Chapter 411

The paladin, who had been nervously glancing at me, seemed to make a big decision and hesitantly approached me.

“Um, excuse me… if it’s not too much trouble, could I ask you for a favor?”

“A favor? Sure, as long as it’s nothing too troublesome. What is it?”

I nodded readily.

If it were a noble, maybe, but a paladin wouldn’t bother me unless they’d lost their mind.

“Thank you! If it’s not too much, could you tell me the story of how you defeated the Winter Wolf? I’m sure it was an epic battle…!”

A heroic tale?

Well, if they want to hear it, I guess I can tell them…

“I’d like to hear it too! I didn’t get to hear the details last time!”

Since Rana said that too, I figured it wouldn’t hurt to share a bit.

“If you insist. So, it was like this…”

While waiting for the Archbishop’s response, I began recounting the relentless and brutal pursuit through the snowy plains to Rana and the paladin.

The fierce siege at Pailoon Castle, the chase through the thorny forest.

After breaking out of the forest, we pursued the enemy near the Northern Wall, where the final battle took place.

The two listened so intently that you could barely hear their breathing.

“—And this is the Ryu-rik hide armor. As you can see, thanks to the beastmen’s craftsmanship, it regenerates even if torn.”

“Wow, oh wow…! Amazing. Self-regenerating armor? It’s like a miracle weapon! And to think it’s made from the Winter Wolf’s hide… I never thought I’d see such a rare item in person…!”

They were way too impressed.

Well, where else would you see something like this?

Even I was shocked when Boris made this armor.

“Thanks to the hide, we got this armor. In a way, even in death, he helped humanity.”

“Absolutely right! The only good beastman is a dead one!”

The paladin nodded vigorously in admiration.

I’m not sure if I’m talking to Lacey’s subordinate or a Menes Church paladin…

But whatever.

It’s good that we’re on the same page.

After chatting and smoking for about ten minutes, the person the paladin had sent inside the cathedral finally returned.

With the Archbishop’s permission for an audience.

—

“Welcome. I am Gwinnel, Archbishop of the Holon Diocese.”

Gwinnel, the Archbishop of the Menes Church, looked more like a seasoned paladin than a clergyman.

His graying hair was cut short, emphasizing his decisiveness, and his well-groomed beard highlighted his well-trained chest muscles.

He looked to be in his fifties, but his physique rivaled that of active knights.

It was a body that couldn’t be maintained without strict self-discipline.

“The pleasure is mine. I am Ha-shal-leur of the Median family.”

Following Gwinnel’s gesture to sit, I settled into the sofa across from him and offered a polite greeting.

“To think I’d meet the hero of the Great Invasion… I’ve lived long enough to see this day. I must thank Menes.”

“You flatter me. It wasn’t my achievement alone. The knights of Pailoon and the reinforcements sent by the Menes Church fought tirelessly. That’s what made it possible.”

I humbly deflected the praise while subtly boosting the Menes Church.

[What kind of scam are you trying to pull with that fake modesty?]

‘Scam? That’s harsh. I’m just here to make a good proposal. This is just laying the groundwork.’

No one dislikes praise, and to some extent, it was true.

Without the Menes Church’s help, even if I had defeated Ryu-rik, the casualties would have doubled.

Gwinnel smiled, seemingly satisfied.

“Haha. No need to be so formal. Though you hold a position equivalent to an Archbishop in the Elpinel Church, you’re practically one of us, given Menes’ watchful eye. So, speak freely.”

Being watched by Menes isn’t exactly a good thing…

But since it earned the Church’s favor, I’ll let it slide.

Lately, I’ve been having fewer of those strange nightmares.

“Thank you for your consideration. Then I shall.”

Though Gwinnel said to speak freely, I couldn’t just start using informal speech.

People who say that rarely actually like it when you do.

Even Leopold, who dropped formalities entirely, seemed flustered and subtly hinted at me to watch my tone.

This guy wouldn’t be any different.

I’m here to negotiate, after all. Being rude would only hurt me.

“So, what brings you here? You mentioned wanting to discuss beastmen issues… Shouldn’t you be going to Pailoon for that?”

“That’s part of it… and more.”

Playing dumb.

An Archbishop-level figure would’ve already guessed the real reason for my visit.

“Let’s start with the beastmen. The mastermind of the Great Invasion, Ryu-rik, has been defeated, as you can see from this armor. Half of his elite warriors, the Paladins, have also been killed. But unfortunately, the most dangerous one escaped beyond the Sky Mountain Range. A beastman named Oleg, the Snow Tiger…”

“Oleg? Ah, the tiger who humiliated Sir Noah!”

