They are all characters I control.

Karl didn't look at him, but instead looked at Bishop Augustine, who was in charge of the upcoming purge of heretics.

Looking into the other person's seemingly calm eyes, Knight Commander Karl could not discern any great ambition in him, at least not like Bishop Simon who only wanted to climb to the position of archbishop.

It is clear that Bishop Augustine was the wiser one.

The position of Archbishop of the Imperial Diocese does not require much effort to obtain; rather, it will naturally come to you if you simply do your job well.

Regardless of what Augustine's Church will do in the future, at present, Bishop Augustine is serious.

Unlike Bishop Simon, who used the Church Knights as an excuse to seize power, this new bishop genuinely intended to sweep through the entire imperial capital.

"What do I need to do?" Knight Commander Karl asked succinctly.

He naturally saw the gloom and disappointment in Bishop Simon's eyes, but Knight Commander Karl had always supported the Great Investigation.

Regardless of the power struggles between the new boss and the old boss, I will choose to obey whoever allows me to work freely.

Moreover, Bishop Augustine also held the title of 'Holy Council'.

“Sir Karl, your duties remain unchanged,” Bishop Augustine calmly responded to Sir Karl’s question. “You only need to protect the Church and combat heretics. The only difference is that your authority will be expanded. You can mobilize all the Church Knights of the Imperial diocese without needing any bishop’s approval, and—”

He paused.

The newly arrived bishop's gaze swept over the people in the meeting.

Even when faced with Bishop Augustine's gentle gaze, the fact that he looked in their direction when discussing paganism still made the nobles somewhat tremble with fear.

The atmosphere became somewhat heavy at this point, and Bishop Augustine continued, "Knight Commander Karl may investigate anyone you suspect. This includes nobles, bishops, and even archbishops."

Karl's pupils contracted slightly, which undoubtedly confirmed that his choice was correct.

He could investigate anyone he suspected without the approval of any bishop, which was exactly what he had always wanted.

Prior to this, Bishop Simon had been intentionally or unintentionally controlling him and restricting his actions in order to prevent the situation from being disrupted.

Now that Bishop Augustine has arrived, he's actually given full control over his authority.

This was an honor for the church knights, and an unprecedented era.

“I agree.” Knight Commander Karl could find no reason not to agree.

Bishop Simon's scepter slipped from his hand and hit the ground with a crisp sound.

No one helped him pick it up; it was obvious to everyone that Bishop Augustine had successfully won over Knight Commander Karl.

Knight Commander Karl, who had always been loyal to Bishop Simon, now stood behind Bishop Augustine, his hand on the hilt of his sword, his face cold and stern.

Rosemary glanced at him sideways, a slight smile playing on her lips.

The atmosphere in the main hall changed.

His Majesty Darian looked at Bishop Augustine, then at Knight Commander Karl, and the smile vanished completely. He realized he had made a mistake; he had thought Augustine was merely a puppet pushed out by Archbishop Grove.

Bishop Augustine could also be a candidate who needed to rely on the royal family to gain a foothold, as the royal family could provide considerable support to Bishop Augustine.

Without the support of the royal family, the foreign bishop Augustine would be all alone and would be completely unable to stir up any trouble in the empire.

But Augustine was more astute than he had imagined; the meeting was not yet over, but he seemed to be able to foresee future developments.

Releasing Marquis Rost was a way to win over Leah; the compromise on the marriage was to appease the royal family; and winning over Karl was to gain control of the Knights. Every step was meticulously planned, leaving the opponent speechless.

There is no doubt that Bishop Augustine has seized control of several key junctures within the empire.

“Your Majesty,” Bishop Augustine turned to His Majesty Darian. “There is one more matter that requires Your Majesty’s assistance.”

His Majesty Darian tapped his fingers lightly on the armrest of the throne.

He didn't reveal his thoughts from just now, and maintained a gentle expression.

With a smile, the kind-hearted Emperor looked at Bishop Augustine: "What is it, Your Excellency?"

"The affairs of the Knights are very busy, and Knight Commander Karl cannot manage them all by himself. I hope Your Majesty can recommend a few suitable candidates to assist him in managing the Knights."

His Majesty Darian narrowed his eyes slightly.

By recommending candidates, Augustine was both ingratiating himself with him and making concessions. Augustine had taken control of the Knights, but left him the power to recommend personnel.

This did not make His Majesty Daryan particularly happy; on the contrary, it strengthened his resolve regarding Bishop Augustine's previous ideas.

