Chapter 83: Going With the Flow
While the two archbishops were still arguing, Gideon had already decided how to handle the situation.
He bowed slightly, keeping his expression calm.
"I teamed up with a female demon hunter to..."
To gauge the inclinations of the slick-haired archbishop, Gideon selectively shared information.
He first mentioned—almost incidentally—that he had once inquired about Sasha's whereabouts from a worker near the factory.
That was all. He didn't reveal the details of what he had learned.
This way, if Archbishop Jolan asked follow-up questions, Gideon could read his expressions and tone to determine his stance on Sasha.
If the questions focused on whether the dangers had been clearly communicated, or whether all ritual tools were properly used, then emphasizing "compliance with regulations" would work against Sasha.
If not, it would favor her side.
Yet Gideon offered several opportunities, and Jolan remained indifferent, casually listening as if the matter didn't concern him at all.
Seeing this, Gideon decided to change tactics.
"While in the forest, we came across the corpse of a monster…"
He mentioned the dead creature directly.
If Jolan leaned toward Sasha, he would naturally ask about the monster's impact and whether anyone was injured.
As expected.
Fabio's eyes lit up, caught between wanting to speak and holding back.
But glancing at his companion, he ultimately stayed silent.
Jolan, however, remained uninterested.
Gideon squinted.
Could he have encountered the worst-case scenario?
This slick-haired archbishop displayed no emotion and seemed to have a wealth of bureaucratic experience. Surely he couldn't truly be uninterested…
Deciding to push the archbishop a little, Gideon shifted focus entirely.
He skipped over Sasha and even the monster encounter, instead detailing the actions of the three Sinclair brothers.
Normally, someone would immediately stop such a tangent.
But this time, Jolan reacted.
Upon hearing that "many young men and women had been lured into the forest," Jolan interrupted Gideon for the first time.
"Wait… you're saying the Sinclair brothers have specific targets for kidnapping?"
Gideon nodded.
"The victims are mostly university students under the age of thirty."
He had obtained these details during interrogations with the Sinclairs.
Hearing this, Jolan straightened in his seat, his eyes sharp and focused—completely different from his previously lazy demeanor.
"How many exactly? Did you witness them during the abductions…?"
Jolan asked several rapid-fire questions.
"He seems completely unconcerned about Sasha, but intensely interested in the kidnappings…", Gideon thought.
He guessed the archbishop might not care about the "missing relic" case at all, but was instead assigned to another mission.
The victims in Ambrose involved a mysterious organization conducting some kind of sacrificial ritual.
Plus, the Sinclairs had deliberately kidnapped Sasha, attempting to exploit her Church affiliation.
(During interrogation, the Sinclairs had not fully confessed their motives.)
Gideon quickly inferred a possibility:
This organization seemed to be targeting clergy, and the Church was responding accordingly.
Jolan was likely the investigator sent for this case.
Understanding this, Gideon realized why Jolan was here: a check on power. The Church's higher-ups did not want the two factions to escalate the conflict too much.
With that in mind, Gideon knew exactly how to proceed.
He stopped testing the waters and detailed the victims' information.
"The three brothers initially focused only on human wax figures, but eventually began luring people from outside the town."
"Every victim had their arms severed…"
"Lester mentioned that his elder brother suddenly demanded the abduction of someone with a Church affiliation."
"Under Sister Sasha's guidance, we rescued a young woman named Jennifer."
Gideon carefully chose content he thought would interest Jolan, blending truth and selective embellishment.
He subtly included Sadie's "contribution," making it noticeable but not obvious.
As for the part about him using the sacred relic, he mentioned very little.
Although Gideon had thoroughly cleaned the site after the ritual—including resetting the final traps—he preferred to remain discreet.
In fact, unless a cardinal from the Vatican arrived, it would be nearly impossible to detect traces of the relic in Ambrose.
Only Azazel, due to his unique status, had noticed.
As for anyone else discovering the truth, Gideon was unconcerned.
Sadie had asked for his help, and based on their interactions, she was not the type to gossip.
Even if she spoke out, an outsider's words could easily be dismissed as "rumors."
Sasha would be even less likely to reveal anything—Fabio wouldn't allow it.
The same applied to Giselle.
The only risk Gideon faced was potentially exposing part of his own abilities to Archbishop Fabio.
But he had already prepared for such a scenario.
Long ago, he had begun preparing "reasonable excuses."
When the previous West District priest was alive, Gideon often collected Church texts and encouraged the old priest to actively participate in Church activities, contributing publicly to the Church.
Even the holy water from the exhibition had been obtained during that time.
All of this could withstand scrutiny.
Now that the old priest had passed away, Gideon could attribute any irregularities to him, exposing at most his own "talent" in theology.
Under the premise of having just "proven his merit," Fabio had no reason to suppress him.
Only the old priest suffered—still burdened in heaven with a black mark for matters long past.
All this background is to illustrate one point: Gideon had already decided to subtly support Bishop Julius.
The primary reason, of course, was to secure the reward he deserved.
Second, from the Vatican's perspective, they certainly didn't want the lower ranks in open conflict.
With external threats surrounding them, "maintaining the status quo" was the optimal outcome.
The Vatican would naturally welcome such a scene, and the Holy Order would not refuse it either.
Thus, only the Exorcist Institute was left bruised, but it hadn't really lost anything—just a wasted trip.
As for whether Gideon would earn their resentment…
He reasoned that since offending someone was unavoidable, it was better to displease the side that worked in his favor.
Besides, he now openly stood with Archbishop Fabio.
Given Fabio's visible support of the Holy Order, Gideon trusted that the archbishop wouldn't abandon him.
Seeing the situation tipping in his favor, Fabio's lips curved into a slight smile.
He was very pleased with this young man:
Unpretentious, composed, and able to read the situation—this was intelligence in action.
Naturally, someone else was displeased.
Archbishop Levi's face darkened as he stared at the young priest opposite him.
Earlier, when Gideon had gone off-topic, Levi had wanted to intervene, but out of respect for the Holy Court, he had stayed silent.
Now, seeing the discussion veer against the Exorcist Institute, he could no longer remain passive.
"Young man," Levi interjected, "we're discussing Sasha's theft of the sacred relic. Please do not divert to other matters—"
He was immediately cut off.
"Archbishop Levi, I am fully capable of judging for myself," Jolan's voice came, calm and cold.
"Hmph."
In the end, Levi could only let out a resentful snort.
He knew the Holy Court operatives were formidable; if he provoked them too much, it would backfire—and the higher-ups would be delighted to watch.
Levi also realized the recent expansion of the Exorcist Institute had attracted unwanted attention. Some were already dissatisfied.
With the archbishop dealt with, Jolan spoke again.
"What is your assessment of these matters?"
"Reporting to Archbishop Jolan," Gideon replied calmly, "I do have a hypothesis."
"This group is likely planning a ritual. The required offerings, aside from 'arms,' would presumably include certain body parts from Church personnel as well."
Jolan's eyes widened in surprise as he studied the young priest before him.