“Yes, that’s the one. He’s an extremely dangerous beastman.”

I passionately explained the threat Oleg posed to the Archbishop.

His overwhelming strength, even when outnumbered by Menes Church’s high-ranking paladins Noah and Freide. His decisiveness in retreating when the situation turned against him. His suspicious movements afterward…

“…Given that Ryu-rik’s forces used a classic feint and Oleg’s betrayal at the end, I believe their original strategy was to lure us in and then surround us with reinforcements. But when we reached the Northern Wall, there were no reinforcements or Oleg.”

“Truly beastly, with no sense of honor or loyalty. Betraying his nation, leader, comrades, and subordinates… truly beastly behavior.”

Well, if we’re talking about betraying comrades, humans probably outdo any other species.

Just look at what the Holy Kingdom is doing.

“Perhaps Oleg saw this as an opportunity to use humans to eliminate his rivals and become the king of Baraykruz. A despicable scheme, but… in other words, he’s cunning enough to fool even his fellow beastmen and seize opportunities. That’s how intelligent he is.”

I exaggerated a bit, but it was close to the truth.

Ryu-rik was dangerous, but Oleg was a true boss monster.

“Even if his strength doesn’t match Ryu-rik’s, among the Paladins, there’s no one who can rival him. No, given his youth, he’ll only grow stronger. A beast with strength, wisdom, ferocity, and cunning. In my opinion, he has the potential to become an even greater threat than Ryu-rik.”

“Hmm… If you say so, he must be no ordinary beast.”

Gwinnel stroked his beard, his expression hardening.

Even with Duke Valdemar’s cooperation, the knight who single-handedly defeated the Winter Wolf was emphasizing Oleg’s threat.

For the Menes Church, which opposes beastmen, this wasn’t something they could ignore.

“Exactly. Right now, he’s probably recovering his losses beyond the Sky Mountain Range, but someday, he’ll likely lead a force even larger than Ryu-rik’s southward. No, he’ll definitely come south. Unless the Empire and the Church unite like during the last Great Invasion, stopping him won’t be easy. Yet, the current Church—”

I seized the opportunity to continue my spiel.

If the Menes Church, the Imperial Army, and Pailoon don’t cooperate, we can’t stop the Great Invasion.

If the conflict between the two nations continues, many will fall prey to the beastmen. Is that what Menes truly desires?

With the world in crisis, shouldn’t the Church set aside petty conflicts and cooperate for humanity’s sake?

I tried to persuade him with this logic.

“Hmm… I understand your point. But it’s not easy to join hands with the Elpinel Church now. As just an Archbishop, I can’t go against the Cardinal’s will.”

“I understand that. All I ask is for an opportunity to discuss this with the Cardinal, along with Priestess Elmain.”

This was the real purpose of my visit to the Archbishop.

To secure a private audience with the Menes Church’s Cardinal. That was Lacey’s wish.

Before the hearing, we needed to at least have a private meeting to present our negotiation terms.

If Lacey requested an audience, it would likely be ignored, so I had to use Archbishop Gwinnel to facilitate backdoor negotiations.

“Even if you meet, the Cardinal’s stance is unlikely to change…”

Archbishop Gwinnel looked somewhat troubled.

Not that my request was unpleasant, but he seemed skeptical that it would make a difference.

“Well… that’s up to Priestess Elmain. This is confidential, but she’s even considering… you know.”

I whispered the last part. Gwinnel’s beard trembled in shock.

It must’ve been a shocking compromise.

“Is that… true? Truly astonishing. I never thought she’d go that far…”

“What do you think? Would that be enough to grant an audience?”

I smiled as gently as possible, tilting the corners of my mouth.

Gwinnel, who had been glancing between me and the table with slightly wavering eyes, slowly nodded.

“Hmm… If that’s the case… hmm… Alright. I’ll convey it to the Cardinal. Once you arrive in Alhebron, visit the main branch of the Menes Church.”

“Thank you for your cooperation.”

I smiled and bowed in gratitude.

Hersela had grumbled about me bowing my head too easily, but that was none of my concern.

With this, the main purpose of my visit was achieved.

Well, it was Lacey’s purpose, not mine.

—

Of course, that wasn’t the end of the story.

Aside from Lacey’s business, I still had my own.

The matter of the drug dens I’d seen in the back alleys on the way here.