scepter

"What did you say?" Yannick frowned in surprise and stared at Avery.

Avery lowered his head: "Yes, Your Excellency, I am worried that you will blame me, so... Please forgive me, this is all my own idea and has nothing to do with others."

Yannick: "I don't mean to blame you, Avery, but you should tell me what happened in detail."

Avery took a deep breath: "Yes, Your Excellency. Do you remember what I told you about the death of Archbishop Robert?"

Yannick nodded, not only Avery, but Vaserich also specially sent someone to tell him, but Yannick thought about it, but he didn't think of what he could do in this matter, so he put it aside side.

Avery said: "I discussed it with Augustine, and then we found a group of priests, jointly wrote a letter of petition, and handed it over to the Holy See, hoping to support you as the Cardinal Archbishop in our name. .”

Yannick's eyebrows became tighter: "Avery, you are so impulsive!"

Avery said: "Your Excellency, I am willing to accept any punishment from you, but this time is a very good opportunity, neither Augustin nor I want to see you miss it."

Yannick shook his head: "His Majesty's ideas don't agree with me. He doesn't even like me as a bishop. How could he let me become a cardinal? You are too whimsical. Submit this petition letter, Not only will the Pope not agree, but it will make him fear me."

Avery asked in surprise, "Why?"

Yannick: "What His Majesty the Pope sees is the whole continent, but what we see is only a corner of the continent. So in his eyes, I am a rebellious person. No matter how outrageous things I do in the Academy of Magic, they are just Like a naughty child making trouble, there is no need to bother, because he can pinch me to death with just a move of his fingers. The reason why I have been letting it go is just because I think that what I do can win the reputation of the Holy See. There is no threat or harm. But after handing in this letter of petition, His Majesty the Pope will clearly see what we are doing and how much power we have. At that time, he can expel me from the Holy See as long as he finds any crime. I will never have a chance to stand up."

Alfred was shocked and ashamed: "I'm sorry, I'm very sorry, Your Excellency! I really didn't expect this letter to have such a negative impact on you! Now this letter should not have reached the Pope's hands, I can Use your relationship to get it back!"

"It's not necessary, Avery." Yannick shook his head, "Even if the Pope hasn't seen it yet, the cardinal will definitely see it. Once many things are done, they are like water that has been poured out, and it is absolutely impossible to take it back of."

Avery originally thought that they had done something that would be of great benefit to His Excellency Hill, but he did not expect to make such a stupid mistake. He was so regretful that he wished to turn back time.

Yannick saw his expression, patted him on the shoulder and smiled comfortingly: "You don't need to be upset, in fact, what you do is not without benefits, maybe you wait a little longer, and there will be unexpected results."

When Ai Fuli heard it, he was full of regret and became confused: "What are you referring to?"

Yannick: "The Vatican has been silent for a long time. Even the Pope did not speak out at the second alliance meeting, and allowed Archbishop Gustav, who he dislikes, to attend. I guess something must have happened at the Vatican. We don't know. Knowing things, maybe your petition letter is sent up, and no one will read it."

He guessed right, far away in the central Holy See of the Papal State, there is indeed a major event happening.

In the season of November, the snow covered almost all the buildings with a thick layer of winter clothes. Even the statue of the Goddess of Light in the center of the square was shrouded in snow, and only a rough outline could be seen.

It is precisely because of this white snow that the originally solemn and holy palace of the Holy See looks even more sacred and inviolable.

The vast snow field made the square even more empty. Occasionally, one or two people walked slowly under the statue, and their figures were gradually obliterated in the heavy snow.

At this time, the residence of the archbishop in red was as warm as spring.

The flame in the fireplace was burning fiercely, but the three people in the room, although they sat and stood twice, their faces were very heavy, as cold as the cold winter outside.

"Your Excellency, how is Your Majesty's health?" Abel, the high-ranking priest who was standing, spoke out.

