It's so hard being a hero!

Because she was pondering whether the old emperor was truly fulfilling his own ideals or Su Lan's ideals.

Or perhaps it was his past self who gave him an unrealistic ideal.

Sophia shook her head, temporarily suppressing these thoughts.

Since things have come to this point, there's no point in thinking about it further; even if you figure it out, it won't change anything.

Back in her dorm, Evelyn was sitting on her bed reading a book.

When she saw Sophia enter with a somber expression, she knew the outcome probably wasn't good.

"You're back? Why do you look so down? Did things not go well?"

Sophia hummed in agreement and lay down on her bed.

I couldn't dissuade him.

Evelyn sighed slightly upon hearing this.

"With Daniela's intervention, the old emperor's current physical condition and willpower cannot withstand it."

She believed that the problem stemmed from the medication, which caused the old emperor to become so paranoid.

But only Sophia knew that the old emperor's obsession had little to do with the drugs.

So, Sophia didn't sleep a wink all night, because something big was going to happen the next day.

Sure enough, the next morning, Vic sent Sophia a message.

That means the Vatican has taken action. Archbishop Clem led a team directly to the palace.

When Sophia saw the message, her mind was already racing, predicting what would happen next and the old emperor's fate.

The old emperor would die if he left Daniela, so it's impossible for him to allow the Papacy to capture her.

Therefore, confrontation with the Papacy is inevitable.

Sure enough, not long after, another message came from Vic.

It is said that Griffin and his men blocked the palace gates, preventing the Papacy's people from entering.

Clem had the Pope's orders, and Griffin had the Emperor's death order; neither was willing to yield to the other.

After reading the message, Sophia sighed silently to herself.

Griffin is a Holy Warrior and the Grand Master of the Royal Knights. He guards the palace gates to the death, and the Papacy cannot enter unless they force their way in.

But if the Papacy forces its way in, it would be tantamount to directly breaking ties with the imperial family.

Although the Papacy holds a transcendent position on the continent, the Delos Empire is not a vassal of the Papacy, and the relationship between the two has always been one of mutual checks and balances.

Moreover, it nominally belongs to the empire.

If Clem insists on going his own way, he might end up being accused of treason.

So the situation reached a stalemate.

However, shortly after the Papacy's actions, Crown Prince Leo immediately issued a proclamation stating that the Emperor was controlled by the evil goddess Lilith, his orders were invalid, and he would temporarily take over all imperial institutions.

Leo finally took this step.

He intends to stage a coup to force the old emperor to abdicate, which is currently the only way to prevent the old emperor from attacking the orc empire and being exploited by Lilith.

However, the military did not recognize Leo's orders at all.

The Grand Marshal of the Army directly accused Leo of rebellion and demanded that the Emperor personally issue an order.

But everyone knows that those high-ranking military officials, while saying nice things like "the emperor himself came forward," were actually just pretending to be confused.

They knew perfectly well that the old emperor was definitely in a bad state, but they didn't care.

They only care about whether they can win this battle and whether they can achieve great things.

Moreover, as long as the old emperor is still on the throne and has not abdicated, his previous orders are valid and cannot be refuted by Leo with a single sentence.

Whether the old emperor was controlled or not is not important.

When faced with self-interest, loyalty and righteousness are meaningless.

In the end, a fight broke out.

The square in front of the palace was already packed with people.

A group of papal knights and priests dressed in silver armor and white robes stood outside the palace gates, led by Archbishop Clem.

The elderly man at the head of the group wore a white robe with gold trim. He looked to be over seventy years old, with white hair and beard. He held a scepter inlaid with a luminous gemstone and exuded an aura of holiness and majesty.

He is Clem, one of the three archbishops of the Holy See.

Behind him followed hundreds of Papal Knights and dozens of high-ranking priests, each radiating a powerful light.

At the palace gates, Griffin was leading the Royal Knights in a line of men, waiting for them.

Hundreds of royal knights stood behind him.

