episode_0052

The duty of a knight can be broadly divided into two parts.

One, obeying the lord’s orders for a certain period of time. Two, protecting the land and peasants.

In that sense, it can be said that I have excellently fulfilled the given duties.

Since arriving at Alpen, I dedicated myself to hunting wolves and bandits for half a year.

Of course, some bandits managed to escape into the Alpen mountains, making it difficult to chase them in such a vast area.

However, as winter gradually approached, I could guess that nature would take care of it. They say winters in Alpen are quite cold.

And so, peace finally came to Alpen.

I became a commoner.

“…So, what should I do now?”

“Tell us an old story!”

“Well, how about the story of ‘The Whale That Was Too Strong’? Long ago, there was a whale named Moby Dick-”

Licia studied magic books I had obtained from the church.

Since my house was the largest in the village and no one came looking for me unless it was the bandits seeking to plunder, there was hardly anyone to find me.

Of course, the village manager next door occasionally mentioned bandit sightings, but even then, they never barged into my house without warning, so there was little to worry about.

Licia’s room was also off-limits to intruders for the same reason, so it wasn’t a bad choice.

However, the girl suggested that it might be better for me to practice in my room so that I could cover for her if something unexpected happened. It seemed reasonable, so I agreed to do so.

I spent time with the bored girl, occasionally telling her stories from my knowledge.

Having fulfilled my duties, only rights remained for me.

From now on, I just had to collect taxes from the peasants on the given land.

In the summer, Licia and I wandered around the fields, secretly blessing them, and when it came time to harvest the crops in the fall, we hit the jackpot.

The taxes collected from here, as well as the items and gold dropped by wolves and bandits, all went into my pockets.

Since there was no need to earn money by going out, there was hardly anything to call work now. Healing the sick secretly and taking a walk around the village with Licia on the mountain top were the only things left to do.

Even the thieves who occasionally appeared on the streets hid from the cold as winter approached. The world seemed peaceful at first glance. At least on the surface.

But I didn’t think it would last long. After finishing today’s story, I told Licia.

“Show me the status window.”

“Yes.”

Tap. The girl took out a book from a nearby shelf, where she had compiled oaths and important documents, and showed it to me.

The oath at the front was still a kind of identification, and its appearance hadn’t changed.

However, what used to simply say ‘Raven’ in the name section now had the modifier ‘of Alpen’ added in front.

I flipped through the book and opened the last page.

The parchment, once sealed with a stamp, still showed traces of being folded.

It was a quest that had finally come down from Count Canossa.

It was more of an information delivery than an order, but since it was from the lord, it was necessary to be aware of it.

A letter with similar content was delivered to all those who served the Count.

The message could be summarized as follows, after removing the greetings and formalities:

‘Soon, Heinrich will be stripped of the Emperor’s position.’

When the Pope excommunicated the Emperor, he also declared that if the situation was not resolved within a year, he would not recognize him as Emperor.

This was the incantation the Pope cast in preparation for the Emperor’s scandal that was about to spread uncontrollably. And the deadline was less than two months away.

The agitated Emperor now didn’t know what he would do next.

He could raise an army and march towards the Papal decree, or he could plunge the empire into civil war.

Therefore, I was given a mission to be even more vigilant.

Gathering troops to the point where the twenty guards were all the Alpen could manage, I could only patrol more diligently.

Licia, who was well aware of the world’s workings as she picked up information around me, asked, “Will war break out soon?”

“It’s hard to say. If either the Pope or the Emperor backs down, it will end, but…”

“Bending one’s pride won’t be easy either.”

It is human nature to find it difficult even to apologize to close friends.

Although a few words could ease this tension, according to common sense, it seemed ultimately unlikely that the situation would be resolved.

“Is there a possibility that the Emperor will apologize to the Pope?”

“If he cares about the people’s peace, then yes. And if it can be resolved peacefully, there is nothing better.”

The girl only raised the possibility of the Emperor bending first. The Pope was not even considered.

The regrettable thing was that it was the Emperor after all. He was constantly plagued by the threat of rebellion in real-time, and as time passed, his allies were dwindling.

And if he were to just close his eyes and bend his pride and authority once, even as the Pope, he would have no choice but to accept the Emperor’s apology.

Everything that tormented him would disappear at once. Even for a ruler who lived and died by his pride, it was a tempting proposition.

A world where no one would be hurt if the Emperor’s pride were removed.

However, there was a major issue.

“But doesn’t that seem physically challenging?”

“That’s true.”

There are two ways to go from the Empire to the Papal decree.

One is to go around the mountain range, and the other is to cross it.

But if the hostile nobles blocked the way around the mountain, then the only remaining option was to cross the Alpen mountain range. It could be called a path.

“Well, what if he crossed that mountain?”

At the girl’s words, I imagined climbing up and down the steep cliff relying on a single staff.

The snow on the window frame was melting slightly and repeating the process of melting. It had snowed a lot this winter.

The mountain, standing out sharply in the white world, looked beautiful from afar, but up close, a frozen future was visible.

Who would dare to walk in such a place, with narrow and slippery paths, unless they were fugitives fleeing for their lives?

“In that case, we can say that he has great determination and ability. It’s not even summer right now.”

“Haha… that’s true, right?”

“Why, are you worried that the Emperor might cross that mountain?”

“No, I just imagined it for a moment. I wonder if he would actually do such a thing.”

The girl laughed awkwardly, saying she had silly thoughts.

*****

It was winter, a year when snowfall was particularly heavy.

Even a common farmer would gather with their family in a warm house during this season.

Going outside was not recommended. After a long day of farming, it was a time for rest, so the farmers strictly followed that guidance.

And venturing into the wild where animals were starving due to lack of food was considered madness. Wasn’t the whole point of working hard all year to avoid such a thing?

However, in this season when the biting cold covered the world, there was one person who was completely insane.

“This is an act of suicide…!”

“I know. But I must go.”

The leader of the people.

The Emperor, who holds the authority to rule over all the followers of the Europa sect on behalf of the gods.

Accompanied only by around fifty attendants and his family, Heinrich stood before the Alps.

The ground was frozen solid, and many would likely slip and never return if they were to attempt the treacherous path ahead, but there was a reason for pressing on.

If the conflict was to be resolved without war, now was the time. It was the final moment when Heinrich, not just a disgraced individual, but a disgraced Emperor, could meet with the Pope.

The path around the mountains was blocked by other nobles.

For the disgraced Emperor to cross into the lands of other kingdoms was equally foolish, as it would only result in his capture.

Therefore, the Emperor decided to do the least foolish thing.

“Do we really have to climb that?”

“Be mindful of your position. Stop whining.”

“Why don’t we just crush those arrogant princes with our mighty army? The Pope can be replaced, just like the previous one…”

“Sigh, you need to learn more about how the world works.”

The Crown Prince tried to persuade his father, asking why they had to do this and if there wasn’t another way.

Instead of arguing with his ignorant child about the differences in military strength, political issues, and the greater good of peace, the Emperor chose to remain silent. The Crown Prince mistook this silence for a successful persuasion and raised his voice even more.

And as he displayed this disgraceful behavior in front of the attendants, the Princess looked on with eyes full of disdain.

With a family so harmonious, the future seemed truly bright.