"Not very optimistic." Facing his confidants and right and left hands, Vaserich did not hide anything from them, and the deep wrinkles between his brows also showed his feelings.

The Pope is the supreme leader of the Holy See and the pillar in everyone's mind. Even if Abel and Adolf were mentally prepared, they were full of sadness and bewilderment about the news, but soon, this mood turned into worry: "Your Excellency, Archbishop Gustav is attending the Second Continental Alliance Conference on behalf of the Holy See. Was this matter ordered by His Majesty the Pope?"

Fansherich sneered: "Of course not, His Majesty the Pope can't even read the documents, how could he agree to attend the meeting?"

Another priest, Adolf, was taken aback: "That was Archbishop Gustav's own idea. Has he completely disregarded His Majesty's orders?"

Fanserich: "Your Majesty hasn't shown up for a long time, even those outside may have noticed something strange, not to mention Gustav, his nose is more sensitive than anyone else, I'm afraid he already knows about His Majesty's illness."

Adolf hesitated again and again, and worriedly expressed his thoughts: "Then, does Your Majesty have any plans for the position of the Pope's heir?"

Fanserich frowned: "Among the twelve cardinals, three are my people, two are Gustav's best friends, and the rest are neutral, unwilling to express their position easily, only the orders of His Majesty the Pope Only then can they obey, but now His Majesty’s physical condition is not optimistic, and the situation may change.”

In addition to the Pope's instruction, the election of the Pope also needs to be approved by more than half of the cardinals. Although the Pope has not shy away from his importance and love for Fansherich for many years, many people in the Holy See have already recognized Fansherich. Qi Wang is the candidate for the next Pope, but as long as the Pope does not make a decision for a day, it means that things may change. As an ambitious person, Archbishop Gustav will definitely not give up easily anyway. This is the reason why he is now making high-profile appearances and striving for fame everywhere. It is estimated that he has not lost contact with those cardinal archbishops who maintain neutrality in private.

Assuming that the pope is still in the prime of life as before, and he gathers all the people to make those loyal cardinals stand on the side of Fanserich, then Fanserich's Pope status will be a matter of course. There will be any wavering, and Gustav can't do anything about it.

But not now.

The pope's illness has shaken people's hearts. Even if he now tells those cardinals to support Vanserich, everyone will have their own thoughts and weigh the pros and cons. It is much more than supporting Fanserich, so why do they support Fanserich?

It was precisely because Adolf understood the selection mechanism within the Holy See very well that he was extremely anxious: "Your Excellency, I think you need to do something..."

"Your Excellency!" Abel interrupted him, and took out a small sheepskin scroll from the magic bag. "I have a letter of petition here, which I just received."

Fanserich's eyes moved to the parchment in his hand: "Who sent it?"

Abel: "The first signature on it is the bishop of the Garter Empire, Avery, and the names of some other priests. They jointly requested the Holy See to elevate Yannick Hill to the rank of Cardinal Archbishop."

To be honest, when he just received this petition letter, his first thought was that it was ridiculous and ridiculous.

Yannick Hill no longer has any titles. Even if he made great contributions, he can only be promoted by one level according to the regulations, not to mention that His Majesty the Pope personally deposed him from the position of bishop before. So what if His Excellency Rich received the letter, how could he disobey the Pope who loves him and promote a priest with no background.

But those words just now made Abel change his mind. He was not as strict as Adolf in doing things, so he immediately felt that this was a good opportunity.

"Your Excellency, I have an idea." Seeing that Vanserich and Adolf were looking at him, Abel said: "Yannick Hill has a high reputation among the middle and lower priests now, even though His Majesty the Pope doesn't like him, but There's no denying that."

Fanserich nodded: "Go on."

Abel said: "Your Excellency, with all due respect, His Majesty's current physical condition is not enough to maintain the stability of the Holy See. Once something unexpected happens to His Majesty, the candidate for a new Pope will be put on the agenda. Under the current circumstances , we cannot ensure that more than half of the cardinals are on our side, so we have to get as many supporters as possible, such as Yannick Hill."

