Click——
A flash of lightning tore through the sky, and thunder exploded among the mountains. Bean-sized raindrops fell rapidly one after another, hitting the dome, eaves, windows, treetops, and the ground.
Heavy rain poured down from the sky, and the thick raindrops were like solid city walls.
Drops of water splashed on the ground, the dense sound covered everything, the mud splashed with the rain, and a fishy smell of earth filled the air.
Despite the noise, there is a sense of tranquility.
The headquarters of the Knights of the Holy Lance.
It was raining heavily outside the window, and raindrops splashed on the windowsill. Tiny water droplets were blown into the room by the wind like mist, making people feel a little cool.
There were six people sitting at the table in the Knights' Hall, with Odysseus at the head, three on each side, and Farella among them.
"Is there any news from the Ten Swords Palace recently?" asked Odysseus.
"No, Sibis has been staying inside and never goes out. He also doesn't respond to what happened a few days ago." A thousand-rider captain answered.
"It seems that he plans to leave this matter alone and deal with it slowly after the heat has died down," a knight analyzed.
"But won't this affect his reputation?" said a captain of the Thousand Riders.
"Perhaps they don't care. Sibis has been operating within the church for many years, weaving a thriving network of interests through relationships with students, colleagues, and seniors. These allies won't change their stance just because of a minor incident and a damaged reputation. And the real voters in the election aren't ordinary monks and nuns, but the powerful bishops and high-ranking officials of the Twelve Zodiacs."
"That's disadvantageous to us. We were hoping he would take some action." One of the Thousand Riders sighed.
"Perhaps he himself realized that no matter what he said or explained at this time, it would be wrong."
There were many thousand-horse captains within the Order of the Holy Lance, but only a few of them could truly be considered Odysseus's closest confidants. If Sibisi's business model was to cast a wide net and deploy multiple strategies, then Odysseus focused on a small but elite group of die-hard supporters.
These thousand-cavalry commanders and their subordinates are the kind of people who are truly willing to risk their lives for him, which makes him feel particularly at ease.
The papal election will begin at the beginning of next month. Those who have the right to vote include bishops from various churches, senior officials from the twelve zodiac signs, and captains of the thousand-man teams from the three major knightly orders.
It is also worth mentioning that the Arbitration Department does not have the right to vote. This is a constraint and also a protection. They will supervise the election process and do not have to take sides for it.
In terms of votes, bishops from various churches held approximately 70%, the Twelve Houses about 20%, and the three major knightly orders 10%. While the bishops held a large majority, their factions were fragmented and unclear. They were more or less connected to the Twelve Houses within the church and were aware of the current situation, but their stance was uncertain.
"But it's not completely without effect. At least recently, many bishops from other places have visited the Grand Master and asked him to reconsider the next election."
Several of them talked about the recent situation.
"How is Bines doing lately?" Odysseus suddenly asked.
"Archbishop Bines has been staying in Aquarius Palace as usual lately, without any special actions. However, an interesting incident occurred a few days ago."
"Oh, what's the matter?" The others also became interested.
"It's said that a newly hired member of the Judgment Department wanted to enter the inner palace, but was stopped by the guards. Then she took out the Judgment Department badge."
"Haha, that's really funny. I guess she's not very old and doesn't know what this means yet."
"People in the Judgment Department don't usually show their badges easily. If they do, it means they have solid evidence and are ready to kill."
"I guess the guards were both angry and amused. Since she was young, they didn't pursue the matter further."
"What happened after that?"
"After that? It seems that the nun was dragged into the inner palace and given a good lecture before being released."
"However, due to this incident, many people have been secretly wondering if something has happened to Bines. To think that the Judgment Department has come to visit her is not a good sign."
"But this is a good sign for us. Bines has little experience to begin with. Although she possesses the strength of a Sequence 9, she's only been promoted a few years ago and isn't yet stable. This will free me up to deal with Sibis."
"Compared to the simple Bines, the cunning Sibis is much more difficult to deal with. He will be the biggest obstacle for Lord Odysseus in his campaign for Pope." Several knight commanders analyzed the current primary target.
"But he's been so passive lately that we don't have any good solutions for now."
"That's it." A knight commander raised his hand. This man was Farela, the captain of a thousand knights who recommended himself to Odysseus some time ago.
"If the fire is not big enough, then add more fuel. When public opinion becomes overwhelming, we'll see which bishop dares to stand on Sibis's side." He said slowly, then clenched his palms covered with fine steel gauntlets.
————
A few days later, more bad rumors about Sibis spread in the Holy Mountain. Some said that he kept a boy prostitute, some said that he bullied the orphans and the widows, some said that he suppressed his former teachers, and some said that he cheated in the priest examination, etc.
These rumors were so vivid that they attracted a lot of attention in the ordinary church. Even the clergy who were cultivating their minds could not help but discuss them in low voices after meals. The rumors spread more and more widely, and even began to spread from the headquarters to branches in various places.
"Hey, have you heard about what happened to Archbishop Sibis recently?" After finishing their daily work, two young monks sat on the stone to rest, and one of them suddenly talked about the latest news.
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