In addition to his role as a diator, Richard also facilitated the Vatican's purchase of various blessed armants from Astral Corp. Whether it was blessed blades, blessed bullets, or holy grenades, they were currently negotiating through him to acquire the right to purchase flathrowers that spewed cleansing fire.
Inside the armory, Richard began checking the remaining stock of blessed ammo and holy grenades from Astral Corp. He realized the supplies would last less than a week without restocking and made a note of the necessary quantities. Normally, he would simply fill out a restock form and wait for Astral Corp personnel to deliver the goods.
However, given the unusual situation at the Vatican, he needed to return to Astral Corp headquarters to report his findings and learn of his superiors' plans. Would they reassign him, or would they allow him to continue his work at the Vatican?
While Richard worked in the armory, he heard the door open and several figures enter. They were senior paladins of the Secret Exterminator unit, their clothes disheveled and showing signs of wear and tear, revealing the soft armor beneath.
"Oh, Father Richard! Good morning," one of the senior paladins greeted him. "Do we have enough ammunition and ordnance to last us through the week?" he asked with concern.
Richard looked down at his note and nodded. "It should be..."
"That's good," the paladin sighed, then turned to his comrades. "Guys, let's restock. We have a lot of vengeful spirits to cleanse."
The remaining paladins nodded and quickly began restocking their ammunition and ordnance. Richard waited to adjust the stock numbers after they finished. However, after a few minutes, he noticed the paladins were taking a lot more blessed bullets and ordnance than usual. They even had suitcases to pack the ammunition, not just their coat holsters.
"Wait, why are you taking so much? Are you going to war or sothing?" Richard asked, finding it odd that the Secret Exterminator unit, which usually preferred cold weapons like blessed blades or swords, was taking so much ammunition.
While so mbers preferred guns, they were mostly junior paladins who lacked experience and hadn't finished their training. But this amount suggested the seniors were using them too.
"You know about the catacombs under Paris, right?" the senior paladin asked. Richard nodded.
"Well, it turns out the vengeful spirits in the forbidden zone of the catacombs are trying to break the seal. They sense they can escape, so... technically, we're at war with about 40,000 vengeful spirits. That's the best-case scenario. The number might be higher, as we have no clear information within that forbidden zone," the paladin explained.
"This is bad," Richard said, alard. "Then the ammunition and ordnance might not last until the day after tomorrow. I need to bring in a new batch now."
"Yes, please be quick. This is getting bad for..." the paladin began, but a shout from outside the armory interrupted him.
"Father Richard! Father Richard? Are you there?" The voice grew closer, and a familiar face walked into the armory – Grand Paladin Christopher Ward, Richard's friend in the Vatican.
"What's the matter, Grand Paladin?" Richard asked.
Christopher looked at Richard's notes, the group of senior paladins who had just returned from their previous mission, and the remaining ammunition and ordnance in the armory.
"Are you returning to Astral Corp?" Christopher asked. Richard nodded. "Good. I'll go with you, but first, co et His Holiness with . He's requested your presence," Christopher said.
"Alright, lead the way," Richard agreed, quickly following Christopher to et the Pope.
— Apostolic Palace —
After 10 minutes, Richard and Christopher erged from the secret passage known only to high-ranking mbers of the Vatican, the Secret Exterminator Unit staff, and a select few.
The Vatican's underground rail tunnel system linked the Apostolic Palace to the Secret Exterminator Unit HQ, as well as to outposts scattered across Europe—in Paris, Berlin, Stockholm, Athens, and more. Nearly every European country had an outpost to guard against darkness and unholy creatures.
The two walked through the Apostolic Palace's opulent interior towards the Pope's office, stopping at the double doors guarded by two senior paladins. The paladins nodded respectfully at Christopher, ignoring Richard as they only knew Christopher for his battle prowess and holy rit.
The two adjusted their clothing for a more presentable appearance before entering the room.
"I've brought him, Your Holiness," Christopher said with a polite nod before closing the door, shutting out the sounds from outside as the conversation they were about to have was considered secret.
