Chapter 11: The Merchant of Benetsa 1

The journey to Benetsa was not particularly treacherous in itself.

Consisting mostly of plains with well-paved roads, it would normally take only a few days by carriage.

However… Cazeros and I were currently enduring a trial right before reaching Benetsa.

-Rumble! Crack!-

Thunder and lightning flashed in the sky.

Accompanied by howling winds and pouring rain like a torrential downpour.

A sudden typhoon had struck, and the two of us were struggling to pull the carriage through it.

“Seriously, what kind of weather is this…”

“Indeed… To be honest, the signs were ominous when we set out, but this exceeds expectations.”

Naturally, in this world, weather forecasting did not exist.

With no means to predict how the weather might change, shifts in the atmosphere were simply determined by the whims of the heavens at any given moment.

Of course, being a fantasy world, the power known as ‘magic’ and various techniques based on it did exist.

There were stories of magic capable of weather prediction, but such abilities were limited to perhaps one or two great mages in major cities at most.

In contrast, the Aura we holy knights wielded, while adept at purifying… or rather, dispelling such magic, was frankly of little help otherwise.

It had decent healing capabilities and could be used in combat to some extent, but that was about it.

With essentially no potential for further development in other areas, abilities like weather forecasting were simply unattainable.

In other words, we had no choice but to endure such unexpected severe weather conditions head-on.

‘Damn it, no wonder holy knights are so unpopular… Even after 1,600 years, you’d think there’d be some progress!’

It was at that moment that I became convinced this uselessness of Aura was one reason the Church’s influence would soon crumble across the continent, according to the original work.

“!… Cazeros, over there.”

“Hm?”

A small light became visible in the darkness.

We hurriedly made our way toward it.

With the worsening rain and wind, further travel had become impractical, so we needed to find shelter, even temporarily.

Fortunately, the place we struggled to reach with the carriage turned out to be a small inn.

“What a relief. We can finally rest a bit.”

“Agreed. Let’s stay here until the storm passes.”

Considering the distance we’d traveled, Benetsa didn’t seem too far, but the typhoon had left us both quite exhausted.

Thus, Cazeros and I secured the carriage, gathered our money pouches, and entered the inn.

-Rumble! Whoosh!-

The loud sounds of thunder and rain echoed from outside the windows.

However, the harsh weather only seemed to amplify the cozy atmosphere within the inn.

A warm fireplace crackled, and a considerable number of guests occupied various spots in small groups.

Among them were travelers from afar, as well as locals who had rushed here due to the sudden typhoon.

And the one sharing a story that garnered the most attention was a traveler who had come from the northern regions, the central part of the continent.

“To that extent, you say?”

“Yeah… it’s no exaggeration. The Holy Imperium is practically a powder keg, liable to explode at any moment.”

The traveler’s firm words left the listeners with expressions of disbelief.

The Holy Imperium.

A nation located in the continent’s center, possessing the largest territory, population, and national strength derived from those assets – a traditional powerhouse.

Although its vast lands meant numerous enemies on all sides, and its status had diminished somewhat compared to the past, it remained one of the undisputed strongest nations dominating the continent.

For those living in rural areas like farmers and small merchants, the notion of unrest brewing within the Holy Imperium was difficult to accept.

“You must have heard the recent news of heretics causing disturbances in the north?”

“Yes, we’ve heard tales of them inciting riots against the will of the Church and His Holiness the Pope.”

“But even so, isn’t that merely a minor disturbance? No matter how the heretics rise up, before the authority of His Majesty the Holy Emperor, it would amount to nothing more than the ramblings of petty bandits.”

“Well… the situation isn’t quite so simple. It seems the heretics’ power is far greater than we imagined. I haven’t witnessed it directly, but apparently, several northern nations have already declared their secession from the Church.”

“Surely not to such an extent…”

“Hmm… then it must indeed be a grave issue.”

The anti-Church movement, commonly known as the heretics, had emerged over a century ago and remained a hot potato for the monarchs of various nations.

Due to the Church’s corruption, including the sale of indulgences, it had lost the people’s faith considerably. Simultaneously, the heretics who rose up criticizing such vices rapidly expanded their influence.

Based on the philosophies of the so-called religious reformers like Luth and Calvin, the heretical forces gained widespread ideological support across numerous nations.

They swiftly took hold in the northern regions where the Church’s influence had never been particularly strong.

The Calmar Union in the frigid northern lands.

The island kingdom of Britten across the sea.

And although not an official nation, the Lorend region, which had maintained de facto independence in defiance of the Holy Imperium for ages.

Countries that had previously bent the knee to the Pope, if only formally, seized this opportunity to sever ties with the Church completely. Now, the heretics’ clout extended even to the northern borders of the Holy Imperium.

“At least the current Emperor, His Majesty Huzs Matiss, has been taking a relatively moderate approach… but if he were to pass away, a storm is bound to sweep through. Rumors suggest the designated heir is no ordinary individual.”

“Just who might this person be…”

“I don’t know the details, but they say he is a man of great ambition and unwavering devotion to his faith. Just hearing that is enough to predict considerable turmoil lies ahead.”

“Concerning, indeed… This may bode ill for our Benetsa Republic as well.”

“Haah… as I thought, not a single day of peace in this world… Just as the pagan nations in the east have settled down, now the northern heretics are acting up…”

Thus, the people worried about the potential consequences they might face from the larger currents sweeping the world.

And… sitting nearby, quietly listening to their conversation, a deep concern began to etch itself onto Cazeros’s face.

“It seems the situation is rather grave. I, too, have heard the rumors, but I truly hope nothing dreadful occurs. Above all, I pray a terrible calamity like war does not come to pass…”

“I agree… The state of the world appears quite precarious.”

As a clergy, Cazeros simply wished for peace in the world.

However, to my regret, I knew all too well that the future would not unfold according to her desires.

Although I could not openly discuss it here, much of what the merchant had shared was quite accurate, and the concerns he still harbored would likely become reality.

‘According to the original work, the Holy Emperor Matiss will soon pass away. After that, his successor will plunge the Holy Imperium into utter chaos.’

The next Holy Emperor, Tsiferf Ferdinandt.

Under his rule, a 30-year period considered the worst hell in the continent’s history would unfold – the main events depicted in the original dark fantasy novel ‘The Fallen Holy Knight’. During this time, unspeakable atrocities would occur, something I was well aware of.

Even my attempts to prevent such calamities from spreading, motivated by simple human compassion, had amounted to nothing. This future was now almost 100% certain to transpire.

Thus, unable to reveal the truth to Cazeros, I began to feel a bitter sentiment.

‘If only I had kept rolling that snowball, I might have been able to mitigate the damage somewhat. But in the end, matters have come to this…’

Of course, since the Church bastards essentially brought this catastrophe upon themselves, such concerns were now meaningless.

Putting aside my lament over the impending disaster, I slowly rose from my seat with Cazeros and approached the counter.

However, at that time, I was unaware that calamity, unexpectedly, was much closer at hand than I could have imagined.

“We should rest. Please rent us a room.”

“Yes, sir. We have one room with a single bed remaining.”

“…Pardon?”

“Ah…”

The calamity emerging from an entirely unanticipated place caused Cazeros and me to momentarily display bewildered expressions.