Chapter 163: Game of Thrones
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 163: Game of Thrones
“That must be the Baron's plan, isn't it?”
Aron shook off Erik’s hand, which had grabbed his arm. He even brushed his sleeve as if it had been stained with filth. Then, facing his brother’s distorted expression, he curled his lips into a smirk.
“I was wondering why you stopped me, and it was for this nonsense? What? Are you scared now that you might lose the position you stole from your own brother, born of the same mother?”
“I don’t know who’s spouting nonsense. If your brain was sharp enough to come up with such a detailed plan, you wouldn’t have lost the heir’s position to me in the first place. This is clearly the Baron's plan.”
Erik’s voice grew colder. The gaze he fixed on Aron was so frigid it was hard to believe it was directed at his own brother.
At the assertion, which held not a shred of doubt, Aron’s eyes narrowed.
“Ha. Haha. How absurd. Fine. Let’s say it’s the Baron’s plan. Then why would he use my mouth to propose it instead of doing it himself?”
“Because the Baron knew Father wouldn't agree if he proposed it himself.”
Just a few years ago, Allen had been the heir of a humble, unknown knightly family.
But now, he had emerged as one of the great feudal lords, possessing a vast territory.
It was the result of greedily expanding his lands and succeeding in one dangerous scheme after another.
The Count, who had watched these developments from the side and even investigated them separately, couldn’t help but be wary that Allen’s greed might one day be directed at him.
When Aron faltered, unable to respond, Erik sneered as if he had expected it.
“You didn’t know, did you? This is why you, the eldest son, lost the position of heir to me. If you became the Count, you’d ruin the family.”
Aron’s face twisted, the jab having hit a sore spot. But just as quickly, he returned the sneer.
“And you? Do you know the Baron’s true intentions?”
“That’s the problem—I don’t. The Baron might be trying to swallow Dresden whole. No, considering his actions so far, it’s obvious.”
“Hmph. You think Father doesn’t know what you’re thinking?”
“…”
This time, it was Erik who fell silent. The sneer on Aron’s lips deepened.
“Besides, do you really think our Dresden can’t handle a mere upstart noble like the Baron?”
“Even great empires can fall from a single mistake. If we underestimate the danger the Baron poses, who knows what will happen to Dresden.”
“Enough with the excuses. Be honest. You’re not worried about Dresden. You’re afraid of losing your position because the Baron has sided with me.”
After mocking Erik to his heart’s content, Aron turned his back. He was just about to grab the handle of the conference room door.
“Do you really trust him?”
Erik’s icy voice pierced Aron’s back like a spear. Without turning, Aron replied.
“Do I look that naive to you? The Baron and I are merely temporary companions because our interests align. If he harbors other intentions, as you say, then as a member of House Dresden, I will punish him.”
Aron left the conference room without waiting for Erik’s response. Erik’s eyes remained fixed on Aron’s back as he slowly walked away, not looking away until the door closed and he was completely out of sight.
@
Count Dresden, having snapped up the bait of the Coastal City Alliance and my help, readily agreed with my assertion that we must first deal with the Alliance and the Pope.
However, he did not accept my proposal to move immediately, reasoning that his army’s fatigue had reached its limit after the long war.
Duke Signir felt the same. In the end, our departure was postponed until after the Pope’s coronation.
That wasn’t the only thing the two political rivals agreed on. In response to my request that they attend the coronation to save face, they both sent representatives.
They were wary that the other might seize sole control of the royal capital, Aran, a place of both strategic and symbolic importance.
“I’m worried about the fight against the Pope. They’ll both try to conserve their strength and push the dangerous tasks onto the other. It might be worse than if they didn’t cooperate at all,” Cynthia said, glancing at the Count and the Duke who had come to see us off. The two men were noticeably wary of each other.
“That wouldn’t be so bad.”
My goal, after all, was for the three powers to destroy each other. As long as they weren’t completely defeated, I didn’t care how large their losses were. In fact, the greater the losses, the better.
“What…?”
Cynthia, who didn’t know my plan, whipped her head around to look at me. Unfortunately, a detailed explanation would have to wait. Aron had arrived.
“Erik won’t stand by idly.”
I had wondered why he was hugging me so uncharacteristically; it seemed he wanted to say this in secret.
“He’s about to lose the countship and the throne that were halfway in his grasp. Of course he’d try to resist somehow.”
Over Aron’s shoulder, I could see Erik watching us. His cool gaze glinted sharply like a razor blade.