"You called for , Your Holiness? How may I help you?" Richard asked politely.
Before them sat a man in white holy robes behind a large mahogany desk. He had the kind face of a grandfather and smiled warmly at Richard, acknowledging his greeting. He is Lucius Valerius, the current Pope of the Vatican.
"Brother Smithson..." the Pope called out. A mont later, a young man in his mid-twenties erged from behind a partition. His glasses and confident yet gentle smile made him stand out.
This was Matthew Smithson, the weapon maker and quartermaster of the Secret Exterminator Unit of the Tessia Kingdom's secret outpost, a genius inventor of holy armants.
"Father Richard, please bring Brother Smithson to Astral Corp and let him learn the art of holy weaponry creation there," the Pope requested. "You can tell Mr. Emberweave to request whatever he wants from us in return for this favor... but please, make it a reasonable request.
We don't have many resources to spare after allocating so much to purchasing holy armants from him," the Pope added with a touch of humor, shooting a blaming glare at Christopher, the loudest voice pressuring him and never shutting up about it.
The Pope ntally compared Christopher to a vengeful spirit seeking revenge, or perhaps the soul of a child who wanted a toy so badly that he followed the Pope everywhere, even to the toilet!
He also had been pressured by the Secret Exterminator Unit, who wouldn't stop raving about the effectiveness of Astral Corp's holy weapons against unholy creatures, even archfiends of hell. Unable to resist their persistence, the Pope had conceded to these battle junkies' requests.
Christopher, witnessing the Pope's glare, felt no remorse. He was a master of shalessness when it ca to requesting "nice toys"—ahem, weaponry—to use against dark creatures in the quest to protect mankind. A little shalessness never hurt when it ca to the big picture, he reasoned.
"I'll try my best to convince him, Your Holiness, but I can't guarantee anything," Richard replied.
The Pope let out a sarcastic scoff. He knew Richard's capabilities when it ca to negotiation. The archbishop faction's inability to gain the upper hand, even losing influence within the Vatican, was solely due to Richard's efforts.
Richard's response was not a reflection of his negotiation skills, but rather a matter of loyalty. He worked for Astral Corp and Daniel Emberweave, and it wasn't his place to pressure his boss into conceding to the Vatican's interests.
Richard had forged connections and converted many to the Pope's side, bolstering support for the Secret Exterminator Unit. This had effectively thwarted the archbishop's plans to overthrow the Pope.
anwhile, Richard also worked to benefit both the Vatican and Astral Tech. The Vatican received special discounts, while the Pope's faction and the Secret Exterminator Unit gained access to powerful weapons and approval for Astral Corp as the Vatican's main supplier of blessed armants.
Everyone knew Richard was Daniel's man, working as a diator and advisor for the Vatican. His position held no official authority, yet people were inclined to favor and follow his advice due to his charisma.
Richard's greatest achievent for the Vatican was convincing nurous Hightower mage families to support the Church with funding and magical materials. Mages and the Vatican had never mixed well, they are tolerating each other at best. Yet, Richard had achieved the impossible, securing their support.
On paper, this was also a significant achievent for the Pope, as Richard was technically his subordinate. Even though he works for Daniel Emberweave.
"Richard," the Pope began, "I'll ask you again. Would you consider working for exclusively? I can grant you a Cardinal position. More than that, you would be my right-hand man, managing the Secret Exterminator Unit. If you wish, I can even order that prick over there," the Pope said, looking pointedly at Christopher, "to be your personal bodyguard."
The Pope valued Richard's negotiation skills imnsely. Much of his recent success and the stability of his position were due to Richard's influence. It would be foolish not to try to secure his loyalty.
"I'm grateful for the opportunity, Your Holiness," Richard replied, "but I cannot abandon Astral Corp and work solely for you. It's best if I continue as a diator between Your Holiness and Mr. Emberweave to maintain our cordial relationship. If you require my assistance in your endeavors, as long as it doesn't conflict with Astral Corp's interests, I will do my best to help.
However, I cannot betray Mr. Emberweave. My apologies, Your Holiness."
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