A meeting of the strongest: Why can't we believe in ourselves? (Please subscribe and vote with monthly tickets)

Li Chen and the Pope had been alone together for some time, and the people outside were in an uproar.

They all speculated about who Li Chen really was.

Even among the Holy See's many Red-robed Cardinals, few possessed strength like Li Chen's.

Could the Pope have been concealing this Personal Guard's strength all these years?

None of these Red-robed Cardinals had met Li Chen before, so they knew nothing of his true identity.

But one Red-robed Cardinal had met him: Chet, the Red-robed Cardinal who had once attacked Charles in the Starfall Kingdom. He had certainly seen Li Chen.

For attacking Charles, Chet had been sentenced to confinement by the Pope. Unless he received a special pardon, he would probably remain locked up for many years.

After all, this was the Eternal Day Empire. If word spread that someone had openly attacked Charles, it would surely cause unrest.

Even a Red-robed Cardinal had to face punishment from the Pope.

But this punishment was already very lenient. Under Everlasting Day's laws, executing his entire household would not have been excessive.

It also showed that the Holy See's standing was indeed far above that of the Imperial House.

Members of the Holy See obeyed only their doctrine. They cared nothing for royal laws.

That was also why the conflict between the Holy See and the Imperial House kept growing.

Red-robed Cardinal Ludwig kept his eyes fixed on the palace, turning things over in his mind.

In his view, this Personal Guard's return to the Holy See would probably turn the entire organization upside down.

Only the Pope and Li Chen were present in the Papal Palace's garden.

In a sense, they were equals in both strength and status, so their conversation was fairly casual.

"Emperor Li Chen, after serving as a