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126. Childhood Friend – Two Cardinals

“Yes. I’ve brought the knights’ order sent by the Conrad Royal Family. Where can I find Cardinal Michael? I would like to report.”

“This way. I’ll guide you.”

Priestess Ophelia walked alongside Cardinal Berg while sharing a moment of conversation.

To Ophelia, Berg was more than just a superior. When she was still an apprentice rather than a priestess, Berg was a teacher at the educational institution.

At that time, Berg was a unique teacher with an unusual history as someone who had been a Holy Knight before becoming a priest.

With his tall stature and rare silver hair, he stood out like a crane among a flock of chickens, and young Ophelia admired him.

The refreshing and excellent lectures were impressive, but his passionate dedication to research also made him seem cool.

Sure enough, before Ophelia even became a priestess, that crane had skyrocketed to superstardom by announcing the theory that “everyone in this world can become a priest.” Now, he was recognized as an equal theological scholar to Cardinal Michael, who is still considered the greatest theologian today.

However, the theory stirred significant controversy within the church and was a radical idea that shook the foundations of society.

After entering into a heated debate with Cardinal Michael, Berg published additional papers defending the class hierarchy, was appointed Cardinal of the Conrad Kingdom, and left the knights’ order.

Ophelia distinctly remembered the words Berg left at the end of his last class.

– “There is no one who can stand proud of their past, regardless of their social status. Humans are bound to sin. However, God does not differentiate between those who have sinned and those who have not. I dare to speculate that perhaps God wishes to draw something from us through trials… I hope all of you find meaningful trials and triumphs. Thus ends the lesson on ‘The Responsibility of Creatures.’”

“I’m glad to see you looking well. But… it seems your journey wasn’t an easy one. You’ve had a tough time.”

Reflecting on the past, Ophelia mentioned Berg’s disheveled appearance.

Though it had been nearly twenty years since their last meeting, it was not the moment to bring up other topics given his current state.

The Berg she remembered was always a neat teacher, dressed in a pristine priest’s robe.

But now he was far from that.

His clothes were covered in dirt as if he hadn’t changed them in ages, and his face and white hair looked as if they would shed dust at just a brush.

And understandably so, upon hearing the news of the Apostle’s arrival, Cardinal Berg had hurriedly rushed from the Conrad Kingdom without a moment’s rest.

“In such a great uproar, what suffering could there be? I would like to wash up first, but I will have to put that off for a while. The Apostle of the Evil God… Hmm, I think they will be arriving soon.”

Cardinal Berg glanced towards the south as he spoke. Ophelia worriedly looked at the reddening mountains nearby, yet Berg seemed more dependable than ever.

Eventually, Cardinal Berg and Priestess Ophelia arrived at Cardinal Michael’s tent.

However, they couldn’t enter the Cardinal’s tent.

Despite holding the highest position in the entire Cross Church, Michael insisted on using the smallest tent.

He always drank only plain water, never draped himself in a purple shawl, and took great care in wearing his shabby priest’s robe; he was a role model for all clergymen.

However, due to his position, a large table was set in front of his tent, and there was already a guest present.

It was Prince Cleo de Frederick, his chestnut-colored hair blowing in the wind.

He recognized the purple shawl draped over Cardinal Berg’s shoulders and greeted him.

“Nice to meet you. You must be the Cardinal, right?”

Normally, royalty would not introduce themselves, but the prince casually shared his name first. Cardinal Berg praised the courteous prince with highborn manners and took a seat.

After completing her task, Ophelia left, and Berg greeted Cardinal Michael, albeit with a slightly awkward exchange, given their history of fierce debates.

Cardinal Berg got straight to the point.

“I have brought the second and third knights’ orders from the Conrad Kingdom, along with all the Holy Knights from the Lutina Church. The total is two hundred knights and fifty Holy Knights.”

“Oh! The Conrad Kingdom has really helped us out. They didn’t send knights because Bellita Kingdom and Austin Kingdom are at war… Thank you for your hard work, Cardinal Berg.”

