What Should I Do If I Find Out My Wife Is the Pope? - Chapter 170

Chapter 170: So That’s How It Is—Looks Like the Demon Generals Have Split From Within!
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Translation by: Weebsread👹
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Lin Wei had no inkling of the storm brewing within the Holy See.
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He returned to his residence in the Imperial Capital—a place he’d barely set foot in of late. Standing alone in the silent entryway, he scratched his head, unable to suppress a sense of wastefulness.
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“If I’d known Veya was the Pope, I should’ve just joined the Holy See from the start and gotten myself a proper place to stay.”
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After all, he’d spent most days lately sneaking about, holed up in the Pope’s private chambers and hardly daring to step outside. Chances were, he’d soon need to find permanent lodgings in the Holy See anyway; this apartment would see even less use.
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Still, considering everything, it had served as a decent hideaway since his arrival in the capital.
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“I really have no clue what’s expected of me now that I’m the Honor Knight,” he mused aloud. “Am I supposed to help Veya run the Holy See, keep my Demon Lord identity hidden, and quietly serve as a member of the clergy?”
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He slouched onto the sofa, eyes drifting up to the ceiling. The rare tranquility of the moment let his mind wander.
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When he’d first slipped out of demon territory and infiltrated the Empire, all he’d wanted was to launder his identity, buy a modest estate, and live out his days as a minor noble. Somehow, he’d ended up on the far side of the Empire, conscripted by the Holy See.
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If someone had told him two years ago that he’d become a member of the clergy, he would’ve laughed in their face—even if they’d dangled his old divinity before his eyes.
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“Now that I think about it—who actually inherited that divinity after I left?”
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“The Five Fools among the Demon Generals—there’s a difference between being an idiot and being a complete imbecile.”
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“Maybe they picked someone outside the usual pool, but as far as I recall, the demonfolk didn’t have any promising young talent left.”
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The more he thought about it, the more curiosity gnawed at him.
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But with nothing to go on, he knew he wouldn’t be solving this mystery tonight.
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Looks like I’ll have to make a trip to the City-State of Brook if I want real answers.
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Knock, knock, knock!
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A sharp rapping at the door snapped him from his thoughts.
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“Huh? Yalis is here already?” Lin Wei muttered as he headed for the entryway.
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Hadn’t Veya said she needed some time to discuss travel plans with the Saintess before leaving? Surely she wasn’t so eager to head for the Northern Countries that she couldn’t wait another moment?
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Then again, with that adorable Saintess, anything was possible.
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“Ya—eh?”
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But it wasn’t the cute Saintess standing outside.
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Instead, a familiar figure cloaked in a long mantle stood there, a subtle spell concealing any trace of her demi-human heritage.
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She was close enough to touch, her delicate features perfectly proportioned—a beauty that was striking for its quiet subtlety. When silent, she radiated the chilly, aloof air of a cat who’d never stoop to cuddling.
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But the moment she opened her mouth, the illusion shattered.
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Honestly, it made you want to tease her just to see her bristle.
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“Lafduo the Cat!”
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“It’s been a while!”
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He’d been so preoccupied with hiding out in the Holy See that he’d nearly forgotten about her.
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Lin Wei gave himself a gentle smack on the forehead, then grinned and beckoned her inside.
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“What brings you here all of a sudden?”
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With a flick of his fingers, he conjured tea by magic. Lafduo looked different today—more rested, as if she’d just woken from a good nap. Her mood seemed lighter, but her tone was as prickly as ever. She always looked like she was about to puff up indignantly.
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“My name is Afuduo!” she snapped. “Why do you always call me ‘the cat’? Are you obsessed with my body or something? You said before you’re not into demi-humans, but clearly you like my kind of catkin, don’t you?!”
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She hugged her arms around herself, eyes wary, as if he might pounce at any moment. Lin Wei only regarded her with that infuriatingly calm gaze, which made her want to swat him even more.
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But she couldn’t let herself get distracted by his nonsense.
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“Relax, it’s just a nickname. As long as you know I’m talking to you, what difference does it make?” Lin Wei said, unbothered. “Besides, doesn’t a special nickname make it feel like we’re closer?”
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He set a steaming cup of black tea in front of her.
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The fragrant warmth drifted between them, soothing her nerves. Just inhaling it made her feel a little calmer.
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“There’s nothing weird in this tea, right…” she muttered. She vaguely remembered rumors of enchanted tea that could put people to sleep.
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But as she took a cautious sip, Lin Wei’s smile grew warmer.
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“Good tea!” she blurted, unable to hide her delight.
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Not that it mattered. If the tea didn’t knock her out, Lin Wei probably would—by force.
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“As long as you like it. So, what brings you here today?”
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Now that Afuduo had settled down, she really did look like a cute catkin. Lin Wei nodded in satisfaction, genuinely curious.
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The last time they’d met was when he’d disposed of Fred of the Shadowstream Assassins. Afuduo had never come seeking him on her own before—something must be up.
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“Oh, right! Almost forgot,” she said, rummaging in her pocket before handing him a letter.
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She looked a little excited, stepping closer to explain.
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“Not long ago, the demons sent me this reply. But the contents are… weird. They answered our last question, but then asked me for some funds—said it was necessary to support the demon cause.”
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No funding for their own people, but asking her for money? Even Lin Wei was speechless. Since when had the demonfolk sunk so low?
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That was like making your own employees take out loans just to come to work!
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He opened the letter. Sure enough, it was exactly as she’d said.
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When asked about Duke Ous’s dealings with the Cult of the Evil God, the reply was simply, “We have no knowledge of this.” Then, they asked Afuduo to raise funds from the local nobles to support the demon cause.
