No matter what Abu had planned for his trip to the Eternal City, it was impossible to have expected that the group would be imprisoned almost as soon as they arrived in the Eternal City. Even if they reported the papal envoy Petrus whom they knew. The name of Baptista, which was also met with suspicion, was at last the one who could buy the world's qiē - and it was also in use in the Eternal City - gold, so that they did not have to fast like holy monks on the day they arrived in the Eternal City, that is, to enjoy bread and water behind high walls and iron gates.

Petru, an old friend of the people of Neustria. In the days following the disappearance of the Pope with the Novoneutrian mission, Baptista had a few days of disappointment, and those who knew about it felt that he was going to fall from his position of honor this time, and some ignorant fools thought that this opportunistic politician who had led the wolf into the house had shot himself in the foot, because it was he who strongly advocated the reception of the Neuneutrian mission with the pretense of archbishop, and it was he who advocated that the archbishop's shawl be awarded to them if the price offered by the other party was high enough, If he hadn't spoken for them, ignoring the repeated accusations of the Orthodox archbishop and the Grand Abbey, how could things have gotten so bad?

When Abu and his party learned of the cause and effect of their suspicion, they did not dare to mention Petru again. Baptista's name, after clarifying their status as belonging to the legitimate royal family, lived with the members of the previous mission.

A few days later, the new appointment made everyone who knew something close to dislocated their jaws. Baptista was not disgraced by the calamities he had brought and sheltered. On the contrary, he was promoted to a higher position and greater honor than before.

"What's going on?" The men under the Orthodox archbishop were stunned.

Finally. It was Abu who had heard the news for them, and he knew a few merchants who provided rare imported luxury goods to the nobles of the Holy See, who were better informed than those who had positions in the church.

Here's the thing-

Convinced that the ship could not catch up with the Neustrians, those in the Holy See, especially those who had previously stood on the side of the orthodox royal family of Neustria, lashed out at Petru. Baptista, "If he hadn't taught gold and silver to muddy his eyes." Or if they are in collusion with the devil, how can they speak for them so hard that they delay their business. We have ruined our reputation, and then we have suffered such a great loss? ”

When the two unlucky bastards, who had been robbed together, finally returned, they became even angrier, and their curses reached their climax: "Two thousand pounds of gold!" Why didn't he go and grab it! Oh. He's already robbed! It's all up to this, and he's counting on the archbishop's shawl. Who are these people! Can there be a shameless robber like him in the whole world? ”

In the midst of this useless noise, the mature and pragmatic politician Petrus. Baptista calmly uttered a voice of reason: "My lords, are you prepared to pay them two thousand pounds of gold and openly recognize that man's position as archbishop?" ”

"How is this possible!" "Even if you have money, you won't pay it to someone like that!" "How can we, poor clergy, scrape together so much money?" "To admit his position as archbishop is a fantasy!"

"Since the rank is unwilling to pay for ......"

"Nope! We just don't want to bow down to that kind of person! "That's it!" "That's right!" "I won't give him a single son!"

"Ahem, I mean. Since it is impossible to bow to such a person, he will not give a child. So, what about the losses we have? "Petru. Baptista spoke eloquently, as if he were not talking about such an important event as the kidnapping of the Pope, in which he was implicated, but of a leaf falling into the neighbor's pigsty, a topic of debate that only the most boring person would consume.

The crowd, who were still angry just now, listened to this art of sophistry, and for a moment they all felt that something was wrong, and they all quieted down.

"If we have nothing to lose, why should we be so angry?"

"We've lost our clothes and jewelry!" The two robbed people finally reacted and shouted.

"Alas, alas, you are like that, just staring at what is in front of you, and you are not destined to be farmers, because you are the ones who are reluctant to sow seeds. When you see a great joy coming, you mutter about the cost of the money. "Petru. After bluffing, Baptista began to fight back gradually.

"What do you mean by that?"

"Rank, the Eternal City cannot be without a pope for a day, and now that the pope's seat is vacant, why don't we appoint someone who should be in this position?" Petru. Baptista sighed, "I thought that it would be many years before I could see the pontiff of the Pope's enthronement again, and I am afraid that I will not be able to take that day, and I am afraid that many of you here have already ascended to heaven to meet our Lord, and now, I am so happy that I can immediately see a new and virtuous Pope ascend to the throne, and all of you here are in good health, what a beautiful and blessed thing!" ”

As soon as he said this, even the two men who had been stripped of their clothes and jewels did not squeak, and their faces were thoughtful, yes, the robbed pope was so young that he could have sat on the papal throne for many years, and now this position was vacant early - this was a wonderful opportunity for them! Even those who don't have the qualifications to be popes remember that there is a lot of money at this time, yes, it's really an unexpected joy!

