episode_0061

All that was needed was a single word from the Pope.

After three days of being firmly shut, the doors finally opened.

The heavy doors made a rough scraping sound against the ground, causing the Emperor to open his eyes and lift his head.

The attendants who appeared soon after were seen supporting the weakened Emperor on either side, slowly guiding his steps beyond the window.

The Pope silently watched his figure for a while. Clearly, his heart was troubled.

I took advantage of this moment to sneak a glance at the letter sent by the Emperor. There would be no one who wouldn’t be curious about what incredible rhetoric had broken the Pope’s will.

The letter the Pope placed on the table was a bit smudged and folded, making it take some time to decipher.

Nevertheless, by inferring and filling in a few unfamiliar words based on context, I could roughly understand the contents.

A story of moving from forgiveness to the mountain range at home. Crossing that mountain range, losing a few faithful attendants, and a regrettable incident.

And finally, arriving at the Kanosa Castle after overcoming all these hardships and adversities, enduring for three days.

The letter ended with a bold declaration that he had already endured three days and could endure three more until the door was opened.

Oh, and he added that it would be great if this were composed into a poem and widely circulated.

…I just relayed this, isn’t that right, Your Excellency?

If he still doesn’t let me in after this, a harsh threat to spread rumors.

I had to slightly adjust the character evaluation. The true madness was not the Pope who gambled his own life on his position, but the Emperor who openly threatened with his own life.

Disgusted, I turned my head back to its original position and met eyes with the Kanosa Viscount next to me.

It was clear that he, like me, had been deciphering the letter.

When the Pope still didn’t look this way, I only moved my lips to briefly converse with the Viscount.

“His Majesty is quite remarkable, isn’t he.”

“That is indeed true.”

“I want to go home.”

“…Viscount?”

And as the Emperor disappeared behind the door, the Pope let out a deep sigh before speaking.

“Viscount, since things have come to this, I intend to meet the Emperor in person and have a meal.”

“Should I prepare it right away?”

“The Emperor also needs time to freshen up. Let’s wait a moment.”

Then the Pope’s gaze turned from the Viscount to me.

“You’ve worked hard during this time. Let’s meet for dinner later.”

With that, the Pope waved his hand, and I left the room with the Viscount. However, unlike me, the Viscount hurried off to prepare for the evening meal.

Having lived as a medieval messenger from yesterday until this morning, I finally had some time to rest.

It was a bit early for lunch, but since I was feeling a bit hungry, I decided to go outside to eat.

Due to the madness of the Pope and the Viscount that I had been dealing with, I had lost my appetite.

I went to the castle’s kitchen and called over a boy working there.

“Do you have any stew?”

“Are you looking for someone in particular?”

“Yes, you’ve come at the right time.”

“What?”

But in times like these, shouldn’t I, with my modern rationality and reason, be the one to stay strong?

The life of a normal person is so difficult.

I received two warm bowls of stew to gather the strength I needed and returned to my cozy room.

Lycia was just getting up and tidying the blankets. The girl turned her head at my presence.

“Oh, I can bring these later if you want….”

“It’s nothing much, and it’s not too difficult. Besides, soon everyone in the castle will be busy preparing for the evening banquet.”

I set down the bowls and sat at the table with Lycia in the room.

It seems like there was something I needed to say. What was it again?

Ah, right.

“The Emperor is sending the Princess to university.”

“Is this a sudden decision? When is this happening?”

“When you go to university. He said it would be good for you to have friends your age.”

“On the surface… yes, I suppose.”

The girl seemed to have guessed the underlying reason as well. After a moment of contemplation, she voiced her conclusion.

“It must be to keep the Pope in check.”

“Most likely.”

“Is this a decision made by the Emperor, or by the Princess herself?”

“In my opinion, it’s the Emperor’s unilateral decision.”

“If it’s not driven by the Princess’s personal desires, then that’s a relief.”

“Why?”

“Well, if it was a personal choice, it wouldn’t have been so… formal.”

Lycia seemed to drift off into her own thoughts for a moment.

And it wasn’t until some time had passed that the girl, who had been murmuring softly, spoke again.

