Chapter 233 - Chapter 232: The Power to Dismiss the Pope
【Kingdom of Ektrem, Prime Minister Dedoderic's Perspective】
Royal Castle, Audience Chamber.
Ministers stood in a line, and numerous Royal Guards waited in the spacious Audience Chamber.
Dedoderic, the Prime Minister, stood beside His Majesty King Kelnirles, who sat upon the throne, and spoke to a Royal Guard.
"Bring Mika Noisheim here."
The guard, addressed by Dedoderic, left the Audience Chamber to fetch the boy.
Dedoderic watched the guard's back with a calm expression.
Though inwardly, it was the exact opposite of calm.
The situation was quite severe.
Gronoir's invasion.
The collapse of the protective barrier.
The Domain Army and the Kingdom Army had retreated, suffering many casualties among their soldiers and officers.
A detailed report had arrived from Marquis Leventein, who was entrusted with border defense, conveying his intention to take responsibility for the defeat.
(...If Marquis Leventein falls now, the kingdom's fate will be sealed.)
Marquis Leventein had indeed been defeated, but burdening him with excessive blame would be too much.
Above all, this was a time when the entire nation should unite to face the national crisis.
If Marquis Leventein were severely punished here, the soldiers would become restless.
Although they suffered a crushing defeat in the initial skirmish, Marquis Leventein still had uses.
Discarding him over something like this would mean the pieces would run out quickly.
Marquis Leventein must be made to serve the kingdom without leaving a single drop of blood.
(...As for the Marquis, it is fine. Responsibility can be questioned later, as much as needed.)
Above all, Gronoir had been driven back once.
Some time had been secured.
Then, preparations for the next time must be made.
As a first step for that, a problem to be dealt with.
The boy who used [Divine Wrath].
He used the power of the Taboo to drive back Gronoir.
Why could such a boy use [Divine Wrath], which should hardly be known by anyone anymore?
(What a troublesome problem...)
Dedoderic, maintaining his calm expression, glanced at Kelnirles.
Although Kelnirles sat quietly on the throne, his anger seemed to radiate just from his presence.
[Divine Wrath].
That overwhelmingly powerful power would inevitably turn toward the Royal Family sooner or later.
It was certainly an effective weapon on the battlefield, but its spearhead did not always have to point outward.
Kelnirles' reign had been relatively peaceful even within the kingdom's long history.
But such an era could not last forever.
There would surely come a time when civil war would erupt within the kingdom again.
Whether it would be a hundred years later or a thousand years later, he did not know.
In such a time, overly powerful weapons would only unnecessarily expand the damage.
If one eliminated power too great for humans to handle, it would then be a simple matter of numbers.
The one with more soldiers would win.
That was why [Divine Wrath] had been forbidden, yet it seemed to have lingered on in secret until now.
(Personally, I think if it can be used, it should be used...)
However, Dedoderic could understand why Kelnirles forbade [Divine Wrath].
It was certainly a powerful force, but [Divine Wrath] carried several fatal problems.
One of the most prominent was that complete control was impossible.
One could see this by looking into past research records, but [Divine Wrath] could not be controlled completely.
It was not that all control was impossible, but there were parts of its movement that could not be read.
And, in the worst case, it would lead to a rampage like Dies Irae.
Perhaps the war had intensified to the point in the final stages of the Fifty-Year War where even such uncertain factors had to be deployed...
As for Kelnirles' nature, he had a strong tendency to dislike uncertainty.
He preferred to eliminate luck-based or uncertain factors as much as possible and steer things according to his own will.
That was a very welcome quality for a ruler of the kingdom.
He did what needed to be done, and kept both success and failure within the scope of his expectations.
That result was the current prosperity of the kingdom.
Kelnirles, born in the final stages of the Fifty-Year War and having witnessed the post-war chaos, desired the stability of the kingdom above all else.
He actively implemented necessary measures and rebuilt the kingdom that was tilting.
His abilities would rank among the highest of all past kings.
