The Water Magician

List of Ranks in the Western Church (from highest to lowest)

Pope (1 person)

Cardinals (12 people)

Archbishops (24 people)

Bishops (many, originally 48 people)

Abbots (many, originally 48 people, equal to bishops)

Priests (a lot)

Deacons (a lot)

I briefly mentioned this in the main story of "0311," but...

It’s a bit late, but I decided to write it again.

The day before the papal inauguration.

The entire Holy Capital is lively and splendid.

However, there are also places that are not so cheerful.

The Holy See is one of them.

Of course, the papal inauguration itself will take place at the Holy See.

Guests from the Central Nations delegation, as well as from the dark continent, will be present.

The main inauguration ceremony is set to be held in a massive circular assembly hall reminiscent of a coliseum within the Holy See grounds.

Many clergy members stationed at the Holy See are energetically decorating the hall.

Preparations by carpenters and stonemasons of the Holy Capital have already been completed, with carpets being laid and chairs arranged.

The expressions of the clergy engaged in these tasks are filled with satisfaction.

And it’s only natural.

They are witnessing the papal inauguration while being part of the Holy See.

Moreover, it is for the 100th Pope!

What tremendous fortune.

No one in the Western Church would be displeased by such luck.

Well, ordinarily.

In a room on the third floor, across the courtyard of the Holy See, there were four bishops.

They are known as "the Pope's four bishops."

Bishop Abelard, Bishop Bridget, Bishop Cesare, and Bishop Dionysius.

But they are not just any bishops.

By the Pope's orders, they lead an assassination squad to forcefully eliminate obstacles.

These four are feared by many in the church.

However, when inside the Holy See, they rarely show any signs of agitation.

They always wear calm expressions and maintain a composed atmosphere.

But today was different.

Bang!

Dionysius slammed his hand on the table.

"Why...?"

He groaned with a look of deep frustration.

"It can’t be helped; it is the Pope's command."

Abelard's expression also lacked cheer.

From his expression, it was clear he shared the discontent.

"It is not the Pope, but Sakarias's command, isn’t it?"

Bridget said, grinding her teeth in an almost moaning manner.

It was a very rare sight for Bridget, who was typically the least expressive among them.

"It doesn't matter. I will clear my name. Today, I am going to kill Ryo."

In this instance, Cesare proclaimed this with the most expressionless face among the four.

"No, we’ve been told not to do that..."

Abelard sighed as he spoke.

"If I don’t defeat him, I cannot move forward."

Cesare had already made his decision.

Tonight, he would kill the "mage Ryo" of the kingdom delegation.

He understood the consequences of such an action.

The negotiations between France and the Central Nations could break down... this was not a trivial matter.

There was even the possibility that tomorrow's papal inauguration would not proceed normally.

For the four bishops, who had pledged their entire loyalty to the Pope, such a thing must never happen.

It had never happened before, and it was supposed to never happen again.

"The Pope was merely a puppet of Sakarias..."

Dionysius's whispered words encapsulated everything.

They had come to know.

That the object of their unwavering loyalty was a puppet...

No, it was uncertain whether he was even a "puppet" in the strictest sense.

But it didn’t change the core of the situation.

An entity unworthy of their loyalty.

What happens when something one has sincerely believed in shatters?

First, they might act in ways that cannot be understood by outsiders.

That might manifest in aggressive behavior, harming someone.

Or it might be defensive behavior, retreating into isolation.

It might even look like complete apathy, abandoning all thought...

No one knows what will happen.

Some may be able to rise again, while others may leave without ever standing up.

However, even for those who can rise again, it is natural for it to take some time.