“…When spring comes, we’ll have to part ways, won’t we?”

“That’s right.”

“Even so, when you have time, you can come visit occasionally, right?”

The duty of a knight was to obey the lord’s commands and protect the given land.

But if the land was completely safe, there was no harm in temporarily leaving the post. And since all the bandits had been dealt with, most of the duties I had to fulfill had been completed.

Lycia was looking at me as if she was expecting something.

And the answer I could give to such a girl was obvious. If I had to fulfill my duty as a knight, then as a guardian, I had to do the same.

“Yes. I’ll come visit often.”

Lycia nodded with a smile.

I never expected our encounter to lead to such a long-lasting connection, but as they say, such is life.

*****

The first thing the Marquis did was to call for a magician.

One couldn’t leave a body lying around the house from the New Year. The best healer in the vicinity was delivered straight to the castle.

The person had stood in the snow for three days and nights. It was impossible to expect them to be unharmed after such an act.

The priest who had been examining the Emperor for a while didn’t speak easily even after finishing the examination.

Perhaps a part had to be cut off. Even if the best magician was summoned to restore it, there would still be suffering.

And this would be a significant political blow to the Pope-

“Um, you may not believe it, but you don’t have to worry too much. His Majesty is fine.”

“…Is that possible?”

“Oh, of course, he should eat and stay warm by the fire. That’s all the care he needs.”

“Oh, Lord.”

I exchanged a glance with the Marquis.

Is this even possible?

I don’t know. It’s scary.

Humans are strong in their own right. Wouldn’t the Pope’s spine shiver a bit when he hears about this?

The Emperor’s prescription was simply to drink a warm glass of water in front of the fireplace.

And since his health had been confirmed, a reconciliation banquet was soon arranged. I was also invited and attended.

The Marquis, a few divine beings from the Kanosa Castle, and I were present.

As we waited, a person leaning on a staff entered the banquet hall.

Although weakened, the Emperor was not sick or bedridden.

It was a fleeting moment, but the slight twitch in the Pope’s eyes suggested that he had underestimated the Emperor’s strength.

Indeed, the battles of powerful individuals were fierce.

“You must have had a hard journey. Please, have a seat, Your Majesty.”

“Thank you for your hospitality, Your Highness.”

Surprisingly, the Emperor and the Pope were meeting for the first time.

Despite the countless letters they had exchanged over time, it was a fact that their correspondence would pile up higher than the towers of this castle.

Throughout the world, people knew of the ill-fated relationship between the two, yet the actual parties involved had never met.

Nevertheless, it was a long-awaited meeting. With onlookers around, both sides put on a smiling facade.

As luck would have it, there was a hungry person present, so the meal was bountiful.

I hoped the meal would pass without much thought, but it seemed the Emperor had other ideas. He fidgeted at the table, neither eating nor drinking.

After a while, the Pope, who had been sipping wine, couldn’t hold back any longer and asked, “Your Majesty, why aren’t you eating?”

“I am full. Please don’t worry and eat.”

“Hmm….”

A person who had starved for three days said this. It was an excuse even a five-year-old child would scoff at.

With that, the sporadic conversations that had been happening stopped abruptly. The dinner proceeded in a cold silence.

With no conversation happening, the most urgent matter to discuss was put on hold.

In the end, throughout the dinner, not a word was spoken about the Emperor’s pardon.

Watching this unfold beside me made it hard to swallow my food. The Marquis beside me struggled to eat his food as well, as the first banquet of the new year turned out like this.

Even if I had to come up with excuses, I regretted not just having dinner with Lycia and room service.

The silent dinner ended in silence.

In my eyes, it was not a time for reconciliation, but rather a time for growing mutual hatred.

*****

The reward I received for tirelessly running between the two was not insignificant.

The Marquis had been constantly urging and persuading me, saying that this could be a good opportunity for me, and it turned out his words were not entirely baseless.

And for a knight thirsty for success, getting close to a powerful figure was a definite advantage.

“Well, you’ve worked hard accompanying me in my games with the Pope.”

The Emperor’s first words as he quietly called me in the middle of the night.