From the God of Lies to the Lord of All Worlds

Chapter 211 The Passing of the Pious
Three days after the Milan Night, Rome.

Today, Rome is so bustling it feels like it has returned to 150 years ago, to the time when the city had just been reclaimed from the Papal States, during the Kingdom of Italy.

People here back then were celebrating the city's return to "civilization," while people here now are celebrating their re-embracing of "God."

All I can say is that this moment coincides with that moment!
This celebration was not led by Mario; on the contrary, it had nothing to do with the Vatican from beginning to end, but rather with the authorities in Rome.

After realizing the weakness of their own country in the face of the global situation, and especially after witnessing the power of the Papacy, the Roman authorities finally understood what choice they should make!

This kind of road is actually very easy to choose. Aren't our northern neighbors setting an example for them?
Rather than trying to get along with these so-called "great powers" and still inevitably getting taken advantage of, schemed against, or even becoming prey on the chopping block, it's better to be more direct and embrace the Papacy!

At the very least, the Vatican needs them to maintain political stability, govern the country, and consolidate the faith of the people; it is unlikely that it can seek much benefit from them!
All things considered, cooperating with the Vatican is much more comfortable than cooperating with those so-called major powers.

Furthermore, while the Vatican may ignore those major powers, can those major powers ignore the Vatican? Absolutely not!
The mystery they feared was insignificant before the true gods, and the benefits they valued were merely ordinary in the eyes of these extraordinary beings.

Isn't it just faith? In this country, faith has been in the hands of the Vatican for so many years, and it seems there's no difference!

By turning the country to the Papacy, they seem to have paid a lot, but in reality, they have paid nothing and are reaping immediate benefits. They've won big!

Therefore, when the Vatican achieved a victory, or even a "great triumph," in Milan, Prime Minister Lomeni, with Mario's consent, immediately spread the news throughout the world that very night!

There is no video recording, of course, but a “recording” about angels, a judgment about sin, and the thunder that resounded throughout Italy have never been lacking.

This powerful and extraordinary force has already proven to the world that Italy is under the protection of the Papacy!

Taking this opportunity, Lomeni sent her missionary teams around the world to tell the story of "Italy receiving divine grace and defeating darkness," thus firmly binding the country's war machine to the Papacy!
Now, whether it's America, England, France, or the northern geese, they'll have to think twice before making a move against him, given the Papal States' growing power!

This was something that Lomeni, who was usually overwhelmed by international affairs, suddenly found herself able to breathe again!

To her surprise, she discovered that if they did this, although Rome would lose some autonomy, as long as the Pope did not interfere in their domestic politics, it would be the most relaxed moment for the Italian Republic since its founding!

After all, no one cared about the former pope, but the current pope is watched by everyone, and with a tall figure by her side, she only needs to manage her own little corner of the world.

Without so many international strategies, there's no need to worry about international influence, let alone so-called "sanctions," especially because of the relationship between the Vatican and America, there's no need to worry about sanctions from across the ocean. As a result, the country's right-wing parties have suddenly become very active!

A tough stance on international affairs, but a more lenient approach domestically, rejecting all forms of forced levies and reducing various domestic taxes as appropriate.

Surprisingly, this garnered a lot of positive reviews!

What? You're saying this doesn't comply with international law? Okay, here's a phone number. Call the Vatican and see what they have to say.
To their surprise, the entire country's situation was revitalized by this simple event.
Having a big tree to shelter under and a powerful figure by your side is the most profound lesson these people in the Roman government have learned during this period!
That's not all; because of this change, their international standing has even improved.

This is inevitable. In previous European conferences or international affairs, Italy had a voice, but that was all it had.

I'll just say a few words; not many people will listen anyway!

But now, they not only have a voice, but from the moment the angels descended and punishment appeared, they were pleasantly surprised to find that now, when they go out to meetings, no matter who it is, they will eventually ask for their opinion. They may still not be able to change anything, but they can now have a voice in front of countries around the world!
This is the biggest change!
It was precisely because of this that, after much painful reflection, Lomeni and other high-ranking officials decided to forge an even deeper alliance with the Vatican. So, with a wave of their hand, they directly donated the remaining government properties in the city to the Vatican!

They understand, don't they? They've gained so much benefit, so of course they'll do whatever the Vatican says!

