episode_0077

After resting for a while, my body condition improved.

I judged that I could move my body a bit roughly, so I came out of bed.

Alpen, which had escaped the flames of war, was peaceful.

There was nothing much to do around, and Kanosa Byungbaek had not said anything special to me yet.

It was a rare free time given to a knight.

And when there was time like this, there was one thing I had to do.

“Take good care of Alpen while I’m away.”

It was a visit to the university.

I handed over the house keys to the village manager.

As spring arrived and the weather warmed up, and some time had passed since the snow melted, the road conditions would also be good.

“If anything happens, let me know immediately.”

“Understood. You have injuries, so please be careful on your journey.”

“Thank you for your concern. And please take care of yourself a little. Make sure to buy some wine when you come back from the university.”

There wasn’t much luggage to take. I packed the knight’s essentials, armor and sword, and some spending money and a gift for Lycia.

Without the need to follow along as a pack animal, I brought out Sancho from the stable.

Sancho, who had caused a commotion in the stable last night, seemed tired in the morning and obediently allowed me to saddle him.

I bid farewell only to the village manager and stood on the road to the university.

The war had subsided. That’s why the world seemed peaceful at first glance.

But it was not as calm as a quiet night before a storm.

I was anxious that something might happen while I was away.

I don’t know if there is such a thing as intuition, but I couldn’t shake off the uneasy feeling.

There seems to be something I’m forgetting right now.

– Purung

“All right, I got it. Let’s go.”

What woke me up from my tangled thoughts was Sancho’s grumpy neighing.

Well, such complicated thoughts didn’t suit the moment.

I urged Sancho, who had paused for a moment, to move on.

The sky was clear, and the breeze was refreshing. It was nice to be alone and reminisce about the past.

*****

The southern part of the Empire, the University of Vologna.

It was a lively time as graduates left and new students came in to welcome spring.

Apart from the freshmen bubbling with excitement, those who had learned as much as they could spent their days discussing academic matters outwardly.

After all, the university was a place designed for that purpose. It was a place temporarily away from worldly affairs like war and power.

But humans are sad creatures who cannot resist interesting and fun things.

Although they talked about newly published magic theories, when two close friends gathered, the topic immediately shifted.

“Did you hear the news?”

“The battle in Melhi? Of course, I heard. It was an indecisive battle with no clear winner.”

“No, not that. The battle in Flak. This time, Duke Rudolf’s side clearly gained the upper hand.”

Despite this and that, it was news that could only become the hottest topic at this time.

The status of the civil war, the culmination of the pride battle between the Emperor and the nobles, was gradually spreading to the university.

The most popular pastime was watching the fights, but it was a role that could not directly see it, so the tired students chewed and dissected the story to relieve their boredom.

But there was one noteworthy fact in these conversations.

It was that students were faster in spreading news than merchants and pilgrims who had traveled a long way, or wandering knights who freely roamed the world.

It was not because the university was a beacon of knowledge.

It was simply because the closest outlet to receive news was nearby.

There was only one person in the whole school who could receive trustworthy information faster than anyone else.

“Who do you think is winning right now?”

“Well, since we’re talking about it, should we go find out?”

As the students who were now free looked around, they saw Licia and Hein walking down the hallway, chatting happily. It wasn’t uncommon to see them so close to each other.

Licia was speaking with a subtle smile on her face, and Hein was responding with an equally joyful expression.

Even though they were young people at the peak of their boldness and combat prowess, they didn’t directly ask the parties involved.

Instead, they chose to observe the princess’s expression.

She seemed happy at first glance. Her responses were not short and curt, but filled with sincerity. This meant that things were going well for the emperor.

The students, satisfied with their curiosity, nodded their heads and leaned back from the window.

Their curiosity only went so far, and they were not interested in what they were talking about or in anyone’s personal life.

So only Licia knew why Hein was chatting happily.

It wasn’t anything special anyway.

Hein was just listening to her worries.

