# 363
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363
“Why a temple?”
Asuka asked. He had also sensed that the imperial family of the empire did not have a friendly relationship with the temple.
Asuka usually lives without thinking and is not a stone-faced person. From Helmut’s perspective, it was also a pleasant experience.
“In the past, before your Majesty ascended to the throne, the temple stood opposite you and me. They supported other successors over whom they could easily exert influence. Contrary to its noble external appearance, the temple does not hesitate to use any means at its disposal against its enemies. Because of that, His Majesty had to overcome many crises together with Archduke Farnese.”
It was a sound that made me nod my head and say, ‘Well, they were bad guys too.’
The crown prince’s eyes towards Asuka were serious.
He is telling Asuka what she needs to know as a member of the royal family and as the successor to Grand Duke Farnese.
“The temple’s priests don’t need to do anything. They just decide who will be the next emperor of the empire and that’s it. Their followers and enforcers will take care of the dirty work. “Those believers have grown into a force in the empire that even the emperor cannot ignore.”
A foreign power that intervenes in the right to succession to the throne. The temple that was said to exist to protect the world has long since lost its purpose.
Nevertheless, they resorted to tricks to avoid losing their influence.
For a temple, it is only natural for the believers of Lumen to rule over humans. The empire was no exception.
No, the empire was a strategic point that they had to keep under their control in order not to lose power.
“After His Majesty came to the throne, they seemed to meekly comply with the results, but recently they have begun to raise their heads again. It’s strange that it’s been quiet so far. “From nobles to commoners, its power is vast.”
Scattered like small roots, they are the power of the temple. And some roots extended all the way to the heart of the empire.
“The temple’s believers are nobles, but they do not exist for the empire. To them, faith takes precedence over patriotism. If the temple were to devour the empire, they would gladly stuff the empire’s secrets into its maw. Because the temple’s interests are their interests.
His Majesty believes that his job is to eliminate this terrible evil that has accumulated in the empire. “For that to happen, it is absolutely necessary to reduce the power of the temple within the empire.”
“Your Majesty must have been helping with that.”
Because it is the crown prince’s job to follow the emperor’s will.
But what did Michael do to visit the crown prince? With a problem that is a pain in the ass.
Asuka was surprised to realize that without realizing it, she was calling Michael by his first name rather than ‘the Archduke of Rinosa’ or something like that. They weren’t friendly at all.
‘We are related by blood anyway.’
Asuka was a distant relative of Charlotte and Helmut. When I remembered that fact, I felt strange.
It was far and yet close. Anyway, it’s connected.
Did blood ties lead them? Helmut and Charlotte Aska. It was strange that all three met at Greta Academy’s swordsmanship department.
As if that place had become a place of connection.
The crown prince continued speaking calmly.
“This time, a major corruption was discovered at a large temple near the border on the Linosa side, so the person responsible was punished and the temple was shut down. “That’s why Michael visited me.”
“To prevent the temple from being closed? But even if it’s near the border, isn’t it imperial territory anyway?”
Whatever Linosa says is clearly interference in internal affairs. The crown prince shook his head.
“But the problem is not that simple. The Linosa people are also looking there. I heard that the Grand Duchess of Linosa also visits there several times a year.
Michael brought signatures from nobles saying they did not want the temple to be closed. Throughout Rinosa and the Empire. Quite a lot of resin.”
This means that there are many nobles who are on the side of the temple. Just because he is the crown prince, he cannot unilaterally ignore it.
Michael is not the type of guy to criticize without any basis in the first place.
As soon as the crown prince realized the reason for his visit, he predicted that it would be a troublesome situation.
In fact, the conversation we had in private also went like that.
However, unlike Asuka, the crown prince did not think badly of Michael.
Of course, Michael was not the kind of person who would make himself look bad to a powerful person like the crown prince.
From the crown prince’s point of view, he is a smart guy and will not be easily manipulated in the temple, and he is weak, so even if he were to become Grand Duke of Rinosa, he would have limitations and would not be a threat to the empire.
With his lack of stamina and poor health, he cannot expand Linosa, although he may be able to make it a little better with the help of his clever mind.
From the crown prince’s perspective, Michael was not bad as Linosa’s successor.
Just as being greedy isn’t a bad thing.
I thought so. However, they differed on one important issue.
It was something that had been growing quite big in recent years.
That one problem is this. Temple.
“Rinosa is close to the temple. I knew that the Grand Duchess of Rinosa was a devout follower of Lumen, but after the Grand Duke’s health began to deteriorate, the relationship between Rinosa and the temple became much closer.
The close relationship has been maintained even after the Archduke recovered and returned to health. “It means that Rinosa is giving in to the temple’s interests.”
