Chapter 92
Chapter 92
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 92
Chapter Title: The Family Conference Once Again (1)
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“Huu....”
Helena let out a sigh as she gazed at the stack of documents piled up before her.
There was an enormous amount of paperwork to submit to the Holy Spirit Church due to the subjugation of the Edelfeldt family.
The Holy Knight Order was an independent organization, but that didn’t mean they could wield their military might arbitrarily. To justify an operation of this scale, they had to prove its legitimacy to the Holy Spirit Church.
Relations were at an all-time high these days, so the Church wouldn’t nitpick, but when it came to suspicions of heresy by the Edelfeldt family, Helena—as the head of the Heresy Inquisition—had to prepare and submit proper documentation.
“I should’ve just joined the subjugation force myself.”
For a smaller-scale operation, Helena would have taken overall command and dispatched the Inquisition’s purge knights.
But this time, with the Edelfeldt family’s vast influence, Shesus had stepped up, leaving Helena to handle the rear support.
“Mother!”
“We’ve got news!”
The door burst open then, and Cain and Robel rushed in.
“What? Has the siege of Gayerant Fortress already begun?”
“No, it’s over!”
“What?”
“It’s all done!”
Helena doubted her ears.
“They’ve breached Gayerant Fortress!”
“The Edelfeldt family has fully surrendered!”
“...!”
She’d thought a siege would take at least a week.
And they’d already taken it?
“W-Wait a minute. Johan Edelfeldt and Greta Edelfeldt went down that easily? Johan was a Sky Knight on par with Father, and Greta’s at nine stars now, right?”
“Oh, apparently Grand Master Est took down Greta Edelfeldt.”
“And Johan Edelfeldt...”
Robel spoke up in an excited voice.
“They say Headquarters Chief Shesus and Sion teamed up to bring him down.”
“W-What? Brother and Sion fought together?”
“Yeah, and Sion delivered the finishing blow...”
“...!”
Helena felt her head spinning.
“M-Mother. Are you okay?”
“No, it’s nothing.”
With that, she swept all the documents off her desk.
“M-Mother! Why the paperwork...!”
“It’s over anyway, so we’ll have to redo it. They must’ve secured physical evidence of the heresy by now.”
Ignoring her startled sons, Helena slumped face-first onto the desk.
“That guy... really infuriating.”
She let out a long sigh.
* * *
The news reached the Judgment Knight Brigade, too, who had been patrolling around the Winter Mountains.
“Sion reached eight stars?!”
“That’s what we’re hearing, Sir Kurt.”
Kurt set down his fork as he received the report from his aide, Hazel.
The news hit him like a thunderbolt in the middle of his meal.
“Does that even make sense?”
Helmut, who was dining with him, sounded equally incredulous.
“Last time we saw him, he was definitely at six stars. It hasn’t even been a few months.”
“We don’t have all the details yet, but apparently, he underwent human experimentation while captured as a prisoner by the Edelfeldt family.”
“...!”
Kurt was utterly shocked by Hazel’s words.
“W-What? Is that true?”
“Yes, but fortunately, there seem to be no issues with Young Master Sion’s body. They say he’s fully controlling his eight-star mana.”
“This is... I can’t even rush over right now.”
Kurt sighed, worried about his son.
“But eight stars... eight stars...”
“He’ll be an Infinity Knight.”
“An Infinity Knight at sixteen? Unbelievable.”
Not even among the four siblings had anyone reached eight stars by age twenty.
“Becoming an Ironclad Knight at sixteen with six stars? Eh, I can buy that. I was six stars at eighteen myself.”
“You were the youngest ever, Sir Kurt.”
“But eight stars at sixteen is way too abnormal. Poor Sion must be under so much pressure.”
As he muttered to himself, Helmut chimed in from the side.
“Aren’t you supposed to be happy first, Sir Kurt? If my son hit eight stars, I’d be bursting with pride.”
“Helmut, even so...”
“He’s perfectly controlling eight-star mana. What’s the problem?”
“Once he’s an Infinity Knight, the Holy Knight Order will treat him differently. They’ll push him into higher positions and all that.”
Kurt shook his head.
“I’m not sure he can handle it. He’s still just sixteen.”
“I don’t think you need to worry. The kid might look young, but he’s no child inside.”
Helmut smirked as he spoke.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if there was some grizzled old veteran possessing him, having seen it all.”
* * *
Holy Knight Order headquarters.
Ianus Aleyas was conversing with the Papal Court via real-time communication.
“Congratulations, Knight Order Leader.”
“It’s not quite cause for celebration, Your Eminence Cardinal.”
His interlocutor was Cardinal Epit Raus.
Ever since the incident in the Papal Territory, relations between Cardinal Epit Raus and the Holy Knight Order had grown even closer.
“Not only did you topple the thorn in your side known as the Edelfeldt family, but your grandson, the Ironclad Knight Sion, played a decisive role in taking down Johan Edelfeldt. That deserves congratulations.”
“First, allow me to correct you.”
“Yes?”
“The Edelfeldt family wasn’t particularly a thorn in our side.”
“...”
“If they’d truly been an obstacle, we would have crushed them long ago.”
Ianus could have subjugated Johan Edelfeldt whenever he wanted.
