Chapter 22
Chapter 22
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 22
Chapter Title: Berryhill's Ambitionist (1)
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The Holy See, once hailed as the guardian of the continent.
News hit like a thunderbolt: drugs were being manufactured there.
It had been secretly traded only among a tiny circle of nobles.
But after the princess's meticulous investigation, they were finally caught by the scruff of the neck.
"Burn it all...!! Don't leave a single scrap of information behind!!!"
The bishops, who were always so composed, rolled up their sleeves themselves.
They set fire to the underground manufacturing facilities alongside the faithful.
In the process, the devices used for experimenting with brainwashing magic vanished as well.
The girls locked in cages were scattered to the winds.
"Your Grace, the princess's white horse unit is storming in...!!"
"How the hell did the information leak?! I handpicked every channel for distribution!!"
High-ranking officials scattered across the Holy See were rounded up one after another.
Terrified of confession magic, they confessed everything the moment they were captured.
The situation escalated to the 'Humiliation of the Holy Father,' with the Pope personally kneeling before the Emperor in apology.
The palace painters captured every detail, including the stern figure of Princess Camillia standing by his side.
Her reputation soared day by day as a result.
They called her the reincarnation of Lea Andalusia, one of the greatest emperors in history.
The Holy See barely managed to cut off a few rogue bishops, claiming it was their misdeeds alone.
But in truth, it was like severing the tail instead of the body.
For the time being, filling the vacant high positions was their top priority.
"......"
The emergency extended to Tutton Grand Duke's side as well.
His grand office was flooded with letters.
All begging him to keep themselves or their children out of the drug scandal.
Even his close aides had been ensnared by the investigation net.
"These stupid bastards. Ruining everything over some damn drugs...?"
The red-haired middle-aged man pressed his forehead in frustration.
He raged at the alliance being toyed with by a mere 23-year-old princess.
"I'm sorry, Your Grace. I should have cracked down harder if I'd known sooner..."
"No, it's not your fault. The scale of this was beyond what you alone could handle."
How rotten was high society for scandals like this to proliferate unchecked?
He crumpled a letter in irritation and tossed it aside.
"It's shameful before our ancestors. Even in the midst of imperial succession struggles, we shouldn't stoop to using drugs!!"
Tutton snorted like a beast.
Famed as a descendant of the Crimson Flame Swordsman, his pride ran deep.
"Still, who the hell dropped this bomb...?"
The burly man muttered, glaring fiercely.
"There's one family under suspicion."
At his aide's words, he immediately recalled the prime suspect.
A house suspected of distributing drugs while cozying up to the Grand Elder.
"The Minster Count family."
The grand duke slammed his luxurious desk, channeling the crimson mana that once swept enemy armies on the battlefield.
"Come to think of it, this all blew up right after I ordered that bastard brought in."
"There's a reply from the Minster family among today's letters."
Tutton rummaged through his desk and found a letter from the family's eldest son, Dexter.
He tore it open with brute force, no letter knife needed, and read the bold script.
「Your Grace, Derek the warden is currently building his own independent force in the north.」
「He told me plainly: he'll turn that place into a paradise worth living in.」
「What do you think that means?」
"It means he's using the Grand Elder to claim the north as his own domain."
"Refusing to hand over Myoran must be to pull her into his faction."
Tutton's hands trembled with fury at the warden's colossal ambition.
"The second son, Deck, was getting drugs as a popular gladiator. The leak probably came from him."
"So they're all in cahoots. This letter's just a ploy to sacrifice the youngest and cut ties."
The grand duke bristled at the Minsters' cunning.
Once he cleaned up his aides' messes, he'd smash that count family to pieces.
"You lot wait until this wave passes."
The second-highest noble in the empire swallowed his rage with effort.
Then he began personally resolving his aides' blunders.
"Your Grace, one more thing."
"What now?"
"Well, my son got caught using drugs too..."
"......"
The grand office fell silent.
Like a tiger that's still a feline at heart, Tutton's face soured.
It seemed punishing the Minsters would take some time.
In Berryhill Town near the prison, I munched on a boiled potato bought from a street vendor.
"As expected of our princess. She handled the investigation with real fire."
Even in this rural village, posters plastered the walls with Camillia and the Pope.
The common folk had witnessed the Humiliation of the Holy Father with their own eyes.
I passed the amusing sight and shopped in the village market.
Truth be told, today was a weekend off.
But how could I rest with disaster-class inmates around?
I planned to hit the market with the money I'd swiped from my brothers and head back.
Trust up by a whopping 10%.
At this rate, I might fully prevent the inmates' blackening within a few years.
Innate Physique takes me back to when I hit mid-tier Sword Expert.
In other words, my body was now on par with an Imperial Knight.
'If I grind sword training from here, I could even take on Holy See knights.'
I hefted my bags with a satisfied grin.
Mid-lift like a barbell, a vaguely familiar voice came from behind.
"Thanks to my past life's memories, huh? It's definitely growing faster."
"Well, still a long way to go."
I slowly turned toward the voice.
I nearly spat out the potato bulging in my cheeks.
"Princess...?"
A golden-haired woman leaning on the outdoor café railing, staring right at me.
Princess Camillia herself.
"What brings you to a place like this? I figured you'd be swamped with the drug investigation."
She rested her cheek on her hand, eyeing me like a pet snake.
