Steel Empire
Corruption Disclosure

The weeks passed and Berengar, of course, was busy overseeing the construction of his great city and also managing the affairs of the kingdom extensively. Linde continued to manage her spy network, and Eckhard continued to train troops. Everything went well as far as Berengar was concerned.

At the moment nothing major is happening, though there are some minor improvements to Berengar's overall plan. For example, today is the day Ludolf finally became an ordained minister. He therefore knelt at the church in Innsbruck where the local bishop performed his ordination. The ceremony was not fancy, and it was soon over.

When Bishop Innsbruck finished the ceremony, he began to speak to Ludolf, with no way of knowing that he was already in Berengar camp.

"Ludolf, I must say that your work is suitable for your work in that godless territory."

This surprised Ludolf because the land he was living in today was referred to as godless by the Bishop simply because he disagreed with Berengar's policies. Therefore, he immediately defended her.

"No god? What makes you call Kufstein the Godless?"

The bishop smiled with a condescending look as he punished Ludolf for his naivety.

"Good ludolf, I know you have sympathy for the people of the region, but the Regent who currently governs them is a heretic, excommunicated and condemned by the Pope himself. Clearly, the souls of the people suffered under the evil tyrant. It is up to you to lead the Kufstein people to the light of God. Thank goodness we don't have to endure that heresy much longer."

The last part of the Bishop's lecture surprised Ludolf, this meant there was clearly an ongoing plot against Berengar and therefore he decided to dig deeper into the Bishop's meaning.

"Sorry, I'm afraid I don't understand what you mean by that? Why don't we have to hang on to Berengar for much longer?"

The bishop thought he was talking to someone on his side and the Vatican side and therefore did not hesitate to discuss their conspiracy behind closed doors.

"Why because of the Teutonic Order of course!"

"As you know, the Teutonic Order is currently at war with the Grand Duchy of Moscow, however, the Teutonic Order is currently at war with the Grand Duchy of Moscow, they had a plan to sweep the floor with the damned Rus and install the power of the Holy See over their Patriarch. Thus within six months to a year, they would be free to spill their wrath on the heretics in Kufstein and annex the territory as the territory of the Teutonic State. Surely the control of that territory will return to God's beloved son of the von Kufstein family at that time.time!"

Ludolf was surprised, but he clearly understood what the Bishop meant, therefore he had to ask a question in his mind.

"Does the Pope know about this?"

The bishop simply laughed out loud thinking that Ludolf was joking before noticing the serious expression on his face.

"Who do you think asked the Teutonic Order for help in this effort?"

If before Ludolf had any doubts about the extent to which the Catholic Church was rotten, they would no longer exist. Truly, the entire Catholic Church is filled with corruption, and she can stand it no longer. Now that he is a properly ordained priest, he will take action. He had thought of everything Berengar had told him about the Church and was now convinced that everything he said was the truth. When he returns home to Kufstein, he will soon discuss the academic debate about the church and its corruption, he will surely put it on the door of Kufstein Church and have Berengar print it with his printing press so that it can be distributed. for all educated readers in all German-speaking regions.

However, he was currently surrounded by enemies and had to play the role of a loyal subject, therefore he quickly smiled and nodded at the Bishop's reply.

"Of course, I just want to know. I hope Berengar gets what he deserves."

As the two communicated for a long time through several glasses of communion wine, the revelation he heard from the bishop now that he had become an ordained priest only increased his determination to openly condemn the church. Embezzlement is the smallest of the Church's evils, they have done absolutely unspeakable things in the past, and the Bishop gave up all the details he knew after drinking more wine. The loose lips sank the ship, and after a few drinks, the Bishop gladly distributed whatever Ludolf asked for.

Ludolf quickly realizes that the institution he once viewed as a beacon of hope in the terrifying world is completely broken to its core, and it takes a miracle to save it. Berengar was right all along, although the two had argued about the extent to which church corruption reached, he always saw Berengar as a benevolent ruler, and a good man to those who deserved it. Ludolf had always justified Berengar's more violent actions as bringing the judgment of heaven to the wicked, even when the inquisitors were executed, he did not care. But now he was fully convinced that Berengar's ideals were 100% true and needed to be preached by a proper priest. Little did he know that he was playing right in Berengar's hands.

Berengar had long wanted to use Ludolf to become Martin Luther in this world and to usher in the Protestant movement. Something that would give Berengar a legitimate casus belli to seize the territory of the German world for himself after he came to power in Austria. After all, Catholics would never allow the Protestant state to openly exist, and through the power of science and engineering, Berengar would lower the influence of the Church over the German people and place its own influence, he said, which will serve his interests.