Helmut’s eyes widened. When Ivy’s eyes met his, she quickly shut her mouth.

Helmut’s lip muscles trembled as he thought Ivy was just as dangerous as expected. Ivy’s words meant that there was a high possibility of her acting unpredictably.

If Helmut left the situation as it stood, it would only be a matter of time before Ivy escaped from his control and created a new opposition force. Ivy had already proved her extraordinariness from the start, and word about her was bound to spread even further. Furthermore, Helmut couldn’t disregard the fact that the Church had been disobeying the guidelines set by him more frequently than in the past, just like the time when the Order of the White Crow ignored his commands.

‘No, no. Let’s think about this from a different perspective…’

Helmut wondered whether he should be putting all the blame on the Saintess. Considering that it had already been over forty years since he came into power, it would only be natural for his power to become unstable as time passed. Helmut recalled there had always been attempts to shake his authority in the past, and thought that he might be able to use the Saintess as an opportunity.

‘However, that is only possible if I can ensure that she stays by my side.’

The Pope had a monopoly on His Majesty’s Grace, and had the right to distribute it freely according to his will. However, there was a limit to the amount of Grace and strength...