Chapter 228 – Complete Occupation of Johannes Castle (2)
Complete occupation of Johannes Castle (2)
Just a few hours before Livia was crowned Pope.
The conference room in the main hall was filled with shouting as if an explosion had occurred.
“Oh, does that make sense? Even if you say you are a saint, it is difficult to accept that!!”
“That’s right!! The appointment of the Pope is made by the votes of the cardinals, and since all the cardinals are currently absent, I think it is right for our archbishops to vote to make the decision!!”
“If she were someone we could understand, we could just ignore the current situation, but she is just a low-level priestess who has run an orphanage her entire life!!”
When Angelina announced at the gathering that she was planning to nominate Livia as the new pope, the archbishops were buzzing when they heard her name for the first time, but when Angelina explained what kind of person she was, they were pouring out their complaints.
“A person who knows nothing about politics should not hold the position of Pope!! The lives of ten million brothers and sisters in the Holy Kingdom are at stake!!”
“That’s right!! How can an ignorant low-level priestess who knows nothing call herself a servant of Lord Ikaris and sit in such a high and sacred position? That is impossible!! The saint should quickly withdraw her statement!!”
“After hearing her story, isn’t she the director of the orphanage where her saintess grew up? Then, isn’t her saintess using her to plot something against her? You must explain this!! “
Despite the numerous complaints from the archbishops, Angelina’s expression remained smiling.
“Yes, I heard what you said, but my decision will not change. Because there is someone else who decided this.”
As soon as Angelina finished speaking, Jeanne came into her conference room, her cloak flying.
Then, numerous Inquisitors came in fully armed, following Jeanne, and they took their places behind the archbishops in their respective seats, raising their battle-axes.
Slurp~
The sound of the Inquisitors’ ax blades instantly silenced the noisy archbishops.
“What are you doing? You are trying to persecute us, the servants of Lord Ikaris, like this… Are you out of your mind right now?”
“Yes, that’s right!! If the subjects of the Holy Kingdom found out about this…”
Although a few courageous archbishops continued to protest, the presence of heavy footsteps coming from outside was enough to silence even them.
Jump, jump, jump… Boom!
“What if you knew? What kind of problem would it be if the subjects knew about the situation here? Then it wouldn’t be a problem if I didn’t let this situation become known.”
“Your Majesty, Emperor Yuno…”
The heads of the archbishops were buried in their bodies like frightened turtles due to Juno’s deadly force.
They were not foolish enough not to notice that Yuno’s words contained a murderous will, and they knew very well that if they spoke wrongly in front of Yuno, a battle-ax could be lodged in their necks in an instant.
“Okay! Now, let’s summarize the situation once again. As you all heard, appointing a priestess named Livia as Pope was the decision of Jim, the agent of Ikaris. Anyone who is dissatisfied with that, please feel free to express your opinion.”
There was no way anyone would be brave enough to complain in this atmosphere, so Yuno smiled softly.
“Now, let’s talk in peace. Why can’t a Libyan priestess become Pope? Angelina. Are there some requirements for becoming Pope that I don’t know about?”
“No. We, the Church of Icaris, do not consider status based on position, but only value faith and religiosity. The church’s laws state that the person who is the most religious and faithfully worships Icaris will be made pope.”
At Angelina’s words, the archbishops once again frowned and expressed their dissatisfaction.
‘Of course it says so in the inscription…’
‘Doesn’t everyone know that practically that’s not possible!!’
Of course, if they said it out loud, their heads could be blown off, so the archbishops remained silent, and Juno’s smile grew even deeper.
“Well! Seeing that there is no opposition, it seems everyone is happy with my decision! So I guess all the archbishops here agree with my decision to appoint a Libyan priestess as pope.”
‘Tsk tsk tsk, it’s just full of complaints… Well… If it wasn’t for my decision, one of these guys would have sat in the Pope’s seat, so there wouldn’t have been no complaints. Is it necessary to throw in some carrots?’
“Of course, this was a decision I made after consulting with Ikaris, but I know full well that she needs help in governing a country. The cardinal, who assists the Pope, is the saint, the head of the Inquisitor, and the patriarchs gathered here. Let’s elect!!”
Only then did the faces of the archbishops straighten slightly, and their eyes began to shine.
‘Choose a cardinal with our own hands… Then it’s not that bad!’
‘As the previous Pope Alexander is being roasted alive in an icon, the power of the Pope to do as he pleases has diminished… If so, securing many cardinal positions will be an opportunity for our faction to gain wings!! ‘
‘Even if only two of the ten cardinals can get the spot…’
Juno, looking at the archbishops who were already exchanging glances and trying to start a factional fight, was confident once again that he could completely bring the Holy Kingdom into the arms of the empire.
“Angelina and Jeanne will recommend one person each, and you can decide the remaining eight. I promise that I will have no part in that.”
Angelina and Jeanne announced an unprecedented personnel action, recommending Lucette and Rodius, the teachers at the Inquisitor Training Center, but now, as if that had nothing to do with it, a heated argument began to break out in the meeting room.
