Chapter 218
Translator: Vine
Chapter: 218
Chapter Title: Denials and Shifting Allegiances
“We opposed it.”
“But the cardinal was so stubborn…”
“He was a mage of unclear origins who wouldn’t even reveal his school of magic. That’s why we opposed it…”
The first to deny any connection to Dolgren were the priests.
“We know nothing about politics.”
“Even though he was a mage, the cardinal recommended him, so we went along with it.”
“Of course, if you say that still means we neglected our duties as holy knights… we have no defense.”
“We never acted in any way that was dishonorable.”
After them, the holy knights stepped forward one after another with their excuses.
“Whoa, we should have voiced our opinions more strongly as loyal subjects of the crown, but the cardinal and His Majesty were so unyielding…”
“The selection of the court mage is entirely the king’s prerogative. We had no choice.”
“T-that’s right! Otherwise, we would never have let a mage of unknown origins into the royal castle, would we? We just accepted it because the cardinal vouched for him.”
Even the royal castle nobles desperately denied any ties to the cardinal or Dolgren.
And the cardinal himself, the very person at the center of it all, stood there with a face drained white as a sheet, his mouth opening and closing soundlessly.
When shock hits too hard, words fail—even for a political master like him, his mind blanked out in that instant.
Just yesterday, these people had fawned over him and watched his every move.
Today, not one would even meet his eyes.
And this was in the heart of the royal castle.
It was something he’d never experienced before—something he couldn’t even imagine happening—and cracks formed in the cardinal’s mind.
In the end, he made a mistake he never should have.
“Th-this is a dream, right? Yes, it’s a dream. A trial from the gods. Once this dark moment passes, His light will…”
The priests and holy knights nearby watched the cardinal mutter incoherently with a dazed expression and came to a firm conclusion.
‘The cardinal is finished.’
Few had stayed by his side out of true affection. Most clung to his religious authority, political power, and wealth.
But now, with Phail II screaming to his death at the hands of an undead monster, and irrefutable evidence of the cardinal’s deep ties to the black mage who created the undead…
The sturdy fortress of power the cardinal had built was destined only to crumble.
‘Perfect. The mood is ripe.’
Eugene smirked inwardly as he observed it all. Outwardly maintaining a stern expression, he spoke.
“Hmm. So, all of you opposed the cardinal’s recommendation of that wicked man as court mage, is that it?”
Everyone flinched at his icy tone and fell silent.
As if.
Some among them—no, quite a few prominent figures—had actively supported Dolgren’s appointment to curry favor with the cardinal.
That was why they all shut their mouths. A careless word could sweep away half the people here.
As they exchanged wary glances, one of the holy knights who had entered the cathedral’s underground passage with Eugene turned to his comrades with a resolute expression.
“Brothers. In the name of the gods, let’s clear our names and be done with it. He sees everything and knows everything, doesn’t He?”
“…?”
The holy knights looked at him with puzzled eyes.
“When the cardinal tried to bring that wicked black mage in as court mage, didn’t some of you actively support it?”
“Urgh!”
The holy knights’ expressions changed.
It was true—a few had stepped forward, arguing they should back the cardinal.
And the one who had been most fervent in his support…
“…!?”
Amid all the holy knights who had sheathed their swords, one still gripped his tightly.
“Sir Dirhit. Why did you actively support it when all your brothers urged caution?”
“Wh-what?”
“Didn’t you insist that we holy knights needed to lend our strength to the cardinal?”
“That’s right. You said it was the only way to properly eradicate heretics and apostates.”
“A black mage who creates undead is a horrific heretic in himself, yet you championed bringing such a fiend into the court as mage…”
“I-I…”
Yung Dirhit’s face turned ashen in an instant as he began to back away stealthily.
Eugene tossed in a casual remark.
“Sir Dirhit, was it? Come to think of it, at Earl Winslon’s knight tournament, you vowed to kill me, calling me a heretic.”
His voice was soft, but everyone heard Eugene’s words.
The holy knights who had slain Dolgren in the cathedral’s underground passage reacted first.
“Ha! No wonder he started badmouthing Sir Eugene after returning humiliated from Earl Winslon’s tournament!”
“To brand a knight as honorable and devout as Sir Eugene a heretic? How could this be…”
“Without you, we wouldn’t have defeated the undead—or that wicked black mage.”
“No way…”
As the holy knights’ conversation zeroed in on one target, Dirhit’s mind went blank.
Then Eugene’s voice pierced his ear like a dagger.
“Hm. Were you afraid I’d interfere with the cardinal’s plans…?”
Two birds with one stone.
Eugene, who had neatly linked the cardinal and Yung Dirhit in a single stroke, smiled at him.
“But it failed. Sir Yung Dirhit, holy knight. Or should I call you accomplice to regicide?”
The moment to settle old scores had finally arrived.
* * *
“No! I didn’t! I tell you!”
“Sirs! Brothers! I’m the cardinal! Guardian of the faith in this land… Ack! Urk!”
The crowd watched Dirhit and the cardinal dragged away howling like beasts, their eyes cold.
All the circumstances and evidence pointed to them bringing Dolgren in to create the undead—and assassinate the king.
Their vaunted status and piety meant nothing in the face of regicide, an unprecedented crime.
Above all, everyone here needed to pin down the true culprits as quickly as possible and sever ties.
“W-well then, we should discuss what to do next…”
At someone’s words, the eyes of the now-free nobles and ministers naturally turned to one person.
No matter what anyone said, the one who held the reins here was Eugene.
‘Is he aiming for the throne…?’
“N-no way… He has no claim to it.’
‘A knight that bold might just try.’
Eugene parted his lips amid their tangled, complicated gazes.
