I'm really a serious wizard.

Chapter 234 Kids, I'm back!

Cyrus VII broke out in a cold sweat, and the kind smile on his face crumbled completely.

His aged hand, as if in disbelief, reached into the red curtain again. When he touched the strange shape of the ox, his face contorted for a moment before he trembled and withdrew his hand.

How terrible!

How evil!
What a bastard!

Stealing the papal scepter is one thing, but why keep it?!

The Pope's gaze suddenly held a hint of despair. He gave a bitter smile, realizing his reputation was beyond saving.
Looking at the tens of thousands of cheering people below the stage, I suddenly felt that the distance between us was so vast.

People's joys and sorrows are not the same, and Cyrus VII only found them noisy.

In this atmosphere of extreme silence, Cyrus VII forced a smile, mentally drafting his speech, hesitant to take the next step.

But at that moment, among the tens of thousands of people in the Cathedral Square, someone suddenly started to jeer:

"Your Holiness, hurry and get the scepter! The Divine Lord can't wait any longer!"

Cyrus VII's sharp gaze swept across the crowd, but he couldn't find anyone stirring things up.

There are bad people among the crowd.
In the instant he understood, he did not hesitate. He immediately wrapped the strange object made of fine gold in a red cloth, then held it firmly in his hand and turned to leave.

But at that moment, Cyrus VII suddenly felt a slight heaviness in his arm, and strange and powerful magical fluctuations gathered around him.

His expression changed drastically, and he instinctively reached out to throw what he was holding.

But upon realizing what he held in his hand, the Pope's lips twitched, and he hesitated for a moment in full view of everyone.

But in that instant, the miniature teleportation array embedded in the refined gold was activated.

With a ripping sound, the red curtain was torn into shreds by the powerful magic, and Cyrus VII's figure flickered and disappeared without giving anyone time to react.

bang-

The heavy adamantite artifact fell to the ground, and the one-time miniature teleportation array collapsed and disintegrated, turning into starlight-like specks of light.

On the high platform, strangely shaped adamantite artifacts rolled to the ground, attracting the attention of the king's ministers, royal councilors, as well as papal priests and white archbishops.

"That is!"

Catherine covered her mouth with both hands and gasped in disbelief.

This wasn't because she was ignorant, but rather to divert everyone's attention.

The Pope's disappearance in public is no small matter; every second counts.

At the same time, she suddenly gave a wink to the vice commander of the Templar Knights beside her.

Diamond, who looked just like Steve, understood immediately. He strode to the edge of the platform, took the ancient horn hanging from his waist, and brought it to his lips to play it with all his might.

hum-

With a long, deep blast of a horn, knights clad in heavy armor suddenly appeared from the residential houses surrounding the Cathedral Square.

They were well-trained and moved swiftly to form a formation, replacing the clergy of the Vatican and beginning to maintain order at the scene.

"Where did these knights come from?"

"What happened? Where is His Holiness the Pope?"

Why did His Holiness the Pope suddenly leave?

"Hey, did anyone see what just happened? There seemed to be something flashing on the platform!" In an instant, a series of dazzling whispers arose as tens of thousands of believers in the church square whispered among themselves.

"Look, it's Her Majesty the Empress!"

Just then, someone in the crowd pointed to the platform.

One person's voice is limited, but fortunately, among tens of thousands of people, it wasn't just one person who spotted Catherine.

The girl, whose appearance seemed to have stepped out of a myth, exuded an aura that inspired absolute trust.
"The Pope has been assassinated. The entire area is sealed off. No one inside the Holy Church is to be allowed to leave."

She said authoritatively.

This was pre-arranged to prevent Cyrus VII from falling into a trap and receiving help from his subordinates.

Seeing that the Knights and the Kingdom's army were quickly evacuating the people and blocking all the entrances and exits of the Holy Church, Ron felt much more at ease.

It worked!
He excitedly pumped his fist, all the worries and pressure that had accumulated over the past few days suddenly vanished, and he almost collapsed onto the white stone slabs of the square.

The plan was going so smoothly that Ron felt a little unreal.

Now all we need to do is wait for news from the president; hopefully, it will be successful.
In any case, Cyrus VII was an old man, and no matter how powerful he was, he couldn't defeat three opponents of the same level.

Ron silently analyzed the situation, trying to ease his slightly tense mood.

But just as he felt a little more at ease, the blond boy froze and suddenly heard a familiar, aged voice.

"slow!"

At that moment, Ron felt as if his neck was filled with glue, making it extremely difficult to twist.

At the ten-meter-high archway of the sacred church, an aged figure wearing a papal robe, a triple crown, and holding a precious gold inlaid with gemstones suddenly appeared.

Cyrus VII glanced around, a faint smile on his face, and said with a gentle yet slightly mocking gaze:
"Indeed, someone wanted to assassinate me, but fortunately, the gods protected me!"

Why did Cyrus VII suddenly appear?
Could the teleportation array be malfunctioning? No, that's impossible; that doesn't explain the papal scepter in his hand.

That guy is really cunning and shrewd!

Upon witnessing this scene, Ron gave the Pope the highest praise in his heart.

Based on the current situation and the intelligence we have, even if he were a pig, he should understand what exactly happened.

The Cyrus VII who was on the high platform just now was just an imposter, and even the papal scepter that Ron stole was likely a replica made of the same material.

I should have thought of that sooner!

When Ron arrived at the Festival of Eternal Day and saw that Cyrus VII was not carrying the papal scepter, he subconsciously lowered his guard.
However, when the papal scepter was stolen, it did not interact with the audience as it did the first time.
At the time, time was tight and the task was heavy, and Ron subconsciously overlooked this point.

Yes, Coster told me that the Pope was holding a scepter when he convened the cardinals yesterday!
If we switch roles and put ourselves in each other's shoes,
When Cyrus VII knew he was going to be attacked, and even planned the time and place of the attack, he undoubtedly gained a certain degree of initiative.
At the same time, he also lowered his standards and cooperated with a group of cultists who enjoyed betrayal. It would be a real fool not to be on guard.

In situations where the opponent is powerful and teammates are likely to betray you at any time, having a decoy in front and the real person behind the scenes is undoubtedly the safest, most efficient, and most advantageous method.

At the very least, if things really do develop in the worst possible direction, he will have some time to react.

"The ceremony is suspended to protect His Holiness the Pope!"

Just then, the nine white-robed archbishops who had been surrounding Celeste VII on the high platform of the Holy Church descended from the sky and blocked the heavily armored knights who were confronting the Pope.

This is the worst-case scenario.

Ron thought to himself.

(End of this chapter)