Chapter 75: The Pope’s Gambit and the Alchemist’s Dilemma

“Hmph, that old geezer truly has a tenacious ambition, doesn’t he?”

Meanwhile, the Clown and their subordinate engaged in a long and thorough discussion.

The Circus Master came to a profound realization of how despicable and shameful it was to have shifted the blame for their mistakes onto their leader.

They had single-handedly ruined their leader’s meticulously planned scheme, all without an ounce of remorse.

Overwhelmed by shame, the Circus Master voluntarily requested their leader to fuse them.

Though the Clown was extremely reluctant, they couldn’t withstand the Circus Master’s piteous pleas. They ultimately agreed to the request, proceeding to fuse them in front of the other subordinates.

Witnessing this, the other subordinates fell into deep introspection and reflection. They vowed never again to commit such a shameless and foolish act of pushing blame onto their leader whenever a mistake occurred.

The Clown was quite pleased, and with that, the matter was considered closed.

Everyone had made the correct choices and reactions; there could be no more perfect outcome.

Now, the Clown had to consider how to rectify the subordinate’s critical error.

In their hand, they held a freshly published newspaper from the Holy Light Church, titled the *Holy Light Daily*.

In theory, this newspaper was only issued every three days. It had just been released yesterday, so logically, it shouldn’t have been published today.

Yet, here it was.

Moreover, the vast majority of its content meticulously embellished the lunch Theresia and her companions had eaten earlier that day.

Ordinary people might only grasp the first layer, perhaps thinking that the Church’s influence had grown larger.

Those with more insight, however, would perceive the second layer, focusing on why a Dragon, an Elf, and an Imperial Prince would be present.

The Clown, however, had already reached the fifth layer of understanding, far surpassing everyone else.

The Clown realized the Pope was stirring up trouble. If their guess was correct, the grand war between the Holy Alliance and the Empire, which the bishops had hoped for, was likely on the verge of erupting.

They had initially believed a full-scale war between the Holy Alliance and the Empire was impossible, acknowledging the significant practical obstacles that would arise in its execution.

Even though Promen had successfully become the Chairman of the Council, there was still a arduous journey ahead before the human race could reach its most glorious era.

Neither the reigning Pope nor the Emperor were short-sighted individuals. Indeed, a momentous war would grant the victor everything.

However, neither side possessed the certainty of victory, and even the potential peace that followed a win would offer only a slight advantage to either party.

After a century, the Holy Alliance—a creation forged by countless individuals’ blood and sweat, now seeing an opportunity to become the second unified legacy—faced too great a gamble.

The current point of contention was that the Holy Alliance did not wish for the Aral Empire to monopolize its connections with the three races. The Empire’s excessive rejection of the Holy Light Church’s faith would only amplify the power of both the Holy Alliance and the Empire.

Previously, the Holy Alliance had no opportunity to intervene, apart from war. Now, however, things were different.

Perhaps it was destiny, but Theresia and her companions had been brought before the Holy Alliance: a human prince, the Dragon race’s sole black dragon, and an elven princess. Only a dwarf was missing.

Under the Pope’s arrangement, these highly influential figures from various races participated in a politically significant holy communion.

This communion would serve as a silver needle for the Holy Light Church to subtly pierce the Empire from behind, creating a flaw in its otherwise impregnable iron wall, rather than shattering it head-on.

While this was disadvantageous to the bishops’ plans, the Clown was delighted. They even intended to help the Pope succeed and spread the influence of this event.

Only then would the bishops obediently follow their arrangements.

Perfect!

A joyful smile spread across the Clown’s face. Just then, good news arrived in pairs.

“My lord, that experimental potion you arranged for—”

The Clown’s eyes suddenly gleamed as they asked, “Is it *that* potion?”

Their subordinate showed an embarrassed expression and replied, “It is *that* potion. We specifically conducted experiments on magical beasts with physiques and medicinal properties similar to dragons. Let me just say, the males were completely drained to death, and the females haven’t stopped yet.”

“Your only concern is that she is, after all, a black dragon. Finding a creature capable of mating with her for an extended period might prove difficult.”

The Clown nodded. Given the Dragon race’s low fertility, finding a partner with stronger stamina would certainly increase the odds. As for compensating for quality with quantity, where could they find so many robust creatures capable of enduring a black dragon’s vigor?

Although they were already researching potions to increase the Dragon race’s conception rate, progress was currently somewhat slow.

The Clown’s gaze was suddenly drawn to a photograph of Theodore. They stroked their chin. ‘My master mentioned that the difference between giants and dragons doesn’t seem to be that great. I’ll try experimenting with a three-day dosage first.’