While Dedoderic pondered without showing it on his face, it seemed Mika Noisheim had arrived.
Guided by a Royal Guard, Mika Noisheim's group came to the steps below the dais.
Seeing that group, Dedoderic could not help but feel a bad premonition.
He had received a report that Mika Noisheim was accompanied by church officials...
Mika Noisheim had completely changed from the timid atmosphere seen before; he was now a divinely radiant figure.
It was not blinding, but his body clearly emitted light.
And behind his back were beautiful wings of light.
He possessed a divinity that was unimaginable from before.
Following such Mika Noisheim were the Pope and eleven Cardinals.
The Pope and his retinue were also clearly different from before.
Upon seeing them at a glance, Dedoderik almost clicked his tongue in frustration.
(...So they have completely revived, is that it?)
Due to the previous Pope's rampage, the church had become rotten to its core.
Through Kelnirles' schemes, and with a bit of luck that was somewhat unwilling for Kelnirles, they had gained a righteous cause.
They had moved the Kingdom Army on a grand scale to thoroughly crush the church, successfully reducing it to a dying state.
The church's credibility had also plummeted, and they had succeeded in putting a collar on them imposed by the state.
However.
Three months ago, the "Miracle of the God of Light."
That troublesome phenomenon that plunged the capital into great confusion had caused the people's hearts, which had been severed, to turn back toward the church.
The active and steady dialogue and exchange between the current Pope Blahoslav and the believers had suddenly borne fruit.
Just when they had been overconfident, thinking that such steady work would yield no significant effect, that "Miracle" occurred.
Saying the people's hearts had drifted away applied only to the church when the previous Pope was in charge.
The faith of each individual had not shaken.
The people, interpreting on their own that the gods were blessing the current church, began visiting the church frequently again.
As if to support the new system of the church together.
On top of that, rumors of the "Apostles" who descended onto the battlefield.
The Apostle who single-handedly supported the collapsed front line and annihilated the main force of the Imperial Army, numbering seventy thousand.
While the Kingdom Army was retreating and the Imperial Army was advancing, causing fear and trembling, these rumors had reached them.
The gods had extended a hand of salvation.
Compared to before, the hearts of the current church and the people were united more than ever.
For Dedoderic, serving as Prime Minister, this was one of the very headache-inducing problems.
(...If they are determined like that, even matters that could be settled peacefully will not be settled peacefully.)
Dedoderic turned his smiling expression toward Mika, hiding his inner anxiety.
Dedoderic, who thought his role was to soothe Kelnirles and resolve things peacefully, regretted the naivety of his own thinking.
Both Mika Noisheim and the church were too different from before.
(Don't get rough today...)
Suppressing the urge to sigh, Dedoderic opened his mouth.
■■■■■■
Mika was guided into the Audience Chamber and stood before the dais where the throne was placed.
However, he did not kneel; he simply stood there.
(Really, is this okay...?)
His Majesty the King is glaring at me with super intense eyes.
Although Mika was sweating coldly inwardly, he proceeded as planned.
A few days ago, Mika had visited the church and requested cooperation.
At that time, several policies were decided, and they discussed how to respond when summoned to the Royal Castle.
"The 'Apostles' who serve the gods are beings who serve the gods. They must not kneel before any human being."
The reason for not kneeling before the King was Blahoslav's instruction.
Also, Blahoslav and the others did not kneel before the King.
The reasoning seemed to be that they served only the gods, and consequently, only Mika, who was sent by the gods.
Mika glanced at the Prime Minister standing beside the King, who was smiling softly.
However, his eyes spoke eloquently.
Kneel, you two.
(Ugh... my stomach hurts.)
He was fully ready to go wild if it came to that, but he was just not good at this kind of maneuvering beforehand.
Mika's thinking had become quite muscle-brained.
Mika's eyes hurt from the slightly flickering vision, so he closed his eyes.
Covering Mika's body was Fee.
Wagnare had advised that it would be better to have a performance that made it clear at a glance that he was a "Non-Human Being," so along with the wings of light, he decided to implement Fee.
