I'm an antique shop owner, so it's reasonable for me to know some magic

Chapter 502

……

After explaining the current investigation results to the police, Jamie walked out of the police station.

Alice had been waiting outside for a long time.

"This is a talisman that Su Fan asked me to bring to you."

She took out a stack of yellow talismans from her bag.

"How can this be... When did Su..."

"Excessive formalities between friends only make them seem distant. I can't use all these talismans by myself, and he clearly stated that there were enough for two people."

Alice expertly counted the yellow talismans, then separated nearly half and stuffed them directly into Jamie's hand. Her extravagant gesture resembled that of a wealthy landowner's naive daughter.

"Besides, he can have as much of this as he wants right now, so don't be shy."

"With these, you should be able to handle any unexpected situation. I'll leave the London cult to you. I'm off to the border to find those damned empty people..."

Alice sighed inwardly at this thought, and touched herself up and down, trying to find some youth-preserving pills, but she couldn't find them anywhere.

I forgot my food rations, I have to go back and get them...

……

Seeing Theresia's gluttonous appearance, Su Fan couldn't help but smile and tease her.

"It hasn't been long since breakfast, why are you wolfing it down? Didn't two big bowls of wontons fill your stomach?"

"The wontons were delicious, and I was already full at the time, but it's noon now. Not everyone is like you, Su, with an unusually strong physique."

Theresa paused eating to defend herself.

"Besides, it's not fully spring yet, so eating more can help keep warm."

There are plenty of ways to keep warm; you're not a seal that frequently dives into the deep sea and needs a thick layer of fat for warmth.

Su Fan was initially unconvinced, but he quickly realized something else.

Could it be that the village girl experienced a second growth spurt because she ate a lot?
After eating and drinking her fill, Theresa was satisfied and wiped her mouth with the tissues that were always on the table.

"If I could eat your cooking often, there would probably be nothing in this world that could bother me."

“A personal chef? That’s too extravagant, Theresa. You know, even the guy who lives at 10 Downing Street doesn’t have a personal chef.”

The unexpected humor made Theresa smile knowingly, but she quickly composed herself.

“As I told you before, it is not a suitable time to meet with His Majesty. His Majesty’s health is worrying, and he has now declined all visitors and political visits. At the same time, intense conflicts are also occurring within the Vatican.”

"Internal strife? Or factional infighting?"

Su Fan smiled.

"Now that we face a formidable enemy and the world is in turmoil, the Papacy itself is starting to fall into chaos, is that it?"

"Yes."

Theresa said heavily.

"A considerable number of bishops believe that it is unwise for His Majesty to allow priests and bishops in the Papacy to perform miracles in public."

They concluded that the various natural disasters and strange occurrences happening nowadays were caused by the decline of morality and were signs of the impending doom.

Those who died as a result were irredeemable sinners, just like those in the Bible who died in the great flood that washed away the entire world—irredeemable.

The trial is imminent; until then, the Holy See should preserve its power as much as possible and transform the Vatican into a Noah's Ark for the new era.

"This idea is not endorsed by His Majesty. When His Majesty was healthy, he used extremely strong methods to suppress other opinions within the Papacy. But now that His Majesty is seriously ill, those who had fallen silent have begun to stir again, vying for control of the current Holy See..."

"Many of them are wary of the Holy See's recovery and dare not make any big moves, but even so, the commotion is still considerable... If they find out about Heaven's plans..."

The inexhaustible holy power of the past has now become a non-renewable resource, which means that the miracles performed by the members of the Holy See are becoming increasingly rare.

Once the news spreads, most bishops within the Vatican will support a reduction in their power, even becoming reluctant to save others. Without holy power, they will no longer be the extraordinary figures treated as honored guests by governments around the world, losing all power and influence.

Faced with such consequences, the ordinary people who supposedly suffer life-threatening dangers and live in fear are nothing in their eyes.

After listening to Theresa express her worries, Su Fan could only sigh inwardly that this little village girl was too kind.

In reality, what is most likely to happen at that time is not internal contraction that disregards the lives of others, but rather a great papal battle where people kill each other and fight for holy relics and holy power.

Organizations like the Vatican have a very interesting characteristic: the closer a member is to the center of power, the less reverence they have for God.

To put it simply, good people can't become officials.

A group of ruthless and vicious old men are fighting amongst themselves, and most of their followers will suffer as a result.

Those of the saintly bloodline who possess the sacred shroud, such as Theresa, are the focus of special "care".

Thinking about this, Su Fan felt a sense of understanding.

No wonder Fergus eventually agreed to let Theresa stay in Britain.

The former was convinced that with Su Fan around, no monsters or demons could cause any trouble. London may seem dangerous, but it was actually much safer than the Papacy.

But... is it really that simple?

Su Fan recalled Theresa's description of the current pope's image and style of doing things, and a guess suddenly popped into his mind.

"So, as I suggested, let's put the meeting with Your Majesty on hold for now."

Theresa advised him with concern.

"Whether to postpone it or not depends on the situation. Perhaps His Majesty's illness will suddenly be cured by the time we go to the Vatican?"

Su Fan's optimistic guess, which seemed to come out of nowhere, left Theresa somewhat bewildered.

"Then... I'll take your good wishes?"

Looking at Theresa, who was still completely bewildered, Su Fan almost couldn't hold back, but finally managed to nod.

They lacked a keen political sense and absolute power.

Although Theresa is intelligent, she will ultimately suffer a great loss due to her limited perspective in her confrontations with the old Bitdens.

"Now that you're in Britain, worrying about the Vatican won't help. You'd better think about what's in front of you. For now, just focus on being your local patrol officer. And don't forget to bring the doll I gave you."

Overthinking is mentally and physically exhausting; the best way to avoid this is to find something to do.

"Don't leave without saying goodbye this time."

"Will not."

Theresa knew what Su Fan was referring to, and a wave of guilt washed over her.

"I was really sorry about last time... As compensation, I can promise you one thing."

"Oh? You want me to make my demands?"

Su Fan raised an eyebrow, clearly intrigued by what he heard.

"Yes."

"Can do everything."

"As long as it's not too excessive."

Theresa's voice trailed off as she spoke, and she finally mumbled a reply.

Seeing her like this, Su Fan suddenly felt a little mischievous.