Volume 1 Chapter 162
by Need_More_SleepVolume 1 + Chapter 162: Powerless
At this thought, Anna couldn’t help but frown, a feeling of inexpressible disgust towards the so-called church welling up from the depths of her heart.
She had never harbored any goodwill towards the Dragon Clan’s plundering actions, but now it seemed these individuals waving the banner of “faith” might employ methods even more detestable than those of the Dragon Clan.
At the very least, the Dragon Clan’s plundering was done openly and aboveboard, their targets mostly being merchant caravans of wealthy merchants or nobles. While its essence was still pillaging, it was at least overtly seizing by force, and to some extent could even be considered a “fair” struggle for survival.
However, the church was different. They cloaked themselves in a guise of “compassion” and “faith,” yet in reality, they extended their dark hands towards the most helpless, the most impoverished ordinary people. They didn’t rob or steal openly, but used subtler, more vicious methods, exploiting these people’s suffering and despair, making them willingly offer up their remaining possessions, even their own faith and freedom.
“How about it? As long as you join the church, I believe your life will soon improve.”
Not far away, a missionary in opulent robes stood at the doorway of a household, his tone gentle and enticing. “Our church also regularly holds various relief activities to help believers facing difficulties. Your house is so severely damaged, you probably have very few usable things left, and even basic subsistence must be hard to maintain, right?”
Anna’s gaze fell upon the household, a family of five, a weary-looking couple with three emaciated children, standing before their ruined home, their faces etched with worry.
Faced with the missionary’s persuasion, the father hesitated for a moment, seemingly still holding a sliver of trust in the Empire, and whispered, “But… His Majesty will soon send people to aid us. In the past, whenever disasters struck, relief teams always came…”
However, before he could finish, the missionary cut him off with a scornful laugh.
“Not anymore. It used to be, but not now.”
A sneer curled at the missionary’s lips, his tone certain and icy. “Now, the only thing you can rely on is the church.”
“As for the reason, you will understand soon enough.”
A faint, confident, and mysterious smile played on the missionary’s lips as he slowly surveyed the hesitant disaster victims before him. “In the past, if a disaster of this magnitude occurred, the Imperial Knights would have long since arrived here to maintain order and provide aid. But now? Look around. Besides us missionaries who are willing to extend a hand and save your souls, who else is willing to set foot in these ruins, to bring you hope?”
His words were clear and forceful, seemingly imbued with a power to beguile hearts.
The surrounding disaster victims exchanged looks, their eyes showing signs of struggle and uncertainty. They had originally clung to a sliver of hope in the Imperial family, but now, with reality laid bare before them, the Knights delayed in arrival, and these missionaries already by their side, making promises, wavering began to spread through the crowd.
Observing this scene silently from afar were not only Anna and Andai, but also Chancelianne and Eve, seated in their carriage.
“Miss Eve…”
Chancelianne let out a soft sigh, her gaze resting on the disaster victims in ragged clothes, their faces clouded with worry, her eyes filled with heartache. “The news of His Majesty’s passing has likely already leaked. Otherwise, these missionaries would never have dared to bewitch the people so brazenly in the past.”
Her eyes slowly swept over the surrounding devastation, the ruined houses, the scattered debris, the children with vacant eyes and empty stomachs.
Those who should have been under the Empire’s protection were now being exploited by the church, using their suffering to exchange for faith. A pang of indescribable pain welled up in her heart.
Chancelianne’s eyes were brimming with pity and unease, forming a stark contrast with the missionaries bustling about for gain.
“I think you should know why we are not extending aid to this land as we used to when His Majesty was alive?”
She murmured to herself, a trace of unwillingness and confusion in her tone.
Upon hearing this, Eve remained silent for a moment. She naturally understood the reasons.
The reason the Imperial family had always managed to keep the church firmly in check relied not merely on forceful methods and authority, but more importantly on the genuine care they demonstrated towards their subjects.
While the church preached salvation, demanding faith and wealth, the Imperial family, through policies, subsidies, and practical actions, won the trust of the citizens. Whenever the people fell into hardship, the Imperial family was always able to extend timely assistance. This was the true reason the Empire could suppress the church and maintain stable rule.
But now, the situation has clearly changed…
Due to the passing of the Empire’s monarch, Imperial affairs had fallen into unprecedented chaos.
And for Chancelianne, as someone usually on the relative periphery of power, she had no direct authority to handle many crucial matters, even openly intervening was as difficult as ascending to heaven.
But Chancelianne was not unprepared. For the sake of the Dragon God Sect’s plans, she had taken immediate action from the very beginning. She had sealed off the news to prevent the situation from deteriorating further, while rapidly mobilizing the Knight Corps to take control of the disaster area and maintain order.
She had also prepared large quantities of supplies in advance, ensuring they could be distributed to the affected populace at the earliest opportunity, and had formulated a comprehensive plan for the subsequent reconstruction of houses, striving to restore life to the disaster area as quickly as possible.
However, reality proved far more troublesome than she had imagined.
Various obstacles emerged one after another, making her progress difficult and arduous. And what made her most uneasy was the actions of the church—for some unknown reason, they had recently been frequently meddling in Imperial affairs, reaching an almost omnipresent level.
They did not actively intervene, but they were always watching closely from the sidelines, as if ready to pick fault at any moment.
No matter what decision she made, someone would step forward to “show concern,” asking under the guise of offering help if church support was needed.
But Chancelianne knew full well that the church was by no means merely intending to provide aid, their motives were far more complex than they appeared on the surface.
“It seems the news of His Majesty’s passing has most likely been discovered by the church.”
Chancelianne’s voice was low and icy, her gaze growing increasingly profound, tinged with a trace of restrained anger.
She slowly exhaled, her eyes sweeping over the missionaries active outside the window, the corners of her mouth tightening slightly, clearly striving hard to control her emotions.
“Our current situation is far too passive…”
She murmured, her voice carrying a barely perceptible anxiety and resentment. “Those missionaries, on the surface, are ‘caring’ for the disaster victims, but in reality, they are testing us—testing our limits, testing just how much control the Empire still has.”
Her fingertips trembled slightly, finally clenching into a fist. Her slender, pale hand grew faintly bluish-white from the force, and her joints made a slight sound, as if venting the anger within her heart.
“It’s exactly like a stray dog you can never tame!”
She gritted her teeth, her eyes sharp enough to seem capable of slicing through the air. “Today you let it into the house, tomorrow it dares to sneak a bite of the food on the table when you’re not looking, the day after… it might even bare its fangs and snarl at its own master.”
Bang—!
Accompanied by the eruption of her rage, her fist slammed hard onto the table, causing the candlestick on it to tremble slightly. The flickering candlelight illuminated her taut face.
In truth, Chancelianne felt utterly helpless deep down, the pressure on her was truly immense…
0 Comments