What Happens When The Second Male Lead Powers Up [EN]: Chapter 901

The End and the Beginning (3)

Oreli Boutier recognized the cardinals who had come all the way from the Vatican to Gigolt at a glance.

In fact, she could guess the situation just by hearing their names.

Cardinal Leffens, the acting head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith in the Vatican, which had been vacant due to the impeachment of Secretary-General Ronald Lüpert.

In addition, Cardinal Dont, the head of the Congregation for Bishops, which was in charge of personnel matters in the Vatican.

In the Temple of Boundaries, which was overflowing with Venetians, the two were considered ‘relatively’ less biased neutral figures.

Of course, unlike some clerics who were actually called ‘neutral factions,’ they would never have been directly suppressed or persecuted by the Divine Nation.

In short, they were desperately trying not to antagonize their home country, and if necessary, they would have some exchanges with the Empire.

“Your Highness Boutier. As you know, the manifestation of the halo is an undeniable symbol of the Pope······.”

A flock of bats.

Considering that they were sent by the old and proud Vatican clergy, they were quite conciliatory figures.

However, Oreli was not the type to be satisfied with such superficiality. Never.

“He is also the Archduke of Juliette and the Marquis of Serenite, and an angel of the Lord.”

‘As you know.’ She interrupted the guest and added.

Then, the cardinals closed their mouths as if they had made a promise.

The Imperial knights lined up outside the door of the spacious living room, emitting a fierce aura and pressuring the two.

Red tea dripped down the surface of the shaking teacup. Benjamin, who was attending to his superiors, did not bat an eye and presented a new teacup.

Oreli watched his calm movements and continued.

“The six-winged Seraphim are not fake beings that exist only in the tall tales of the marketplace.”

“······.”

“As long as Yeser is an envoy who has descended upon the continent in accordance with the will of God, he is not someone you can control as you please.”

“Your Highness, our intention is······.”

“Isn’t the tradition that the halo is a symbol of the Pope ultimately something that we humans have arbitrarily attached? What if he doesn’t want the pontificate?”

“······.”

“Are you going to take it by force?”

The cardinals were silent once again.

Oreli raised the corners of her lips and neatly folded her hands on her lap.

Her voice, as relaxed as if she were on a picnic, was unwavering.

“He is a child who has not even gone through mutual selection or a conclave [a meeting of cardinals to elect a pope].”

“······Your Highness Boutier. It’s not that we don’t know that. But there is no doubt that he is the most promising candidate for Pope. Even if you grab a passing caravan merchant and ask, they will give you the same answer.”

“We have a duty to protect the new papal candidate under the glory of the Vatican. He will lose his nationality as soon as he is elected······.”

“Protect? Glory?”

‘Hehehe.’ Oreli’s shoulders trembled as she couldn’t hold back her laughter.

The dry desert wind blew in from the round-topped window, drying out the cardinals’ mouths even more.

-Whoosh······

“‘If you are developing new weapons, come forward and confess to the Lord.'”

“······.”

“‘If you have been punished by God for acting against His will, confess it at the Temple of Boundaries.'”

“······.”

Secretary Leffens slowly closed his eyes.

Oreli tilted her head naturally and looked at the guests.

“I clearly remember the Vatican sending a letter of protest to the Empire over the incident where a hole was punched in the middle of the sky.”

The eyes under the monocle instantly froze. The old men, caught off guard, trembled and fidgeted.

“Your Highness, that time······.”

“The Vatican, which should have maintained God’s neutrality, represented the views of the Venetian Divine Nation and pressured Liester? Even though the Pope is vacant, isn’t that excessive interference?”

“······As the Secretary of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, I express my deep regret.”

“The Vatican has not shown trust in our Empire for the past hundreds of years, so what on earth makes the Imperial Family trust and hand over a precious princess? Do you know who released the culprit when my child closed his eyes there once?”

“I dare say, Your Highness, that was the decision of the former Secretary-General.”

“That Secretary-General was eventually impeached for failing to protect the Holy Grail. By your votes, that is.”

“······.”

