I Got Reincarnated Into a Game I Was a Top-Ranker in and I Became the Leader of a Villain Group That Will Destroy This Shitty Country - 57

Chapter 57: The Church’s Downfall

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The day after the church was attacked, the empire was literally turned upside down. Several incidents occurred consecutively, even though one of those incidents would be enough to become a major news headline. 

The fact that the demons appeared in the church, the brutal defeat of the Crusade that fought the demons… The Pope being found in a disgraceful state…

As if the church wasn’t damaged enough, the story didn’t end there. The women who had been imprisoned in the basement of the church returned to their homes. They began to testify everything that had happened, all the sufferings that they had suffered at the hands of the Pope and the Crusaders, everything. 

“A-Are you kidding me?! For real?! A clergyman would actually…!”

“No, but, don’t you see? Dozens of missing women suddenly return to their home at the same day?! This evidence is loud and clear!”

The testimonies given by the victim had been equally gut-wrenching.

“Bu-But… They said the demons saved them! What does that mean?!”

“Well, that’s true but… From their perspective, that doesn’t sound too weird, right? Considering the things that have been done to them by the church…”

“No-No! They must be influenced by the demon’s mind control or something! You know, black magic can alter someone’s memory!”

“But the main point is… Just how corrupt is the church? Not only they’re selling scummy holy water and squeezing people’s money in the disguise of donations… Now it’s rape? The heck?! The church might as well be the demons!”

“Tha-That’s…!”

The hideous darkness lurking within the church, an organization that the people believed to be righteous and pure, had been revealed. The vivid photographs posted in today’s newspaper left the people speechless. 

The newspaper showed a large picture of the underground laboratory that Kai had taken when he was in the slum and the photo of the underground prison where the women had been imprisoned.

“Bu-But the demons are still in the capital, you know?! We don’t know when they are going to attack us! We still need the church’s power!”

“I understand your point, but come on. Don’t you start to hate the church more than the demons after seeing this? Look, these guys have been burning people at the stake out in the open and beat the people that refuse to go to the church, you know?”

“Tha-That’s true… They’re literally running on politics of fear….”

“Yeah, exactly! But still… They say the only way to fight the demons is by relying on the holy magic that the church and the Crusaders have! The church has been the backbone of this country for ages! I know we had no other choice but to follow along with the church… I know that, but still! Just look at this! Look! Do you really think the church is allowed to do this?!”

The voice of an enraged man echoed from the tavern’s terrace. The man sitting across from him said nothing, only shrinking back in fear.

“Those guys even took more than half of the money I worked my ass for! Tch… Enough! Demons or whatever, maybe this country should go to crumble instead!”

“Yo-You…!”

“Ha! Maybe I will join the resistance… If I’m not wrong, the resistance started in the slums, but it’s been growing pretty fast.”

“Yo-You! What are you talking about in the middle of the capital?! You’ll get yourself killed!”

“Ha! If my head is going to roll on the floor just because I’m complaining a bit, then this country really deserves to perish for real!”

The people’s morale was wavering. Distrust grew stronger as the people started releasing all the pent-up frustration they had been bottling up. The atmosphere in the capital became increasingly hostile. Before long, the people’s attention shifted from the danger of demons that had attacked the church to the darkness and the crimes of the church.

“Those people are not like demons at all… The boy with one red eye even treated our injuries…”

“The-They’re definitely not the demons!! The real demons are the church, who have exploited us!!”

The vivid testimonies from the women that had been freed from the fell further fueled the public’s wrath. The trust in the church plummeted at an astonishing speed. The organization that served as the foundation of the country began to waver. 

And… In the midst of all these…

“What do you mean…?! How could the prince turn his back against us!!”

The Pope, the main culprit of this incident, shouted angrily at the priest in front of him. He clearly looked panicked. After all, the second prince, Adolf, had refused to provide any support to the church. Hearing this news while lying on the bed of the treatment room, the Pope’s face turned bright red as he raised his voice.

“Demons are lurking in the capital! Right now! Odell is being infested by demons! The church was attacked by the demons and the Crusaders in the capital were almost wiped out!! Why the royal family still refuse to help us?!”

“…”

“This can’t be happening… No way… This can’t be….!! Quick! Send someone else to the castle! We must get the support of the royal family at all costs! At this rate, the demons are going to attack us again…!!”

“…”

“Tha-That’s right!! Summon Kaltz! That guy is a Hero! He should be able to put up a fight against those demons! Wha-What are you waiting for?! Hurry up-!”

“Do you really don’t have any intention to confess your sins?”

The Pope’s trembling voice was abruptly cut off by the priest’s cold words. Look of genuine contempt and eyes full of the most vile disgust was etched on the priest’s face. It was as if the Pope was trash, something worse than a mere scum.

“You have committed sins so vile that I can’t even bear to speak of it. If you are truly a man of god, you should confess your sin in the confessional, not requesting for support… And yet, the only thing you can think of is saving your own skin.”

“Do-Don’t mess with me!!! How dare a mere priest like you dare to speak to me like that?!”

“Haha… HAHAHAHAHA!!!”

The priest suddenly burst out laughing. His face was the definition of resignation. 

“In the end… Everything is going according to the prophecy…. Demons will engulf the world and repaint the world piece by piece…”

“…!!”

“Hahaha!!! No, perhaps, the prophecy is the true salvation? After all, just look at you! Trash like you has been revered as a pope for decades in this country!”

“Yo-You bastard― ARGHH!??!”

“My oh my, looks like you can still feel pain from being kicked in the groin. I guess the number of your conquests against those helpless women and the hardness of your crotch aren’t related at all, huh? Haha~”

“You… I will kill you! I will kill you! Guards!! What are you guys doing?! Kill this bastard now!!”

“AHAHAHAHAHAHA!!”

Once again, the priest burst out laughing, loud enough to incite the Pope’s rage. 

“Haa… To think I served someone like you for years… Haha… I’m such a fool…”

“Yo-You…!!”

“It seems you still can’t accept the reality, huh? Pope.. No. Himmler. Don’t you get it? The royal family have forsaken you.”

“Wha-What?!”

“The moment the second prince realized the church’s reputation can’t be salvaged, he discarded you like a lizard chopping its tail off. You’re useless for the royal family now. Your only options are the Crusaders stationed outside the capital and that Hero.”

“GUARDS!! GUARDS!!!”

“Hahahaha!! You still haven’t realized?! There are no guards remaining to protect someone like you!!”

The priest clapped several times before he delivered the final blow to the Pope.

“You’re finished, Himmler. This is your punishment for deceiving God and toying with humans. From now on… You will thoroughly experience the retribution from your sins with your own flesh…”

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T/N: Well, we all knew the Pope ain’t gonna repent