The Holy Man of Another Century Gospel

Chapter 115 No sympathy for the same disease

As the annual exorcism memorial day approaches, people's hearts become restless and unsettled. At Lutia Cathedral, there are many more believers who come to pray to God than usual.

When Alan returned to the church, several noblewomen came out of it.

"Something seems off about that archbishop."

"I heard he was like this not long ago... and he's always been a rather strange person, now he looks even more like a ghost."

"But to be honest, I trust this stern-faced high priest more than the two new bishops who smile at me. He seems more trustworthy... although he doesn't really like the way nobles are."

Alan walked past them, overhearing their conversation, and his gaze involuntarily turned to the church.

The high priest, Simagu, who was also the Archbishop of Lutia, stood before the statue of Yera, gazing directly into her compassionate eyes.

Just as one of the noblewomen said, for some time now, Simagu has often maintained this posture, standing in front of the statue for a whole day.

To those Yela devotees, this was probably the ultimate devotion, akin to being possessed by a demon.

But Alan was closer to him, and his actual feelings were quite the opposite: it might not be wrong to call it the ultimate devotion, but his devotion was not reciprocated and had already shifted to another extreme.

—She vaguely sensed that Simagu was already doubting whether the gods truly existed.

Avoiding the passing believers, Aram slowly walked into the church, stopping only behind the high priest.

The thin bishop had sunken eyes, staring intently at the face of the deity, motionless.

Such a gaze was definitely not a sincere inquiry… Alan thought to himself.

She knew better than anyone what the high priest had gone through in the past year or two.

He was eccentric and already unpopular. When the previous Pope Sergio VI returned to the Kingdom of God, and he showed no reaction to the newly appointed Pope, even dismissing the messenger with just a "I know," the Papacy had no one left to speak up for him.

Elsewhere, even the vagrants outside Lutia who lived off garbage were no longer willing to let him treat their illnesses.

Pope Clement XI does not seem to intend for him to continue occupying the position of Archbishop of Lutia without doing anything. According to tradition, although the Imperial High Priest and the Archbishop of Lutia have long been the same person, they are two different identities in the eyes of the Vatican. At present, the Vatican seems to intend to separate the two again and return to a more traditional state.

More than two weeks ago, the Pope sent two apostolic envoys to Lutia in his own name.

Ostensibly, they came to inspect the situation in the diocese of Lutia on behalf of the Pope and to hear the more authentic voices of the faithful who were "isolated," but in reality, they were already making some decisions on behalf of Archbishop Simmagu.

Even Alan could see that this was a test; whether it would be a big step forward or a small step back depended entirely on how Simmagu reacted.

Simagu's reaction was no reaction.

Aside from fulfilling his duties as high priests and archbishops, he spent the rest of his time more diligently searching for and studying records of deities in ancient books and texts.

Or like now, stand before the idol, gaze silently, and question in quiet contemplation.

Alan could understand his reaction.

Now the Pope is the absolute leader of the entire Church, and Simmagu, who has no one or no power in the Vatican, has no room to resist.

According to her observations, Simmagu seemed to have abandoned his loyalty to the Papacy much earlier, and now it's less about not resisting and more about not caring.

Instead, there will be some overt procedures to follow. One of the two papal envoys will probably soon become the papal surrogate—a commissioner sent by the pope to exercise the powers of an archbishop when the position of archbishop of a diocese becomes vacant.

Alan even felt that if Simmagu simply gave up everything in the church and returned to the embrace of magic, he might actually achieve a higher status in the future, given his talent.

The premise is that he has to be someone who cares about this kind of thing...

Alan sighed silently.

When the new pope ascended to the throne, she witnessed Simmagu's despair firsthand and felt that it was the perfect opportunity to win him over.
But now, trying to win over such a person whose ideals have collapsed and who is so obsessed that he is almost insane has become a risky move.

Alan's mind conjured up images of panicked faces.

I wonder how things are going in the south...

More than six months ago, her companions who had fled from the south told her that the prime minister Luca, who had changed the fate of the Arameans, had been arrested, and she almost thought they were doomed.

The impact of this news on the other Aramean survivors was far more severe than she had imagined.

More than half of the clansmen demanded that the plan to restore the country be abandoned immediately, while another small half said they wanted to storm into Lutia and kill as many imperial nobles as possible. The rest were either wavering between the two or had put forward even more outrageous plans...

The internal conflicts and chaos are more intense than ever before.

She was astonished, but the older members of her tribe told her that this had always been the way the Arameans were, and that this was the norm for their people.

During that time, her mental breakdown was not much better than that of Xinmagu now.

She really wanted to ask, if the Aran people were like this, even if they could successfully restore their kingdom in a chaotic world, how long could they maintain it?
Should they allow that demon prime minister to become their king and continue to lead them?
In that case, what difference would it make from accepting the rule of the empire? That demon prime minister was a true imperial citizen, and all he could bring them was an iron-fisted order even stronger than that of the empire.

