I Don't Agree to the Terms-Chapter 1066 - 560: The Times Have Changed, So the Rules of the Game Have Changed Too

Little White saw this and didn't disturb further. It naturally knew what Gu Shanhai was doing and could discern when to act coy and when not to.

Therefore, it could only leave to find the Azure Dragon.

Fortunately, the Azure Dragon was now retired and didn't have to be on duty at the Nine States Instrument, so it could keep Little White company, making its days less dull.

As for the position of the class teacher, there were only five students, and the faculty, along with the stakeholders, outnumbered the students, so there weren't that many things to manage.

Thus, most of the time, everyone was slacking off, while the five wizard students were busy every day.

With fewer students and more teachers, the pace of study was naturally excellent.

Of course, the wizard students didn't dare to slack off. They studied very diligently, knowing that having come from hard times, hard work was their path to a better life. If they wasted their days foolishly now, they would regret it upon graduation.

Moreover, there were weekly quizzes, monthly exams, and mid-term and final exams each semester. Failure to consistently pass them would result in being counseled to leave.

If expelled, they would lose the academy's protection and return to their original lives of starvation and exposure, also facing persecution from the church and nobility, risking their lives.

Under such pressure, how could they not study diligently?

Besides, if even education could go astray, Gu Shanhai might as well give up.

…

"Any news on Ruster lately?" The Pope looked somewhat weary.

Recently, organizing the expeditionary army had taken up all his attention, leaving no room to think about Thorny Lion's territory.

He finally remembered this rare day of rest, and it had been three months since Ruster led the team; logically, they should have escorted the people back by now.

Even if they were extremely busy, there should have been enough time for a round trip.

A nearby bishop hesitated but ultimately spoke up: "Bishop Ruster… might have been a bit slow; he should arrive at Thorny Lion's territory in the next few days."

"Slow? How could it be this slow?" The Pope's tone carried dissatisfaction.

Under normal circumstances, it only took fifteen days to reach there, and even accounting for escort time, three more days should suffice, at most taking a little over a month to return.

Yet now it's been three months, and they're still a few days away. Where have they been?

The bishop felt helpless too; Bishop Ruster and Great Knight Hicks were among the Pope's trusted aides, with higher positions than his. Revealing the truth would make his future difficult.

Given the Pope's disposition, the most he would do is a minor punishment for major violations, but this was different for him—he would have to endure retaliation from Ruster and Hicks, and even if the Pope knew, he would only say a word. Outwardly, they might restrain themselves, but the suppression would persist secretly.

The best course of action was simply silence.

"Speak up, have you gone mute?" The Pope's anger flared at this sight.

Forming the expeditionary army was already challenging. Although the Judgement Hall and Discipline Office archbishops didn't openly oppose him, they constantly used underhanded tactics to hinder him. These subtle maneuvers were known to be their doing, yet without concrete evidence, they couldn't be held accountable.

This led to constant minor troubles in the formation process, with these two archbishops slowly chipping away at his power within the expeditionary army.

Each nibble wasn't much, but over time, it accumulated to more and more.

These entanglements gradually drained the Pope's energy, and now he encountered this vexing situation.

He could vaguely infer that the truth wouldn't harm Ruster and Hicks, but when these two confidants returned, the bishop would be in trouble for his whistleblowing. Moreover, he would naturally side more with his confidants than with this bishop.

The bishop's behavior, however, irked him.

Even though this matter would bring him trouble and it was his punishment, it wasn't his fault. But how could he not speak up, that was disloyalty.

The bishop remained silent despite the display, seeing that the Pope intended to vent on him.

Having suffered losses with the two archbishops, it was impossible to punish his confidants, so he needed an appropriate person to vent his anger on.

He was quite suitable; while part of the Papal faction, he was neither a core member nor a confidant, more an ordinary faction member, reporting at this time being sheer misfortune.

After the Pope finished reprimanding or demoting him, he planned to switch allegiance to one of the two archbishops with some factional secrets as a token.

For now, he remained silent.

Outward respect was maintained, even with internal dissatisfaction.

The Pope was about to speak but ultimately suppressed his anger and waved his hand, saying, "I understand, you may leave."

Reason told him this wasn't the right time for such an action. Losing support now would worsen his situation.

Indeed, he had tied the entire Papal faction through benefits, but certain actions still had to be taken, given that the Judgement Hall and Discipline Office archbishops were also bound by interests.

These bishops actually didn't care who led the faction, often shifting allegiances.

If criticized, they would change leaders; it didn't matter where they worked. Nobility valued interests, not emotions or ideals.

The Pope and the two archbishops weren't bothered either. The upper echelons of the Dawn Church consisted of just these people; attracting them required offering real benefits, with only confidants not easily switching factions, like Bishop Ruster and Great Knight Hicks under the Pope.

This tolerance allowed him to endure their behavior.

"Yes, Your Holiness." The bishop concluded with a false smile, then turned and left without regard for the Pope's thoughts.

Give the proper face, especially when no outsiders were present.

Seeing this, the Pope sighed, immediately understanding the bishop's intention.

After this, the bishop wouldn't report to him again; he just wasn't sure which archbishop he would turn to.

'Once the expeditionary army is under my control, every one of them will be held accountable.' A flicker of coldness crossed the Pope's eyes; he wasn't an easygoing person.

As for winning over the two archbishops, he initially had that idea but no longer, especially after their recent subtle confrontations against him.

For now, it's true they were minor tactics. Still, once the archbishops accumulated enough power over the expeditionary army, those minor tactics would become major.

'Need to deal with them promptly; if only I hadn't let them thrive back then, not only ungrateful, but they're now ready to bite the hand that fed them.' The Pope felt intense hatred, having intended to make peace, yet they showed no appreciation and planned to leverage the goodwill to strike against him.

How could he not detest this?

'If all else fails, they might have to be removed from power due to some unexpected accidents.'

This time, control over the expeditionary army was critical; the Pope understood he could no longer choose compromise or retreat as before.

Previously, the two archbishops lacked military power; some compromise and retreat could stabilize the church's power structure. But now it was different; should they truly influence the expeditionary army, gaining military power would eliminate his advantage.

His advantage naturally lay in the Church Protection Knights formed from the armed forces of the Judgement Hall and Discipline Office, so with their military strength, those two archbishops couldn't raise their heads.

Should those two archbishops seize part of the expeditionary army, they'd have the power to challenge him for authority.

The Pope could never permit that.