Devil's Bible

Page 286

The headquarters, the Central Command, summoned the Holy Son, Nemus.

Even the slightest connection between them allows one to uncover information.

That was the extremely difficult task assigned to Nemus by the Cardinal: to reclaim the territory of the Azure Whale.

However, once Nemes completes his work, he will be eligible for the status of a Cardinal.

Having this identity doesn't necessarily mean one will immediately become a cardinal bishop.

However, one's status and position will immediately change.

The reason why Galis is so special is because the merits she has made before were great enough to warrant her being immediately appointed as a cardinal bishop.

There were no vacancies at the time, so this 'prospective' status was created.

The church has been very restrained in its treatment of this identity.

Over the years, far fewer people have been prepared for this role than for cardinals.

Because if one is not careful, the thirteen cardinal bishops could expand their power.

This almost happened in history; one of the preparatory bishops and thirteen cardinals all lived long lives.

He couldn't wait that long, so he used his prepared identity to begin pushing for the emergence of the fourteenth Cardinal Bishop.

The church experienced great turmoil during that period, and factional strife became exceptionally intense.

In the end, it was only when the pope of that generation directly summoned the God of Discipline that the man was completely suppressed.

Therefore, for a long time, the disciplinary church did not have a cardinal bishop prepared for the position.

The reason for bringing up this identity now is partly because Jialisi had already acquired it before, and partly because she is seeking change.

Cardinals may seem to wield unlimited power, but they also represent the interests of their respective groups.

In such a closely connected situation, it is difficult for them to change themselves.

The troublemaker was his own nephew, the one who was dissatisfied was his own daughter, and the one who secretly plotted was the descendant of the pope, whom everyone favored.

Similar incidents are definitely not uncommon.

They were mostly family members or relatives.

Most importantly, they all basically represent their own interests.

Their reason is sufficient to know that this state of prioritizing self-interest over faith is wrong, and that the church will inevitably face serious problems as a result.

However, they find it very difficult to detoxify themselves.

Therefore, what is needed at this time is a knife.

The Holy Son Nemus is such a knife.

Hayes Parmehi also saw the knife.

He was well aware of what the people above were thinking, because one of the cardinals was his uncle.

The other party had revealed to him more than once that everyone at the top wanted to change the internal atmosphere.

For various reasons, the thirteen cardinals checked and balanced each other. Reforms targeting lower-ranking officials were possible, but reforms targeting the actions of high-ranking officials like Hayes, who belonged to the elite class, were never approved.

But things are different now.

The fact that Nemus became a knife indicates that the fourteen old men have made up their minds to force him into a corner.

Sure enough, Hayes soon received orders to carry out a secret mission, either to lend out the sacred relic—the Source Whale Bone Ship—or to take the Source Whale Bone Ship with him while carrying out the secret mission.

However, the moment Hayes saw the task, he basically knew that there was no choice.

The Bone Ship of the Source Whale: There are only six Source Whales in this world. To be able to legally obtain one of their bones and make it into a bone ship is more important than one's own life.

Lending out a bone ship means entrusting one's most important property to someone else for use.

Any losses are possible during this process.

If it's just a mission, then he can basically determine what kind of mission it is. If he doesn't bring the bone ship, then even if he comes back alive under the best circumstances, he will basically lose half his life.

So he had no choice but to take the bone ship on the mission.

Only in this way can the optimal solution be obtained.

Of course, he could also sacrifice himself for the family and leave the bone ship with the family.

The problem is that those old guys above almost figured him out: he's a selfish person who thinks his own interests are the most important.

Under these circumstances, he could neither sacrifice himself nor abandon the bone ship.

"A bunch of old geezers, they're just too full to eat, so they won't let the people below them eat." Hayes spat.

Then, turning around and beckoning, some black energy began to gather, and the demon butler, dressed in a black suit and wearing gold-rimmed glasses, bowed and went to invite Nemus.

This is a kind of 'luxury item' that has recently become popular in the Middle Kingdom.

Private Devil Butler.

This requires the user to be able to subdue the inherently chaotic demons time and time again, and then discipline the demons through contracts and other means.

Thus, the demon was transformed from a state of chaos into a perfect steward who was entirely noble, could execute orders with a single thought, and knew order and etiquette.

If the butler is not properly trained and makes a mistake, then even the master will be implicated and punished.

Therefore, this is a very dangerous hobby.

One careless move and you'll end up in a mess.

Over the years, there have been many incidents caused by the devilish butler.

However, among these nobles, there were still quite a few who were training demon butlers.

It's all for this danger, and the sense of superiority that comes from having something you don't.

This is also a way to demonstrate one's status and power.

On this precious land of Middle-earth, those who haven't reached the Ironborn level within a certain period of time will be sent to live on the backs of floating whales.

