Steel, Guns, and the Industrial Party in Another World

"Respected Emissary, I disagree with your words!"

Seeing the emissary from the church intent on negotiations, King Collins was visibly agitated. Puffing his chest out and with his eyes wide open, he stood up indignantly.

He then spoke in a booming voice, "We have waited with the utmost patience for the coastal nations to come to their senses, but our tolerance and concessions have been met with humiliation time and again. Now, at this final hour, as we stand at the edge of a cliff, if we take one more step back, we will surely plunge into the abyss, and along with us, the glory of the Lord of Light will fall from the exalted heavens into the dark, bottomless pit."

Hearing King Collins's words, the church emissary, Libett, struggled to control his emotions, almost bursting out in retort – so much for your damned patience and concessions.

He wanted to ask Segovia II a question.

You! And your Archbishop Elvis, can your actions really be called tolerance and concessions?

The purpose of the witch-hunt was supposed to keep people vigilant against witchcraft, primarily through education and warning – not an endless burning of people.

There's a limit to these things, a point where it's enough. Why keep escalating it?

The once thriving trading hub of Horn Bay, known to all as a place of prosperity, has been turned into a dismal place by you. Both foreign and local merchants are in constant fear, silent as cicadas in winter.

Expanding the scope is one thing, but why target the influential nobles? You even dared to arrest the sister-in-law of the Grand Duke of Eton. Don't you know that even the church has always been cautious in handling relations with the powerful nobles?

Your so-called tolerance and concessions are nothing but ultimatums, seen as severe provocations in the eyes of others.

Constantly speaking with a commanding tone, looking down on others, anyone would find it displeasing.

In fact, the current Pope didn't even want to start any witch-hunt. After a thousand years of suppression, magic and witchcraft had become mere folklore, and the authenticity of the few scattered reports was often questionable.

Of course, the Pope and the higher echelons, who hold many secrets of the church, are well aware of the existence of witchcraft practitioners lurking in corners of the world.

But as long as these practitioners stay quietly in their corners, wearing their masks all their lives, the Pope didn't want to expend effort in rooting them out. After all, the total damage caused by rats and locusts to humanity is far greater than that of witchcraft, and humans can't completely eradicate rats and locusts either.

If any brazen wizard dared to cause trouble, let the nearby religious tribunal handle it discreetly, keeping the impact of the situation contained.

The fewer who know, the simpler it is for the church to handle. The more who know, the more complicated it becomes.

Wouldn't it be better to maintain such a tacit understanding?

But why does Elvis have to make such a big show of it, as if afraid others won't know what he's doing?

Previously, these witchcraft practitioners operated solo, easy to deal with like lone wolves. But under such high pressure, they are bound to form organizations, collectively confronting the threat from the church, and dealing with a pack of wolves is troublesome.

Yet, the Pope can't openly oppose the actions of the Horn Bay Church, as the denial of witchcraft is one of the foundational principles of the church. Hastily ordering the Horn Bay Church to stop its witch-hunts could cause ideological confusion among churches across the continent and even undermine the authority of the church.

After Archbishop Elvis initiated the movement in Horn Bay, the Pope could only send several delegations to "guide" the Horn Bay Church on how to distinguish between witches and ordinary people, striving to avoid innocent casualties.

However, it seemed as if some invisible hand was pushing the situation to escalate just as it began to calm down. Of course, the almost irrational religious zeal of Elvis and the local church provided a breeding ground for these recurring disturbances.

Now, the worst fears of the church had materialized. The intensification of the witch-hunts had aroused the ire of secular authorities and the public. People began to question the motives of the church, potentially shaking the Church of the Lord of Light's dominance in the realm of human thought.

Sighing internally, Libett wished he could express his dissatisfaction, but as an emissary of the church, he had to maintain his composure and certainly couldn't create a scene.

He began to speak, "Your Majesty Segovia II!"

However, before he could continue, Archbishop Elvis, seated at the head of the table, interrupted him.

"Enough! Let's not argue any further."

His beard trembled slightly, as if he was exerting great effort to control his emotions.

"I agree with Libett's opinion. Let him make an effort for the peace of Horn Bay. But…"

His gaze turned sinister, unbecoming of an Archbishop.

"This is truly the last time. If the coastal nations do not immediately return to the glory of the Lord of Light, they will have to await the wrath of the Lord!"

After speaking, the Archbishop left the room, leaving the others behind.

Segovia II glanced disapprovingly at Libett and also stood up to leave.

Libett, bidding farewell to the remaining attendees, left for his quarters.

With the key figures gone, the rest of the participants gradually dispersed.

Cardinal Antony, who accompanied Libett as a special envoy of the church, hurriedly stood up and followed him.

Catching up with Libett, Antony walked alongside him.

In a low voice, he asked, "Libett, is it really necessary to make this trip? It feels futile."

Libett, in a similarly hushed tone, replied, "Honestly, I don't hold much hope for this trip either. But it's necessary to go."

Antony, puzzled, asked, "Why?"

"The main reason is to show our stance, to draw a line between the church and the Horn Bay Church, to let others know that we are different from them. Even if the church eventually gets dragged into the war by Horn Bay Church, we need to keep a channel open for future negotiations."

"Negotiations? If the church… if we personally intervene, can't we ensure victory over those merchants?"

Libett shook his head, "If I were a general, with the church's strength, I would be confident of victory. But as a diplomat, I must prepare for all possibilities, even those that are nearly zero."