The Pope's Wrath

In just one morning, all kinds of rumors spread wildly throughout the Hori Kingdom.

"Um... did you see the notice on the street? I heard that lots of similar notices have been posted in the neighboring towns too. Everyone's talking about it now."

"What it says is absolutely terrifying..."

"Is it true that the Church has placed His Majesty under house arrest? No wonder His Majesty hasn't appeared for so many days... I don't understand. Why won't the Church properly serve the gods? Why must they do something like this?"

"It's all fake! What kind of nonsense is this? All mages should go to hell!"

Although no one dared discuss such matters openly, once doors were shut and people hid away in secluded corners, the discussions never stopped. Whether they supported it or opposed it, the people of the Hori Kingdom displayed immense enthusiasm for the matter, as though color had suddenly burst into a world that had once been black and white.

The Church had always advocated restraint. Though such principles were difficult to enforce among the lower classes, living in this country under that atmosphere still made people's lives rather stifling.

And when that pent-up calm erupted, coupled with the guidance of those with ulterior motives, the "poster" incident thoroughly became major news in the Hori Kingdom. Its influence was so great that even cities where no posters had been put up were affected. Within mere hours, copied illustrated versions of the posters were even circulating in secret.

After all, they had first heard that the king had been kidnapped, only to hear afterward that he had actually been rescued—and that it was the Church that had placed him under house arrest. In an age starved of entertainment, such a reversal was simply too captivating.

The Church's reaction