Chapter 251

"So what? Our original intention was to facilitate cooperation between Augustus and the Northern Federation, wasn't it? As long as they form an alliance, it will be the best thing for us, preventing the outbreak of war and weakening the influence of the Outer Gods. Didn't Bishop Josh say the same thing before?"

"That was said to them."

Josh sighed softly. The Saintess was indeed too young. She was talented, but not very good at dealing with people, just as the rumors said.

How could Gate of Janus work for free? His purpose in coming here was to fight for the interests of the church. Since everyone on the scene agreed with Ryan's words, he certainly couldn't go against the public's anger by insisting on his own way. After all, there was still the Saintess, wasn't there?

But now it seems the Saintess has no idea what she should be doing.

"Saintess, the alliance between Augustus and the Northern Federation means that the landscape of the Northern Continent will undergo a new change. If the Gate of Janus is blocked, perhaps after the Arcadia affair is over, the two great empires will join forces to find ways to exclude us, do you understand?"

"On the Rhea Continent, the people are a resource to be won over. God has entrusted us with the important task of spreading the faith, and we believers must give our all, even if it sometimes requires the use of special means."

"Why am I fighting for the right to be a witness? It's to control the right to draft the treaty. We don't want to see Arcadia successfully invade the Northern Continent, but we also don't want to see the Northern Continent become too powerful. If they are united, we'll be in trouble, understand?"

Josh tried to analyze the pros and cons for Lin Qi, but Lin Qi was rather stubborn.

"Even so, I have promised to maintain an absolutely impartial stance. I am merely a witness. The specific treaty was drafted as a result of discussions between Augustus and the Northern Coalition."

"Oh, Goddess above, Saintess, you can't think like that. You witnessed this great moment on behalf of the Gate of Janus. Isn't it only right that the Church should receive some due reward? This is a fair and just way, and even the God of Contracts would approve."

"But we have already gotten what we wanted." 'Lin Qi' gently shook her head and said calmly, "God teaches us to be humble and content, which is the quality a qualified Janus Follower should have. Moreover, if the Church forcibly intervenes in this alliance, it is very likely to get caught up in an inextricable entanglement, which will be detrimental to the alliance. Bishop Josh, we should not cause the potential outbreak of Outer Gods's power for a little benefit. The most urgent task is to ensure the smooth conclusion of this meeting and stop Arcadia's atrocities of invasion."

Josh: "..."

Oh damn, how can I make her understand what I mean!

"Saintess, the Gate of Janus has not achieved its current power through naivety and pure praise. The enemies we face are not only the Outer Gods, but also many blasphemous usurpers. They are rude, ignorant, and nonsensical. Reasoning with these people will not work, so we must ensure our own strength in order to fight against them. Do you understand?"

"Of course I know all this, but Bishop Josh, don't you think you're getting too caught up in the game of power and conflict, and have forgotten the pure intentions you had when you first followed the Goddess?"

Josh was taken aback.

I seem to be stumped by that question.

"Perhaps you can ask yourself whether this is something the great Janus needs you to do, or something you want to do yourself and are just using as an excuse." After saying this, 'Lin Qi' nodded slightly, "May the Goddess bless you."

She left, leaving Josh standing alone, like a sculpted stone statue.

It took Josh a long time to come to his senses.

He watched Lin Qi's departing figure with deep emotion.

He was stunned for a moment, partly because of the question 'Lin Qi' had posed from her soul, but also because for a very important reason that he felt for a moment that he was facing the Pope of yesteryear, and that as Saintess, he was filled with the same understanding of divinity.

It was because of that Saintess that he was drawn to her and vowed to follow her, a vow he still makes to this day.

But I don't know when it started, he's gotten into the habit of chanting "For the God of Janus" every day, yet he's always playing games of power and conflict... Have I forgotten my original intention? No, no, the Pope has always been ahead of everyone else, fighting for the Goddess Janus. Following the Pope can never be wrong!

