Hero? Are You Worthy?
Chapter 571 - 410: Educating the Fiery Flame Witch Phil (4)

Chapter 571: Chapter 410: Educating the Fiery Flame Witch Phil (4)

The Holy Court suffered such severe blows and heavy losses, with its status greatly diminished. Would the high echelons of the Holy Court worry about the future of the Church?

Perhaps they did.

But this worry, compared to the question of who would hold the papal throne, was hardly worth mentioning.

What concerned them more was whether they could ascend to that position themselves.

Veronica and Anpton, those two scoundrels, even went to grovel before the Hero Qin Chu, begging for the Hero to take the Pope’s position.

In their eyes, this was nothing short of blasphemy, a betrayal.

Even if he was the Hero, the fact that he was a foreigner from a Different World could never be changed.

The glory of the Holy Court would not tolerate such defilement, and the selection for the Pope must be made from among the nine of them.

Qin Chu, he just doesn’t have the qualifications, understand?

It was precisely because of this that this meeting deliberately excluded Veronica and Anpton.

Of course, all of those lapdogs of Rose Vesper once had contact with scrolls that could connect directly to the Void; they feared even more that once Qin Chu took that position, these matters would be exposed, and they would be held accountable.

"Gentlemen, Veronica and Anpton are already preparing to hold a coronation ceremony in seven days. We must now devise a strategy. We absolutely cannot let the papal throne fall into Qin Chu’s hands," said Kain, one of Rose Vesper’s lapdogs, his fingers caressing the armrest as he spoke in a cold voice.

"Pah, what does a mere foreigner have the right to assume the papacy?" Another member, Vice Captain Wright, who had previously been imprisoned in the dungeons of the Heresy Court, voiced his disdain.

The Knight Order Vice Captain Galbraith shook his head slightly, "Wright, the matter is not as simple as you think."

"You must understand, whether or not you acknowledge it, Qin Chu was named the one hundred and third Pope by Augustus, and at that time, Augustus’s voice echoed throughout the Imperial City; every Believer could hear, and just because of this point alone, you cannot ignore it."

The Pope of the Holy Court is not elected but appointed by the previous Pope.

This particularity granted Qin Chu a more authoritative legitimacy than theirs by nature.

"But he’s just from a Different World..."

"I know what you want to say, but the regulations of the Church do not stipulate that a person from a Different World cannot become Pope unless you can find a rule that overturns Augustus’s testament." Galbraith interrupted Wright’s words and said coldly: "What’s more important is, all of Augustus’s relics have also fallen into Qin Chu’s hands, one of which is the Holy Light Scepter, a symbol of papal authority that can even communicate directly with the Holy Light Goddess."

"Wright, without the Holy Light Scepter, are you sure the Goddess’s followers will acknowledge your legitimacy and authority?"

For a moment, Wright was left speechless.

He absolutely didn’t want Qin Chu to become Pope; after all, he himself very much wanted to be Pope, but he had to admit that Galbraith’s words made a lot of sense.

"So, we must now find a way to take back the Holy Light Scepter from Qin Chu’s hands."

"And we must also find a way to make Qin Chu voluntarily give up the papal throne. In doing so, both legitimacy and authority can be ensured."

Galbraith’s words were met with a round of disdain from those around him. Easy for him to say, forcing Qin Chu to abdicate willingly?

What a joke.

Now, that guy Qin Chu was incredibly strong.

Even Rose Vesper, who had gone berserk after being watched over by the Gods, couldn’t defeat Qin Chu in a short time, let alone forcing Qin Chu to abdicate with just these few people. Were they dreaming?

"It’s true that just our strength might indeed not be quite enough, but..." Galbraith suddenly smiled, "This Hero does not lack weaknesses either... "

"This Hero seems to have many women by his side, and he’s also very fond of these women. Among them, it’s said that Angelica the Maid is his most beloved, and she is also the weakest."

"Now, even without the title of Great Sage, just a few of our followers over 70 levels would be able to..."

A weird smile slowly crept onto Galbraith’s face.

Kidnapping.

Well, well, the vice commander of the mighty Holy Knight Order could come up with such a terrible idea. Are you worthy of your Holy Knight title?

"This is for the dignity and future of our Church Court, so I have to go against my conscience," Galbraith added.

Pah, shameless.

Although everyone was inwardly scoffing, their faces couldn’t help revealing smiles; the idea was despicable, but... it seemed rather effective.

In any case, they would secure the papal throne first.

"Of course, we’d better propose a principal agent as well. In the future, he will be the Pope."

"At the same time, he must also guarantee the interests of all of us here," continued Galbraith. "I’ve served as the Holy Knight Deputy Commander for many years, and if it weren’t for that wench Veronica appearing out of nowhere, I would have been the commander. I believe with my qualifications, I am more than enough to take on the papacy. You can rest assured, gentlemen, as long as I sit on the Pope’s seat, none of your benefits will be impacted. I will also only be the Pope in name, and the management of the entire Church will be done collectively by the nine of us. How about it?"

