Chapter 66
Chapter 66
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 66
Chapter Title: Papal Territory (1)
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The road to the Papal Court was relatively peaceful.
If it had been just the 13th Unit, all sorts of threats would have come their way, but who would dare attack when the entire Judgment Knight Brigade was on the move?
“Father, what will happen to Margrave Klaus?”
“I’ve already sent in the full report. It’s clear he joined hands with the Dialogue Church to steal the Holy Grail, so he’ll be stripped of his margrave title and have his territory confiscated. He’s already dead, so it doesn’t mean much now.”
“From what I heard from one of my subordinates, it seems Margrave Klaus was trying to steal the Holy Grail to resurrect his deceased wife.”
“Foolish. It’s obvious the dead don’t come back. Even if I were Margrave Klaus, I wouldn’t have done something like that.”
“Would it be okay if I wrote to Mother about that?”
“Don’t you dare, you rascal... We’re supposed to meet during my next leave.”
“I’ll write that you said you’d do anything to bring her back.”
“...If you do that for me, it’d be great. The mood would lighten up when we meet.”
“We might even get a new sibling out of it.”
“This kid says the darndest things to his own father...”
Along the way, Kurt and I exchanged various stories.
They felt deeper than the conversations we’d had back when we lived together in the estate.
Perhaps it was because Kurt now saw me not as a son he had to lock away at home to protect, but as a reliable son steadily growing as a holy knight.
Or maybe because I’d finally started seeing Kurt as a proper father.
“How about a spar with me sometime, Sion?”
“Sure, when the opportunity arises.”
Truth be told, I was a bit reluctant to spar with Kurt.
Clashing swords with him might bring out habits from my time with Archbishop Hausel.
Kurt, who had crossed blades with Archbishop Hausel multiple times before, would likely notice right away.
‘Even Est figured it out after one look.’
Lost in such thoughts, I headed to the Papal Court with Kurt.
* * *
The Papal Court lay far south of Holy Knight Order headquarters.
It had been established in its current location about a thousand years ago, and as various Holy Spirit Church facilities sprang up around it, a massive city had formed.
This “Papal Territory” was the very heart of the Holy Spirit Church.
“That tall tower-like structure in the center is where His Holiness the Pope resides.”
“We won’t get to meet him in person, right?”
“Of course not. His Holiness rarely shows himself to the public. The cardinals handle the day-to-day affairs.”
While going through procedures to enter the walls encircling the entire Papal Territory, Kurt explained to me.
“Cardinal Epitraus, whom we need to meet, should be in the western cardinal palace. Once we hand over the Holy Grail, our mission is done.”
“I heard it won’t be that quick.”
“Even among Grade 1 holy relics, the Holy Grail is called a special-grade item, so the handover itself will be a whole event.”
We’d finished the formalities, but only the original 13th Unit in charge of transporting the Holy Grail and Kurt were allowed inside the walls.
The rest of the Judgment Knight Brigade had to wait outside.
[Even for the Holy Knight Order, they can’t let this many troops into the Papal Territory.]
‘Yeah, it’d be dangerous if someone had ill intentions.’
[Honestly, letting your father in is more threatening than the Judgment Knight Brigade.]
As I conversed with Igzard, Mateur approached.
“Knight Captain, it seems we have to wait at the lodgings over there for now.”
“At the lodgings? How long?”
“I don’t know. We’ve just been ordered to stand by.”
“...”
Mateur looked uneasy too, but there was nothing for it.
We ended up waiting in the assigned building.
“Sion, you’ve done well up to now.”
“It was nothing, Father.”
“First time in the Papal Territory, right? I’ll watch the Holy Grail, so go explore a bit. Grab some food outside too.”
“Is that okay?”
“Don’t worry, I’ll be right here. No one’s going to try stealing the Holy Grail in the middle of the Papal Territory.”
“Got it. Thank you.”
After instructing Edwin and the others to assist Kurt, I left the lodgings.
With Lieselotte.
“Sir Sion, what business do you have at the Internal Affairs Agency?”
The Internal Affairs Agency was the Papal Court’s intelligence organization.
As the name suggested, it focused more on investigating inside the Holy Spirit Church than external threats.
Hostile forces like the Dialogue Church were handled by the Holy Knight Order, so from the Papal Court’s perspective, internal security was more critical.
“I told you, there’s something I want to look into.”
“What could it be? I’m curious.”
With help from Lieselotte, a former Internal Affairs agent, we headed to the southern district of the Papal Territory.
Its location wasn’t public, so you needed someone in the know to visit.
“Hold on a moment.”
Lieselotte entered what looked like a library and whispered a code to the receptionist.
A door to the inner area opened, and we descended underground through it.
“Is it okay to show an outsider all this?”
“Everyone who needs to know, knows. Sir Kurt knows too.”
After passing through the underground corridor and climbing another staircase, a walled building finally came into view.
