Become their wicked yet gentle lord.

"So that's how it is. This has really gone wrong."

Rocco gritted his teeth as he watched Ryusha and Nemi put on their own show, clearly mocking the good deed that Hinatil had done when she took them to Linhu Town that day.

The air was thick with tension; Rocco understood that Ryukyu was determined to destroy them. Argumentation was pointless; only the Holy City and Bishop Shinatiel's formidable power could stand against this young man. But these were distant threats, especially since the Sochi diocese was under the jurisdiction of Archbishop Randall of Otus. Among the various factions within the Papacy, Randall was the one most at odds with Carmela.

But at least, Ryūsha's choice of this approach indicates that he doesn't really want to draw his sword against the Vatican, lest he give them a handle to use against him.

Rocco knew that all he could do was stall until Sinatiel returned...

“I understand, Your Excellency.” He narrowed his eyes and adjusted his glasses. Reluctantly, Rocco said, “You want us to release those people we arrested in Linhu Town, right?”

Ryuka also dropped her fake smile and gave a cold laugh: "Have you all forgotten about this? Who gave you the right to arrest people in my administrative district?"

"They could be suspected of heresy, and of course, I think they're not the only ones in the Sochi parish suspected of heresy..."

Rocco threatened Ryusha with a blustering but cowardly tone. For some reason, he wasn't as afraid of the shrewd Ryusha as the ruthless Megan. A rational opponent wouldn't simply kill him and risk the Holy City's wrath.

That leaves room for negotiation. As for Ryūka, Rocco, who considered himself adept at manipulation and scheming, he felt that Ryūka was exactly the kind of person he was good at dealing with.

“If the church runs out of supplies, your people will be the first to starve to death.” Rocco looked at the soldiers helping with the construction at the site. “Many of them are from Linhu Town, aren’t they? Perhaps some of them are their relatives. Your Excellency, can you bear to do this?”

He preached loudly and with great fervor, showing that although the priest was timid, he wasn't stupid. He realized that whether for the sake of reputation or morality, Ryusha wouldn't easily give up on those who had been arrested.

“If you release them, Father Rocco, I will open a path for the Sochi Cathedral, a path that all the believers in the city can walk through to worship.”

"No need..."

Unexpectedly, Rocco rejected Ryusha's proposal and instead put forward another condition: "What if you take them in and then go back on your word? How about this, you send us supplies regularly, and we'll release them when Lady Hinatil returns. Of course, if you refuse, I won't compromise, even if you kill me here!"

Seeing Rocco, who had just been afraid of Megan, now display such a fearless attitude, Ryusha chuckled. He shook his head, a contemptuous smile on his face: "You think you're so smart... that you can negotiate with me..."

“Isn’t that right, Your Excellency?” Rocco smiled. By now, he was certain that Ryukyu’s decision not to launch a full-scale attack on the Vatican indicated that he was unwilling to break off relations. He was meeting with Rocco precisely to rescue the captured civilians; otherwise, he wouldn’t be wasting his breath talking to him here.

It's just a childish thing for kids to do to intimidate others and seek a sense of superiority!

This brat who conquered Sochi wasn't that difficult to deal with at all. I reacted so quickly, seized his weakness and concerns, and easily broke the siege. It seems the nobles who lost to him and the prince of Otus were nothing but fools!

Rocco was basking in his sense of superiority when a soldier approached Ryuga and reported something. Ryuga smiled contentedly, gave him a look as if he were trash, and then turned and left.

"If everyone in the Vatican were such self-righteous idiots, things would be so much easier~"

Seeing Ryūsha and Nemi laughing and chatting as they left, completely ignoring him, Rocco felt a surge of anger and embarrassment. He shouted furiously:

"Your Excellency Governor! It seems you're not planning to deal with those heretics!"

Seeing Ryūsha and Nemi laughing and chatting as they left, completely ignoring him, Rocco felt a surge of anger and embarrassment. He shouted furiously:

"Your Excellency Governor! It seems you're not planning to deal with those heretics!"

The only response he received was Megan's fierce fighting spirit.

The battle axe, accompanied by a gust of wind, came to an abrupt stop at the tip of Logan's nose, the powerful air pressure instantly turning his face ashen.

