Firearms in a Fantasy World

Chapter 43: Calamity of the Kingdom 2

Translator: Cinder Translations

...

Weather at sea changes at the drop of a hat. Just a moment ago, the sky was clear, but now dark clouds loomed overhead.

"No wonder there weren't many ships out at sea today. I should have consulted an experienced old fisherman about the weather," Grayman lamented, turning to Quiller. "Let me take you back to the inn in my carriage. If it rains on the way, at least we can take cover."

Quiller gladly accepted, "That would be great, my friend."

The two boarded Paul's carriage, and with a flick of the reins, the coachman set off towards the inn in town.

Along the way, Paul continued pondering the question of who was backing Giles. He felt the Papal State was the most likely candidate, and the reasons were quite compelling: There had been significant conflicts between the former King of Aldor and the Papal State.

It all boiled down to the age-old conflict between ecclesiastical and secular authority.

TL Note: Ecclesiastical: relating to the Christian Church or its clergy.

During that year, the Archbishop of Aldor was called to rest. Traditionally, when a country's archbishopric became vacant, both the Papal State and the country's high officials would consult and negotiate to find a mutually agreeable candidate. Then, the Papal State would issue a proclamation, and the country's high officials would publicly acknowledge it, and everyone would be happy.

However, that time, there were two strong contenders:

One was a local Aldor-born bishop who had joined a monastery at a young age, worked his way up from managing rural churches, and served diligently for decades to become a respected regional bishop within the kingdom. Moreover, he was a close friend of the old king, making him the top candidate to succeed as Archbishop.

The other was a foreign-born bishop parachuted in by the Papal State. He hadn't served long within the kingdom's borders but had taught at the theological academy in the Holy City, with students spreading across many countries.

King Rodney XV wasn't a fool; publicly and privately, he supported the local candidate, who happened to be his friend.

The Papal State wasn't foolish either. It was common knowledge about the relationship between the local Aldor-born bishop and the king. So, with the backing of their own bishops and the local aristocratic factions, they outright supported their own foreign-born bishop.

With both sides vying for the position of Archbishop, they clashed overtly and covertly countless times. According to rumors, during a private meeting, the old king, in a fit of excitement, friendly "wore" his false teeth on the face of the Papal State envoy.

In the end, the kingdom and the Papal State reached a compromise: the position of Archbishop went to the Papal State-supported candidate. However, from then on, Aldor Kingdom's regional bishops would prioritize appointing local candidates, and half of the regional bishops would be appointed based on royal recommendations.

While they reached a compromise at the time, it left lingering animosities. Later, King Rodney XVI spent a great deal of effort repairing relations with the Papal State.

Therefore, Paul speculated that the force behind Giles was likely the Papal State, but upon further thought, he reconsidered.

Conflicts between ecclesiastical and secular authority had occurred before. The Papal State's usual method was openly excommunicating a country's ruler who opposed them or finding a compliant proxy among the country's nobles, proclaiming them as the legitimate ruler recognized by the Holy Lord.