Chapter 59

Angelos was conversing with his fellow holy knights behind the main hall of the cathedral, where the seven towers rose majestically.

“Holy knights should only point their swords at the enemies of the Church. Did we not wield our swords for the glory of the Lord, not for our own?”

A burly holy knight replied in a deep voice, “Archbishop Argos and Archbishop Paolavan are currently at odds, and many of our brothers have divided into two factions to support each of them, but we must not act rashly.”

A holy knight with long hair tied back also nodded in agreement. “It is their duty to analyze the doctrine and engage in heated discussions. Weapons should be wielded according to the Lord’s will, and we must not overthink it.”

At that moment, they saw two men coming out the back door of the cathedral.

With black curly hair and dark eyes, their saint approached, dressed in black robes, featuring a prominent nose and deep-set eyes befitting a man.

“We greet your voice.”

“Saint, who is the one behind you…?”

A boy duke with white hair and golden eyes walked gracefully, like a model from a fashion show.

“The duke, must we truly…?”

“No one can fight against two enemies simultaneously. It is far more frightening to have an incompetent ally than a capable enemy.”

As they glanced sideways at the hesitant saint, who seemed to be wary of the duke, the holy knights thought to themselves that Duke Valencius was threatening the saint.

“Duke Valencius?”

“What brings you here!”

Without regard for their factions, the holy knights turned against Valencius.

Bringing infiltrators into the cathedral was a grave sin that warranted excommunication for nobles and execution for commoners.

An impatient holy knight had already placed a hand on his sword hilt.

At that moment, a red-haired knight closely followed behind the duke.

“As long as I, Tenitia, am here, no one shall aim for the duke’s neck from behind.”

“Does that mean you’ll let me aim for it from the front?”

“You must allow for a fair fight.”

Although the conversation was draining, Angelos and the holy knights found themselves bewildered enough that they could not hear the two’s voices.

“Silver Knight!”

The hierarchy between knights and holy knights was a topic of much debate among many.

But if the opponent wore the highest quality plate armor inscribed with an incantation circuit, the discussion was different.

That armor rendered any skill differences irrelevant.

Moreover, the wearer was none other than the sacred Tenitia of the Silver Knight Order, who would certainly be a formidable opponent even without the armor.

Angelos raised a hand, representing the group.

“Brothers and sisters. Let us calm down for now. What kind of spectacle is this before the saint?”

The holy knights lowered their hands from their swords.

Valencius smiled with satisfaction. “Sword of Light, Angelos. May I have a moment to talk?”

“I’m afraid I have nothing to discuss with you, Your Grace.”

“It is a matter concerning the saint’s safety.”

Angelos felt the overwhelming urge to punch Valencius, but nodded nonetheless.

Valencius led Angelos a bit away to the shade of a tree, while Saint Matheos stood at an ambiguous distance between the holy knights and Valencius.

Angelos openly frowned and gestured with his chin.

It was clear that he was not being cooperative.

Negotiating for desired actions seemed nearly impossible.

But Valencius was the best negotiator.

He pointed his gloved hand toward the sky and spoke in a calm voice.

“Holy Knight Angelos. Listen closely. About a month from now, a meteorite will fall upon this cathedral. To prevent that, I need your help.”

The best negotiators did not negotiate.

“…What did you just say?!”

Angelos’ expression turned sour, and the tremor in his eyes was unmistakable.

He had genuinely despised Valencius, but he could not dismiss his words.

“So you are aware of the rivalry between the two factions.”

Nodding, Valencius continued, “Since I can’t trust the secular lords, we must lead the crusade against the infiltrators with the Church at the forefront. We need to demand cooperation from the secular lords in the form of materials and manpower. That is what the local bishops and Archbishop Paolavan said, is it not?”

“That’s correct.”

“The Emperor has defined that as a rebellious conspiracy.”

“What do you mean…?!”

“To use the lord’s land, property, and subjects. If they do not cooperate, we will use the influence of the Church to attack. Change ‘the Church’ to ‘another lord’ or ‘the other faction.’ Doesn’t that clearly sound like treason?”

Angelos could not find the words to respond.