While this might slightly affect the giant’s mental health, for the sake of their master’s great cause, that giant named Theodore would just have to bear with it.

****

Lola was a little baffled. Had she really become strong enough to protect Samuel?

When had this happened? She didn’t even know herself!

Lola asked suspiciously, “Were you discovered by the people of the Holy See? I could certainly put in a good word for you.”

Samuel shook her head decisively. “Of course not! I am their lifelong honorary consultant for the Tribunal. The Head of the Tribunal is my apprentice, and the current Pope grew up under my watchful eye. Who would dare arrest me? Even if I were to abduct you, Lola, right now, they wouldn’t dare breathe a word!”

Lola was greatly astonished. “No, what’s going on? Didn’t the Holy Light Church say they are irreconcilable enemies with witches and warlocks?!”

“That witch hunt order?”

“I had them issue it.”

“Those policies targeting witches?”

“I helped them formulate them.”

“And the pursuit of witches and warlocks?”

“I provided the technical support. Oh, after two hundred years, I felt they had gained enough experience, so I stopped. Unless they found something particularly tricky, they’d come back to ask me, but that would incur a fee.”

Lola: “…Why?”

Samuel blinked and asked, “What?”

Lola, utterly bewildered, asked, “Why would you do such things? You’re a witch yourself, aren’t you?”

Samuel wagged her finger. “To be precise, I am an alchemist. Alas, the main issue is that all my colleagues’ skills were simply terrible. I told them to master magic first before dabbling in alchemy, but they wouldn’t listen. They always believed that crude equivalent exchange was sufficient.”

“Then, when the exchange failed, they’d assume the sacrifices weren’t enough. They’d start killing and burning everywhere, progressing from sacrificing non-sentient beings to sentient ones, from sacrificing others to instigating wars, from sacrificing lives to sacrificing souls.”

“Honestly, they completely ruined the reputation of alchemists. I tried to teach them the best way, but they wouldn’t listen. So, I had no choice. I could only find another way to make them listen.”

“Initially, it was just my personal hunting, but I found that method too slow. Then, I noticed the Holy Light Church organization; they also detested alchemists. We hit it off immediately with their high-ranking officials, regretting we hadn’t met sooner, and then you discovered what you know. Now, there are far fewer witches and warlocks. It’s truly a vast and open sky.

“Very good, very powerful.”

However, Lola grew even more perplexed: “If your background is so powerful, then what do you need me for?”

Samuel clasped her hands together and said, “Help me deal with your mother. She keeps messing with my coordinates, and I really can’t stand it. Although she and I have both reached the pinnacle of magic, her peak is just a little higher than mine.”

“Even though I have alchemy to help bridge the gap, you know your mother won’t confront me directly with what she’s truly capable of.”

Watching Samuel in a bind, Lola felt a surge of satisfaction. She proudly declared, “Hmph, now you know the consequences of mistreating an elven princess, don’t you?!”

Samuel looked pitifully at Lola and said, “You were sold to me by your mother, weren’t you? I didn’t even spend a single coin; your mother even gave me quite a bit of money.”

Lola twisted her neck in denial. “Impossible! Absolutely impossible!”

Samuel also pouted and mumbled, “Yes, she gently and kindly left you with me for seven years, then sent people to redeem you, only to make you go into the labyrinth yourself? Do you know that half of your service during those seven years was actually enjoyed by her?”

“Don’t worry, little Lola, I will use time to show you your mother’s true colors. By then, you will understand that being by my side is the best.”

“Anyway, first help me appease your mother. I merely let you out of my sight for a tiny bit, and she becomes so sensitive.”

Lola climbed onto the bed, stood up, and looked down at Samuel, trying her best to appear haughty. “Hmph, so you do have times when you need me. Although you once treated me like a mixed-up mess and a cuddle pillow, I am a magnanimous adult. Considering you’ve taught me quite a bit of alchemy knowledge, it’s not impossible to help you. However…”

“I understand, you want more money!”

Samuel, as if by magic, pulled out a celestial sphere. Lola’s eyes immediately fixated on it. “A stellar spatial sphere? Very interesting! I happen to be planning to make another one recently. I wonder if any elves would be interested in this extra one.”

Lola immediately grabbed Samuel’s hand and said, “It’s a deal! But I can’t guarantee it will work. My mother is quite serious about certain things.”

Samuel’s lips curved into a smile. “No problem. I’ll teach you what to say to her!”

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