“The Vatican has proven its own long-standing corruption. We cannot send the angel of the Lord to such an unclean and dangerous place.”

The Emperor’s consort replied firmly.

The cardinals instantly lost their words and lowered their gazes.

Everyone in that place knew very well that it was Oreli Boutier who had planned the impeachment of the Secretary-General.

She used the neutral cardinals, led by the old gong [an honorific title in some European countries] Ari Schött, to turn the temple’s public opinion upside down, and soon after, Prince Yeser Venetian also joined in.

They meticulously dug up the Secretary-General’s long-standing sins and carried out revenge to bring him down to an irreparable level.

As a result, without getting a single drop of blood on their hands.

“······.”

However, the criminal could not dare to point out the accuser.

The cardinals quietly met each other’s eyes and shared their worries.

From the beginning, they did not think that they could persuade the Imperial Family at once, but they did not expect them to be so stubborn without an inch of concession······.

“However.”

Like a drop of water in an oasis, a kind sentence suddenly fell.

“Soon, when the war crimes trial is over, the order of the continent will be reorganized. The Vatican must also take off its old clothes of the old era and find new clothes to wear.”

Oreli smiled softly. The change, as if wearing a mask, made the audience feel a chill.

“······That’s, that’s right.”

Secretary Leffens quickly replied.

Minister Dont looked back and forth between him and Oreli, then quickly nodded.

“Yes, that’s right.”

“Wouldn’t it be a problem if the Vatican collapsed like this? The faith of the poor people of the continent must not lose its way.”

“Collapse, there’s no way it will collapse······.”

“Ahem! I agree, Your Highness. I also think so.”

Leffens said, drumming his fist on Dont’s thigh.

Oreli blinked at the two of them.

“Many new dioceses [a district under the pastoral care of a bishop] will be established, and the temple will need many talented people in the future. It is a time when close cooperation between the Empire and the Vatican is needed.”

“······.”

‘If the Vatican bows down.’

“If the Vatican sets up a trustworthy Secretary-General and properly protects our princess, and always firmly supports her will······. Wouldn’t the Emperor reconsider it?”

‘The Emperor will protect their authority.’

“Hmm······.”

“We will appoint Ari Schött as cardinal.”

Leffens was definitely a quick-witted bat.

A subtle curve appeared on Oreli’s lips as she got the answer she liked.

The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, currently led by the Secretary, was originally a department burdened with the important task of heresy investigation and doctrine review.

It was also the most powerful group among the four Vatican Councils.

Next was the personnel department, the Congregation for Bishops, where Cardinal Dont was the minister.

“Cardinal Schött is certainly an elder who receives even support from the clergy.”

“That’s right. If he takes on the position of Secretary-General, no one in the temple will oppose it.”

“······.”

Leffens gave a honey-coated answer, but the conversation did not continue any further.

Oreli blinked once as if she understood, and only savored the refreshments that Benjamin had brought.

A strange silence flowed for several minutes.

The cardinals of the Vatican were embarrassed and rolled their eyes.

Is this all? Why doesn’t the Emperor’s contractor say anything?

Even with the promise to raise Ari Schött, the head of the neutral faction, who was an absolute minority in the Vatican, to the Secretary-General, she was just smiling······.

“······Secretary.”

Finally, Dont whispered to Leffens.

“Give me some time, Dont. Time to think······.”

“It seems that’s not enough.”

“What?”

“I mean, the position of Secretary-General alone is not enough.”

“······.”

Leffens looked blankly at Oreli in a hurry.

The cardinal was now chatting with the servant and smiling with her eyes folded. That······.

“The Imperial Family has nothing to lose. Even if the princess does not ascend to the papal throne, the angel of the Lord cherishes Liester, so the people of both countries will not dare to doubt the legitimacy of the Empire until the distant future. But our situation is different, isn’t it?”

“······.”

Dont rubbed his damp palms on his handkerchief and continued.

“The Secretary-General was impeached, and the purple smoke stopped [referring to the smoke signal indicating a successful papal election]. It is our duty to show the Pope soon, but the temple is collapsing inside and out, barely running. In this situation, if we go back empty-handed······.”

