Alex's biggest problem when facing the Ecclesiarchy was the disparity in scale.
It was true that he was an Inquisitor; he could even somewhat call himself a Cursed High Lords, an Emperor's Chosen, his counterfeit.
But the problem was that he was merely a Planetary Governor, and the power he could wield was very limited.
Especially since his most effective combat force at present was the Adepta Sororitas, which was an armed force under the Ecclesiarchy's system.
Although the Ecclesiarchy's jurisdiction over the Battle Sister was only nominal.
(The Abbess General of the Sisters and the Ecclesiarchy's Pope are of equal rank; both are High Lords.)
"A most direct question: if we come into conflict with the Ecclesiarchy, whose side do you think the Adepta Sororitas will take? Even if you can control the Sacred Rose Convent, don't forget there's also the Order of the Ebon Chalice. The best outcome would be an internal conflict between the two convents or them remaining neutral." Gutierrez analyzed the situation, giving a rather pessimistic assessment: "It's more likely that the moment you declare opposition to the Ecclesiarchy, they'll drag you to the plaza and burn you with a melta."
"Indeed, although there are some contradictions and issues between the Battle Sister and the Ecclesiarchy, matters of faith are no laughing matter," Alex also nodded in agreement.
After all, in the 40k era, if loyalty is not absolute, it is absolutely disloyal, and this saying also applies to faith.
Religious belief is extreme, and the reason why Battle Sisters are often joked about as being 'madwomen' is precisely because they are truly extreme Ecclesiarchy adherents, fanatical in their faith.
Moreover, there's an even more crucial point: the power disparity between Alex and the Ecclesiarchy is roughly equivalent to the difference between a small medieval lord and the Roman Papacy at its peak.
They could call for a Crusade with a single shout, while you could only gather a few pitchfork-wielding old farmers with a shout, and even your knights and handmaidens would be from the Church.
And these old farmers would most likely also be Church believers, the kind who would stab you with a pitchfork for their faith.
So, facing the overwhelming power of the Ecclesiarchy, Alex actually had no capital to engage in conflict with them.
"And frankly speaking, we are currently like business partners with the Ecclesiarchy. We have disagreements on the company's development direction, but it hasn't reached the point of falling out," Gutierrez, perhaps because he was a businessman, was very open-minded about this matter: "The Ecclesiarchy wants to build Shrine Worlds and vigorously develop the Rostov Sub-Sector. This aligns with our interests.
The root cause of the current conflict between you and the Ecclesiarchy is the issue of dominance.
You believe that the Ecclesiarchy's actions are an attempt to seize your dominance, which would cause you to lose control over the Rostov Sub-Sector.
But you've overlooked one issue: in the 40k Imperium, religion is a necessity. As a Planetary Governor, you should find ways to control the Ecclesiarchy's influence, not conflict with them."
At this point, Gutierrez even gave an analogy: "It's like having a patron supporting your startup, investing real money and providing resources, but now their development direction conflicts with yours. Do you abandon them and go solo, or do you swallow your pride a bit and discuss it further?"
"Alright, I know all that you've said, but I just cannot accept the Ecclesiarchy trying to bypass me to decide the development direction of the Rostov Sub-Sector. This is not something 'we' can accept." Alex used 'we' instead of 'I.'
Gutierrez did not deny this, but affirmed: "Yes, we cannot accept it, but things can still be discussed, can't they?"
Yes, things could still be discussed.
The root of the conflict between the two sides lay in the issue of dominance.
What Alex wanted was to develop the Sub-Sector based on Rostov II, which would be his heavily built base of operations, so he naturally couldn't let the Ecclesiarchy hold the power.
But an undeniable fact was that the Ecclesiarchy was Alex's biggest financial backer at the moment. They had invested substantial real money and resources, and had also brought in a large number of Battle Sisters and Pilgrims, all of which were crucial factors in promoting planetary development.
Of course, the Ecclesiarchy also had an unavoidable problem: Alex and the sanctus wine on Rostov II, a blessing from the Emperor, were likely intertwined, and the sanctus wine could currently only be produced on Rostov II.
Therefore, Rostov II would inevitably become a holy site. This was a consensus between Alex and the Ecclesiarchy, and a holy site was also a good thing for Alex.
After all, with a holy site, both population and funds would flow in continuously in the future, which was good for developing the Sub-Sector.
What he still could not accept were the Shrine Worlds and the Ecclesiarchy's subsequent idea of turning the entire Sub-Sector into a religious world.
In fact, such things were not a problem for the Imperium; in fact, many newly opened Sectors and expansions in the Imperium were gnawed away bit by bit by the Ecclesiarchy's missionaries.
Some say Rogue Traders are the last vestiges of the Imperium's ambition, which is both true and false.
Rogue Traders indeed constantly open up new frontiers for the Imperium, but they pursue profit.
It is the Ecclesiarchy that truly brings these newly opened Sectors fully under Imperial rule and maintains the stable Imperial dominion over these new worlds.
In fact, some Sectors are simply the result of Ecclesiarchy missionaries' proselytizing.
The Sisters of Battle have a branch called the Sisters Dialogus, whose task is to infiltrate newly discovered human worlds and subvert their native religions.
One of their usual methods is to fabricate various pieces of evidence proving that the local religious beliefs are branches of the Ecclesiarchy, that the god worshipped by the locals is an incarnation of the Emperor, and polytheistic religions would even equate various lesser gods with Imperial saints.
It only takes one or two generations for this world to forget its former heretical beliefs and turn to embrace the true faith of the Imperium, the Ecclesiarchy, thereby smoothly joining the Imperium and becoming loyal Imperial citizens.
If one were to truly compare the number of worlds opened up for the Imperium, the Ecclesiarchy is indeed far superior to the Rogue Traders.
So, in the 40k world, it is a very normal thing for the Ecclesiarchy to want to build a Shrine World to facilitate the opening of new Sectors for the Imperium.
In fact, normal Imperial Planetary Governors would welcome this, and only those governors concerned that the Ecclesiarchy would affect their own power would oppose it.
But typically, such opposition would only turn into futile struggles in the face of the Ecclesiarchy's overwhelming power.
After all, the Ecclesiarchy truly has money, people, power, influence, soldiers, and assassins.
Cooperating with the Ecclesiarchy offers many benefits, and most people quickly recognize reality and enjoy the advantages that come with such cooperation.
The very few who fail to recognize reality will also be replaced by the Ecclesiarchy through various means, and if they truly cannot be replaced, the Ecclesiarchy has plenty of ways to politically sideline them.
At present, the Old Bishop is still willing to cooperate and discuss matters properly with Alex, which can be considered a very friendly attitude from the Ecclesiarchy.
"It seems we still need to talk!" Alex exhaled a long breath, deciding to abandon personal emotions and prioritize interests.
-------------------------------
Thank you for enjoying my stories! If you want to go further and support my work,
Patreon is the best way to do it — many of the newest chapters will be posted there!
👉 [patreon.com/TripleCrown07]