Chapter 24 - Worshiper of the Dead King
Chapter 24 - Worshiper of the Dead King
Everyone has high ideals and dreams in their youth.
They have the passion to change the world and the conviction to uphold what they believe in until the end.
Cardinal Albinus was no different.
He sincerely believed in God, and he dedicated his life to helping and saving people according to God's teachings.
In return, he gained high renown within the Church, became one of the cardinals who could elect the Pope, and reached the pinnacle of church power.
And then it began.
The sweet corruption...
It started with a single, simple gift.
A bottle of apple wine gifted by a believer asking for favor. He accepted that one bottle, skipped the queue, and gave a blessing prayer to that believer's shop first.
It was a very small evil act that even the believers didn't know about, but after that, the evil grew larger.
Under the pretext of saving believers, he ruined his colleagues and embezzled funds meant for building churches to build his own wealth.
Every time, he rationalized it to himself like this.
Everyone else does it, too. I actually did less than them.
But that didn't justify his corruption.
Thus, he corrupted and grew old.
Having luckily risen to the rank of Cardinal, he tasted the sweetness of power.
And he thought. More... I want to taste this sweetness just a little more...
But he was gradually feeling it.
That he didn't have much time left to live... He was growing old like everyone else, and he would die before long.
He wanted to live even a little longer.
He wanted to stay alive and enjoy this power.
Had his prayer reached someone?
The Dead King answered his prayer.
[Do you wish to live forever?]
"Yes... I want to live."
The voice flowing from the darkness was terrifying, inorganic, and cold.
It was clearly the voice of the wicked evil god mentioned in the scriptures.
But to Albinus, that voice felt more radiant than the words of the Sun God.
[Drink my blood. On the day I resurrect, those who have consumed my flesh shall also attain an immortal body.]
"Aaaaaah..."
Dark red blood flowed out from the darkness.
Albinus drank the blood greedily.
Then, his head cleared, and he felt strength returning to his entire body.
Ah... I am becoming young... I can feel my lifespan increasing!
Cardinal Albinus, who became a thrall of the Dead King by drinking his blood, became a 『Worshiper of the Dead King』.
Cardinal Albinus, now a Worshiper of the Dead King, used his power and position to work little by little for the resurrection of the Dead King.
To resurrect the Dead King, he needed a treasure sleeping in the Emperor's warehouse.
To access that treasure, he needed the help of the Imperial family, and under the revelation of the Dead King, he prepared.
And finally, the opportunity arrived.
The completion ceremony of St. Maryen Church, which was being finished after 30 years; the Princess was scheduled to come there.
The Dead King had prepared for a long time to get his hands on the Princess, and he informed Albinus that he had succeeded in infiltrating a Worshiper of the Dead King into the Imperial Palace as well.
Albinus watched the Princess's procession and waited for his compatriot.
The Worshipers of the Dead King did not know about each other.
They only felt other Worshipers of the Dead King like themselves by using the power of the Dead King.
Confirming there was nothing around, he looked at the Princess's procession with the power of the Dead King.
His eyes turned black, snake-like pupils formed, and he saw the aura of the Dead King being felt around the Princess.
"I see... so you are my compatriot."
Cardinal Albinus looked at the Princess.
He felt his compatriot there.
Greed that seemed like it would burn the world was felt in his eyes.
It was truly a look befitting a Worshiper of the Dead King.
Cardinal Albinus came out of the dark room of the church and approached Edric.
He took a step toward me with a benevolent smile.
He had a snake-like face, but I could feel a holy aura emanating from his experience and his clothes.
That made it even scarier.
"I have heard plenty of rumors about the Liberator of the South. Sir Edric."
"You are too kind, Cardinal Albinus."
"To descend to the low places yourself and save the people despite your noble status..."
Albinus continued, staring straight into my eyes.
That gaze, as if he were testing me, was fucking unsettling.
"It is truly a holy path you walk."
"...I merely did what I had to do as the Prince's deputy."
I answered humbly, lowering my posture as much as possible.
It gave me goosebumps to be praised by an old man with a snake-like physiognomy, but I was confident in my ability to be thick-skinned.
