The Shepherds Are Dense – Chapter 684

Chapter 683
This Wine Really Woke Me Up

“…Huh?”
Hearing Grey’s words, Eivass paused, his eyes widening slightly.

His brain was still filled with an intense sense of fuzziness—not the excitement and imbalance of drunkenness. It felt like being nestled into a dry, warm blanket on a cold winter day. If he closed his eyes now, he feared he would soon forget everything and drift into infinite tranquility.

Because of this, Eivass felt his mind was operating slower than ever before.

But thankfully, his instincts were still functioning, and he keenly sensed something was wrong with this unexpected situation—though he couldn’t instantly figure out *why* it felt wrong, Eivass subconsciously wanted to raise his hand.

Whatever was about to happen, he couldn’t handle it in his current state. It would be better to refuse for now and deal with it once he sobered up.

Such a thought flashed through his mind.

—But then, Eivass found he couldn’t lift his hand at all.

His usual hand for comforting Grey was firmly held by her, unable to break free.

He froze for a moment, about to raise his left hand… when he heard Grey speak again, “Those who agree, raise your hand.”

The next moment, eleven Cardinals raised their hands. Eivass quickly lowered his left hand, which he had just begun to raise.

Besides Eivass, there were a total of nineteen Cardinals present.

Eleven agreeing meant it had undoubtedly passed the halfway mark and could proceed to the discussion stage, but it hadn’t reached the two-thirds majority required for immediate approval.

Therefore, according to the Church’s rules, the Saintess and those who hadn’t voted yet could make a round of additional statements.

Grey, holding Eivass’s hand, addressed the Cardinals: “Undoubtedly, in my current state, I cannot continue to participate in the Papal election.

“But we must elect the next Pope here—because the current Eternal Pope is at the limit of his physical endurance. We do not have until March 3rd of next year.

“My nominating Eivass as acting Pope refers to him temporarily holding the position of Pope and preserving the Supreme Holy Crown until I recover, not for Eivass to truly rule the Church. In other words, if you intend to elect me as Pope, you can elect Eivass first. During the period of the acting Pope, I will also assist Eivass in continuing to manage the Church. Do you have any further objections?”

“I have an objection.”
Cardinal Cyril spoke.

His voice was hoarse, and he appeared to be in a very poor state.

Upon leaving his ritualistic space, Cardinal Cyril’s body’s equilibrium was disrupted. The petrified and gelled traces on his body became active—making it look as if those vines were twisting and consuming the crystals, gradually crystalizing themselves.

Eivass looked at him with great concern.

This Cardinal was the last to arrive, and presumably the one who least wanted the election to drag on… He needed to return to his room as soon as possible.

Cardinal Cyril spoke, his voice interspersed with creaking sounds like those of bending, sturdy vines: “Her Highness the Saintess’s words… imply that she can recover from the gelled state soon. But if her recovery is delayed, are we to let Cardinal Eivass rule the Church for decades?”

Indeed.

Hearing this question, the people suddenly came to their senses and awaited the Pure White Saintess’s response.

Grey solemnly nodded and replied:

“Cardinal Europa claimed this poison could be resolved within a few months… so let’s tentatively set it at three to six months.

“If I can recover before June 3rd, we will complete the handover of the Supreme Holy Crown before June 6th; if I recover before September 3rd, we will complete the handover on September 9th. And if I have not recovered by the ‘Extreme Day,’ then a second Papal election will be held on that day—excluding myself and Eivass.

“In other words, at most, this will be a temporary Pope for six months. I don’t believe this carries any risk or violates any taboos.”

The Pure White Saintess spoke solemnly and seriously.

Her eyes, now unbound, made her expression seem somewhat unfamiliar to the onlookers.

But at this moment, that unfamiliar expression appeared even more sincere.

“I also have an objection.”
Cardinal Belisarius slowly raised his hand: “If Cardinal Eivass is elected Pope, he will be the supreme ruler of the Church and the spokesperson for the Nine Pillar Gods. If he refuses to return the Supreme Holy Crown on September 9th, we will be helpless. Because we will still ultimately obey the orders of the current Pope.

“So, how can we guarantee that Cardinal Eivass, as a Human, will not abuse his power and will return it to the ‘Pure White’ in a timely manner?”

Similar to Cardinal Cyril’s previous statement.

Cardinal Belisarius’s questioning was precisely what the Elves were most worried about at this moment. He was like a mouthpiece, articulating what the absent Elves who had something to say wished to express!

At this moment, throughout the Church, there were voices cheering for Cardinal Belisarius’s courage and fairness.

The Pure White Saintess merely shook her head slightly.

She raised her head, leaning her seemingly weak body, and said with determination, “Although Eivass is Human, he is also a favored child of the Candlemaster and a Cardinal recognized by the Nine Pillar Gods.

“As the only Human Cardinal at present, and the only short-lived Cardinal, we must believe in the possibilities brought by this miracle. Rather, it is precisely because Eivass is Human that making him acting Pope is the least risky decision.

“As everyone knows, the people of each Circle are close to the Cardinal who manages that layer. Because Elves are free—we can freely choose the environment we live in, and thus reside and live in places we wish to go. Over long periods, we will eventually come to the area that best suits us.

“And because of the personal charisma of each Cardinal, each of you has your own supporters behind you. Besides the supporters of each Cardinal, the Church also has various forces such as the Mediators, the Home Faction, and the Ancient Ruins Restoration Society. Each of these forces is composed of multiple Cardinals… Therefore, whoever is elected will certainly receive the support of the residents of their respective Circles, the support of their followers, and the support of their respective factions.

“Conversely, at this moment, I have fallen victim to an assassination attempt by the Eagle Eye organization. If I were absent from the Papal election at this time, and one of you were elected Pope, it could lead to controversy—the controversy stemming from ‘whether the situation would be the same if the Pure White had participated normally in the election.’

“Since some people will support someone as Pope, others will naturally oppose them. Opponents will certainly use me as an excuse, making it seem as though I am an opponent of His Majesty the Pope—I do not wish for this. Regardless of who serves as Pope, they are the ruler of the Church and the sacred leader of the faith. I do not wish for people to become enemies because of this, nor do I wish for the Church to be divided because of it…

“Therefore, I boldly decide that even though I am currently unfit to be Pope, I will still participate in the election as a ‘proxy.'”

The Pure White Saintess’s reasoning was clear.

She very carefully laid out all the various scenarios for the people.

She particularly emphasized one point—indeed, I could choose not to be Pope, and Eivass could also choose not to be Pope. But what if the Pope were elected by someone you disliked, or a Cardinal from a faction you disliked? What would you do then?

Would you grudgingly accept it, or would you stir up trouble by saying “unfair, rematch”?

If it were the former, you would be uncomfortable and unaccepting; if it were the latter, the Church would be divided. Given the backdrop of the Saintess being attacked and forced to withdraw from the election, whoever was elected would not gain the approval of others.

Eivass looked at the Pure White Saintess in a daze.

He gradually understood.

—This must have been planned.

Are they performing for me?
(End of Chapter)