Under the prince’s praise, Berg briefly feigned humility, and Michael smiled in delight.

“Thank you for your efforts. This will be a great help. With two hundred and fifty people… we wouldn’t even need to set up separate tents. I will arrange a place for you to the right of the barracks. We’re currently discussing how to deploy the knights against the Apostle of the Evil God.”

As the topic was ready to shift quickly, Cardinal Berg raised his hand.

“Additionally, there are more personnel I need to report. Approximately six hundred more…”

“You’ve brought soldiers? Soldiers won’t be much help in defeating the Apostle of the Evil God. We need to bless everyone, so honestly, it’s more of a burden than an asset. It’s unfortunate, but I think you should send them back.”

Cardinal Berg hesitated for a moment.

He didn’t want to reveal it this way, but given the circumstances, he had no choice.

“They are not soldiers. They are all individuals endowed with divine power.”

“You just said six hundred, right? Ah, I see you’ve gathered priests from the Conrad Kingdom.”

‘They worked hard during that tight timeframe,’ Ophelia thought, but Cardinal Berg shattered those expectations.

“No, they are children I have raised. They… have not been educated in the Monastery Church.”

“What, what did you say?”

Cardinal Michael gasped in disbelief. He always knew this man would cause trouble someday. But six hundred? How absurd could he get!

He couldn’t get angry in front of the prince, so he pressed in a lower voice.

“You raised unauthorized priests? How could you act so carelessly without knowing that? What do you think the ceremonies of the church are for?”

Cardinal Berg didn’t respond at first, his disgust stuck in his throat.

He had long disliked Cardinal Michael’s sense of elitism.

Michael believed both himself and his priests were chosen by God, treating the unchosen monks with disdain, which was unbearable for Berg.

It’s true that there’s a prevalent belief that priests who have passed the church ceremonies are chosen by God.

As a result, monks who failed the ceremonies were assigned trivial tasks, while priests were entrusted with significant duties such as performing rituals or going on pilgrimages for inspections.

However, openly mentioning this discrimination was a grave insult.

In serving God, whether one possesses divine power or not is secondary; both priests and monks respected each other as fellow clergy.

But Michael did not see it that way.

He subtly looked down upon monks, and since he became a cardinal, the instances of monks taking charge of churches in various towns or being appointed as high-ranking clerics significantly decreased.

Thus, Berg, who advocated the theory that “everyone can be a priest,” and Cardinal Michael clashed at every turn.

Moreover, Berg possessed a secret that not many knew—a minor secret shared only among cardinals and the high priest. Cardinal Michael was a member of the royal family.

Moreover, he was a legitimate heir to the throne.

Michael’s real name was “Khmian de Tatalia.” To put it plainly, he was the great-grandfather of Caroman de Tatalia, the current king of Bellita Kingdom.

In his youth, Michael was not chosen as the successor. His much younger brother snatched the throne from him, and greatly disappointed, he threw himself into the church.

He changed his name to Michael and erased his regrets by becoming just a mere apprentice in the Cross Church.

Given Michael’s background, the comfort he received from gaining God’s interest when he got a chance to ask a question to the Holy Woman during the moment of dividing between priests and monks was something only a commoner’s imagination would struggle to grasp.

However, Berg couldn’t relate to that at all.

Maybe it was due to inferiority complex, but it only felt disgusting to him.

Cardinal Berg was a bastard.

Born into a confusing status that was neither noble nor commoner, he faced discrimination and was cast out from his family. His real name was…

“Now, even if they are unauthorized priests, aren’t they a great help right now?”

Just then, Prince Cleo de Frederick interjected. Snap! He clapped to ease the tense atmosphere, looking at both cardinals with a faint smile.

“We have space left next to our royal knights’ barracks. About eight hundred in total, right? That should be enough space. If you’re short on military supplies like tents or water containers, we can provide support. We even brought along squires to adequately prepare the goods.”

