321 - Regressor of the Fallen Family

**Chapter 321 - Change... Prepare Yourself.** – A turning point in destiny... – ...the time has come. – Awaken! "Ah!" A resounding, majestic voice suddenly pierced through her mind, causing Ilia to bolt upright with wide-open eyes. She quickly realized she had dozed off in the very position she'd been praying. Lately, the tumultuous state of the church had kept her engaged in all-night prayers. In the end, fatigue got the best of her. 'This is sacrilegious...' Ilia hastily straightened her attire and posture. Then, beneath the statue of Amunda, the god of the sea and change she served, she was about to resume her prayers of repentance. "What...?" Oddly enough, her body felt light. From past experiences, she knew that sleeping in a kneeling position for prayer usually led to aches and soreness throughout her body. Yet, it felt as though she had enjoyed days of restful sleep. "What is... this?" Though bewildered, a gentle smile crept across her face. When your body feels good, your mood naturally lifts. "Thank you, dear god." She believed her prayers had been answered by the divine after her night-long devotion. As she offered her thanks, the reverberating voice from earlier vividly resurfaced in her memory. 'Then was that voice...?' A voice she'd never heard before. Yet, it seemed familiar, evoking a sense of longing. In her dream, she felt she had engaged in a long, meaningful conversation with the owner of that voice. Yet, she couldn't recall the details, only that a few words remained deeply etched in her mind as if they must not be forgotten. "Turning point of destiny, the time has come? Prepare for change?" She murmured to herself as if lost in thought, though the whole ordeal still seemed vague to her. What she was sure of was the incredible sense of peace under the unseen divine radiance. "Could it be...?" Bzzz. Suddenly, the stigma engraved on her right shoulder began to emit a faint vibration, as if affirming her suspicion. The divine power that spread, denser than usual, reinforced her belief. "A divine oracle... Oh, my..." She was overwhelmed with gratitude and equally filled with regret. Because of her limitations, she hadn't been able to fully grasp the divine message. With a sharp pang of realization, Ilia once more turned to the statue for prayer. "To my lord who embraces all..." But at that moment. – Archbishop Ilia, the meeting will start soon. A voice called from the other side of the prayer room's door. * * * "The divine radiance seems exceptionally vivid today..." "Nah, it's just your imagination." "She's always been the saint..." Overhearing the familiar whispers around her, she found herself more consumed by her preoccupation with the unreceived oracle. Though it felt as if she had heard countless words, the clarity of the message in her mind was muddled, leaving her with only a few ambiguous terms. And the color 'red' stood out vividly in her memory. To her, it all felt ominously foreboding. 'Is the world on the cusp of a major change? Or has it already happened?' Even the simplest of divine communications seemed confusing to her at this point, making it impossible to claim she received a divine oracle. Of course, even if she declared it, would the fallen cardinals, once limbs of the former pope, even acknowledge it? As her thoughts reached that point, she let out another sigh. At that moment, a familiar voice echoed in her ear. "What concerns you so, Lady Ilia?" "Oh... Cardinal Tracy." A middle-aged woman, clad in the same white clerical garb as Ilia, greeted her with a smile. "I noticed you seemed deeply troubled on this significant day and thought to engage you. Please forgive me if I interrupted your thoughts." Her warm words, matched by her smile, soothed Ilia's tumultuous heart. "Oh, no. It's only the importance of the day that has me pondering. You, however, seem at ease, Cardinal." "What worries could a newly-appointed cardinal like myself have? I simply trust in and follow Austin and you, Ilia." Tracy's heartfelt smile instilled courage in Ilia's heart. 'They couldn't have predicted this outcome, could they?' Tenner Reni. Sam Freeman. The two cardinals, once regarded as the right and left hands of the former pope, had been delaying the election of the next pope since the impeachment trial day. With the public sentiment in the holy city turning exceedingly unfavorable towards their faction, and despite the election rights being exclusive to the cardinals, it was unfathomable to predict the backlash that might ensue if the next pope emerged from among those who had disgraced themselves alongside the former pope. – In the worst-case scenario, a complete vote of no confidence in the church's leadership, leading to something like a Resolutium, could occur. The prospect of ordinary priests and all of Noviens rising to replace the church's leadership was a real possibility, given that such a historical upheaval had happened only once before. Thus, in their attempts to let the dust settle, they proposed filling the cardinal seat left vacant following the death of Cardinal Ethel, who had passed away during his return from Maclaine. While Ilia, an honorary cardinal, was present, her primary role was as an archbishop of Amunda, the god of the sea and change. Since the Cardinal Klinsman of the Amunda temple was still active, they reasoned that Ilia should remain an honorary figure. They had calculated that this delay would placate the holy city's public sentiment. However, using the fervor of public support at the time, the newly appointed Cardinal Tracy, renowned for her strict asceticism and integrity in the holy city, took the post. Her statement at her cardinal inauguration further stirred the initially dying public sentiment. "I won't let another swindler like Julio Umberto I become pope again!" This led to a cascade of testimonies about the corruptions of Cardinals Tenner Reni and Sam Freeman, stalwarts of the former pope's faction, ultimately resulting in the declaration of Imperatorius, the papal election period. They were exploiting the fact that cardinals are granted immunity from arrest during the Imperatorius. Now, with the end of the election period near, Ilia herself struggled to foresee what actions their faction, teetering on the brink, might undertake. "It is truly difficult..." Although Tracy stood as an ally, she was still one against seven cardinals from the opposing faction. "We can only hope they don't push for one of them to become pope." "Surely not." That would be the worst-case scenario. When the church faced a complete vote of no confidence, known as Resolutium, it took them a century to rebuild trust with the people and reclaim their position as the center of faith on the continent. The name "Honor," once the city's, had become a symbol of corruption, and it wasn't until nine new saints emerged from the collapsing institution that the church could be rebuilt out of its dark ages. The current name, Noviens, not only honors the nine deities but also commemorates those nine saints. 