episode_0089

Count Kanosa remained silent for a while.

He would occasionally let out a deep sigh and fiddle with a pebble or a cup, staring off into space.

It seemed like he would stay in that state until he returned to the castle. I decided to break the awkward silence.

I thought about choosing a brighter and more wholesome topic to consider his mental well-being, but I couldn’t help but ask at this moment.

If it was an issue that needed to be discussed eventually, it was better to think about it as soon as possible. Reality is inherently cruel.

“So, what will you do now, my lord?”

The count, who had been looking down at the floor, raised his head. Deep concern was etched on his face.

The deeply furrowed wrinkles on his forehead, the slightly squinted eyes, and the eyes that had been wandering aimlessly just a while ago now turned towards me.

“It’s not a position where one can stand on the sidelines and watch the war forever, is it?”

“…You’re right. You know that fact well, my lord.”

Up until now, it was fine to consider myself an outsider to the civil war since the stage was elsewhere.

But now that the Pope had forcibly moved that stage right to the count’s doorstep, things were different.

It was a choice between opening the way for the enraged Emperor or being trampled upon, or being trampled upon by the Pope’s army marching north to attack the Emperor.

Neutrality was the only position that someone with the ability to maintain it could take.

Unless she was a saint, even if she belonged to a relatively powerful faction, ultimately, as a mere count, it was a difficult task.

Even after a long silence, only a faint sigh escaped his lips. It seemed like he couldn’t easily come to a decision on such a crucial matter.

It was good to be cautious, but the world called timely caution indecisiveness. If things continued like this, they could spiral out of control, so I felt the need to help with that decision.

“I’ve heard from the nobles around that even those who have declared neutrality seem to be leaning towards one side or the other.”

“Yes, now that His Majesty’s firm resolve has been confirmed today, that’s probably the case. I know that some things are inevitable.”

If there was one positive change from the previous conversation, it was probably the realization that reconciliation between the Pope and the Emperor was impossible.

After a long silence, the count finally seemed to accept reality and organize his thoughts, as he looked at me and asked as we were about to leave for the lodging.

“What do you think, Kyung? I won’t interfere much regardless of which side you choose, so speak your mind without resignation. It seems that even my knights have made their own choices.”

“I want to stand by the Emperor’s side.”

“Firm decision.”

I thought about politely agreeing with the count’s intentions for a moment, but in the end, I decided not to say something that would be a lie.

Surprisingly, the count didn’t show much displeasure at my answer. Well, he wasn’t the type to hold a grudge against honest words.

“I thought you would go to deal with the savages again, but it’s unexpected. As far as I know, you’ve rejected all requests to participate in the war so far. Was that a false rumor?”

“That’s not true.”

“Then why now? If you wanted to join the winning side, you would have sided with the Emperor earlier. But now that you’ve made up your mind, it seems like that’s not the case.”

Usually, when people choose a side, it was natural to lean towards the winning side.

If you wanted to receive more rewards, you would go to the more desperate side for a chance at a delightful comeback.

And if someone asked who was more advantageous at the moment, even I didn’t know.

Seeing that the civil war had been dragging on for two years without anyone being able to predict the outcome, it was clear.

Ricia, in her case, was able to grasp the situation based on how high the princess’s tail was raised.

According to her, a few months ago, it seemed like the emperor had the upper hand, but with the pope expressing his intention to rejoin the mud fight, the direction of victory once again became uncertain.

It was a delicate balance that seemed to crumble every time.

What I found distasteful was precisely that balance.

“Because His Holiness the Pope desires war. A long and fierce war, to be precise.”

“….”

The viscount remained silent as if urging her to continue.

“As long as His Holiness the Pope desires it, this war will happen again someday. That’s why, if one side has to falter, I don’t think it should be His Majesty the Emperor.”

Personally, I think the cause of this situation might be the pope falling into his own arrogance.

It’s not just because the pope was foolish. A foolish person wouldn’t have been able to resist the emperor in the first place.