Well, it seemed like it could be handled with improvements to the "Lighting Ball," but for the sake of speed, he decided to use Fee.
"In the presence of His Majesty. Kneel."
The Prime Minister urged Mika and the others with a soft expression.
If they knelt here, the rudeness would be overlooked.
That was what he was saying.
"Prime Minister. That is against the rules."
Blahoslav, standing to Mika's right rear, immediately countered.
By the way, Wagnare was next to him.
He was standing to Mika's left rear.
Apparently, these two were to handle everything today.
"It was the Kingdom that was saved by the 'Apostles.' All the people of the kingdom should kneel before the 'Apostles' with gratitude toward the gods."
"Huh!?"
The Audience Chamber buzzed as Blahoslav declared that everyone, including the King, should kneel before the "Apostles."
"You...!"
The King glared at Blahoslav with a terrifying expression.
"You have become quite bold, Blahoslav... Have you grown arrogant by lifting up such a child? It has not even been half a year, yet have you already forgotten? Back then, you were crawling on the ground there, begging for forgiveness, weren't you? Am I mistaken in my memory?"
The King looked down at Blahoslav, clearly displaying contempt in his eyes.
However, Blahoslav on the other side did not care at all and answered with a cool voice.
"No, Your Majesty, you are correct. Previously, I asked for forgiveness from Your Majesty here. To protect the church, and to protect all those who rely on the church, I requested the Kingdom Army to withdraw."
The King nodded exaggeratedly as if satisfied with Blahoslav's reply.
"So you remember. Then, what did you say just now? Say it again."
"Yes. All the people of the kingdom should give thanks to the gods and kneel before the 'Apostles' who saved this country."
"You bastard----!"
"Your Majesty."
The King flew into a rage at Blahoslav, who calmly repeated the same words.
However, the Prime Minister restrained such a King.
"Your Holiness the Pope. If Your Holiness takes such an attitude, even matters that could be settled peacefully will not be settled peacefully."
"What is that, Prime Minister? I am merely stating that one should offer thanks to the gods. There is no doubt that the 'Apostles' saved this country."
Hearing Blahoslav's words, the Prime Minister lightly shook his head.
"First of all, must we not correct that understanding?"
Saying that, the Prime Minister tightened his expression slightly.
"First, it is a mistake to think that the country was saved by a single battle just before, or to accept it that way."
The Prime Minister spoke slowly and carefully, as a teacher explaining to a student.
"In wars and conflicts, battles occur many times. Some of them will be won, and some will be lost. There are countless examples of this in our country's history."
And so, the Prime Minister once again showed a gentle expression.
"What is important is winning the crucial battles. That is the very reason our country was able to add half of the continent to its territory. Total victory in all battles, including skirmishes, is impossible. It is not like the myths, Your Holiness."
Implicitly, he was warning them not to mix such myths with reality.
Could it be that the Prime Minister... is an atheist?
"And, there is one more thing."
The Prime Minister cleared his throat lightly and then looked at Mika.
"Today, I intended to hear Mika Noisheim's story... However, I would like you to stop bringing up vague stories like 'Apostles.'"
Mika Noisheim is Mika Noisheim, and he should not be mixed up with something nonsensical like "Apostles." A perfectly valid argument.
Yes, I personally strongly agree with the Prime Minister's opinion.
"The matter contains information that requires very careful handling. Usually, the presence of clergy is permitted during audiences, but this time it is impossible. Please withdraw."
We cannot talk if outsiders are here. Go home.
That was the Prime Minister's claim.
Well, this is also a valid point.
There were many ministers and Royal Guards in the Audience Chamber, but perhaps he intended to discuss the details in another place?
Or perhaps everyone here already knows?
If there were no one who knew that touching [Divine Wrath] was forbidden, naturally, there would be no one to suppress it.
Perhaps there were people searching in various places like a secret police force.
However, even after hearing the Prime Minister's claim, Blahoslav did not move.
The Prime Minister looked at Mika and spoke gently.
