Chapter 93

(93)

When the snow that had fallen densely began to melt and enter a cycle of freezing again without freezing once more, I returned to the old slums.

To that street where traces of past blood could no longer be found, even in the shadows.

“Have you arrived?”

“Yeah. What did you call me for?”

In front of the building by the square, on the 6th floor.

Konel was in a place where only the rulers of the streets could sit.

With chestnut hair cut into a sharp bob at the jawline, her shrewd impression somewhat transformed into a cute look, which I thought was a good choice.

“I thought I should at least thank you.”

“Did you call the Duke for something like this? No need. Konel, you’re still just an un-elected candidate. War and elections are uncertain until the end. Thank me when you get elected. I’ll congratulate you then.”

“If I get elected, would I be the youngest?”

“You’d probably be the youngest among those elected.”

“What about those not elected? Oh, now that I think about it, there are many more of them.”

Around 200 seats are elected, 100 seats are representatives sent by the governors of the imperial lands outside the capital, 100 seats are clergy from the Church of Radiance, and 100 seats are inherited by the court noble families.

“If you were the Emperor, do you think the common folks would find it easy to speak up?”

“That’s why the council was created, right?”

“Yeah. That’s true. But there are other uses as well.”

“What do you mean?”

“When there was no council, common folks had no choice but to take to the streets if they wanted to make their voices heard. The imperial response would then ultimately be one of three things: to appease, to suppress, or to listen.”

“But appeasement has its limits, doesn’t it? In the end, it would come down to either suppression or yielding.”

To appease means to tell them to endure.

People have limits on what they can endure.

“The demands of the common folks were never easy to fulfill. However, if one questions whether those demands were outrageous enough to warrant suppression, it wasn’t that either. Therefore, when an event broke out that brought them to the streets, it was met with a reasonable degree of yielding.”

Even if it meant the imperial court had to stretch itself a bit.

“But if there’s a council…”

“Go talk to the council. It’s a way to drain the strength in the middle and divert focus. When it goes to the council, hundreds of people come with their own agendas. Even if it doesn’t happen, dealing with hundreds of issues each day leads to a pile-up of agendas.”

Konel let out a half-hearted sigh mixed with a smirk.

“If we delay like that, the voices of the voiceless common folks, who have neither time nor money, will eventually die down, and nothing will change. If knights are the swords of the imperial court, is the council the shield?”

I nodded my head with a bright smile.

That’s sharp.

To understand this right away.

“That’s the case. Besides, the clergy and the nobles are each clustered in groups of a hundred. If it’s an urgent matter, they support each other.”

Konel narrowed her eyes, which gleamed with sharpness.

“But our commoner representatives are scattered one by one. The interests are all different. The representatives from the governorate would probably want to align more with the nobles than with us.”

“Exactly. I don’t know what you want to do, but whatever it is, it’s going to be a tough fight.”

“I thought it would all be over once I got elected, but it seems that’s only the beginning.”

I nodded my head.

Konel smiled faintly and said.

“Although it’s funny to say this when I’m not even elected yet.”

“That’s true.”

As I began to turn and leave, Konel leaned on her staff.

“Don’t come out. It’s still cold.”

“No, it’s not that.”

“Hmm?”

“I had no intention of expressing my gratitude verbally today.”

I shook my head.

“Even if you said I’m a hole for money, it’s nothing but donations or church budgets, right? I like bribes, but I’m not desperate enough to accept that kind of money.”

Konel clicked her tongue.

“It’s not about money. I’m busy spending money right now. Each construction is costing a fortune. We might end up with many starving to death by spring.”

I chuckled in response.

“Shouldn’t the elections be held before that?”

“How can you say something like that?!”

“Doesn’t that mean you thought about it too?”

“I can’t think only of good things. I’m just trying to do good.”

Following her down to the 3rd floor, I found officials and combat team members who served Amon gathered there.

Having prayed and trained hard, their eyes gleamed even in the darkness.

