Quick Transmigration: Help! What to do when my husband is obsessed with love?

Chapter 264 Paladin 28

"Lord Elthorpe, how are you now?"

The knights, imprisoned in dark and cramped cells, had their armor removed and were now huddled together for warmth in their thin clothes.

A cold spell was cast here to deal with these powerful and sinful members of the Holy See.

At this moment, some people's faces had turned deathly pale, whether from the influence of magic or from worrying about Ling Yi's fate.

"Lord Elthorpe is telling the truth, isn't he?" someone murmured, gazing at the moonlight.

They are Your Excellency's most trusted confidants, and they followed her without hesitation after hearing her plan.

It was for loyalty, and even more so for the papacy in their hearts.

But now that the fervent loyalty in their hearts has faded, they begin to feel fear.

If you are lying to them, if they have done something bad to the Vatican.

"All right!"

The captain's cold voice broke their hesitation: "When have you ever lied to us? Haven't you sensed something amiss with the Vatican in recent years?"

Everyone present already had the answer in their hearts when they decided to take action, so what were they hesitating about now?

The speaker paused for a moment, then murmured, "But if even the one who discovered the anomaly has met with misfortune, what will become of the Holy See's future?"

"I'm glad you're worried about the future of the Holy See even under these circumstances." A gentle, smiling voice rang out from the darkness. Ling Yi walked slowly to the front of the cell and looked at her subordinates huddled together.

"But worrying will do no good. The future of the Vatican must be created by your own hands. Loyal believers, are you ready to dedicate your loyalty to the Vatican?"

"Your Mightiness!"

The moment her voice rang out, the knights in the cells were jolted awake.

The next moment, light magic rose from Ling Yi's palm, revealing to everyone that she was unharmed and that she possessed the Pope's scepter.

The crown was still firmly on the dead man's head, and Ling Yi was too lazy to fight him for it.

But she also had to soothe the bewildered hearts of her subordinates, so she had to pick up the scepter she had once trod on, wipe it clean, and use it again.

In retrospect, the scepter's soothing effect was simply remarkable.

"Thank goodness, you're alright!"

The knights' joyful voices rang out, and their delight greatly pleased Cyrus behind Lingyi.

Although this Demon King had no confidants in his own territory, he valued Ling Yi's confidants highly and greatly admired their loyalty.

The succubus's purple pupils swept over each knight, satisfied that she found no trace of betrayal in them.

The chains were scorched by black flames, and the knights were finally able to escape from their prisons and stand before Lingyi.

"Your Excellency, it is us..."

As the captain, who was leading the group, spoke with remorse, the cold gem of the papal scepter was pressed against his head: "You have done well. May the light bless you."

The light blue gemstone seemed to have a calming and soothing effect. With just this one gesture, the guilty captain calmed down and smiled: "Fortunately, it seems that you can accomplish your great cause even without us."

His expression was expectant, eager to know what was happening outside.

Ling Yi turned around first and said calmly, "The devil has been punished by the light. All you righteous knights, please rest immediately and await the real war tomorrow."

The knights instantly straightened up: "Yes!"

They didn't know what real war was, but they were willing to give their lives for the new pope.

but……

Using your brain won't work.

After being rescued that day, the knights only rested for one night before plunging into the drudgery of work.

First, some people in the middle ranks of the Vatican, under the instigation of the cardinals, made things difficult for them. Then, it spread to the smaller churches at the grassroots level, and the friction between the papal and cardinal forces intensified.

This tense atmosphere was fully ignited after the Pope once again executed the son of a corrupt cardinal.

Within just one month, three cardinals announced their defection from the Vatican.

By the time they made the announcement, their forces had already fled, leaving them behind as a smokescreen.

Under the watchful eyes of countless visitors from the mainland, the Pope could not kill a highly respected cardinal without cause, and even though he had announced his departure from the Papacy, he had no choice but to let him leave.

This was just the beginning. In the short span of six months following the announcements of the three cardinals, seven more cardinals announced their separation from the Vatican.

Thus, the once mighty papacy was torn apart, with cardinals scattered to various places, declaring the establishment of the Second, Third, and Fourth Papacys and crowning themselves kings.

All that remains in the Vatican are the crown on the papal throne, the scepter in the pope's hand, the pope himself, and two cardinals.

Compared to its former power, the Papacy is now weak.

Even under these circumstances, the Pope was still implementing an anti-corruption plan in the Vatican with great efficiency, constantly punishing believers in the middle and upper ranks who were corrupt or engaged in other acts of murder for money, making the already fragile Vatican teeter on the brink of collapse.

Fortunately, the two cardinals who remained in the Vatican were extremely capable. They promoted countless ascetics to take over the clergy positions at the middle and lower levels, ensuring that the people would not be without medical care.

However, the position of senior administrative officer, capable of managing affairs, remains vacant.

In response to this matter, the pope did something that none of her predecessors, or rather, only the two previous popes, had ever done: she announced a public recruitment, extending invitations to capable people across the continent who were drawn to the light, asking them to take up positions in the Vatican.

The groundbreaking move of appointing ordinary people to positions within the Vatican, rather than clergy members, undoubtedly enraged the two cardinals who had been diligently working to maintain the Vatican's facade.

According to sources within the Vatican, a fierce argument has erupted within the Holy See.

"Absolutely not! This number is far too small!" The aged cardinal, after nearly a year of hard work, had droopy eyelids and dark circles under his eyes.

At this moment, he did not resemble a radiant and holy cardinal in red robes, but rather a weary old man who had just been bewitched by the devil.

At this moment, the old man slammed his fist on Ling Yi's table: "Your Holiness, do you know how many officials the Holy See had in the past?"

"Six thousand seven hundred people!" he said viciously. "Now you've eliminated more than five thousand, and there are less than a thousand people working now!"

"These people work more than eighteen hours a day, and even the magic of light cannot relieve the fatigue of these poor children!"

"And what about you? Merciful Pope!" The old man was furious, his clothes seemingly about to burst into flames. "You only intend to bring in a thousand people to share their work!"