Frilian: Starting with Wind Spirit and Moon Shadow, Playing Through the Heavens

"Are you trying to put pressure on me? Seeing that my days are numbered, you want to take a few pieces from me?"

"They actually want me to give up my research into magic..."

"How outrageous!"

He crumpled the letter in his hand, as if that would release his anger.

Miliaelde quietly raised her eyes and glanced calmly at the Emperor.

As an elf who came to the unified empire decades ago with the sole desire to taste the emperor's wine, she looks to be only in her early twenties.

She wore a cloak, her posture elegant and mature, her voice somewhat indifferent:

“Your Majesty, I believe this is not a form of pressure, but rather a reminder that your lifespan is nearing its end.”

“Once you pass away, your son and grandson will succeed you, and with their current methods, they will be no match for the Church of Goddess.”

"At that time, whether you agree or not, this matter will proceed."

Miliearde's words were very blunt, and apart from using the necessary honorifics, there was no respect for the emperor in her speech.

This is only natural.

She is over four hundred years old this year, and her history even surpasses that of the unified empire itself.

The only thing that kept her here was the Emperor's Wine she longed for.

If this wine weren't only available when the emperor ascended the throne, she wouldn't have stayed here for so long.

Herbert IV listened to Miliard's words without getting angry.

He knew in his heart that these were undeniable facts.

Moreover, the current security within the royal city and the maintenance of the balance of power with the Church of the Goddess are all thanks to the strength of Miliald.

Even so, a feeling of irritation welled up in his heart.

After a moment's thought, the emperor asked in a deep voice:

"After I die, is there any way to continue to keep them in check?"

"The origins and methods of that newly appointed pope are unknown."

"He has never made a public appearance since becoming pope a month ago."

“Miliarde, you’ve lived this long, have you ever actually seen the legendary goddess?”

"Also, after I die, could you...?"

Before he could finish speaking, Milieald interrupted him directly:

"I apologize, Your Majesty, I made myself very clear before I came."

"I don't believe in the existence of goddesses because I have never seen one."

"I've heard of the legend from five hundred years ago, but I wasn't even born then..."

"As for what happens after your death, according to our previous agreement, I will leave here immediately once I obtain the Emperor's Wine."

Upon hearing this, the emperor was taken aback, a hint of disappointment flashing in his eyes.

He sighed almost imperceptibly, then asked:

"So, where do you plan to go after you leave here?"

"You've been here with me for over fifty years, you must have developed some feelings for me by now, right?"

"I'm sorry." Milield lowered her head, her eyes devoid of any emotion.

"Fifty years is just a blink of an eye for me."

"In my memory, it feels like just yesterday that we first met."

"After I leave here, I will find a quiet place to settle down, taking Emperor Wine with me."

"I plan to savor its flavor for the rest of my life."

"We'll think about other things after we've tasted it."

"I see..." The emperor's outstretched hand froze in mid-air, a helpless bitter smile appearing on his face.

He slowly lowered his hand, looked down, and sighed again.

I should have known better; elves are all so ruthless. What are fifty years to them?

Even an iron pestle can be ground into a needle after fifty years of polishing.

The air fell into a long silence at that moment.

After a long while, the emperor waved his hand, as if he had finally resigned himself to his fate:

"Fine, go now. Don't come back after I die."

"In any case, to you elves, no matter how long my unified empire exists, it's nothing more than a tiny ripple in your long lifespan..."

"What a pity, it would be great if you were human."

Milie Alder did not answer.

At this moment, all she could think about was the taste of the Emperor's Wine.

Thinking it over, I decided that when I left, I should take more with me.

She didn't care at all what would happen to the unified empire after she left.

They're just a group of humans.

The only thing that concerned her was the Pope.

According to those charlatans, it was a divine decree personally issued by the goddess.

I don't know if it's true or not.

Chapter 131, The Heavenly Vein Dragon Appears, Clues to the Flame Illusion Flower

"Your Holiness the Pope..."

At this moment, within the unified empire.

Apart from Miliearde, who was pondering what kind of person the Pope was.

A group of white-bearded old men were doing the same thing.

One was thinking, the other was writing; inside the church, black ink quickly appeared on the paper.

After they finished writing, they tied the writing to the little bird's leg and released it into the air. Only then did these white-bearded old men breathe a sigh of relief.

Looking in the direction the bird flew away, one person said:

"This is the third letter we've sent out this month."

Do you think His Holiness the Pope will reply?

As bishops of the Church of the Goddess, they held high positions and wielded considerable power within the church.

However, to this day, we still don't know what the Pope looks like or what his personality is like, which is extremely bizarre.

In other words, the goddess had given them a divine oracle, telling them a general location.

Otherwise, I'm afraid I'll never be able to contact the Pope in my entire life.

One person sighed softly, "Sigh, what difference does it make whether he goes back or not? This person clearly has been in contact with the goddess."

"The outgoing pope was forcibly removed from office, causing Archbishop Hal, who was supposed to be the successor to the pope, to vomit blood and fall into a coma."

"He has not regained consciousness to this day."

"The other archbishops have expressed their protests, both openly and covertly, but none of them have responded."

"This alone shows the new pope's unshakeable position in the goddess's heart. His identity is mysterious, just like a god."

"And since they are gods..."

He shook his head slightly, deliberately drawing out his words with a helpless tone, "Replying is a favor, not replying is also perfectly reasonable."

His words conveyed humility, and the others fell silent for a moment.

Although they all knew it was flattery, they didn't dislike it.

Because in their hearts, divine authority is supreme.

Since the goddess does not appear in the world, the pope is her representative and possesses supreme authority.

Unfortunately…

An old man with thick lips broke the silence: "His Holiness the Pope doesn't care, but we do."

"When the believers below heard that the new pope was appointed by the goddess, they became incredibly fanatical, and even the non-believers knew about it."

"The emperor questioned us about whether we were planning a rebellion."

Did the last letter mention when His Holiness the Pope would be visiting the Church headquarters?

The Church of the Goddess's proposal to the Emperor to "reopen magical research" was exactly what was mentioned in the previous letter.

Of the three letters, Ronan has only responded to one and has not yet considered going to headquarters.

Because the city was not yet completed, and the new emperor had not yet ascended the throne.

Even if we go now, the Magic Association still can't be established, so let's wait and see.

In response, an elderly man in a white robe with gray hair gently shook his head.

He also wanted to see the Pope, but everything was as predicted.

He sighed, "Let's wait. Whenever His Holiness the Pope comes to headquarters, we need to be fully prepared."

"I heard that His Holiness the Pope is not a monk, so he does not abstain from meat... Have you prepared any food or drinks?"

"Should the selection of a saintess also be put on the agenda?"

"If His Holiness the Pope were a young man, it would be terrible if he saw how old we old folks are."

Because the previous popes were stern and unsmiling, a solemn atmosphere permeated the entire Church of Goddess during their reign.

The older folks enjoyed it, but the younger ones felt constrained.