King-Chapter 1454 - 11: Prelude to the New Era_3

These people did not withdraw with the armies of various countries. Instead, they became even more unscrupulous due to losing control.

Undoubtedly, daring to act so recklessly implies they had something to rely on.

The various mercenary corps within the Papal State each paid protection money to the two major countries that remained. They also relied on the channels of these two countries to sell looted treasures.

Generally, mercenaries have no interest in capturing people, but if there’s a sponsor willing to pay, it’s a different story.

Various factors resulted in the current complex situation.

"Are you saying that in this war, not only did these two countries loot a large amount of wealth, but they also increased their population by at least ten million, possibly over fifteen million after the war?"

There was no time to focus on the enemy’s strength increase; those numbers were too distant from the Clergy’s concerns. Shelter VII was no longer interested in contending with these powerful continental nations and just wanted to preserve as much of the Clergy’s vitality as possible.

Hoping to retain sixty percent of the population was merely self-deception. In his view, it would be fortunate if the Clergy retained half its pre-war population.

After all, the population wasn’t only being lost to these two countries; many also perished amid the chaos.

Especially with the refugee crisis caused by the Frank people, countless displaced citizens faltered halfway through their escape.

Coupled with the plundering Magic Cataclysm and the three million taken away by the Iberia Kingdom, the actual population loss was indeed a staggering number.

Only during wartime do rulers understand the value of the population. A significant decrease directly affects the post-war recovery speed of the Clergy.

After experiencing a series of setbacks, Shelter VII no longer focused on macroscopic comparisons, paying more attention to specific data at the micro level.

"Yes, Your Majesty!

Once we compromise with these two countries, during this war, each of them will gain a population increase of millions.

Considering migration losses, the actual population loss we need to bear will increase by an additional twenty to thirty percent overall."

Asprilla’s firm answer made everyone present take a deep breath. Such a scale of population migration was unprecedented on the Continent of Aslante.

At that moment, everyone suddenly realized: the previous laissez-faire attitude towards the development of magical civilization by the Clergy at its peak was a mistake.

If it had not been for the explosive growth of Magic Technology, humans would have found even venturing deep into the ocean challenging, let alone conducting large-scale immigration.

Regret is futile now; those are old stories from hundreds of years ago. Without suppression then, it’s even less conceivable now.

Currently, the Human Race is in full bloom, with countries eager for their Magic Technology to advance to the forefront of the continent.

Dare to pause and rest? Others would immediately overtake you. You cannot say everyone is competing bravely, but no major power has ever stopped its pace.

The stakes are too high, and no one dared to speak lightly at the moment. This tense stalemate frustrated the Sanctuary Powerhouses observing.

This was the worst class they ever oversaw; previous clergies, regardless of their overall quality, at least didn’t create trouble.

But under Shelter VII, there were grand proclamations to restore the Clergy’s glory.

Regrettably: under his leadership, not only did the Clergy fail to advance on the path of restoring glory, but it declined with visible speed.

At that point, everyone realized just how precious those mediocre Popes of the previous few sessions were.

Though seemingly inactive, at least they did not create problems!

If only Shelter VII could learn from his predecessors, not stirring up trouble on the continent so often, perhaps the relationships with other countries wouldn’t be so strained.

A top power relegated to a corner reached a state where everyone wanted to strike it down within just a few decades—few pulled off such notoriety.

Luckily, Shelter VII didn’t know what everyone was thinking; otherwise, he would surely shout injustice!

While the decline of the Clergy clearly had his responsibilities, to blame it all on him would be ludicrous.

If it weren’t for everyone liking to hear it, he wouldn’t bother with slogans.

A series of failed actions seemed to happen under his leadership, but in reality, over ninety percent of the issues he only found out after they were out.

Most of the time, Shelter VII was cleaning up after subordinates’ messes.

All the issues originated from the previous few Popes’ inaction, allowing major factions within the Clergy to grow unchecked.

By the time Shelter VII took office, there were already signs that the Pope’s power was being hollowed out. Had he not been exceptionally capable, methodically reclaiming dispersed power, they wouldn’t have the current authority.

Unfortunately, this is a world where success defines heroes, and discussing these turbulent power struggles has no practical significance.

"Reach an agreement with the two countries as soon as possible!

If you keep delaying, and they find out about the foolish things you’ve done, I wouldn’t dare show my face to clean up after you.

By the way, just so you know, the Magic Tide has passed, and now the magic elements in the world can support the daily consumption of a Sanctuary Second Order.

If nothing unexpected happens, those old relics who fled overseas will gradually return.

Most of them have seen through mundane disputes, but there are still some among them who are intolerant of evil. If you don’t swiftly clean up, beware of being cleansed in-house!"

Fabrizio said with ill humor.

Receiving this news left everyone with mixed feelings. The return of strong individuals to the continent was indeed a great boon for the deep-rooted Clergy.

At the very least, the farce of besieging the Holy Mountain will not happen again in the future.

But how they have behaved over these years is indeed hard to account to these ancestors!

Although, during their younger political years, these predecessors might not have been much cleaner; now, they have already landed on shore.

Being peak strongmen, they have long detached from the bindings of power. Even if the original feelings were deep, they wouldn’t withstand time’s erosion, leaving only some semblance of ties.

In such times, strongmen tend to act more according to their own hearts.

Some messy affairs might be unnoticed, but if they get noticed and choose to "clean house," it isn’t entirely out of the question.

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