Chapter 404

“Sir Paladin, may I ask you something? There’s something I’m curious about.”

I spoke to the gatekeeper who was trying to let us pass.

Lacey seemed ready to just move on, but I had no intention of doing so.

“Is that so? If you have any questions, I’d be happy to answer them… but first, please step inside the gate. Three carriages blocking the entrance would make it difficult for others to pass.”

“Alright, fine.”

Since he wasn’t wrong, we crossed the border gate and entered the Holy Kingdom.

“Sir Median, I appreciate your concern for me. But there’s no need to cause trouble as soon as we arrive…”

“No, it’s necessary.”

Lacey, who had caught on to my intentions, whispered to stop me, but I had no intention of following her lead.

If you let things slide and give in, the other side doesn’t appreciate it—they just push harder.

If you’re going to talk nonsense, you better be ready to deal with the consequences.

“Just trust me. I’m only going to have a few words with him. I’m not planning to cause any trouble.”

“Sigh… Please be careful. Giving the enemy a reason to act isn’t wise.”

Lacey let out a faint sigh and stepped back, her expression clearly showing her thoughts—’Is this guy planning to kill the paladin right from the start?’

You’re overthinking it. I’m not planning to draw my sword or anything.

I just want to make a light critique.

After pulling the carriage to the side of the road, the paladin who had left his subordinates at the gate walked over to us.

I lit a cigarette and waited for him to approach.

“So, what are you curious about?”

Hmm, how big is your liver?

“Oh, it’s nothing much… I just wanted to ask if blind people can guard the gates in the Holy Kingdom. Entrusting border security to someone who’s lost their sight? That’s taking welfare policies a bit too far, don’t you think?”

As expected, Leonor, who was listening from inside the carriage, chuckled.

Lacey facepalmed.

“…What do you mean by that?”

The paladin’s expression hardened as he caught the sarcasm in my tone.

What do I mean? Are you seriously asking because you don’t understand?

I calmly exhaled cigarette smoke and smirked at the paladin.

“No, it’s like this. Did you not see who was in this carriage next to me? If you didn’t recognize them, then your eyes are blind. If you did recognize them and stayed silent, then your guts are rotten… but judging by your complexion, your guts seem fine. So, it must be your eyes, right?”

I pointed to the carriage Lacey was in and pressed him.

“…You’re going too far.”

The paladin’s eyebrows twitched as he replied in a lowered voice.

It was refreshing to see him openly show his displeasure. In the Empire, aside from Duke Bien, no one dared to act like this toward me.

If you don’t like sarcasm, maybe you shouldn’t dish it out first.

It’s fine when you’re sarcastic, but when someone else does it, it’s going too far? Your standards are all over the place.

Aren’t you ashamed of the scales emblem on your armor?

“So, you’re saying I should have greeted Priest Staldorf instead of Sir Median… is that what you’re implying?”

“Priest Staldorf? Did you just say Priest Staldorf? Even if our Church Orders are different, isn’t it a bit rude to refer to a Saint candidate like that? Since when did high-ranking paladins stand above Saint candidates? That’s not what I’ve heard.”

Now you’re just blatantly disrespectful.

It’s a miracle Bels hasn’t rushed out yet. He’s probably being held back by Lacey from drawing his sword and charging out.

“There seems to be a misunderstanding… Priest Staldorf’s Saint candidacy is currently suspended. So, among your group, Sir Median is the highest-ranking. Does that answer your question?”

…Suspended?

I was at a loss for words at the unexpected response.

Wait, the position of Saint candidate can be suspended? Does that even make sense?

“Hold on, hold on. I don’t get it. A Saint candidate is someone chosen by the gods themselves, blessed with a divine mark, right? That’s what I thought. Can the Church Order just suspend that position? Isn’t that blasphemy?”

“That’s the doctrine of the Elpinel Church Order. In our Astraea Church Order, we consider the divine mark not as a blessing but as a kind of proof. It’s a mark given to those who understand the will of the gods, dedicate themselves to their tasks, and spread their grace across the land.”

The paladin calmly began to explain in detail.

So, even the position of Saint candidate can be treated differently depending on the Church Order? I didn’t know that.

