Pushing open the heavy wooden door of the private room, a delicate scent of chamomile greeted him. Bishop particularly adored these candles infused with herbs and spices, especially in the windowless, enclosed space where their fragrance brought him profound peace.
The confined chamber held only a round table and four chairs. Two senior Bishops had already taken their seats, while the cardinal facing the wooden door remained vacant. The Pope's health had deteriorated steadily, and he had not appeared before the assembly for nearly six months. The cardinal would only visit the Secretariat of the Holy See's Hermes Office to seek answers in person when confronted with intractable issues.
"Let's begin when everyone's present," Meen said, locking the door and sitting between them. "Lord Tavren, how is the order maintained in the Kingdom of Eternal Winter?" "Rebellions are minimal beyond the capital's Nobles. The common people even welcome our takeover," Tavren stroked his beard. "Of course, those Nobles clinging to past glory will be eradicated one by one." "Good," Heather licked her lips. "If I were to judge, the people would see their ugly and dirty side more profoundly. Unfortunately, I have many matters here and can't go to Eternal Winter's Royal Capital." Meen ignored her and said to Tavren: "We must fill those vacant positions quickly. The Church has trained many talents for this purpose. Eternal Winter, being the kingdom most influenced by the Church, should cause the least disturbance so we can free our hands to deal with Wolfheart and Dawn." "That's natural." "What about those fence-sitters who joined the Church—my point is the Nobles?" Heather asked. "The Church attracts so many excellent followers because we don't care about bloodline, only ability. If we rashly accept those fools, it would shake the Church's foundations. My suggestion is..." She made a gesture of wiping her neck.
"Let them be for now. Once the kingdom's situation stabilizes, we can confront them directly to reduce resistance to reform." On this matter, Mayne specifically consulted the Pope: "The Church may grant them authority equivalent to their titles, but it cannot be inherited by descendants. Remember, our ultimate goal is to abolish monarchy—there's no need to rush, Lady Heather." Heather was born into poverty and endured hunger and destitution before being taken in by the Church. Yet, with her innate sharpness and exceptional judgment, she has steadily risen to her current position. Mayne fully understood her aversion to Nobles, but in such times, the greater good must prevail.
"How is it going on at Graycastle?" he asked.
"According to intelligence, the new king Tefiko did not return to the capital after his defeat, but went directly to the eastern frontier," Tefren replied.
"A shrewd move," Heather snapped, "to drag Duke Fran into challenging the Queen of Azure Waters. Once the Duke is dead, we can swiftly divide his territories in the East to stabilize the army and win over other Nobles. Tsk tsk... Not all royals are fools." "This way we'll save ourselves a lot of trouble. Have the High Priest of Graycastle's Royal Cathedral contact him. In this dire situation, he won't turn down the Church's bait. If the medicine supply at Azure Waters Port drops another 30%, we can balance the power between the two. That's your job, Lord Teflun," Maine arranged. "In two years, Graycastle will have no troops left." "Don't worry," Teflun nodded. "But... there's an issue with the Long Song Fortress west of Graycastle." "What's the problem?" "After defeating Duke Laine, Fourth Prince Roland returned to Border Town. Even Tyrone's personal invitation went unanswered. Could he really be out of the running for the throne?" "Hmm... What do you think?" Maine looked at Heather.
The latter shrugged. "What else could there be to look at... What were the initial rumors about him? Uneducated, vicious, incompetent, greedy. I don't think someone like that could ever capture the Long Song Fortress. So the answer is simple—he deceived everyone, both Noble and us." "You mean..." Mein frowned.
"Our King's Choice Order has misassigned the role, Lord Mayn," she sneered. "He should be the one standing on the stage, not Princess Jasiah of the Three Kingdoms." "Defeating a duke does prove exceptional ability, but even the greatest talent is meaningless without resources to wield it," Teflun shook his head. "Since he chose to return to that remote land, he's abandoned any chance to intervene in Graycastle's affairs. Naturally, he poses no threat to our plans." "True, in theory. But this intelligence is intriguing," Heather tossed a small note. "My personal intelligence." Mayn unfolded the note and skimmed through its contents. "Witch?" "Hmm. A witch organization calling itself the Guild of Assistants, claiming to have established a foothold in Border Town and urging other sisters to join. Though these are mere rumors that shouldn' t be discussed here, we all know the name 'Guild of Assistants' isn't fictional. After being hunted by the Inquisition Army in the Eastern Forest, they fled westward and eventually vanished west of Long Song Fortress. Border Town lies precisely beyond Graycastle's western border, at the foot of the Desolate Mountains. Ladies and gentlemen, doesn't this seem too coincidental?" The Mutual Aid Society... The name "Mein" still lingered in his memory. Despite being relentlessly pursued by the Inquisition Army and suffering heavy casualties, they pressed onward toward the Desolate Mountains. Interrogating the captured Witch, he learned they were seeking the Holy Mountain in the wilderness—a suicidal endeavor he deemed futile. Similar Witch organizations existed in Wolfheart and Dawnlight Kingdom, their urban infiltration far more perilous than venturing into the wild for certain death.
"You mean Prince is hooking up with the Witch Organization?" Teflun's face darkened after reading the message.
"Maybe, maybe not," Heather said with a smirk. "I'm just making a wild guess. What do witches fear most? Exposure. Clearly, using the name' Cooperative Guild 'would draw the Church's attention more easily, yet they still use it in underground communications. Why?" "Because it's a familiar name to us," Maine replied calmly. "It's the same for other witches." "Perfect!" Heather clapped her hands. "This effectively lowers the guard of wild witches. Someone might actually be tempted by this message and head to Border Town to investigate. It's hard to imagine them daring to play this game without Lord's protection. We often say 'when in doubt, choose the lesser evil.' Clearly, the other side believes the consequences of failing to recruit witches outweigh the risk of being exposed..." Her tone turned sinister. "I just feel like we're being underestimated." "This isn't about underestimation," Tavren snapped. "Once witches have a permanent base, they can freely wield their powers without fear. They'll likely realize that so-called demon possession can be avoided. That's why we must hunt down any settled witches. Only by forcing them into constant hiding, fleeing, and exile can this secret be maintained." Maeen knew the other party was right—the Witch itself posed no real threat to the Church. But as a collective, once they shed their identity as 'the Evil Ones,' they could significantly influence the Church's propaganda and even undermine the foundations of its rule.
He found himself in a dilemma. While such incidents typically warranted a massive Inquisition Army operation, Border Town's extreme remoteness from Hermes, coupled with the Church's imminent assault on the Wolfheart Kingdom, made deploying troops to this isolated town impractical. At this critical juncture, sending a large contingent into Graycastle would inevitably raise alarms among Graycastle and the other two nations, potentially jeopardizing the subsequent annexation plan.
After much deliberation, he made the decision.
I will dispatch a delegation of ten members from the Inquisition Army and one God official to Border Town, with the assistance of High Priest Taro, to investigate the matter. If the Co-Operation Society's actions are unrelated to Lord, this delegation can eliminate the Witch independently. "What if they are?" Heather asked.
The God Punishment Army must not be led by anyone other than the Pope himself and a handful of trusted aides—a rule he himself established. With this in mind, Maine spoke each word carefully: 'Send word to the Holy City, and I will personally lead the God Punishment Army there.'