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94. Beggar Siblings – Cardinal Berg

“Excuse me, Your Highness.”

Cardinal Berg stood up and bowed, but it didn’t seem very heartfelt.

Leo didn’t pay much mind and took on the princely way of addressing a priest.

“Please, have a seat. I’m sure we have much to discuss.”

The Cardinal offered Leo a seat and prepared tea. The teaspoon twirled and sparkled brightly.

This time, it wasn’t an illusion. He really had infused the tea water with divine power.

“It’s cold, and all this old man has to offer is just this. I could bring some spices like Canela… would you like that?”

Leo paused for a moment, then gulped down the tea handed to him. He looked at the comfortably seated Cardinal, scrutinizing him.

‘Am I being too sensitive?’

The Cardinal’s words seemed to suggest ‘noble conversation,’ which left Leo a bit confused.

Priests usually spoke plainly and understandably, but saying, “I have nothing to offer a prince who came on a cold day,” could be interpreted as drawing a line, suggesting he had no intention of helping.

Leo felt he needed to play a bit coy.

“No, this is more than enough. I’m simply grateful for your kind gesture of brewing the tea.”

You brewed the tea for me, so don’t you want to help me? — he wondered, while maintaining a seemingly ordinary response.

“Be careful; it’s hot. When did you return? Rutina has changed a lot, hasn’t it?”

It was clear. This man was continuing the noble conversation.

‘Barik Monarch… Could this person really be the illegitimate son who vanished from the Monarch house?’

As his doubts deepened, Leo carefully chose his words.

“I left the city at such a young age that there isn’t much I remember. Finding a place to stay has been difficult, so I’ve just now come to visit. However, I vividly remember this church; I’ve always missed it.”

‘No one helped me then, but that’s not the case now. Was that hot tea rejection sincere?’ he asked, as the Cardinal chuckled warmly.

“Ah, your memory is sharp. The church is a welcoming place for everyone. In fact, there are two others who said similar things to you: Count Geoff Wilend and Marquis Dennis Arne.”

‘What on earth are you plotting?’

Leo fiddled with his teacup, struggling to grasp the Cardinal’s intentions. The Cardinal emphasized that he had no intention of helping but was now introducing two nobles.

Geoff Wilend and Dennis Arne.

Leo knew these individuals. They had been nobles who once opposed Prince Eric de Yeriel’s legitimacy in alliance with Duke Tertan.

Now, they were back in their own territories, having given up on being recruited. They had no desire to compete with Prince Eric…

The problem was the Cardinal’s motives.

Earlier, he offered spices like Canela, and now he was openly trying to introduce them.

‘Is he hoping I’ll have a big clash with Prince Eric? Is he introducing people who might take my side for a showdown?’

That was the only conclusion Leo could come to, but he avoided responding. There was no need for introductions, and he had no intention of following the Cardinal’s whims, as he had no idea what he was thinking.

“Hahaha. It seems many people share similar thoughts. While I was traveling, I met Baron Monarch, and he also expressed how much he missed this place.”

“…”

Leo mentioned Baron Monarch to test the waters. Sure enough, he got a reaction.

Cardinal Berg’s jovial expression stiffened.

“Baron Monarch… Do you know him well, Your Highness?”

“Well, Gustave Peter, or rather, Baron Monarch is quite a frugal person.”

The moment Leo dropped the name ‘Peter,’ cracks appeared on Cardinal Berg’s mask.

He brushed his snowy hair back with a hand as large as a pot lid and spoke with narrowed eyes.

“How surprising! I never imagined Gustave would say he misses this place…”

It felt like he’d touched a nerve.

“That can’t be true.”

“……”

“Well, it’s fine. Prince Leo de Yeriel, you do have quite the extensive connections. You certainly know a lot… So, may I ask what brings you here?”

The Cardinal slammed his teacup down. Leaning forward, he rested his elbows on the table and covered his mouth with his clasped hands.

It was a posture that seemed to say he had no interest in noble discourse anymore.

Leo picked up his teacup and pretended to savor the aroma, stalling for time.

‘Just as I thought, this isn’t going anywhere.’

It was clear that there was a close relationship between Gustave Peter and Cardinal Berg. However, Leo had no idea what kind of relationship they had.

The probability of them being father and son was high, so he subtly tested the waters, but the response was unexpected. They did not seem to share a close relationship.

‘I should just withdraw. It could be dangerous to provoke them further without understanding anything.’

Revealing that he knew about the relationship with Gustave or that he knew his true name was Barik Monarch would gain him nothing.

This wasn’t someone to threaten. There was no fear in the Cardinal’s words or actions—rather, it felt more like an underlying intent of ‘Go on, say whatever you want.’

Leo quickly let go of any lingering thoughts.

If things went wrong, everything he had done so far could go up in smoke, and it wasn’t clear why the Cardinal was necessary in this beggar siblings scenario.

Though he felt uneasy about possibly having missed something… he couldn’t just throw a spanner in the works of something that felt almost complete.

“I came to inquire about my father’s condition.”

“…I see.”

As Leo abruptly shifted the topic, the Cardinal’s expression fell. He uncrossed his arms and spoke in a softened tone.

“But I’m afraid you’re a bit late. The king’s health has worsened since last year, and it’s now difficult to extend his life even with divine power. I’m sorry.”

“…How long do you think he has left?”

The Cardinal gave a smirk, as if saying, ‘What else would you expect of the sons?’