Fanserich remained calm: "You mean to let me promote Yannick Hill?"

The fact that he and Yannick had been in touch for a long time did not hide from these two subordinates.

Although Vanserich was brought by His Majesty the Pope to personally teach him since he was a child, his thinking is not as conservative as the Pope's. Instead, he believes that the Holy See has reached the time to carry out reforms within an appropriate scope.

He would not be too disgusted with what Yanick did outside, but he also didn't want to arouse the pope's disgust by his public dealings with him, so he kept close contact with Yanick in private, so as to make long-term plans.

"Yes." Abel said, "Right now, out of the twelve cardinals, one of Robert's death happens to be a vacant position. According to the decree of the Holy See, as long as a new cardinal is not elected for a day, one cannot be elected. The new Pope, this is a very good starting point, Your Excellency. Archbishop Lahe is neutral, but he has a close relationship with Yannick Hill. As long as you promote Yannick Hill to be the Cardinal Archbishop, he, Together with Rahe, they will fall to your side. In this way, you have exactly six votes, Gustav can't win the same number of votes as you, and other neutral archbishops will know Who should I support?"

The plan is beautiful, but the implementation is very difficult.

Vansherich frowned: "I can't deny that the method you proposed is very feasible, but you have to know that Yannick Hill is still just a priest with no rank. When he was promoted from a low-rank priest to When he became a bishop, he already encountered a lot of opposition, and now it is even more difficult to directly promote him as the archbishop in red."

Abel bowed: "Actually, there is no other way, as long as His Majesty the Pope agrees..."

His voice became smaller and smaller. Seeing Fansherich's astonished expression, he obviously understood what he was referring to, so he wisely shut up.

"Abel, you are too daring!" Vaserich stood up, still clutching the armrest of the chair, frowning and staring at his loyal subordinates.

Abel met his gaze without fear, knelt down on his knees, and held his hand: "Goddess of Light, my loyalty to Your Excellency is beyond doubt!"

Adolf hadn't reacted to their half-spoken words, and seeing Abel express his loyalty, he also half-knelt down quickly.

Fanserich sighed softly. He took the petition letter and read it from beginning to end.

Abel reminded: "Your Excellency, you should find a time to meet with Yannick Hill alone to confirm his loyalty to you."

Vanserich: "No, you don't know Yannick Hill. He doesn't give his allegiance to anyone, neither to me nor to the Pope."

Abel didn't expect him to say that, and he couldn't hide his surprise on his face: "Your Excellency, Your Excellency...?"

Vanserich: "Abel, I have had several contacts with him, and I know him better than you. Yannick Hill is very smart and cunning. He can be a good partner. Under the right conditions, there is no need to worry that he will be as unreliable as Gustav, but I will never be able to subdue him and make him as loyal as you."

Abel sighed: "If you say that, we won't be able to use him."

Vanserich shook his head, "The idea you put forward is correct. As I said, he will be a good ally. You go and arrange a time and ask Yannick Hill to come over. I need to meet him face to face. meeting."

Abel seemed to want to say something, but at this moment, there was a knock on the door.

Abel asked, "Who?"

It was the knight guarding the door who answered him: "Your Excellency Fansherich, His Majesty's chief attendant priest is here. He has something urgent to see you."

His Majesty the Pope has a serious health problem!

The three of them looked at each other, almost at the same time, these words appeared in their hearts.

"Please come in." Fansherich said in a deep voice.

The door was opened, and the chief attendant priest who came in had an anxious expression on his face.

Vanserich gave Abel and Adolf a wink, and the latter two quickly understood and withdrew.

When there was no one in the room, the chief attendant priest immediately said in a tone ten times more anxious than before: "Your Excellency Fansherich, Your Majesty wants to see you, immediately!"

"Okay, I can leave anytime." Fanserich's heart sank.

