บท 178: Coercion
Translator: Cinder Translations
...
Upon hearing Bishop Elvis's sarcasm, Helen unexpectedly felt a bit relieved, sensing that he wouldn't endanger her sister.
Of course, she wasn't naive enough to believe he would simply return Fanny without conditions. If the Church had intended to do so, they would have done it openly. Their secretive approach now indicated there were certain demands she must meet.
She softened her tone and ventured, "So, please send Fanny back. My husband and I will ensure strict discipline over this child. Our entire family will be grateful to the Church and to you personally."
Elvis smiled faintly, "We will certainly return Baroness Fanny safely. However..."
"If the Church has any difficulties, I will do my utmost to assist."
Was he asking for donations? Hopefully, he wouldn't make excessive demands.
Bishop Elvis asked calmly, "Your Highness, what brings you and your husband to visit the Alliance of Angle Bay this time?"
"Just a routine state visit, countries should interact regularly, much like neighbors visiting each other."
"Neighbors? Heh, I'm afraid it's not as simple as a neighborly visit."
Helen furrowed her brow, "I don't understand what you mean."
Elvis's tone suddenly became more intense.
"Your Highness, let me remind you. Your husband's visit to Niceport this time is not a routine state visit but to participate in a conspiracy against the Church!"
"Bishop, you seem to be paranoid!"
"No, we have concrete intelligence. A month ago, the Alliance of Angle Bay secretly issued an invitation to neighboring countries' leaders to come to Niceport for a meeting."
Elvis's voice grew colder.
"It's a clandestine meeting, contrary to the teachings of our Heavenly Father. Its purpose is to discuss how to curb the Church's influence in the Angle Bay region, even to diminish the Church's influence among the people!"
His emotions suddenly heightened.
"Ah! How despicable and filthy! Our witch-hunting movement aims to defend ordinary people from the intrusion of evil forces. This is a just cause, a glorious cause, and the people support us, which proves that our actions are absolutely correct."
"But these mediocre rulers think their authority is being infringed upon. They turn a deaf ear to the people's voices and blind eye to the erosion of evil forces, only sensitive to the power in their hands."
"I can say with absolute certainty that some of them have already fallen. These people either directly engage with forbidden powers or have become lackeys of the witches."
"This is shameful betrayal! This is a vile conspiracy!"
"Your husband, Duke of Eaton, is one of the participants in this conspiracy! And not just a participant but an active supporter, otherwise, he wouldn't have arrived in Niceport ahead of the leaders of other countries."
Bishop Elvis spoke at length, his emotions rising, his breath heavy.
Helen secretly despised, if your Church didn't reach so far, how could it provoke so many countries?
Using the pretext of witch-hunting to seize wealth, suppress dissent, and openly dictate policies to foreign merchants—it was challenging for the Angle Bay countries, which relied on commerce.
As far as the Duchess knew, this year alone, the number of foreign merchants entering Eaton had decreased slightly compared to last year.
She shook her head, "I'm just a housewife, I don't know about any messy conspiracy. If you have any grievances, you can directly approach my husband."
In fact, Helen understood all of this clearly. As a mage, she welcomed the united efforts of various countries to combat the Church.
The bishop chuckled and said, "Whether you truly didn't know before or were pretending not to know, now that I've said it, you must know. For the sake of your family's honor, we also want to keep Baroness Fanny's situation within a certain range. Surely your husband wouldn't be pleased to find out his sister-in-law is a witch?"
This struck at Helen's vulnerability. She indeed didn't want more people to know her sister's secret, including her husband.
"The so-called conspiracy you speak of is merely your side of the story. And even if I know, what can I do?"
The bishop stated his purpose, "I hope you can persuade the Duke to stand on our Church's side."
Helen looked distressed, "Although I am the Duchess, I cannot influence national policies."
Bishop Elvis laughed heartily, "Your Highness jests. Who doesn't know your influence in Eaton's court? Aside from your popularity among the people, your husband's position as the Grand Duke benefited from your family's alliance, didn't it?"
"I'm sure the Grand Duke values your opinions greatly. Besides, with a beauty like you whispering in his ear, which man could bear to refuse?"
The final sentence bordered on blatant flirtation, leaving Helen flushed with anger.
"Your Excellency, mind your words. If I don't agree to your demands, do you dare keep a noblewoman detained indefinitely?"
"Oh, of course, we wouldn't dare. But we have an obligation to inform the people of Eaton about this news, to warn them and we have already planned the content of the announcement."
Elvis assumed a serious tone, speaking with official authority:
"Let it be known that the Baroness Fanny, sister to the Duchess of Eaton, has shown signs of awakening magical powers. This unfortunate girl may have strayed under the influence of other witches. Due to her noble status, we cannot take action, but in light of the dangers posed by witches, the Church has a duty to warn the public. May the radiance of the Heavenly Father guide this poor girl back onto the right path."
"You despicable—! The people won't believe you!"
Helen was furious, pointing at Elvis. If she allowed them to proceed, Fanny's life would be over.
"They will believe, we have a method to awaken magical powers in witches and we will use a magic detector to make sure before we release your sister in public!"
"Heh, although your husband is a grand duke, there are still many forces in the country that hope to replace him, right? If you get into trouble, can he still sit in his position?"
It was clear that the Duchess was struggling internally.
Finally, she compromised, "Alright, as long as you can keep the secret, I will try to persuade my husband to withdraw from this negotiation."
Elvis shook his head, "I'm sorry, Your Highness! I'm afraid you misunderstand my meaning. When I say standing on our side, it's not just about withdrawing from the conspiracy."
"What exactly do you want?"
The bishop's eyes gleamed brightly, "Our condition is that your husband, by any means necessary, disrupts this meeting. I repeat, by any means necessary!"
Upon hearing the bishop's terms, Helen knew there was no further room for negotiation.
She pretended to ponder silently for nearly a minute before speaking again, "Your Excellency, could you give me a day to think about it?"
Elvis revealed a victorious smile.
"Very well, Your Highness, I'll give you a day. If by this time tomorrow we still haven't received your response, then don't blame us for not being polite!"
With these words, he didn't wait for the Duchess's reply but turned and left.
Once outside the embassy gates, the bishop boarded his carriage. With a crack of the whip, the carriage began to move.
Yet, unnoticed by anyone on the street, a green bird took flight from a window of the embassy, heading in the same direction as the carriage.
(End of the Chapter)
สถานะพลังงานรายสัปดาห์
-- การจัดอันดับด้วยพลัง 
-- หินพลัง