---

325. Childhood ep – Discrimination

Cardinal Berg was kidnapped.

He had met Sister Grinen at the Baron Monarch’s estate, using the pilgrimage as an excuse, wandering around to lead the filthy scoundrels who sinned and crossed the borders to repent.

“Who are you?”

“Cardinal Berg, is it?”

Three robust men appeared. They looked like knights at first glance and were polite initially.

The knight who introduced himself as Galen revealed that he served Prince Lean de Yeriel as a royal knight. Berg thought, ‘They arrived sooner than I expected.’

He had heard rumors last autumn that Prince Lean was alive.

Berg was worried whether this would bode ill or well for his plan to overturn the kingdom, but the rumors contained surprising news.

His lovely granddaughter, Ksenia, was to become engaged to the prince.

Berg immediately made contact. He knew it was pointless to contact his son; he decided to go through his daughter-in-law instead…

Communication went back and forth over several days.

Initially, Edlyn replied.

His daughter-in-law explained the recent events (along with some gossip about her husband) and said that things had worked out. The engagement was broken, but the two intended to marry soon… Then the replies changed.

Grandfather!

I met a wonderful person. You will bless us, right? He said he would be traveling for a while. When he returns, we plan to go down to our territory to marry. I hope you can officiate the ceremony.

Miss you. Ksenia /

Honestly, I wasn’t thrilled.

Why did it have to be Prince Lean de Yeriel? He would surely want to reclaim his title. If Ksenia married him, I would have no choice but to help him. Berg couldn’t reply right away and worried for days, grasping the church’s sacrament to communicate.

So, you met a good person. Grandfather is happy. Absolutely… something or other. But I’m concerned you’re getting caught up in a big mess. He is… blah blah.

In summary (he tried to congratulate as much as possible), it meant that he opposed their union. Although it pained Berg to respond that way, the reply he received was a resolute one.

I love him. /

“……”

The noose around me is truly deep and heavy.

There are no coincidences in this world. Only paths guided by the Lord. Berg thought he should talk to the prince and replied, but mistakenly.

He left yesterday. When he returns, he’ll come down to marry me. /

The days spent worrying turned out to be fatal. Good grief… He clicked his tongue while waiting for a reply from the church.

Instead, he received a message from the Oberg church.

They said they sent someone in advance. A man named Reb is coming to seek your help. And…

/cardinali

Delens recordum./

Cardinal Berg concluded the conversation and asked the priest from the Oberg church who handled the communications to erase the records, then turned around.

It seemed that things would flow differently from his plan, and he had no idea when Reb would arrive. Facing winter, he set out on a pilgrimage.

This time, it felt like it would take a while. Since he was going, he thought he might as well check in with the prince and granddaughter.

Berg took note of the king’s condition and sought permission from Prince Eric de Yeriel to be away for an extended pilgrimage. He handled business at the Rutina Church and assigned oversight duties to a promising child among the teachers at the Grania orphanage.

And he left. Not knowing in what state he would return.

When the royal knight who introduced himself as Galen stubbornly insisted, “Where is this Reb fellow? I can’t help until I speak with him,” Berg was suddenly bagged.

“What impudence… Mmmph!”

I’m getting old indeed.

Ambushed, Berg was kidnapped. He only got his gag removed for meals twice a day and was given a chance to relieve himself. Each time, he got angry or tried talking, but his captors were stubborn beyond reason, enough to make even Berg surrender.

They had fought for over ten years believing Prince Lean was dead. It was like talking to a wall, and in the end, giving up was all he could do. ‘Lean! Just wait and see!’ he ground his teeth.

Thus, they… arrived at Rutina. No, when the bag was removed, it was Rutina.

Of course! Naturally, these audacious kidnappers were flagged and caught. Carrying the squirming bag as if they had caught a ‘fish’ while entering the capital, there was no way they wouldn’t get apprehended. The soldier who unbagged him exclaimed in surprise.

“You… You are Cardinal Berg? Then these crazy guys…”

“Cardinal Berg! We must go to the royal palace at once!”

“Lock those men away properly. Oof, my back… Hmm? What day is it today? The streets are quite festive.”

“Did you not know? Today is the wedding of His Highness Eric de Yeriel…”

“Cardinal!!”

“…What? Suddenly after saying nothing, now you have something to say?”

“I also didn’t know, so I couldn’t tell you. All I know is Reb said he has to strike down Prince Eric de Yeriel, and from the orphans, we heard he has already invaded. You need to hurry…”

“Orphans? What have you done to my children!”

Berg bellowed, his bushy beard bristling. He hastily quickened his steps, intending to rush to the orphanage, when all of a sudden, something dreadful brushed against the back of his head.

Turning around, he saw a dark hole in the sky over the royal palace. And looking down into that hole…

“Domini, Defendat!”

Berg shouted an incantation he had learned but never used before.

A vile being.

He had heard that such a thing existed but never thought it would be real. The citizens outside the protective spell began rushing towards the palace as if possessed, and Berg followed suit.

*

“Such vile beings really do exist!”

“It’s the Cardinal!!”

