The Crumbling Holy See and a Glimmer of Hope

“You don’t often come here.”

“…”

“However, your presence here suggests you have something to say, doesn’t it? What’s troubling you? Have you encountered any recent vexations?”

“Given how dilapidated this church is, does anyone ever visit?”

“No, you are the only one who has come in the past month. The last visitor, an old woman, left behind an IOU stating ‘Owes my Lord five silver coins.’ Fifteen days ago, she peacefully returned to His embrace, and I offered prayers for her.”

“So, are you saddened to have lost another target for your schemes?”

“There’s no need for such sarcasm; you always seem to enjoy it. If you’ve merely come to indulge in your cynicism or to simply air your grievances, I will listen attentively. Yet, a small offering in the prayer box would not be amiss, would it?”

“…You truly are fond of money, aren’t you, Pastor?”

“It cannot be helped; this small chapel needs to survive.”

The person dropped coins into the box, then looked at the priest in the dilapidated church before them, clasping their hands together.

“Father, I have sins to confess to you.”

****

“Please, spare some change!” Along the city streets, there were always those who pleaded for help, sitting with tattered bowls in hand, hoping someone would offer assistance. Indeed, some considered extending aid to them a duty.

Such was the purpose of the almshouses; however, an inexplicable sentiment was now brewing within the gates of one such institution—a sentiment that echoed:

“Even the landlord’s granary is empty!” Finally, a woman wearing a nun’s habit roared aloud:

“Is this even porridge anymore? This concoction of wheat, a few grains of rice, and a large measure of horse feed is barely a gruel. At this level of dilution, it’s more akin to tea… and the taste—it’s utterly indescribable.”

Upon hearing this, the young woman, who had been holding a spoon, set down her iron utensil, glanced at the nun before her, and then sighed.

“Sister Lu Mei, please don’t criticize my soup like that,” the bespectacled nun said, “This is the best I can manage. Even an experienced housekeeper, faced with our current circumstances, could do no more.” Meanwhile, Sister Lu Mei was scratching her ear and temple in frustration.

“Precisely! If we truly have no food left, why are we still offering this to others as relief? Do you remember? When we still had rice porridge, we’d give it out and drink coarse gruel ourselves. Then, when the rice porridge ran out, we’d give out the coarse gruel and drink pumpkin porridge. After that, when the coarse gruel was gone, we had no choice but to offer the pumpkin porridge and gnaw on horse feed ourselves! Now, even the horse feed is being given away for relief, so the question remains: what are *we* going to eat?”

As she spoke, she gestured towards the courtyard before them:

“The almshouse can no longer even sustain itself, yet we are still concerned with others. This path leads to fundamental collapse, wouldn’t you agree? Sister Xi’er An, won’t you elope with me and escape this place?”

“Sister Lu Mei, please stop being so dramatic,” Xi’er An said calmly. “The water is almost boiling; please go attend to it.”

“…Ah, I have no strength. I don’t want to deal with any of that…” Almshouses were once a system established by the Holy See in various kingdoms, operated through dioceses to provide shelter for the lowest strata of society. With the world centered around the Holy See of Heaven’s Peak, this system functioned effectively, benefiting the people and forming the bedrock of the Holy See’s power from the ground up. However, in the wake of the Holy See’s recent turmoil, this entire system had fallen into dire straits.

****

“The collapse of Heaven’s Peak fundamentally signifies the fracturing and dissolution of the Holy See itself.” In an upper-class district, one man addressed another, who was clad in a round-collared tunic:

“The Pope was slain by the Hero, and simultaneously, the Demon King seized this opportunity to invade. The revered Hero, along with those Transmigrators (TL Note: Individuals who have crossed over from another world, often possessing unique abilities or knowledge.), once considered lowly vagrants—now more accurately referred to as Otherworld Travelers—united the entire continent to battle the Demon King’s legions. This conflict raged for nine long years, with victory only just declared. Yet, the entire continent has essentially lost an entire generation because of this war, and the Holy Army suffered devastating losses. The Holy See’s power is now fragmented into countless pieces due to the vacant primary seat, with every regional bishop vying to become the new leader. To achieve this, they need to garner support, am I correct, Bishop Rhys?”

“That is largely the situation,” the man in the round-collared tunic affirmed. “And I, too, am a bishop seeking the kingdom’s support. There was a time when, even without the Holy See’s direct involvement, monasteries, almshouses, and orphanages could sustain themselves through local offerings. But now, as you can see, I’ve begun arranging to sell the silver crucifixes from the church.”

“And do people actually want such items?”

“Melted into silver ingots, someone will always want it,” the bishop quipped. “Despite the Holy See’s current predicament, you still require us, do you not? After all, when confronting true demons, holy practitioners are a hundred times more reliable than Otherworld Travelers and adventurers. Foreign Minister Pierre, you must surely understand this.”