“I understand. I know what you mean.”

The Secretary wiped his face dry and looked down at the table.

The teacups placed in front of them had not been reduced at all since the first sip.

On the other hand, the cardinal of the Empire had already emptied more than half of his second teacup and ate several sweet imperial cookies.

“······Your Highness Boutier.”

Even so, she still had a hungry look in her eyes.

Leffens swallowed hard once.

“All the ministers of the Vatican Council in the future······.”

They had no choice at all.

Either prostrate themselves at the feet of the current Emperor and seek coexistence in the new era······.

“We will recommend people designated by the Imperial Family.”

If not, they would be punished for inaction and slowly disappear into the annals of history.

“······Isn’t that a very interesting opinion?”

Oreli, who finally faced them, gestured softly as if dancing, her beige eyes sparkling.

Then, the Imperial knights who filled the living room politely saluted and retreated like a tide.

The cardinals finally sighed and wiped their foreheads with handkerchiefs.

No sooner had they become free from subtle pressure······.

“Is that all for the Vatican’s ‘new clothes’?”

“······.”

‘Beast’.

By the Lord’s moon, it was the gaze of a beast sitting in the most precious seat on the continent.

She was haughtily threatening the Vatican without holding a single sword in her hand.

“······No. That’s not all. Of course.”

“If you give me paper and a quill······.”

“Ganael.”

When Oreli called her name kindly, the young servant immediately appeared with a magic quill and high-quality paper.

Since the superiors had told him in advance, the boy did not need time to prepare.

“······.”

When they each held a quill and looked down at the paper, the cardinals realized that this whole situation was a scheme of the Imperial Family.

From the beginning, there was an opinion in the Vatican that Ari Schött should be sent here.

However, most pointed out that he had a collusive relationship with the Empire, and if Schött went to serve the Pope, he would end up giving all the Vatican’s coffers to Liester.

But the reality was much worse than that.

Rather, Schött humbly stepped back and obtained the promise of the next Secretary-General, and the cardinals were now scraping together the core power of the Vatican and handing it over themselves.

But there was nothing more they could do.

Soon, Dont, the Minister of the Congregation for Bishops, opened his mouth.

“······Then, half of the members of the Council······. We will also fill it with people from the Empire.”

“Sixty percent.”

Oreli said as if singing.

“That is the minimum condition. Otherwise, I cannot leave my child alone in the harsh desert.”

“······Sixty percent. Yes, we will do that.”

The minister wrote down her words in his own handwriting.

The Emperor’s consort was rewriting the history of power without getting ink on her hands.

This time, Leffens parted his dry lips.

“Your Highness Boutier, it has long been customary for cardinal-level priests to hold ministerial positions. But there is no one in the Empire who has reached that rank yet······.”

“Didn’t you say you would wear new clothes?”

“······It is an old practice. We will correct it in line with the times.”

‘Rustle, rustle······.’ For a while, only the sound of two old men writing filled the room.

Sweat dripped down their temples.

Oreli bit into a chocolate that Yeser had clearly left behind.

Then, just as it passed down her throat, she casually said.

“Oh, right. Our princess will not stay in the Temple of Boundaries.”

The cardinals’ heads snapped up.

“Yes?”

“No, what do you mean? Everything you’ve been talking about so far is on the condition that you send him to the Vatican······.”

“Unfortunately, this is not my will. I heard that Yeser does not like the current temple building.”

The cardinal frowned and made a truly sorry expression.

The two old men were dumbfounded and opened their mouths wide. What?

“The stench, of course, is still a big problem······.”

“So our Crown Prince is building a new palace for him nearby, so please understand the Vatican.”

“Ah, if it’s such a problem, the permit will come out soon. It’s more of a matter for the Secretariat than us.”

“Secretary!”

“Shh.”

‘Hoo.’ Leffens, who took a deep breath, quickly wrote down the sentence.

Anyway, the current Vatican was at a crossroads of survival.

Now that the Divine Nation had fallen, there would only be contempt from the Empire if they resisted unnecessarily.

Then, in order to welcome the new Pope, they had to do whatever they could right now.