“Since the Saint candidate is meant for that purpose… those who misunderstand the will of the gods or lack the ability to fulfill their tasks must refine themselves as priests until they are worthy of that honor. Until then, even if they’ve received the divine mark, they’re just ordinary priests. Without strict religious education and thorough self-discipline, if someone were to rise to the position of Saint candidate just because they received the divine mark… it could lead to a situation where the bearer of the divine mark tarnishes the authority of the gods.”

So, if they’re deemed lacking or unsatisfactory, they’re treated more like a candidate for the Saint candidate position rather than the actual Saint candidate.

They might eventually be recognized as a Saint candidate, but when that happens depends on the higher priests.

It’s a system with a nice name but full of issues.

“In Priest Staldorf’s case, the problem was forming a private organization called the General Diocese within the Empire, which led to her suspension pending an explanation. She violated the doctrine by aligning with secular power.”

“Hmm… I see.”

…This guy, his expression management is a mess, but his words are smooth. There’s no opening to dig into.

I flicked the ash off my cigarette and sighed.

I wanted to press further, but unfortunately, there was no clear angle to attack.

If this were the Empire, maybe, but in a foreign country, if you’re going to mess with their high-ranking forces, you need at least a convincing reason.

Or be prepared to make the entire country your enemy.

“…Well… if that’s the case, then fine. I misunderstood. You can go now.”

I took a deep drag of my cigarette and waved him off. The paladin walked away, clearly wanting to say more but unable to, looking frustrated.

Judging by his face, he’ll probably take it out on his soldiers after we leave.

—

“Confidently stepping forward, only to be completely defeated by words?”

Leonor laughed as I got back into the carriage.

“…Shut up. How was I supposed to know Lacey had been demoted to a regular priest?”

I leaned against the window, puffing on my cigarette with a sulky expression.

Damn, this is embarrassing. I stepped forward to assert dominance, but I just ended up looking like a fool.

I even told Lacey to trust me.

“I find it adorable when you’re like this. Don’t you, Rana? Look at her, her ears are all red.”

Leonor poked Rana’s cheek with one hand and pointed at me with the other, giggling.

Laughing at your master’s embarrassment? You’re a disgrace as a bodyguard.

“Umm… Cheer up, sis! These things happen!”

Rana patted my shoulder with an expression that was hard to read.

“Thanks… I guess.”

I appreciated her attempt to cheer me up, but it only made me feel more embarrassed.

Comfort from a child always stings more.

I had no choice but to bow my head with an indescribable expression. Leonor burst out laughing at the sight.

[Hehe, hehehe… Ahahaha! What a disgrace, a total disgrace! So confident, and look at you now!]

‘I know, you don’t have to say it…!’

Even Hersela couldn’t stop laughing.

—

Even though I was humiliated, I did gain something.

At least I got one piece of information.

When Lacey heard that her position had been suspended, she was so shocked that her eyes widened and she just stood there with her mouth open.

She stayed like that for almost ten seconds. That’s how big the shock was.

“Uh… is that really true?”

The question she finally asked wasn’t filled with anger but pure confusion.

“What, you didn’t expect it? That guy was talking like it was the most natural thing.”

Lacey shook her head.

“There’s no way it’s natural. In the history of the Holy Kingdom, the suspension of a priest’s authority who has received the divine mark has happened less than four times. I never thought they’d take such an extreme measure…”

Only three times in hundreds of years of history? That’s definitely shocking.

By that standard, even if Lacey had killed someone, the punishment would’ve been lighter.

“It must be the work of the Shaulite and Astraea Church Orders. Suspending authority? How dare those who couldn’t even produce a Saint candidate…!”

Bels clenched her fists, baring her teeth.

This is the first time I’ve seen her so aggressive. Maybe she has a lot of resentment toward the other Church Orders.

“So, what now? If your authority is suspended, do we have to scrap the original plan?”

“…No. That won’t be necessary. The original plan didn’t rely on my official authority anyway. Even if my position as a Saint candidate is suspended, the Special Operations Unit is still loyal to me personally, so it doesn’t matter.”

A military organization loyal to an individual regardless of their position? Isn’t that just a private army?

Is it even allowed for a priest to raise such a group?

This woman, the more I see her, the more she resembles a mustachioed uncle with a private guard…

If she ends up like him, it’ll be a real tragedy.