“This is the Internal Affairs Agency. They gather orphans with nowhere to go and train them as spies.”
“...”
It was similar to Archbishop Sapphirus’s assassin training facility in that it raised children.
But the atmosphere was worlds apart.
[It just looks like an ordinary school.]
‘I was imagining some shadowy underbelly of the Holy Spirit Church that couldn’t be shown to the world.’
It was inconvenient to access, but sunlight poured in well, and the vibe wasn’t bad.
At the very least, they weren’t getting beaten during training.
“Lieselotte, is that you?”
“Long time no see, Senior.”
Along the way, a passing middle-aged woman called out.
“Just here on some business. Is the Director in?”
“Yeah, but who’s this handsome guy? Don’t tell me he’s your boyfriend?”
“Ahaha, cut the nonsense and show us to the Director.”
“Introduce me!”
The atmosphere was warmer than expected, making it feel awkward.
This place seemed like as good a workplace as the Holy Knight Order...
“No need to worry, I’m not thinking of coming back.”
“Don’t read my mind.”
Chatting like that, we headed to the Director’s office.
“Come on in.”
Sitting in the Director’s office was a woman with mostly white hair.
She had more the air of a school principal than the head of an intelligence agency.
“Lieselotte, you vanished after joining the Holy Knight Order with no word, so what brings you here today? Introducing a marriage prospect?”
“I told you no. Why does everyone I meet say something rude?”
“Sorry. When a kid I raised like my own brings along such a handsome guy, you can’t help but think that way.”
“You should apologize to him, not me. This is...”
Lieselotte glanced at me.
Checking if she should reveal my name.
“Lieselotte.”
“Yes?”
“Leave me alone with her for a bit.”
“...Okay.”
Without protest, Lieselotte left the room, leaving me alone with the Internal Affairs Director.
“So... Sir Sion Aleyas.”
She already knew who I was.
“The Internal Affairs Agency isn’t some ultra-secret organization. But it’s not a place outsiders can just wander in and out of. Even if they’re from the Aleyas family.”
“...”
“And yet you’ve come here anyway... so there must be a good reason.”
She kept a gentle expression, but her eyes gleamed sharply.
“What exactly brings you here? Tell me what information you’re after.”
“It’s not information.”
My cold reply made her flinch.
“Sir Sion? What...”
“How long do you plan to keep up the mask?”
“...”
Her eyes changed.
Unlike moments ago, true wariness settled in.
“It’s troubling if you suddenly say strange things like that, Sir Sion.”
“Should I spell it out?”
“No, that’s fine. Come over here for a moment.”
She sighed and beckoned.
Signaling to lower our voices.
“Sir Sion, first of all...”
As I approached obediently, she whispered in my ear.
“There seems to be a misunderstanding. I’m...”
“Useless.”
“Ugh...!”
I grabbed her right hand, which had sneaked toward my nape.
And snapped her finger clean off.
“There’s poison on your nail tips, right?”
“...!”
Even with her finger broken, she didn’t scream.
Instead, she yanked her hand free from my grip and leaped back.
[She’s showing her killing intent now.]
‘Yeah, but it won’t leak outside the room.’
Her movements were swift and silent.
In an instant, she slipped to my side and clamped my mouth with her left hand.
“You must want to die, brat...!”
The voice whispering in my ear was terrifying.
Nothing like the gentle tone she’d used in front of Lieselotte.
“You dare, knowing who I am...!”
“I’m doing this precisely because I know.”
“W-what?”
“Though even if I didn’t.”
Before her right hand could stab my throat again, I shoved her away.
She had me gripped tight, but not perfectly.
“Can’t just let someone who attacks out of nowhere get away with it, right?”
“...!”
At that moment, a dark crimson glow flickered from her fingers.
She’d channeled mana into her nails, just like using sword aura.
But that dark crimson was far from Holy Spirit Church methods.
“You’re not hiding it anymore.”
“Shut up...!”
She had to take my life here.
With only that thought, she lunged.
[She’s about to use Crimson Lotus. Be careful.]
‘This guy’s always a beat slow on timing, so it’s fine.’
Just before she drew up extra mana for Crimson Lotus, I dove into her guard.
And struck her solar plexus with a mana-charged fist.
“Guh, urk...!”
Even in this situation, her effort not to scream was impressive.
She seemed to think she absolutely could not let her identity be exposed.
“Your breathing’s completely disrupted.”
“...!”
A follow-up strike to the jaw sent her tumbling backward.
I pinned her hand with my shoe to prevent counterattack and murmured low.
“Hypnos, Archbishop Hausel’s confidant... master of infiltration and disguise, despite being a man.”
“...!”
I grabbed her—no, his—hair and whispered.
“You infiltrated the Internal Affairs Agency on orders. After Archbishop Hausel died, you ditched all duties and just hunkered down, right?”
“H-how...”
“Enjoying your second life, Hypnos?”
Pinpointed exactly, Hypnos swallowed hard.