When the plot-skips players into the game world-Chapter 873 - 247: The Descent of the Eternal Pope

Chapter 873 -247: The Descent of the Eternal Pope

After Lady Honey Badger spoke, Cardinal Dominic did not immediately respond.

She merely fell silent for a moment before asking, “Your Holiness, what do you think?”

—The Eternal Pope is here too?!

Lady Honey Badger was suddenly startled.

Is it the new one… or the former?

She had seen The Holy Maiden already assassinated and Amberficated, and had fled immediately. Although her escape failed, she did not know who the new Pope was.

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…It couldn’t possibly be Saintess Glei, who’s already Amberficated, could it?

If that’s the case, perhaps there might still be a chance for me…

A faint hope began to rise in Lady Honey Badger’s heart.

Although The Holy Maiden wasn’t Amberficated due to her assassination efforts, she was somewhat involved in the matter.

Wasn’t the other party’s rise to power also related to her?

But then, the voice of Aiwass resounded.

“One million Gold Coins, huh… that price is somewhat fair, indeed a huge fortune. However, I didn’t expect the Hawkeye Organization to take such a big risk and send a Fifth Power Level Assassin Master here to meet death for a mere one million Gold Coins.

“By the way, I still have six million Gold Coins on hand. If I take a part of that, could I hire the Hawkeye Organization to kill someone for me?”

…Wait a minute?

Is this voice, Aiwass Moriarty?

Lady Honey Badger opened her eyes in astonishment, but those devotionally imbued, unextinguished holy lights blinded her from seeing anything clearly.

If it were just ordinary bright light, after such a long exposure, she should have already adapted. But she had no adaptability to the Path of Devotion… This was equivalent to draining her own power of adaptation and then continuously infusing her with the Power of Devotion, which couldn’t harm her body but also couldn’t be utilized by her.

Thus her own strength was sealed away gently.

At this moment, Lady Honey Badger only felt her brain in chaos and her blood ice-cold—

According to her previous analysis, Aiwass was clearly the Son of the Moon!

Hawkeye, as an organization that had hunted the Son of the Moon for hundreds of years, was quite familiar with many secret career inheritances associated with the Son of the Moon.

The Son of the Moon indeed had a rare branch of the Path of Devotion—a profession called the “Moonlight Scholar,” requiring the Son of the Moon to serve the Eternal Self alone.

Under such a close relationship, it was indeed possible for Aiwass to become a Cardinal Archbishop of the Eternal Self.

Moreover, the Cardinal robe Aiwass wore was also symbolizing the black of the Eternal Self!

…But doesn’t the Pope have to be an Elf?

According to Hawkeye’s information, only Elves have the opportunity to complete the Advanced Divine Art of the nine paths…

While her mind was in disarray, Aiwass’s voice lightly chuckled, “Just a joke. Hiring is out of the question… by the rules of the Holy Nation, you still have to work for us to pay off your debt.”

…What does that mean?

They’re… not killing me?

“First, recall the Shadowless Light array, Cardinal Dominic. And then, give this lady an additional piece of clothing.”

“Let me state beforehand, Your Holiness—she can manipulate any shadow she comes into contact with and teleport through contact with shadows. It would be quite troublesome to recapture her if she escapes. Also, she might take you hostage…”

Cardinal Dominic spoke in all seriousness.

“Then let her take me hostage, I don’t mind at all.”

Aiwass simply said with a laugh.

Soon, Lady Honey Badger felt an additional layer of clothing on her body. Her icy body warmed up instantly… and then, the pervasive sources of light dissipated.

As an Adapter of the Fifth Power Level, she almost instantly adapted to the new ambient light and saw everything clearly before her eyes.

It was indeed Cardinal Dominic herself, not some recording device.

And there was Aiwass, Lily, and… that fake Isabel.

Lady Honey Badger’s expression was incredibly complex.

She opened her mouth, but in the end, said nothing.

“As for Alice… I will let her go, considering she is indeed an innocent child. It seems she doesn’t have any blood on her hands yet.”

Aiwass spoke gently: “After all, she still holds photos of me and Isabel. I’m quite looking forward to the day when she makes those photos public.

“—Of course, a strict lecture is unavoidable. Even the Holy Nation finds such naughty children bothersome.”

“… You’ve decided not to kill me?”

Lady Honey Badger asked, not giving up hope.

“Why, do you very much wish to die?”

Aiwass countered.

“But in the end, I am…”

The Honey Badger said this and suddenly choked up.