“Lady Konel. This way.”

In the corner of the room was a metal cage, and inside it, several people were tightly bound by iron chains.

“What are you doing to them?”

I asked with an indignant voice.

“Why haven’t you killed them?”

Even without looking, I could sense the aura of corruption.

Konel turned her body and spoke to me.

“Your Excellency. Please calm down. I intended to show you and then dispose of them.”

I confirmed the energies I felt from the people again.

Their skin was prickling to the point that I unconsciously fiddled with my forearms.

“Yeah. That should be done. At this rate, they could lose their human form soon. The higher-ups and agents who have been in this room for a while should pray for an extra hour every day.”

“Understood.”

Konel nodded and continued.

“Alcen mentioned that I had colluded with the infiltrators, it seems that was not an entirely baseless claim.”

“What do you mean?”

“Do you remember the large potion workshop that was said to supply the Ivory Tower by subcontracting?”

I looked briefly out the window at the long building.

“I remember. They said they were processing some cave moss.”

“These people were workers at that workshop. The association helped them get employed. They were quietly smuggling finished products somewhere.”

Konel spoke clearly.

“Since you’re the association president, it must have been quite a troublesome situation. Is it okay now?”

I momentarily deviated the topic, and Konel answered, looking a bit troubled.

“Your Excellency has taken care of everything. Since that day, no one has mentioned the corruption to me.”

“Good. Continue.”

“I have obtained the address of that somewhere.”

I smiled with satisfaction.

Noticing that I involuntarily heightened my spirit, I felt my pupils change vertically.

I could see the higher-ups and combat team members stiffening up with tension.

“Good job.”

“This is my gift of gratitude to you. Please take this to the church.”

In Konel’s gaze, I felt a strong will not to owe me anything.

Seeing her intent not to be subservient to me, I couldn’t help but smile faintly.

“Then wouldn’t it be better for you to go? When spring comes, more food will be needed.”

“Although it’s a voluntary report, revealing that such an incident occurred within my jurisdiction wouldn’t sit well. But since you are the Duke, won’t you be able to deal with the upper echelon of the church in the shadows? You could also receive gratitude from the upper levels of the church in the process.”

It was indeed crucial to find reasons to get closer to the black saint.

I happily accepted the paper bag she gave me.

“Thank you, I’ll gratefully accept it.”

“Yes, Your Excellency. And those…”

“They can’t be saved now. At this point, they will either die from purification or live their entire lives merely breathing.”

Konel let out a small sigh.

There was a hint of regret in her eyes.

As long as she looks at death with such eyes, I could continue to entrust this street to her.

“Understood.”

“Yeah. Let’s meet again after you get elected.”

* * *

In Jeilliris’s office, warm sunlight poured in once more today.

Whether it was a blessing from the God of Radiance or surveillance, if I had to tell others, I would always call it a blessing.

The office had higher ceilings than other buildings.

Of course, it couldn’t compare to the audience chamber below with pillars over 20m high, but it was still high enough to gaze upward.

Seeing the colorful stained glass with intricate patterns rising to 5m above her back, I could feel the Emperor’s halo.

“What a beautiful day.”

Jeilliris said with a strong smile as she signed a document and handed it to the administrative officer.

She was dressed in a flame-red gown, and unlike usual, adorned her hands with ruby and gold bracelets instead of joint rings.

“What significant decision did you just make?”

I asked politely as I lowered my head.

“I decided to dispatch knights and administrative officers to mediate a settlement between Count Dorcaisis and Count Antares regarding their territorial dispute, in accordance with my wishes.”

Jeilliris spoke with her golden eyes narrowing like a crescent moon.

Sunshine lightly brushed against her long eyelashes and disappeared.

Mediating a settlement.

Given that she welcomed the new year and spring on the battlefield before her return, it felt like an overwhelming leap through time.

Well, indeed, when the first button is fastened well, everything proceeds smoothly.

