Chapter 121: The Tour
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 121: The Tour
Archbishop Raceni was a powerful named character, boasting the greatest religious renown on the continent.
How powerful? His words, backed by immense religious authority, could even declare a witch to be no witch.
The problem was, it was impossible to get Archbishop Raceni on your side.
He was one of the few characters who could resist Aenya's beauty, which even the king couldn't escape.
It wasn't that her beauty had no effect at all, but whenever he was on the verge of crossing the line, he would simply commit suicide. This meant there was no way to win him over when playing as a witch.
So, even though I knew how useful he was, I had given up on him…
‘And now he's walked right into my hands.’
It was as if he’d put a leash around his own neck and handed me the end.
Of course, he was a religiously stubborn old man, so I couldn't just use him as I pleased even with a leash on him.
But this was an incomparably better situation than before, when I couldn't even make an attempt.
‘If I can secure the Witch of the Northern Continent and add Raceni's religious authority to my side…’
This could be my chance to become a powerful feudal lord who doesn't have to care what others think.
Just then, Raceni, who was lying on the bed, flinched and then shot upright.
“Where… where am I?”
“Do you not know the place you infiltrated like a thief? Archbishop Raceni.”
His eyes, as he turned his head toward me, trembled minutely. As the situation dawned on him, his face filled with bewilderment.
After all, a renownedly devout archbishop had been caught red-handed sneaking into a noble's inner quarters like a thief. He must have felt helpless, wondering how to resolve this.
‘I guess this is to be expected from a character with the ‘Fanatic’ trait.’
Normally, he was wise enough to put a sage to shame, but when it came to religion, Archbishop Raceni became reckless and charged ahead without a second thought.
In other words, religion was the reason behind his irrational actions. And there was only one religious reason for him to infiltrate my home.
The witch.
“What business does the renowned archbishop have in my home?”
I set aside the price for his criminal act for a moment. A problem like this was like wine—it only gets better with age.
Throughout our conversation, he would have to worry about what I might demand as compensation. In other words, I could lead the conversation from a position of power.
“…I received a report.”
“A report?”
“It’s just…”
Just as Raceni was about to obediently reveal his purpose, there was a knock, and Piole opened the door and entered. She glanced at the archbishop and whispered to me.
“It seems the chief priest of the chapel helped him. What should I do?”
I had wondered how a frail old man managed to slip past the tight security. So there was a traitor inside.
“So we had a thief in the house. Take care of it.”
“What are you trying to do!”
It seemed Raceni had overheard Piole's whisper.
I, in turn, put on a look of incomprehension and said,
“Archbishop. Did you truly not know it would come to this?”
A mere cleric employed by the castle colluded with an outsider to help him infiltrate.
What if the person he helped had been an assassin? Even with my superhuman strength and unique eyes, there's no guarantee I could have avoided assassination.
In other words, it was a matter I had to react to sensitively.
Could Archbishop Raceni have been unaware of that?
No, he likely knew but ignored it in favor of his religious conviction. Now it was time to pay the price.
“The Lord said to love your enemies!”
“Archbishop. Do not use the Lord's name for your own ends. The Lord will surely not look kindly upon you justifying the chief priest's sin in His name.”
“…!”
Raceni couldn't hide his surprise. What, did he not expect a sword-swinging knight to counter him with theological language?
If he truly thought that way when he came to face me, he was in for a great regret. After all, there was a time when I was more deeply immersed in theology than anyone.
‘It was because of my mother's resurrection.’
I once thought the path to meeting my deceased mother again lay in theology.
It's in the scriptures, isn't it? That when the promised time comes, the dead will be resurrected and enjoy happiness by the Lord's side.
I studied theology to hasten that time. And I despaired.
Because no matter how much I cried out to God, my mother never returned.
Of course, my theological knowledge was but a firefly before the sun compared to the archbishop's.
But the situation was what it was.
Archbishop Raceni got off the bed and knelt.
“Please. Please, have mercy.”
So like Raceni. He didn't hesitate to kneel for the priest who had helped him.
