MHMMS 19

Chapter 19

The conference room fell into silence for a moment.

Everyone looked at Tilda in surprise. No one had expected her to appear here.

She had occasionally taken a seat at the priests’ council as the Pope’s successor, but these days she was drawing so much attention that they thought she would remain secluded for the time being.

Not only had she boldly appeared, but her attire was also quite different.

She was the Pope’s successor, yet she did not wear the white clothing symbolizing her status. When attending the Great Temple council, she wore a plain, coarse-textured dress with a light gray tint, like an ordinary priest.

She lowered herself.

Though she was the Pope’s successor, just as others did not acknowledge her, she did not acknowledge herself.

But today, she had come dressed in pure white ceremonial robes, like an untouched field of snow. Such pure white attire was permitted only to the Pope and the High Priests.

The fact that she had come in such clothing carried great significance.

In that moment when everyone held their breath, only one person curled the corners of his lips—Cales.

Cales, who had been resting his chin on his hand as if bored, began to shine with interest in his eyes.

He was the only one who had expected her to attend this place.

He had also waited for this moment as if anticipating a feast of delicacies.

For her to boldly appear before everyone and claim the successor’s seat.

What kind of expression would she wear as she entered? What words would she use to astonish them?

That anticipation excited Cales more than anything.

Cales coveted Tilda with his eyes.

He liked her in the coarse cotton dress like a monk, but he also found her unbearably appealing in the smooth white attire that fit her body moderately well, like an ancient saint.

Cales, wearing a loose smile, swallowed hard, his Adam’s apple bobbing greatly.

“……If you had given notice that you were coming, I would have prepared a seat in advance.”

Glen, the facilitator of the meeting, said while hiding his discomfort.

“Isn’t it proper to prepare a seat even if I don’t attend?”

Since the Pope was absent, Tilda naturally became the highest-ranking person in the meeting. In principle, even if she did not attend, a seat should have been prepared for her.

“Well, never mind. You can just vacate your seat.”

Tilda said to Glen.

Glen, flustered, opened and closed his mouth, but he had no choice but to vacate his seat.

Hierarchy within the Great Temple was strict.

It was just that he could not accept this woman who now acted as the Pope’s successor.

‘Did she get struck by lightning during her disappearance?’

Glen grumbled inwardly as he moved to the seat next to the head seat.

And he glanced at Tilda beside him.

Her neat posture, attire, expressionless face, calm eyes—nothing had changed.

But he could not understand why she was suddenly acting as the Pope’s successor.

Had she been abandoned by her husband and decided to at least hold onto the successor’s position?

Glen inwardly mocked Tilda.

If that was her intention, she should have solidified that position long ago. She was far too late.

What means did a woman without divine power to win over priests or political ability have to gain recognition?

“What is today’s agenda?”

At Tilda’s question, Glen came to his senses and cleared his thoughts.

“……We were going to discuss the negotiation matter regarding priests captured by pirates.”

“They were the priests sent to rescue sailors adrift after a shipwreck.”

……This happened while she was missing, yet she knows it well.

Glen continued explaining.

“The pirates took those priests hostage and demanded Dumpfris Island.”

“Dumpfris Island…….”

Tilda murmured with her eyes lowered.

Dumpfris Island was small but located in the southern region, fertile and mild year-round, making it a good place to live.

Also, the salt produced there was of the highest quality, so the money it brought in was not insignificant.

“If we give it up, not only will the island villagers lose their homes, but we will also lose the only port of call in the south, which is a great concern.”

“How many priests are held hostage?”

“Two.”

Considering the greater good, it would be right to abandon the lives of two priests. But the hostages were priests sent by the Great Temple to rescue sailors.

They had been sent to save people, so abandoning human lives was contradictory.

Yet weighing two lives against the value of an island on a scale was not something that could be done either.

“What are your positions?”

Tilda asked, looking around the conference room.

The priests exchanged glances at the difficult problem.

Tilda scanned the silent priests one by one. Cales was saying nothing, as if he wanted to watch how she would solve this difficult problem.

And beside him……

‘Ross Port.’

He was the remaining High Priest besides Cales and Glen.

He was a man with calm brown hair and dark blue eyes, and his handsome appearance and gentle nature made him popular everywhere.

