CA - Chapter 198
Chapter 198
Reese’s disappearance caused a massive uproar in the Holy See. Although the other Cardinals were in different locations suppressing the darkness, the news spread with incredible speed, reaching their ears in less than two days.
The information, however, was a mix of truth and falsehood. Some rumors claimed that Cardinal Reese had been ambushed by Black Witches, while others said she had accidentally fallen while suppressing a dark array. Of course, these versions were most prevalent among the priests and clerics.
For the bishops and Cardinals, who were constantly entangled in power struggles, the implications of Reese’s disappearance ran much deeper. But no matter how much they pondered it, no one dared to get involved. Instead, they all watched and waited for the Holy Son’s reaction.
The Holy Son had not been having a pleasant time since Reese vanished. To be precise, he was extremely agitated.
“Useless, all of you are useless.” The Holy Son stared coldly at the knights kneeling before him to accept their punishment. With his hands clasped behind his back, his voice was thick with suppressed fury as he berated them, “A person disappears without a trace, and you can’t find a single clue?”
“What about her subordinates? So many people couldn’t protect her? Are they all useless?”
Having not slept for several nights since receiving the news of Reese’s disappearance, the Holy Son was in a foul mood. He kicked a knight to the ground and said coldly, “Go search again. I want a thorough investigation.”
The knight scrambled to his feet and scurried away. The Holy Son’s anger had not subsided. He turned to the attendant priest beside him and ordered in a low voice, “Go tell those bishops to hurry up. Once they deal with the dark arrays here, we’re heading to the Gosse Empire.”
The attendant priest glanced at him and said with some hesitation, “…Very well.”
Just as he was about to leave, the Holy Son called him back, frowning. “What’s with that expression?”
The attendant priest knelt on one knee and stammered, “…The order was given a few days ago, but they are not being very cooperative.”
“Not cooperative?”
“They keep asking about Cardinal Reese’s disappearance. The suppression of the dark arrays has been halted for some time now.”
Although Reese had always been arrogant and domineering within the Holy See, she had a great number of supporters. Most of the rising powers in the Church held a favorable opinion of her.
However, even with so many supporters, most of them were with her in the Gosse Empire. For a situation like this to arise… someone had to be pulling strings behind the scenes.
A thought occurred to the Holy Son, and his face darkened. “Tell Gabriel to come see me.”
“Cardinal Gabriel… he is not here.”
“What?”
“He returned to the nation of the Holy See yesterday. I heard the Pope summoned him.”
The Holy Son’s expression turned grim. After a moment of silence, he swept everything off the table with a wave of his hand and gritted his teeth. “Then I’ll go supervise them myself. Let’s see who dares to slack off.”
In the nation of the Holy See.
A luxurious but understated carriage stopped at the entrance of the Central Church. An attendant priest opened the carriage door and respectfully stepped aside. Gabriel emerged, his expression natural and his posture poised. He adjusted his pristine robes, glanced up at the holy statue of the Light Goddess in the center of the square, and a faint smile touched his lips.
A Holy Knight walked out from within, bowed slightly to Gabriel, and said in a deep voice, “His Holiness the Pope is waiting for you.”
Gabriel gave the Holy Knight a slight nod and smiled. “Lead the way.”
With two-thirds of the Holy See’s personnel away suppressing the dark arrays, Gabriel encountered only a few scattered priests praying to the statue of the Light Goddess on his way.
After escorting Gabriel to the door, the Holy Knight did not follow him inside but turned and withdrew. Gabriel gestured for his attendant priest and knights to remain outside, then pushed the door open and entered alone.
The light in the grand hall was dim. Gabriel had to squint to make out the Pope sitting on the high throne. The Pope looked even older now, his staff resting on the floor as he sat with his head bowed, as if asleep.
As usual, Gabriel stopped before the steps and bowed respectfully. “Your Holiness.”
The Pope slowly raised his head. His sunken eyelids made him appear listless, but a closer look would reveal that his gaze was still sharp, without a hint of cloudiness.
The hand holding his staff moved, and he shifted with some difficulty into a more comfortable position. “Is the suppression of the darkness proceeding smoothly?”
“Have the Black Witches made any moves?”
“With the Holy Son personally commanding, of course it is proceeding smoothly.” Gabriel lowered his head with a smile. “The Black Witches are already afraid. Suppressing them is merely a matter of time.”
“Oh?” The Pope looked up at him, his voice devoid of emotion. “Then how is it that I’ve heard Cardinal Reese has gone missing?”
“I have also heard about Cardinal Reese’s situation,” Gabriel sighed. “She is still young. Perhaps she was careless and fell into a trap set by the Black Witches.”
“The Holy Son has already sent people to search for her. Your Holiness need not worry.”
The Pope tapped his staff rhythmically. After a moment of silence, he said in a heavy tone, “Gabriel, I know you are ambitious, but the Holy Son’s succession is the Light Goddess’s choice. You’d best behave yourself.”
His tone was flat, but the warning was thick.
Gabriel was not surprised that the Pope would issue such a warning. From the moment he was summoned, he knew what the Pope intended.
He had toiled for the Holy See for decades, but in the Pope’s heart, he would never compare to a useless waste with a blood connection.
Gabriel shook his head and chuckled. His gaze, now fixed on the Pope, held less reverence and more mockery. “Since it’s the Light Goddess’s choice, then let him succeed you. What are you waiting for?”
As he spoke, he tapped his forehead as if in sudden realization. “Ah, I know. It’s because the Holy Son still hasn’t managed to master the Forbidden Technique, right?”
Gabriel clicked his tongue. “The Light Goddess’s standards are really getting lower and lower. No wonder the Holy See has become what it is today.”