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It sounded odd, but not impossible. Yet the next line made even Lin Wei pause.
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“They’re asking for… a hundred gold coins?”
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It was like getting a letter from Iresha saying she’d run out of money and needed a loan until payday.
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A classic scam—an otherworldly version of those old fraud schemes!
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“Yeah, I thought it was weird too. I saw you coming home and figured I’d better tell you right away,” Afuduo said, her ears twitching. “A hundred gold coins to support the demon cause… that’s a lot, isn’t it?”
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Well, for her, yes. But for the demonfolk, it was a pittance—not even enough to fund a small squad’s daily expenses.
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“So what’s really going on here?” Lin Wei mused, tapping the arm of the sofa.
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“Duke Ous said before he died that his demon contact was the Headless Horseman, Morteir. But the letter claims ignorance. Are they truly in the dark about the Evil God cult’s plans, or are they hiding something? Or perhaps… the demons and the cult aren’t truly allied—just a few individuals working behind the scenes?”
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“Is the money really for the demon frontlines, or is someone just lining their own pockets?”
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He shook his head. In just two years, the demon forces had collapsed, fleeing from the Empire’s border all the way to the Northern Fortress. Now, even that last stronghold was on the verge of falling.
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Even with tens of thousands of pigs, it would’ve been hard to wipe them out this fast.
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Not to mention the intricate defenses he’d left the Demon Generals—all of which he’d taught them himself.
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It was baffling, and this strange letter only deepened the mystery.
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…And then they had the gall to ask for a hundred gold coins.
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“Let me ask you, Catkin,” Lin Wei said, turning to Afuduo. “When that demon bigwig gave you your orders—did they come directly to you, or summon you to the Demon Lord’s castle?”
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Afuduo’s ears twitched. “Uh… they found me in my village during an inspection and gave me the mission directly.”
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“Does that seem odd to you?” she asked, tilting her head.
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Lin Wei’s tone turned serious—the kind he reserved for pivotal moments.
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“So, they came to you in person to assign this task. And how do you usually report back—by letter, sent to a designated drop point?”
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“Don’t worry, I’m not asking for the address. If there’s an Evil God curse in play, there are probably forbidden words as well.”
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He’d used plenty of collaborators as cannon fodder before, but never paid much attention to the nitty-gritty of intelligence gathering. He always looked at the big picture.
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But as far as he recalled, it had always been old-fashioned letter drops.
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“That’s right!”
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“Tch… looks like something’s seriously wrong among the demons.”
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“So who’s the new Demon Lord? Have the Demon Generals already started tearing each other apart?”
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Just a few words, but Afuduo’s eyes went wide—her pupils narrowing to vertical slits in shock.
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No way… The Demon Generals have split from within?
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“Are you… are you serious?”
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How could Lin Wei deduce so much from a letter and a few questions? Why did a human know so much about demonkind, anyway? None of it made sense!
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“So my sisters…?”
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“Don’t worry,” Lin Wei said, waving a hand. “No one’s going to go out of their way to mess with hostages like that.”
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“If the demon bigwig who found you wasn’t acting on behalf of the demonfolk as a whole but just gave you private orders, then your sisters are probably perfectly safe. Odds are, they never even left the Catkin village.”
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“You’re just out of touch because you’ve been stuck in the human world.”
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He knew those Demon Generals better than anyone. If they’d really gone to the trouble of dragging her family to the Demon Lord’s castle, it would’ve been a massive headache for whoever was in charge.
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Most likely, her sisters had never left the village. They probably just threatened her offhand when handing out the mission.
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“Really? My sisters never left the village?” Afuduo’s concealment spell flickered as her surprise broke through—her furry ears and bright green Catkin eyes popping into view.
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“Almost certainly. If they’re issuing orders privately, there’s no way they’d bother with hostages. If the Demon Lord found out, it would blow their cover wide open.”
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“But… the order to come to the human world and look for the Demon Lord was serious. The demonfolk must be in real trouble.”
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Not that any of this had anything to do with Lin Wei the Honor Knight!
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After all, Lin Wei the Demon Lord held grudges.
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He’d led the demon army to the Empire’s borders using carefully crafted defensive loopholes, giving those fools the illusion that “the advantage is ours.” Even when he told them it was all a ruse—to make the humans overconfident and force negotiations—they refused to listen. Instead, they accused the Demon Lord of losing his soul, conspired with the Cult of the Evil God at the negotiation table, and ambushed the Coalition Army to force him back into war.
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Did they really think he’d keep bailing them out?
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He hadn’t even sabotaged the demon defenses for the Coalition—simply not helping had been mercy enough.
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Now they wanted him to come back and clean up their mess?
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Even if the Five Fools knelt before him with four heads each, it wouldn’t happen.
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As far as Lin Wei was concerned, the Demon Lord was dead and gone.
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Now, he was nothing more than the Honor Knight, personally appointed by Pope Selena.
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And that was that.
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“If they’re asking you for money, just send it to them,” he said, tossing a coin pouch onto the table.
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Afuduo stared in shock. Lin Wei didn’t bother to explain. He just waved it off.
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“If that bigwig is desperate enough to be asking you for cash, they’re in real trouble.”
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“Write a letter back. Tell them Duke Ous has already been killed by the adventurer Lin Wei. As for the newly promoted Honor Knight Lin Wei of the Holy See, he’s about to head to the borderlands for a special assignment, and the Imperial nobles see him as a serious threat.”
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“Let’s see if they’re interested in teaming up—propose a joint operation to kill Honor Knight Lin Wei. Promise a big pile of gold if they succeed.”