Albinus nodded as if satisfied and looked at Princess Camilla.
"God said that one's own will carves out destiny."
"......."
"Sir Edric's actions are, in themselves, nothing less than the realization of God's will on earth."
Albinus said, looking at Princess Camilla.
He asked, as if seeking Camilla's agreement.
"Is that not so, Your Highness?"
"......Since you say so, Cardinal, I have no choice but to agree."
Camilla looked displeased, but as a devout believer, she couldn't argue with the Cardinal's words.
I clicked my tongue inwardly. Why is this old man hyping me up so much?
Did he perhaps catch the scent of a fellow kind from me?
Just then, Baron Schurdin, the local lord, approached politely from the church entrance and spoke.
"Your Highness, and Cardinal."
"Speak, Baron Schurdin."
"I have prepared a small banquet for those who have come from afar. May I guide you inside?"
"I see. Then please, lead the way."
Camilla took the lead, treating the Cardinal with the utmost respect.
I followed at the very back.
But for a split second, I definitely saw it.
The Cardinal's pupils turning into black, thin slits like a demon's eyes.
I felt a chill run down my spine, and goosebumps rose.
Ah... this job is going to be a total pain in the ass.
In the banquet hall shining with gorgeous chandeliers, the notable nobles of the South and high-ranking priests of the Church gathered.
The air was filled with the scent of high-end wine and fake laughter.
Princess Camilla stepped onto the podium as the representative of the Imperial family.
She hid her usual cold aura, put on a benevolent smile, and delivered a speech celebrating the completion ceremony.
"Today, we are witnessing the completion of St. Maryen Church, the garden of God that has descended to earth after 30 years of endurance. Every piece of this pure white marble, every golden ornament, contains the dedication of the Imperial family and your unwavering faith."
She paused for a moment and gently scanned those gathered in the banquet hall.
The venomous aura she usually had when dealing with me was nowhere to be found; only the aura of a holy princess radiated from her.
"This church is not just a building. It is a symbol proving how firmly our Empire is united under the hot sun of the South. I pray that the prayers that will echo here from now on will spread throughout the Empire, and that God's protection will be with us all forever!"
As soon as the speech ended, there was a moment of silence.
And soon, a storm of applause engulfed the banquet hall.
Clap-! Clap-! Clap-!
"Long live the Princess! Glory to the Minerva Imperial family!"
"Blessings to St. Maryen Church!"
I stuck by her side like a shadow as the Prince's deputy and advisor.
Looking at me like that, the Princess said.
"...Sir Edric, don't you think you're sticking too close?"
Camilla, who had come down after finishing her speech, whispered lowly while covering her mouth with a fan.
I bowed my head lightly and said.
"It is for official business, Your Highness. Since this place is practically the Church's territory, I must ensure your personal safety to the fullest."
"Heh, you don't look like an advisor, but a warden."
The Princess was displeased, but I didn't back down.
In the original work, Princess Camilla was the character most frequently used in the Church's conspiracies because of her devout faith.
Especially since Cardinal Albinus, a Worshiper of the Dead King, was here.
She was now no different from a lamb placed before a hungry wolf.
As I was thinking that, Cardinal Albinus, wearing a benevolent smile, slowly approached us.
That guy is no gentleman either.
"Your Highness, may I excuse you for a moment?"
"What is it, Cardinal Albinus?"
He glared at me slightly.
And then he put on his benevolent mask again and said.
"I have a private matter I wish to discuss with Your Highness alone..."
Camilla gave me a look.
It was silent pressure to 'get lost,' and I stepped back five paces while maintaining etiquette.
However, I strained my ears to listen to their conversation.
"Please speak, Cardinal. This is a place of faith, so there is nothing to hide."
"Haha, indeed. Actually...... I wish to bestow the 'Golden Light' upon Your Highness."
At those words, Camilla's eyes widened.
"The 'Golden Light'...... are you saying? Dare I receive such a blessing?"
Golden Light. It was the highest-ranking blessing ritual that only a Cardinal-level member of the Church could officiate.