She never asked her question, and the clansman who had fled back from the south did not give up the rescue plan. After staying for a while, he led another group of people south.

And this happened several months ago...

After a moment of daze, Alan came to his senses, and Simagu was still standing motionless in front of the statue.

It's crazy.

She cursed under her breath, then quietly left, preparing to return to her residence.

Just as she was about to leave, she suddenly caught a glimpse of a figure outside the church waving at her.

Alan looked over and saw a person wearing a hood, with silver hair vaguely visible.

How did you find your way here?

She suddenly became quite nervous, glancing around to make sure no one seemed to care.

She walked quickly out of the church, and the man immediately pulled down his hood, revealing a face that was not the one Lutia often contacted.

"Are you insane! This is Lutia Cathedral!" Alan said in a low, angry voice, "Put your hood up!"

"Hmph, you're such a coward."

The silver-haired Aramean glanced around, his gaze settling on the believers, a clear look of disdain on his face. However, seeing the Aramean's unfriendly expression, he put his hood back on.

Rather than wondering when they could restore their kingdom, Alan was more interested in why such a race, which had no real strength yet had become so arrogant, had not been completely wiped out.
She walked out with her head down, and her companion, after chasing her for a while, became impatient. "How much further do you have to go? Is someone watching you?"

Having no other choice, Alan had to pull him to a slightly secluded corner by the roadside.

"Bertron, how did you end up in Lutia?"

“I didn’t come from ‘home’,” Bertram said, chin held high. “I went south with Boyle and rescued Lord Luca!”

Alan was startled and hurriedly asked, "You succeeded?"

"Of course. Several demon lords accompanied us to the south. With them around, rescuing someone is a piece of cake, isn't it?"

"What about the other tribesmen who were captured earlier?" Alan asked again.

Bertram's face darkened. "Everyone except Clive is dead."

Before Alan could speak, he continued, "But as long as Chancellor Luca is alive, it doesn't matter if all our people in the south are dead. As long as he's here, we still have hope, and sooner or later we'll avenge them with the blood of the Empire!"

"..."

Only someone who has never experienced life and death would be so generous about the lives of others.

When she thought about how most of the younger generation of her clansmen were like that, Alan felt powerless. She knew very well that in their eyes, she was one of those who wouldn't care if she died.

"Is that so?" she said coldly. "Then why have you come to see me now?"

“Lord Luca wants to see you,” Bertram said. “Didn’t you say a year ago that the archbishop was going to rebel?”

Alan was taken aback, then a glimmer of hope rekindled within him.

Even after a year and a brush with death, Prime Minister Luca still remembers this incident.

"It wasn't about betraying the Church; it's just that he was becoming increasingly unpopular with them, and I thought it was possible to win him over..."

"—Isn't it the same thing?"

Bertram said impatiently, "In short, Lord Luca wants to see you to find out about the bishop and the situation on Lutia's side."

Alan had never met the demon prime minister before, and he couldn't help but take a breath before nodding. "I understand. Has Lord Luca also entered the city?"

“No. What if there’s any danger here? This is the capital of Delan, not like that small country in the south where people can be rescued so easily,” Bertram said. “They’re waiting in an inn outside the city and sent me to find you.” Alan glanced at him.

In other words, he was actually sent to test the waters or to his death.

Although nobody here cares about the Arameans at all.

"With those demon lords?"

“Of course,” Bertram replied, his expression suddenly becoming more respectful, and he said in a low voice, “The princess has come too.”

Alan was momentarily confused, and subconsciously asked, "What princess?"

The royal family of Aran was wiped out when the kingdom was destroyed, so there is no royal family left. The people of Aran are now actually controlled by a few elders.

“Princess Kiraya is said to be the Demon King’s thirty-third child,” Bertram said.

Alan was startled. Even the demon princess had come to the capital of the human empire?
Moreover, they had already traveled back and forth across the north and south of the mainland with them.

It seems the demons are truly poised to strike...

Alan took a deep breath, unsure whether he was looking forward to it or feeling a little panicked—before the arrival of that demon prime minister, the demons in the far north were considered by Alan children to be on par with the imperial army, a cure for night crying.

“Then I’ll go with you now,” Alan said. Although she had only been back for a short time, no one in the cathedral paid any attention to her movements.

“No rush.” Bertram shook his head. “Lord Luca cannot enter the city easily. You need to find out more about the situation before you go to see him.”

"What's going on?" Alan frowned.

"Anything goes, as long as it's useful." Bertram became impatient again. "If Lord Luca asks you anything, can you answer it?"

“I’m only responsible for keeping an eye on Simmagu. I’m not the one collecting intelligence on Lutia,” Alan said.

Bertram paused, then muttered, "Is that so? But Fergus said you're in charge here."

Alan felt utterly powerless.

Bertram added, "Then you'd better think of a way. Anyway, Lord Luca wants to see you."

“…Let Finn come with me to see Lord Luca.” That was all she could say. “The intelligence that Lutia gathers will all be sent to him; he knows more.”

