Does Marriage End a Civil Servant's Life? - 3

I stared blankly out the carriage window at the passing streets. Having to go see my boss in the middle of my honeymoon—was there anything more miserable than this?

Unfortunately, there was. Mar sat right there with me in the carriage, living proof that this nightmare had leveled up. It wasn't just me being dragged off to face the Emperor; it was a newlywed couple marching in side by side.

It was horrible. Just as a basement always lurked beneath the floor, a worse disaster always waited atop the last one. I had to bring Mar before that vicious mongrel of an Emperor? As a husband, I felt utterly powerless.

If it weren't for the Congregation…

A sigh threatened to burst free, but I couldn't let Mar see it. I bit my lip instead.

If it hadn't been for that damned Congregation for the Causes of Saints, I never would have been hauled in like this. The Emperor was a complete lunatic, sure, but without the official excuse of the Congregation, he wouldn't have summoned me. He might toe the line and provoke me, but he never actually crossed it.

He was a henpecked softie for his own family, too—he usually left other people's families alone. Under normal circumstances, this situation never would have exploded.

Was it a blessing or a curse?

I was starting to resent Enen. If the god wanted to stay quiet, he should have kept staying quiet. Why drop in on someone else's wedding ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠and kick off this whole circus?

Everyone else called it a divine blessing, a miracle wedding, and so on. It didn't land that way for me. Honestly, even without Enen, the ceremony would have been happy and spectacular enough.

"This is the first time I've gone to the Imperial Palace for something other than the New Year's Audience."

Just as the seeds of heresy—not treason—were about to sprout in my chest, Mar's voice pulled my gaze back.

She wore a slightly awkward smile, yet her face was flushed with excitement.

"Really, unbelievable things have been happening ever since the wedding day."

"…Yeah. They have."

Her bright, completely uncomplaining tone made me smile in spite of myself.

From my perspective, a golden vacation was collapsing into slave labor, so of course I was irritated. From Mar's, though? On the long-awaited day of her wedding she had received a god's blessing, that blessing had drawn the Holy Kingdom's attention, and now she was receiving a summons from the Emperor—who, to ordinary nobles and commoners, might as well have been a figure from the heavens. Glory or suffering? For her it was clearly the former.

So of course Mar felt both nervous and thrilled at once.

"When the kids are born, let's brag about it. Tell them how blessed our wedding was."

"Hehe. Maybe I should write a book about it ahead of time."

This time her smile was natural, free of any awkwardness. Looking at her, I forced myself to settle down.

Fine. Mar was happy, so I would endure. The honeymoon leave had been for my wife in the first place. If she was pleased, I could put up with a ruined vacation.

But I was only putting up with it this once. There was no law that said a one-time event had to ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠happen again—yet something that happened twice could easily happen a third or fourth time.

If he calls me again after this, I'll flat-out refuse orders. Even the Great Emperor up in heaven would call that a righteous act of defiance.

After a security check that was practically a VIP express pass from the Captain of the Imperial Knights, we headed for the Solar Hall.

Is this really okay?

Even as I walked, a complicated feeling lingered. I got summoned by the Emperor all the time, so I was used to sketchy shortcuts through security. Mar, however, was an outsider who had only ever entered the palace for the New Year's Audience. From the Imperial Knights' standpoint she was someone who needed a thorough inspection.

Yet simply because she was my companion, even Mar had been waved through after a cursory check. Wasn't this exactly the image of a power-abusing favorite from the history books? A madman who ignored every procedure and courtesy just because of his own clout.

I really do need to retire.

This wasn't personal desire; it was a decision for the Empire's peace. If too much authority and power piled onto a single subject, wouldn't that put the Emperor in a difficult spot?

Of course the current Emperor would never let me go, so I would have to find a way to step down around the time the Crown Princess ascended. A favorite who served three generations just looked too much like a traitor.

"Um, Karl?"

"Hm?"

"What… is that?"