As soon as Cardinal Berg arrived, the situation turned upside down. He was unlike Leah, who was elevated to High Priestess level, bestowed with {Holy} powers.

The Cross Church fundamentally followed a hierarchical system. Of course, clergy were equal, meaning ranks were based on titles rather than status.

The titles ranged from ordinary believers scattered across the continent to active members of the church, clergymen who had received training but lacked powers, to priests who had received both.

This system of ecclesiastical hierarchy had seven distinct titles for the clergy.

Regular clergy, priests, and monastics were the first tier, followed by the Abbot, responsible for overseeing a church, and the pastor of a parish and their assistant (Deacon).

Clerics with titles above that are classified as High Priests.

These are referred to as senior clergy. Beyond this, hardly any monks could be promoted, with priests occupying most of the space.

High Priests are divided into those managing regions like bishops and those stationed in major city churches as pastors.

Generally, when people hear High Priest, they refer to a parish priest who holds a pastor-level position – the one who would often take Leah to the monastery church was Ophelia, who was promoted from a parish priest.

On the other hand, a high-ranking bishop refers to one managing multiple parishes, receiving the title of bishop.

So when does the cardinal come into play?

Cardinals are specially elected individuals among the High Priests and bishops during the high assembly of the supreme church.

There are a total of nine cardinals.1)

Three reside at the supreme church, while the other six work as archbishops, overseeing all parishes in their respective kingdoms.2)

This highlights how high-ranking a cardinal is. This is clear in why knights would cheer for him.

However, the knights cheered not just because he bore the title of cardinal. Cardinal Berg held a significance far beyond that of ordinary High Priests (including cardinals).

The high priest, who realizes his given mission and acts, called forth a colossal warrior wielding a sword and shield comparable to a spire, rising above Cardinal Berg as it basked in the sunset.

It was the god Lachar. Oriax stammered backward, whining.

– M-Master, what wrong have I done? I fought for the prosperity of my race that worships you, and since they vanished, I’ve simply lived to exist. Is that a sin?

= Indeed. That is your sin.

Oriax grew furious.

– Why? Is it because you, my Lord, favor humans? Why does the Lord discriminate?

Oriax’s rebuttal had a point. The backing that enabled humans to push out other races lay in ‘mana’ and ‘divine power.’

Since the toddler Akiunen, mana that had been scattered across the continent like a blue moon and the divine power granted exclusively to humans through the Holy Woman led to the rise of the Cross Church, which allied with the Acaian Empire, sweeping across the continent.

An era that was once diverse with thriving races turned into an age solely for humans.

However, Lachar scoffed.

= You speak as if something terrible was inflicted upon you, which has nothing to do with you. Did you truly fight for your race’s prosperity? The Minotaurs summoned you out of their greed and did not seek your involvement. That was back when it had nothing to do with humans.

– ……

= It was you who drove the Minotaurs to ruin. And yet you dare to exist so brazenly. What a thick skin you have.

– …What does it matter?

Oriax retorted.

– As a mere creature… how I treat my believers is my business.

= Exactly. I think the same.

Lachar smiled slyly.

= You, too, are but a creature. Depart with care. You must reckon for the hole you’ve punctured in the veil.

Lachar’s sword swung with a shwing!

Though blocked by horns, it suppressed Oriax and raised his shield, sealing the blood-spewing hole.

Oriax attempted to flee until the last moment, leading the believers he had summoned with his own blood, the Minotaurs.

It was a futile effort.

The one flailing bound by Leah’s golden thread was hacked down by Reb and the knights, and Bart, to the point of exhaustion. The golden thread tightened and shattered the heap of carcasses into pieces.

I caught a glimpse of the hand gripping the golden thread. It bore wide sleeves.

“I got him! It’s over!”

Cheers erupted.

However, Oriax had not yet disappeared. Like a net filled with fish, a large rock hung in the air, caught by the golden thread.

Oriax’s lifeline.

Reb gestured to Bart. Bart seemed to have mixed emotions as he took up his sword, then paused momentarily. He twirled the sword made from the weapons of their fallen comrades… “Ready!”

He pierced with all his might. The tip of the blade barely pierced the stone, and somewhere there echoed a faint sound resembling a cow’s moan. But,

“Did that quest fail?”

“Uh… well…”

[ Quest: Guardian, 1/4 – Barbatos ]

The message did not appear. Flustered, Reb hesitated in responding to Leah’s inquiry, then suddenly had a realization.

“I need to contact Lean. It was the same when we caught Barbatos. I didn’t receive a message.”

“Huh? Why?”

“Because I’m not the main character this round? Lean would have gotten the message. First, let’s clean up and then get in touch.”

“Hmm… that seems a bit much. Good job, Reb.”

“What? Hahaha!”

It had been a hard day, but Reb brightened instantly. Leah’s single complaint directed at the Lord was far more refreshing than all the curses he and Leo had shared until now.

It felt like they were understood.

And with only happiness left to live forward. Reb took her hand.

Leah did not refuse.

1) Since the Asran Kingdom was not divided, one less was needed.
2) Four cardinals, including Cardinal Michael, the archbishop of the Jerome Holy Kingdom, reside at the supreme church.