If I keep putting in more effort, perhaps the bloodshed won’t extend beyond a purge?

As ten and twenty years pass, the voices calling Jeilliris a tyrant will also diminish.

“Since ancient times, no matter how expensive, dirty, or annoying, peace is always better than war. Both counts will accept Your Majesty’s wise decision.”

I spoke with the brightest tone.

Jeilliris spoke with a hint of scorn.

“It is an opportunity to use two new scrolls developed by Duke Sorelazie in a real battle.”

“What?!”

I widened my eyes in shock.

“When Count Dorcaisis and Count Antares arrive at the meeting, my loyal knights will swiftly take their heads.”

“What do you mean?”

“Both of them will be wearing armor inscribed with an incantation circuit, so we can check if the scroll inscribed with electric diffusion magic and the scroll inscribed with electric infiltration magic will do their jobs.”

“Reconsider, please!”

Jeilliris shook her head.

The smile on her lips twisted sadistically.

“We have waited long enough, and the two counts possess mines that are excavating rare minerals along the boundary of their territories. The royal family signed a monopoly purchase contract during the former and supported a joint development investment of 15,000 gold coins, yet they continue to fight without even attempting to collaborate on mining.”

“Oh.”

They had been given gold coins to develop peacefully instead of fighting.

“Moreover, they have been demanding additional funds under the guise of wanting to develop the mine for the past 30 years. Duke Valencius, do you understand? Thirty years, I say.”

The furious Emperor’s voice reverberated through the office.

“Those gold coins, made from the sweat and blood of my citizens, have been squandered by those two for thirty years. I cannot sit idly by and let this mine remain idle.”

It was astonishing that the former Emperor had left it alone for thirty years.

Then they should die.

“I was foolishly nagging without knowing anything. Send me as the vanguard!”

Jeilliris clicked her tongue and shook her head.

“Right. I knew the Duke would understand.”

“You don’t intend to just kill them, do you?”

“Of course not. Fortunately, both counts have daughters and sons. If I marry them off, joint development will proceed. Their descendants will inherit both countships, so from then on, there will be no problems.”

It was indeed a rational judgment characteristic of Jeilliris.

Of course, the two counts will perish, but if they have been fighting for thirty years, isn’t it about time for them to die?

“You are wise.”

“By the way, why did the Duke request an audience with me?”

“Recently in the slums…”

I explained the matter related to the infiltrators that had been at the end of my dealings with Konel more intensively.

The issues concerning the royal family and the church weren’t something I could handle alone.

“The infiltrators were sending parcels somewhere? Where is that?”

I handed over the paper bag, and after reading the documents inside, Jeilliris clicked her tongue.

“What a coincidence indeed. It’s near the borders of Count Dorcaisis and Count Antares.”

“Wait? Does this mean the potion flowed to the mine?”

“No. The mine is at the eastern edge of the boundary, while this area is at the western edge of the boundary. I don’t know what’s there. It would suffice if we can offer a bit of courtesy to the church with this.”

“Yes. I will aim to build rapport with the saint. Considering the timeline… I should return by autumn.”

The church didn’t use wyverns, so it was common for local administration to take years.

“Autumn? Are you planning to be away from the capital until then?”

Jeilliris frowned as if to say not to talk nonsense, then she wrote something on a piece of high-quality paper beside her and finished with her signature.

“Duke Valencius.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“Receive this. I grant you a wyvern. Whatever happens, be sure to return in a month.”

Her voice conveyed to me that I had no right to refuse.

“If it is a command, I shall gladly obey.”

I accepted the paper.

Thinking about persuading the saint and her associates made my head spin.

The church tightly held local administration, so I would at least know where I was.

It would be great if it were a relatively less dangerous place.

* * *

Bishop Hong, Argos, frowned upon hearing the location.

“Yes. I am well acquainted with it. It’s a monastery.”

A monastery?

Why are the infiltrators sending potions to a monastery?