In all fairness, he has deep feelings for the Pope, and he doesn't want anything wrong with him at this time, but the gods will fall one day, and no matter how powerful human beings are, no matter how long their lifespan is, they cannot live forever. His Majesty's lifespan has long been It can be called the best in the continent, and his aging and death are also inevitable results.

Even so, when he saw the wrinkled Pope, who was no longer the glory of the past, Vanserich still couldn't stop the sadness that spread in his heart. For him, His Majesty the Pope is his mentor, and even more so, his father. It is the person who taught him and watched him grow up.

"Your Majesty..." He called softly, half kneeling beside the bed, and took the old man's hand.

I don't know when it started, His Majesty's eyes were no longer shrewd, but full of muddy chaos, and the aura of always holding everyone and everything in his hands slowly dissipated. On the bed was an ordinary, dying old man.

Hearing his call, the pope's eyes slightly closed and then slowly opened.

"Arthur, I have something to say to you." Although the pope's voice was weak, it was very clear.

It has not been a day or two since the Pope was ill. Although he did not announce it to the public according to the order of the Pope, and even the archbishop in red did not reveal half of it, but no one is human, and no one can guess the clues. Vanserich has long been mentally prepared , said softly: "Your Majesty, how is your physical condition? I will always be by your side. If you are not in a hurry, you can tell me after you have rested."

"No, you don't need it." The Pope shook his head, "You have to listen to me carefully next time."

This is a secret room hidden behind the Pope's dormitory. There were only the two of them at first, and there were restrictions around them. With Fansherich's ability, it is even more impossible for someone to stand outside and eavesdrop without knowing it.He nodded: "Please tell me, I will listen carefully."

"My biggest dream is to restore the glory of the Holy See, and let all countries prostrate at the feet of the Holy See, just like when the glory of the Goddess of Light was still shining on the earth a long time ago." The Pope rekindled his light because of his portrayal of dreams His eyes were shining brightly, he looked at Fanserich, and seemed to look into the distance through Fanserich.

"Where the light goes, all things surrender!"

"Whether they are mages or other heretics, they can only obey the orders of the Holy See and look up at the location of the Holy See. Elemental magic exists in this world differently!"

"The world will eventually realize that only light magic is everything to them!"

"Only light can bring them light!"

When the Pope spoke of his excitement, he held Vaserich's hand very tightly and it hurt. The archbishop in red couldn't help frowning slightly, but he didn't break away.

"Unfortunately, although I have been in power for a long time, I have not been able to realize this great dream in the end. After all, I cannot surpass the popes of all ages and become the greatest existence in the history of the Holy See."

Fortunately, the pope seemed to gradually calm down and return to reality, but the light in his eyes did not dissipate.

"But Arthur, I have not completely failed. The great plan has just begun. Although I am about to die, I believe that as my best heir, you will definitely do what I say and continue my path. fulfill this great dream."

He stared closely at Vanserich, who said sincerely, "Yes, teacher, I am willing to continue to struggle to realize your dream and to restore the glory of the Holy See."

His Majesty the Pope showed a satisfied smile: "Very good. Arthur, I know you will not let me down."

He let go of Vanserich's hand, and took off an emerald power ring from his right hand with difficulty, tremblingly wanting to put it on for Vanserich, but couldn't do it because his hands trembled unconsciously.

"Come on, put it on yourself."

The corners of Vaserich's eyes turned sore, but he was not a sentimental person, so he quickly took the power ring and put it on his index finger.

In fact, this power ring is not the Pope's power ring. Vanserich remembered that he only saw the Pope start wearing it a few years ago, but at this moment, since the Pope said so, he must have his reasons, so he still Done.

However, at the moment when the power ring was just attached to the skin of his finger, the surging magic power almost knocked him down. Fansherich struggled to receive the message attached to the power ring, and could no longer hide it. The extreme shock on his face.

no no!

This is impossible! !