This bishop is definitely a more troublesome person than Bishop Simon, if they become adversaries...

"Is that so? And who would you recommend?" His Majesty Darian paused, then said, "Since Marquis Rost has been released, I suggest that he also participate in the affairs of the Knights."

"After all, he was once the empire's financial official and is very familiar with the situation in the capital. With his assistance, Knight Commander Karl will save a lot of effort."

Earl Orlando frowned. “Your Majesty, Marquis Rost has only just been released, and the suspicions against him have not yet been completely cleared. It is probably inappropriate to involve him in the affairs of the Knights.”

“It is precisely because there is suspicion that surveillance is necessary.” His Majesty Darian’s voice was calm. “Putting him in the Knights will both serve the Church and facilitate the investigation. It’s a win-win situation.”

Rosemary opened her mouth, as if she wanted to say something.

His Majesty Daryan glanced at her and said calmly, "It's settled then."

Rosemary fell silent and did not speak again.

Bishop Augustine seemed to smooth things over, saying, "Your Majesty's opinion is very valuable, so let's decide on this. Let's look forward to the wonderful changes that will take place in the Empire."

Chapter 81 Borrowing a Knife, But I Am Also

The carriage drove out of the church and rolled over the cobblestone streets of the capital with a dull thud.

Leah leaned against the car window, watching the street scene rushing past outside, her fingers unconsciously tapping on her knees.

Count Orlando sat opposite her, legs crossed, holding a cup of black tea, his amber eyes gleaming coldly in the dim light of the carriage.

Rosemary sat beside Lia, holding a thick document in her arms, her gray-blue eyes staring straight ahead as if she were thinking about something.

The carriage remained quiet for a long time.

"What do you plan to do about His Majesty Darian?" Rosemary suddenly asked, her voice soft but every word clear.

Leah's fingers paused. "Deal with? I...I don't know..."

“He will be your attendant next.” Rosemary turned to look at her. “Aren’t you going to do something? Besides, you’re not the original Leah anymore, are you? Emperor Claire.”

Leah turned to look at Rosemary, then smiled. "I didn't expect you to call me Emperor? Has the Nolan family finally submitted to me?"

“No,” Rosemary denied without hesitation.

Earl Orlando sat to the side, watching the two people beside him exchange words with a smile but saying nothing.

"So you call me Emperor just out of politeness? Or respect? Or perhaps fear?" Claire admired the displeasure on the face of the nun-dressed girl before her.

If Rosemary had any flaws, it would be only one: she was too young.

She is outstanding in both appearance and intelligence, but she is too young and has not experienced the tempering of time.

Although it's not a big problem, it can certainly cause some minor trouble for the girl in certain aspects.

“I am merely acknowledging your strength and status. The Nolan family’s past failures were caused by people in the past. The current Nolan family is composed of current family members, and I am the current one.”

For example, Rosemary answers other people's questions in such a serious manner, but she always seems very agitated and impulsive when it comes to matters of self-esteem and family, and is eager to defend them.

This makes it easy to see Rosemary's emphasis on family reputation.

If you want to attack her, it would be more effective to attack the Nolan family directly. Just mentioning the Nolan family's shameful past and belittling the Nolan family will make Rosemary make an impulsive choice.

Of course, these praises are not intended to be used; Claire will now get back to the main topic.

"We can deal with His Majesty Darian however we want, but the biggest problem for me right now is Bishop Augustine. This bishop has already organized this meeting on his very first day here."

“Yes, speaking of which, you, the Evil God Emperor, support Bishop Simon,” Earl Orlando said, seemingly adding fuel to the fire.

Claire glanced at the count, who was dressed as a man, and the count shrugged indifferently.

Looking at Rosemary's serious gaze, it was clear that she hadn't forgotten this matter either; Claire had previously stated that she supported Bishop Simon.

Others might think it's absurd to ask the other party so directly about their next purpose and actions, but the other party is the evil god emperor Claire.

Even though he was sealed by the saintess, he still did not die.

Rosemary was very nervous about this guy's actions. Regardless of her attitude towards Claire, Rosemary knew very well that this was the only emperor in hundreds of years who dared to go to war with the Church of Goddess.

The emperor of this empire not only did not die, but was also rumored to have gained immortality.

Now that he controls Lia's body, the secret imprisonment by the Church of the Goddess is completely useless to him. With such an opponent, Rosemary doesn't care that her current appearance is somewhat ridiculous.

Claire did not reject the question.