He’d let them be because there had been no need.
“Any conflict between the Holy Knight Order and the Edelfeldt family would only benefit the Dialogue Church.”
“...”
“That’s why it pains me that they crossed the line.”
“I see. Understood.”
Epit Raus let out a brief chuckle.
“But surely, from your perspective as leader, having your Ironclad Knight Sion play a decisive role in defeating Johan Edelfeldt is a joyous occasion?”
“Well... yes, it is.”
“Not just your children, but your grandchildren too—so talented. You must be truly proud.”
“Enough, now. You’re embarrassing me.”
“With this, Ironclad Knight Sion—no, should I say Infinity Knight Sion now? In any case, there won’t be any issues deeming the new mana he gained as heresy. You needn’t worry about the Holy Spirit Church side.”
“Thank you, Your Eminence.”
They exchanged a few more words of goodwill before ending the call.
Alone in the now-silent leader’s office, Ianus fell into thought.
‘Sion... at eight stars.’
It wasn’t mana he’d earned on his own, but still—no one in Aleyas family history had reached eight stars at that age.
Given his growth rate so far, he could hit nine stars before twenty.
Moreover, even with eight-star mana, he only had two circles. His future potential was impossible to predict.
“He might even fulfill the long-cherished wish...”
Muttering to himself, Ianus turned his gaze to the window.
Through the north-facing pane, he saw a winter sky heavy with impending snow.
* * *
The subjugation force returned to Holy Knight Order headquarters to a hero’s welcome.
Knights who had once tiptoed around the Edelfeldt family now cheered the subjugators as if it had never happened.
The biggest praise, of course, went to the two Sky Knights.
“As expected of Shesus.”
“Yeah, his command skills are the best among the four siblings.”
“I heard he admired Johan Edelfeldt, but he handles business like this decisively.”
“Sky Knight Est was incredible too.”
“Yeah, they say she took down over ten eight-star knights on top of the nine-star Greta.”
“She stole the show.”
But the acclaim for me was nearly as loud.
Headquarters had received all the details.
“Not content with repelling the first vanguard assault, he finished off Johan Edelfeldt too?”
“This subjugation basically started and ended with Sion Aleyas.”
“And he got eight stars from some human experimentation fluke? Talk about lucky.”
“The Holy Spirit Church isn’t raising any issues either. Feels like he’s getting every perk in the book.”
“Hey, now—Sion Aleyas’s feats are undeniably real.”
Some eyed me with envy, but far more offered praise.
“Soon, His Excellency the Knight Order Leader will decide your next assignment. Rest up until then.”
Thanks to Bernhard’s consideration, I could enjoy some leisure time.
The Aleyas family’s year-end event, the family conference, was coming up soon.
Until then, it would be a rest period.
“It’s called rest, but I’ve got plenty to do.”
Muttering that, I headed into the secluded mountains where no one would spot me.
Dietrich and Shuhayen were waiting there.
“My lord.”
“Your Excellency.”
The two bowed as they saw me.
“Shuhayen, how’s the new identity coming along?”
“Very well, Your Excellency. I’ll soon have a flawless new persona.”
“Good.”
Shuhayen wasn’t much use in combat or stealth.
Better to have him settle in one place with a new identity than trail me hidden like Dietrich and join fights.
“For now, I’ll leave Ashurai and Xantia with you. Inspect them and adjust for my current state.”
“Understood, Your Excellency.”
“And... separately from that, prepare to spread some rumors.”
“Rumors... you say?”
“Yeah, rumors about you.”
“Me?”
“Basically...”
As I explained the plan, not just Shuhayen but even Dietrich swallowed hard.
“You want me to spread rumors that I’m researching ways to resurrect the dead?”
“Yeah, but keep it as subtle as possible—only enough for our old comrades to catch on.”
“You... that’s way too tricky. Spread rumors or don’t?”
“This might lure out Casaria.”
Casaria, one of my former subordinates.
Dietrich had met her briefly once, but her whereabouts remained unknown.
If she was still aiming to revive Archbishop Hausel, she’d surely show up for this.
“Dietrich, work on it with Shuhayen. I have to attend the family conference.”
“The family conference? Oh, the Aleyas clan’s year-end event.”
“It’s mandatory from sixteen onward, so I have to go this time. What a hassle.”
“Grumbling about being dragged to a family event... it’s kinda cute—Ow ow!”
“Watch your mouth with my lord, Shuhayen.”
“But it’s ironic, isn’t it? His Excellency Archbishop Hausel attending the Aleyas family conference.”
Shuhayen had a point—it was pretty ridiculous.
If my true identity came out at the family conference, the chaos would be immense.
“Anyway, you two stay completely away from there. Someone might catch on.”
“No worries, my lord.”
“We wouldn’t go even if invited.”
Both knew well that Hausel’s former confidants were mortal enemies of the Aleyas family.
* * *
And at last... the day of the family conference arrived.
The Aleyas clan members, scattered across the lands, gathered in one place for the event.
Not just Ianus’s direct line—Shesus, Helena, Est, Kurt, Sena, Cain, Robel, Liz—but branches from all over.
“Infinity Knight Sion Aleyas has arrived!”
The moment I stepped in, every eye turned to me.