Chapter 229: The Faithful Charles
“Go, the glory of the Temple will illuminate your path. The world will know that the true lineage of the Temple of the Celestial God belongs to the Holy Temple.”
After the contract was signed, Kailun stood up from his chair.
He summoned a burly ninth-rank mage and two elderly ninth-rank mages. They would be responsible for engraving the magic circles on Paul.
Contacting his subordinates was handled by Helena. As the “Pope,” Kailun only needed to make a brief appearance.
“Give me a few more days.”
Paul didn’t reply to the “Pope.” He glanced at Harry and left the hall with the three ninth-rank Cardinals.
Although he appeared calm on the surface, his mind was in turmoil, especially after hearing Kailun’s subtle hints.
Was it possible that the Temple wanted to separate from the Empire? Otherwise, why would he use the term “true lineage”?
Not only Paul, but even the three Cardinals had strange expressions on their faces. They were pondering the Pope’s intentions.
However, for now, they had to complete the task assigned by the Pope. They looked at Paul with a hint of “hunger.”
It wasn’t a physical hunger, but a hunger for Paul’s unique constitution.
Every generation of Holy Sons and Saints had a distinct characteristic: they could absorb the power of the previous generation with minimal loss, minimizing the depletion during inheritance.
Similarly, they could also pass on their power to the next generation of Holy Sons and Saints with minimal loss.
This was what Harry and the others called “aptitude,” the aptitude of a Holy Son.
In the past, they wouldn’t have dared to have any thoughts about the high-ranking Holy Son, but now it was different. Paul’s position wasn’t recognized by many.
The three Cardinals exchanged glances, a hint of amusement in their eyes.
After Paul and the others left, Kailun turned to Harry. “Your injuries haven’t fully healed. You need to continue receiving treatment. Otherwise, you might not have even a year left to live. If you can accept this outcome, then forget what I said.”
Kailun left those words behind and left the hall with Helena. He had achieved his goal.
To him, Harry was just a tool to control Paul. As for how effective this control was, it remained to be seen. At least, Kailun wouldn’t gamble on Paul abandoning Harry.
After “harvesting” Paul’s attributes, Kailun would not only recover to his peak state but even surpass it slightly. Using this opportunity, he could completely control the “Pope.”
Since no one had seen the Pope’s true face, he could become the real Pope.
With the Empress’s existence, people would subconsciously assume that the person sitting on the Pope’s throne was male. In a sense, Kailun would be even more “real” than the real Pope.
During this time, he needed to select certain individuals and strengthen his connections with them, turning them into his loyal followers.
After some observation, Kailun felt that Charles was a good choice.
Therefore, after leaving the hall, he asked Helena to take him to Charles’s residence.
Before leaving, he even had someone fetch precious gifts from the Temple’s treasury.
……
“I feel like I’m missing something important, but I can’t remember what it is.”
Charles, lying in bed recovering from his injuries, stared at the ceiling, lost in thought. He felt that there were many missing details from last night’s events.
First, the explosion in Alaye, then the fight with “Pell.”
Although the explosion hadn’t caused any casualties, it had created immense chaos, as if it were intentional.
Another suspicious point was “Pell’s” sudden increase in strength, which was beyond reason.
Moreover, the Pope’s behavior was also strange. It was the first time he had seen the Pope engage in physical contact with someone. He had thought the Pope wasn’t interested in women, but now it seemed that wasn’t entirely true.
And… there were simply too many suspicious points. He couldn’t tell what was real and what wasn’t.
But out of absolute loyalty to the Pope, he didn’t delve deeper into these thoughts. He saw it as a sign of disloyalty.
“Knock, knock, knock!”
“Master Charles, the Pope and Pell are here to visit you.”
As he was pondering, Charles heard a maid knocking on his door.
“Oh… What? Who did you say?”
Charles didn’t pay much attention at first, but then he caught the word “Pope.”
He instantly forgot about his pain and scrambled out of bed. “Why didn’t you say so sooner? Prepare to welcome them!”
“Don’t rush. I’m already here.” Kailun pushed the door open and walked in, Helena carrying a gift box behind him.
“Your Holiness, why are you…”
Charles was stunned, his mind unable to process the situation. But seeing Helena, he felt a chill run down his spine and quickly came back to his senses.
Kailun: “Is there a problem with me visiting my loyal subordinate?”
Charles looked at the Pope, bathed in white light, feeling the gentle radiance.
“His” words seemed to carry a strange magic, making him feel like he was basking in the winter sun, his mind relaxed, involuntarily following her lead.
Seeing the confusion in Charles’s eyes, Kailun smiled with satisfaction. It was worth increasing his mental power. The effect of his mental contamination could now affect even ninth-rank mages.
