden eruption of violence and authority left everyone present shaken to their core.
As his words faded, the vice-dean—still frozen in shock—finally snapped back to reality. He forced a smile and launched into effusive praise without hesitation.
“Truly, Duke Ous is worthy of his station! Even when facing fellow nobles, you uphold justice without a shred of doubt.”
“And even at such a critical moment in the war, you still make time to personally inspect our logistics. With a duke like you overseeing us, and so many heroes on the front lines, there’s no question our war against the Demons will end in justice.”
“That’s right! Duke Ous is the very model of nobility—an example for us all…”
With someone taking the lead, the tense silence broke, and a chorus of flattery quickly followed.
In moments, phrases like “impartial and incorruptible,” “pillar of the Empire,” and “beacon of humanity” filled the air, painting the imperial duke as a saint—noble, towering, and utterly righteous.
In comparison, the so-called Pope of the Holy See was nothing but a complete failure.
Even Lin Wei, standing off to the side, couldn’t help but sigh inwardly.
If that useless Pope had even a tenth of Duke Ous’s flair for theatrics, she’d have secured her position long ago and basked in the adoration of the masses. How did things get so bad that a demon lord like me has to step in and clean up his mess? She can’t even manage the most basic art of winning people’s hearts.
What a useless, clueless excuse for a Pope!
“By the way, is this gentleman a staff member at the Imperial Capital’s Magic Academy?”
Just as Lin Wei was mentally ranting, Duke Ous—still basking in the flattery—suddenly turned to him, his expression warm and friendly, almost too genuine to be believed.
“I am Ous, Duke of the Empire,” he said. “And you are? May I have your name?”