Chapter 160
Chapter 160
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 160
Chapter Title: A Treacherous Minister Can Be Useful
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"Yes, that would be the natural reaction, of course. And we certainly aren't asking you to just open it up for free."
"Hoho, even if you stacked a tower of platinum coins all the way to the edge of the heavens, it would be impossible."
"Then, if you stacked it with human corpses, could it reach?"
"Hohoho, that is a rather terrifying thing to say."
"What if such a thing were to happen soon?"
When Beonald spoke in an utterly serious tone, Archbishop Halrun held his breath and showed signs of tension.
Even for an archbishop, he rarely had occasion to see people die on a large scale, so knowing that Beonald's eyes held genuine sincerity as he spoke these frightening words, Halrun couldn't help but feel fear.
"You are well aware that the war in the south last year drove up food prices across the entire continent. And while it's expected that food will be supplied from the now-normalized south this year... that is not going to happen."
"On what basis do you make such a prediction?"
"Because the Neumel Chancellor of the Garkan Republic has seized control of the Vanilo Earldom. The one who started the last war intends to continue threatening the Empire and creating chaos. By now, the harvest should be over, and the news should be arriving."
"...And so?"
"Religion is good for giving people peace of mind and easily imposing moral norms alongside divine will, but ultimately, when people's survival is threatened by a great calamity or disaster, it shatters like a sandcastle. Because even if there are 'miracles,' their benefits are granted only to a select few, and ordinary people can ultimately do nothing but 'pray.'"
As he poured out words that should be unpleasant to a religious man directly, the archbishop gave him an openly uncomfortable look, but Beonald did not stop.
In his previous life, during the reign of Beonald, he had personally experienced how utterly useless the 'Order' was, despite receiving enormous offerings every year, when faced with various disasters like floods, typhoons, and plagues.
No, he was extremely negative because he had seen them even more often trying to take credit for things he had solved himself.
"Anyway, the important thing isn't that issue, but that the food shortage... will happen this year too. Of course, our territory anticipated this point since last year and has been preparing to some extent, but what about other places? They probably expected everything to return to normal after last winter and the lean season passed... and made no preparations at all, right?"
"Umm...!"
"Anyway, since it will take some time for you to accept this as fact, I'll just make a proposal in advance. If you lift the prohibition on the area with the ruins and allow us to investigate, we will donate half of the food currently stockpiled in the Valderian territory to the Order in your name, Archbishop."
"Half of it?"
"Ah, saying 'half' might make it hard to estimate the exact amount, but it's roughly enough to feed the people of the Valderian territory for a year. If rationed, it could last about a year and a half."
"Th-that much? In just one year?"
"As soon as the war ended, we diligently hunted the dangerous species in the western forest, processed them all into preserved food, and are still increasing the stockpile. The taste isn't very good... but, well, it's better than starving, isn't it?"
The meat obtained from hunting massive dangerous monster species was abundant in quantity, but certainly inferior in taste and smell compared to cows or pigs.
Moreover, since it was made into preserved food, it was truly just at the level of being 'edible' and nothing more.
Even so, compared to people dying of starvation, having edible food was a blessing. Complaining about taste in front of starving people was nothing short of aristocratic luxury.
"When people are starving, you see. They lose their reason, rationality... even their sense of morality. Have you ever seen what happens in lands devastated by poor harvests and plagues?"
"......"
"Things like being unable to bear eating one's own child, so swapping with the neighbor's child to eat; corpses buried after a funeral becoming someone's stew within half a day; families selling their daughter's virginity for a piece of bread. Ah, by the way, at that time, so many people wanted to become slaves that the market price was completely shattered. Other than that... ah, I've spoken too much. Basically, unacceptable, unimaginable things happen."
'He speaks as if he saw it vividly before his eyes. There hasn't been such a disaster in the last 20 years. However... it must certainly be recorded in the Order's archives.'
Archbishop Halrun knew that what Beonald was saying wasn't far-fetched, as there had been times after Beonald's death, in turbulent eras, when poor harvests occurred due to meteorological anomalies, typhoons, droughts, etc., and what happened then was recorded in the Order's archives.
However, even so, the matter of 'lifting the prohibition' was not something he could decide unilaterally, so Beonald continued to press him as he still struggled.
"Well, even if you don't accept the proposal, you'll be staying in the Valderian territory, so there will be no problem for your safety, Archbishop. And we'll also give up cleanly and just sell the food at a high price when the shortage comes, using it as bait to absorb population and work hard for the Valderian territory."
"......"
"But what about you, Archbishop? You will become someone who just watched, even though you could have prevented a situation where starvation deaths surge across the entire continent? Can you bear that guilt? When you stand before the heavenly judgment seat after death, can you be confident before the merciful Goddess?"
"...Ugh!"
Judging by his agitation now, he must have imagined Beonald's words.
The more devout a religious person is, the less they can tolerate the collapse of the tower of morality they have built.
For this archbishop, who has served the Goddess faithfully and devoutly all his life, spreading mercy and morals, the guilt of having abandoned the chance to save human lives would be absolutely unbearable.
Moreover, since he has never witnessed a horrific war even once, he has no mental resistance whatsoever, so the blow would be even greater.
"Putting aside emotional talk and speaking from a practical standpoint, using the obtained food for relief activities will shake the Empire with your fame, Archbishop. That noble act of saving people from starvation and spreading the Goddess's will. Furthermore, since you'll need to protect the transported food, you'll have to bring as many forces as possible, so no one will be able to criticize you for not guarding the 'prohibited area.' It's an emergency, after all."