"Oh, how do I contact him?"

Alan was at a loss for words.

"Come with me."

The two left this area and headed towards the southern part of the city.

The capital's prosperity was dazzling, something Alan had long been accustomed to, but Bertram was seeing it for the first time. As he walked, his eyes would suddenly become fixed on a certain spot, a clear look of greed on his face. Coming back to his senses, he quickened his pace to catch up with Alan, who had stopped ahead to wait for him. After a few more steps, he would become lost in thought about something else.

"All of this will eventually belong to the Arans." Coming back to his senses, he saw the Arans standing in front of him, looking at him, and said heavily.

Alan was too lazy to shatter his fantasy.

Given the size of their Aran people, they would be overjoyed if they could get a small city or a piece of land the size of a count's territory after the demons moved south and occupied the empire. Lutia was hardly their place.

After walking for a while, they arrived at a bustling area in the southern district. Alan easily found the fruit and vegetable stalls where his tribesmen were selling their produce. Before he could even speak, Bertram pounced on him from behind.

"Finn!"

Two Arameans embraced deeply in the bustling city, while another Aramean stood to the side, his brow furrowed.

Pedestrians and glances passed by.

The two Arameans embraced for a while before the latter remembered to ask why they had come, while Bertram looked at the Arameans standing outside the stall.

She had no choice but to speak up for him and ask him to come with her to see the Demon Prime Minister who was waiting outside the city.

"What? Lord Luca has arrived?!"

"Keep your voice down!...That's what Bertram said."

Finn immediately packed up his stall. "I'm going to see Lord Luca now."

The two waited to the side, then followed him back to his cramped and dilapidated dwelling.

"Finn, you live in a place like this?"

"Do you think everyone is like Elise, living in the cathedral in the East District, eating and living well? If it were me, I certainly wouldn't have a sour face all the time."

Hearing the clansmen's veiled complaints, Alan sneered and said nothing.

"It's alright, soon everything here will be ours," Bertram reassured, his tone already treating his fantasy as a certainty.

The two then began to discuss excitedly, and even after they finished packing their things and headed out of the city, they were still somewhat reluctant to stop.

"The demons have arrived, and the future the Aran people have been waiting for has come to pass..."

Following behind the two, Alan glanced back at the city wall behind him.

It was dusk, and the setting sun painted a brilliant orange hue on the city wall, while casting an even larger shadow on the other side.

How long can this scene last...?

As they traveled out of the city, the inn where the group from the south stayed was quite a distance from Lutia. By the time Alan and his companions arrived, it was already dark.

The hotel was a mixed bag of people. The three of them concealed their faces, went upstairs to a room, and Bertram knocked a few times in a certain rhythm. The door opened, and the three of them quickly went inside.

Upon entering the room, Alan was greeted by a gray-skinned demon. He instinctively held his breath, his heart pounding.

These are real demons... the legendary demons who eat people.

And now she's actually an ally of the demons...

The two who had just arrived greeted their companions, and Alan, who was following at the back, suddenly took a deep breath.

"You are Elise?" The ordinary human who had been silent between the demons and the Arans spoke up.

Alan knew the other person's identity without even thinking. "Yes, Lord Luca."

Luca looked at her and said, "Tell me about Lutia's current situation."

Finn stepped forward at this moment, "Lord Luca, Elise doesn't know much. I'm the one who collects and summarizes all the information about Lutia."

Luca frowned. "Who is it?"

“It’s me, Lord Luca…” Finn’s voice trailed off.

This demon prime minister indeed looked down on the Arans.

Alan thought to himself, watching the fleeting change in Luca's expression.

She stepped aside, listening absentmindedly to Finn's report on the intelligence that needed attention in Lutia, but before long, she was interrupted by Luca.

"You've been lurking in Lutia for so long, and this is all you've found out? Can you even call this intelligence? The hotel owner downstairs knows more than you do."

Finn immediately lowered his head. "This is all intelligence that everyone has gathered. I'm mainly responsible for compiling it and contacting 'home'..."

He glanced back, his gaze landing on Alan's face, and immediately said, "Elise has always been by the High Priest's side, so she should know more."

A surge of anger immediately welled up in Alan's heart.

They eagerly claim credit, and immediately push her out when things go wrong. Do the Arameans have any sense of responsibility at all?
Luca wasn't in much better spirits than she was. He took a breath, suppressing his irritation, and said, "Elise, you tell her."

"Besides what Finn just mentioned, I can only tell you as much as I can about the situation and movements of High Priest Simmagus, as well as the attitudes of some nobles and dukes related to him. I have no access to or knowledge of anything else."

Luca frowned and nodded, and Alan then recounted everything he knew in chronological order.

Finally, she paused, "Given Simmagu's current state, I don't think contacting him right now is a good option. He's... dangerous and difficult to control."

Luca rarely showed a smile.

“I’ve been paying attention to this eccentric high priest for ten years… or rather, now is the perfect time.”

(End of this chapter)