No pope has ever achieved what he has achieved by mere chance; there must have been careful calculations behind it. The position of the pope was not obtained through gambling.

It’s not strange that judgment becomes clouded when the whole world trembles at once because of a single mistake.

When I first held the Radiant Sword, I felt like I could do anything. He probably felt the same way.

But if there is a difference between us, it’s that I can see how arrogant that thought was in the field of battle.

The pope, on the other hand, did not have the opportunity to confirm it in reality, so he was swayed by a single mistake.

But if he learned from his mistake, there would be no next time.

Not retracting the decree he had made was evidence of that. At least he understood that he shouldn’t change his word twice.

So, if he didn’t want to repeat this, the pope had to stop it here.

“A single knight cannot change the course of the war. However, they may be able to offer some help.”

“…If you say so. I didn’t think it would suit you at first, but after hearing it all, there is no better word than yours.”

With that, the viscount did not bring up the same topic again.

Seeming to need more time to organize his thoughts, I also filled the empty conversation with trivial stories.

And as we walked.

I saw Heine standing in front of the house, looking around.

And when our eyes met, it became clear who he was waiting for, smiling softly and tilting his head.

I told the viscount, who seemed lost in thought, looking at the distant sky.

“Well then, I’ll go back now. You must be very tired from today’s work, and you should also relieve your lord.”

“Yes… It will be about a week before I go back. I heard that they are trying to match a new set of armor.”

“Because the old one is so worn out.”

“Then, I’ll go first. See you next time.”

As the viscount disappeared beyond the inn door, the princess approached me.

It was obvious that she had been waiting for me, making it clear that this was no chance encounter.

“May I have a moment to talk?”

“Of course. Is it about Ricia?”

“No, I’ve come to talk about something important. Can we change the location a bit? There are too many eyes here.”

At this moment, Ricia would probably be waiting for me in my room. However, it was clear that whatever she had to say was not something ordinary to tell to a seemingly ordinary girl like Ricia.

Sure enough, Heine led me to a secluded alley where there seemed to be no ears to listen, and only then did the princess speak again.

“You must have had a conversation with His Holiness the Pope.”

“That’s correct. It’s the path I just walked.”

“In that case, there’s no need for me to explain how things will unfold.”

As the princess entered the alley, there was no trace of the demeanor she had when talking to Lycia.

During her time in Alpen, the princess often laughed lightly and seemed to have rich emotions. Even when she occasionally visited Lycia at the university, it was the same.

It wasn’t just a matter of her laughter disappearing.

It felt like the fact that I frequently ran into her and forgot about it was being brought to light.

She was, after all, the sole daughter of the Emperor, the most important person in the empire.

“I have a proposal.”

“Please speak.”

“My father wishes to enter into a knight contract.”

How did she know exactly what I was thinking? I was already considering asking, and she just knew.

“I will make it happen.”

“Ah.”

And with my response, the princess stiffened, spitting out an awkward remark that completely changed the atmosphere from before.

*****

In truth, Heine was somewhat expecting failure.

For over two years, he had been a knight who silently charged at barbarians and bandits.

If land or money had tempted him, he would have joined the civil war long ago.

Of course, while it seemed like he had gained honor, it didn’t put food on the table. It was only by wielding that honor that he could eat for his lord.

And considering his past actions, it seemed like Raven had no intention of using the honor he had accumulated.

The information provided by Gilbert was just an additional sweetener to the persuasion.

He wasn’t really greedy for land to begin with. But maybe if it was a noble position, he thought there might be some appeal, so he placed his hopes on it.

“I have a proposal.”

“Please speak.”

“My father wishes to enter into a knight contract.”

And Raven didn’t react much.

Well, it’s not like he hadn’t heard those words before. Another failure, it seems.

It was a moment when he was about to ask if he was interested, carefully choosing his words and packaging the noble position to make it more appetizing.

“I will make it happen.”

“Ah.”

A foolish remark slipped out in response to the unexpected and unprepared answer.