“That’s a slight exaggeration, perhaps, but we certainly need the Church to exist,” the Foreign Minister conceded, his gaze fixed on the other man. “However, you are also aware of our conditions. We can, of course, fund and assist the dioceses within our kingdom, as the welfare system is indeed necessary to address the needs of the lower-class citizens. Yet, we also have our own interests to secure.”

“If we adhere to your terms, the Church would cease to be a church, becoming merely a welfare institution under royal administration.”

“And shouldn’t it be precisely that way? In such circumstances, with the Holy See no longer in existence, what backing do you believe your Church still possesses? Surely, Bishop Rhys, you aren’t so naive as to misunderstand this basic truth? If your Church continues to reject this proposal, we will not provide you with even a single grain of rice. Indeed, we are prepared to establish and support a new, compliant church to replace yours; we have genuinely discussed this very option.” The man stated this, simultaneously adjusting his spectacles.

“I am speaking to you now as an old friend, not as a Foreign Minister.”

“…”

“Rhys, the times have changed. Those Otherworld Travelers must now coexist with us, just as the witches had to after the massacres of old. This will bring about change, significant change, and we can only adapt. Failure to adapt, for those who refuse to move with the tide, will leave nothing but what is called obsolescence.” Having uttered these words, the Foreign Minister looked intently at his counterpart.

“I hope you understand.”

****

“Rice! It’s rice!” In the lower streets, people caught sight of a cavalry troop transporting grain, and they rushed forward, eager to claim a share:

“Please, have mercy, noble Knight! We haven’t had a decent meal in days!”

“We beg you for your assistance! I have an entire family who haven’t eaten!”

Amidst the clamoring crowd, a knight, cloaked in a grand robe, rode a horse down the street, silence her constant companion. Suddenly, someone spotted something and cried out loudly:

“A cross emblem… She’s a Holy See Knight! A Holy See Knight!” This declaration instantly ignited the crowd, and their attitude towards her shifted in a flash:

“Holy See Knight! How dare you show your face here!”

“What exactly did you protect? Are you pleased that our men were sent to their deaths?”

“During the war, you consumed the most, strutting about with such arrogance, only to be beaten by the Demon King until you couldn’t even retaliate! This is you, the Holy See! Nothing but a complete mess, good only for swindling money!”

Entreaties instantly transformed into malice, and countless projectiles were hurled around them. Yet, the person leading the group remained silent, making no move, simply guiding their people to deliver the provisions to the almshouse.

“…You are…” Lu Mei opened the door. The Holy See Knight dismounted and stepped forward, making the sign of the cross.

“We are Holy See Knights from the Colmar Diocese,” the knight stated. “I am Ilivy. We have come here to deliver some wheat and pastries. Sister, may we impose upon you for a night’s lodging? We are quite weary.”

Seeing the person before her, Lu Mei’s face lit up with a joyous smile. “What a thing to say, Sir Ilivy! We’ve been anticipating your arrival for so long… Heavens! A randomly sent plea for help was actually answered! My goodness… This is a divine decree! It must be a divine decree!” With these words, she immediately threw open the main gate:

“Xi’er An! Come quickly and help settle our noble Knight! Hurry, hurry!”

****

“It’s fortunate I didn’t immediately agree to the Foreign Minister’s terms back then.” Bishop Rhys remarked, a look of relief gracing his face as he observed the long-haired Holy See Knight before him.

“We sent appeals for aid to several neighboring dioceses, but most replies indicated they were also struggling immensely, some even preparing to ask us for surplus grain. To think that the Colmar Diocese would come to our assistance at such a critical juncture is truly…”

“Our church does not possess an abundance of grain either,” Ilivy explained. “However, the Rose Church held significant commercial power in several kingdoms within the Colmar region before the war, thus preventing its outright collapse. Now, Archbishop Comelon intends to consolidate the surrounding churches, understanding that a single tree cannot stand alone.” As Ilivy spoke, Rhys nodded in agreement.

“Indeed, it must be so. The Holy See has fractured, but the Church endures. If we fail to integrate other ecclesiastical powers, the Church and its holy practitioners risk becoming mere appendages of the kingdom—a truly terrifying prospect. That would signify the absolute collapse of the Holy See’s influence. We must maintain our own system in this new era.”

“So, does Archbishop Comelon have a plan? To attempt to rebuild the Holy See with mere capital alone would be impossible,” Rhys stated, looking at the knight before him. The knight met his gaze, then reached into a pocket.

“We do have a plan. We once heard a rumor, a rumor concerning the former Holy Seat.”

“Oh…” As Rhys took the paper from Ilivy, which resembled a sealed letter, he read the words inscribed upon it, his expression shifting instantaneously.

“This is rather intriguing, Knight. Regarding this document…”