Chapter 554: 552 Tea Party_1


    “Why?”


    Colin asked immediately.


    At the same time, he nced at Marquis Garcia, thinking this was an old grudge between the St. Hilde family and Mensai.


    If so, it would exin why Marquis Garcia was silent when Mensai came to negotiate that day.


    “Do you know who is Mensai’s niece?” To his surprise, Queen Mid asked a seemingly unrted question.


    Colin,cking knowledge about the Church’s high-ranking officials, could only shake his head.


    “It’s Kate.”


    “Kate?” Colin was puzzled because this was amon name.


    Queen Mid exined with a smile, “Yes, Mrs. Kate, formerly the Archbishop of Easnd, the wife of Duke St. Prowse.”


    Colin suddenly understood.<div>


    So that was the reason.


    No wonder Mensai was so inhospitable on sight, not appearing interested in negotiation but rather inciting a quarrel.


    It seemed that foes met with particrly keen animosity.


    “Now you understand, right?” Queen Mid said to Colin, “Mensai’s main support forces were in the Easnd Diocese, but all that was utterly destroyed by you, so he is now the person who harbors the deepest hostility toward the North Territory in the Church high ranks.”


    Colin stroked his chin and said, “So, ording to this, when Pope Gregory sent Mensai to negotiate with us, he really had no intention of reconciling easily, did he?”


    Queen Mid nodded and said, “Of course not. Gregory is not someone who can be easily threatened. Besides, him sending Mensai to negotiate with you instead of Cardinal Noputon means he has ulterior motives.”


    After thinking for a moment, Colin also understood, “If I’m not mistaken, the other cardinal probably doesn’t harbor any resentment toward the North Territory, does he?”


    “No, he doesn’t.”


    Colin grasped the implications instantly, immediately adding, “So the Pope is wary of Noputon because he fears that Noputon will ally with us and pressure him to resign!”


    “Exactly!” Queen Mid’s bright eyes were full of approval, “Right now, Gregory is under great pressure because the inside of the Church cannot possibly bepletely calm.


    Although no one dares to call for Gregory to step down yet, probably many people are secretly thinking, and even preparing for it.


    Gregory naturally can’t afford not to guard against internalpetitors.


    Among the two current cardinals, Mensai, whose Eastern Diocese has been thoroughly cleaned by your Blood Knight Army, has significantly declined in power, and even if Gregory were to step down, it would be difficult for him to take the position.


    So, the person who presents the greatest threat to Gregory within the Church right now is actually Cardinal Noputon.”


    Colin hurriedly asked again, “Where is Cardinal Noputon now?”


    “He was sent by Gregory to Wesnd.”


    Colin was slightly regretful, obviously, the Pope had deliberately separated Noputon.


    But soon, he realized another issue, “Did Gregory send Noputon to Wesnd in order to seek the assistance of the Duke of Wesnd?”


    “Yes,” Queen Mid nodded, “The person who least wants to see a civil unrest outbreak in the Empire at this time is Duke St. Gregorian of Wesnd. If anyone can mediate the dispute between North Territory and the Church, it would be Duke St. Gregorian.”<div>


    Colin frowned instantly, for he knew that the ruler of the Wesnd, Duke St. Gregorian, although a woman, she is one of the only two Holy Knights in the entire Empire!


    Of course, if you include Mr. Ji, the entric Holy Knight, it should be three…


    A Holy Knight, if she takes the side of the Church, will significantly increase the pressure on the North Territory.


    Colin would never forget the feeling of having his heart crushed by Mr. Ji back in Winterfell City.<div>


    Seeing Colin’s serious expression, Queen Mid began tofort him:


    “Actually, we don’t need to worry too much about Duke St. Gregorian.”


    “Why?”


    “Because the envoy that Gregory sent to Wesnd, Cardinal Noputon, may not be able to urge Duke St. Gregorian to take action.” Queen Mid spoke in a leisurely tone, “Did you know? Noputon once served as Archbishop of the Wesnd but was swiftly transferred out of Wesnd after only three months.”


    Colin was intrigued, “Could it be that Noputon had a conflict with the St. Gregorian family?”


    “Right. During his tenure as Archbishop of Wesnd, Noputon molested a boy from the St. Gregorian family, and that boy is now Duke St. Gregorian’s younger brother.”


    Colin chucked, “This Noputon is really daring, even dared to mess with the people of the St. Gregorian family.”n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Queen Mid exined, “Actually, at that time, this boy was not a direct member of the St. Gregorian family, hence Noputon thought that the St. Gregorian family would not break with him over such a marginal figure in the family.


    But he evidently did not expect that this inconspicuous boy had a sister with extraordinary talent, and the then Duke St. Gregorian was almost privately training her as his sessor, so he turned against Noputon as soon as he learned about the scandal, for the sake of the family’s future. As ast resort, the Church had to transfer him out of Wesnd.”


    Colin nodded, then realized another issue–knowing that Cardinal Noputon had a dispute with Duke St. Gregorian, why did Pope Gregory still send him to Wesnd?


    But soon, he figured out Gregory’s mindset andughed: “This Gregory really keeps a tight watch over his two cardinals!”


    “Right.” Seeing that Colin guessed the reason for Gregory’s arrangement, Queen Mid nodded in agreement, “For Gregory, the threats posed by the two cardinals are no less than the North Territory. Under the current situation, he would rather break with the North Territorypletely and offend the Duke of Wesnd than let his two cardinals gain any external assistance.”


    Colin shook his head with a sneer, asking: “What is Gregory nning to do to resolve the current crisis? Is he actually relying on the Temple Knight Regiment?”<div>


    Queen Mid said seriously, “Don’t underestimate the Church. Please remember, no one has ever pushed the Church to the edge as it is now, and no one knows what hidden means the Pope has.


    Also, don’t forget about the St. Lorenzo family.”


    At this point, Marquis Garcia finally spoke, “Why did you really leave Dragon City this time?”


    Queen Mid sighed somewhat dejectedly, “The Emperor, under the Pope’s instigation, already harbors suspicions toward the St. Hilde family; regardless of what I say, it has no effect…


    Garcia, I’m tired.”


    This was the first time Colin had seen Queen Mid appear weary. At this moment, she was no longer the elegant and noble Empress of the Empire but just a little girl who had been wronged outside and hade back to coo to her brother.


    Marquis Garcia looked at his sister, silent for a moment, then uncharacteristicallyforted her with warm words:


    “Rest if you’re tired.”