I was already planning how to show the Crown Princess a frail, fragile side of myself so I could retire before seventy when Mar tugged my sleeve and pointed somewhere.

"……"

I followed her finger, and for a moment I froze solid.

What the hell is that?

The first things that caught my eye were a black horse munching a carrot and two chickens perched on its head, peering around in every direction.

That part wasn't particularly strange. Ever since the animals had formed their own Bremen Town Musicians act, surprise busking sessions by the palace menagerie had become daily life. These days the Emperor practically used the roosters' crowing as a morning alarm.

What made me freeze was the woman feeding the carrot to the black horse.

…A cardinal?

The cross around her neck, the red robes, the emblem of the Dawn Church embroidered near her chest.

No question. She was advertising "I am a cardinal" as loudly as possible.

"That's a horse, right?"

Mar's somewhat dazed question snapped me out of it. While my attention had locked onto the cardinal, Mar—who had almost never set foot in the palace—had been completely captivated by the magnificent black horse.

Honestly, that was the normal reaction for anyone. Cardinal or not, there were livestock wandering around the Imperial Palace. How were you supposed to ignore that?

"A-and the person next to it… isn't that a cardinal?"

"Judging by the clothes, yeah."

The fact that her gaze found the cardinal only a moment later suggested the woman projected a presence that rivaled the animals themselves.

I was confused. With the Congregation visiting, a cardinal being in the palace wasn't odd. Why, then, was she out here in the open instead of inside the Solar Hall? And alone, not with the rest of the party?

While both Mar and I stood rooted in bewilderment, the cardinal seemed to notice our stares and turned her head.

Whoa.

Now that I looked properly, she even had a chicken perched on her shoulder.

The moment our eyes met, the cardinal's eyes widened in mild surprise, then she offered a gentle smile.

"A humble servant who follows the Lord's teachings greets those who have received the Lord's blessing."

The greeting was remarkably formal.

I had been dragged on a sudden overseas trip with Elder Aldino. Looking on the bright side, it was a legal chance to escape the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, where work piled higher every single day. Had I known the price would be seasickness, I might have hesitated a little more.

His Holiness the Pope was being far too harsh. Relations between the Holy Kingdom and the Empire were perfectly fine; teleportation would have been more than enough. Why insist we travel by ship?

Of course, if I protested, he would simply smile and quote scripture: "The easier a priest's pilgrimage becomes, the more he invites the sin of sloth." How was anyone supposed to argue with that?

Besides, as the one responsible for the Congregation, I possessed at least a minimum of duty and pride. The Lord of Heaven Himself had personally bestowed a blessing upon a mortal wedding. How could I claim to oversee canonization if I did not even go see the couple who received it?

"I heard you are going to the Empire. If you meet Brother Karl and Sister Margeta, please give them my regards."

In the end, the words Tanian had spoken just before we left for the Empire were what let me grit my teeth and endure. Without his request, I might well have thrown myself into the sea halfway there.

"Welcome. I heard the seas have been particularly temperamental of late. You must have had a hard journey reaching the Imperial Capital."

"Hardship? Not at all. Knowing I was coming to see Your Majesty, I was so delighted I never felt the least bit tired."

"Haha, well now. Hearing you say that makes me a little embarrassed."

In any case, between the dreadful seasickness, Elder Aldino deliberately lengthening the voyage after some dubious foresight or whatever it was, and the ghastly weather the Emperor himself had just mentioned—somehow we still arrived safely in the capital.

At this particular moment I was grateful Elder Aldino was with us. If I had been the head of the mission, I would have had to hold a proper audience with the Emperor in this condition.

The mere thought made me dizzy. Even lowering my head with a polite smile made my stomach lurch. Conduct a formal conversation with the Emperor like this? I would rather bite my tongue and go to heaven early.

"Still, His Holiness the Pope remains vigorous despite his years, and Cardinal Aldino is no less impressive. It seems the sages who follow the Lord's teachings truly do receive His grace."