It was usually something along the lines of missing home or missing Lavender, nothing out of the ordinary.

“Your Highness, could you listen to one of my concerns?”

“Sure, go ahead.”

“…Um, do you happen to know of a gift that a guy would like?”

But today, the topic seemed a bit different.

Hein, who was ready to support her first friend, suddenly found herself at a loss for words.

What’s going on? Why is she suddenly like this? She must have just been vaguely missing home as usual.

Hein carefully examined the girl’s face.

Her clear blue eyes were wandering aimlessly, unable to find a fixed point. Judging by the slightly flushed face, it was not hard to guess what she was talking about even just by looking at her.

Well, Licia was at an age where she would be interested in such things.

Seeing her suddenly act like this, she must be someone from the university. Since all the people Licia could meet were university students.

She decided to think about who that might be later and roughly understood the reason. So she had to give an answer now.

And just as Hein was about to give a hopeful answer, she found herself once again unable to speak. She realized she had never had that experience herself.

“….”

“Your Highness?”

In the end, Hein chose to scratch her head and remain silent rather than pretend to know.

Watching her from the side, Licia couldn’t help but feel anxious.

She usually gave good answers, but what should she do if she suddenly closed her mouth at a time like this?

The day before, she had sent a doppelganger to see Lavender. She had promised to come see her soon, what should she do?

Licia, who was starting to show signs of agitation, paced back and forth in her mind, not knowing what to do.

*****

At the same time, in the central part of the Empire.

In a situation where there was no progress on either side, spring had arrived.

The nobles welcomed the new farming season with loud voices.

“The Emperor has been denounced! His Majesty himself has said that his loyalty has fallen to the ground!”

“The people of the Empire have freed themselves from the obligation to serve Heinrich as the Emperor. So, all of you who hear these words, cast off your shackles and fight with all your might to welcome your rightful Emperor!”

Even the villagers didn’t believe the shepherd boy’s lies more than twice, let alone three times.

When it comes to preventing a war, there was no excuse that the Emperor could offer at this point, as rumors had already spread far and wide that he had been pardoned by the Pope.

Even the perpetrators who boldly shouted lies did not have high expectations. It was more like a yearly ritual they went through just to fill the void.

Yet, the world was indeed a vast place.

There was one person who enthusiastically responded to this insipid third lie.

“Yes! Heinrich has engaged in skeptical behavior and committed shameful acts in front of the gods. Therefore, I shall prove that Heinrich has been excommunicated!”

“Europa watches over this temple. I am willing to support the restoration of a sacred empire on this earth!”

Who on earth was it that was debating whether the Emperor should be excommunicated or not?

Of course, they had put on a brave face, but they didn’t go around actively proclaiming it so vehemently, as they were aware of the consequences.

However, it was necessary to confirm the identity of the bold speaker.

It might be a rural nobleman who wanted to make a good impression on themselves, but they needed to be warned sternly about their behavior.

“Your Majesty…?”

“I apologize for keeping you waiting. But I hope you understand my sincerity now.”

“….”

And then there was the figure who had been absent from the stage for a while, almost fading into obscurity.

The nobles realized that it was the Pope who had left the Emperor’s punitive expedition a long time ago, leaving them speechless.

Many thoughts crossed their minds, but ultimately, the question that arose in their heads all led to one conclusion.

‘…Why did the Pope suddenly intervene?’

How could the decree of excommunication be issued and revoked so easily, as if flipping a palm?

Even a simple egg pancake wouldn’t be flipped so easily, so could this be a provocation?

But just as the nobles were left dumbfounded by the Emperor’s sudden excommunication and rendered unable to act, there were those who swiftly moved into action.

Two messengers rushed towards the university.

One was to deliver the Emperor’s order to negotiate with the Pope.

The princess, who could represent the royal family and was closest to the Papal Court, was the one who received the command.

The other messenger held a letter from Count Canossa requesting negotiations.

The messenger who mistakenly headed towards Alpen, where the owner was absent, quickly changed course and headed towards the university.