When the Saintess Arrives, No King Exist

In the winding alley, Mizam lowered his head to pass through the triangle flags and clotheslines hanging in the alley, and the surrounding houses changed from wood to stone.

Crossing a flowery bridge set between two stone houses, Mizam nodded to the soldiers guarding the entrance and headed toward the inner area.

This place is far from the dock and close to the church, the wealthy district of the entire Feiliu Castle.

Crossing the street paved with neatly arranged tiles, Mizam arrived in front of the side gate of a courtyard, where the gatekeeper sat on a small stool, lazily dozing off.

"Old Hammers!" Mizam called to wake up the gatekeeper.

The gatekeeper drowsily glanced at Mizam, stood up, and knocked on the door: "Open the door, it's Priest Mizam."

A few seconds later, several sounds of unlocking came from inside the door, and a simple and honest male servant opened the side door, inviting Mizam to enter.

This small garden was beautifully decorated, with green hedges that seemed vibrant as spring, hundreds of white bourbon flowers blooming, trimmed into shapes of roosters and crosses.

A massive furnace stood in the center of the garden, emitting waves of heat.

Sitting by the furnace was Archbishop of Constans, and opposite him sat the anxious Banifus, with two soldiers pressing the kneeling, black-clad "Segal" nearby.

Standing in the garden center, Bishop Matteo of Lvwa Village waved his right hand back and forth, stamping his foot fiercely: "Your Excellency, how on earth did Thousand River Valley become like this!

Look at my robe, today when I came to the city, someone poured a bucket of filth on me.

I asked the Night Guard to find the culprit, they pretended to search, and then told me they couldn't see the culprit's face clearly, couldn't identify him, but I could clearly see!

And let's not even mention those laborers..."

Unpatiently waiting for Matteo to get to the point, Archbishop of Constans interrupted when he saw him babbling endlessly: "What's the progress on the Valent Taylor case? Has the murderer been caught?"

Matteo's tongue moistened his dry lips: "Not yet."

"Not yet?" Constans repeated Matteo's words with emphasis.

"We're already doing our best to investigate, especially Knight Rasso, pursuing the murderer day and night, without sleep for three days, but the nearby citizens and villagers are all sheltering Valent Taylor..."

The Valent Taylor case was something Mizam heard about on his way back from Rapids City.

The steward, Valent Taylor, of Knight Rasso's manor in Lvwa Village, secretly killed the knight's entire family of thirteen while the knight was out suppressing a mob, and then fled on horseback.

Valent Taylor's motive is currently unclear, but even a fool can see why forty-five-year-old Valent Taylor, still childless, would change his temperament so dramatically.

It's nothing but the Blue Blood wine.

Mizam couldn't help but sigh inwardly, the flood, Juanuo, and the Blue Blood wine, any one of these events occurring alone, the church had confidence in easily suppressing.

Even if there were only two events, the church could forcefully handle it with some effort, but with all three erupting together, controlling the situation became difficult.

"...Currently, it can be confirmed that he fled toward Rapids City, we're pursuing along the way... But the most detestable are those laborers and villagers, and even the local wandering priests.

I saw pieces of clothing with bloodstains countless times, yet when we asked the nearby villagers, they firmly claimed they didn't know.

Earlier, a team of Night Guards clearly saw him, but the local drifters pretended to cross the river, crowded onto the bridge with guards, preventing us from capturing him, and let him escape.

The villages and merchants along the way are unwilling to provide us with any supplies, yet they willingly take in the damned Valent Taylor for free..."

"Enough, I understand, no need to continue discussing it." Constans rubbed the sides of his nose with slender fingers, "Ah, we should've delayed executing Juanuo... The past cannot be pursued, let's focus on the current problem instead."

Constans burned Juanuo to forcibly suppress the dissenting voices of the Thousand River Valley people to ensure temporary peace.

Once the papal edict was issued, and he was promoted to Cardinal, no matter how far-reaching the consequences in Thousand River Valley.

But now, right after reporting Juanuo's death and the tranquil state of Thousand River Valley, the Blue Blood wine scandal and Duke Kush's murder surfaced.

If it hadn't been for this incident, Constans could have tidied things up and prepared to head to Holy Seat City for his appointment.

However, with the Blue Blood wine incident arising, though Grandiva was still entangled with Pope Johnny VIII over the Changge City issue, it was possible he'd draw attention to impede Constans' promotion, and perhaps other bishops not selected might interfere.

For instance, if Grandiva demanded he suppress the rebellion in Thousand River Valley before leaving, or serve as Cardinal, repress the rebellion, and then take up the post.

How long would it take to suppress it?

Most importantly, Johnny VIII was in poor health, dragging this along, if Johnny VIII died one day, and Constans hadn't managed to enter the Red Cardinal Group yet, wouldn't that be disastrous?

No choice but to shift the blame.

Constans looked at Banifus, who he initially thought had great potential at a young age to reach his current position, but now...