"Sages? We are merely humble servants who yearn for the Lord's light. Yet it is true that the Lord takes pity on such servants and holds us close."

Listening to the Emperor and Elder Aldino exchange the usual warm courtesies, I quietly raised my head. Keeping it bowed for so long had only made the queasiness worse—

"Ah. How rude of me. There are two honored guests, yet I have been welcoming only one."

The instant I lifted my gaze, the Emperor's eyes settled on me.

I was finished. Had I looked up too soon?

"Forgive the belated greeting, Cardinal Alexandriana."

"Not at all, Your Majesty. Though I am a cardinal, Cardinal Aldino is the head of this mission. It is only proper to receive the foremost person first. Why would you speak as though you have done anything wrong?"

The instinctive reply earned a satisfied nod from the Emperor. Even I thought the recovery had been decent.

I exchanged only the bare minimum of greetings with the Emperor. As I had said, the mission head was Elder Aldino; there was no need for me to open my mouth any further.

Besides, I had come to the Empire for a separate reason.

"The Minister of the Inspectorate Ministry will be here soon. He is a thoroughly diligent man, so he is no doubt already on his way the moment he received the summons."

Since that very reason was now approaching, there was no need for me to sit blankly in this heavy, awkward atmosphere any longer.

"Your Majesty."

"Speak, Cardinal."

"If it would not be too great an imposition, may I go to greet those who have received the Lord's blessing? As the one responsible for the Congregation, it seems only right that I seek out those favored by the Lord first."

At those words the Emperor's expression softened. Having the person who held authority over canonization display a friendly attitude toward the saint candidates was no loss for him either.

"By all means. Everyone in the palace knows that distinguished guests have arrived from the Holy Kingdom, so no one will find it suspicious if a cardinal strolls the grounds."

"I am grateful for Your Majesty's consideration."

I rose quickly and slipped out of the Solar Hall. Elder Aldino's look that said "running off by yourself, are you?" stung a little, but I ignored it with ease.

— Puhiiiing!

"Oh my."

Not long after, I ran straight into the animal friends.

Good heavens. Had they already left the palace in the meantime? No—even if they left the palace, this was still the Imperial Capital. Livestock wandering the most prosperous place on the continent?

Remarkable.

I marveled for several different reasons as I looked over the animal friends who had appeared right in front of me. A black horse of impressive build, and three chickens perched neatly on its head and neck.

One of them even held a carrot in its beak.

"Did you use that to lure your friend over?"

— Cluck-cluck-cluck!

When I gently took the carrot, the chicken that had been holding it flapped its wings and flew up onto my shoulder.

So the chickens raised in the Imperial Palace… could fly…

— Pruuuuh

While I stood dazed, unable even to brush off the chicken that had claimed my shoulder without permission, the black horse approached with a soft snort.

"…Want a carrot?"

It bit down without the slightest hesitation.

Smart one.

It seemed to understand human speech and was quite well-behaved. No wonder it wandered the palace as if it owned the place.

Watching the black horse chew the carrot, I thought of the grounds allotted to the Congregation. Should I let a few horses loose there too? They would look rather adorable.

Yes, I would try raising some. It was easier to ask forgiveness than permission, so I would keep it secret from the Vice-Prefect—

Hm?

A sudden sense of being watched made me turn my head.

Ah.

Looking in the direction of the gaze, I saw a black-haired man and a red-haired woman.

I quickly put on a smile and bowed my head. I had already studied what the people blessed by the Lord looked like before coming.

"A humble servant who follows the Lord's teachings greets those who have received the Lord's ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠blessing."

It was a somewhat unexpected meeting, but not a bad one. Better to show the image of a beautiful young woman who loved animals than that of an imposing cardinal, was it not?

Minister of the Inspectorate Ministry, hm.

Still ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠smiling, I studied the black-haired man. So this was the power broker of the Empire, the one who had received the Lord's blessing.

And Tanian's mentor.

Someone I needed to grow close to—both officially and privately.