Having received the task, Geliwusi acted with exceptional speed and swiftly retrieved Samuer's file from the Records Office he had once managed.
After glancing at the file, Ed discovered that its contents were not entirely true.
Some descriptions are too idealized; if you only look at the archives, you might think Samuer was the kind of perfect person who always followed the rules.
Geliwusi also glanced at it for a few moments, then exclaimed in surprise:
"This is Luxiusi's handwriting."
Ed looked at the fat cardinal:
"You mean, Luxiusi wrote this file himself?"
"Yes."
Geliwusi nodded, while Ed fell silent.
The records were written more than twenty years ago. Does that mean Luxiusi already knew the whole truth back then?
It's possible that the other party's symbiotic plant is Clear Void Pine, and while that person's disguise might fool others, it would be extremely difficult to deceive Luxiusi.
Therefore, this cardinal knew everything from the beginning, and even chose to try to influence Samuer through his words and deeds, not only sending him to the seminary, but also appointing him as his personal attendant.
Unfortunately, the spirit of the corpse was rather twisted, and it completely disregarded and scoffed at such attempts at persuasion, ultimately taking Luxiusi's life.
It seems that this cardinal was not only completely devoted to himself, but also to Samuer.
The creatures of this world only know of the existence of the World Tree, but cannot perceive the existence of the Creator.
Perhaps in Luxiusi's mind, his importance was no different from Samuer's.
After quickly dismantling Samuer's box, Ed also finished what he was doing at the cathedral.
He cast an anti-gravity spell on Luxiusi's body, allowing him to float steadily in the air, and then protected him with his vines, hoping that one day he could truly be resurrected.
As they descended the spiral staircase, Geliwusi suddenly said:
"Your Highness, there is a Stained Ones sinner for whom we do not know what to do."
"Who?"
" Luorui'er Fitz."
Geliwusi explained:
She has been deeply brainwashed by Sailesi and has even forgotten who she was originally.
" Sailesi even implanted some dubious memories into her mind, which has led to her developing a very serious mental illness."
"I've tried simple interrogation, but she knows nothing; she just thinks she is Sailesi and is determined to fight us to the end."
Ed pondered for a moment upon hearing this and asked:
How has the Fitz Family performed over the past century?
"Of course, loyalty to the Holy See."
Geliwusi answered instantly, adding in his mind: Otherwise, how could we have ended up in this situation?
Ed shook his head:
"I'm not asking the Holy See, but whether this family has committed evil deeds."
This time, Geliwusi remained silent for a long time before speaking:
"Not very human."
"Oh."
Ed seemed to be deep in thought:
"Did you know? Luxiusi sent me a group of men."
Geliwusi nodded, and said as if to take credit:
"I know, it's the Pure Ones Knight Order, isn't it? I even helped cover for them with Sailesi back then."
Ed didn't bother to discern whether Geliwusi was telling the truth or not, and simply said:
"Those Pure Ones under my command, apart from being stationed and maintaining order, did not actually participate in any battles."
"But Nuolun, the leader of that knightly order, is a promising talent, especially since he has his own special skills."
This was the first time Geliwusi had heard Ed praise a living Theocracy, let alone the Grand Master of the Holy Crusaders Knight Order.
He quickly asked:
"May I ask what Commander Nuolun's special skills are?"
"Beheading."
Ed said calmly:
"It cuts quickly and effectively, and there's even a Psionic Energy glow effect after it's done."
"... You mean... Called by the Lord's Grace?"
"That's right."
Ed also recalled the right to legally execute that Nuolun had once received, which also came from Cardinal Luxiusi above him.
Rather than Called by the Lord's Grace, Ed clearly preferred to call it a "kill effect."
"I've figured out how to handle this with Luorui'er, and I'll need your cooperation in doing so."
"I dare not accept such praise, Your Highness, please speak freely."
Ed nodded and gave the order:
"Choose some of the most heinous criminals from your list of Stained Ones, and then write their names, along with those of ' Oathbreaking Cardinal the Cuiske ' and 'Cardinal Sailesi the Fallen,' together and announce it to the whole city. Three days later, have Nuolun behead them all in the square—no, let them all Called by the Lord's Grace. I approve."
"By the way, remember to write a proclamation detailing all the evil deeds committed by Cuiske and Sailesi. From today onward, the Stained Ones are no longer a secret, but heretics that must be eradicated."
Geliwusi stood there stunned, wondering if he had forgotten to explain something:
"But Your Highness, the Sailesi that Luorui'er is impersonating is a fake, a stand-in..."
Ed looked at this fickle cardinal who hadn't quite grasped the situation yet:
"The fact that you didn't spread this around publicly means that you also have some ideas about the stand-in."
"If the stand-in dies, then it's no longer a stand-in."
The spiral staircase descended slowly, and after a moment of silence, Geliwusi said, with trepidation:
"Your Highness is really..."
"Shut up."
"Yes."
The fat cardinal followed closely behind Ed, and soon led Ed to the Holy Soul Hall, where they retrieved an emerald almost the size of two fists from the innermost room.
That was Territory Secret Pact concerning the Holy City and its surrounding area, covering an area almost equivalent to the territory of the Holy See before the outbreak of the Demonic Tide.
Because this thing becomes less useful once it leaves its designated area, Sailesi didn't take it with him when he ran away. He only used its power when expanding the root system and Cultivation the spider lily.
Now that Luxiusi is dead and Sailesi has fled, Geliwusi can transfer the Mysterious Gem intact to Ed simply by relinquishing his ownership of it.
But as he watched those two fist-sized gems merge into Ed's body, Geliwusi hesitated several times before finally saying nothing.
Forget it, what business is it of an ordinary person like him to interfere in matters concerning Son of God?
As Little Green let out a long, long burp, the entire Holy City was also hit by a steady and continuous long earthquake.
Everything in the city began to shake, and the citizens initially thought it was a real earthquake, and were gripped by fear.
But as the earthquake lasted longer, people's panic subsided.
The shaking has been going on for two hours now. If it were really aimed at me, I would be dead by now.
And so, after a night of continuous tremors, Ed finally took full control of this vast plain in the center of the continent, and completely replaced the complex root systems of the three cardinals, which had been intertwined and struggling for nearly a century, with his own Root Network.
As the golden morning sun shone into the Holy City, this historically significant city officially changed hands, becoming part of the Second Holy See...
enclave.