While the ministers were fighting over the position of cardinal, Juno took Angelina and Jeanne into the inner room.
Then one of the inquisitors, under orders from her Jeanne, brought Rousset and Rodius into the inner chambers of her vizier’s palace and announced her elevation as Pope of Libya and their appointment as cardinals to assist her. Br〉
Lucette and Rodius initially refused the position, saying it was too much for them, but Angelina and Jeanne’s persuasion that Livia, who would be at the center of the power struggle, needed someone who could help them made them accept the position of cardinal.
“There’s nothing to worry about. Looking at it this way, Jim has a pretty good eye for people. If it’s Director Livia, she will perform the duties of the Pope well, and her warm heart will be enough to serve as a spiritual support for the believers.”
“Your Majesty. Before that, let me ask you one thing.”
“Hmm? Let’s talk.”
Yuno smiled comfortably at Rusette and Rodius, who were staring straight at her with sharp eyes.
“You know very well that Director Livia is like a mother to the saints here, the chief judge, and to us.”
“By appointing him as Pope, aren’t you trying to manipulate the Holy Kingdom through us and send our brothers and sisters to war?”
“If you ever think of doing that, we tell you in advance that we will immediately resign as cardinals and turn into enemies of the Balkans!!”
Lu Set and Rodius’ eyes contained determination rather than the mischievous look of yesterday, so Yuno could once again feel that her choice was right.
“Puhahahaha!! Don’t worry. Do you think that because I lack strength, I made the Holy Kingdom of Johannes a vassal state as peacefully as possible?”
“If not…”
“Don’t be mistaken. As for me! The Imperial Army that I lead from the front!! The Balkan Empire that I rule over!! Is by no means weak. I do this to reduce the number of soldiers sacrificed on the battlefield! And to stabilize the rear of the Imperial Army. He came all the way here himself! I can at least swear that he has no intention of dragging the common people of the Holy Kingdom into the battlefield of the empire!”
Lucette and Rodius, who were shocked by the sight of Yuno radiating tremendous force, unknowingly took a step back.
“Anyway, it won’t be long before you and the Kingdom of Johannes will feel fortunate to be a vassal of our Balkans. And we will make you feel that in the Zenon Plain. Haha,”
Hehe, Sister Lucette. Brother Rodius. This person is the agent chosen by Ikaris and the master chosen by our sisters.”
“Just as our sisters chose His Majesty Yuno as their master, we will make sure that the Holy Kingdom does not regret serving Balkan as its superior country, so you don’t have to worry. Hohoho”
Angelina and Jeanne were two people who looked at it as absurd when they called Yuno their master, but now they had no other options, so they only presented a few conditions to Yuno, and Yuno accepted the conditions, so they and Livia joined Yuno. They made a pact to rule the castle according to the instructions.
That afternoon, a splendid coronation ceremony was held and Lydia was crowned Pope.
Soon, Angelina’s order to revise doctrine and reform based on the contents of her newly received oracle, as well as the joint declaration of the Pope and Juno of Libya to become a vassal of the Balkan Empire, spread throughout the Holy Land.
The contents of the declaration were as follows.
“After the previous Pope, Alexander VI, ascended the throne, there was no one who did not deplore the fact that he distorted the will of Icaris and committed all kinds of evil acts. All the wealth of the Holy Kingdom went into their pockets to fill their stomachs, and our brothers and sisters became impoverished day by day. In this way, the kingdom was weakening, and as the devastation reached its peak, there was no hope of taking measures to make up for it on their own, so I had no choice but to make a decision by accepting the heavy responsibility of being Ikaris-sama’s first servant. Accordingly, by transferring the sovereignty of the Holy Kingdom to His Majesty, the emperor of the neighboring country, the Great Balkan Empire, to solidify the peace of the continent externally and to benefit the lives of all brothers and sisters internally, your subjects should carefully consider this, do not cause trouble and trouble, and settle down in their respective occupations. I will follow the will of Lord Ikaris, submit to the new politics of the Balkan Empire, and receive happiness together.”
As the declaration was promulgated throughout the Holy Kingdom, there was some unrest in the provinces that did not participate in this religious reform war, but thanks to the force of the Inquisitors who carried the reform decree, the unrest was quickly suppressed, and the Inquisitors took food from local temples. As food storage was released, local believers who had been starving due to the Pope’s exploitation began to enthusiastically support the reform decree and merger.
Of course, there were some criticisms about releasing storage reserves for emergencies, but that quickly died down when agents of the Empire’s Culture and Propaganda Department, dispatched under Yuno’s orders, spread the rumor that a huge amount of food was being provided from the Empire. .
Eventually, Johannes’ subjects began to enthusiastically support annexation with the Balkans.
“He doesn’t suppress religion, doesn’t touch culture, and raises life to a higher level… Isn’t he such an ideal conqueror? Haha,”
After receiving this report, Juno spent his last night in Johannes drinking in the basement of his palace and enjoying the beautiful bodies of his sows.