——Wait, wasn’t I the one who attempted to assassinate the Holy Maiden? Then why was I the only one captured? But I clearly didn’t strike…

Unless…

Her eyes widened slightly, as if she had come to a realization——

——Unless the Pure White Saintess was never poisoned at all.

“…Did the Saintess amberficate early?”

The Honey Badger blurted out.

Yet everyone present seemed as if they hadn’t heard this sentence at all.

Not only Aiwass and Cardinal Dominic. Even Lily and Isabel showed no reaction whatsoever… as though she hadn’t said these words at all. It even made the Honey Badger wonder if she had actually spoken.

“Although you tried to assassinate the Holy Maiden, you didn’t cause irreversible consequences after all.”

Aiwass simply said: “Moreover, you have… indeed done me a favor. In terms of results, you did make some special contributions.”

…So that’s how it is.

Was it because I “assassinated the Saintess” that Aiwass had the opportunity to become the Pope?

The Honey Badger thought so, believing she understood Aiwass’s intention.

On the other hand, another answer emerged in Cardinal Dominic’s heart:

It was precisely because of her assassination attempt that the scandal of the Pure White Saintess’s amberfication was covered up.

But what no one knew was that Aiwass was actually referring to another matter.

——It was also because of this failed assassination that the Saintess still had the chance to succeed as Pope, hence the Holy Nation wouldn’t split due to other Cardinal Archbishops vying for the papacy. Since the Holy Nation wouldn’t split, there would be no prolonged separatist internal warfare.

In other words, the “Tree and Amber Calamity” had been silently resolved before it even occurred.

It was solely because there was someone like the Honey Badger to take the blame, nothing more.

“However, even if we don’t ‘dissolve’ her, the value of Lady Honey Badger still needs to be developed.”

Aiwass remarked, “After all, her motive was bad, it’s just the final outcome that was good… I’ll leave this to you, Cardinal Dominic.

“—Oh right, although Cardinal Loki has died. We still need to pay the final installment he owed for hiring a murderer—in the name of a Cardinal—because the Holy Nation cannot be in debt, right?”

Upon hearing this, both the Honey Badger and Cardinal Dominic wore very strange expressions.

…Your Holiness, do you want to hear what you are saying?

But after pondering, Cardinal Dominic felt that Aiwass was right.

Although essentially, the Honey Badger was just the scapegoat. The fact that she came to the Holy Nation to take risks indicated that the Hawkeye Organization was desperately broke… This money was nothing for the Holy Nation, and it could be used to seal the Honey Badger’s lips.

——You’d better carry this blame firmly and don’t think of recanting.

It could also serve as concrete evidence of Cardinal Loki’s crimes—considering that there are still a number of devout Cardinal Loki fans among the populace.

Moreover, if the financial issues of the Hawkeye Organization were not resolved, they would sooner or later carry out other dangerous missions. Eventually, as a dangerously sharp knife, they could provoke uncontrollable disasters. Just like this time… if their assassination had been truly successful, then for a mere one million, the Holy Nation could have faced the danger of division.

Might as well take this opportunity… to enlist some of them. Even if we don’t expect them to kill, at least if a similar situation arises again, they can provide a warning to the Holy Nation.

——Isn’t it just about money? Whatever amount they offer, can’t we just double it?

“His Holiness is admirable indeed!”

Cardinal Dominic exclaimed: “I will make good use of her.

“Besides, I will not suffer a loss—the Hawkeye Organization will come to redeem her. Even if they are out of money, they will always have something else to pay off the debt…”

But just then.

A strange and warm fluctuation suddenly surged through the air.

It was as if the presence of the Candle Master had descended personally—the warm radiance soaked into everyone’s hearts.

The next moment, an incredibly young-looking girl appeared out of thin air in the midst of the air.

She seemed to be a girl no older than thirteen.

Her hair was pure white, and her pupils were silvery white. She was wearing a thick robe with red and black colors, with intricate patterns showing through—resembling deer heads or possibly thorns.

Black thorns spread from the robe in all directions, embedded into her collarbone, neck, ears, forehead. Above her head, the Sin Thorn twisted into a sacred crown.

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“…Your Holiness?”

Cardinal Dominic was startled for a moment, subconsciously recognizing the girl’s identity—she was the former Eternal Pope.

But the former pope just looked solemnly behind Aiwass.

The girl was encompassed with a powerful and surging strength.

“—Fox, stand behind me!”

She spoke up.