“I’ve already informed Prince Eric, so I should tell you as well, Prince Leo. The king probably won’t make it through this year. Or will he last another month? His condition is really not good.”

“…I see.”

Leo lowered his head, seemingly in sorrow, but internally he thought different thoughts.

‘So, there’s a time limit here too.’

When the king passed away and Eric de Yeriel ascended the throne, things would get seriously complicated. Most of those now swearing loyalty to Leo were knights of the royal order.

Officially, they were supposed to maintain political neutrality, but they resented Eric de Yeriel’s disgraceful actions and legitimacy, so they could be drawn to Leo’s side.

But once Eric ascended the throne, the justification for restoring the legitimate prince would fade, shaking the knights’ loyalty.

While there were achievements in the master-servant relationship…

[ Achievement: Master-Servant Relationship – ‘144’, as long as loyalty does not waver, those who have sworn allegiance will trust and follow Leo. ]

This achievement wasn’t as powerful as it seemed. It appeared impressive at first glance, just like scenario rewards, but it had distinct limitations.

– As long as loyalty does not waver.

When loyalty was sworn, it didn’t secure that loyalty, meaning this achievement was nearly useless aside from counting the numbers of those who swore allegiance.

‘A month, huh…’

Leo thought it had been worth visiting the Cardinal as he nervously fidgeted with his fingers.

He had to take his chances.

He was confident he could win, but…

As Leo’s silence stretched, the Cardinal spoke up.

“Please don’t worry too much. There have been nobles who have come to me venting their grievances against Prince Eric. If you can win their support, it’s not impossible for you, Your Highness.”

That was blatant.

Leo raised his head to stare at him intently. He wanted to ask what his goal was. But even if he asked, he wouldn’t hear the truth… it was frustrating.

‘What should I do here? He seems like someone who has something, but I just can’t tell…’

The conversation felt nearly over, but Leo, determined to salvage something, threw out a question.

“Why have you been holding onto my father’s life all this time, Your Eminence? Doesn’t Prince Eric dislike it?”

“It’s only natural for a priest to save a patient at death’s door. Is there any other purpose?”

“With the divine power you poured into the king, you could have saved the lives of so many more people, couldn’t you?”

“…Isn’t the life of one royal worth more than the lives of hundreds of commoners?”

The Cardinal, who had been looking directly into the prince’s eyes while answering, subtly shifted his gaze towards the teacup. He seemed to try to evade with a questioning tone instead of his definitive speech…

“Oh dear, you’re contradicting your own theory there, Your Eminence.”

“…”

With Leo’s sharp retort, the Cardinal seemed at a loss for words.

From Leo’s findings, Cardinal Berg was the one who had stirred the Cross Church with his theory that ‘everyone in this world can become a priest!’ [Theory of Universal Priesthood].

He had challenged the Cross Church’s practice of only granting baptism to those proven able to accept divine power through rituals. Such debates had been around for a long time, but it was the first time the notion had been countered with a well-structured theory like the [Theory of Universal Priesthood].

Through this theory, Berg stated that the divine did not distinguish between who could and couldn’t receive divine power, and that just because someone received a little divine power from baptism didn’t mean they couldn’t grow it.

When the [Theory of Universal Priesthood] was announced, countless monks endorsed it. Those who couldn’t become priests by failing a rite were also unhappy.

However, the complaints of the monks and Berg’s ambitious theory bowed down to reality.

Divine power was finite, and it was insufficient to make everyone a priest, coupled with an element that contradicted the social hierarchy.

Originally, whether commoner or noble, priests transcended the constraints of status. Berg’s claim that everyone could be a priest was bound to be quite unpleasant for the privileged class.

Young Berg, facing the harsh realities.

The once-burning controversy cooled down as he faced reality and presented further theories that supported the class system.

“…That’s an old story. Very well. To speak frankly, it was for the treatment fees. With that money, I could help many. But from next year, that will end. More importantly…”

After hesitating for a long while, the Cardinal tried to change the subject, and from there, Leo poured out his questions.

“Isn’t divine power harder to obtain than money?”

“What illness afflicts my father? Why can’t he be healed?”

“Doesn’t Prince Eric pressure you?”

Yet the Cardinal either responded briefly or dodged, failing to give any satisfying answers. In the end, Leo realized he wouldn’t gain anything more from him and stood up.

“Thank you for today. It’s been very helpful.”

“I hope this old man hasn’t taken up too much of your time, Your Highness. Are you sure you don’t want introductions to the nobles?”

“Yes, that’s alright. I would appreciate it if you could keep my visit here a secret.”

“Of course. Please be careful on your way. I won’t see you off any further.”

Feeling a deep sense of fatigue, Leo left the church. The Cardinal was inscrutable, wanting to offer something without actually helping Leo in the end.

“It’ll be okay. It’s nothing serious…”

What he learned about the Cardinal was merely one of the many pieces of information he had gathered.

He felt uneasy knowing it related to Count Peter, but Leo forced himself to shake off the anxiety.

Surely, there wouldn’t be a big problem, right? After all, he had over a hundred knights…

As he wove through the bustling market, he felt a profound sense of solitude. No one readily offered help.

Except for her.

‘I wonder if Sister Kasia arrived safely?’

Leo thought of Kasia, who had helped him without any expectation, as he heavily tread the ground.

He was wearing the shoes that Kasia had left behind.