Chapter 413 War of words
Mon’en City, Embassy District.

In a park-like mansion, Raven was sitting quietly in the hall.

The snow fell like a mat outside the window, and the fireplace was burning inside the window, emitting warmth.

The servant refilled the fireplace with firewood for the third time, even though the last time was only six minutes ago.

Raven straightened his hunched back.

Footsteps were heard and Archbishop Thomas pushed open the side door and walked in.

Thomas, 67, doesn’t have many wrinkles on his face, except for his sagging cheeks. He is not wearing the usual bishop’s robe, but a relatively casual brown silk suit. The tight belt highlights his sagging belly.

Like an elderly wealthy businessman.

“Is there something that cannot be said in the letter? Why do you have to come here in person?” Thomas’ voice was filled with a hint of dissatisfaction, and then he continued, “It’s cold in winter, and you are now an earl. Are you still thinking that this is 7 or 8 years ago when you were a baron?”

Hearing this, Raven’s body weakened again.

He had always suspected that the sudden outbreak of his blood curse was related to this guy Thomas, so it was inevitable that he behaved a little unnaturally when facing Thomas.

But I don’t know whether this old fox Thomas really has nothing to do with this matter or has a strong psychological quality, he actually took the initiative to care about his physical condition.

In this case, there is no need to pretend anymore.

With a smile on his face, Raven said, “Your Excellency the Archbishop, you are my most respected priest in the Church of Light. How can I express my respect if I don’t come in person?”

“Don’t mention that I am now an earl. Even if I were a marquis or a duke, the friendship between us would not diminish in the slightest.”

Thomas was choked by this sentence, and sat down with a dry laugh: “Haha…”

With Raven’s short remaining life span, there was no possibility of promotion to the title of knight, but Thomas still did not speak.

Because he was entangled in Raven’s blood curse, Keynes XVI could easily let go of the matter of killing Anthony without authorization. Why should he care about a little verbal conflict?

Taking off his bowler hat and placing it on the table, Thomas asked, “Did you encounter any trouble this time?”

“It’s not a big deal, but I do need a favor from the Archbishop.” Raven rubbed his fingers and said, “As you know, I’m going to attack the Orc Empire.”

“The Orc Empire is not like Eivor. It has a larger territory and a stronger military. The situation it needs to face is also more complicated. With the current conditions in Eagle City, many things cannot be fully prepared.”

“So, I hope your church can provide some support.”

Thomas was not surprised. Raven, who had already returned to Eagle City, suddenly came to him. It could only be for this matter.

In fact, Thomas was well prepared and said righteously: “Of course, Earl Raven, your conquest of the Orc Empire is a major event that will benefit the entire human race, and we, the Church of Light, naturally have an obligation to do so!”

“If you have any requests, just let me know. I will do my best to help you, Lord Earl.”

Raven smiled and said, “That’s great. I knew that the Archbishop would not let us down.”

“I also know that the church is not omnipotent, so this time, all I need is for the church to provide me with 10 magic crystal cannons, 50 golden-feathered gulls, 200 boxes of 5th-level magic crystals, and 2000 angel legions.”

“Puff——” Thomas sprayed out all the coffee he had just drunk.

He looked at Raven in doubt and suspicion, and secretly pinched his palms.

“Sorry, I’m old, I choked accidentally.” Thomas wiped the corner of his mouth with a handkerchief: “Logically speaking, these supplies are nothing to attack the Orc Empire.”

“So, Your Excellency agrees?”

“But then again…” Thomas said helplessly, “I don’t have the authority to do that!”

If Raven had just made fewer demands, such as food and equipment, Thomas could have dealt with them.

Magic crystal cannons are powerful weapons on the battlefield, but they are expensive. Even if you sell the entire Nord Province, you won’t be able to buy many of them.

The golden-winged gull is also known as the “bird of paradise”. It is a level 5 magical beast, mostly used for reconnaissance of terrain. Its innate magic can temporarily change the weather. Let alone 50 of them, there is not even a single one in the Nordic Diocese.

The value of magic crystals needs no further explanation.
The last 2000 angel legions were known as the “God’s Royal Guards”, and there were only two legions in the entire Papal States.