I quickly swept back my messy hair.
"The investigation's wrapped up. The Holy See's crippled, and even the pro-imperial faction's lying low this time."
"Shouldn't you be firing off fireworks at the palace then?"
She sipped her strawberry juice from the railing at my firm question.
"You seem uncomfortable with my presence."
"No way. Just surprised to see you in a backwater village like this."
How could I not be?
Her emotionless face and eyes that could pass for contempt.
Just looking at her choked the air from my lungs...!!
"Don't worry. I'm not here to interrogate you today."
The princess scanned my outfit with her blank gaze.
Casual shirt and pants instead of uniform, since it was the weekend.
"Surprisingly frugal for your looks. Your brother in the White Tower always insists on suits."
"Not really into fashion."
She rose from the café seat, seemingly relating to my flat reply.
"Same here. A truly capable person shines no matter what they wear."
Her words belied her impeccable fashion sense.
Skinny blue pants hugging her legs and a knit top accentuating her perfect curves.
Her beauty and elegance bloomed from her face.
A hood couldn't hide that aura.
"Where were you headed?"
"Shopping. Supplies at the prison are running low."
Camillia glanced at my laden hands.
"I'll tag along. Load up whatever you want."
"Pardon...? Everything?"
She clasped her hands behind her back leisurely as I blinked in surprise.
"I said I'd figure out how to reward you."
Of course, I was grateful.
Berryhill Prison was so rundown and ancient that supplies were desperately needed.
"Usually it'd be a cash grant, but I don't trust your motives yet. Goods are safer."
No big deal losing my sweet free time.
Princess's aid for this tight-budget operation?
This meant aromatic coffee every day for a while.
I grinned, imagining the rich scent filling my office.
She eyed my sly smile with the sullen gaze of a lioness.
Wondering if this man had truly helped her with pure intentions.
"So, what's the most pressing need?"
Camillia asked upon reaching the modest market.
As if testing my ambitions by what I requested as reward.
But...
"I need oak barrels."
"Oak... barrels?"
My solemn request was disappointingly mundane.
"Yes. One inmate's particularly fond of black tea. He complains about the rusty taste from the water sometimes."
"Ah, I know who you mean..."
The princess nodded in understanding.
She knew the Grand Elder's pickiness well.
"Alright, what's next?"
Weapons?
Ammo?
Camillia sharpened her gaze, awaiting my answer.
But my next words disappointed her even more.
"Might as well grab some fruit. Nothing calms finicky inmates like sweets."
I browsed the fruit stall.
Picking fresh apples and peaches with the gravest ambitionist's face.
"......"
A far cry from when he'd tipped her off about the Holy See's weakness.
Camillia wondered if this was camouflage to hide his ambitions.
The Minsters had been close to Tutton Grand Duke, after all.
Helping her despite certain retaliation from the duke?
She was deeply curious where this man planned to lead her by the hand.
"Camillia, come down here for a sec?"
"What...?"
She flinched as I called her by name.
I whispered in her ear.
"Can't call you 'Your Highness' here, right? You're incognito."
"Well, true."
The woman stern in the papers pulled up her hood.
"Mind helping pick apples? Thin-skinned ones are best."
"This one...?"
Camillia selected an apple for the first time in her life.
She'd personally handled troop placements in battle, but fruit? Never.
"Too big and they're less tasty. Medium-small ones are the sweet spot."
The princess watched intently as the warden expertly picked apples.
"How'd you get so good at this?"
"One inmate loves them. Won't touch much else, but apples? Devours them."
Grasping each inmate's quirks so well?
Her gaze on me softened just a touch.
"You seem invested in your inmates."
"They're mine to rehabilitate. Just doing my duty as warden."
Camillia stood beside me, expression conflicted.
A royal reward boiling down to fruit and barrels?
Maybe she'd misjudged the warden.
I shot her puzzled face a serpentine smirk.
'Trying to test me, huh.'
I've lived 30 years as Imperial Prime Minister, kid.
I eyed the two-years-older woman with a seasoned smile.
"Oh, this is a gift."
"Strawberries?"
"Saw you enjoying that juice earlier. Suits you, so I grabbed some."
"......"
Camillia's under-eye twitched faintly.
As if wondering if I was mocking her.
"Guess it's time to head back. Inmates'll be waiting."
If I left now, she'd drop her suspicions.
Hiding my wicked grin, I sauntered ahead leisurely.
But.
I had to stop dead in my tracks.
The peaceful market I'd planned to slip away from.
Gathered citizens and a bard.
His chilling tale left my jaw on the floor.
"You folks hear? The new warden here plans to turn Berryhill into utopia!!"
The red-eyed bard's flamboyant rhetoric.
Even the hooded princess halted at his words.
"No corrupt cult, no tax-draining northern duke—just independent paradise."
By his song, I'd already supplanted the Holy See with a new faith.
Sure, popular support could lead to lordship later, but...
The timing sucked.
"I was about to let it slide, but looks like you need watching after all."
The princess stood beside me, blue killing intent leaking from her hood.
She grabbed my shirt collar with empress-like imperiousness.
"Conquering the masses already with that pretty face and silver tongue."
Capable, but too ambitious.
So Camillia planned to keep me close and under surveillance.
"Maybe I should just drag you to the palace and collar you?"