The Enemy of My Enemy Makes a Useful Pawn

I put the vacant-eyed believer out in front and headed for wherever the cardinal would be.

Along the way I asked a few questions. I wanted to see just how absolute this brainwashing really was.

"If we keep going like this, will I get to see the cardinal you serve?"

"To be precise… it's the office Cardinal Rimani visits from time to time."

"So if luck isn't on our side, we might not see him at all?"

The believer nodded. I decided to probe a little further.

"If he doesn't show, kill yourself."

I'd expected him to drop to his knees and beg for his life. What I got instead was something else entirely.

A grab. A squeeze.

The believer clamped both hands around his own throat and started to choke himself. I hadn't seen that ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠coming.

"Whoa, whoa—not now!"

The moment I stopped him, he dropped his hands to his sides.

Hell, even I was startled. I found myself admiring the necklace's power all over again. It was this effective?

Then again, Lao used this thing to rule an entire territory. People probably never even realized they were being played.

I let out a dry laugh and kept walking. Following the believer, we arrived at a building packed with ordinary-looking offices.

This place was way too normal.

"Hold it."

A big guy blocked our way before we could go in. What was this supposed to be, a knight's vigil? He scowled, looking back and forth between me and the believer.

"Who the hell are you people?"

I sent a telepathic message straight to the believer.

Say exactly what I tell you.

I fed him the words. And then the believer opened his mouth with perfect composure.

"I am a believer who serves Cardinal Rimani. While I was praying in the chapel today, a follower of Cardinal James started causing a disturbance, so I came to report it at once."

"And the one behind you?"

"This is the kind soul who protected me from that follower. He has come to ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠receive the Lord's teachings."

"…Fine. Go in."

The guy stepped aside. I went up to the office with the believer.

Cultists might be trash at everything else, but they were consistent about this much. Mention coming to receive the teachings and they just let you through.

So now I have to show my devotion and start coughing up cash, too?

I sneered inwardly as I stepped into the office. Inside, people were busy with paperwork all ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠around.

"Pass me that fountain pen, would you?"

"Do we have a copy of the account ledger?"

"There's an item missing from this list. Errors like this need to be fixed."

They were working at a pretty brisk clip.

What is this, a regular company? Perfect place to drop a bombshell.

I was laughing silently when I heard someone approaching. I turned my head and found a middle-aged man with a blond buzz cut looking at me and the believer.

"What business brings you here?"

I had no idea who this guy was. An unawakened, at least. Might as well ask.

"Are you Cardinal Rimani?"

A chair screeched. Something slammed.

"How dare you! Address the Cardinal properly!"

"The Lord's incarnation!"

"I smell a heretic!"

The people who'd been so busy with their work all stood up at once and started yelling at me.

Honestly, it startled the hell out of me.

What the fuck was this? Creepy as shit. Nobody even told them to do it—they just reflexively snapped into that routine?

Right. Cultists. I forgot.

That's right. These were cultists. The kind of worthless bastards who'd sacrifice their own families for their own safety and a fake salvation.

I let a smirk play across my face, radiating ease.

"Cardinal Rimani. Let's talk."

"I should talk… with you?"

"It's something very important. It might even be a great help to you."

"To me? I don't know how you got this far, boy, but it looks like you need a lesson."

A sigh slipped out on its own. I was standing here with a sword on my hip and he thought I looked like a kid?

"Then we'll have to spill some blood."

At those words, Rimani's gaze turned ugly. Time to teach him some manners.

I grinned and issued a command to the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠believer.

Pick up the nearest fountain pen and stab it into the closest person's throat.

Thump, thump. A tap. Then a wet punch of metal through flesh.

"Gyaaaaaaah!"

The believer carried out my order perfectly. A fountain pen was buried in the neck of someone who'd been doing paperwork, spraying bright red blood in every direction. It wouldn't kill him, but it was a sudden bloodbath all the same. The room erupted in panic.

"What?!"

I just shrugged.

"What's it gonna be, Mr. Rimani?"

"…Fine. Follow me."

He seemed to have made up his mind. He led me somewhere deeper into the office—a private study.

Looking around, I almost laughed. The outer office had been tidy enough, but this place was something else. Being a private study, it was stuffed with expensive knight sculptures, famous paintings, and rare bottles of liquor—every flavor of greed laid bare. The building itself couldn't have come cheap. This was the capital, after all.

"Well then. What is it you wanted to tell me?"

I leaned back against a bookshelf and answered Rimani's question.

"Your cult leader is dead. In Uberpool."

"…What? Don't talk nonsense! There's no way our Holy Leader could be dead!"

"It's the truth."

I immediately held up the necklace. A cardinal would know what this was.

The moment Rimani saw it, his pupils started shaking.

"Th-that's impossible… How? More than that, word should have reached us by now."

"Don't you have plenty of informants?"

"No. There's only one channel. If we planted too many and they got exposed, the Empire might get a lead on us."

Thorough in that respect, at least. But that same thoroughness had left every cardinal besides James completely in the dark.