Thomas couldn’t provide each of these things individually, let alone when they were added together.

“Alas…” Raven sighed, “Archbishop Thomas, on the day I was crowned Earl, His Majesty once said to me: ‘From today on, you don’t have to endure it anymore.'”

“I didn’t quite understand it at the time, but now I understand it more and more!”

This sentence made Thomas murmur.

Is there some kind of tacit understanding between Raven and Keynes XVI?
Raven stared at Thomas and asked, “Sir Thomas, do you know why, until now, you are still just a cardinal?”

“Because you care too much about your reputation!”

It is true that Thomas admires Raven, but that does not mean he has to listen to Raven’s preaching. Hearing this, his eyebrows drooped: “Earl Raven, I have never been stingy with my feathers!”

Raven raised his eyebrows and said disdainfully, “Really? In other words, if I call you ‘Bone Eater’ to your face, you won’t mind?”

Thomas’s expression became completely gloomy: “Earl Raven, what do you want to say?”

“Then let’s make it clearer.” Raven took a sip of coffee leisurely.
“Thomas Choptien, born into the Viscount family of the Kingdom of Lozeren, became the youngest cardinal in the church at the age of 40. He is extremely talented.”

“But just when you were at the height of your power, you led a legion of 1000 angels, along with a legion of lawbreakers and two legions of followers of the Kingdom of Bodomichi, deep into the Miracle Mountains to wipe out a Death Hand stronghold, but ended up being completely annihilated.”

“That’s why you were exiled to this remote place called Nord Province to be in charge, and you stayed there for 27 years!”

Thomas’s forehead was bulging with blue veins, and his nails scratched a white mark on the armrest of the chair: “…Stop talking!”

“Why, you don’t care about your reputation?” Raven mocked.

“Then why do you care about this past that everyone knows about?”

Hearing this, Archbishop Thomas took a deep breath, loosened his cramped hands, and picked up his hat: “My Lord, I feel a little tired…”

No matter what Raven had to say, he didn’t want to continue talking to Raven.

“Yes, that’s right. That’s what you did back then.” Raven clapped his hands. “What I said just now about you being exiled was actually not accurate, because your teacher had not died at that time. As one of the 12 cardinals, he had the ability to protect you.”

“But you betrayed his kindness. You said you were exiled, but in fact you took the initiative to escape to the Nord Province…”

“What do you know!?” Thomas slammed the table: “I did that for…”

“To atone for my sins!” Raven said the second half of Thomas’s sentence first:

“But do you really want to do this, or are you looking for a reassuring excuse to escape?”

“Can you answer clearly?”

Thomas’ mouth opened and trembled, but no sound came out.

As his throat moved, he seemed to remember the words his teacher had said to him before he left the Papal States in embarrassment.

It was too similar to what Raven said.

As he got older, this scene appeared more and more frequently in Thomas’s dreams.

Along with it came the overwhelming rebukes and insults that filled my ears.

He could not forget the sarcasm and ridicule from the bigwigs of the Vatican, the cold eyes and contempt from other priests, and the contempt in the words of his own students.

What is even more unforgettable is the moment when the parents of the fallen soldier pulled his sleeve and asked him for their son.

Regret and guilt always come here. Thomas closed his eyes and sighed deeply.

Seeing that the situation was getting heated, Raven softened his voice, “Sir Thomas, in my opinion, you are a rare strong man whose ability matches your ambition.”

“I once heard a proverb that a sparrow cannot understand the ambition of a phoenix.”

“So why do you care about the opinions of ordinary people?”

Thomas threw the deformed hat in his hand onto the table with a tired look:
“Raven, I have to admit that you are indeed observant, but that doesn’t mean you can really understand me.”

“Of course I can understand you.” Raven said, “In fact, I envy you too.”

“A 40-year-old cardinal should be proud of himself. It is even more right for him to take a risk and become the youngest cardinal and the youngest pope.”

“We should not run from our vanity, but rather stand in awe of it.”

Thomas did not continue to refute. He had calmed down and looked at Raven steadily: “So, do you think I should have endured it and continued to stay in the Papal States?”

“Of course, this is the wisest choice.” Raven nodded.