“The Vatican is giving permission in the neutral zone, so I couldn’t be more reassured.”

“Don’t worry, Your Highness.”

It was a very brazen reaction.

The Imperial Army was already building dozens of portals in the desert.

“Then our Empire will provide design and construction manpower. We will send a member of the Imperial Family to manage and supervise the site, and build the palace reflecting Yeser’s opinions. The Vatican is already suffering from a chronic shortage of manpower.”

The cardinal spoke in such a benevolent and charitable manner that it took the two old men a few more seconds to pinpoint the bone hidden in her words.

······Finally, Minister Dont tapped the tip of his quill and asked.

“······That, Your Highness Boutier. If you say you will provide manpower······. Is there nothing else besides manpower······.”

“It’s the house of the next Pope. The Empire cannot pay for it, can it? I don’t know what kind of rumors will come out. I’m afraid it will tarnish the Pope’s honor in the future.”

“Heo······.”

Lord God.

“As it is the Vatican’s sacred duty, it must be carried out cleanly with the Vatican’s capital.”

“······.”

In short, all the secrets, including the palace’s blueprints, would go into the hands of the Empire, but the Vatican’s coffers would be emptied to build it.

The two cardinals silently stopped writing and looked back at each other.

“······We will do so.”

When they came to their senses, they were now at a dead end.

But as sinners, there was no way to stop the will of the great Empire.

Yes?

Really?

“······You’re going to build a new palace in the desert?”

I was so surprised that I almost drooled.

While Herrit was giggling and eating the japchae [a Korean glass noodle dish] on her plate with her firm chopsticks, Sir Johann glanced at his brother and Eunseo and nodded.

It was already evening when the sky had turned black.

“His Highness the Crown Prince first suggested it to Her Highness Boutier, and it was accepted.”

“Oh my gosh······.”

“The princess is also planning to cultivate sun halo grass in the desert, so it would be convenient in many ways if there was a separate palace.”

“Wow, that’s awesome. Jung-ye is not even married yet, but she already has two houses······.”

“Be quiet.”

I warned Eunseo, who was giggling, and then ate a spoonful of rice and soup.

Even so, my surprised heart did not calm down easily.

I don’t know if it’s really possible, but if it starts construction, it will definitely be a major project. A huge amount of capital and manpower will be invested.

I heard that Cedric will even build a direct portal to the Romero Palace there so that he can come and go to the separate palace at any time, so it will really take less than ten minutes to get from our house to the Imperial Palace······.

“If there is anything you need in the new palace, please tell me. I will tell His Highness.”

“Th, thank you.”

As soon as I bowed my head, Eunseo poked me in the side. What’s wrong, again?

“A full villa. Like the one in Dubai.”

······A piece of the Lord’s Radish has finally gone bad.

“Get a grip.”

“Oh, why. He’s the hero of the continent who appeared with the moon, can’t he give me a house with a swimming pool?”

“Why do you need that? It would be enough to have a playroom for the kids and a big greenhouse······. It would be nice to have a hospital and a daycare center inside.”

“Then it’s even more of a full villa! What, do the kids only play indoors? What about our white rice cake Herrit? The desert is already hot, so it’s right to have an infinity pool! And plant palm trees all around!”

“You’ve already gone to the infinity pool?”

Eunseo, who was excited, tore up the seafood pancake, and I chuckled and looked at Jung Hyun-seo.

Even though Sir Johann and his son’s appearance today must have been very sudden, my brother seemed very calm.

He shrugged his shoulders as he cut the hamburger steak for Herrit to eat easily.

Two pigeons were climbing up and down the legs of his chair.

“Why do you need an infinity pool? I don’t want much.”

“That’s right. Of course, if the kids like it, it’s worth considering······.”

“Ask him to get me a Benz [Mercedes-Benz]. The SUV that came out this time is pretty.”

“Oh, hyung!”

Sir Johann burst into a low laugh at my shocked reaction.

In the end, me, my brother, Eunseo, and Herrit all laughed.

It was a pleasant night. I went to bed happily looking forward to the weekend.