Chapter 79: Pope Selena—It Seems Her Seat Is Far from Secure
Chapter 79: Pope Selena—It Seems Her Seat Is Far from Secure
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This was no trivial matter.
Ever since the last Demon Lord attempted to forcibly seize the Evil God's power—only to lose control and perish in a violent catastrophe—the demon race had suffered a devastating blow. The ensuing rampage of corrupted demons left their people in ruins. The throne remained empty for centuries, and nearly half of their southern territories slipped from their grasp.
It wasn’t until I arrived in this world and reforged the divine core that the demons finally welcomed a new Demon Lord.
For the demon race, summoning evil god was tantamount to inviting disaster—a forbidden act.
Even during the two most desperate years after I took the throne, I never once considered summoning evil god to shift the tide of war. And yet now… The moment I step away, they dare to entertain such reckless thoughts?
How dare these fools? Are they truly so eager to test whether their Demon Lord can no longer keep them in check?
…Well, perhaps I really can’t anymore. I’ve already fled as far as I can.
Looking back, the very reason I stormed out in the first place was because these ingrates colluded with the Cult of the Evil God, launching an assault on the allied delegation and plunging everything into chaos. “Maybe news of my recent trip to Lotai to handle the goblin disaster reached the demons,” Lin Wei mused, forcing himself to set aside his frustration as he explained to Afuduo. Now wasn’t the time to brood. “I did cross paths with the Hero’s party back then. It’s entirely possible there was a ‘Collaborator’ among the demons in Lotai who saw me and reported back.”
Back when I was Demon Lord, I understood the true value of intelligence. I didn’t just recruit all manner of demi-humans as spies—I even ordered the Four Demon Generals to win over Collaborators at any cost.
Even now, having abandoned my throne and gone into hiding, the network of informants I established would still offer up their loyalty—and their lives—without hesitation, all for the sake of the demon race.
Otherwise, what awaited them was the Holy See’s Inquisition.
“So that’s how it is… Then what should I do now?”
“My sisters have all been taken to the Demon Lord’s castle. Mr. Lin Wei, you absolutely cannot let me be exposed. If you do, my family will be ruined—no, worse, we’ll all be killed!”
At that thought, Afuduo couldn’t help but anxiously scratch her head. No matter how Lin Wei tried to reassure her, when her family’s safety was at stake, a few comforting words could never truly set her mind at ease.
“Don’t worry. The fact that they’ve been brought to the Demon Lord’s castle means the demons are already prepared to use your family as leverage. It also means they’ve accepted your plan to act as a double agent. As long as you play your part, there shouldn’t be any problems.”
“Since they want you to keep tabs on me, just write a report in a few days and tell the demons you’ve found my whereabouts. If you keep coming up empty, they might send someone else to investigate.”
If that’s the case, it’s safer to let Afuduo handle this herself. Why does that somehow make me feel more at ease?
Ha! If the demon race manages to glean even a scrap of useful intel from this, then I, Lin Wei, will admit utter defeat—I’d even resign myself to being trampled beneath the Pope’s heel, no questions asked!
“In short, just keep living your normal life here in the imperial capital. If the demons assign you any new tasks, come report to me immediately.”
“In a few days, I’ll give you new information to send back. Once the demons receive it, your standing with them will only improve.”
“New information?” Afuduo looked at Lin Wei, bewildered.
Just who is this man in the human world, anyway? Why do I feel as if I’ve unknowingly boarded a pirate ship with no way off?
“You’ll find out soon enough. For now, get some rest, Catkin.”
“I’ll be heading out for today—I have urgent matters to attend to.”
With that, Lin Wei waved his hand and made for the door.
“It’s Afuduo!” the cat-eared girl shouted after him, thoroughly exasperated. “I’m a demi-human, not a beastkin! What part of me looks like a cat, for crying out loud?!”
Lin Wei couldn’t be bothered to respond. It hardly mattered. What was important was that he’d gleaned plenty of valuable information from the demons’ latest letter.
“No evidence of collusion—just some nobles acting on their own.”
“If that’s the case, I’ll have to wait until this batch of potions reaches the frontlines before I can get any real answers.”
“So then… who’s the real traitor?”
Lin Wei rubbed his hands together, anticipation flickering in his eyes, as if he were on the verge of cracking a code.
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“Duke.”
“Here is the intelligence you requested.”
The Royal Palace.
A corpulent figure sat before an oversized chair, gazing down at the person kneeling below.
Every inch of the lavishly ornate chamber spoke of meticulous design;
rare, precious materials were scattered about with utter disregard for restraint.
Even the Emperor’s own residence could scarcely be more extravagant than this.
“Mm.”
With a nod, the Duke accepted a dossier from his respectful attendant.
Os—Duke Ous—glanced through the report. The subject’s details immediately caught his eye.
[Name]: Lin Wei
[Record 1]: Male, twenty-four years old, unmarried. Joined the Empire and received provisional residency a year ago, registered in Lotai. Claims to have lived as a common adventurer in the Northern Countries before that. Currently serves as a general assistant in potion studies at the Imperial Academy of Magic. Sponsor: Saintess Yalis.
[Record 2]: Recently assisted Iresha of the subjugation squad in successfully resolving the goblin disaster in Lotai, and has completed numerous potion-making commissions for the Adventurers’ Guild. Possesses exceptional skill in alchemy.
[Notes]: All background checks returned clean;
no suspicious findings.
“Oh? So he’s a provisional citizen from the borderlands.”
“And his application was only submitted last year?”
The so-called “no suspicious findings” drew a cold chuckle from Duke Ous. Still in a relatively good mood, he decided—for now—to forgive the fool who’d compiled this report.
“He lived in the Northern Countries, which means he likely caught Perseus’s eye during the war and was recruited. His residency may even have been arranged for him.”
“Exceptional talent in potion-making, helped quell a goblin disaster… His abilities are decent, but that alone wouldn’t make Perseus go so far as to use his own daughter to win him over. Clearly, there’s more to this story than outsiders realize.”
As a duke, even a seemingly ordinary report could reveal clues invisible to others.
There was no way he’d take this intelligence at face value.
He pondered for several minutes before beckoning his subordinate closer.
“Add this man to our watch list. Keep an eye on his recent activities, but don’t make contact or draw attention in public. I’ve no desire to provoke that stubborn old goat Perseus.”
“And… how are the preparations on your end?”
Though their plan to seize the potion ingredients had been foiled by this man, the real blame lay with Montoya’s incompetence. There was no point dwelling on it now.
What mattered most to Duke Ous was the next step—the plan to salvage the situation.
“Our preparations are flawless.”
“Good…”
Ever since the previous pope stripped the nobility of control over wartime logistics, the empire’s aristocrats had all but lost their original reason to wage war.
But now, at last, everything was about to return to the hands of the imperial military.
“This time, we’ll take back everything that’s rightfully ours.”
“Pope Selena…”
He let out a cold laugh.
It seems your seat on that throne is far from secure.