"That is... if things go as Lord Beonald says."
"Yes, correct. News hasn't arrived from the south yet, so it's just an assumption. Therefore, I'll hear your answer around the time the news arrives. I don't want you to feel like I frightened you with something that hasn't even happened to trick you. Please contact me again then."
Having said that, Beonald stood up and left the place as if he had no more attachment.
Archbishop Halrun let out a low groan and, while drinking tea, first sent people to the capital and other grand temples in the south to verify whether the scenario Beonald spoke of was true.
And not long after, through merchants coming to the Valderian territory, messenger birds sent by the Order, and adventurers and pilgrims coming and going directly, he was able to confirm that Beonald's words were true.
'Is it really unfolding as he said?'
"The Order's headquarters has ordered us to somehow strive to secure food and prepare for relief activities for the people."
"But... isn't that an impossible task?"
It was already past the harvest season. Winter was coming soon, and trying to obtain food in winter was like plucking stars from the sky.
Looking at the Order's messenger delivering the absurd message, Archbishop Halrun made a dumbfounded expression, but the messenger continued as if there was no choice.
"Yes. Certainly, the Order also has stockpiled materials prepared for disasters or emergencies, but... this situation is expected to be larger than imagined, and the failure to predict it is the most painful. That damn half-elf! She blatantly violated the surrender agreement."
"What about the Holy Kingdom?"
"They have already sent a letter of protest to the Garkan Republic and are pressuring them to take humanitarian measures, but Chancellor Neumel is ignoring it, saying she is 'only taking what is due.' It seems she's even prepared for war... Currently, the military power of the Garkan Republic is estimated to be on par with the Empire's forces, so it might be possible. No, it would be impossible. The Holy Kingdom is currently trying to wage a holy war with the maximum military force they can gather......"
'...Everything is as he said.'
Only now did Archbishop Halrun understand Beonald's confident attitude.
If he didn't trade the 'prohibited area' for food here, great chaos would come to the Empire, and countless people would starve to death or fight to eat each other.
'One year's worth of preserved food for the Valderian territory. Of course, that alone can't save the entire Empire. But if we had that...'
A food shortage is ultimately like a massive wildfire.
When it starts, a huge blaze erupts and swallows everything, but when there's nothing left to burn, it naturally dies down and life sprouts anew on top of it.
As Beonald said, from this winter through next spring and into summer... during this timing, the most casualties and chaos will occur, and eventually, people will adapt, but the Empire's national power will plummet, and if severe, neighboring countries may invade, and perhaps the Empire could be torn apart, making the turbulent era even more chaotic and prolonged.
The only way to stop it was to accept Beonald's proposal and use that food to suppress the initial chaos and mass starvation as much as possible, thereby blocking the chaos and decline in national power.
'But... that prohibited area was blocked off as a prohibition for a reason long ago. And that fellow Beonald must also have a clear reason for coveting that prohibited area. However...'
The fate that would come if he didn't accept the proposal was so clear that he couldn't refuse.
As Beonald said, the moment he refused the proposal, a future where countless lives would starve to death appeared before him, so Archbishop Halrun couldn't help but be tormented by guilt.
Having prided himself on following the divine will all his life, he had thought that when a time of trial came someday, he would burn his own body to fulfill that will.
'Oh Goddess...'
And now, that very time had come.
Should he protect the prohibited area and the recognition of the Order and live?
Or should he lift the prohibition, even if branded a heretic, and save people's lives according to the will of the Goddess he had followed all his life?
Which was truly a life following the Goddess's will?
'The answer... has already emerged.'
The more he agonized, the more time to respond would be delayed, so Archbishop Halrun, who could never betray the faith he prided himself on as befitting his position as archbishop, wrote a letter to send to Beonald and handed it to a messenger.
Thus, Archbishop Halrun's declaration of surrender reached Beonald's hands, and he smiled as if it were only natural, immediately instructing preparations to send the preserved food.
'In truth, this proposal is one that any type of priest could not refuse.'
If Archbishop Halrun had been greedy for power and status, he would have, according to his greed, used the donated food to boost his own fame and diligently strived to obtain a high position in the Holy Kingdom.
The reason he had first dangled platinum coins to gauge his character was precisely to determine how to respond after obtaining the 'prohibited area' as a 'transaction.'
For example, if it were not a sincere and good-natured type like now, but a greedy and shameless person, there was a possibility they might take the donated food and not keep the promise, trying to get away with it, so he would have had to prepare documents, paperwork, and even records to prevent them from backing out in a transaction.
Since there is no guarantee that a promise will be kept, verifying it was also an important task.
'Anyway, finally... I'm reclaiming my legacy. Phew~ It's been a really long journey.'
The second legacy, following the 'Grave of Molting.' Obtaining that place was not just a simple achievement; since he had also turned on the teleportation magic circle facility currently in the Grave of Molting, it was practically like reclaiming two legacies, and now he was in a position to use them actively.
'Especially the one beneath this Valderian territory... is a very important facility.'
Considering again that the Valderian family was his closest aide in his previous life, given that there was such an important facility, Beonald hoped the 'prohibited area' would be lifted as soon as possible so he could go to the ruins and activate the facility, gazing at the preserved food being taken out of the warehouse.