"However, it is almost impossible to deal with His Majesty Darian by using outsiders. The only way to solve this problem is to dismantle him from within."

"Although our bishops will be fighting amongst themselves next year, we absolutely cannot let the royal family benefit from this."

"The royal family undoubtedly wants to control Lia, thereby gaining the support of the acting saintess who will not interfere much with the royal family, and also obtaining the Goddess Church's get-out-of-jail-free card."

"That idea is too naive, but Bishop Augustine made Prince Alvin a follower of Lia, wasn't his purpose to use someone else to do his dirty work?"

"Knowing that Leah doesn't like Prince Alvin, why send him over? Are you trying to use me or Isabelle to deal with Prince Alvin?"

Claire turned her gaze to Rosemary. Since it was going to be a showdown anyway, she might as well lay her cards on the table.

On the surface, Bishop Augustine appears to support the marriage between the royal family and Lia, but this is not actually the case. It seems that Lia's marriage to Bishop Augustine is for the sake of the throne.

However, Augustine's push in this direction was extremely risky, as it might have encountered resistance and dissatisfaction from Isabelle.

Bishop Simon's downfall and loss of the chance to become archbishop was largely due to his angering Isabelle, the Advocate of Prayer.

Will Bishop Augustine follow in the footsteps of Bishop Simon?

This is clearly unwise, but it has another advantage: it tests the limits.

As long as Isabelle doesn't intervene, it means that Bishop Augustine and the Nolan family's plan remains effective: to control the imperial royal bloodline.

However, anyone could do the same thing; it doesn't have to be Lia. Therefore, if Lia or Lady Isabelle is extremely dissatisfied with this marriage...

Under these circumstances, why would they send Prince Alvin to them?

Wouldn't that be blatantly trying to ruin Prince Alvin's life? Isn't that why His Majesty Daryan was so anxious and resistant to this matter?

Knowing how powerful and terrifying Lia's machines had been, even His Majesty Darion had been outmaneuvered by her. So what could anyone else possibly do? Was that person the most foolish Prince Alvin?

Rosemary knew even more clearly that she herself still existed inside Leah's body.

The identity of the Evil God Emperor Claire represents many things. For the Church of the Goddess, it represents a 'taboo' that must never be known to others. Even if someone knew that Claire was still alive, it would bring trouble to the Church of the Goddess.

For the Nolan family and Rosemary, it represents fear and competition. The past grudges have not disappeared, after all, the current suffering of the Nolan family was caused by Claire herself.

The competition stems from Claire and the Nolan family's struggle for control of both the Church of Goddess and the Empire.

However, the one who fears Claire the most is not the Nolan family, but the royal family of the new empire.

His Majesty Darion and Prince Alvin, who originally had no bloodline as a hero king, were now sitting on the throne with impunity.

Claire is not dead yet. What does he think of the royal family before him?

This royal prince was even delivered to him?

Wouldn't this be a perfect case of using someone else to do the dirty work? Let Claire deal with Prince Al.

Chapter 82 Three-Party Game

For the Nolan family to control the new empire, simply having offspring of the current royal family is not that important.

This problem can be solved by having an illegitimate child or by having a descendant who has inherited the royal bloodline. As long as one can open the royal treasury in front of all the nobles, one can prove that one has inherited the bloodline of the Hero King.

The new royal family did not do this, and neither His Majesty Daryan nor his mother followed this procedure.

The opening of the royal treasury was witnessed by the bishops of the Church of Goddess, and only the bishops of the Church of Goddess were present. Afterwards, the new royal family took out treasures from the treasury as proof.

Most of the other nobles had their own guesses. If they hadn't witnessed it firsthand, the royal treasury might have been opened in other ways, not necessarily through their own bloodline.

For example, the Rost family has a 'Guardian's Spy' who can break all seals and magical barriers.

In fact, the Marquis of Rost's father, the second Marquis of Rost, died too soon and too young.

He died almost without leaving behind many things, leaving the family to the incompetent Marquis Rost.

The reason seems obvious.

After all, His Majesty Darian had designated the 'Guardian's Gaze' as the engagement ring between the Rost family and the royal family.

This engagement ring wasn't because His Majesty Daryan valued the Rost family, which he was trying to suppress, but because the Rost family might possess something that could prove the legitimacy of the new royal bloodline.

Regardless of whether the new royal family possesses the bloodline of the Hero King, this issue can be resolved through the Rost family's 'Guardian of Secrets' surveillance, thereby completing the so-called bloodline proof under the guidance of the Church.