It was an honor that even royalty might receive only once in a lifetime, so the shoulders of Camilla, a devout believer, trembled slightly.
"Considering the grace the Imperial family has bestowed upon the Church all this time, it is a reward I ought to give. I intend to conduct the ritual in the church's underground altar on the night the completion ceremony ends."
A mix of excitement and slight doubt crossed Camilla's expression.
"Night...... you say? I understand that it is customary for baptisms to be conducted at dawn, when all things awaken."
At the Princess's words, a very slight tremor was visible on the Cardinal's face.
But he immediately put on his benevolent Cardinal smile and said.
"As expected, Your Highness is deeply versed in theology. However, due to my schedule, I must return to the Capital at dawn the next day. Time is tight, so I had to choose the night. God's grace does not discriminate by time."
"......If you say so, Cardinal, I will gladly follow. It is an honor."
Listening to that conversation, I felt a chill as if ice water were running down my spine.
A baptism ritual conducted at night...
It reeked of something very dirty.
As soon as the Cardinal left, I approached Camilla.
Perhaps sensing that my expression was unusual, she opened her mouth first.
"Sir Edric, did you perhaps eavesdrop on our conversation?"
"As the one responsible for the Imperial family's safety, I had no choice. Your Highness, that offer just now... I think it would be best to decline. Cardinal Albinus is a dangerous person."
At my words, Camilla's gaze turned cold in an instant.
It was a very cold gaze that would feel like a reward to someone with a masochistic taste.
"Are you daring to insult the Cardinal right now? Or are you trying to sow discord between me and the Church?"
"It is not discord, but reasonable suspicion. Every unconventional offer in this world comes with a price."
Honestly, this offer had too many strange points.
A Cardinal who has no major connection to the Princess suddenly offering to perform a baptism at night.
Just looking at this, it was something a royal, who must suspect and be wary of everything, should reconsider.
"But..."
"Your Highness... please just think for a moment about how Prince Leopold would have accepted that offer."
At my words, Camilla's momentum faltered a little.
If it were the awakened Prince within her, he wouldn't have snapped up such an out-of-the-blue offer.
"......I admit it's a bit strange. But I cannot suspect the Church's Cardinal based on that alone."
Stubbornness was visible in the Princess's eyes.
Hoo... 72 billion... 72 billion... my house... my home...
Watching the Princess who wouldn't listen, I steeled myself.
Well... I understand.
I am still a villain from her perspective.
It would be even weirder if she accepted my advice right away.
And I also understand her desire to see the Church in a good light no matter what.
Just as the Prince obsessed over strength after their mother died, the Princess obsessed over religion.
"Stereotypes are the most lethal poison. Just as you suspected and cornered me, suspect everything. At least until this completion ceremony is over."
With those words, I bowed to the Princess and stepped aside.
Do not speak more than twice to a superior who won't listen, because nothing changes even if you do.
Recalling a lesson from my past life, I acted for Plan B just in case.
I approached Lumiel, the Princess's chief attendant who was assisting her.
And I quietly called Lumiel over.
"Lumiel-nim."
"Edric-nim... what is it?"
She answered bluntly to my words.
The attendant and the master, honestly...
For now, I proceeded with what I had to do.
"Chief Attendant, please make sure to accompany the Princess with guards until the completion ceremony day is over. And... you must equip all guards with 'exorcism weapons'."
"Exorcism weapons, you say? Sir Edric, this is a holy church. Such disrespectful preparations......."
"It might become necessary. Then, I leave it to you."
I said that and turned away.
I had done everything I could.
I warned the Princess and I warned the chief attendant.
This should be enough.
Thinking that, I looked at Cardinal Albinus.
Behind Albinus, who was wearing a good-natured smile with his snake-like narrow eyes, I felt like I could see a dark, gloomy aura.
Hmm... this is fucking unsettling...
'Camilla is my only sister. I entrust Camilla to you, Edric,'
I remembered the words the Prince had asked of me before I left.
Sigh... why did I have to accept that 72 billion mansion...
Just in case, I should prepare Plan C as well.