After a brief moment of distraction, Josh cast a Purification Spell on himself, allowing his long-dormant emotions to settle down, and then his gaze became firm again... at least that's how he thought it was.

But a void in one's beliefs is like a corner of a skyscraper that has been dug out; once it appears, it is very difficult to fill.

Lin Qi was just back to prepare, and then she would soon be heading to the castle for the evening banquet.

Bishop Alchino followed her, and on the way to 'Lin Qi's' residence, he couldn't help but say, "Archbishop Josh is the most loyal to the Pope. I think her appearance must have been authorized by the Pope. If he said anything to you..."

"I know the Pope might need his intervention in the affairs of the Northern Continent, but he has indeed been sidelined now," Lin Qi said calmly. "This fully demonstrates the attitude of Augustus and the Northern Federation, so I will no longer do as he wishes, as that would only cause the alliance to fail."

Alchino hesitated, then asked, "What about the Pope...?"

"The Pope won't blame me for this, or rather, she has no reason to. I witnessed the temporary alliance of the Northern Continent. In the future, whether it's Augustus or the Northern Federation, those two Empress will only recognize my cooperation with them."

Alchino paused, startled. "Does the Saintess mean..."

"Alchino, if I'm not in Augustus, you'll be in charge of handling things for me."

Alchino paused, watching 'Lin Qi' walk away. Her calm tone made it seem as if she were saying something insignificant... Alchino suddenly felt a chill run down her spine. The Saintess Maiden seemed to be much more powerful than she had expected.

Who says the Saintess is a girl who knows nothing? She knows more than anyone else!

"Yes, Saintess Majesty!"

Alchino immediately responded loudly, and she jogged to catch up with 'Lin Qi', deliberately lagging behind by half a step, with a respectful attitude.

Suddenly, 'Lin Qi' stopped, turned her head to look out of the rose window in the corridor, and then reached out and grabbed.

A magical letter appeared in her hand.

After Lin Qi finished deciphering the information, her cold and beautiful eyebrows furrowed slightly.

"Your Saintess, what's wrong?" Alchino, who had sworn to join the 'Saintess Faction,' couldn't wait to show off.

"It's nothing. Go find Miss Ina and check the process for drafting the treaty tomorrow," Lin Qi said.

"Yes, I'll take care of it right away."

"Is Andeni finished?"

This way.

Ryan, who was waiting for the dinner party to begin, saw the message from his first wife.

The magical letter flew from the Arcadia Empire, and it was about Cardinal Andeni being in danger, but it didn't specify what the danger was or where he was.

Kachia attempted to make a deal with Lin Qi using relevant information, hoping that the latter would delay or even hinder the alliance between the two empires.

In addition, Kachia offered additional conditions for allowing the establishment of Church at Gate of Janus, demonstrating her sincere and earnest attitude.

"This woman has quite the imagination, actually trying to obstruct an alliance in this way. If it were Josh, he might actually agree, or at least be greedy enough to try and have his cake and eat it too. Too bad, Empress Kachia, everyone in this meeting, from the referees to the members, is my man. How can you possibly win?"

"But then again, Andeni's strength should be at the T1 level among Sixth Tier Supernatural Being, and he brought so many people with him, yet something still happened. Is the Kazar Plain really that dangerous?"

Ryan stroked his chin thoughtfully.

Andeni went to investigate the plague, and it seems he made contact with the Spirit of Chaos. Apart from them, there is probably no one else who can threaten Andeni.

This is more of a shock than a surprise... or maybe not. If Andeni dies, wouldn't the position of Cardinal immediately become vacant?

Although Alchino's strength is still somewhat lacking, the selection of an archbishop is not something that can be completed in a short time. In addition to strength, talent and 'performance' are also considered. Alchino is not lacking in the latter two aspects. After all, being able to become a bishop in Baron speaks volumes.

Then 'Lin Qi' can secretly push things along.