"Mika Noisheim-kun. Can you not say something yourself? We cannot talk like this. You will be troubled just as much as I am, won't you?"
Why would Mika be troubled?
Rather, he is the one troubled by being summoned.
He thought that, but Mika did not open his mouth.
Because Kifrod had sternly told him to remain silent.
If Mika spoke anything other than what was permitted, he would receive a harsh scolding from Kifrod later.
Scary...
When Mika remained silent, Wagnare answered instead.
"Prime Minister. We do not know what intentions the country had in summoning the 'Apostles.' However, if anything happens to the 'Apostles,' who are the agents of God, the Church will take the stance of protecting the 'Apostles' with all its might."
The Prime Minister's expression also became severe as the Church declared a stance clearly opposing the country.
The Prime Minister opened his mouth heavily while looking at Wagnare.
"Does this mean the Church is rebelling against the country...?"
"Prime Minister. Does this mean the country intends to harm the 'Apostles'?"
At Wagnare's counter-argument, the Prime Minister gasped.
If the country does not harm the "Apostles," the Church will not rebel.
That was all there was to it.
Wagnare continued speaking.
"If, hypothetically..."
His voice was calm, with no hint of pretense.
"If the gods were to manifest before our eyes, all followers of the Church of Light would prostrate themselves and offer prayers. If there were someone so insolent as to throw stones at the gods, I would gladly sacrifice myself and take those stones."
Wagnare's voice echoed in the quiet Audience Chamber.
"And... if, hypothetically, there were anyone who intended to harm the 'Apostles,' who are the agents of the gods, I would gladly protect them with my own life."
He preached with a gentle smile befitting a clergyman.
"I believe that all believers share the same thoughts as I do... How about it, Prime Minister?"
Hearing Wagnare's argument, the Prime Minister's expression became blank.
If not only the Church but also the people thought this way, it would be troublesome for the country.
After all, almost all citizens of this country were believers.
And while this would be mere nonsense for a church whose people's hearts had drifted away, the two events mentioned earlier had bound the church and the people together more than ever before.
Mika remained silent because he was told to, but honestly, he could not bear it.
The Prime Minister treated Mika as a single academy student and would simply punish him if he violated rules.
Regardless of [Divine Wrath], Mika was quite troubled because he had been violating various rules all along.
The Church treated Mika as the "Apostle" and treated him as equivalent to the gods.
They took the stance that they did not approve of judging him by human laws, regardless of any reason.
Well, imposing human laws on God is not just impudent.
(Yes. A typical parallel line situation.)
There was a fundamental difference in the premise of how Mika was treated.
There was no way their arguments would intersect.
The King looked at Wagnare with cold eyes, and then at Blahoslav.
"That is enough. Dismiss him."
He said it so uninterestedly and ordered the Prime Minister.
"Your Majesty. That is, still..."
"That is enough. I have no intention of participating in such boring farce."
The Prime Minister could not utter a second word to the King's statement and bowed respectfully.
The King dismissed the Pope.
Normally, this would be impossible.
However, the church was forced to accept this impossible thing.
With the overwhelming military power of the Kingdom Army as a background.
(...An unexpectedly short-tempered King. He is going to use that already.)
Mika listened to the King's words with a stunned expression.
This was something he had been told when he consulted with the church and discussed the response.
"Power to dismiss?"
Blahoslav nodded to Mika, who asked back, with a pained expression.
"The Kingdom Army thoroughly investigated the church's irregularities. I think that itself was unavoidable. There was reason for it, and unfortunately, we could not do anything on our own."
However, even after the Kingdom Army finished a preliminary investigation, they continued to stay in many Great Cathedrals.
There might still be irregularities.
If the Kingdom Army withdrew, they might hide and do something.
Under the guise of monitoring against such things.
"When I took the position of Pope, the first thing I did was normalize the church's operations. As one part of that, I went to His Majesty the King to ask him to have the Kingdom Army withdraw."
At that time, the condition set by the country was the power to dismiss the Pope.