"James has already taken over that handful of informants. That's why a big shot like you still hasn't heard the news, isn't it?"

I flattered him just enough while driving the reality home. He seemed to be listening more carefully now—then his face went pale.

"That can't be. There have been rumors that James would pull something like this, but… he's faster than I expected!"

"That's the kind of bastard he is."

"…What do you want?"

He wanted me to state my purpose. Fine. I'd dress it up a little.

"See, I've got a personal grudge against that son of a bitch James. And from what I hear, several cardinals like yourself have banded together to keep him in check."

"Is that so? First I've heard of it."

Playing dumb, was he? I had a way around that.

"No? Then I came to the wrong place. I was hoping to put you in line as the next cult leader."

"What?"

"Compared to that snake James, you've got more prestige, Rimani. Your public image is cleaner. Hell, even among the common folk they sing hymns about you."

"Hymns… about me?"

A flicker of delight crossed Rimani's face, then vanished. He'd buried the emotion. Clumsy as it was, it was the kind of face that suited a man in his position.

"Yeah. A song like this."

I made the whole thing up, of course. No way some hymn like that was actually circulating. But Rimani's mouth stretched so wide it looked like it might tear to his ears. Naturally. He was just another greedy cultist chasing nothing but his own appetite.

"Ahem. Is that so? Well, I have bestowed a few blessings here and there. And I've been diligent about spreading the gospel."

Thank god I'd run into a stupid, greedy bastard like this. If I'd met someone like James, the mind games would've dragged on forever.

"Eh, forget it. I'll go find another cardinal."

I turned to leave.

"W-wait!"

I knew he'd stop me. I grinned, then turned back with a blank face.

"What?"

"It's true that we've formed an alliance to keep Cardinal James in check. But his faction is too large. Why else would they already be calling him the next cult leader?"

They were already calling him that? No wonder James was so cunning. Even a complete idiot starts swaggering when everyone around him keeps calling him a genius.

"Just gather everyone who hates James."

"Why?"

"This isn't some minor issue. The cult leader is dead. A sly bastard like James is already pulling every trick in the book to seize that seat."

"That's probably true."

"So what happens if you just sit here doing nothing?"

Only then did Rimani start trembling. He propped his chin on his hand, then nodded.

"You're right. I should at least call a Prime Meeting."

A Prime Meeting. It was the term they used when the heads of a religious order gathered in one place for a council.

A cult, of all things, throwing around such a grandiose phrase. I couldn't even laugh. Well, it was about what I'd expected.

"That's good. Gather as much of your faction as you can. This is your only window."

"But even if I gather them all, what then?"

"Right now, the only people who know the cult leader is dead are you and James. Once this Prime Meeting is convened, at least your allies will learn the truth. Let's use that."

"Ohh… I think I see where this is going."

As if to prove he hadn't won his cardinal's seat in a poker game, Rimani's face took on the look of a man who'd just formed a plan.

Good. At the very least, he needed to come up with his own idea for how to wreck James.

He thought for a long while, then let out a whistle. Seemed like a pretty good idea had occurred to him.

"I get it, I get it. We pin the cult leader's death on James."

"Exactly. That bastard has a clear motive. And in case you didn't know, there were fake sentries James planted at the checkpoint. If you're going to clean house, start with them, then hold the meeting as fast as you can."

"Heh heh, I like that! But…"

Rimani laughed for a moment, then turned to look at me with a grave expression. His eyes slowly widened.

"Why are you helping me?"

"I told you. I've got a grudge. I want to see that bastard bleed. You people will make that happen—build a righteous cause, strike first with agitation and fabrication, then crush James with public opinion at your back."

"I know how to handle that much. That should be enough."

"Sure, sure."

"Heh heh heh. This is an opportunity granted by the Lord. He's telling me that I am the one worthy of becoming the cult leader!"

Rimani spread both arms toward the heavens and laughed like an idiot. Watching him preen, I could gauge his level immediately. I mocked him inwardly while keeping a solemn expression on my face.

"Then do it well. You'll want to make your move by tomorrow or the day after. James's reach extends everywhere."

"Wait. Leave that necklace behind."

As I turned to go, Rimani shot me a greedy look. His eyes were boring through the necklace.

"This? No."

"Why not?"

"Once I've seen that you people actually pulled it off, then I'll give it to you."

"What?!"

"Don't mix up your priorities, Cardinal. Is snatching this from me the first thing you should be doing, or is dunking James the first thing? That's not a hard question, is it?"

Rimani clicked his tongue at my words, but he still couldn't tear his eyes off the necklace. A man honest about his greed, at least.

"Hmph. I'll handle that myself! You just sit back and watch. Watch how I carry out the Lord's will!"

"Yeah. That's the spirit."

Smooth sailing. I needed to keep goading this guy so he'd pull James's attention away—so I could cut James's throat that much more easily.

But Rimani's face suddenly darkened.

"Hmm. But it's still going to be difficult."

"What is?"

"There's a noble who sponsors James. A rather influential one."

"Who?"

A name I knew. Ahh, of course that name had to come up.