“You…” The Pope’s face flushed with rage. He gripped his staff and slammed it on the ground, but before he could speak, he broke into a violent coughing fit.
Gabriel looked up at him with a cold, indifferent expression.
The Pope clutched his chest, suppressing the cough. He stared at Gabriel with a gloomy expression, and the hand holding his staff lifted slightly. A golden light descended from the sky, weaving into a cage that enveloped Gabriel.
Gabriel looked at the cage impassively. He reached out to touch it, and a bloody gash was seared into his palm.
“Such insolence. Do you still see me as your Pope?” Seeing him trapped, the Pope slowly relaxed, his air of superiority returning. “The Holy Son is the next Pope, appointed by the Light Goddess herself. You will endure it, whether you accept it or not.”
“Gabriel, besides Cambecus, you have been by my side the longest. I trusted you. Is this how you repay me?”
Gabriel looked at him calmly and said flatly, “I respect you, but I cannot respect that foolish son of yours.”
The Pope glared at Gabriel. “What nonsense are you spouting?”
Gabriel sneered. “Did you think you hid it so well? Designating him as the Holy Son in the name of the Light Goddess… what incredible selfishness.”
The Pope’s grip on his staff tightened. He stared at Gabriel for a long moment, then slowly raised his staff. His lips moved, but before he could chant the incantation, Gabriel interrupted him.
“Did you think this could hold me?” Gabriel took a black scroll from his Space Gem. A dense dark aura emanated from it. He looked at the Pope’s widening eyes and smiled with a hint of malice. “You’ve grown old, Your Holiness. You’re even hesitant to kill me.”
“So much nonsense. Why didn’t you just kill me with a Forbidden Technique from the start?” Gabriel shook his head. He unfurled the scroll, and a tall, slender figure emerged from the black mist. The mist shrouded the figure, obscuring its face, revealing only a pair of blood-red eyes.
Upon seeing the figure in the black mist, the Pope’s expression changed drastically, and the staff in his hand fell to the floor.
The grand hall where the Pope had summoned Gabriel was inscribed with light formations from the inside out, making it the most fortified location in the Central Church. Yet, in a place with such a high level of security, the knights standing guard outside felt the ground beneath their feet tremble.
The Pope’s Holy Knight’s expression changed. Just as he was about to rush in to check on the situation, a hand stopped him. He looked up and saw it was the Saintess.
“Your Highness, His Holiness the Pope is meeting with Cardinal Gabriel inside.”
The Saintess glanced at the closed door and nodded without a word.
The Holy Knight grew anxious. He shot a look at his subordinates, preparing to charge in with them. But just as he took a step, his arm was suddenly gripped with great force, and a golden longsword was pressed against his neck.
The Saintess gestured to the people restraining the Holy Knight, signaling for them to take him away.
With the Pope’s personal guards removed, the area outside the door fell silent once more. Gabriel’s attendant priest and Holy Knights were surprised by this turn of events but didn’t dare to ask any questions.
After an unknown amount of time, the door opened from the inside. Gabriel walked out with a leisurely expression. He was slightly surprised to see the Saintess standing outside but quickly composed himself. “His Holiness is a bit tired. Go help him rest.”
The Saintess walked past him with a cold expression. As they brushed past each other, Gabriel whispered to her, “I have no interest in the God Race Descendants. If you’re smart, you’ll know what to do.”
The Saintess paused for a moment, her gaze lowered slightly, but she didn’t respond and walked inside with an indifferent look on her face.
Gabriel watched her back, his eyes deepening in thought.
Upon entering the grand hall, the Saintess immediately sensed the dark aura lingering in the air. She looked around and saw the Pope behind a stone pillar.
The Pope had collapsed on the floor, his face pale and his appearance disheveled. Not only was his air of superiority gone, but even his aura of sanctity had faded.
The Saintess walked over and helped him up. The Pope was mentally exhausted and severely injured, unable to even walk steadily. He forced himself to sit in a chair, his voice weak. “…Gabriel has betrayed us.”
“Should we inform the Holy Son?”
“Don’t.” The Pope stopped her. “Gabriel is very dangerous right now. The Holy Son cannot confront him directly.”
The Pope leaned back in his chair, looking even older. He closed his eyes and remained silent for a while before suddenly asking, “Is there still any chance for the Holy Son to have a breakthrough?”
He opened his eyes and stared intently at the Saintess, not missing the slightest change in her expression.
The Saintess’s expression remained unchanged as she answered in a low voice, “Yes. It may happen soon.”
The Pope seemed dazed for a moment but forced himself to focus. He took a scroll from his Space Gem and handed it to the Saintess. “Go to the Gosse Empire and give this to the Holy Son.” He paused, then added, “And take a squad of Holy Knights with you. Tell him to ensure his own safety at all costs.”
“As for Gabriel… wait for me… I will deal with him myself.” The Pope started coughing again.
The Saintess helped him lean back and said softly, “You should rest first.”
The Pope closed his eyes. After his breathing steadied, he suddenly spoke, “Your people… I know you’ve been secretly taking care of your people these past few years.”
The Saintess paused and looked up at the Pope, saying nothing.
“The God Race Descendants have suffered enough, hiding all these years. Once the Holy Son ascends the throne, you can bring them back to the nation of the Holy See.”
The Saintess looked down at her robes and replied softly, “On behalf of my people, I thank Your Holiness for your grace.”
The Pope glanced at the Saintess and shook his head slightly. “They are also the Holy Son’s kin. If you must thank someone, thank the Holy Son.”
“If I am no longer here, you must assist the Holy Son well. You are the only one I can trust now.”
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