The Demon Hunter piece carved from obsidian jumped diagonally a few squares, pushing a peasant piece down and wedging itself between the King and the Queen.

But in the next second, the bishop piece carved from red agate was knocked head-on by an obsidian soldier.

With a smile, Ginijis picked up the bishop piece and tossed it accurately into the chess cover: "Captured."

Sitting opposite the King was a middle-aged monk without a beard, appearing about forty years old.

His cheek skin was loose, suggesting he hadn't been slender before.

Clearly, he must have lost a significant amount of weight rapidly to have such skin.

Faced with Ginijis' smug words, the monk didn't indulge him: "It looks like you've captured a piece, but my Demon Hunter's position between the King and Queen has locked your two Knights.

A small loss for a big win. It should be me who has captured a piece."

"It's not over yet, who knows, Puliano," Ginijis laughed heartily rather than being upset.

The one daring to speak to Ginijis in this manner was none other than the newly appointed Pope Puliano.

Ginijis was the old King's successor, and Puliano was the old Pope's successor.

But at this moment, these two heavyweight figures of the northern region were gathered on Leia's frontier—the Thousand River Valley.

Puliano lifted a piece from the board, shifting it left and right without putting it down, as if nonchalantly: "Do you have confidence in the idle pieces in the game?"

"Though the Mad Pope has the support of the Falans, it's still not enough for him to recruit nearly forty thousand troops," Ginijis said with his hands on his knees, "People and money don't just appear out of thin air, where do you think this financial income comes from?

This madman has exhausted the local citizens' money, and he's still pressing merchants and farmers to continue handing over money and grain for gold and silver.

Just look at what he once said, when the Saintess arrives, no grain tax is imposed, but all kinds of internal taxes and bonds have drained farmers and citizens nevertheless?

Internally, he's as tense as a dam teetering in a flood, only the 'Truth Journal' doesn't write about it.

All I did was poke a needle-sized hole in the dam, and it cracked open this big on its own accord."

Placing his own Knight to block in front of Ginijis' peasant, Puliano withdrew his hand: "How much damage will Rapid City inflict on the Holy Alliance?"

Ginijis pressed his index finger on the pointed head of a piece with a faint smile: "If the Border Knights are stronger, the damage will be greater; if they're weaker, it will be less.

But, as you said, this is an idle piece; I'm not expecting it to make much of an impact.

To be precise, I'm somewhat regretting that I didn't expect Kenke Town would fall into our hands so easily, I shouldn't have brought the Norn people here."

Though Ginijis spoke thus, in Kenke Town, besides the withdrawn Holy Alliance Army, there were a large number of Defenders battling in the streets with holy cannons.

They were even facing counterattacks from the Holy Alliance Army, and Catherine was at her wits' end, steering a whole river to the front line.

"But the Norn people have already appeared at the border, haven't they?"

"Yes, I'm afraid we'll have to cede several Mountain Counties to them after the war."

Initially, Ginijis arduously supported the plan to stir the waters by bringing the Norn people in.

However, unexpectedly, shortly after implementing the plan, they inadvertently captured Kenke Town.

Coordinating with the Border Knights who had breached Bear Chomping Castle in the north, the war moved forward a vast step at once.

At this time, Ginijis and the Border Knight Order advanced towards the Thousand River Valley on both fronts, making the capture of the valley only a matter of time, unlike the previous desperation.

"It's as if the Norn people have picked up a bargain," Ginijis had to sigh at fate.

Puliano kept his head lowered, seemingly observing the chessboard, but his mind drifted far away.

As a Pope originating from Eagle's Claw Bay, his political roots were naturally firmly entrenched with the northern Leia people.

After all, church politics were closely entwined with kingdom politics, no longer the scene of the pre-Century War where the church suppressed the kingdom.

Or rather, Ruo'an's appearance was the church's last chance to revive its past lofty status, but alas, it failed too.

Thus, Popes had to play along with these secular nobles, even being constrained by them.

The southern Grandiva was an example of the church being almost entirely controlled by royal power.

