Episode 362 – Get out of the way!
People walking down the street backed away from the sound of voices echoing through the streets.
And between them, knights wearing armor with concentric circles of nine colors passed with majesty.
Many, many, many.
“Knights Templar.”
“It’s the new sword leader!”
“Oh really?”
This was the reason why the western gate of Noviense was particularly crowded. Among them, what caught the attention of the residents of Seongdo was not the familiar temple knights, but the cart under heavy guard(?) in their midst.
Sweet, sweet, sweet.
Inside the cart, which was surrounded on all sides by iron bars, a woman dressed in pure white but dusty robes was sitting sedentary with a calm complexion.
“…Saint?”
As soon as someone who recognized her muttered that, the waves spread everywhere.
“A saint!?”
“That cardinal!?”
“You man! Excommunicate the priest!”
“Oh no, I mean…!”
Murmur.
A street that quickly becomes noisy.
The commotion quickly spread to the central temple.
“…The Divine Sword came into the capital with Ilia?”
The owner of the soothing voice looked at the person in front of him with a smile.
However, despite the smile and warm tone, the person reporting was constantly sweating profusely.
“Yes, yes. I am.”
“But why am I only hearing about it now?”
“…sorry.”
Reporter That was all Lotte, who had recently been appointed as Cardinal Tracy’s secretary, could say. He knew very well what happened to his predecessors who made excuses for reports they did not like.
The position of secretary to a powerful cardinal, which was enviable to some, was nothing but a disaster for him.
A disaster that cannot be denied.
‘Please God, please.’
He is scared and prays earnestly in his heart.
“…Rather than being sorry, shouldn’t we know the cause?”
The cardinal, a chubby middle-aged woman with a warm appearance, questioned him in a tone as comfortable as her appearance.
“…The leader of the Knights Templar announced the news just before he arrived in Chengdu.”
“Oh, so that means we only found out about the Templars’ movements after receiving the news?”
X is done.
Lotte, who had become contemplative, eventually sat down in tears.
“I’m sorry, Your Majesty the Cardinal. I didn’t properly receive the handover from my predecessors… No, no, I’m sorry. It’s all my fault.”
Cardinal Tracy let out a long sigh as he saw Lotte rambling without even realizing what he was saying.
“…Wake up. If anyone sees it, it will look like I’m doing some kind of corporal punishment.”
“I’m sorry.”
“…That’s right. Go out and do some work.”
“…yes?”
Lote’s retort contained many meanings.
Just get out?
Without any punishment?
But since it was a question he couldn’t dare ask, he just kept lowering his head.
“Yes yes! I understand. Thank you, your Majesty!”
Lotte took a step back, looking at Tracy’s notice.
As soon as the door closed, a handsome young man with black hair and dark eyes who was watching the situation from the side smiled and opened his mouth.
“…You treat your subordinates too harshly, Cardinal.”
“Oh my. Oh-ho-ho, that can’t be possible. That’s because he’s so weak.”
“I was appointed to a position where someone goes missing almost once a month, so who wouldn’t do that?”
Tracy, who had been laughing the whole time at the thorn in those words, narrowed her brows.
“So, have I ever interfered with work, Your Highness?”
“Oh, you’re so confident. But it looks like you’re going to run into trouble soon. The deadline given by Abamama probably won’t be long, right?”
“Two weeks left, Your Highness.”
A handsome man with blue hair and green eyes who was standing behind him responded to Baros’s words.
Next to him, the driver with an eyepatch over his right eye also nodded with a stern expression.
“Look, Cardinal. Even though we are getting more and more nervous by the day, the Cardinal seems to be very relaxed. Is it because all you have to do is tell the ‘doll’ to talk?”
Tracy’s expression also became expressionless at that joke.
“…Be careful what you say, Your Majesty. I don’t know where there will be ears to listen.”
“Aren’t those ears all ours? Anyway, I don’t know why you’re putting off such an easy task.”
Barros, who had been leaning heavily on his chair and jokingly, lowered his head again and looked at Tracy.
“Or are you planning to stab us again?”
Sharp shining eyes.