“This isn’t something to be taken lightly. When the Count said he would send a representative to the Pope’s coronation, Erik volunteered.”
“Erik did?”
Only then did I break the embrace and face Aron. His eyes were trembling with anxiety.
“He knows better than anyone that the farther he is from the Count, the less power he has. He might try to take matters into his own hands.”
“His target would obviously be me, then?”
“He probably hates you more than me. He must have calculated that I can’t do anything without your support, so that makes it even more likely.”
Having said that, Aron grabbed me by the collar, closing the distance between us. His desperate eyes were right in front of mine.
“So don’t let him get you so easily. Don’t forget that my life is in your hands, too.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
I removed Aron’s hands, straightened my clothes, and smiled brightly. The Duke’s and Count’s representatives, Isabel and Erik, were approaching.
It was the beginning of an uncomfortable journey.
As soon as we left the capital, Erik rode his horse up beside me.
“I didn’t expect you to choose Aron, Baron. I thought we had a pretty good relationship…”
I was speechless. It was just too absurd. Wasn’t Erik the one who had tried to execute a plot to snatch away everything I’d built?
If either of us had the right to be disappointed and blame the other, it should have been me.
Erik continued.
“Won’t you reconsider, even now? Whatever Aron promised you, I’ll give you more.”
I let out a smirk.
“That won’t be as easy as it sounds.”
“…What do you mean?”
“You must have received a lot of help from those around you to reach your position as the likely heir, no? Even if I join you this late, can you guarantee me more benefits than your existing supporters?”
To use a sports analogy, Erik was the strong team favored to win. The payout for such a team would, at best, be slightly more than the initial bet.
“On the other hand, Aron is surrounded by nothing but chaff. He needs my help, if only to keep his talented younger brother in check. In other words, he has no choice but to guarantee me enormous benefits.”
A furrow formed between Erik’s brows.
“So you’re making a dangerous gamble. You’ll regret it dearly if you fail.”
“Fortunately, it’s been successful so far.”
Erik’s eyes narrowed. After a long pause, he blurted out.
“The truth is, you have other intentions, don’t you?”
“Other intentions?”
I asked nonchalantly. Thanks to Aron’s warning, I had expected him to be suspicious.
“From your perspective, Baron, dealing with Aron would be much easier than dealing with me.”
“You make it sound as if I’m bound to become an enemy of Dresden. Good grief. I’m the one taking a huge loss in this deal, and now I have to be suspected?”
“Because there must be a reason why someone as greedy as you would willingly accept a loss.”
“And what reason might that be?”
Erik fell silent. It was just a hunch, then. I feigned a wronged expression and shook my head.
“Don’t accuse an innocent man. I’ve kept all my promises to Dresden. Without me, you would have had to give up the throne of the Northern Continent and go home.”
Objectively, my actions had always benefited Dresden. The only person who had lost out was Erik himself.
“We’ll have to see if that remains true to the end.”
Without letting go of his suspicion, Erik returned to the rear of the column. It seemed the idea of me being an enemy was firmly planted in his mind. As expected, he was not to be underestimated.
“Tsk.”
As Aron had said, I would have to consider the possibility of him taking matters into his own hands. Of course, finishing the Pope’s coronation perfectly came first.
To rule the Northern Continent stably, I needed to restore the authority of the Church that would represent me, and I had to empower the Archbishop who would become Pope.
It wouldn’t be an easy task. As the Pope had reigned as the head of the Church for over a decade, his followers were spread throughout the entire Northern Continent.
Sure enough, when I arrived at the Holy Land, a group of priests had set up camp in front of the church, denouncing the Archbishop who was about to become Pope.
“The legally elected Pope is still alive and well, yet he dares to ascend to the papacy himself! Does this make any sense?!”
“Hear, hear!”
“Even if the Pope has committed great wrongs and is corrupt, that does not give the Archbishop the right to ascend to the papacy while ignoring all procedures!”
“It does not! It does not!”
“We cannot accept this! Why? If the Archbishop becomes Pope in this manner, how is he any different from the current Pope! Is that not so!?”
“We cannot accept it! We cannot!”
Quite a few people were watching the commotion in the plaza in front of the church. Among them were many nobles I had invited to attend the coronation.
They were the types to test the waters, to see who would win between the Pope and me, and who they should side with for their own benefit.
If I showed any weakness or appeared to be losing the moral high ground, they would side with the Pope, making the coming war even more difficult.