“A truly good result must come from a righteous process. Otherwise, it may look tempting on the outside, but it will be nothing more than a rotten apple on the inside.”
“…”
Archbishop Raceni bowed his head even lower.
“What fate the chief priest meets, Archbishop, is in your hands.”
The chief priest's betrayal was infuriating, but killing him would only grant me a moment's satisfaction.
It was more profitable to use him to put another leash on the archbishop.
“I received a report that the princess is a witch.”
As expected, his purpose for infiltrating was the witch. At the same time, I knew who had made the report.
“It was the king, wasn't it?”
Bronx II was the only one who knew Eleanor's abilities well and would still be hostile to her.
The archbishop slowly raised his head.
“How… how did you know?”
“Because the princess and the king are in deep conflict over the succession issue.”
I used the succession issue as an excuse. The king wouldn't have told him the full story anyway.
If he revealed that Eleanor's abilities were the foundation of his prosperous reign, he too would not escape the archbishop's questioning. Besides, wasn't his relationship with the archbishop already poor?
“I'm sure there was no clear evidence. Archbishop, you've been used politically.”
“I thought that might be the case. But I must confirm it. That is my duty.”
The archbishop's eyes, looking straight at me, shone brightly. They were the eyes of a man with unwavering conviction.
I chuckled.
“The Lord prefers action to a thousand words. What did you think? You must have seen many things on your way here. Did this domain seem like a den of evil ruled by a witch?”
I could say with confidence that my domain was far better to look at than any other.
This was an age where nobles treated their subjects as little more than tax-paying livestock. There probably wasn't another noble who cared about the lives of their people as I do.
Even if it was just a means to collect more taxes.
“Indeed, it was the opposite. It was a city more befitting the utopia I've dreamed of. However, I have one question. How did you secure the funds for so much construction and maintenance? As I understand it, your finances are not in good shape due to the successive wars.”
“I borrowed it.”
Not me, Aenya. While I was away, Aenya took out loans to develop the domain.
When I found out, I almost scolded Aenya. It was due to an instinctive aversion.
And why wouldn't I? The interest rates were so exorbitant they'd put a modern loan shark to shame.
Aenya's thinking was different.
‘After you borrow the money, the debtor actually becomes the one in power.’
Moreover, what if the debtor possessed great military strength and power? Aenya explained that the creditor would have no choice but to be dragged along.
Only after hearing that did I realize my modern mindset had been getting in the way.
The world I stood and breathed in was not the modern era. It was the Middle Ages, where power and the military force to wield it could turn financial power to dust overnight.
“You went into debt for the sake of your citizens…?”
The archbishop looked incredulous.
“Will you believe me if I introduce you to the merchant who lent me the money?”
“…”
“If you find it that hard to believe, how about this? I'm planning to tour the domain soon. Why don't you accompany me and see with your own two eyes whether this land is truly a den of demons?”
I cast the bait, intending to put the third and final leash on him.
#
Meanwhile, at that same time, Allen's women were gathered in a meeting room. Piole had just returned from asking Allen about the chief priest's fate.
“He said to lock him in the dungeon for now.”
“I'm sure my brother has a plan. Anyway, let's start the meeting.”
The fate of a mere priest was not their concern. They had a more important matter at hand.
The five women sat around a round table, sizing each other up. Aenya, acting as the moderator, was the first to speak.
“The answer is obvious, but I'll ask anyway. Who wants to accompany my brother to Quaran?”
Allen was scheduled to take a ship from Quaran to join Dresden. And since he was going anyway, he planned to tour and inspect the domain along the way.
This meeting was to select the woman who would accompany him on that journey.
Before Aenya could even finish, everyone's hand shot up. No one was going to miss the chance for a cozy, private date.
“So no one wants to miss the chance to travel with my brother? Well, I'm the same, so I can't blame you. But you know we can't all go, right? This isn't a pleasure trip, and if he travels with a gaggle of women, it'll hurt his reputation.”
“Then how many…”
To Eusebia's cautious question, Aenya held up her index and middle fingers.
“Two at most. And if there isn't a good reason, I'll cut it down to one.”
