When the Saintess Arrives, No King Exist

In the largest technical institute at the original Joan of Arc Castle, now transformed into a theater, nearly a hundred people are seated under the large tent to watch a play.

Among them are citizens and artisans, alongside laborers and farmers, sitting clearly on each side while quietly discussing the red curtain on stage.

Horn, sitting in the front row, is also discussing with Busak. After Armand went to Kasha County for further study, he was the first to relay the latest news from the Empire to Joan of Arc Castle.

"The civil war in the Leia Kingdom officially started three weeks ago, as Royal Duke Lu'el launched a war of succession, claiming revenge for Yingbela, forming an alliance with his brother, Duke Nedbach...

Currently, Prince Kongdai is still attacking Shangruifo County, publicly writing to Holy Seat City expressing his lack of ambition for the throne, desiring only to maintain an armed force to resist heretics and foreign enemies..."

"How is Holy Seat City reacting?" Horn interrupted Armand's recitation and asked.

Busak rubbed his temples: "According to the information Armand brought back from Kasha County, right now there's still a state of vacancy."

Similar to the Empire's grand vacancy, it's when everyone believes they alone are qualified to be Pope.

The secret conclave for the papal election has concluded, with a bishop, Windmill Land Archbishop, from Leia being successfully elected as Pope in the Eagle's Beak Bay Puliano.

This was supposed to be a settled matter, but the absurdity lay in the fact that this election was significantly flawed.

According to ancient laws, the election of the Pope should involve an absolute majority vote from the Cardinals, that is, more than two-thirds of the votes.

But the issue lay in the Old Pope's will before his death—

If I die, to quickly respond to crises from the Empire, I appoint the cardinals of Holy Seat City to immediately elect a Pope and allow only a simple majority (over half) of the votes.

The ultimate outcome was that the obscure Puliano was elected Pope by a margin of one vote.

Yet the biggest issue here is, if voting occurred before the Pope's death, it should have been at least a tie, not a one-vote difference.

Because, according to his will, the Pope promoted a young bishop, Xie Li, as a cardinal.

This resulted in the Leia bishops barely leading by one vote, placing their favored candidate into the papal position.

For Leia's bishops, this was naturally wonderful, but for the succession contender Grandiva it was—

Johnny VIII, you cunning devil, attacking an old comrade of forty-nine years!

Little did the Grandiva, who had even received the Pope's gifts, rage at the election—during which seven or eight Falan Cardinals were still in the Falan Kingdom!

If proceeding with the normal election process, waiting for these seven or eight cardinals to arrive, Puliano could not possibly have been elected easily.

Without other Falan Cardinals present in the scene, and merely a simple majority, how could you possibly elect him as Pope?

Therefore, in Grandiva's eyes and some Falans, he's seen as an illegal Pope, a false Pope.

Grandiva demanded a re-election immediately, but his request was vetoed with a single vote by the "newly elected" Pope.

"So, is Grandiva planning to declare himself as Pope?" Horn mused as if he were hearing a tall tale.

"Not planning, he's already preparing." Busak replied with a grimace, "According to the information conveyed through the monastery's system, Grandiva plans to announce a papal re-election at the end of June.

In fact, all Falan bishops and some Bishops of El present in Holy Seat City have already returned to Falan.

They will follow the Old Pope's method in Falan Royal Capital, quickly electing a Pope based on the simple majority principle.

I'm confident Grandiva will be historically elected Pope unanimously."

"Unilaterally announcing oneself as Pope, tut tut tut, this is so demeaning." Horn shook his head dismissively, as though forgetting how he himself became Pope in the past.

Thus, by July, will the Empire witness a unique scene—a single Empire with three Popes?

Shaking off the thought, Horn set aside his bizarre notion and was about to speak, when he was interrupted by the clear sound of a lute.

"Let's discuss specific details later, for now, let's enjoy the show."

As the curtain slowly drew open, Horn relaxed, immersing himself in the play.

This play was a resolution Jeanne mentioned earlier.

Back in Black Pottery Town, Saint Father Order Monks complained about the challenges of land allocation and the grand inquisition.

Many villagers' hardships deserved empathy, yet the success rates of grievances reduced to merely two or three parts.

Horn had to concede that these nobles and churches indeed possessed prowess in harnessing extraordinary forces to pacify people.

However, it didn't matter, the contradictions were there, only obscured, impossible to ignore as though they didn't exist.

Just as landlords residing in luxurious houses eating delicacies don't break a farmer's defenses, but feeding dogs with white bread certainly does.

Simply start from their lives, bit by bit, undoubtedly awakening a realization.

Horn's solution was the play.

Unlike the complex operas appreciated by nobles, Horn devised a comparatively plain play.

Spoken and sung in vernacular, accompanied by folk tunes, narrated by minstrels, striving for accessibility and relatability.

Horn assigned this task to Grampwen, first because he was an eyewitness, second he hailed from a circus background, surely adding theatricality.

And so began Horn, Grampwen, and a group of minstrels brainstorming extensively.

Eventually, based on the Blue Blood Monastery and Nameless Monk stories, they created the Empire's first play—"Celestial Island of Promise".

For dramatic effect, they didn't replicate the original story entirely but made significant adaptations.

For instance, while the Nameless Monk stayed in the monastery for over ten years, in the play, it's only a year.

They set the monastery in a village and added a caricature knight for farmers to relate to.

This theatrical piece consisted of five acts, utilizing the crowd's favorite poignant 'happy head sad tail' sentimental ending.

Though in Horn's hometown many might tire of such a formula, it was remarkably novel in this world.

The play's five acts are tightly woven, with the first three being comedic, depicting a thief posing as a Nameless Monk attempting to steal the secret wine recipe.

How he outwitted bishops and knights, sought the recipe, filled with comedic missteps.

Meanwhile, the underlying narrative revealed the Nameless Monk slowly began to cherish these innocent orphans.

Act four unfolds as the Nameless Monk, with the help of smart and kind farmers, discovered clues, leading to revelation at the act's end.

The final, fifth act culminates, with the Nameless Monk choosing to save the children, perishing alongside the bishop.

However, most children were still seized by the church and mercilessly killed, except for the little girl Tess who survived, encountering the Salvation Army for the finale.

To embellish it, Horn even plagiarized several renowned quotes from his homeland.

Such as the moment on stage where the little girl Tess clutching the Nameless Monk's arm asked, "Is life always this painful, or just when you're little?"

Indeed, Horn patched in any apt quote he found satisfyingly fitting.

With the Nameless Monk's ultimate resolution line, "To live or to fight, that is the question," the play neared its end.

Many citizens and countrymen on-site couldn't help but cry, while others gripped the chair handles tightly as though ready to charge to rescue the actors.

Having rehearsed countless times, Horn did not shed tears; he watched the scene on stage, as though transported back to that winter.

He wondered what the scene would be like when this play performs amidst rural areas?