'We cannot let history repeat the same disastrous path.' Back then, the corrupted high priests were beaten to death by the enraged populace. If they had no death wish, Tenner Reni and Sam Freeman wouldn't dare opt for such a catastrophe either. "Please stay strong, Lady Ilia. Everyone in the holy city is looking to you and Cardinal Austin. You must be brave." "Yes, of course." Cardinal Tracy's words once again instilled courage in Ilia's heart. 'Yes. For now, let's focus on what's at hand.' With that resolve, Ilia pushed aside thoughts of the uncertain oracle and decided to concentrate on the looming crisis facing the church. Because of this, she didn't notice the slight weakening of the power contained within her stigma. "It's been a while, Lady Saint." Upon entering the Glory Hall of the central temple's meeting room, Tenner Reni greeted her with a forced smile. His thin lips, at times strong and at times sly, curled into a faint arc, but his once-brown hair was now notably streaked with gray. It was clear how much stress he had recently endured. 'He brought it all upon himself.' However, Ilia had no intention of letting sympathy cloud her judgment regarding the church's future, so she simply nodded coldly. She also gave a formal nod to Sam Freeman, who bore dark circles under his eyes, saving her genuine smile for when Cardinal Austin entered the room. The atmosphere, with all ten cardinals present—including honorary cardinal Ilia—was chillingly tense for a long time. Perhaps the discomfort became too much. "The period of Imperatorium is nearly over. It's about time we reached a conclusion..." Tenner Reni broke the icy silence, trying to steer the proceedings. Naturally, all eyes focused on him, and what came out of his mouth was something Ilia hadn't anticipated. "The seven of us have decided to relinquish our voting rights, acknowledging our guilt for supporting the former pope, that fraud." "What!?" Ilia's voice involuntarily rose at this unexpected declaration, catching a glance from Tenner, who continued with a heavy tone. "However, there is one condition we would like to propose." Of course. There was no way these men would withdraw without a motive. Seeing Ilia's expression harden, Austin spoke on her behalf. "State your condition." "In exchange for relinquishing our voting rights, we ask for amnesty for our past transgressions. We desire immunity... as well as..." Austin's face tensed at this, and Ilia, unable to contain her outrage, sprang up from her seat and shouted. "That’s outrageous! Aren’t you afraid of divine retribution for your sins as a priest? If you have any shame, you should accept your wrongdoings!" Ilia was genuinely appalled by them. How could those who act in the name of the divine lack such shame? When they died, they would have to face the truth before their deity. The irreverence in Tenner's proposal was an affront to everything she believed. "They have admitted to their sins! Cardinal Austin, after the election..." "...During the Imperatorium, cardinals possess immunity for their statements, Lady Saint. Let us hear them out first." At least Ilia's fury hadn't driven her ally to anger, prompting Ilia to acknowledge her mistake when she saw Austin's composed face. “I apologize, Cardinal.” “The vigor of youth is never a bad thing. It’s what brought us this far.” With a warm smile, Austin redirected his gaze to Tenner at the center. That fleeting moment seemed to hasten Tenner Reni’s aging, as he continued with a bitter smile. "At my age, I've come to believe only in what I can see. I care not for the afterlife, only for a comfortable twilight in this life." His words, shockingly secular for a leader of faith, caused even the tranquil Austin’s expression to frost. "Is that truly a statement befitting a cardinal? You’ve fallen to such depths, Tenner Reni." "To me, you appear foolish. To surrender your life to the madness for a god without form, when those who worship gold are at least understood." "There are limits to blasphemy. Even the merciful gods will not forgive your words!" “Merciful? Heh, Cardinal Austin, do you truly believe the gods are merciful? Those who created a world where infants starve or die diseased before knowing life?” "Enough!" "Did you know that before the Great Migration, the names of the nine deities were scarcely known?" "Stop this blasphemy, Tenner Reni! I will not tolerate it any further!" "And what if you do not tolerate it? Without our cooperation, the church will fall!" “That is because of the sins you committed!” Ilia, unable to restrain herself, shouted once more, but Tenner did not cease his speech. "Accusing modern people of original sin supposedly committed by ancestors dozens or even hundreds of generations ago is a grotesque form of collective punishment. Don't make me laugh by calling them merciful gods. If anything, they're selfish and ruthless—now that would be convincing." "How can someone endowed with divine power utter such words?" "Divine power? You mean this?" Bzzz. From Tenner Reni's fingertips, a bright yellow glow emerged, visible only to those with priestly senses. It was the divine power of Ageron, the god of gold and commerce. Yet, the one harnessing that divine power was a priest who had fallen utterly into corruption. "I believe in my god. I just also believe that my god isn't merciful or absolute. That's why I'm choosing to focus on this life." "That's simply absurd...!" "Have you ever wondered why a fallen priest like me can still wield divine power, Lady Saint?" "Enough! Enough! Is this the time to be getting into a theological debate?" Austin hastily interjected to halt the sudden theological discourse. Though his twitching eyes betrayed his anger. "Repentance for your sins comes first, Tenner. Forgiveness is to be discussed only afterward." His words were ultimately pragmatic at the core. "Repentance, you say... Indeed, you show far more flexibility than the young saint. Well, since you're offering a chance, I'll comply. What method would you propose?" "We will discuss the means of repentance after concluding the Imperatorium." "Hoho?” Tenner's crooked smile was aimed directly at Austin and the Lady Saint. "As long as you promise that, I don't mind. But then, who gets to be the next pope? You? Or the Lady Saint?" The room's gaze followed his words, shifting focus.