“The Emperor declared that if the Paolavan faction becomes the mainstream of the Church at the November meeting, he would erase the cathedral, the center for the traitors, from the map.”

“?!”

In Angelos’ common sense, this made absolutely no sense.

Excommunication was a given, and numerous nations and lords would sever relations with Jeilliris, and the loyal citizens of the capital would surely rise up immediately.

“I know. Excommunication is certain, and the princes and nobles of the entire continent, as well as the loyal citizens of the capital, will rebel.”

After a brief pause, Valencius continued. “But was it any different when the Emperor ascended to the throne?”

“!”

“The tyrant emperor, a mass murderer of kin. That is how he is known in the world. There has never been an emperor who has killed so many of his own relatives, and there likely never will be. So who would dare to point a sword at him?”

Angelos couldn’t bear to respond.

“Do you think his power derives from the support of the people? He is not someone elected by the lords. He donned the crown himself, and no one can make him set it down against his will. Do you have a general understanding of the situation now?”

Gathering his wits, Angelos replied, “So, what exactly are you demanding of me?”

This was the response Valencius had been waiting for.

Since these words came first from the other party’s mouth, the negotiation had succeeded.

He spoke with a smile like that of a devil from Hell, reminiscent of an ancient apostle.

“Help the saint and Archbishop Argos.”

“How am I to assist them?”

“All legitimacy for the Church comes from the saint. You affirm that, do you not?”

Angelos nodded, realizing this to be true.

Matheos was a living testament that the Lord’s presence and gaze touched the earth directly.

“I will fight for the saint, and for Archbishop Argos, who assists the saint. Surely that fight is a just fight as well?”

Angelos nodded, feeling ensnared.

“Then it is settled. Go and tell your friends. Let’s fight to assist the saint. Let’s drive out the Paolavan faction that endangers the Church from the cathedral. Come the day of the meeting, let us unite and prove that the light of justice exists on this land…”

“Do not throw around words like justice needlessly! Archbishop Paolavan is a faithful and good person. How can kidnapping and exiling him be described as justice?”

“If he does not kidnap and exile, then Archbishop Argos will be kidnapped and exiled. And thereafter, a meteorite will fall upon the cathedral.”

“!”

Valencius smiled widely, his grin that of the rogue built before his return.

He found little joy in threatening pure holy knights.

Everyone was a subject following his Emperor; it was best when all ended with smiles.

But if someone had to cry, it could not be Jeilliris.

And if someone had to take on that role, it must be himself.

“Align with the Imperial Court. That’s the only way the Church can survive. We must live well together, no? Ah, if that doesn’t sit well with you, there are other ways.”

“What do you mean?”

“Gather the holy knights under the teachings of Archbishop Paolavan and pressure the Imperial Court for cooperation.”

It was an utterly ridiculous suggestion.

Valencius turned, feeling as if he had said all he needed to say, and added one last remark.

“Discuss with your friends. I’ll see you again tomorrow.”

Angelos squeezed his eyes shut and then opened them as he approached his friends.

“You.”

“Angelos.”

“…We did not wield our swords for our own glory but for the glory of the Lord. Today, we have learned of the enemies who fundamentally undermine the order of the Church. The Paolavan faction, who act against the will of the saint and threaten his loyal followers…”

* * *

The floor of the reception room in the palace where I was granted access was covered with a red carpet, and chairs were arranged around a long rectangular table.

Beyond the south-facing glass window, the view of the capital and the cathedral with its seven spires was faintly visible.

If I had obtained such a house in my teens, it would have been a pretty good life.

I dismissed such trivial thoughts and took a sip from the tea cup that Rudi had poured for me as I shared the events at the Church.

Lady Trentia was holding her nape and swaying, while Sererassie unusually laughed heartily in joy.

“So did those fools ultimately decide to side with you?”

With a coy expression hot with sadistic energy.

“Is there another way? I went to talk to them yesterday. It seems that the Paolavan side is starting to catch on, but I expected that. In the end, it will be a fight to sway the centrist holy knights below the surface.”

“That’s right. In issues like this, the centrists often make up the majority.”

