The Founder of the Great Financial Family

Chapter 49 (2)

"It's all thanks to you. In my life, I never thought I'd even receive a greeting letter from Bishop Verkis. Who would have thought such a day would come?"

Bishop Verkis?

It was a name he had heard several times in the novel.

"Bishop Verkis, you mean... the one in Lyon?"

"You know well. Yes, the one in Lyon. He oversees this area, a higher diocese than ours."

"I see. I remember hearing about him."

"He's very famous there. Also, hard to meet."

During the conversation, Rockefeller suddenly had a thought.

If the priest here becomes the bishop of Lyon, wouldn't it be even better for Leo?

'It's entirely possible. He is easier to manipulate than I thought. He is particularly vulnerable to wealth, unlike other believers.'

Also, the church's position in Lyon was very important.

It was such a commercially developed city that sometimes even archbishops were in charge of the diocese.

Having finished his thoughts, Rockefeller decided to test him.

"Father Peter, may I ask an impertinent question?"

"Impertinent question? What is it?"

"Do you have absolutely no intention of sitting in a higher position later on?"

"What do you mean?"

"Just... don't you have any thoughts of becoming a bishop?"

"Becoming a bishop?"

Father Peter was momentarily flustered by the sudden question.

No, becoming a bishop?

"Are you asking me if I have no intention of becoming a bishop?"

"Yes, I thought it would be entirely possible for someone like you, Father. I just thought of it and asked impolitely. I apologize if I offended you."

Why wouldn't he think of that?

"Hmm..."

Father Peter sighed after a moment of silence.

"I've lived my life as a believer, but I never dared to think I'd become a bishop. If it were as easy as you think, I wouldn't have hesitated either."

Father Peter continued, swallowing his past regrets.

"You seem young and don't know much about the church. Becoming a bishop is not an easy position to take. I have no foothold in the church, no power to support me. I'm only in this position because I have experience as a believer."

"But isn't there always a chance?"

"Ha... If I become a bishop as you say, there would be no other way."

Father Peter finished speaking.

"It would either be by growing this place greatly, receiving recognition from the church as a completely new higher diocese, or by going to Lyon and becoming a bishop. But neither is easy. This place has always been marginalized, so there's no chance of being promoted to a higher diocese, and in Lyon, the Lyon family has always held the bishop's position. Would an old priest like me with an uncertain background take over as bishop there? It's difficult. It's not even possible. They wouldn't allow it from above."

If it were a position anyone could hold, it would have been done long ago.

However, Rockefeller's thoughts were different.

'From what I see, both are possible.'

As Father Peter said, there were only two ways for him to become a bishop.

However, unlike Father Peter's thoughts, Rockefeller saw possibilities in both.

"I'm sorry, Father, but from what I see, neither method seems entirely impossible."

"What? You think neither is impossible?"

Father Peter's expression momentarily hardened.

What is this boy talking about?

"What do you mean? Both are unattainable."

"If the status of the Montefeltro territory here improves, the church will naturally have to discuss its promotion to a higher diocese. Then, Father Peter, who has long held this position, will naturally receive the benefits."

"But isn't it only possible if this territory grows greatly?"

"Right now, it's a remote area that is being marginalized by everyone, but who knows what will happen later?"

Father Peter seemed grateful even for the words and smiled faintly.

"I appreciate the sentiment. I wish it were true."

"And I don't think it's impossible for you to become a bishop of Lyon, Father. The current power in Lyon is the Lyon family, as you said. But if that family suddenly collapses or loses power, it's possible that you could also sit in the bishop's position there."

"That's indeed a possibility. But even if that happens, the chances of me taking that position seem slim, don't they?"

"You never know what might happen in this world."

"That's true, as you say. Who would have thought things would go so well here? No one could have known."

Father Peter didn't think too deeply about the question Rockefeller casually threw.

On the other hand, Rockefeller, who had thrown the question, was considering the possibility of it happening.

'It's not impossible at all.'

And if things go as he thought, and Father Peter here becomes a bishop, there would be many benefits for Rockefeller.

And for Leo, it would be the best thing. In a church without any connections, having someone to pull him up is really important.

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