My older sister is a villainous rich girl

Tasia's expression remained unchanged.

“I think that for His Holiness the Pope to still insist on granting me an audience under these circumstances, he probably didn’t intend to keep it a secret for long,” she said.

Finally, the gaze that had been making Wayne feel so pressured was removed from him.

"His Holiness the Pope told me personally that the Vatican has always been optimistic about my potential, and that the appearance of another chosen one will not change their minds."

Upon hearing this, Wayne couldn't help but think to himself: Of course, the Vatican wouldn't change its mind. If they were to switch to training another chosen one, they would first have to find the right person. If the cardinals of the Cardinals were to ask the Pope to conjure up another chosen one out of thin air, it might be easier to just kill him.

“As expected,” he said softly. “Whatever the Vatican’s higher-ups may have in mind, they will reassure you with the same words.”

Even with a new chosen one, it doesn't mean the Holy See will sit idly by and watch Tasia, a genuine light mage, wander outside.

“Actually, I am very grateful to the Vatican for nurturing me. If it weren’t for Bishop Willard’s letter of recommendation, I might not have had the opportunity to enter Qingxi Academy, and I wouldn’t have been able to meet so many new friends and spend such a happy time with everyone.” She sighed, “My fate might have been completely different.”

"So, I was very anxious back then. Because on the scale of 'luck,' my score never seemed to be high."

However, luck will not always favor one person, just as luck will not always ignore one person.

Tasia clenched her fist.

"I've made up my mind. After graduating from Qingxi Academy, I will join the Holy See."

A look of surprise appeared on Wayne's face; this time, it was genuine astonishment.

"Are you sure you've thought this through? Don't sell yourself out just because the Pope casually dangles some unrealistic promises in front of you."

Before coming to the Vatican, Tasia was clearly still wavering. How could she change her mind so quickly?

She frowned cutely and said with displeasure, "I'm not that easy to fool."

Wayne chuckled: "Yes, yes, Tasia is certainly not easy to fool, at least she's much smarter than me. But seriously, joining the Papacy means that you will have to follow the orders of the Papacy's higher-ups from now on. No matter what the Pope promises you now, once he dies... I mean, when he can no longer protect you, you will still have to face the infighting and constraints from the internal power struggles of the Papacy."

Even His Holiness the Pope himself is now in a precarious situation.

"Don't assume that the Papacy is another utopia just because these people in the church talk about ideals and criticize aristocratic oppression. At most, they are just using a more covert and deceptive form of exploitation."

The funds that support the Vatican behind the scenes, and the secular power that colludes with the Church, are the massive, unseen iceberg hidden beneath the surface. The "bright world where everyone is loving and there is no poverty or suffering" that the Church proclaims has never existed.

As long as people remain human, they are destined to be unable to escape human desires and baseness, and even the most glorious ideals will eventually be devoured by degenerate human nature.

“I remember you once said that things are not static, but rather move forward.” Her stubbornness gave her the courage to stick to her own path.

“Whether at the academy or at the Vatican, I am equally willing to strive for the beautiful world I envision. If it hasn’t been achieved yet, then I will pursue it.” Her expression was firm. “Just as I believe in you, Wayne, no matter where you are or what your status is, you will surely push this world forward and enable those who are oppressed to live better lives.”

Wayne fell silent.

He never expected Tasia to have such high expectations of him.

Although he had considered doing his best to change this unjust world, he also understood that any changes he could make would inevitably be nothing more than compromises.

Because his initial intention was to succumb to his own desires; he only wanted to fulfill what he couldn't get in his previous life.

It's not noble at all.

Thinking about it this way makes me want to hate myself... I have to say, Tasia truly deserves to be the heroine who can bring light of salvation to others' lives. If it were a troubled teenager like Lawrence, who lacks affirmation from others, he would probably be moved to tears on the spot after hearing these words, consider her a confidante, and wish he could give himself to her.

But even though the words were saying that they shared the same goals, the unspoken implication was that they were determined to part ways with him.

"I'm not as great as you think," he said after a long pause.

“You do,” she said without hesitation. “I believe you do.”

"..."

The twilight scenery, as if immersed in a filter of memories, always gives people a sense of unreality and disorientation. Even the breeze that brushes past your ears and the gently swaying flowers and grass seem to be coated with a layer of soft glow.

Night had not yet fallen.

Perhaps in just a few blinks, this place will be deserted, leaving only the silent night shrouding the earth.

But at this moment, it belongs only to the two people sitting here in silence.

When the treetops in the distance became so hazy that they were almost invisible, Tasia finally broke the unspoken silence between them.

"I have to go now, I have homework to do tonight."

She stood up and extended her hand to Wayne: "Want me to help you out?"

Wayne was taken aback and placed his hand on it.

A gentle yet firm strength flowed from the other end of the touch, reaching deep into his heart, but this feeling was fleeting. Before Wayne could even react, Tasia had already withdrawn her hand.

