The Archbishop’s Grand Entrance and the Unveiling of Secrets

‘But, Archbishop, there’s absolutely no need for you to undertake this mission. It’s my responsibility, and I couldn’t possibly trouble you with it.’

The Archbishop clapped his hands, signaling Yelica to quiet down.

‘Like Mr. Finn, I, too, have ulterior motives,’ he explained. ‘Following the recent overseas visits by members of the royal family, some among the nobility have grown restless. This investigation will not only assist you but also serve as a clear statement, showing those parasites exactly where they stand.’

Yelica’s eyes widened in sudden understanding. “So, you intend to make a demonstration?”

“Precisely.”

‘And to make a demonstration to Yodel Finn himself, letting him know I am watching over Yelica, so he dares not act rashly against her.’ This last thought the Archbishop kept to himself.

Their conversation concluded for the time being, and they each retired for the night.

At the break of dawn, accompanied by a retinue of monks, they boarded a specialized carriage and set off in a grand procession towards Fuli Aiwen’s estate.

“Your Eminence,” Yelica inquired, “won’t approaching with such a grand display alert our quarry?”

“Under normal circumstances, yes, it would,” the Archbishop conceded. “However, our objective this time is to create a disturbance, not to conduct a genuine investigation. We shall amplify our presence, ensuring our media friends witness it all. The sheer task of managing public opinion will be enough to overwhelm them.”

“Oh…”

Indeed, the Archbishop’s words had already proven prophetic. Given the immense influence of the Church of the Holy Hymn, numerous journalists had caught wind of their movement, speculating on the destination of the Holy Hymn convoy.

Their curiosity was soon satisfied. The convoy halted before the Aiwen family’s grand manor, and the lower-ranking monks promptly disembarked from the carriages, forming two orderly lines along the roadside.

The assembled crowd and reporters, though kept at a distance from the manor by the monks, craned their necks, eager to discern the purpose behind the Church of the Holy Hymn’s elaborate display.

Yelica then descended from the carriage after the monks, unfolding the retractable steps, and stood quietly to the side.

Following her, Archbishop Sasha made his grand entrance.

Whispers had already begun to ripple through the crowd upon Yelica’s appearance, but by the time the Archbishop stepped down from the carriage, the murmurs had escalated into a full-blown clamor.

The Aiwen manor’s butler hastily positioned himself at the main entrance to greet them, beads of sweat glistening on his forehead. He hadn’t the faintest idea what new whim had possessed the Church of the Holy Hymn.

The Archbishop’s composure stood in stark contrast to the butler’s frantic state.

He approached the manor’s entrance with Yelica by his side, smiling like a kindly, ordinary sixty-year-old man.

“Archbishop Sasha of the Church of the Holy Hymn,” he announced, “has come specifically to pay a visit to the Aiwen family. Might we impose upon your hospitality for a brief discussion within?”

“This…” The butler froze. By all rights, he should have turned away uninvited guests to prevent the Church of the Holy Hymn from discovering anything untoward. The problem, however, was that this particular uninvited guest was His Eminence, the Archbishop himself.

Which was the graver offense: having something discovered, or publicly barring the Archbishop from entry?

Either choice spelled disaster, so the Archbishop “considerately” made the decision for the butler. With a single command, several Inquisitors, each leading a squad of monks, marched openly through the main entrance into the manor.

Nodding with a smile to the butler, Sasha swept past him, ushering Yelica into the Aiwen residence.

No sooner had they crossed the threshold than a heavily made-up woman, smiling obsequiously, approached them.

“Your esteemed Eminence, Lady Inquisitor, the family head is not present today. I, Fuli Aiwen, shall be your hostess.”

“No matter, no matter,” the Archbishop replied, his smile unwavering as he uttered truly terrifying words. “My visit isn’t for anything significant. Merely a report that the Aiwen family is colluding with cultists, so I’ve come for a casual look around.”

No sooner had his words faded than several servants, who had been idly observing, immediately dropped to their knees, desperately kowtowing and repeatedly insisting they were merely hired hands, with no ties whatsoever to the Aiwen family.

Fuli, sensing impending disaster, was about to offer a rebuttal when the Archbishop cut her off.

“Hahahaha,” he chuckled, “the Aiwen family is a renowned model of nobility in Langdon City. How could they possibly be involved with cults? My purpose in bringing people to search the Aiwen estate today is precisely to clear your name. I trust you won’t refuse our goodwill, will you?”

Fuli managed a smile that was more hideous than a grimace. Who would truly care whether the Aiwen family was innocent or not? The public and media would only focus on the Church of the Holy Hymn’s raid on the Aiwen manor. The “cult-related” stigma had already been firmly affixed.

More critically, the report was true!

Though she had no idea how the intelligence had leaked, the fact that the Aiwen family colluded with cultists was undeniable!

Their family head, Ellis Aiwen, was not merely absent; he had willingly transformed into a living corpse to pledge loyalty to the Eternal Life Society, rendering him unable to be seen.

Yet, confronted by absolute power, Fuli lacked even the courage to verbally object, watching helplessly as the Holy Hymn followers scoured her home.

However, she soon realized that while the Holy Hymn followers’ investigation was grand in scale, it wasn’t particularly thorough; it seemed more like a performance.

This, in fact, was precisely as the Archbishop had instructed. Their sole purpose was to cause trouble for the Aiwen family, not to genuinely uncover anything. A grand spectacle was sufficient to make their point.

This observation sparked a flicker of hope in Fuli’s otherwise despairing heart: what if the Holy Hymn followers, due to their perfunctory search, failed to discover any anomalies?

Indeed, events seemed to be unfolding precisely as she had hoped.

After searching for only about ten minutes, the Holy Hymn followers reassembled around the Archbishop, appearing to have found nothing of significance.

Fuli let out a significant sigh of relief, a newfound composure subtly easing into her forced smile.

“Your Eminence, you see?” Fuli announced, “That report was indeed a baseless rumor. How could we possibly be involved with cultists? Hahahaha!”

Just then, one of Yelica’s monks hurried to her side and whispered a few words into her ear.

Upon hearing them, Yelica’s expression grew increasingly peculiar.

“Your Eminence,” Yelica reported, “my people have discovered a substantial amount of Soul-Exchange Grass (TL Note: An herb known to be procured in large quantities by the Eternal Life Society cult, often associated with spiritual transformations.) residue in the basement.”

Sasha raised an eyebrow, not understanding why Yelica seemed so concerned.

“Soul-Exchange Grass? I’m not particularly well-versed in pharmacology, Yelica. Could you elaborate?”

“The Soul-Exchange Grass itself isn’t inherently problematic,” Yelica explained. “However, to my knowledge, the cult known as the Eternal Life Society has recently been acquiring this herb in large quantities.”

As she spoke, Yelica subtly leveled her staff, its tip implicitly pointing towards Fuli.

The Archbishop, naturally, did not miss this detail, realizing that the Aiwen family might not be as straightforward as they appeared.

“Re-investigate!” he commanded. “This time, be utterly meticulous.”

“Eh? But wasn’t it already concluded? Why re-examine…”

Fuli was stunned, instinctively stepping forward a few paces, only to be immediately forced back by the bayonet-like tip of Yelica’s staff.

This time, the Inquisitors and monks ransacked the premises for a full hour.

“Report, Your Eminence!” a voice called out. “We’ve discovered a secret passage within the basement’s drainage system!”

As Fuli waited in trepidation, her greatest fear materialized: the hiding place of the family head, Ellis Aiwen, had been exposed.