"The Pope Faction, the Bishop Faction, and now let's have a Saintess Faction." Ryan smiled slightly, knowing he could only make things difficult for Andeni.

Whether Andeni lives or dies won't affect him much. Let Gate of Janus cause trouble in the Kazar Plain. 'Lin Qi' just needs to handle things here.

As for this news, who would know if she didn't say anything?

Even if Kachia claims to have told 'Lin Qi', the latter can simply deny it. It can be taken as Kakia holding a grudge because 'Lin Qi' witnessed the alliance between Augustus and the Northern Federation. It's slander, a complete and utter slander!

Could the Silent Nun lie? Obviously not!

He plans to start cultivating followers of the Saintess Faction now, laying the foundation for taking over the Gate of Janus in the future. He plans to create more alt Alts and stuff a few more talents into the church to help the Goddess Janus solve her problems.

Look at the church now, what a bunch of idiots! Loyal Master Ryan just couldn't stand it anymore.

After keeping the matter a secret, Ryan waited until after six o'clock before leaving his residence and taking a carriage to the castle.

Inside the enormous banquet hall, six white crystal chandeliers held burning, specially made candles. Their flames were bright and captivating, and they also emitted a subtle, soothing fragrance.

A long table covered with a white cloth was laden with various delicacies: fragrant pan-seared foie gras, succulent roast beef and chicken, plump and juicy oysters, and the irresistible aroma of braised lamb. Also on display were the recently popular Misty Champagne and Hillmans red wine, swirling in their glasses, glistening enticingly in the light.

Servants dressed in pale yellow vests moved about the hall, replenishing any missing ingredients and providing assistance to those of high status within.

Motis wore a black off-the-shoulder dress with a silver brooch on her left chest. Her long, smooth gray hair was casually spread out, and her gray, empty eyes were devoid of any color.

Noble and mysterious, yet his words and actions are filled with arrogance and aggression.

Holding a wine glass, she casually glanced across the hall. Soon, 'Vainay' walked towards her. The latter was wearing a gorgeous dress made of gold brocade, which complemented her shimmering gold hair perfectly, exuding beauty, generosity, nobility, and elegance.

The two Empress met and chatted with each other with smiles. The atmosphere seemed quite harmonious, and everyone had reason to believe that Empress 'Vainay' and Empress 'Motis' must have reached a mutually satisfactory agreement at this alliance meeting.

Not far away, Caslathdi, dressed in a white dress, stood with Haino, discussing food and art.

'Shally', dressed in a red dress, was discussing the supply of materials to the Holy Blood Army with 'Ina', who was dressed in business attire. Although the Holy Blood Army mainly relied on the enemy for supplies, there were always some shortages and some surpluses. The excess had to be sent back, and the shortages had to be sent over.

And all of these things are handled by 'Ina'.

Lin Qi was wearing a specially made Nun's habit, with two crosses on her chest, one black and one gold. The black one had a shorter strap, while the gold one had a longer one.

Besides them, there were also some invited ministers and nobles in the hall. They were all communicating in a relatively low voice, and each of them had an involuntary sense of pride on their faces, feeling proud to be able to attend such a 'top' meeting.

Being a noble is a strange identity; sometimes, they value honor more than life itself.

And Josh, who was invited as a special guest, is wondering how to get 'Lin Qi' to change her mind.

It was already quite late when Ryan walked into the hall.

He was supposed to be on time, but Elvian contacted him at the last minute to talk about the recent deployment of Wildea to intercept the Arcadia army.

First, she expressed her gratitude. Although Elvian still seemed to have the haughtiness of Queen, at least her tone had softened considerably, a far cry from her previous attitude of wanting to devour Ryan.

Secondly, Elvian expressed her hope that 'Vainay' would bring the Holy Blood Army along, as the Moonlight Knight Order alone could at most fight against Arcadia's vanguard.

Once the Guardians make their move, the Moonlight Knight Order will definitely be no match for them.