"Go for it, Wayne," she chuckled softly in the night breeze.

“Tasia.” Wayne instinctively took a step forward but then stopped. “You…is there something else you want to say to me?”

I feel like Tasia has been acting strange lately. Is there something I've overlooked?

"No," she said casually.

Fearing that Tasia might not take it seriously, he said sternly, "If you encounter any difficulties, remember to tell me. I can definitely solve them. The Vatican is not as powerful as outsiders imagine."

"Um...I know." She turned her face away and waved, "I'm leaving."

Chapter 672 The Pope's Death

Life is a word that sounds very heavy.

No matter how insignificant or unremarkable a person may be, when the word "life" is used to assemble every seemingly insignificant moment in daily life, that ordinary and mundane life seems to be endowed with an exceptionally great mission at that moment.

Therefore, Tasia, who never considered herself a "big shot," was unable to immediately answer when she heard the representative of the gods—the Pope who was rumored to reside in the heavenly kingdom on earth—ask, "Have you ever thought about what meaning you want to give to your life?"

His Holiness the Pope appeared extremely weak. At this moment, the man who had once been worshipped and revered by countless people like a god could only lean helplessly against the two-wheeled chair, his face etched with wrinkles and marks of time. But what Tasia remembered most about him was his strikingly bright eyes.

He looked at her intently, and Tasia could sense the faith and hope within his gaze.

In Tasia's silence, he received an answer that had no answer.

“If you haven’t thought about it before, you can think about it now,” he said. “Because I will designate you as the next successor in exchange for maintaining a balance of power within the Papacy.”

Tasia looked up in shock.

"Normally, the papacy's successor is elected from among the cardinals in the cardinals, but there is one exception—the oracle."

He stared intently at the slender girl before him. She should have been at an age where she was innocent, romantic, and playful, but now that she had become a chosen one of the gods, those complicated and mundane lives were destined to be a thing of the past for her.

Her future has nothing to do with what she hopes for. All I can do is let her accept this change as willingly as possible.

This wasn't actually the best option I had in mind.

In his mind, the girl was too young and lacked sufficient experience. If she were to ascend to a high position too early, she would inevitably become someone else's puppet. It would be best to arrange for her to operate outside for a period of time, and once she had accumulated enough of her own team and become fully capable, she would naturally have a place in the Holy See in the future.

However, with the temple now crumbling and the oracles silent, the Papacy, though seemingly stable, is actually in grave danger and divided among its members. Some want to use her divine favor to stabilize public opinion, while others see her as a tool to balance a more powerful rival. As for what this banner itself thinks, that is not their concern.

Thinking of this, Pope Reginald showed a hint of guilt.

However, he was unable to give any further instructions regarding his affairs after his death.

“His Holiness the Pope is unwell and should not talk to others for too long,” a priest with a sinister look stepped forward and reminded him.

Judging from his black cloak embroidered with silver feathers and the style of the sash hanging to one side, he must be a high-ranking member of the Papal Inquisition. From the moment Tasia entered, he stood in the corner, coldly observing everything that was happening before him.

Reginald took one last, deep look at Tasia.

“Another chosen one of the gods—” he suddenly spoke before the members of the inquisition led Tasia out of the meeting room.

Tasia stopped in her tracks as she was about to leave.

The priest in the embroidered cloak suddenly turned stern, his gaze fixed menacingly on the pope's face.

"He was a very young man... his voice was deep, and judging from the sensations from the blessing ceremony, he was no more than twenty years old. I didn't see his face. His strength was unbelievably high, but he appeared and disappeared very suddenly. We still can't pinpoint his identity."

Tasia was taken aback.

"The seven cardinals of the inquisition are working together to use secret magic to track down the Hero's Sword that he took, but if they fail to do so, the most precious relic of the Holy See, the Triple Ring of Light, will be stolen."

His Holiness the Pope's already somber face was barely visible in the shadows.

However, his eyes remained bright and alert. Compared to his physical condition, they were unusually good.

"Once you ascend to the papacy, you need not feel guilty about losing the holy relic. If anyone tries to investigate in the future, or if there are any rumors circulating outside, just pin them all on me."

These were the last words His Holiness the Pope said to her.

Pope Reginald, who rose from the humble son of a fisherman to the papacy, experienced a life as turbulent as the ocean waves, and finally fell asleep on a peaceful night, just like any other, never to open his eyes again.

As the first rays of dawn touched the mountaintops and gilded the peaks, the bells of Mount Papal rang out.

……

The bells rang out incessantly, sounding like a mournful wail, and the solemn and sorrowful sound of the pipe organ echoed in the square where tens of thousands of people had gathered. The wooden coffin, carried by twelve people, was slowly moved out of the magnificent cathedral and placed in the center of the square.

After a moment of silence, the crowd in the square sang a hymn in farewell to him.

