Marvel Magic Case Files

Chapter 1220 The Smiling Pope (First Update)

Nick Fury thought ironically to himself, "The Pope is willing to obey."

A devout person is willing to kneel, and with it, a halo appears above their head, even if the holder of this halo is an atheist. He doesn't know whether this obedience is the piety of self-whipping until the linen undergarment is stained with blood, or the worship of kneeling in trembling fear. He is a typical atheist.

He wasn't an unbeliever, but an atheist. Even when the Emperor of Latvinia told him that there existed spiritual entities in this world that could be called fairies, angels, devils, and other names invented by humans in their ignorant times, Nick Fury remained an atheist. He didn't believe that such things could be called gods. Perhaps this was why the Emperor of Latvinia appreciated him, because he didn't look for signs in the cracks of the wall.

But Nick Fury didn't care about any kind of obedience; he just wanted to complete the mission.

"When the will of a deity conflicts with the will of the believers, the deity will be abandoned. It is man who creates God, not God who creates man. If the Messiah were to take to the streets of Israel and ask the common people to change their past beliefs, he would not be the Messiah. This principle applies elsewhere as well."

Emperor Latvian made this assessment of religious beliefs after taking a walk through the streets of Israel.

Nick Fury imagined black serpents rolling out from behind the murals praising Jesus' great sacrifice, causing the priests and librarians following him to flee in terror, lifting their robes. When he realized how naive his imagination was, Nick Fury simply shook his head and continued to wait for the cardinal's arrival.

"Studying Canaanite history reveals that religion, in essence, is an imagined community that allows believers to assert themselves and rulers to unite the nation's will. The Jews of the ten northern kingdoms were even excommunicated for not believing in Yahweh, so there's no need for excessive respect. Believing in Christ, Allah, and Yahweh leads to heaven, while everyone else goes to hell—that's the reason believers consider themselves superior." Pope Francis's voice made Nick Fury turn his head. The King of Agents looked at the old man in the white robe, smiling broadly, showing no resentment at the blasphemous words. "The best way to deal with statements that cannot be proven or disproven is to satisfy the believers' desires, letting them experience firsthand whether they go to heaven or hell. This is your boss's statement, Nick Fury. What do you think of this?"

“I think that makes a lot of sense,” Nick Fury said. “I didn’t expect it to be you, and not some cardinal.”

"When the thing you're asking about happened, I was wandering around my hometown with a rifle," the Pope shrugged. "Now that I'm here, it's time to find out the truth."

"These kinds of things should be discussed where the sun doesn't shine. How can you be sure you can trust these people?"

Nick Fury glanced at the civil servants following the Pope and himself, his hand already stealthily reaching for his thigh holster. The laser pistol's battery allowed him to fire 50 laser beams in burst mode, enough to kill everyone present except the Pope; in long-range mode, it would also allow him to briefly wield a long laser sword. In fact, he intended to do just that. A thousand years of corruption were deeply ingrained in the marrow of the Roman Catholic Church, and even the current Pope couldn't change it. Nick Fury felt himself being dragged into a political conspiracy, the reckless mud already reaching his feet.

"I don't know, but you have guns, cannons, and missiles. That stuff is way more exciting than God and the Bible." The Pope's face returned to the absurd smile of his youth. "If something is rotten and stinking, the best way is to cut it off. A secret order parasitizing the Roman Catholic Church... Actually, this isn't an isolated case. Their piety towards money far surpasses their piety towards God. None of the people here have any connection to the Lehman Brothers, the Wallenberg family, Israel, the Mafia, the Swiss Guard, etc. They are young enough and pious enough. Although I disagree with your boss on some points, I have to agree with him on this point. I don't want to become John Paul I [Note 1]."

[Note 1: The death of Pope John Paul I, known as the "Smiling Pope," is shrouded in mystery. He was humble, kind, elegant, and benevolent, but died after only 33 days as pope. The Vatican refused an autopsy, claiming he died of a sudden heart attack. Documents prepared by the "Smiling Pope" before his death included a complete reshuffle of the Vatican's personnel and a financial investigation of the Vatican Bank and its subsidiaries.]

Once the execution order is issued, a sophisticated administrative system will begin to operate.

With the Emperor's order and the Regent's order, the cryogenic chambers on the space station that will preserve the assassins will begin operating.

"The agreement has expired, sir. You have no time to hesitate."

Stephanie held the phone, her gaze calmly sweeping across a two-foot-long parchment covered in writing on the table. At the end of the parchment, the red sealing wax bearing the seals of the emperor and regent, the electronic signature, and the genetic verification were all accurate. Stephanie's primary concern was whether the secretary's name at the beginning of the scroll was spelled correctly. "You may not understand the difference between monarchy and capitalism. The monarch's authority is above the law, and even if the monarch doesn't invoke this rule, you must remember it and have it engraved on your tombstone."

Stephanie remained calm throughout, even as the person on the other end of the phone was filled with arrogance. She said, "From this day forward, your family will cease to exist. The wealth and social status that your ancestors fought for throughout their lives will be seized by others. Even trust funds will secretly devour your corpses, squeezing the last drop of blood from your bones. This is the consequence of defying a monarch. You too will soon be heading to your grave, because we are not in your game."

"I've rarely seen you so angry?" Hammurabi felt Stephanie Malik hissing at the phone like an angry mother cat, and could imagine the terror and rage on the other end. "My lord wishes to know the progress of Diana Lister's work, and whether Fidel Castro is willing to accept Latvian medical assistance. This report has yet to reach my lord's desk."

I thought you wouldn't worry about something like this.

"There will be no survivors from the chemical leak. I'm reluctant to get involved with the Regency's assassination division, but I have faith in their capabilities."

"Something else," Stephanie said.

"You mean Fidel Castro?" Hammurabi shrugged, smiling at Stephanie Malik's secretary who was quietly walking past him. The poor girl rarely saw the Royal Guard and was currently trembling with "superhuman phobia." "Of course His Majesty cares, just not as much as he cares about Laura Crawford in Peru. The Emperor has many things to care about, and these things must have priorities. He... isn't indifferent to us, Stephanie; in fact, he has prepared a gift for you."

"It's only been half a month since I last received a gift from him."

"I must admit, even He is somewhat clumsy when it comes to expressing emotions. Perhaps giving gifts is the best way He can think of. You quite like the perfume He makes, don't you?" Hammurabi, while emphatically portraying his superior as an emotionally inept fool, shoved the stack of papers in his hand into the hands of the secretary in the Ministry of the Interior's office. The weight of the papers was almost suffocating for the secretary, who was clearly struggling to breathe. Undoubtedly, this was also a girl from the Hydra family; Stephanie especially favored promoting talent from conservative families.

After lightening the mood, Hammurabi steered the conversation back on track.

"Our Lord wishes to see the report as soon as possible. The mission of the state visit to Cuba is of great importance to the entire world."

Please vote for me!

(End of this chapter)