After the war with Maston ended, the garrison of Gustobud did not put up much resistance, and Heinrich himself was captured by the Milanía army after opening the city gates and is currently being detained somewhere in the city.

"The Holy See hopes to have jurisdiction over Bishop Heinrich for trial, along with an official statement from your country."

"Sounds easy." Granzon intertwined his fingers, hands resting on his nose, legs casually crossed as he smirked, "That guy and Brad dragged Milanía into a war, splitting the Temple Church within Milanía. In theory, they shouldn't have any relation with the Holy See, so jurisdiction in both principle and reality rests with us."

"According to the articles of the Sacred Kingdom of Milanía's constitution..." Seveta frowned.

"Sorry, as for that, even though it's been delayed due to the war, it will soon be abolished. We no longer recognize the prefix 'Holy,' continuing to hold onto the old laws serves no positive purpose."

Granzon's tone held no hint of politeness. Even though the Holy See was a massive entity on the continent in the human world, they had no place meddling in Milanía's internal affairs.

Truth be told, if it weren't for the severe internal divisions and conflicts within Milanía eighteen years ago during the war, Granzon wouldn't have been willing to rely on their help.

"King Granzon, eighteen years ago—"

"Must we bring up old matters so many times?" Running a hand through his hair, the King sighed, his voice turning stern, "Moreover, for a full eighteen years, I have shown you enough tolerance. Virtually uncontrolled religious taxes, unrestricted evangelism and holy knight formations, even attempting to influence the appointment of positions in government and military matters... Do I need to list them all out?"

"...You're quite straightforward, King Granzon."

The female bishop sighed, a subtle emotional fluctuation appearing on her gentle face.

"What about the second matter? The miracle and statement you mentioned?"

"Pope's Crown hopes you can publicly declare that aside from your brilliant command in the Battle of Kent Mountain, the victory was assisted by a miracle from the Goddess on the battlefield."

"As far as I know, that battle had nothing to do with the Goddess."

"If you make such a claim, Milanía would hold a lofty position among the Goddess's followers, and you yourself would be seen by outsiders as a monarch blessed by the divine, for the stability of your rule..."

"Heh, there's really no need for pleasantries at this juncture. If there are conditions, let's hear them straight up, and if the price is right, I'll consider."

"Very well," Seveta tapped her forehead, "In exchange, the Holy See will accept Milanía's new religious regulations, no more bishop titles within Milanía, and allow government officials of your country to legally oversee the church. Your Majesty, the Pope's Crown has made significant concessions, and we hope you understand."

"Oh, the terms are quite generous."

Accepting the new regulations meant that many restrictions on the Temple Church's power within the kingdom could be effectively implemented. Additionally, with kingdom officials able to intervene in church affairs, Granzon's concern about the Temple Church's excessive influence domestically could be resolved. After all, the Temple Church remained the most influential religious organization in West Land, with a considerable number of followers in the Kingdom of Milanía, making such terms a significant concession.

But if things were to turn sour, there was the potential for a destabilizing impact on the kingdom's situation—a recent war had just concluded, and experiencing further turmoil could lead to uncontrollable consequences for the national strength.

King Granzon observed Seveta's expression and gaze, quickly weighing the pros and cons in his mind.

Likewise, Seveta also paid attention to the subtle changes on Granzon's face. The distance from the Sacred City to Milanía was not short, as the decision from the Holy See to intervene came almost simultaneously with the declaration of the ceasefire between Milanía and Maston, allowing her to arrive in Gustobud at this time.

The reason for such swift action was not only to control the situation but more importantly, it was influenced by the battle at Kent Mountain. A miracle. Outsiders may not see it, but as an agent of the will of the Goddess of the Light in the mortal realm, the Sacred City had directly attributed the disturbance to a divine being of god-like strength, not the Goddess of the Light.

In fact, after The Age of Legendary War came to an end, there were few traces left by divine beings in the world. Those lofty existences did not concern themselves with the affairs of ordinary beings, maintaining only a minimal level of communication with their representatives. After a long period of time, a significant proportion even among the faithful held doubts about the "existence of divine beings."

The power and authority of the representative institutions mainly came from the divine beings, and when this was doubted, the foundation of the Holy See would also waver.

From her perspective, this was a condition that could not be refused. Milanía was indeed a first-class power, but respect had to be shown to the Holy See. Initiating concessions was to hold on to something crucial.

Faith. Regardless of the strict and complex systems and institutions on the outside, the essence of religion remained faith. As long as there was belief in the Goddess of the Light within Milanía, the Temple Church could maintain its strong influence, thus maintaining its unique position in the human world.

Making some concessions to maintain the presence of the church in Milanía after a certain extent, Milanía would also gain the reputation of a "Divine Blessed Nation," a win-win choice.

"I refuse. This condition is still not enough."

Granzon shrugged, relaxing his body against the chair.

"May I ask for the reason?" Seveta inquired after a moment of silence.

"Heinrich is causing trouble in my capital. If we can't try him, it would be a blow to the prestige of the Elysian Royal Family. As for your 'Divine Blessed Nation,' if I wanted a similar reputation from the beginning, I wouldn't have changed the previous religious laws."

Granzon's initial goal was to exclude the church's influence—titles like Divine Blessed Nation, Divine Kingdom ultimately granted the authority to interpret to the church. It was better to define the boundaries clearly from the start and change the citizens' perception of faith.

"So, what are Your Majesty's terms?"

"The bishop positions can be retained, but I demand the right to appoint all positions beneath the bishop, the right to interpret the doctrines within my country, and no interference from the Holy See in any affairs within Milanía."

"Impossible!"

Seveta rejected without hesitation.

This demand was practically the same as what Heinrich did in Milanía, albeit being recognized by the Holy See as orthodox... Such divisive behavior within the church was unacceptable in any measure.

"Well then, there's nothing more to discuss. Guards, show her out."

Granzon yawned, waving for the attendants to come in.

Whether the Holy See accepted it or not, he had already decided to go ahead with this course of action. Placing the church under the jurisdiction of secular power was what he desired, with the recognition from the Holy See being a difference in the process of doing so. Ultimately, having a state with a self-contained power structure was preferable to the divine establishments within the nation.

"King Granzon, I believe there's still room for negotiation. I'm sure neither you nor the Pope would like to see conflict escalate. You also wouldn't want Milanía to be dragged into another senseless war, would you?"

Ignoring the guards on both sides, Seveta spoke with a somber expression.

"Just a moment—" Granzon suddenly raised his hand to halt the attendants.

Upon hearing the pause, Seveta felt a slight relief.

It seemed that it was all just a negotiation tactic, and that War King Granzon was not as inscrutable as legends made him out to be. Terms and conditions could still be discussed; there was room for maneuvering as long as there was negotiation.

"The Holy See can make further concessions, such as oversight of the basic parish chapels..."

"After all, you're a Cardinal, showing Lady respect and politeness, let's escort her out a bit more courteously, shall we?"

"Dammit, Granzon..."

If it weren't for the years of cultivation in the church, Seveta would have likely used a few choice words.