"May God forgive you, as He has forgiven all others before... May your soul rest in heaven..."

Wayne didn't understand these things. His status as an exchange student, nominally no different from that of a papal apprentice, was exposed at this crucial moment, and he could only watch from the sidelines as an outsider.

After the public funeral, His Holiness the Pope's coffin will be wrapped in zinc by a special person and then sealed in a second coffin. He will then rest in peace in a grotto in the mountains, which is said to be the resting place of all the deceased popes over the past thousand years.

If it weren't for the collapse of the temple and the invasion of demons, might this pope have been able to hold on for a little longer?

Wayne had no idea.

But more than feeling heavy-hearted because of the sudden passing of this unfamiliar pope, what truly made Wayne frown was the situation with Tasia.

Logically speaking, since exchange students can only stay on the side viewing platform at a distance, Tasia should be with him now.

But today, Tasia has been unusually absent, and even when Wayne inquired with the bishops, he only received cryptic replies.

"You'll find out about her... a little later."

What do you know?

Wayne felt a strange sense of irritation. It seemed like everyone knew some important secret but was conspiring to keep it from him. This was really annoying.

Once he and Tasia return to the Kingdom of Lornes, he'll take advantage of their time together to whisper sweet nothings in her ear. He can't let these guys steal his Tasia away with just a few words. Tasia was only temporarily misled by the promises the Papacy made; he could imagine with his eyes closed what the Pope had said to her before.

It's nothing more than the Vatican promising to cultivate her well in the future, giving her a bright future that she, as a commoner, could not obtain in the kingdom.

However, fame and fortune were never important to Tasia, a fact he was absolutely certain of; and if she wanted to climb the peaks of magic, the help he, her teacher, could provide was in no way inferior to that of the powerful figures of the Holy See. As for achieving the ideal of light... needless to say, without like-minded and equally capable companions, what one can accomplish is ultimately limited.

Judging from any one of the above conditions, the Kingdom possesses so many advantages that it is a hundred times better than going alone to the unfamiliar Papacy to start from scratch.

Wayne wouldn't admit that he had a bad feeling, and that it was growing stronger over time.

Chapter 673 It seems Tasia still has feelings for me after all!

Finally, the chanting gradually subsided, and an unspeakable silence fell over the crowded square.

The cardinals standing beside the coffin touched the edge of the wooden coffin with their hands, circled His Holiness the Pope to pay their respects, and then walked in turn to the front of the square to form a line.

Something is about to happen.

Just as this thought crossed Wayne's mind, he saw the Vatican's Secretary of State appear at the very front of the line.

From afar, the announcement, amplified by magic, could be heard.

"From this day forward, the Vatican has lost a reliable guide. But we need not grieve, for His Holiness the most benevolent and loving Pope Reginald has been called by the Lord and his soul has returned to His Kingdom."

"The divine will always watch over His believers and will always guide us in the direction of light."

"Therefore, He has issued a new divine oracle, appointing a new Pope. The new Pope will continue to carry out the will of God, leading us forward and spreading justice and blessings throughout the world..."

When that familiar yet unfamiliar figure appeared on the high platform under the spotlight, among the thousands of people in the square, only Wayne felt an unprecedented anger of betrayal.

……

"Tell me, what was the relationship between that young master Wayne and our new Pope?"

In a long-vacant reception room deep within the Cardinals' House, a flippant voice rang out, its tone full of mockery and ridicule.

"He seemed to think he was still in the Kingdom of Lornes. His face was extremely ugly from beginning to end. As soon as the ceremony ended, he wanted to go and whisper something to His Majesty the youngest Pope in our history. As a result, he was directly taken away by the Knights Guard of the Inquisition responsible for protection. Pfft... Hahahaha! If I hadn't put in a few words for him, he might still be in solitary confinement for offending His Majesty the Pope."

Melen Saavedra is one of the cardinals of the Papacy. As the twenty-first cardinal, his usual duties are simply to communicate the decisions made by the Cardinals to those who need to know, whether they are inside or outside the Papacy.

The person sitting opposite him was Elfman Diabat, the Vatican's Secretary General, who had just finished his demanding duties.

“Merren, if you don’t keep your mouth shut, I won’t mind removing you from the Cardinals’ House during the next re-election.” Diabat rubbed his temples; his expression was also not very good.

"There are no outsiders here now... Alright, alright! I understand what you mean. I will show proper respect to our Pope. I admit, I just can't stand that she got such a huge advantage just because she's a chosen one. In terms of qualifications, the papacy should belong to you." He then became gloating halfway through his sentence. "However, His Holiness the Pope can no longer receive divine pronouncements... Heh, how long can this secret be kept hidden? If she weren't a chosen one, she probably wouldn't be able to withstand the direct impact of this being exposed."

Diabate breathed a sigh of relief; he thought the same thing.