No matter how imperial a prince may be, he cannot interrogate the cardinal of a holy country like this. However, due to the special nature of the situation and the fact that someone from a different social status had done something, Tracy had no choice but to force a smile on the outside while gritting her teeth on the inside.
“…Is that possible? As I said, it was accidentally done by a hard-line faction within our magic tower…” “It
has nothing to do with us, so please believe me. I’ve heard this once a day recently. I’m sick of it. “Isn’t it so difficult to just tell a doll to say something?”
Should I make you a doll too?
Tracy forced down the words that were burning in her throat and the blood that was surging out of her throat.
‘The mental protection barrier of the Ares royal family cannot be broken at once even with my magic. And in the meantime, that knight will cut my head off. The Supreme Bracelet is used to suppress the Holy Power of the Pope, so if we had to find another way…’
In order to infiltrate the Holy Kingdom, he spent dozens of years as an ascetic priest against his will. The greatest thing she has gained so far is, of course, her acting skills, so Tracy smiled again, hiding her desire to live by imagining extreme situations.
“Oh, I’m sure His Majesty the Prince is aware of the repercussions this will cause. We are struggling to find a way to reduce the side effects as much as possible.”
But Baros did not back down easily.
“I’m visiting the Cardinal every day to discuss that method. But why aren’t you discussing it with me?”
Barros stood up from the chair in a natural motion and approached Tracy. Contrary to his leisurely tone, Barros’ eyes shone fiercely.
“Or are you just thinking it’s someone else’s business?”
“That can’t be…”
Bang!
“I’m saying this because it seems possible. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be able to afford it like this!”
Barros hit Tracy’s desk hard.
His face, revealing his true feelings, was distorted like a demon.
“Remember, Cardinal Tracy, I, Baros van Ares, will never die alone. If things go wrong, at least you will go to hell with me. Do you understand?”
The dangerous madness shining in his eyes had a force that overwhelmed even Tracy, an elder of the Kassel Tower and a cardinal of the Holy Kingdom. The eyes did not belong to a prince, the most noble person in the world. In fact, they were the eyes of someone who was standing on the edge of a cliff and facing death.
It was difficult to tell a lie while looking into those eyes.
“…Don’t worry. I’ll do my best.”
I said I would do my best, but I didn’t say I would listen.
Baros also snorted at that careless answer.
“What’s best is to do. Just follow our requirements.”
“…The side effects are likely to be significant, so we are considering a solution.”
Tracy said and lowered her head.
Baros looked down at her for a long time and then turned away coldly.
“I’ll come back tomorrow. I’ll have to give you a definite answer then. I really don’t have time anymore.”
Only after the sound of Barros’ heels had completely disappeared and the door had slammed shut did Tracy let out a long sigh.
“Ha…”
And only then was I able to recall the report from a little while ago. They were so shocked by the prince’s crazy attitude in a crisis that they forgot something equally important.
‘Ilya!’
Why did the Knights Templar hide information?
Biting her lip, she immediately stood up from the chair and went outside. And outside the office door, he opened the door and faced the prince, who was looking at him with cold eyes.
Although she was embarrassed, Tracy quickly hid her agitation and smiled.
“…Your Highness the Prince. Have you returned yet?”
“I think you followed too quickly.”
“…I see. I’m in a hurry.”
“Hmm. I have no intention of interfering with your actions, but… is it such a big deal that a saint who has already been deposed has been captured?”
“Ah… I think we need to get this sorted out before the rumor spreads to the idiots.”
Tracy continued to break out in a cold sweat and forced a smile.
“I see. I guess you were busy doing other things. How can we help you?”
“No, no. There is no need to do that. It is an internal matter within the Holy Kingdom.”
“I’m saying this because the Cardinal is so busy with construction work that he seems to be neglecting ‘our work.’”
“…I will handle it quickly and come up with a solution. Don’t worry.”
He keeps appearing in a low posture.
It was a typical attitude of many people to be caught out and not suitable for the noble status of a prince.
“…I will believe you one more time.”
“Yes. Please believe me, Your Highness.”
‘That faith may not be repaid.’
Tracy quickly turned around, hiding her thoughts, and Barros, seeing her, nodded once and immediately turned to the other side.
