Chapter 300 - 273: Already Cold

Chapter 300: Chapter 273: Already Cold

"Sofia... as the vessel?" the presider asked hesitantly. The illusory figures all fell silent for a time, each contemplating Bishop Luther’s proposal.

"The girl is devout, both to the Main God and to the Church. I believe a repeat of what happened with Vissans is unlikely. And more importantly," Luther paused, his gaze sweeping over the attendees, "her power is formidable. She is one of the finest of the younger generation. If we infuse the Cardinal’s soul into her body, we should see a significant boost in power." ℴ

"But if we do that, the child’s soul will die," a woman’s soft murmur came from a corner, but it failed to attract anyone’s attention.

"For Sofia to become the new Divine Chosen One... that could present some problems," the presider said, lightly tapping the tabletop. "We must remember that the Cardinal is male. If we rashly place his soul into a female body, there will be some... awkwardness in his daily life."

"No, Archbishop," Luther immediately countered. "Those are surmountable issues. For the sake of victory in the Divine War, any sacrifice is acceptable. I believe the Cardinal himself would feel the same. Of course, if any of you has another male candidate in mind, he can be used to replace Sofia."

The meeting fell into a strange silence once more. This time, no one offered any new ideas. After waiting for a dozen or so seconds, the presider spoke. "Very well. It is true that for the sake of the Divine War, any sacrifice is acceptable. Sofia will be considered a backup option, and the Church will begin an investigation into her immediately. Of course, if any of you find other candidates later, report them to Plantagenet City as soon as possible."

"Yes, Archbishop," the Regional Bishops around the long table replied in unison.

"Are there any other important matters to report?" the Archbishop’s dignified voice rang out. The attendees all shook their heads. They were all aged, high-ranking officials of the Church and knew perfectly well that some things should never be discussed in this forum.

"Good. In that case, this meeting is adjourned." Seeing no objections, the Archbishop made the declaration. "I will remind you all one last time: put more thought into candidates for the Divine Chosen One and report to me as soon as possible. As you know, our Church has not won a Divine War in over a thousand years."

Everyone remained silent and sat perfectly still, making no superfluous movements. Seeing that his admonishment had landed, the Archbishop waved his hand, dismissing the Regional Bishops.

In his office at the Holy Oak Cathedral, Bishop Luther slowly opened his eyes. He rubbed them and sighed. "And just like that, it’s over."

He reached out and picked up a cup of coffee from his desk. After stirring it a few times, he took a small sip. ’A little cold.’

Thinking about the discussion during the meeting, he couldn’t help but sneer. ’Putting an old man’s soul into a young woman’s body... It’s a wonder none of those guys even objected.’

As the one who had made the proposal, Bishop Luther calmly savored his coffee. His gaze was fixed on another cup of coffee on the desk. After a long silence, he set down his cup and pulled open the bottom drawer. A flash of green light flickered as if some Magic Barrier had been broken, and the drawer slid open slowly.

The drawer was very deep and could have held many things, but now, it contained only a single, slender book. Something on the cover seemed to be squirming. As the drawer opened, a sickly sweet voice whispered in Luther’s ear, "Do you want it? What is it you desire? I can give you anything. Just look at the first page, and you’ll know that what you want is right here."

"I want you to help me with the tax documents on my desk. All these calculations are giving me a headache," Bishop Luther scoffed. The moment he spoke, the voice stopped, as if it had run off in embarrassment.

Bishop Luther looked at the book’s cover. The squirming had stopped, revealing its original rust-colored hide and its true title: *Mushroom Spores and Life Form Variants*.

’Forgive me, Sofia.’ Bishop Luther sighed softly, then slowly pushed the drawer shut. The voice started up again, "Wait, I can give you..."

SLAM. The drawer was shut tight. A flash of green light flared, and the Magic Barrier was active once more.

’So you really did meet Vissans and heard some things you shouldn’t have,’ Bishop Luther mused, picking up his coffee cup again. ’There’s nothing to be done. The Divine War is just that cruel. Your sacrifice is just one step in the process. The Church hasn’t won a Divine War for a very long time, and we old-timers want to live for a few more centuries. Winning is the only way.’

He downed the rest of his coffee in a few gulps and set the cup back on the desk, right beside the one that was now completely cold. Bishop Luther then reached out and rang a small bell. The nun from outside quickly re-entered.

"It’s all right now. If anyone comes looking for me, you may let them in," Bishop Luther said with a smile. Then, he pointed to the coffee. "It’s cold now, no longer any good. Please dispose of it."

"Yes, Lord Bishop." The nun stepped forward respectfully, picked up both cups, and exited the office.

......

Shire was waiting for Uncle Musa’s first letter in reply. He knew it could take a long time, but he was still very much looking forward to it. For one, Uncle Musa would tell him about the current situation in Plantagenet City and the progress of the investigation into the mastermind behind the scenes. For another, he was curious about his sister Vivian’s reaction when she heard news of him.

’I wonder how that little tagalong from my memories, the one who was always pouting, is doing now,’ he thought. ’Is she studying her Magic diligently? Is she getting on her teachers’ nerves?’

He would have to wait for Uncle Musa’s letter, which would come after he met with Vivian.

But he never could have imagined Uncle Musa’s current situation. In a lavishly decorated parlor, Musa sat calmly on a velvet-upholstered sofa, sipping a cup of the finest Golden Flower Tea.

"Mr. Salumu, is it just a tax exemption you’re after?" Third Prince Theodore said with a smile from his seat across from them. "The Intermediate Beast Cores you provided, and that concoction called ’Red Bull’... I’ve already had them sent for testing. If they truly have the effects you claim, then I believe a tax exemption will be a trivial matter."

"Is that so?" Uncle Musa said calmly, his demeanor like that of a seasoned merchant. "The officials I spoke with before said it would be exceedingly difficult."

"Some things are difficult for them, but it’s a different matter when I’m the one doing them," Theodore said, glancing at Count Valentine, who was seated beside him. The Count was also enjoying his Golden Flower Tea and offered no reaction.

"If that is truly the case, then that would be wonderful," Uncle Musa said with a slight smile, his gaze sweeping over the fully armed guard—Auberto—standing off to the side.

’Things are getting interesting.’