This meant it was crucial to disperse the Pope’s followers wisely.
Clap, clap, clap.
I clapped my hands as I made my way through the crowd. I looked around at the curious onlookers, smiled, and raised my voice.
“To speak out like this, knowing you could die! Are these not truly courageous priests? Is it not as if Saint Basquets, who defended his faith at the risk of his life amidst harsh persecution, has returned?”
Even though I compared them to a saint, they were clearly on guard. They seemed to know who I was. As I thought, they were undoubtedly the Pope’s stooges.
“But there is one strange thing. Has it not been several years since the Pope began his tyranny and corruption? Yet, is this not the first time we’ve seen priests protesting like this?”
I pointed out their silence during the Pope’s tyranny to make the public aware of their true intentions. Realizing the situation, the crowd let out a few snickers.
“Why? Did a righteous spirit suddenly well up inside you now that the Archbishop is becoming Pope?”
I looked down at the priests, who were glaring at me with flushed faces, and continued.
“Then again, it’s understandable. Under the reign of the faithful and just Archbishop, priests will be able to voice their opinions freely. Is this not also proof that the Church is moving in the right direction?”
I went a step further, turning the troublemakers into evidence of my own legitimacy.
“You minion of the devil! Do not insult the Lord's servants with your wicked words! The Lord will not forgive you. You will go to hell!”
The man who appeared to be the leader of the priests pointed a finger at me, his face red as if it were about to burst.
I smirked.
“I think you’ll be the one going to hell first. The Church is going to change. As a first step, the Church will be purified by stripping the Pope and the corrupt priests who followed him of their qualifications and making them pay the price.”
My threat wasn’t just verbal. With my back to the crowd, I placed my hand on my sword.
The faces of the confrontational priests instantly turned deathly pale, and they fled without a second glance.
I had guessed that since they were corrupt, their resolve wouldn’t be strong, but this was far too quick. The crowd seemed to think so too, letting out hollow laughs.
Just as I was wrapping things up.
“There’s a rumor that the Pope has Holy Water that can even raise the dead! Isn’t that Holy Water proof that the Lord supports the Pope?” a voice called out from the crowd. Before I could find its owner, another voice followed.
“I saw it myself! A severed arm bubbling and reattaching itself—it was nothing short of a divine miracle!”
It seemed the Pope had his hands in many pockets, as personal accounts followed one after another. Thanks to them, the murmuring spread as fast as a plague.
Before the idea that the Pope had the Lord’s favor could become the prevailing opinion, I stepped forward.
“Holy Water, you say. Are you talking about this?”
The nobles who had tested the Holy Water I held up and knew it was genuine couldn’t hide their bewilderment.
“Then where in the world does the Lord’s will lie?”
“When a decision is difficult, sometimes it’s best to just watch from the sidelines. Time will make everything clear. There’s no need to rush, is there?”
I projected an air of complete confidence, intending to show clearly who had the upper hand.
In the first place, the nobles with vested interests had already chosen a side and joined the war. In other words, for the nobles gathered here, the war was someone else’s problem.
Therefore, simply by making the justification for either side uncertain, I could make them hesitate to join. Just as I had nullified the Pope’s scheme, a messenger bearing the flag of Dresden came running and relayed something to Erik. Erik’s expression instantly hardened.
“What is it?”
A messenger had arrived so soon after we reached the Holy Land. Something must have happened.
As if the matter required security, Erik glanced around cautiously and closed the distance between us. Still not feeling secure, he whispered in a voice only I could hear.
“Father has been assassinated.”
It was news that certainly warranted such caution. I was so shocked I couldn’t help but ask.
“What… Who would assassinate the Count? Surely, it wasn’t Duke Signir?”
It couldn’t be the Pope. If he killed the Count through assassination, Dresden would retaliate against him with all its might.
That meant the only likely culprit was Duke Signir. He must have sent me to the Holy Land while pretending to cooperate, only to stab the Count in the back and seize the capital for himself.
Erik informed me of another possibility I hadn’t considered.
“It was me.”
“What… Gak.”
I let out an involuntary groan and looked down. A dagger, which I hadn’t seen in Erik’s hand until now, was digging into my chest.
The sensation of the blade piercing my flesh was chillingly cold. It wasn’t the first time I’d been stabbed, but it was a feeling I doubted I could ever get used to, no matter how many times I experienced it.
Shunk.
Erik pushed the dagger in up to the hilt and whispered in my ear.
“Dresden loses nothing.”