“…Thank you. We are quite lacking as we rushed here. If it’s not too much trouble, could you introduce me to the supply officer?”

“Of course. I will instruct them to provide without hesitation. With the great task ahead of us in subduing the Apostle of the Evil God, how could we afford to skimp on supplies?”

The prince winked, spreading his hands slightly toward Cardinal Michael.

Yet, with his other hand, he pressed his fingers gently against the table, a gesture requesting understanding for inadvertently taking the lead.

It was only fitting that a prince of the Frederick royal family, subordinate to the Cross Church, interrupted the cardinal’s inquiry.

But Cleo de Frederick’s behavior seemed rather theatrical.

He was not a bit afraid of Cardinal Michael. Instead, he had keenly observed that the relationship between these two cardinals did not seem cordial.

Cardinal Michael crossed his arms.

As he watched the conversation between the prince and Cardinal Berg, he gradually calmed down.

‘Yeah, for now, dealing with the Apostle of the Evil God is more urgent. But six hundred? Will those randomly granted divine powers even be helpful? Tch. Still better than having nothing.’

He intended to first resolve the immediate concern. Dealing with Cardinal Berg could wait for later, the same as figuring out how to handle that prince gathering nobles from other kingdoms…

“Shouldn’t we revise the configuration of the knights’ order? Instead of separating knights and Holy Knights, I believe that a gradual mix would yield better results even if they don’t quite fit together right now.”

“It’s better to bestow blessings beforehand rather than right before battle. This way…”

“Then the squires…”

While each had their thoughts, the three discussed how to tackle the Apostle of the Evil God in front of Cardinal Michael’s tiny tent throughout the night. A few days later, the expedition faced the Apostle.

Riding a pitch-black horse, the Apostle approached, staining the mountains and vast meadows red. Contrary to expectations, he was not Marquis Gaidan, but an expressionless young man.

He was so young that he seemed barely of age…

– Whirr.

Bante snorted loudly.

As if wanting to trample humans, the black horse scratched the ground with its hooves. Its once lively eyes were now nowhere to be found.

In the hollow, white pupils, thick blood vessels bulged like a net, and no one could recall the previous shrewd yet innocent gaze.

Reb arrogantly looked down at the army before him. A powerful army of five thousand made up entirely of knights, squires, priests, and Holy Knights, yet he didn’t even scoff.

“Let’s go.”

Bante obeyed his master’s command.

As they began to charge at an almost divine speed, the knights and Holy Knights of the expedition also mounted their horses and formed a charging formation.

At that moment, a group at the very rear of the expedition started chanting.

“Here are the children of the Holy Lord!”

Dressed in casual clothes rather than priest robes, they were youths raised in Cardinal Berg’s “Grania Orphanage.”

From young boys and girls to those barely under thirty, their melodious voices echoed sanctimoniously across the vast plains.

They had not learned the sacred incantations.

Although the sacred incantations were undoubtedly a way to efficiently use the holy power, the grammar was quite difficult in the ancient language, leading Berg to teach them a somewhat primitive method of voicing their divine energy.

“Grant us trials.”

Reb felt quite displeased. The divine power laced in their song penetrated his mind, and he couldn’t help but recall Lena, who was riding away in a carriage.

Thinking of Lena made his head spin oddly.

Why am I even feeling this way? — The question was one thing, but the overwhelming guilt he felt at having killed his father poured over him unexpectedly, tormenting him.

“Strive resolutely to become your pride,”

Ultimately, Reb yelled, “Shut up!” and drew his sword. He aimed to silence those noisy brats, kicking Bante’s belly robustly to hurry him along.

“We shall affirm our lives.”

The formation of Holy Knights and knights also charged forth on horseback.

Over a thousand cavalry divided into three groups, stomping the ground as they galloped, while squires yelled out, pushing forward.

Behind them, over fifteen hundred priests generously bestowed blessings.

“Therefore, O God! Please watch over us. Witness your sons and daughters fighting!”

Thus, the curtain rose on the absurd war of one against five thousand.