The result, of course, was that the Pope tacitly allowed them to celebrate in the city. In fact, to make their celebration more legitimate, Mario even helped the Roman government officials come up with a reason.

That was to bid farewell to Archbishop Nicholas Dio of Milan as he traveled to America, to Los Angeles, for baptism!

For them, this was merely a convenient door, but for the world, it was tantamount to the Vatican announcing to the world, "Italy is under my protection!"

Therefore, this celebration ceremony, even without the Pope, still appeared grand and joyous, a symbol of a nation's complete rise to power!
"Your Majesty Mario, this country has changed because of your words!" Lasinger said with satisfaction upon hearing the voice outside. This naturally made him very happy, after all, it was his wish with Mario back then, the wish to make the Holy See great again, and now it could be considered to have been fulfilled.

Mario's expression remained unchanged as he said softly, "But our focus has long since shifted beyond this country, hasn't it?"

"Our current goal is to strengthen our forces, clean up our ranks, and prepare for the real crisis!"

With the continuous flow of power upon him, this pope's vision has clearly undergone a new change. He is no longer confined to a single city or region, but has set his sights on the entire world!
He wasn't the kind of pope in history who was truly obsessed with power. Secular power meant nothing to him, and he didn't even really want to spread his faith. He simply issued a decree to take back the believers in the five Nordic countries.

The extent of their faith is not something they need to consider right now. Both angels and saints have said that the greatest crisis to come is the arrival of darkness, the descent of demons, and the arrival of a terrible apocalypse.

Therefore, Mario's priority is to strengthen his team and enhance their power in order to prepare for any potential crisis.

“You’re right!” Rasinger nodded. “Cardinal Nicky will become our new strength. Having been possessed by an angel, he will not be hindered by the commandments!”

“Hmm!” Mario agreed, then casually asked, “Where are Leon and the others?”

"Father Lyon, Brother Gabriel, and Father Andrea are leading our new team to Sicily!" Lasinger said with a smile. "They will clear out the remaining vampires on the island and search for traces of darkness along the seven cities cleansed by angels!"

"I'm sure that along this journey, our Shadow Guard, Paladin team, and Exorcist team will all have grown to a certain extent!"

"Great, great!" Mario exclaimed. "With you all inside and them outside, I finally see a truly enlightened Papacy with the opportunity to grow!"

"It's all thanks to your perseverance in Milan, otherwise we wouldn't have had such a great opportunity..."

"Lasinger? Lasinger? Lasinger Leo?" Mario's voice rang out, but there was no reply. The elderly pope tremblingly reached out his hand, wanting to check on his old friend.

Even though the holy light and divinity had already revealed the whole truth to him, he still wanted to see more...

Sure enough, at some point, the old cardinal had stopped breathing and had completely died.

But Mario could sense that he hadn't truly died, but had been elevated and was about to go to heaven with the Lord's angels.

Sure enough, as his prayers rang out, Rasinger's face reappeared before Pope Mario, smiling regretfully at him, "I'm sorry, Your Majesty Mario, my body is still too weak; welcoming the angels is too much of a strain!"

"I won't be able to be with you to see the Papacy grow stronger; I can only wait for you in the heavens, my old friend!"

Tears welled in the elderly bishop's eyes. "Please forgive me for leaving without saying goodbye. The entire Vatican will depend on you from now on!"

Mario, however, took it all in stride. He chuckled softly, “I won’t be here much longer either. Let’s clear away the obstacles and let Angus, this young man, take over! He has the Lord’s favor, better abilities, and unparalleled piety. He’ll do a better job than I do!”

"Wait for me, old friend, we'll meet again!"

The two looked at each other in silence, seemingly recalling the days decades ago when they fought side by side in the jungle—back then, two young people, full of passion, had finally made it to the end.

"Our passion hasn't cooled, our hope hasn't faded, we still have a new tomorrow, old friends!" Mario said softly. Suddenly, the people in front of him vanished, leaving only a ray of white light that shot straight into the sky.

Three days after his descent into God, Cardinal Lasinger Leo, a Vatican cardinal, a close friend of the Pope, passed away peacefully on the morning of August 5 at the age of 79.

The descent of angels always comes at a price.

(End of this chapter)