Thinking of the imminent authority, the gold and silver, they all thought that Petrus. Baptista was a very amiable and thoughtful man, and so Petrus. In this way, Baptista was promoted earlier than any of them by abandoning his old master in time, because he had brought them a better income than expected.

After learning the news, all the people under the orthodox archbishop looked at each other, and it is true that they themselves did not do much to buy and sell the priesthood, but the original pope has not abdicated! Is it really good that they have so blatantly begun to elect a new pope? Isn't this the same as the lawless stuff in Newsria? Most importantly, before the new pope is elected and officially enthroned. The orthodox royal family is no longer able to get his help......

It was the old mercenary Abu who saw it—probably because he had often served different religions, and had seen many of these things—and he enlightened them that it was impossible for the Holy See to offer two thousand pounds of gold to ransom the pope. Then, naturally, they will not let that valuable seat be empty in vain! That's a seat worth fifteen hundred pounds of gold!

What? The Pope has not abdicated yet? Simple, don't you just say that he abdicated! The Neustrians sell the Pope, they don't buy it, and the Neustrians can still send the Pope back for nothing? What if there really is such a day...... Well, there really comes a day when it's never too late to have a headache. What's more, they are all powerful and powerful, and the Pope can't help them, anyway. Doesn't the law hold the people accountable?

The Orthodox Archbishop understands this, but it is one thing to understand and another to accept. This is especially the case when the resolutions of the Holy See clearly impede their purposes.

"It's ...... This is simply profane! They shouted. If the prisoners who robbed the Pope are not pursued, such a big thing is not taken seriously, and they are only busy fighting for power and profit, buying and selling the priesthood, is this the Eternal City, or is it a pigsty? It's so filthy that it makes you shiver! ”

"Shhhh We're all in the Eternal City! Abu reminded them that they had only then regained their senses, remembering that they were still in a foreign land. Such righteous indignation is obviously not suitable for blurting out, and it is necessary to vent it in their own private notebook after they return home safely.

So they thanked this sober reason. The old mercenaries who helped them along the way gave him excellent reviews, claiming that if they needed mercenaries, Abu was the best choice, and if they wanted to hire such a smart and reliable person, Abu took their leave and went to his agent to do another job entrusted by others.

In fact, in terms of feelings, Abu was not willing to accept such a result, he ran all the way to the Eternal City, to prepare to add a handful of firewood to the crusading army of the orthodox royal family, not to witness their struggle for the papal position, similar competition can be seen elsewhere, and he can mostly get a piece of the pie in this kind of competition, which makes him even more disgusted. But, intellectually, he knew Petrus. Baptista managed to sell his teammates again, and the selling price was not low, which was a good example for him to follow, and if he was in that position, he would do the same 100 percent, and if he didn't mention it like that, the Holy See would probably make a similar move in a few days.

It's just that the timing of their election of a new pope was too inopportune......

Leaving aside the Orthodox Archbishopric and Abu, whose purpose was blocked, the Holy See was quite efficient in electing a new pope, and after the pope was "sick" for half a month, the respected cardinals deliberated and announced in public that the pope felt that he was not in good health and was not fit to assume the papacy, and had vowed to follow the example of the saints, pray in seclusion, and then elected a new pope, who was enthroned to the unanimous cheers of everyone in the Eternal City.

The glad news of the new pope's accession to the throne was then spread in all directions with the sound of bells, letters, words and doves, and it was as fast as lightning, nay, it should be said that the lightning and thunder were inferior, because when the good news reached distant Neustria, it could still make the "former pope" stupid.

"Voluntary abdication? A new pope ascends the throne? No way! What is that new pope? You repeat! The young former pope roared loudly, and since he had been taken captive by the Neustrians and received their unceremonious "hospitality," he had rarely roared like this.

He also hoped that his uncle, his relatives, and his faithful subordinates would gather together the kings and knights who believed in God, and lead a great army against this hateful, rebellious Neustria, and force them to confess their mistakes and apologize in public, so that he could return to the Eternal City with complete vengeance. He never expected that it was not these hateful Neustrian plotters who plotted against heresy that forced him to "voluntarily abdicate", but the cardinals of the Eternal City, and what he didn't expect was that the new pope who succeeded him was none other than his uncle!

And he used to rely on the fact that he was the Pope's own uncle, and received many honorable positions, estates, and gold and silver from him, and his promotion speed was inferior to that of others in the Holy See, and because he was the Pope's uncle, he escaped many accusations and legal sanctions, and now these wealth and status given to him by the hands of the Pope have become a help to help him seize the throne that should have been his nephew! It can be said that he relied on the help of his nephew to make his nephew a "former pope"!

"These heretics! Devil's Believers! Unlike the Pope, who had been let down by his relatives and subordinates, sent a terrible curse, he immediately turned it into action, wrote a letter to the Holy See, condemning them for taking advantage of the fire and asking them to immediately retract their fallacies - he did not abdicate at all! He's still their pope! (To be continued......)