The women quickly exchanged glances. Adeleade was the first to make her case.
“I believe my daughter and I should accompany him. We were planning to return to Polton anyway, and if we go together, we won't need to hire an escort, right?”
Polton was a week's journey from Quaran. In other words, if they went with Adeleade's plan, the Rasino mother and daughter would be with Allen for most of the trip.
“Mother…!”
Eusebia looked at Adeleade with eyes full of emotion.
“Oh, my. You pretend not to be, but you're quite greedy, aren't you? But that's too weak a justification. It's not like we're short on money for escorts, are we? Rejected.”
But Aenya was merciless.
Eusebia's face fell, and Adeleade glared at Aenya with displeasure, but Aenya just responded with a smug look.
As Allen's sister, Aenya held absolute power in these women's meetings. Still, no one complained because she was fair.
Having eliminated two competitors at once, Aenya continued.
“Stop thinking about your own desires and think about what would be helpful to my brother first.”
“Does that mean you have no interest, Aenya?”
Aenya grinned at Adeleade's question.
“Nope. In fact, that's precisely why I think I should go. I've been managing the domain's affairs while he was away. I'm the only one who can report on the progress at his side.”
“So it was a question with a predetermined answer!”
Aenya shrugged.
“If you can come up with a justification I haven't thought of, I'll gladly allow it.”
Adeleade bit her lip but couldn't think of a suitable reason.
Aenya grinned, thinking she would finally get to spend some quality time alone with Allen. But that was when an unexpected rival appeared.
“Uh… then you'll need an escort, won't you?”
Piole, who had been watching for an opening, cautiously interjected. As all eyes turned to her, Piole scratched her cheek and continued.
“I mean, once Allen leaves Quaran, Aenya will be left alone, right? So she'll need someone to protect her. It's a job men can't do… which leaves only me, doesn't it?”
“…!”
When Allen was away, Aenya and Piole were a pair. It was so natural that Aenya hadn't even considered it.
Belatedly realizing she'd hit the nail on the head, Piole grinned at Aenya.
“Oh, how can I ever thank you?”
“Ugh…”
Aenya, her clenched fists trembling, whipped her head away. Piole knew it was a sign of surrender. The smile on her lips widened.
“Eleanor? Why are you so quiet?”
Among the women, only Eleanor had stepped back, as if she had no desire to go.
Staring blankly out the window, she only turned her gaze back to the table after Aenya's question.
“Aenya. Could I ask you to handle the administration of Quaran?”
“What about you, Eleanor?”
“I'll stay here.”
Aenya's eyes widened.
“Alone?”
“Because of this incident, Allen has become an enemy to both the Royalist and Noble factions. I don't expect anyone to be foolish enough to pluck the sleeping lion's whiskers, but there are always madmen who defy common sense. If I stay here, everyone will be safe.”
Everything Allen had built was like a castle made of sand. Without him, those left behind would be too vulnerable.
Allen had made various arrangements to prevent that, but they couldn't be called perfect.
So, Eleanor decided to stay. If she remained alone in Roxwood, which served as a geographical gateway, she could protect everyone with her ability.
“You're going to walk back into that invisible prison on your own two feet?”
Aenya couldn't believe it. Having been by her side, she knew better than anyone how much Eleanor had struggled with her prison-like life.
It had gotten worse after she'd had a taste of freedom thanks to Allen, to the point where she showed signs of depression. And now she was walking back into that prison willingly.
While everyone else was scrambling to satisfy their own desires, Eleanor had chosen sacrifice.
“Don't get the wrong idea. This is my own desire. I… I want Allen and all of you to be able to stay together. Compared to the years that have passed, the time I'll be alone won't be that long.”
Seeing Eleanor say this with a bright smile, Aenya had an intuition. She may have won the battle, but she had lost the war.
While everyone else was being greedy, wasn't it Eleanor, who thought of Allen first, who had shown true love?
At this moment, no one could deny that Eleanor seemed more like the true wife.
Aenya felt a sense of shame at her own inability to do the same. The other women felt it too.