“It would go against the will of His Majesty the Emperor and His Royal Highness the Crown Prince. But why did Grand Duke Rinosa leave that alone?”
Asuka tilted her head.
If the imperial family of the empire disapproves of the temple, wouldn’t Rinosa also feel the same way? Just because it’s Rinosa, they wouldn’t want the temple to exert influence over Rinosa.
“Because the Grand Duke cares for the Grand Duchess and cannot get rid of her. Besides, didn’t she fulfill her duty by giving birth to the Archduke’s children?”
This is the woman who will become the mother of Grand Duke Rinosa in the future. It is also said that a demon appeared in Linosa and helped the Grand Duke at the temple when he was injured.
As Rinosa, I was not in a position to ignore even if the temple requested something.
However, Rinosa’s support of the temple so far has been nothing more than a minor intervention of interest. This time it was a pretty big problem.
‘It seems the temple has decided to side with Michael in the succession plan for Rinosa.’
In that case, it was understandable that Michael would take the side of the temple to this extent.
Michael’s intention was to think about it once he ascended to the throne.
If so, he should also support the temple’s interests in a somewhat blatant way.
Even though Grand Duchess Charlotte of Linosa has not shown much movement, the Grand Duke has not yet chosen his successor.
They said he was showing quite a bit of improvement after regaining his health, so he might have been thinking that we would have to wait and see.
That must have made Michael nervous.
‘But the problem is that the temple is increasing its influence in Rinosa whether Michael wants it or not.’
The Crown Prince believed in Michael’s intelligence, which he had seen since childhood.
However, I did not believe that he could fully handle the temple.
There are many variables in the world, and Michael’s health is weak.
The new fact learned today awakened the crown prince’s spirit.
‘What if this guy has some kind of relationship with Grand Duchess Rinosa…’
The crown prince thought he should investigate that.
Because Archduke Farnese was so silent about his children, the crown prince had almost stopped paying attention to Asuka until recently.
He has too much work to do to care about the troublesome royal cousin who hasn’t even been introduced.
However, the Asuka that the crown prince saw was not so stupid that she could not understand what was being said, and she had excellent swordsmanship skills.
The crown prince was quite surprised to learn that he was the top graduate of the Greta Academy’s swordsmanship department.
‘If he can turn his head, he’s a useful talent.’
Archduke Farnese is the emperor’s reliable right hand man.
Asuka, the legitimate daughter of Archduke Farnese, must become the crown prince’s right hand man.
His qualifications were excellent, but his personality was a bit of a problem.
But even that personality won’t be a problem if he ends up with the Grand Duchess of Linosa.
The first reason is that Asuka’s personality will not pose a threat to the imperial power, so it is okay for her to hold power, and the second reason is that if she is in a relationship with Charlotte, Grand Duchess Rinosa will be able to emerge as a successor to Michael, who is friendly to the temple.
The crown prince’s head spun.
Of course, it was a calculation that had nothing to do with the wishes of the parties involved.
He had eyes to see and had made some judgments about Asuka.
‘But is it still early?’
People cannot learn something in a short period of time.
Even if Asuka is someone who looks like a transparent piece of paper.
“You are going through a troubling problem. “I’ll just pretend I don’t know.”
Asuka answered curtly while receiving the crown prince’s gaze.
Wouldn’t it be best to ask Archduke Farnese about that? It was none of his business to know since he was only a royal family member.
In any case, he was closer to Helmut’s person than to the imperial family.
‘I’ll have to tell Helmut about this today.’
Michael has taken the temple’s hand, and because of that, he is in conflict with the imperial family of the empire.
My thoughts on secretly sending Xian away changed. He needs to be around for a while. If you don’t have Xian, you can’t talk to Area or Helmut.
Anyway, Xian is also happy going in and out of the palace library.
Asuka blurted out.
“It would be nice if someone other than Michael became Prince Rinosa’s successor, right?”
It may have been said without thinking, but it may not have been so. It was a hint without intention.
At that moment, the crown prince’s eyes changed subtly.
‘Is this guy thinking the same thing as me?’
Even if you evaluate Michael well, he is still a prince.
It doesn’t matter who becomes the Grand Duke of Rinosa as long as it is beneficial to this side. He grinned.
“It would be nice if there was the right person, but it’s a shame.”
“Sure, the right person. “That’s the problem.”
Helmut and Charlotte. They were two people who each remembered different people.
And the opportunity for the crown prince to see Asuka again came quickly.
The Crown Prince pretended to ponder it, but a day later he ignored the signature Michael had given and declared the temple closed.
Externally, the crown prince handled matters related to the temple on behalf of the emperor, so decisions could only be made on his own initiative.
And just two days after that declaration, an assassination attempt was made against the crown prince.