Tilda had exchanged a few words with him, but had never had a long conversation.

He seemed to have many thoughts on this issue, keeping his mouth shut with a serious face.

‘Well, it’s not an agenda where one can easily offer an opinion.’

Then, breaking the heavy silence, Glen spoke.

“I believe that for problems this difficult to decide, we should follow doctrine.”

“Doctrine?”

“Chapter 202, Verse 21 of the Scripture. The welfare of the few is also important, but the world cannot exist for the few, so when there is no other way, prioritize the interests of the many. That is what the Goddess said.”

Using the Scripture as reference to decide difficult problems was a very basic method of resolution for priests.

Therefore, even a decision to abandon human lives was not something to be pointed at.

It was not an individual’s judgment, but the words of the Goddess who embraced the world with benevolence.

The priests began nodding one by one.

The Scripture was very long, and the book was thick. There was even a legend that if a priest memorized the entire Valinea Scripture in their lifetime, they would reach a state of enlightenment and become one of the archangels serving the Goddess.

Therefore, no one could oppose Glen’s opinion when he recited the Scripture and asserted it.

Because Glen was the only one among the priests who had memorized the entire Scripture.

He had not only graduated at the top of the seminary, but was the most knowledgeable person in theology within the empire.

When no one raised an objection, Glen smiled inwardly.

No matter how Tilda Valinea sat in the head seat, the meeting would revolve around him.

Because he was the only one who had memorized all the Goddess’s doctrines.

Occasionally, Cales Moin or Ross Port would raise objections and cause trouble, but they did not particularly intervene in troublesome matters like this.

Cales Moin…… seemed to find it a bit annoying, and Ross Port seemed to think too much.

In any case, it meant that nothing would change even if Tilda Valinea attended the meetings from now on.

Glen thought so.

Until Tilda opened her mouth.

“You have misunderstood the Goddess’s words.”

Glen’s expression hardened at once.

He knew that the other party was nominally the Pope’s successor, and that many priests were watching, but he could not bear a young brat far younger than himself daring to point out his knowledge.

His insides boiled.

How dare she point out the contents of the Scripture to me?

Glen barely relaxed his tense jaw and spat out words.

“……I would like to know where I have misunderstood.”

“The content of Chapter 202, Verse 21 of the Scripture is certainly ‘it is wise to prioritize the interests of the many over the few,’ but there is an additional passage stating that when the cost of the few is human life, the few are prioritized.”

The priests began to murmur.

They had not bothered to verify until now, but some sent looks of doubt, wondering if Glen’s claim—which he had proudly asserted based on doctrine—might be wrong.

At the gathering gazes, Glen furrowed his brow fiercely.

“That cannot be. Such an additional interpretation does not exist!”

Glen could be certain.

There was no such content.

It was the Scripture he had held in his bosom and read his entire life. To escape the position of an insignificant third son of a noble family, he had read it over and over for days without sleep.

Yet a woman who was not even an official priest was pointing out that his knowledge was wrong.

Glen wanted to bring the Scripture right now and spread it before that insolent woman’s eyes.

“The Goddess Valinea loved and cherished humans. That is why she valued life above all.”

“……I am well aware of that. But the command to prioritize the many was also spoken out of love for humanity.”

Tilda sighed.

At that sight, Glen felt the back of his neck tighten.

‘Who is the one making forced arguments right now!’

Glen finally could not hold back and spoke.

“……Since opinions differ, how about we bring the Scripture and verify?”

It was childish, but this was the surest method.

“That would be better.”

Tilda readily agreed, perhaps thinking there was no other way to end this argument.

Glen, finally calming the anger that had boiled up, ordered a lower-ranking priest.

“Go to the temple library right now and bring the Scripture…….”

“An ordinary Scripture won’t do.”

Tilda cut off Glen’s words and ordered.

“Get permission from the librarian and bring the Scripture recorded by Drogheda, one of the Goddess’s eight priests.”

Drogheda’s Scripture……

Glen’s mouth fell open helplessly.

Drogheda’s Scripture was a scripture containing all the words the Goddess left behind, amounting to twice the content of an ordinary Scripture.

The conference room stirred.

Probably no one here had read Drogheda’s Scripture to the end.