Wizard: I Have a Cultivation System

Chapter 360: Chapter 77: Should a Candle That Illuminates the Darkness Not Be Lit?

"He... was different. While others were engrossed in the minutiae of theological debates or the intricate political maneuvering of the Church Court, he would often leave the magnificent halls alone. He would go to the most dilapidated districts of Rome City to visit the sick and listen to the cries of the poor."

"He told us students that theology, if it could not alleviate the world’s suffering, was nothing but the most refined form of empty talk. He said that faith, if it could not bring about justice, could become a mere ornament for oppression."

Gradually, his voice filled with nostalgia and reverence. "Later, he ascended to the Holy Throne. It was only for five short years... but for many, those five years were like seeing a brand-new light."

"He issued a series of encyclicals. Their core message was just as you pointed out: that the excessive concentration of wealth is a distortion of God’s given grace, and that the Church and secular powers bear a special, undeniable responsibility to the poor."

"He encouraged, even demanded, that the Clergy not be content with merely performing rituals and collecting offerings. They had to go among the common people, push for limits on usury, establish mutual aid systems, and promote a relationship between lords and their subjects that was closer to brotherhood than to master and slave..."

"He even believed that in the face of extreme injustice, the Church could not remain silent. It ought to exercise its moral authority to intervene and ’correct’ the situation."

Count Raymond’s heart surged as he listened. These words resonated so perfectly with his own ideals that he almost wanted to cheer. frёeωebɳovel.com

However, Murphy’s next words were like a bucket of cold water, snapping him back to reality.

Because this was Fuer II... freёwebnovel.com

Murphy said, "I recall reading in the histories that after an emergency Church Court meeting initiated jointly by several Cardinals, Pope Fuer II was declared to have ’abdicated for health reasons.’ He passed away a few months later while in seclusion."

"History’s verdict on him was that of a ’tyrant who tried to impose Hell on earth.’ He was accused of attempting to replace secular law with rigid dogma and of tearing society apart with fanatical moral crusades. Ultimately, this led to riots in many places, and even the Church Court’s own authority nearly crumbled because of his radical reforms."

"A tyrant..." Count Raymond murmured.

Yes, in the official historical records, Fuer II was depicted as a tyrant.

The "acts of compassion" that Father Anderson spoke of were, in the official records, the root cause of "inciting the lower classes to dissatisfaction against their lawful lords."

Those "mutual aid systems" were interpreted as a "conspiracy to undermine local authorities and expand the Church’s power."

His short reign was regarded as an "unfortunate episode" in the history of the Church Court, a mistake to be forgotten and warned against.

Hearing this, Father Anderson’s face showed no anger, only a deep sadness.

He nodded, acknowledging the truth in what Murphy had said.

"Yes, a tyrant. A ’tyrant’ who was destroyed because he saw too much suffering and wanted to change things." The Priest’s voice trembled slightly, but he quickly regained his composure. "After the Holy Throne’s abdication, many of his encyclicals were quietly shelved or reinterpreted. His people were scattered, monitored, or marginalized. Because my seniority was low and I wasn’t part of his inner circle, I was able to leave the Holy City and was assigned to the distant Glamorgan Territory. Before I left, the only thing I took with me was this portrait, painted for the Holy Throne by an anonymous artist. It has no magnificent adornments, only the Holy Throne as he truly was."

He raised his head, looking again at the portrait, and then at Murphy and the Count. "I kept the Holy Throne’s ideals hidden in my heart, never daring to speak of their origin. That is, until I met Lord Raymond and saw that he was not like those other nobles who only know pleasure, that he still had a conscience and passion within him."

"I carefully planted those seeds, wrapping them in the general words of the Holy Scripture, and guided him onto a Path of reform. The review panels, the mutual aid funds... these were all small attempts to practice the Holy Throne’s ideals at a local level, things he had once envisioned."

"I told the Count that this was for the stability and harmony of the territory, and to practice the virtues of our faith."

He turned to Count Raymond and bowed deeply. "My Lord Count, please forgive my years of concealment," he said apologetically. "It isn’t that I didn’t trust you, but this origin is too heavy a burden. Knowing of it might not have been a blessing for you, or for the Glamorgan Territory. It is a beacon of light, but it could also draw unwanted attention and bring unnecessary risks."

Count Raymond stood frozen, a whirlwind of emotions swirling within him.

There was the shock of learning the truth and a hint of bitterness at having been kept in the dark, but mostly, he felt sympathy for the Priest’s years of walking on thin ice, and sorrow for the tragic fate of the late Pope.

He took a deep breath, a flicker of resolve in his eyes, and said in a low voice, "Father... I understand your difficulties, and I thank you for your years of guidance and support. Knowing the origin of this Path doesn’t make me regret it. On the contrary... it has strengthened my conviction."

"If a figure like the Holy Throne was willing to pay such a price to practice his faith and alleviate suffering, then what reason do I, a mere Count, have to shrink back? No, I don’t regret it. I will only proceed more cautiously, to make the Glamorgan Territory a small but solid testing ground for the Holy Throne’s ideals."

Upon hearing this, Father Anderson’s gray-blue eyes welled with deep emotion. His lips trembled slightly, but he couldn’t speak.

Murphy had been listening quietly the entire time. Only now did he speak, slowly. "So, you are using the Glamorgan Territory to carry out an unfinished, quiet revolution. You’ve taken the ideals of a Pope branded a ’tyrant,’ diluted them into gentle reforms, and sown them in the soil of the frontier."