Inside the Papal Chamber, the atmosphere was heavy.
In front of the cardinals, the magical crystal board continuously displayed the scene from that day when Via declared before the Church, through a ritual, that the Saintess had fallen.
The succubus Archdemon in the footage was smiling quite happily.
From her, there was almost no trace left of the saint she once was.
“Cecilia has been living in the demon territory for half a month now. According to the intelligence we’ve gathered, she’s currently inside that traitor’s mansion. Our people have tried several times to infiltrate it, but it’s simply impossible.”
“Her vigilance is surprisingly high,” Cardinal Grigo said quietly.
“It’s not just that,” another cardinal lowered his voice before adding, “The main issue is that there’s no outsider at all inside her mansion. As soon as our people manage to sneak in, they get discovered. Also, based on the latest intelligence, it’s highly likely that a demon skilled in concealment is constantly protecting that woman.”
At this moment, many high-ranking officials within the Church were beginning to regret having persecuted the Saintess.
Originally, their plan had been to capture the Saintess, then wrap up the case quickly by listing her crimes, while also exposing some of the Church’s own misdeeds over the years.
But who could have imagined that the Saintess, who always seemed as gentle and meek as a lamb, would suddenly erupt with such a strong will to survive?
This completely exceeded everyone’s expectations in the Church.
Cecilia had entered the Church school at the age of eight and had never done anything unorthodox until she became the Saintess.
When faced with demons or enemies of the Church, she acted decisively, but toward believers and her fellow Church members, she always had endless patience and kindness.
They had originally assumed that the Saintess wouldn’t resist much.
But who would have thought that she would not only decisively strike her own people but also run straight into the demon faction without hesitation?
This threw the Church’s plans into complete disarray.
At this moment, the Church, which was supposed to unify divine and ecclesiastical authority, should have been intensifying its control over secular royal power.
But Cecilia was still alive.
As long as she lived and remained in the hands of others, she became the perfect tool for those people to oppose the legitimacy of the Church.
“Recall all operatives,” the Pope said helplessly.
“But, Your Holiness…”
“We have no extra forces to waste. Several elites were lost in the recent campaign,” the Pope’s tone remained calm, but the deep furrows on his brow showed how much he still cared about the matter.
“That traitor now possesses the power of a Demon Lord and knows us intimately. We simply can’t kill him within their controlled territory.”
Having missed the best chance, it was already too late to remedy the situation.
It was better to cut losses quickly.
“Understood. However, now that the Saintess is missing, should we have another district Saintess take up the position of the Central Saintess?”
Cardinal Grigo brought up the issue of the Central Saintess.
The Church’s Central Saintess was the one who communicated directly with the Holy Lord and his messengers, always selected from among the district Saintesses.
Since Cecilia was gone, naturally the Church should appoint a new Central Saintess.
“No need,” the Pope stroked his beard and paused for a moment, as if making a firm decision.
“From now on, the Holy Lord’s Church will no longer set a Central Saintess. Moreover… I fear it will be very difficult for another Saintess like Cecilia to appear in the future.”
It was a pity.
If that child had understood things earlier, not been so naive, things wouldn’t have come to this.
Regardless, he had to admit that she was truly his best student.
***
When Euris Cyprus arrived at the Demon Lord’s mansion, he felt a bit uneasy.
He had just finished sweeping and attacking Stinky Fish Town and its surrounding areas.
Although he had indeed earned merit according to the battle reports, considering the Demon Lord’s great fury that day…
He couldn’t help but feel a bit intimidated.
Even though Lady Via was the lowest-ranked Demon Lord among them, to a demon like him, she was still an existence absolutely not to be defied.
Yet, earlier, he had dared to speak back and even attempted to threaten the human Saintess close to Via.
Who knew what kind of evaluation he would receive this time during his report?
Thinking of this, Euris knocked on the door of the living quarters.
“Come in.”
Via’s voice came from inside.
As a succubus, even if Via herself was unaware, her words inevitably carried a subtle tone of seduction.
Over time, she had developed a brief and straightforward way of speaking — after all, she didn’t want to accidentally charm someone just by talking.
Euris entered the living quarters.
He immediately saw the Demon Lord sitting behind a desk, bent over writing something.
“Demon Lord, Demon General Euris Cyprus has completed your orders and finished the sweep of the designated area,” Euris reported neatly.
“Hm, I’ve already seen the battle report,” Via said, looking up at him.
“Alright, if there’s nothing else, you can go rest first. You did well this time, so I will provide you with the necessary reward.”
“…Ah? I may leave now?”
“What else?”
Via looked at him curiously.
“What, you want to stay here for dinner? I never provide meals.”
Bro, you’re acting like you belong here.
“No, I meant…”
He hesitated before finishing his sentence.
“Oh, about that day,” Via recalled the earlier incident.
“Let’s separate things. Besides, didn’t I already warn you that day? Just remember it next time. Go on, I won’t see you out.”
Grateful for the great pardon, Euris decisively chose to leave.
Demon Lords were mostly temperamental, and he was too afraid that the Demon Lord in front of him would change her mind.
“You treat your subordinates quite well,” Cecilia said, standing beside him.
“Within the demon clan, the strong hold high status. Theoretically, I can do whatever I want with him,” Via said as she sat down, enjoying the massage the Saintess was giving her.
Then she continued, “But this guy is indeed a capable general. He’ll still be useful later.”
Her status among the demons was high, but she didn’t have many demons she could directly command.
As a Demon Lord of the succubus race, she couldn’t really control the entire succubus clan, and most succubi weren’t really combat specialists, so there were few promising talents she could pick out.
Therefore, she hoped to take the opportunity to train some subordinates she could command.
One person’s strength was ultimately too weak.
Within the demon clan, sometimes just like in human society, power lies in the number of soldiers at one’s command.
Only then could one firmly grasp their own authority.