The right for the King to dismiss the Pope at will.
They were told that if they did not accept this, the Kingdom Army would not withdraw.
(The King is above the Pope. I suppose it is to clarify the position, but they use quite ruthless tactics.)
Since the cause was originally the previous Pope's rampage, it was forceful but logical.
Since the believers' hearts had also drifted away from the church at that time, the country probably thought there would be no problem even if this secret agreement was revealed.
A collar to suppress the massive organization known as the church.
If they rebelled, no matter how many Popes they elected, the country would dismiss them.
It seemed they had been forced to drink an incredible poison that could even destroy the organization known as the church.
"You have used such blatant tactics quite often. Threatening with the army and demanding the power to dismiss..."
"As for us, it was our own doing. Even the believers said they felt safer if the country kept watch over us."
To make the believers say such things... Blahoslav took it heavily, realizing they had betrayed them that much.
And so, they accepted the power to dismiss.
To rebuild the church, they had to have the Kingdom Army withdraw first.
Mika turned around and looked at Blahoslav, who had been told to be dismissed by the King.
"You have worked hard. Rest for a while."
"Yes, thank you."
Blahoslav, who had not knelt before the King, knelt before Mika and bowed his head.
Seeing this, the King clearly showed anger on his face.
Of course, unaware of such a thing, Mika turned his gaze to Wagnare.
"Well then, Wagnare. Next is you."
"Yes. Please guide me."
Wagnare knelt and bowed his head to Mika.
Feeling something abnormal in this exchange, the Prime Minister called out to Mika.
"What... are you doing?"
However, Mika did not answer; instead, Wagnare answered.
This was the only thing Mika was permitted to "speak."
"We cannot have the Papal seat vacant, so we have just elected a new Pope."
"The election of the Pope!?"
The Prime Minister raised a voice of surprise at Wagnare, who answered so casually.
The Audience Chamber buzzed with noise.
"W-what nonsense are you saying! T-there must be procedures for the election of the Pope!"
"As expected of the Prime Minister. You know well."
Wagnare answered the Prime Minister with a smile.
"But, did you not know this? There are several methods for the election of the Pope, and being directly chosen by the gods is one of them."
"D-d, directly... chosen?"
The Prime Minister looked at Mika.
Mika wanted to smile bitterly but held back and kept his expression sharp.
(Is that even possible? I wanted to say that. I thought so too.)
Apparently, this was also written in the scriptures and established by church ordinances as one of the formal methods of papal election.
It seemed that in the myths, the gods had directly chosen, or designated through the "Apostles."
While unanimous consent of the Cardinals was an absolute condition for papal election, this method was the sole exception.
If it is in the scriptures and God says He chose, then the church cannot deny it.
I don't think there was a precedent in the past, though!
And currently, the church took the stance of recognizing Mika as the "Apostle."
Therefore, if Mika chose, it would be an immediate papal election.
According to the scriptures.
Fundamentalism is scary.
If it is written in the scriptures, anything goes...
By the way, if the King dismissed Wagnare as well, they planned to select the Cardinals accompanying him today in order.
Once it cycled through everyone, they would return to Blahoslav.
There had been cases in the past where someone returned to the position of Pope after retiring.
There was no problem.
It seemed that re-nominating Blahoslav from the start would also be valid, but choosing in order and then returning to the original seemed to have more impact.
They decided to adopt this method.
Bringing them all along made it easier to bluff.
Not only to show the unity of the church, but for such a performance, they had brought all the Cardinals present in the capital today.
The tiger's precious power to dismiss was rendered completely meaningless, and the Prime Minister looked stunned.
It seemed he had not anticipated this situation.
Well, this is cheating, isn't it?
The King also looked stunned and froze.
The ministers did not know what was happening and raised voices of confusion one after another.
It seemed some people did not know about the Pope's power to dismiss.
At that moment, laughter suddenly came.
"Aha hahaha! So you came for that! Aha hahahaha!"
A loud laugh echoed through the Audience Chamber.