Then, only after some time had passed did his mouth open.
“What do you think?”
“It looks like I have no intention of following His Majesty’s instructions.”
Baros’s eyes sank heavily as Leos answered without hesitation.
Soon his gaze turned to the side.
“Jerome. What do you think?”
“…yes?”
“I mean, how do you think Cardinal Tracy will come out?”
“…I also agree with Leos’ opinion.”
“Hmm…”
After hearing Jerome’s ambiguous answer, Barros looked into Jerome’s remaining eye for a moment and smiled bitterly.
“Take your time, Sir Jerome.”
“…yes?”
“I’m just saying that because you seem to be more stressed than me. Or do Auror users feel tired that easily?”
“…I’m sorry. I will pay more attention to managing my condition.”
Seeing the heavy emotions in his eyes, Baros patted him on the shoulder and turned around.
“Is there No. 1?”
It was unknown to whom the words were addressed, but soon a voice rang out in the empty air.
– Yes, Your Highness.
No one was surprised.
“result?”
– There was nothing worth mentioning either in the office or at the residence. It seems like I have it inside my body.
“also…. Nothing is going to be easy.”
Baros bit his lip and thought for a while as he walked. Neither
the one hiding in the air nor Leo and Jerome, who followed closely behind, disturbed Baros’s thoughts.
Then, he arrived in front of the assigned temple lodgings. Baros opened his mouth again.
“If the interests of the empire and mine conflict, which should take precedence?”
“The empire.” “
The empire.”
The two vassals’ voices came out almost simultaneously.
As a subject of the empire, I was a child. It was a natural answer for someone who had been brainwashed and educated.
“What if the price is my life?”
However, they were also unable to answer the following question. If it were an ordinary citizen, they would have naturally said it was the empire, but the target was the prince they served
. Unlike Jerome, who was noticeably stiff and unable to say anything, Leos thought for a moment and then opened his mouth heavily.
“You just have to be flexible. I think we can find an agreement.”
Baros patted the shoulders of the two frozen retainers and opened his mouth with a stern expression.
“I don’t think they will listen anyway. If you were planning on listening, there would be no reason to take so much time in the first place. Everyone agrees to this point, right?”
“…Yes.”
“But no matter how they come out, Your Majesty will find a way to take advantage of this situation. I have never come this close to subduing the Holy Kingdom, which is the imperial family’s
long-cherished wish.” I felt Jerome flinch especially at those words, but Baros ignored them. Because his current situation was that serious.
“And whether that plan succeeds or fails. Anyway, my position in the imperial family will disappear. You will also be eliminated in the succession battle. Then I’m probably going to die anyway. Now then, what should I do now?”
While no one could easily answer, Baros spoke again.
“…That saint. What do you think will happen, Jerome?”
“Your Highness, can’t it be…?”
Even as Leos was shocked, Jerome flinched and answered,
“The holy country’s laws are stricter than those of any other country. That may be why His Majesty’s request cannot be easily fulfilled…” ”
So, what is your conclusion about the saint?”
“If it is an excommunicated priest, and if he kills a prominent person and then escapes, I think he will be punished with the death penalty.”
“Then, to you, Leos . I’ll ask. Is that saint really a fake?”
Leos, who had guessed the prince’s intentions to some extent by the gaze he turned toward me, bit his lip slightly.
“No. It was only purged by Tracy, who manipulates the Pope.”
“…Then you’re saying she’s a real saint.”
“Yes, that’s right. No way, Your Highness….”
“So, what if I save that saint? And what if we take them down together?”
At those words, Jerome’s remaining eyes widened and a sigh escaped Leos’ mouth.
“The risk is too great, Your Highness. Above all, the reaction from the imperial family….”
“It can’t be helped. Unless they do what they want, if I want to live, I have to find a replacement. A big hitter who will control the Holy Kingdom… No matter how much I think about ways to conflict between the empire’s interests and my own, it is the only solution.” ”
….”
The one-eyed superman narrowed his eyes and the only recorder spit. As I swallowed, the prince’s detached voice continued,
“I will restore the saint and vote for the brainwashed pope. And in return, I demand full cooperation.”
