King-Chapter 1403 - 275, Emptying the Papal State

Mount of Light, with the conclusion of the Falcon Kingdom’s civil war, the Human World now faces only the Church being relentlessly beaten.

Under the constant pressure from all sides, Shelter VII’s hair has already turned half-gray.

Bear in mind, he’s a Sanctuary Powerhouse. By all accounts, reaching such a level should ensure his physical vigor remains peak until later years.

"How far advanced are the negotiations?"

Shelter VII asked with concern.

War wasn’t an option. The human nations have grouped together to exert pressure, and direct confrontation would undoubtedly be the worst strategy.

Even if they threw in everything the Church had, it would at best cause minor inconvenience for the enemies.

For now, their aim is only to weaken the Church. If the situation further deteriorates, it might well turn into its complete annihilation.

There are already two alternate replacements lined up. This is not three centuries ago; their position is no longer irreplaceable.

Compared to their orthodox Church, the other two are well-known for their laxity, handing down full authority to the local churches.

Especially the Northern Church, where regional Ultra Chiefs can draft doctrines based on their own circumstances, emphasizing a philosophy of "seeking harmony amidst differences."

This is only the beginning. Seeing how the Frank people and Alpha People have such enthusiasm, the Iberia Kingdom is also planning in secret.

While they haven’t established a separate church, they’ve reinterpreted the original doctrines, with some regions even adding "artistic embellishments."

It cannot be called a complete overthrow—at most, it’s entirely irrelevant.

Under the Iberian People’s new doctrinal interpretations, religion has been placed beneath the Kingdom’s laws in terms of authority.

Not only has their power shrunk significantly, but now every Church appointment must have the Kingdom Government’s approval; even daily financial management is subject to government oversight and regulation.

There’s no doubt that these religious reform measures are highly lethal to their orthodox Church.

If the trend continues, it won’t be the Pope validating the King’s legitimacy but the King determining the Pope’s legitimacy.

"Your Majesty, the negotiations are making no progress. The enemies are outright stalling—there’s no sincerity in their negotiations at all.

It’s less a case of negotiation and more an intentional delay!"

Cardinal Asprilla answered helplessly. ƒгeeweɓn૦vel.com

The essence of diplomacy lies in power, its core in interests.

The armies from various nations didn’t travel all the way to the Papal State just to leave empty-handed. Wise diplomats naturally wouldn’t cut off their comrades’ paths to profit.

Having finally caught an opportunity to make money, naturally, everyone wants to give their best effort.

In such circumstances, even if the Church fully accepts the Alliance Council’s proposals, they’ll still find excuses to stall.

"Bastards!"

"These people are nothing short of disgraces to nobility!"

"Their brazen behavior has completely pulled down the moral standard of the continent!"

...

Deep within, Shelter VII cursed with every word in his vocabulary, but his outward demeanor remained unaffected.

Unlike past crises, a single misstep in this one could result in catastrophe. As the leader, he must maintain composure.

"Continue negotiating with them. Whether or not these scoundrels are sincere, talks cannot cease.

Send people to secretly gather evidence of their plundering and prepare to file a protest with the Human Alliance. I refuse to believe they’ll abandon all pretense of virtue!"

It’s not that Shelter VII wants to act cowardly; it’s simply that under the current circumstances, other than protesting, there’s no better option available.

If this were only the Frank Empire, they could flip the table and dispatch Church experts to conduct guerrilla warfare against the enemy.

A group of Sanctuary Powerhouses discarding their pride for ambushes would definitely yield earth-shattering results.

But now it’s different—nearly half of the Sanctuary experts among humans have converged upon the Papal State.

If they flip the table, who knows if the enemies would even die, but they themselves would undoubtedly be finished.

Top-tier experts are hard to kill but not immortal.

These experts are the foundational inheritance intended to preserve the Church’s legacy. If they’re expended on the battlefield, the legacy may truly be severed.

Everyone present had their lives tied to the Church’s fate. In a full collapse, no one remains unscathed—this is true mutual destruction in its purest sense.

...

"Kill!"

After a chorus of battle cries, the vanguard of the Allied Forces of the Five Countries successfully completed their landing at Canoton Port.

It wasn’t because of their exceptional fighting capabilities, but because the defenders had completely lost their will to fight.

In recent times, the Papal State has been plagued by endless bad news and rampant rumors, leaving the populace panicked and uncertain.

Though Shelter VII ordered measures to stop the rumors, the problem was that even without rumors, the Papal State’s situation was perilously dire!

The main army hadn’t managed to handle even one of the Frank troops’ auxiliary divisions. Instead, it had been caught off guard and annihilated in several engagements involving key army units.

Now, human nations are all operating under the banner of "mediation" to exploit the Papal State, and even the most optimistic individuals have lost hope in the current situation.

Though the Pope ordered followers to resist the foreign invaders, the trouble was that the "Clergy Generation" responsible for executing the decrees weren’t pulling their weight.

They were professionals at indulgence and profiteering. While their personal refinement appeared acceptable, their combat prowess was woefully inadequate.

Knights of the same level, compared to battlefield-hardened ones, these hothouse flowers were entirely outmatched.

Despite having a slight advantage in numbers, seasoned Alpha Kingdom soldiers managed to rout them with a single charge.

When the vanguard troops broke, the rear forces fell into chaos, unaffected by the commanders’ futile attempts to restore order.

By the time the Five Nations Alliance’s war flags fluttered over the port, the city’s defending troops were already fleeing en masse, with only a handful of officers standing their ground.

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