The cooperation between the old Pope and the former King Leia was based on the premise that the Pope wanted to free himself from royal dominance while Leia sought to suppress the Falan's development.

If one day, Leia also aims to control the church, then the Pope should move to the Norn Kingdom.

"What do you plan to do next?" Puliano cautiously asked the question.

As they spoke, both their gazes inevitably became solemn.

It had to be known that Leia was exerting the entire nation's and the whole church's strength to suppress the Thousand River Valley.

Even so, Leia's and the church's finances had crazily shrunk in the span of half a year.

The Thousand River Valley, with just a single territory, managed to persist until now, even having the capability to launch a counterattack.

Ginijis' initial plan to destroy the Thousand River Valley in six months had already fallen apart.

He originally intended to use the Thousand River Valley as a starting point to provide enough error margin for future campaigns against the Thorn Garden and defending against the Falans.

The result was an immediate use of the entire margin for error, with the grand army stuck in the Thousand River Valley.

If it weren't for this Pope offering aid on his initiative at a critical moment, siding with Ginijis, he would have wanted to negotiate peace first and turn to attack the Thorn Garden.

"Under the Holy Father's radiance, heroes are as numerous as bluefish at the mouth of the Ibe River." Ginijis moved a piece forward one square with emphasis, as if trying to crush something, "In this battle, we must guard against arrogance and impatience."

"Rest assured, as long as we win this battle, the Saint Master will surely protect you against Falan's attacks; your status will rise to not only King but even Emperor."

Ginijis really wanted to call it pie in the sky but said nothing more since the person in front of him was indeed a major sponsor.

If they could capture the entire Thousand River Valley before exhausting the Holy War Treasury, he would be able to continue the attack on the Thorn Garden.

With Leia's already battered financial capabilities, launching another attack alone would be too difficult.

One major reason for leaving behind the Oslar Clan's army was to completely eliminate them within the Thousand River Valley's unfamiliar environment after the war.

"I can give you a little hint," Puliano sat wearily before the chessboard, moving the Pope piece one square to the right, "It's not me who wants that madman's head."

"You're joking. Who could instruct you?" Ginijis bowed his head as if pondering, but his fingers tightly gripped around the soldier piece.

"There is, there is indeed," Puliano nodded his head, swaying as if waving an invisible triple crown.

"You're really kidding; could it be that the Saint Master descended to earth to personally tell you, like that Saint's Grandson?" Ginijis slapped his leg and laughed.

"Hahaha..." The new Pope laughed along, but no matter how it looked, it was immensely bitter.

Amidst the laughter, the main door of the prayer hall was suddenly thrown open, and a monk and an attendant officer squeezed in.

The two of them proceeded quickly to their respective lords, bowed, and whispered intently.

"What was it?"

"Oh, it's that."

"But, Your Highness/Your Eminence..."

"Leave us. I said not to disturb our grand match," Ginijis rare cold reprimand drove away the two attendant officers.

Sitting before the chessboard, Puliano and Ginijis continued their cheerful laughter.

Yet if anyone had sharp eyes, they could notice that His Majesty the King's ears were flushed, whereas Puliano's body was trembling slightly.

"Whose turn is it?"

"I think it's mine?"

"Oh, oh, oh, it's me, it's me."

"Hey, Your Eminence, why are you taking my piece?"

"Really, am I?"

The two of them stared at the board for about ten minutes before Puliano struggled to stand: "Forgive me, I'm old, and my stamina is lacking. Your Highness, please go back."

Ginijis didn't bother with formalities: "Then I won't disturb you further."

Surrounded by attendant officers, Ginijis walked out of the prayer hall.

Before the door even closed, he heard the sound of the chessboard shattering and pieces scattering on the ground.

"Emmerick, you..."

The door shut, sealing the Pope's curse behind it.

"Gather the nobles for a meeting," Ginijis took several deep breaths, a blister emerging at the corner of his mouth in an instant, "An idle piece turned into a life-saving piece..."