Chapter 345: The Variable (Part 9)

  "This is truly His Majesty's own handwriting..." The Cardinal guarding the Grand Hall of Light and several high priests, with tears in their aged eyes, carefully examined the letter Adela presented. Although the handwriting was very hasty—probably because the Pope's life force was exhausted when he wrote it—it could still be identified as the Pope's.

  "His Majesty exhausted his entire lifespan by summoning the Guardian Angel Aura. I was about to come out and call for others, but His Majesty said there was no time. After giving me some final instructions, he hastily left this last letter and this ring to me, then passed away." Adela held out his hand; the unremarkable-looking Ring of Kings was now on his ring finger. "This is a critical time. The news of His Majesty's death cannot be revealed for now. My assumption of the role of Pope, according to His Majesty's final command, is only a temporary expedient measure. Once this turmoil has settled, I will naturally ask all of you Cardinals to reconvene and select a worthy successor. So for now, I ask for your cooperation."

  Although he still wore an expression of sorrow, Bishop Adela's words were firm and his demeanor composed; he even carried a faint air of authority from on high. What he said was also very reasonable. So, that Cardinal nodded, "I understand. If this is His Majesty the Pope's command..."

  "Is it really His Majesty the Pope's command?" Lancelot gave Adela a cold glance. He paused for a moment, then stepped into the Grand Hall of Light. "I want to see His Majesty the Pope's remains."

  "His Majesty's remains have already been completely incinerated by the Holy Flame of Light. That is the consequence of forcibly summoning the Guardian Angel Aura and using Universal Redemption. His Majesty's body and soul were taken to heaven together by the Holy Flame of Light," Adela said lightly.

  "This is the first I've heard of such a thing." Lancelot turned to look at Adela, his eyes narrowed. His sharp, thin gaze fell upon the face of the acting Pope.

  Adela shook his head. Without a trace of unnaturalness on his face, he sighed and said, "That is because His Majesty is the first person in history able to use Universal Redemption twice and summon the Guardian Angel Aura. In hundreds of years in Celeste, only one Pope has ever used Universal Redemption. It requires burning one's life force as the price to cast this Forbidden Spell, let alone a miracle like summoning the Guardian Angel Aura. His Majesty's soul has long been recognized by the great Lord. Otherwise, how could he possess such an ability?"

  Lancelot snorted coldly and said nothing, but the light in his eyes grew even sharper, as if he wanted to shred Adela's gentle and handsome face to pieces.

  This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

  Lancelot, of course, did not believe in things like the Lord and souls, but these were things he could not possibly say.

  "Since this is indeed His Majesty the Pope's final command, Lord Lancelot need not worry. The situation is not yet stable. This is not the time to dwell on such matters, is it?" A smile returned to Inham's face.

  He had not anticipated this variable at all. Although he had guessed that this battle would surely exhaust the Pope's strength, and his death would not be surprising, he did not know how Adela had managed to get that letter of testament and obtain the position of Pope.

  People who are good at calculation generally dislike surprises; the more calculating they are, the more they dislike them, and Inham was no exception. But an unexpected event like a windfall from heaven was something no one could dislike. The smile on his face was somewhat out of control. It was no longer that mask-like smile, but a truly happy one. He hadn't been this happy in a long time.

  Even though the formal position of Pope must be elected from among the Cardinals, there were not many Cardinals left now. If he allied with Adela, this 'temporary' and 'acting' Pope would no longer need to be 'temporary' or 'acting'.

  He no longer paid attention to Talise, who was standing behind Lancelot in a daze, holding Aimee. Whether a Paladin or a Temple Knight, they must obey the Pope's orders; this was an iron rule. So, the ownership of that leaf was no longer a concern.

  "Yes, for now, it is not yet the time to delve into these matters..." another Cardinal also nodded.

  "I believe now is precisely the time. In my view, there seems to be nothing more important than this," Lancelot said, not yielding an inch. A hint of killing intent even began to show in his eyes. Perhaps others were unclear, but he understood very well the background behind this acting Pope. Especially since not even the Pope's body could be seen, he could guess what had roughly happened.

  "Lord Lancelot, the duty of a Paladin is merely to fight. The orcs are in that direction, have you got that clear? Or..." Inham was still smiling. "...are you planning to rebel?"

  "Rebel? Yes, someone is rebelling. But it's not me..." Lancelot drew the sword from Talise's waist with a backhanded motion. A majestic killing intent and sword energy surged wildly from him.

  "Not you? Do you mean it's us? His Majesty the Pope's body is barely cold, and you dare to openly defy his final command." Inham floated back several steps. But he wasn't afraid; he was preparing.

  "Lord Lancelot..." The Cardinal and the several high priests around him felt the abnormal atmosphere and were all at a loss. On one side was the acting Pope, who had the Pope's testament and token of authority; although somewhat hasty, as an expedient measure in a critical time, it was indeed justifiable. On the other side was a Paladin whose fame and reputation were no less than the Pope's. Both sides were at a drawn-sword tension, on the verge of a fight.

  "Enough, there is no need to argue anymore." Adela waved his hand. Facing Lancelot's now obvious killing intent, he showed no sign of panic. "Lord Lancelot's faith and loyalty are absolutely beyond doubt. Before His Majesty passed away, he told me that you are someone he could trust completely."

  "His Majesty said that you are not his subordinate, but a like-minded friend. That is why I trust you."

  Inham and Lancelot were both stunned at the same time. Adela's reaction and words were both unexpected.

  "His Majesty also has last words for me to pass on to you..." Adela's next action surprised the two even more. He actually walked up to Lancelot and whispered a few words. These words were deliberately spoken very softly, and he even used some air magic, so that no one but Lancelot could hear them.

  "What did you say?" For someone with Lancelot's level of spiritual cultivation, who could almost regard life and death as nothing, after hearing these words, his whole body trembled. The expression on his face was so strange that the people around him could almost suspect if this was a Paladin impersonated by someone else.

  It wasn't just Lancelot's expression that was strange; Inham's expression had also changed slightly. He couldn't hear what Adela was saying, and precisely because he couldn't hear and couldn't even guess, he found it even more peculiar.