Megan didn't kill him. Instead, she sneered, "Fool, you think you can fight the Governor? I'm sparing your life so you can go back and realize how stupid you were, and then wait for the Governor to slowly torture you all to death."

"Whether it's you, that arrogant woman, or the so-called Holy City of the Holy See behind you..."

To their owners, they were all just toys in the end...

Megan was absolutely certain. She sheathed her battle axe, waved to the soldiers, and they immediately drove Rocco and the other priests back.

Megan left with a smile. Today's events only heightened her anticipation for the day when Ryūsha would take Sinatiel as a slave, a slave even lower than she had been.

The soldiers swarmed forward and drove Rocco, who was already terrified, back to the church entrance. The priest, who had just been swaggering around at them, still didn't understand what had happened or why the negotiations had broken down.

It wasn't until he returned to the entrance and saw Joel leading the paladins in checking the several wagons loaded with supplies that he realized what was happening.

"These things are enough for more than a month, and should last until Lady Hinatil returns. Take them to the back."

Seeing Joel counting the supplies, Rocco rushed forward and questioned him:

"You're not going to let those people go, are you?!"

Joel merely glanced at him:

"Yes."

"You! How could you do this! They are criminals suspected of heresy! When has the Inquisition ever released anyone it has arrested!"

"Because the governor sent someone to say that if I didn't release them, he would kill you and the other priests. As for these supplies, they were additional requests on my part."

Joel snorted coldly, not wanting to get entangled with Rocco any further. But Rocco, enraged, cursed:

"Fool! If he dared to kill, he would have done it already! Do you think you can intimidate him with just yourself and a few dozen paladins? All he cares about are those lowly heretics!"

Joel was neither angry nor surprised; he simply said coldly, "I know."

"I know you still won't!"

“But I can’t risk your life.” Joel sneered. “The rest is up to you. Don’t you think you’re so smart?”

Joel left Rocco, who was trembling with anger. After a moment's thought, the arrogant priest finally understood what Joel meant.

Even if Joel knew that Ryukyu wouldn't kill anyone, if he refused to release her, regardless of whether Ryukyu retaliated or not, he would be branded within the Vatican as someone who "trades other people's lives for his own principles." Not to mention that things would remain at this stalemate, and they would still be forced to walk the rugged paths every day, trapped until they returned from Sinatiel.

Joel agreed because he could shift the blame onto himself.

"Father Rocco knew the other party had ill intentions, yet he brought so many priests in as hostages. I released them out of sheer desperation..."

By saying this, Joel can take all the blame upon himself, claiming that saving people and obtaining supplies is a merit, and winning the hearts of the priests and other people in the church around him.

From the moment he stepped onto Ryūxia's territory, the situation became one where Yor would always benefit if he compromised. As long as the Ryūxia faction used the right rhetoric, Yor would choose that path even if he knew the truth.

Or rather, the people sent by Ryukyu will take the initiative to explain all of this to Joel.

The success of this plan depends on a thorough understanding of oneself and Joel, including their personalities and the barriers between them.

'Isn't that Father Rocco?'

'Lord Joel didn't come?'

Rocco recalled the unpleasant feeling he had when he first met Ryūka. He suspected that Ryūka, upon noticing that Yōl hadn't arrived, had already subtly hinted to his subordinates to contact Yōl in some way he hadn't realized. And chatting with him there was both a way to keep him from returning and a form of manipulation…

Rocco recalled Megan's last words to him, and a wave of fear washed over him. Even though he was in the church, he felt utterly unsafe. It was as if Megan's words were a prophecy, and that Ryusha had only brought him back to make him understand things, and then to let him slowly await his death in unease.

"No, no way! He can't possibly defeat Lady Hinatil! And Lady Carmela! If word gets out, she'll realize Ryūka's hostility towards the Holy See and nip him in the bud!"

"He's just a governor, a lord, a boy. If the Holy City's paladin army were to mobilize, even Otus would have to submit..."

Looks like he's messed with the wrong person; being sent here is really unlucky. What made Ryuka so resolute—was it the hostages, the demon sword girl, or was he truly a heretic? Or perhaps all of the above?