Finally, she hoped to obtain 'Vainay's' permission to join the Moonlight Knight Order in their missions, with her identity concealed and no need to act immediately, only intervening when the Moonlight Knight Order were truly in danger.

Since 'Vainay' placed her in the Kingdom of Lotte to weaken her influence in Veldria, it's impossible for her to go back and lead troops.

Ryan agreed to Elvian's request, saying he would do everything in his power to seduce Her Your Majesty 'Vainay' into agreeing to both things.

Elvian didn't say it, but she was somewhat touched and felt that Ryan wasn't so bad after all.

Although her current situation is all caused by Ryan, in essence, it was Wildea who lost this Northern Continent Championship. Blaming the enemy for not being able to defeat her is a sign of weakness. In the end, it's because she wasn't strong enough. If she were strong enough, how could she have lost to Ryan?

Weak and losing, and you blame the enemy? Even if it wasn't Ryan, there might have been another Rider, or something like that.

Therefore, Wilder's current situation has little to do with Ryan!

Ryan was unaware that his image in Elvian's eyes was already changing. If he had known, he would have cursed her as "that damned God of Desire." However, he agreed simply because he had already planned to do so.

The Holy Blood Army will definitely have to take action, otherwise the Watchers could easily wipe out the Northern Federation. But how and when to take action still needs careful consideration.

His initial idea was to take the sea route, but whether it would be feasible would only be determined later.

As for sending Elvian into battle, it was naturally to protect 'Avril'.

On the surface, this was supposed to be Queen Avril's campaign for the kingdom, a personal expedition, but in reality, it was a way to boost the kingdom's popularity and prestige among its citizens. Ryan only felt at ease having Elvian, a Seventh Tier Transcendent, accompany her for safety reasons.

Even if Elvian hadn't said anything, he would have made arrangements later, since you two are best friends.

What?

You should thank me?

Oh, you're welcome.

As Ryan walked into the hall, the air fell silent for a moment, and everyone's eyes turned toward him, but then naturally looked away after a short while.

Ryan looked around and walked toward where Caslathdi and Haino were.

"Good evening, ladies." Ryan raised a glass of red wine and smiled in greeting.

"Good evening, Ryan," Caslathdi said with a smile. "I must say, you look absolutely stunning in a suit."

"Yeah?"

Ryan glanced down; he had left in such a hurry that he hadn't even changed out of the clothes he was wearing for the meeting.

By the standards of a normal nobleman, the same outfit would not be worn twice on a formal occasion, as that would only make people think that the nobleman's family had fallen into poverty.

But no one would say anything if Ryan dressed like that. Had his Master Ryan fallen on hard times? What a joke! With just one word from him, Grand Duke Magana would order the best tailors in the entire Augustus Empire to come and make him a decent suit. If they couldn't make it right, they'd break his legs!

"The only thing missing from a noble gentleman is a high-quality walking stick," Haino chuckled. "Perhaps you could try to make one. You're the first noble gentleman I've met who doesn't have a walking stick."

Ryan shrugged. "Using that thing would make me feel like a disabled person."

"Pfft~" Caslathdi covered her mouth and chuckled.

Haino paused for a moment. "That's a really strange description. Even if you're not a nobleman, a man would be proud to have a cane with his formal attire."

Ryan did not comment on this.

He knew that the Augustus Empire... and even most of the Northern Continent was like this, but he just wasn't used to it. Why use a third leg when you can walk on two legs? A third leg isn't for this kind of thing.

"Ms. Haino, there's something I'd like to ask you for a favor." After chatting for a while, Ryan explained the purpose of his visit to Haino: "I'm planning to go to the Western Territory in the next couple of days. If it's alright, could you come with me?"

"The Western Territory?" Haino asked, puzzled. "If you go back to the Western Territory, how can I help?"

Although she wouldn't mind going there, the Western Territory were Magana's territory, and the Western Territory army obeyed Ryan's orders. What could she possibly do to help?