"General Griffin."

Clem's voice rang out first, aged but full of energy, carrying an undeniable authority.

"His Majesty has been controlled by the power of the evil god, and there are heretics of the evil cult lurking around him. I have come here on the orders of His Holiness the Pope to eliminate the heretics. Please make way and open the palace gates, General."

Griffin seemed not to hear, his warhammer slamming against the ground, the hammerhead making a dull thud, like some kind of silent warning.

"Archbishop Clem."

Griffin's voice was deep and steady.

“I am here by His Majesty’s decree to guard the palace. No one may enter without His Majesty’s permission.”

"That was a false imperial edict issued after the cult pharmacist controlled His Majesty."

Clem's voice had taken on a sharp edge.

"General, as a Saint Realm expert of the Empire, can't you see that His Majesty's current condition is problematic?"

Griffin shook his head directly.

“I don’t understand what you’re saying. All I know is that this is His Majesty’s order. No matter what state he is in now, he is still the emperor of the empire. I have no right to question his order, nor do I have the right to allow others to bypass him and enter the palace.”

Clem stared at him for a few seconds, his expression becoming somewhat complicated.

"So you're determined to block my way?"

Griffin's answer was only two words.

"Acting under orders."

Both sides fell silent again.

The knights behind Clem had already gripped their sword hilts, and the royal knights behind Griffin had raised their shields.

Everyone knows that if just one more person speaks, this standoff will turn into a bloodbath.

But just then, the sound of rapid hoofbeats came from afar.

Immediately afterwards, a loud voice came from behind the crowd.

"stop."

Everyone quickly looked over.

Leo, dressed in his finest attire, rode up on horseback.

He was followed by many imperial officials.

When Clem saw Leo appear, his brow twitched slightly, but he quickly regained his composure.

"Your Highness, what do you mean by this? Are you planning a rebellion?" Griffin immediately questioned Leo upon his arrival.

Leo did not answer his question. Instead, he walked to the palace gate, sighed softly, turned around, and spoke to the nobles and officials who were watching in the square.

His voice spread with magic, reaching every corner of the square. This voice was not only for them, but also for all the people of the capital.

"Fellow citizens of the Empire, I am Crown Prince Leo."

His voice wasn't loud, but every word was clear and carried an undeniable weight.

"I hereby formally declare that His Majesty the Emperor has lost his normal judgment due to long-term drug administration by the cult pharmacist Daniela. All his recent orders are decisions made under the control of the cult and have no legal effect."

These words caused an uproar among the nobles and officials in the square.

Some were shocked, some were angry, and some had expressions that said, "It's finally here."

Leo ignored the comments and continued speaking.

"The Empire will not attack the Orc Empire. All related military movements shall cease immediately."

However, no sooner had he finished speaking than a rough voice came from the crowd.

"Your Highness, what nonsense are you spouting?"

The crowd parted to make way for several middle-aged generals in military uniforms who strode out.

Leading the way was a burly man with a thick beard, wearing a rank insignia of a king on his chest.

"His Majesty said that attacking the Orc Empire is a national policy of the Empire. We have been preparing for more than half a year. Now you want us to withdraw just because you say you're not going to fight?"

Leo looked at him, his expression unchanged.

“General Karen, as I just said, those orders were issued after being controlled by the cult and have no validity.”

Karen relentlessly questioned him.

"You say His Majesty is being controlled, where is the evidence?"

Leo paused for a moment, then turned to look at Clem.

Chapter 100 A Battle That Was Unavoidable

At Rick's signal, Clem immediately stepped forward and raised the scepter in his hand.

“I, Archbishop Clem of my Empire, testify in the name of the Holy See that Your Majesty does indeed retain traces of the power of desire within you, and that the palace does indeed harbor the witch of the Temple of Desire.”

When Kelaimu spoke, Karen and the others' expressions changed slightly, but they quickly regained their indifferent expressions.

"The Vatican testifies?"