Well, well, they had truly underestimated the depths of Galbraith’s shamelessness.

After saying so much, so he just wanted to be Pope himself?

"Galbraith, do you think it’s appropriate to say that?" Another Archbishop, Alger, voiced his mocking contempt, "Being older qualifies you to be Pope?"

"If that’s the case, then De Wei, the Tomb Guardian of the Holy Court cemetery, would be more suitable for the position. After all, he has been guarding the cemetery for over fifty years, and his seniority exceeds everyone present here."

"Besides, do you not have any idea about what you have done?"

"You led a rebellion, resulting in the Holy Court suffering tens of thousands in losses, with the Holy Hall destroyed. It’s already benevolence that you weren’t held accountable, and yet you have the audacity to aspire to be Pope? Where is your shame?"

Such disrespect turned Galbraith’s expression dark and gloomy.

Kain hurriedly stood to mediate, "Lord Alger, that’s not a fair statement. Although we did rebel against Augustus’s rule following Rose Vesper, let’s not forget that Augustus did imprison the Holy Daughter, and that’s a fact. I don’t think we did anything wrong."

"Moreover, Lady Rose Vesper does possess the bloodline of a deity..."

"Pah, deity’s bloodline? With a red moon over the sky, horns on her head, wings on her ribs, and behind her, a crimson tail covered with scales— are you sure that’s not the bloodline of an Evil God?" Alger bluntly retorted.

Someone used a Magic Image to spread all that had happened in the Holy Court, and Rose Vesper’s weird and twisted image caused quite a stir.

In short, the image of Saintess Rose Vesper has been utterly destroyed, worse than a demon.

Kain fell silent for a moment before replying, "Actually, we were just pressured by Rose Vesper..."

"Pressured, how? Did she put a knife to your throat? We could defy authority, yet you chose to surrender and be a dog? People like you have no right to be Pope. Rather, they should be purged from the Holy Court," said Alger sharply.

"The Pope can only be chosen from either me, Wright, or Broer..."

The entire meeting became chaotic, with saliva and objects like cups and chairs flying all around—it was just short of breaking into an outright fight.

...

Elsewhere.

Earth Mother Goddess Sect Holy Hall.

Saint Monica’s gaze was somewhat vacant, praising the bravery of the Lord of Joy.

Her soft and warm body, comparable to Asina’s, eased Qin Chu’s fatigue from the recent times, and the heartfelt subservience provided him immense satisfaction.

But Saint Monica knew her task was not yet complete. After a brief respite, she struggled to get up and proceed with the aftercare.

No matter what, she had to satisfy the Lord of Joy fully.

The Church Venerable’s robe remained intact on her body. With a simple adjustment, Saint Monica regained her original holiness, dignity, and elegance.

Just as Saint Monica finished her tasks and was about to speak, Qin Chu noticed her pupils slowly turning a crimson red.

He knew that Phil’s consciousness was awakening.

This gave Qin Chu a sigh of relief; it seemed Phil’s consciousness hadn’t been affected.

The poised and elegant demeanor had also changed into something more fiery and unrestrained, as Phil’s gaze casually swept over the Church Venerable’s throne, a suggestive smile appearing on her face: "It seems things were quite intense just now, weren’t they?"

"Why didn’t you contact me for so long? I thought something had happened to you," Qin Chu said with annoyance, worried for her amidst his own plentiful concerns.

Compared to Saint Monica, Phil, as the Fiery Flame Witch, was evidently much bolder, her eyes twinkling as she stepped forward, her delicate fingers tracing down Qin Chu’s chest, bringing waves of heat with them.

"Oh? Are you concerned about me?"

"But rest assured, I’m fine."

"Lately, I’ve been trying to merge with the Authority again. I have to thank you; after finding a suitable body, the infusion of Holy Light into this body has reduced the erosion the Fire God Authority has on my soul."

"Absorbing the power from the Authority has also greatly restored my soul."

"Now, if I were to forcefully take over this body, the chances of success are high, but I’m not planning to act just yet."

It seemed Phil was planning to heal a while longer to increase the success rate. This was her judgment and choice; Qin Chu wouldn’t interfere: "If you encounter any danger, you can contact me at any time."

"No problem..." As Phil spoke, her expression turned peculiar, a mischievous smile playing on her lips: "By the way, doesn’t this excite you more? Why don’t we keep Saint Monica’s consciousness around?"

"Though it’s the same body, the vast difference in personality makes it feel like dealing with two different women... Look, how about trying it again? This time, I’ll switch back and forth with Saint Monica’s consciousness—I think the sensation will be amazing."

Qin Chu frowned heavily.

This woman.

Now that her sanity and body were restored, she even dared to flirt openly?

Where was the authority of the household?

He had to properly discipline this Fiery Flame Witch.

Qin Chu’s eyes narrowed into slits as he hooked his arm around the slender waist of the Fiery Flame Witch, pressing her body against his own.

In the Holy Hall, the sounds that had just ceased once again started to resonate.