I just hope things don't turn out the way I feared, and don't go as badly as they have...

If that governor really has a way to deal with Lady Sinatiel, and is not afraid of the subsequent retaliation from the Holy See...

Shouldn't I think about this carefully and prepare some backup plans?

Compared to his father, who was "extremely devout" and even sent himself to the Papacy to become a paladin, Joel Reynolds' life motto was that nothing beats relying on oneself.

Even goddesses, even biological fathers, can be unreliable when they need to be.

After all, to his father, who favored his elder brother, he was a potential threat to the succession... And to the Papacy, what value did a paladin like himself, born the second son of a noble family, unlike Rocco who was raised in the Holy City from childhood, and who only broke through to the rank of Grand Knight at almost thirty, have...?

Chapter 3 Subtle Influence

After receiving the hostages returned by the Sochi Church, Liuxia immediately sent the grateful villagers back to Linhu Town.

"Master, what about the Vatican? Are they just going to let them go like this?"

Megan asked, somewhat puzzled. She didn't understand why, although the villagers had been rescued, the supplies sent there rendered the encirclement of the vast construction site ineffective.

"How could that be? It's just a matter of slowly boiling the frog. Sochi Cathedral is merely a facade. What we should really be wary of is the sleeping Sinatil and the Holy City. As for surrounding this area, the fact that we are indeed building an academy to provide them with the necessary supplies is just a way to lull them into a false sense of security."

As Liuxia responded, she drew various buildings of Sochi Academy on blueprints and handed them to the magical engineers and magicians, who then built the high-rises from the ground up according to her design.

"I ask you, what is the most important work of the church on a regular basis?"

When asked about Ryūsha's question, Nemi and Megan, who were beside him, gave different answers.

"Purge heretics?"

"Infiltrating local rule?"

"None of those are right." Liu Xia shook her head. "It's about making money~"

Making money? Megan and Nemi were taken aback when Ryūsha handed them a bill, which contained Kira's calculations of the entire Sochi Vatican's revenue.

"Hiss..." You think about it, Lin is here...

Megan gasped. This was more than any lord had ever collected in taxes!

"Daily worship, healing, births and baptisms, exorcisms, atonement, weddings, funerals, donations from merchants and nobles, including healing and blessing services for adventurers..."

Liu Xia narrowed her eyes. From large cities like Sochi to remote villages, churches were everywhere. Especially for ordinary people, the Vatican was an integral part of their lives from birth to death. Leaving aside unavoidable matters like marriage and death, even a minor illness was considered heresy or demonic possession. They would rather spend a fortune at a church than find a herbalist, fearing some kind of witchcraft.

Although mages also possess various healing spells, these proud mages don't set up camp in rural areas to provide services. Moreover, their numbers are few; not only are they highly sought after by adventurer teams, but many are also nobles who simply collect taxes and don't want to profit from such services.

But the work of clergy permeates every aspect of daily life. More importantly, they do not need land or to pay taxes to the lord. On the contrary, the lord sometimes has to donate to them out of faith.

Not to mention Megan and the others, even I was green with envy after seeing the calculations Kira had made.

Although he could not change the public's perception in a short time, nor could he uproot the Papacy from his territory, this bill gave Ryukyu another idea.

All the lower churches had to regularly pay 'Holy Gold' to Sochi Cathedral, which would then send it to the capital. The capital would then transfer all the money collected in Otus to the Holy City, with each level having its own share.

But now that the Vatican has surrounded Sochi Cathedral, the flow of money from the Vatican here has been hindered. The churches below can hardly send money here, and the Archbishop of Randall in the capital will also receive less.

Naturally, he was unhappy, but Ryusha knew that he was not on the same page as the Holy City and other leaders of the Holy See, and this could be used to his advantage.

As expected, the Shadow Guard quickly delivered a message to Ryūka. Since the advent of the communication crystal ball, various factions in Otus have placed great importance on this magical tool, significantly accelerating information exchange. However, the crystal balls currently circulating in the market are mainly the versions from the Merchant Guild Alliance and the Fourth Prince, while other factions are also researching and producing their own.

"Report! With the Princess's help, we have contacted Archbishop Randall. He has agreed to accept our gifts, and his letter of authorization is on its way..."