However, this was also related to Charles’s injury. Otherwise, it wouldn’t have been so easy. Speaking of which, he had to thank Helena.
If she hadn’t attacked so ruthlessly, his mental contamination wouldn’t have been so effective.
“Pell, give the gift to Charles.”
To increase his credibility, Kailun addressed Helena as “Pell.”
She gave him a resentful look and placed the open gift box on Charles’s bedside table.
Charles’s pupils constricted slightly when he saw the contents of the box. He was overwhelmed by such a generous gift.
Kailun pressed his advantage. “Thank you for your hard work. As you know, the situation in the Temple is quite complicated recently. I haven’t been able to pay much attention to you. I even had to sneak out to visit you.”
Charles looked at him. “What do you mean, Your Holiness?”
“First, there’s the internal problem. Some Cardinals are getting restless. They’re trying to instigate a union between me and the Empress to force an early abdication. So I need someone to infiltrate their ranks. You’re the best candidate. Also, that insidious Kailun has already infiltrated Alaye through the teleportation magic circle. He’s currently hiding in the city, planning to deal a fatal blow to the Temple.”
Kailun’s voice was heavy. “Never underestimate Kailun. You’ve encountered him many times. You should know how dangerous he is.”
Charles frowned. “You’re right, Your Holiness. That bastard Kailun is incredibly cunning. He must have a grand scheme for coming to Alaye. He’s a madman, capable of anything. We have to be more careful.”
He chose to ignore the first part of Kailun’s statement. He didn’t dare to comment on the internal problems of the Temple.
He wasn’t qualified. He was afraid of saying the wrong thing and being disliked by the Pope.
Kailun raised an eyebrow. “You’re right. So recover quickly and continue your mission. The Temple needs you. I need you.”
“Your Holiness…”
Hearing Kailun say that he needed him, Charles felt inexplicably moved, as if all his years of service had been rewarded.
“Alright, it’s getting late. I have to go back and deal with that foolish woman we captured last night. Rest well. If you need anything, just let me know. Whether it’s healing potions or resources to increase your strength, just ask.”
To avoid revealing any flaws, Kailun kept the conversation short. He was about to leave after chatting for a while.
“Okay, Your Holiness. Farewell. I’ll always be your loyal subordinate. I’ll protect your glory with my life.”
Charles struggled to sit up and bowed to Kailun.
“Hmm.” Kailun nodded, not showing any further emotion.
“Let’s go, Pell. We have to go back. There are still many things waiting for me to handle in the Temple. We probably won’t have any free time today.”
Kailun glanced at Helena and walked out of the room first.
“Okay~”
Helena smiled at Kailun and then made a throat-slitting gesture at Charles.
Charles: “…”
As expected, Pell was still the same Pell. Only the Pope could control her.
Pell was a lunatic. If she hadn’t been only at the eighth rank before, she would have become a nightmare for many.
But now, she was terrifyingly strong. Charles felt that he was no match for her now.
Her strength was probably a gift from the Pope. Charles was a little envious.
After the Pope and Pell left, Charles lay back on the bed, one hand on his forehead, the other stroking the box on his bedside table, a satisfied smile on his face.
Kailun, after leaving Charles’s residence, asked Helena, “Where to next?”
Helena: “Aren’t we going back directly?”
“We don’t have much time. There’s still a lot to do to control the Pope.”
Kailun stretched his neck. The thought of all the troubles waiting for him gave him a headache.
……
Compared to the chaotic Alaye, the Xiya Kingdom was experiencing unprecedented peace.
Phils, Anna, Ella, and the others were diligently maintaining the kingdom’s normal operations. Roden, Philip, and their team also played important roles.
The most miserable one was Rose. She was still imprisoned in the dungeon, deprived of her freedom.
Ottovia had earned several bottles of “Holy Water” by cleaning for Carol and was slowly recovering her strength. In a few days, she would be able to try teleporting again.
Fox, unable to find anything else to do, continued to search for the reason behind her lost talent. She had gained some clues.
Isabella often followed Carol around because she had discovered that Carol played a key role in influencing the world.
Bella often stayed in the courtyard, lost in thought. Without her daily “mission” to continue her lineage, she felt like she had lost her purpose in life.
Fortunately, Saint Chrissy provided her with plenty of entertainment, preventing her life from becoming too boring.
“Um, can you ask Kailun what he wants me to do?”
At noon that day, Rose, unable to bear it any longer, asked Illusion, who was delivering her meal.
Illusion: “Don’t flatter yourself. He’s already forgotten about you.”
Rose: “…”
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