“By mutually working each side to, we’ll gather the holy knights, and on the day of the meeting, as the tension peaks, the outcome will be decided in an instant. The most important thing is how many variables we can bring into play.”

Rudi asked, “Variables?”

“Right. Variables. Perhaps on the day of the mass, a maid who came with me happens to be a magic sharpshooter, and she takes down the Paolavan faction’s holy knights attacking me. Or, the duke Sererassie, who went to the mass with me, discovers his faith and fights to help the saint. Something like that.”

With a sinister glint in his green eyes, Rudi said, “If it is Lord Valen’s will, I will follow him to Hell.”

Sererassie, gripping her staff tightly, added, “I have always wanted to cause a ruckus in the Church. I want to show that Archbishop my magical power.”

Seeing that scene, Lady Trentia let out a deep sigh. “Duke Valen. Among the duties of a knight is to protect the Church.”

I replied, putting on a brave front, “I have told you. If Paolavan comes to power, the Emperor will strike down a meteor upon the Church. How is preventing that and assisting the saint not protecting the Church?”

“Is there no way to resolve this with Paolavan through dialogue?”

I hesitated unusually, considering the chaos that would soon befall the Empire. One holy knight would be a loss.

Let alone a high-ranking cleric like Paolavan.

Purge and violence ultimately lead to self-destructive actions.

Negotiation and dialogue are far more efficient than imagined.

The royalty had killed everyone out of fear of infiltration and exploitation, but the Church was different.

Genuinely, I would also like to end this on a smile.

“I do have a plan, but it must come after a major event. So…”

* * *

After hearing my explanations, Lady Trentia nodded. “I will follow you, Your Grace. I will definitely kidnap and exile Archbishop Paolavan.”

* * *

In the room of Archbishop Paolavan within the cathedral of the seven towers.

An elderly bishop with a kind demeanor was busy with paperwork when a knock was heard.

“Come in.”

The holy knight with violet hair cut so short that his scalp was visible, the bishop wearing a thick rosary, and a woman wrapped in white cloth from head to toe rolled in.

“Angelica greets you, Your Grace. The neutral holy knights surrounding Angelos seem to have completely turned to Argos.”

She was an accomplished swordswoman and faithful devotee who had formed a resistance years prior, closing off the magical realm and returning.

“Seems the rogue has used the Emperor’s name to threaten them. If he shows up, I will never forgive him.”

Angelica gritted her teeth.

Following her, the bishop with the thick rosary saluted. “Your Grace, it’s Rahab. 50 holy knights sent by the local bishops have arrived.”

A mixture of joy and sadness flashed across Paolavan’s face. “I didn’t expect them to send them so quickly. Make sure to spread the word that they’ve arrived.”

Angelica questioned with bewilderment, “I apologize, Your Grace, but isn’t hiding the force the basics of strategy? Considering that rogue Duke Valen, the more trump cards, the better.”

However, Paolavan shook his head firmly. “Do not forget that we are all brothers and sisters of the same denomination. It’s wise to seize the upper hand by intimidating them with numbers and bolster our forces. Sending 50 suggests that the local strength has dwindled by that much, yes? We cannot hold them for long.”

The bishop bowed deeply. “I shall heed your profound wisdom.”

Then the woman wrapped in cloth and wearing a flowing white robe spoke. “Archbishop Paolavan.”

“I am listening, Saint Heris.”

She was the saint, the miraculous witness next to the saint and holy maiden.

“Surely all of this must be the will of the light?”

“Yes, indeed.”

“I wish we could assist our brothers and sisters in the provinces soon.”

Paolavan nodded. “Yes, your sanctity.”

The Empire was vast, and the lords below counts had nearly no central control.

Things that the central and great lords could never imagine occurred calmly in such places.

It was impossible to cooperate with the lords of such areas.

He needed to hold a meeting soon to make a decision.

For the Empire and the continent, the Church had to pull out its sword.

* * *

November 11.

It was an unusually chilly day, and the sky was clear.

Valencius was heading to the cathedral with Tenitia, Sererassie, and Rudi.

Today, one of the two archbishops would leave the capital.