The Blue Blood Orphanage was exposed by Saint Son, Duke Kush was also killed by Saint Son, and Saint Son emerged from Banifus' territory, when they went to capture Saint Son's accomplice, not only failed to apprehend him, but his fame grew instead.

Let Banifus bear the hardship and take the blame.

Faced with Constans' gaze, Banifus found it all too familiar; it was the same gaze he used when shifting blame onto his subordinates.

Banifus immediately began to tremble; this could not be pushed onto subordinates, because entrusting such a big matter to them would also be a dereliction of duty.

"Your Excellency, I offer you my respects."

Stepping out from the shadows, Mizam bowed to Constans.

This Mizam was sent by the Pope to Prince Kongdai's side, known always as Prince Kongdai's spokesperson and strategist.

"So it is you who has come, our Priest Mizam." Constans stood up, opened his arms, and kissed Mizam on each cheek.

This was a custom among the Falan to show intimacy.

"Your Excellency, I know you must be worried about the problems in the Thousand River Valley, allowing those short-haired rebels to run rampant till today." Mizam got straight to the point and said, "We were too foolish to capture Saint's Grandson Horn, but we have captured another important figure."

Mizam looked at a bewildered Banifus, who suddenly realized and shouted to the soldiers holding "Segal": "Bring the second Chosen Demon Pope Segal over here."

Under the escort of several soldiers, Segal Hos, formerly Droolte, was pushed in front of Constans with his hands tied behind his back.

"Who is this?"

Mizam squinted at Segal. Segal shivered and swallowed the impulse to tell the truth: "I am the second Chosen Pope Segal Hos Gallar among the short-haired army, as for Witch Jeanne and Horn, they are merely my niece and nephew."

"The, the second Chosen Pope?" Mateo stepped forward, circling around this stern-looking bearded man, "Where did this wild man come from?"

"Your Excellency, this really is Horn's uncle Segal, he can even draw pictures of the two short-haired leaders, Demon's Grandson Horn, and Witch Jeanne."

Moreover, his imagination is extraordinarily exceptional, definitely able to satisfy the curiosity of the nobility.

"Don't joke with me, this obviously..."

"Are you really Segal Gallar?"

"Indeed I am."

"Very well, very well." Standing up, Constans went to embrace Mizam and Banifus one by one, even making up for the two kisses he missed when meeting Banifus earlier.

"You two have done a great job." Sitting back in his chair, Constans held onto the armrest, his expression somewhat playful, "With such a great achievement, haven't you publicized it?"

"Our modest achievements are not worth publicizing," Banifus stepped forward to say, "because your strategic planning far exceeds our execution, so we sent people to publicize a bit, mainly highlighting your achievements."

"Oh—" Constans's playful expression brightened instantly, "Oh my, what achievement do I have, just a little planning and aftermath handling."

Turning to look at Segal, Constans became increasingly satisfied, almost yearning to kiss him twice.

Under the banner of suppressing the short-haired, Constans spent so much money, recruited so many soldiers, and used so many days, wasn't it all to take down the Salvation Army, add to his resume, and prove he stabilized the Thousand River Valley?

Yet the Salvation Army stirred trouble everywhere, killing the Duke, exploding the Blue Blood Orphanage, wasn't it making him look incompetent?

Catching the second Chosen Pope on par with Horn would allow him to declare victory, having won the battle.

With this pretense, he could use the pretext of escorting a major criminal to quickly assume the position of Red Cardinal in the Holy Seat City, entering the church hierarchy.

Even if found to be fake, he would already be a Red Cardinal; being momentarily careless earlier could be understood.

Once at the rank of Red Cardinal, it's not him breaking the law but the law breaking him.

This method was proposed by Mizam, and he was the Pope's man, wouldn't the Pope know?

The Pope would certainly feign ignorance, striving to show his and his authority's might, preventing those below from challenging his power.

"Such an important criminal, I must personally guard and escort to the church, report to the Pope, illustrate that although the Salvation Army is formidable, its downfall is merely a matter of time," Constans stated righteously.

Mizam and Banifus exchanged glances, knowing the matter was settled.

"What about these troublemakers? And the rebellion..." Bishop Mateo was bewildered, with the Archbishop gone, who would preside over the overall situation?

"What rebellion? The short-haired are trapped in the Black Bone Swamp, isn't the rebellion quelled?" Constans gave Mateo a displeased glance, "Give a portion of the land near Joan of Arc Castle to Prince Kongdai, let him stay a few more months, won't that suffice?"

As for troublemakers, we can say, it's merely individual acts by certain dioceses, an investigation has been thoroughly initiated, with a commitment to root out the entire illicit drug network, restoring the church's innocence!"

"Oh no, Your Excellency, this can't be investigated, who knows what might be unearthed?" Mateo was immediately aghast.

Constans turned his body, facing Mateo, but said nothing; there were some things he couldn't say.

Stepping forward, Mizam put his arm around Mateo's shoulders and unabashedly whispered the explanation: "Lord Mateo, an investigation is not to find the culprit."

"Then what is it for?"

"It's to prove that we have indeed taken action!"