“What about you?” Thomas asked, “Why did you just kill Anthony and rush to attack the Orc Empire before the aftermath has subsided?”

“Because I don’t have time.” Raven said frankly: “I originally had 10 years left to live, so I could plan my plans at my leisure.”

“But now, I only have five years left.”

“All planning and arrangements must be accelerated, no matter the cost.”

“That makes perfect sense,” Thomas agreed. “But what does this have to do with me? Why should I help you?”

“Of course it’s for your own future.” Raven said firmly.

Thomas curled his lips in disdain.

It’s ridiculous to talk about the future with a man who only has five years left to live.

Ignoring Thomas’ attitude, Raven spoke calmly, “Sir Thomas, everything you have done in the past 27 years in Nord has been a preparation for returning to the Papal States.”

“To be fair, you did a pretty good job, whether it was promoting the church among the people or provoking friction between the Slater family and the Fox family. It was very skillful.”

“Especially getting Count Montreal to agree to allow the Church of Light to station troops in Fox Castle is a huge achievement!”

“But now, 10 years have passed, where is the army of the Papal States?”

Thomas’ pupils shrank.

This is exactly what is worrying him, and it is also the point that makes him most depressed and powerless.

As long as the Papal Legion enters Nord, he can use this merit to return to the Papal States and compete for the position of cardinal.

But for a full 10 years, there was no news from the army.

Raven’s extremely bewitching voice entered Thomas’ ears: “Your teacher is no longer here, and those who forced you out of the Papal States have now taken high positions. They don’t want to see you return to the Center!”

“You can’t accomplish anything greater—unless you come to help me!”

“This will be the craziest, but also the most correct gamble in your life in the past 67 years!”

“This is also your last chance in life!”

Thomas propped his chin up with his right hand, squeezing the stubble with his thumb.

But Raven didn’t intend to give him time to think:

“In five years, I will die, and one day you will return to the arms of the Lord of Light.”

“Everything I do now is for the Griffith family.”

“Even if I die, as long as this war can be won, the glory of the Griffith family will last forever!”

“And my name will be passed down forever along with this glory!”

“So I am not afraid, I am not pessimistic, and I am not desperate.”

“As long as my family survives, I will live forever!”

“And you, Sir Thomas?”

“Do you want to lie on the bed and die with the name of ‘Bone Eater’? Or do you want to hold the scepter and become an indelible legend as a part of the history of the Church of Light? “

Thomas was not moved by these inflammatory words. He nodded slightly:

“Very good speech, my Lord.”

“But what I’m more curious about is that you only talked about the vision of success, but failure doesn’t seem to be in your consideration.”

“And in my opinion, your failure is more predictable than your success.”

“Ha…” Raven laughed and shook his head. He suddenly straightened his slightly bent spine. He stood up, walked to Thomas, grabbed the armrests of the chair with both hands, and looked down at Thomas.
“Your Excellency the Archbishop, do you think you still have a choice now?”

“The gods made me born in the Middles Continent, in the most powerful of the nine kingdoms, the Cairns Empire.”

“They chose me to inherit the bloodline of the Griffith family.”

“I have accepted the curse of fate, and I will also shoulder the mission that fate has entrusted to me.”

“Any existence that stands in my way is destined to be ruthlessly destroyed!”

“When I attacked Eivor and returned victorious, Habsburg, that is, Cairns XVI, imprisoned me in the Abyss for a full 114 days. That’s why I killed Anthony!”

“What can he do? Isn’t he still forced to appoint Tyrone as Marquis?”

“Do you really think I’m afraid of a war with the Habs?”

“No! I’ve never been the one who was afraid!”

Raven’s voice calmed down again. He loosened his arms and returned to his seat.
“The Habs responded, and now it’s my turn to make the move.”

“I don’t allow my chess pieces to make mistakes, because I always understand one thing –

One wrong move and the whole game is lost.”

“Or, agree to my terms.”

“Or, I’ll change my move!”

Thomas’ heart suddenly tightened.

He sensed a destructive madness from Raven, and his keen senses as a fifth-level divine magician allowed him to detect the danger hidden in the shadows.

Raven did not come alone.

This is no longer persuasion, but a naked threat!

……

(End of this chapter)