But the privilege that allows me to keep demons here is enough to make many people uncomfortable, and also to make their master feel a sense of...

"I'm fucking awesome, aren't I!" Hayes said as soon as he met Nemes.

When Nems saw Hayes, he felt slightly surprised.

Although Hayes was a top aristocrat, he had a very obvious air of 'nouveau riche'.

He seemed to have no regard for etiquette, sitting there like a big, burly man. Upon seeing Nemes, he immediately waved him over to eat.

Then, pointing at the demon butler, he shared his insights on showing off.

He then pushed the object in front of him toward Nems.

After a quick glance, Nemes was pretty much certain that these snacks were rare resources.

Because there is only so much healthy land left, and the land capable of producing all kinds of things is also very limited.

At this moment, Hayes is able to use these things to make desserts.

If its raw materials are given to any type of black stone, it is confident that it can immediately break through to the steel type.

Even steel, if used in the long term, can greatly benefit from becoming gold.

Making desserts is a waste.

Chapter 481 Taking a Step Back?

"The reason I invited you here is for the upcoming operation." Hayes didn't waste any unnecessary formalities or pleasantries, and didn't even exchange a few words with Nems.

For him, all etiquette was a set of rules to constrain others.

Given his status and position, he didn't need to bow to anyone else.

He also deeply understood that interests were more important than etiquette.

If there are mutual benefits, no matter how rude you are, both parties can still reach a cooperation agreement.

Without any benefit involved, no matter how proper your etiquette is, it's just empty formality.

Hayes was like that; his attitude was very clear, and it was precisely because of this undisguised clarity that he became the primary target.

"We can't change the decisions those old men at the top have made."

“But there is a way to get through this safely—as long as the mission fails.” Hayes stated the ‘optimal solution’ without hesitation.

The difficulty of this task lies in the fact that they need to cross the land and travel by air to the Azure Whale.

Although the bone ship can minimize the impact of geological disasters.

However, crossing the calamity itself is quite costly, and next they will have to face the demon lord on the Azure Whale.

Although the maximum value of a demon lord in the material plane can only reach 1200.

If they do this, they will most likely be ambushed by Nemus when they get close to the Azure Whale.

"The location of the Azure Whale has changed. We may not be able to find it, and even if we do, we may not be able to get up there."

“As long as we go around once, it’s as if we’ve completed the mission and then come back.” Hayes made no attempt to hide his selfish motives.

The Azure Whale, a whale carrying millions of people on its back, never paid any attention to them.

It's gone, it's gone. It wasn't his money that was lost.

“This is a mission from the church.” Nemus looked at Hayes, finding it amusing.

Hayes is probably the top-tier second-generation model.

My uncle is a cardinal bishop, and our family is related to the Pope. Now, when he sees the Pope, he can even call him "uncle".

In addition, his father was also a bigwig in the church, serving as the chief of the guild on the back of a floating whale.

His position as Grand Master is quite different from Nems's and the previous Guilliman's.

The closer a floating whale is to the Central Plains, the higher its status and the more important its position.

The blue-sky whale was among the first group of floating whales. Although it can still live for a long time, its potential is honestly already insufficient.

She's an older woman who's not very popular.

The floating whales in the inner circle are different; most of them are newborn floating whales born from the Source Whale over the past century.

Putting aside the resources on these floating whales, just living on them naturally provides them with some protection.

This can be seen from the average lifespan of those who die of natural causes.

On the outer ring of floating whales, excluding those who have practiced breathing techniques, the average age of those who die of old age is 68.

However, on the floating whales in the inner circle, this number has increased to 83 years old.

While living standards certainly play a role, the most crucial factor is that the newborn floating whales possess a vital energy that gradually improves the lives of those living on them.

Of course, this was entirely different for the nobles of Middle-earth.

They have a special life-giving potion that, when taken daily, is hundreds of times more effective than simply living there.

The gold-bearing varieties in the inner circle are not necessarily stronger than those in the outer circle.

However, precisely because they are in the inner circle, the resources and manpower they can mobilize are far greater than those in the outer circle.

This is not due to a lack of strength, but rather a matter of power.

Those who are "golden seeds" from headquarters have a higher status than those from other regions.

Hayes's parents both lived near the Source Whale, as did their relatives.

Their power had almost reached its peak; all they needed was for a new cardinal to emerge.

Yet Hayes, despite his very status, completely disregarded the interests of the church.

In his eyes, as long as his own interests can be guaranteed, then anything is acceptable.

"So what?" Hayes glanced helplessly at Nemes and said seriously, "Life is your own, but the results belong to the church."

"It's not worth it for a reserve position."

"As long as you do as I say and get through this task, it won't do you any harm."

Nemes knew that Hayes was absolutely right.

He is now being used as a tool by the church's higher-ups, and nominally he may be granted a preparatory status to enter the church's top decision-making level.