Chapter 484 - 103: Preaching
Another one of the Old Faction Cardinals staggered to his feet. He was even older than the first, and in that moment, he seemed to have aged a decade. His lips trembled, and his gaze fixed on Murphy as if he were looking at a Demon that had crawled up from Hell. "His Holiness the Sword of Divinity! I beg you, take back your words! This... this is no jest! If this proposal were to get out, not only would the Church Court be thrown into utter chaos, but the nations of the Continent and its countless faithful would see it as the complete collapse of their faith! The Church Court’s thousand years of authority, the new policies pushed by the Holy Throne—all of it will be brought to ruin! We... even in death, we could never stand by and watch such an act of blasphemy unfold!"
Ambrosius did not rise immediately, but the hand he had resting on the table was clenched into a tight fist, his knuckles white and the veins on the back of his hand bulging.
He stared intently at Murphy, his world-weary eyes roiling with a storm of complex emotions: shock, rage, and a bone-deep fear.
He did not shriek and lose his composure like his colleague, but his voice was terrifyingly hoarse, each word seeming to be forced through gritted teeth. "Your Holiness... what is the meaning of this? Do you intend to... bury the Church Court with your own hands?"
Adrian’s face was just as pale as paper. His monocle had gone askew, but he didn’t have the presence of mind to straighten it.
He instinctively glanced toward Pope Elizabeth, hoping to see even a sliver of opposition or astonishment from the Holy Throne. However, Elizabeth simply sat there calmly, her eyes lowered, as if Murphy had just mentioned some trivial, unimportant matter.
The three young Cardinals of the new policy faction were now at a complete loss.
They understood Murphy’s power and will far better than the older Cardinals did.
But the proposal to "teach the Path of the Wizard" was completely beyond the pale of what they could comprehend or accept.
This didn’t just violate the doctrines they had been steeped in since childhood; it meant that the very foundation of the entire Church Court system—the system they were fighting for, trying to integrate into and improve—could be utterly subverted.
They looked at one another, mouths agape, but not a single word came out. Cold sweat beaded on their foreheads, their eyes filled with confusion and immense fear.
Murphy took in everyone’s reactions, his expression remaining perfectly serene.
He waited for the initial, most vehement wave of opposition to subside slightly before speaking slowly.
"Evil is not inherent in power itself, but in the methods and motives of its wielder. The Path of the Wizard is merely another way to explore the rules of the world and wield Elemental Energy. For a thousand years, the Church Court, driven by its own fear and narrow-mindedness, has stigmatized and demonized it, shackling countless possibilities. Now, the times have changed. We need a broader perspective. We need to gather all wisdom and all Energy to face the challenges of the future and to drive civilization to its next stage."
He looked at the old Cardinals, who were trembling with agitation. "You all claim to speak for the Church Court, for the faith. Then let me ask you: is stagnation, stifling potential, and letting talent go to waste how you preserve the Church Court? Is refusing to understand, resisting change, and clinging to dogma from a thousand years ago how you defend the faith? True faith should lead people toward light and truth, not forge a cage out of fear."
He then turned to the three pale-faced young Cardinals. "You promote new policies. You know the need for change, for progress. So, where do you draw the line for that change and progress? Is it merely about patching things up within the existing framework? When a Path that could lead to a far broader future lies before you, will you ignore it—or even desperately obstruct it—simply because it was ’once considered taboo’? If so, what is so ’new’ about your new way?"
Murphy’s gaze finally fell upon Ambrosius and Adrian. "What buries the Church Court is never new knowledge or new Paths. It is the rigid, decaying, old shell that refuses to adapt to the times. I did not make this proposal today to destroy the Church Court. On the contrary, it is to inject new life and new possibilities into the Church Court and into this Continent. As for you..."
He paused. His voice was not loud, but it carried immense weight.
"Will you choose to be martyrs for a bygone era, or participants in a new one? Or perhaps... even its leaders?"
That last sentence was like a spark dropped into boiling oil.
The white-haired and bearded old Cardinal who had first stood up in agitation swayed on his feet. He whipped around to face the ever-silent Elizabeth, his voice shrill and verging on a sob. "Your Holiness! Oh, Your Holiness! Are you... are you truly going to stand by and watch as His Holiness the Sword of Divinity leads the Church Court down this path of irredeemable damnation! You are the Pope! You are Oriane’s highest representative in the mortal realm! Your duty is to defend the faith, to protect the thousand-year foundation of the Church Court! Can it be that you also approve of this... this insane act of Heresy!"
The other old Cardinal who had also risen turned shakily toward Elizabeth, tears streaming down his aged face. "Your Holiness! Please, say something! The noble spirits of all the past Popes are watching from the heavens! If we truly allow the Path of the Wizard to be taught from a tower in the Holy City, we... how could we ever face the venerable sages of the past! The Church Court... the Church Court will truly be finished!"
Ambrosius also finally rose slowly to his feet. He shed no tears, but his deep-set eyes were shot with blood. He stared intently at Elizabeth, his voice as heavy as iron. "Vesta’s Throne, this matter concerns the very survival of the Church Court. It is no ordinary affair of governance. As the Pope, you must make a clear judgment. Please, Your Holiness... for our sake, and for the sake of the countless faithful, point us in the right direction."
He spoke the words "point us in the right direction" with extreme gravity, his gaze burning as if trying to pierce through Elizabeth’s calm exterior and see her true thoughts.