The Retreat of the Pope

“Have you read Professor Devon Regin’s Treatise on the Ark?”

“Isn’t that just a madman’s delusion?”

Bishop Carlos stood on the deck, silent, his gaze fixed on the tranquil sea before him.

It wasn’t until the Holy Church’s vessel slowly pulled away from the harbor that he finally spoke again. “While that book certainly contains many unfounded claims, passages to the Subspace truly do exist beneath the deep sea.”

“Is that true?”

Bishop Carlos did not answer the question. His gaze was fixed on the distant silhouette of a teal ship on the horizon.

‘The ship of the Greedy Witch?’

He took a deep, forceful breath, his voice dropping to a low tone. “Victoria, the enemy is here. Prepare defensive magic!”

“That might be a little difficult.”

Bishop Carlos’s expression shifted dramatically. He spun his head sharply, his eyes fixed on the old priest in white robes before him.

The old priest slowly revealed a strange smile to him, and said softly, “The enemy is already aboard, my Lord Bishop.”

Bishop Carlos stood in silence for a long moment, then suddenly spoke. “Heretic, we will meet again.”

His body instantly disintegrated into countless particles of light, vanishing in the blink of an eye.

Victoria narrowed her eyes. Bishop Carlos, the man, was dead; his decisiveness gave her no opportunity to probe the current state of that holy light.

The pirate ship, burning with teal flames, had already arrived before their vessel. A figure suddenly leaped onto the deck.

The young man looked at Victoria, who now occupied the old priest’s body, with a peculiar expression. “Are you sure you want to give me this ship?”

Victoria smiled faintly. “This is what we agreed upon.”

The young man couldn’t help but mutter, “Wouldn’t it have been better to do this earlier? I thought you weren’t willing to offer me blood sacrifices at all.”

Victoria’s lips twitched. “If the Holy Church hadn’t been planning to escape, you wouldn’t have received any blood sacrifices.”

Her consciousness quickly departed from the old priest’s body, and the pirate ship embarked on its new voyage.

****

Victoria entered the captain’s cabin, nudging the blonde girl dozing on the bed. “Lillia, wake up.”

The blonde girl groggily opened her eyes, letting out a strenuous yawn. “Is it another meeting?”

“It’s necessary.”

“Honestly… I understand.”

Lillia mumbled drowsily, and as she drifted back into slumber, Victoria’s soul was drawn along with her.

She offered no resistance, allowing the power to pull her into the dream.

When Victoria opened her eyes, Lillia was, as usual, quietly resting on her lap. Just as Victoria reached for the coffee on the small round table, Vivian and Anna simultaneously appeared before her.

Anna looked around, frowning slightly with discontent. “This time, it’s just the four of us again?”

No sooner had she spoken than a black-haired, black-eyed girl appeared on the grass.

Victoria looked at the black-haired girl with some surprise. “Lust? You actually managed to leave the Young Master to attend the meeting?”

The Lust Witch smiled faintly. “I merely happened to be free. So, have you dealt with Bishop Carlos?”

Victoria nodded. “Just as the Young Master planned, the Heretical Blood Demon has nearly destroyed the Holy Church’s branch in the Rheinhebo family’s territory. Now, only a group of enforcers who haven’t reached the core of the Holy Church’s power and priests who only know how to pray remain.”

The Lust Witch nodded thoughtfully. “Most of the people within the Rheinhebo family have also been replaced by me. This city-state is now completely in the Young Master’s hands. However, it seems the Young Master has recently developed a great interest in a certain enforcer.”

She spoke with a light, airy tone, but the expressions of the three present changed upon hearing it.

Vivian suddenly spoke with an urgent tone. “It’s… it’s not that much interest, right! Doesn’t that enforcer even have a child already?”

The Lust Witch looked at Vivian with a half-smile. “But that child is her sister’s; she herself is still pure. Besides, perhaps the Young Master simply likes married women?”

Victoria suddenly clapped her hands, a slight smile on her face. “Alright, let’s find another time to discuss the Young Master’s preferences. Now that the Holy Church’s branch in the Rheinhebo territory only has grassroots members, they lack both the means to confront heretics directly and the ability to heal the populace. This is the situation the Young Master wished to create. Therefore, the Young Master’s next plan must be to gradually replace the Holy Church’s raison d’être, which is to ensure the safety of the populace.”

The ‘safety of the populace’ she referred to encompassed two aspects: public order and medical care.

The Holy Church’s enforcers only handled cases related to heretics, while public order issues caused by ordinary people were the responsibility of the incumbent constables.

Constables were appointed directly by the liege lord. The current Chief Constable was an old friend of the late Count, and also the Rheinhebo family’s ‘black hand,’ having illicitly seized countless assets during his tenure.

The Lust Witch frowned at this. “Only those of the Holy Church know healing magic within the Empire. My authority has a fatal flaw; it cannot be directly used on the populace. Furthermore, my identity is not suitable for public appearance. Greedy, have you found other means?”

Victoria shook her head. “Regrettably, no.”

The Lust Witch’s frown deepened. “Then how are we to replace the Holy Church’s standing in the hearts of the people?”

Victoria chuckled softly. “I believe the Young Master has already made preparations.”

“You know what the Young Master intends to do?”

“I don’t know. I don’t even have a single clue. But this is precisely the Young Master’s greatness. From the very beginning, he had already written the script. We merely need to play our roles within it.”

Victoria paused, her expression suddenly turning solemn. “One last thing: the Pope has withdrawn her troops.”

As she uttered these words, the expressions of the girls present all changed dramatically. Even the Sloth Witch, who had been dozing, couldn’t help but open her eyes at this point.

The Lust Witch looked at Victoria with unease. “Are you saying she’s coming back? But why? How could the Holy Church retreat so easily?”

Victoria shook her head, speaking softly. “I’m not entirely sure, but perhaps something is wrong with that holy light. Originally, I had intended to probe it through Bishop Carlos. Unfortunately, that old man was even more decisive than I anticipated.”

The Lust Witch murmured, head bowed, “Why did something have to go wrong at this particular moment? Could it be the Young Master’s doing? Does the Young Master want her to return?”

“This is precisely what I’m worried about. If the Young Master shows favoritism towards her, none of us will have any opportunities left. Therefore, I believe it’s time for us to set aside our differences, allow me to gain the Young Master’s favor first, and then bring the others along.”

Anna immediately scoffed. “Why you?”

Victoria responded calmly. “Because I understand the Young Master’s thoughts best.”

“Is that so? But I think Vivian has a greater chance of success. The Young Master has already agreed to go on a date with her.”

“Do you think such a lie can deceive me?”

“And yet you’re capable of saying a lie like ‘first love leads to later love’?”

Victoria gazed at Anna calmly, then suddenly chuckled. “Then let’s each rely on our own abilities. You two go first; don’t hold back.”

She appeared magnanimous, yet she utterly disregarded both Anna and Vivian.