Megan and Nemi didn't understand, but Ryusha had already nodded in satisfaction.

But they soon understood.

Due to the construction of the academy, neither believers nor lower-level churches could easily enter Sochi Cathedral. At this time, a temporary church was set up in Sochi.

Lindsay, looking nervous, was forced into the role of temporary representative for the entire Sochi diocese, presiding over worship services attended by thousands of people and receiving clergy from churches across the country.

The reason is simple: Randall is at odds with the Carmela faction, but he won't give up his economic resources and control over the Sochi region. Therefore, he can only agree to Rysha's cooperation out of consideration for the gift money and Tipalotura, temporarily allowing Lindsay to act as the Papacy's representative for the Sochi diocese.

After all, according to Ryusha, Sochi's new bishop, Sinatil, disappeared on her second day in office, and the two people she brought with her were kept inside the church by Ryusha and could not leave.

Even if Carmela gets angry in the Holy City, it will be Ryusha who will be the first to suffer, and it will have no impact on Randall. Therefore, he turns a blind eye. If anything happens, he can say that the person Carmela sent, Shinatiel, is useless.

As for Liuxia, he sent people to help Lindsay set up a makeshift church. He was overjoyed to see her face flushed red as she finished her day of priestly work and faced the ark full of gold, silver and copper coins.

"So much..."

"Sochi Province has hundreds of thousands of people. Do you think it's some poor place like our Linhu Territory? There's only one church in Linhu Town across this vast territory..."

Liuxia grabbed a handful of gold coins, rubbed them together one by one, and tossed them back into the cabinet, making a crisp, melodious sound. Each toss seemed to strike Lindsay's heart, questioning her piety.

An ordinary nun could not withstand such a shock, but which of the clergy who could rule a diocese was not a seasoned veteran? It was just that Lindsay had some difficulty accepting it. After all, she presided over various clerical work at the Linhu Town Church, and there were hardly any whole silver coins among the money she received. But she was still meticulous and would kindly treat even the poorest patients.

But things were different when she arrived in Sochi. The first person she treated was the son of a wealthy merchant. He immediately offered her a gold coin. Seeing Lindsay speechless with fright, he thought he hadn't given enough and praised the goddess's kindness, giving her another one.

Not only wealthy people, but ordinary believers also give far more money than she realized after worship and prayer.

Liu Xia doesn't plan to touch this money; he'll still hand it over to Randall, since there's a purpose for him that's more compelling than money...

Similarly, Lindsay cares more about something else than money.

“I can’t heal all the sick people in Sochi by myself. I’m so exhausted today that I have no more holy energy left… Ryusha, why don’t you ask some of the priests and nuns from the cathedral to come out and help us out…”

“That won’t do~” Ryusha smiled, seemingly anticipating Lindsay’s response. He clapped his hands, and Melanie immediately led a group of people in.

"I've found the healing mage you wanted, as well as other people."

These people weren't just magicians; there were also many rural apothecaries and ordinary people skilled in herbal medicine. Mrs. Sina, whom Ryūka had met before, was among them; this peasant woman who knew herbal medicine and bandaging was already highly regarded in the army for her wound-healing abilities. However, in Ryūka's view, these people still needed further systematic training.

Lindsay looked at the large group of people in front of her and understood what Liuxia meant. She asked, speechless:

"But...but they're not clergy, will the believers accept them...?"

"Yes, as long as you, as the goddess, allow it."

Liu Xia smiled and said that starting tomorrow, these people would help Lindsay with her treatment, and the money collected would still be handed over in accordance with the Vatican's procedures.

Difficult illnesses and wounds are left to the mages, while minor ailments and injuries are given to his herbalists and healers for practice. Before long, these people will be able to flourish throughout Liuxia's territory, serving as healers in the countryside and the army, or pursuing advanced studies at the medical school of Sochi Academy.

What interests Ryūsha is whether, when clinics and pharmacies open throughout Sochi in the future, the Catholic believers who have received treatment from them will still hold onto the ingrained belief that 'only clergy can cure their illnesses and suffering,' faced with the same healers and lower prices...

If you want to change their beliefs and mindset, action is worse than words.