Chapter 83: Does the Pope Trust Me? Secretary Rennie Feels Insulted!
Chapter 83: Does the Pope Trust Me? Secretary Rennie Feels Insulted!
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“Market activity?”
Miss Rennie looked at him, a flicker of confusion in her eyes.
Before she’d left for this meeting, Her Holiness the Pope had given her only one instruction: deliver these documents to this man. Nothing more.
Given the recent imperial investigation within the Holy See, she could reasonably assume this had something to do with the nobility. But what did that have to do with market activity?
“If it’s information you need, I can coordinate with the Adventurers’ Guild to retrieve it,” she offered, recalling the Pope’s command to cooperate fully.
Rennie nodded, even if she didn’t quite understand his aim. But as an exemplary secretary, she held herself to the highest standards of professionalism. Whatever the request, she would see it through with diligence.
“What kind of market intel are you looking for, exactly?”
“I noticed in your reports that most of what was stolen recently were various support potions,” Lin Wei replied, slipping easily into his work persona. There was a seriousness to him when he focused—meticulous, intent—that Rennie found unexpectedly striking. He’d always seemed like just another ordinary adventurer, but now, absorbed in the task at hand, there was an undeniable charisma about him.
“Please help me investigate the potion market. I want a discreet report on all potion sales within a hundred kilometers of the attack site—price trends, inventory, the lot. And it must be subtle. No one can know we’re looking into this. Is that possible?”
Lin Wei’s reasoning was straightforward.
Once the goods had been stolen, only two outcomes made sense: either they’d be sold, or destroyed on the spot.
Potions, after all, had a shelf life—their optimal potency lasted barely half a month before the effects began to fade.
So, if the nobles’ aim was not only to seize control over logistics but also to profit from the stolen supplies, the most logical move would be to sell them quickly—within days of the theft.
After all, the value of these frontline supplies was immense. Every shipment was worth at least a million gold coins.
Trying to unload such a massive amount of goods on the open market would inevitably leave traces. The market’s capacity for absorption was limited—even he would find it difficult to move so much product without attracting notice.
“Market activity is public information,” Rennie explained. “The Holy See has investments in the Adventurers’ Guild, so accessing those records won’t be a problem.”
So, the Adventurers’ Guild was backed by the Holy See? Lin Wei realized he still had much to learn about the human world.
“All the better,” he replied, masking his surprise.
This was certainly to his advantage. With access to market data, he could sift through even the faintest clues and take the next step in his investigation.
As for the possibility that “the nobles destroyed the potions on the spot to prevent any accidents”—honestly, if they’d gone so far as to disguise the raid as a demonic invasion, it was clearly for profit. If they simply wanted to destroy the goods, they could have done so with a single spell and vanished. Why risk so much to haul away the loot?
Besides, when it came to the Empire’s nobles—bywords for greed and recklessness—if there was money to be made, no risk was too great.
If he hadn’t stepped in to help Veya, that useless Pope… well, she’d probably never have figured any of this out.
“Besides that, there are a few other minor matters I’d like your help with, Miss Rennie—please pass them along to Veya for me.”
He produced a letter, carefully jotting down the details.
As Lin Wei considered his next steps, he suddenly asked, tone casual but gaze sharp, “By the way, Miss Rennie, what’s your relationship with Her Holiness the Pope? Does she trust you?”
“You’re asking about my relationship with the Pope?!”
As the Pope’s closest secretary, the question struck Rennie as a direct insult—was he questioning her competence? It was as if he’d asked, “Are you even qualified for your job?”
Just moments ago, she’d found him attractive in his seriousness, but now her eyes flashed with indignation.
She knew a secretary should maintain composure and never bring discredit to the Holy See, but her emotions surged beyond her control.
Did he know how much the Pope valued her? Was he deliberately provoking her?
Then again, given the Pope’s order for her to deliver intelligence while concealing her identity, perhaps not.
Still, however she looked at it, his words felt like a challenge to her standing—a blatant provocation.
“Perhaps I’m boasting,” she said, face solemn and gaze unwavering, “but within the Holy See, I am undoubtedly the Pope’s most trusted secretary. To me, Her Holiness is as radiant and awe-inspiring as the midday sun.”
Her tone was grave, her warning unmistakable. “There’s no need for questions like that. Even if… even if you are someone Veya cares about.”
“And please, don’t ask such borderline offensive questions again. Thank you.”
I was just making conversation—was that really necessary?
Still, her reaction revealed something: this secretary truly did hold weight in the eyes of that useless Pope.
At least the Pope wasn’t entirely isolated within the Holy See. She had a few loyal allies; otherwise, even he might not be able to turn things around.
“I just needed to know, that’s all. If you weren’t someone the Pope trusted, asking could have caused trouble… but since you’re her most trusted aide, that’s all I needed to hear.”
Coming from him, those words actually felt reassuring.
Rennie nodded, her earlier agitation settling into calm professionalism.
“Apologies. I lost my composure for a moment.”
“It’s fine. Actually, Veya told me the Pope’s position in the Holy See isn’t very secure—especially with the nobles stirring up trouble the other day. If Commander Meilin hadn’t intervened, things could have turned ugly.”
“I want to know—does the Pope have anyone else she can truly rely on within the Holy See?”
Lin Wei set his pen aside and looked up at Rennie, genuine curiosity in his eyes.
“When your market intel comes back, if all goes well, I’ll need someone powerful to help with what comes next. Someone with enough status to wield real influence in the Holy See. They don’t have to be the Pope’s staunchest supporter, but they must at least care about the Church’s reputation… An ordinary priest won’t do.”
Any plan from here on out would require trustworthy hands.
As for Yalis’ people, he had other uses in mind for them. If he could find another reliable ally, all the better.
“This…” Rennie hesitated.
He really did know all the Holy See’s best-guarded secrets.
This man… So the “Veya” he keeps mentioning must actually be Her Holiness the Pope.
Could it be that the Pope’s absence from the Holy See yesterday was because she went to meet him personally?
“Some people are just too damn lucky—it’s infuriating!”
He’s just an ordinary adventurer, yet he’s met Her Holiness herself. If he knew who she really was, he’d probably collapse on the spot, begging for forgiveness.
“No,” Rennie replied, forcing herself to suppress her swirling emotions as her tone turned cold and businesslike.
Her usually devout and composed heart had run through a thousand emotions in just these few minutes.
“Since you already know this much, there’s no need for me to hide it.”
“The Pope’s current situation in the Holy See is… far from ideal. Among the highest-ranking clergy in the Holy City are the three Grand Commanders and the Archbishop, who is currently in seclusion.”
“The Grand Commander of the Sacred Light Knights is away at the front lines. The Grand Commander of the Retribution Knights, Alfron, has never respected the Pope. As for Grand Commander Meilin of the Judgements Knights… she’s a possibility.”
Weighing Lin Wei’s criteria—someone who respects the Pope and is willing to defend the Holy See’s reputation—Rennie hesitated, then decided to be forthright.
“Although her relationship with the Pope is quite poor—she even believes the Pope is unworthy of her position and once tried to launch a Great Inquisition—Commander Meilin is, above all, a reasonable person.”
“If it’s a matter of upholding the Holy See’s reputation, you can absolutely rely on her to do what’s necessary.”
“But…”
Although she knew this had to do with the recent noble accountability crisis—
After witnessing so many unexpected developments, even Rennie’s curiosity got the better of her.
“Can I ask what exactly you’re planning?” she ventured. “Are you thinking of having Commander Meilin escort the stolen supplies?”