“Why are you all looking at me?”
“…Pardon?”
“Have you forgotten? I’m the Duke of Bartlia. Not a noble of Kailer Kingdom.”
“Ah…!”
Come to think of it, yes.
This knight held no title from Kailer Kingdom, nor any investiture from its king.
He was a duke of Bartlia Kingdom—technically a complete outsider.
“This is Kailer Kingdom’s problem. Handle it yourselves. Though, it might be tricky if you all just discuss and decide among yourselves here.”
“What do you mean by that?”
Bartlia might be the weaker nation, but he was still a duke of a country—the ministers and nobles treated him with utmost courtesy.
The dozens of knights behind him glaring murderously didn’t help their nerves either.
“The civil war isn’t over yet, is it? The king died in the midst of it. You plan to crown a new king just among yourselves in this situation? No, before that even.”
Eugene coldly spelled out reality to the stunned nobles.
“With the king and high-ranking royals in the line of succession dead en masse, what do you think will happen when word spreads that the court mage and cardinal were behind it?”
“…!!!’
The nobles’ faces cracked like dry earth.
He was right.
The civil war’s outbreak and the massive subjugation force heading to the noble alliance—all stemmed from the king and cardinal.
They had started it all, and they had ordered the subjugation.
Now one was dead, and the other faced execution soon.
If that news reached the noble alliance and subjugation army?
And if they learned that the ministers and nobles here had discussed the succession among themselves?
‘We’re screwed!’
As nobles, they knew full well.
In times like these, he who holds the sword becomes king. Even if they mustered every soldier they had in the capital, it wouldn’t be a tenth of the subjugation force and noble alliance.
Tens of thousands would march on the capital, sealing everyone here’s fate.
“Please help us! Sir!”
“Share your wisdom! Sir Eugene! We beg you!”
The nobles swarmed Eugene.
He was the only lifeline: slayer of the undead twin-head ogre, commander of over a hundred knights, backed even by the holy knights.
“Y-you’re close with Earl Winslon, aren’t you, sir? You’re the only one who can turn this around!”
Like men grasping at straws, the nobles pleaded desperately.
Eugene surveyed them leisurely and replied.
“It’s true I’m on good terms with Earl Winslon, but I’m not the only one who can handle this, am I?”
“Pardon?”
Eugene’s gaze slowly shifted to one spot, and the nobles followed like ducklings after their mother.
There stood the Roman Empire’s prince (actually a bastard) with a what-is-this expression.
“With the golden blood of the Roman Empire, you’d have no trouble uniting and representing your views, right?”
“Huh?”
“Ah!”
As the bastard prince squinted one eye, the nobles rushed over en masse.
“Your Imperial Highness!”
“Please! Help us!”
“With the wisdom of one of the empire’s finest princes, for our Kailer…”
“Honorable Imperial Highness!”
“Your Highness!”
The nobles showered the prince they’d met today with flattery and praise, begging for aid.
“Kie… They’re like a zombie horde.”
The spirit, bored and yawning through the tedious politics, shook his head.
Princess Lilisein, who had been gazing at Eugene alone with eyes full of admiration, quickly sidled up to him.
“Your Grace the Duke. Wouldn’t it be better to accept their request?”
“Why should I?”
With a chuckle, Eugene turned to the holy knights watching the scene with complicated eyes.
“Holy knights.”
“…?”
To the flinching holy knights, Eugene said in a suggestive tone.
“You’re the primary contributors to slaying the wicked black mage and crushing the cardinal’s plot, aren’t you? That’s why I’m saying this. In this chaotic situation, doesn’t it make more sense for you to speak up rather than those royal castle nobles?”
“…!”
The holy knights’ eyes widened.
But only for a moment.
Their pupils, belonging to those who had trained only with the sword in the church and knew not the first thing about politics, began to gleam with resolve.
Eugene delivered the finishing blow.
“Only you, armed with true faith and knighthood, can provide proper guidance in this turmoil. No—nationally, in such a dire crisis, Kailer’s holy knights must take the center. Who else could?”
“Well said!”
“In times like these, we must stay sharp!”
“The gods watch us, brothers! With no king! Only His will can lead this nation to justice!”
Ignited into zealots by Eugene’s single spark, the holy knights marched fearlessly toward the nobles.
“N-no, why are you…?”
“What is this, sirs!? This is a religious matter…”
“The gods say! In national crisis, upholding the faith is the servant’s duty…”
“No, what are you—!”
The holy knights’ intrusion turned the already chaotic crowd around the prince into utter pandemonium.
“No! I mean…”
“Stand down! Don’t trouble His Highness!”
“Show your honor! This is Rome’s glorious golden blood…”
Even Lokarop, the prince suddenly thrust from outsider to star, and his entourage were just as flustered.
Amid the chaos, Eugene and the prince’s eyes met in midair.
- Do your best. It’s your chance to be the hero.
- Thanks, but this is a bit much.
Exchanging such glances, Eugene looked away from the prince struggling to hide his dismay.
With the plan succeeding—cardinal and Dirhit dealt with, Kailer Kingdom plunged into great chaos—only one thing remained.
“Now, let’s do what we came for.”
“Pardon? What do you mean, ‘do’?”
To the tilting head of Princess Lilisein, Eugene flashed an honest smile.
“This is the royal castle, isn’t it? We’re the benefactors here. Time to collect our due, right?”
“Ah! Oh…”
A true knight ensures clear debts and favors. Princess Lilisein admired Eugene anew.
“Kieeee! Leave it to me! I’ll sniff out every gold, silver, treasure, jewel, artifact, deed, land title—everything!”
The desire spirit’s body shimmered gold as he finally got to flex his specialty.
(To be continued next episode)