Chapter 25
Chapter 25
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 25
Chapter Title: The Choice of the Women Left Behind 3
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Eventually, permission came down from the Archbishop to pursue Santana.
Even though there wasn't any particular crime he had committed, within the church's domain, excommunicated individuals could be dragged off and killed without reason, with tacit approval. So there was no real issue here.
"Then we'll be off. No need to say it, but you must bring that bastard Santana back."
"Yes, Your Grace."
"We will, without fail."
With those polite words of farewell to the Archbishop, the two women left the office.
Watching them go, Archbishop Maxim felt a deep sense of relief, thinking she had finally chased away those annoying pests.
'The travel funds they requested are more than I expected... but it's still within acceptable limits, so no big deal. If they catch Santana, great. Even if they don't, just getting them out of this city will lighten my burden.'
Once Milano's two strongest Holy Knights departed, the other knights' fierce momentum would surely wane a bit.
All that remained was to placate them with a modest pay raise in this situation and end the tiresome Great Cathedral occupation. Then, just as Archbishop Maxim wanted, she could resolve the crisis smoothly with minimal cost.
'They volunteer to hunt Santana without even realizing the situation... Those two are all brawn and no brains. Let's see how far they get before they tire themselves out.'
Feeling lighthearted, Archbishop Maxim leaned back comfortably in her chair, a thick smile spreading across her lips.
Proud of her ability to wrap things up without major losses this time too...
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ "Hah... hahaha!"
"Puhahaha!"
Riding toward the Bennetsa Republic, Holy Knights Nune and Tine held it in until they reached a forest far from Milano. Only then did they burst into the laughter they'd been suppressing.
"Ahahaha! I figured it'd work, but I didn't think she'd actually fall for it!"
"Nune, you're a genius! How'd you even come up with that? Honestly, I never dreamed that archbishop bitch would cough up cash so easily!"
"It's all from experience. Remember when the bishops faked a pilgrimage to the Great Cathedral in Rom and partied hard in Bennetsa? I just mimicked that."
"Incredible. To fool her so completely."
Chatting excitedly among themselves, Nune and Tine gripped the heavy pouches of gold the Archbishop had given them as "travel expenses."
But at that moment, neither had any intention of using it to hunt down Santana in Bennetsa and drag him back to Milano.
They weren't blind to the situation, even if strategy wasn't their strong suit.
Bringing Santana back now would just be petty revenge at best. It wouldn't change their lives for the better, and they knew it all too well.
Besides, they had no deep grudge against him warranting all that effort just for a vent.
When you got down to it, it was all that damn Archbishop Maxim's scheming. Not Santana's fault, and they knew that.
So why had they volunteered to hunt him down and set out like this? Simple: to create a pretext to squeeze as much "support funding" as possible from Maxim. And it worked—they now held a tidy sum in cash.
"See? You gotta use your head. That archbishop swallowed our story whole and handed over eight talents each without batting an eye."
"Haha, yeah. This'll let us live easy for a good while, legs stretched out straight."
It wasn't an insane fortune, but it was plenty substantial.
Far better than sleeping on the Great Cathedral floor, holding out indefinitely with no end in sight. That much was clear to them.
Plus, with the "pursuit" orders giving them a legitimate excuse to leave, they could travel as Holy Knights elsewhere, enjoying proper treatment and perks.
Much better than a half-assed escape.
Having successfully pulled off their scam, Nune and Tine turned north instead of toward Bennetsa, where Santana supposedly was.
"So... you said you have relatives in the Holy Empire?"
"Yeah, specifically the Bohemia region. My uncle runs a pretty big merchant company there. We won't have to take shit treatment and slave away like before. And with this fat stack of cash, no complaints either."
They'd left under the guise of pursuit, but they were essentially fugitives now. In times like these, blood ties were all you could trust. And so, the two spurred their horses toward Bohemia in the Holy Empire.
It was a long way even at a brisk pace, so they'd need to move quickly.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ After washing away the physical and mental fatigue in Bennetsa...
Kazeros Sophia and I set out again at dawn, when fewer eyes were on us, climbing back into the carriage for the road ahead.
"Then we'll be going."
"Safe travels. I've contacted my connections along the way in advance—just mention my name, and they'll help."
"Thank you so much, Mr. Shylock."
"We owe you big time. Truly grateful."
Our final goodbyes before departure.
We hadn't secured the ship passage we wanted, but Shylock had still helped immensely with our journey ahead.
Thanks to his vast network across the continent as a grand merchant, and a whopping 200 talents handed over as "travel funds."
Officially travel money, but we all knew it was payment for saving his life—his ransom, unspoken but understood.
'Boss sure has a big heart. That's why the money rolls in—no small change. Connections are king in this world.'
Feeling a spark of luck in this streak of rotten fortune, I whipped the carriage horses and left Bennetsa behind.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Watching Santana and his companion Kazeros Sophia depart before his eyes...
Shylock wore an expression of concern.
'I've done all I can... but it's no easy road ahead. Crossing the Holy Empire to the Dragona Empire.'
As Bennetsa's premier merchant with ties everywhere, Shylock had a keen eye for international affairs.
And in his view, the continent's situation was growing graver by the day.
Escalating religious conflicts year by year, hints of imperial fragmentation.
On top of that, successive poor harvests from floods had the populace boiling over. And the frontrunner for next emperor was a dangerously ambitious hothead, utterly unfit for the times.
'Once Emperor Matis dies, the Holy Empire will erupt... I hope they reach Dragona before that happens.'
As Shylock hoped for the emperor's life to hold out just a bit longer...
"M-Master! Look at this!"
"What is it?"
His butler rushed up, dawn messenger pigeon in hand.
Shylock felt a twinge of unease amid his curiosity as he read the letter...
"Ah..."
And let out a heavy sigh without realizing it.
The contents...
Emperor Huz Matis had died three days prior.