episode_0109

No matter how much I asked to meet him, I couldn’t go straight to the front of all people in a state where I was tired from living on the road for a long time.

But I’m not just a fool, I’m a guest who came from afar with the princess.

There was also a reason why I came here because the emperor had called me, so I was given a suitable lodging.

“I’ll leave the money here and eat some snacks if I’m bored. In the meantime, I will visit Your Majesty, so if you have a good rest, just pack your bags.”

“Yes. Bye. If anything happens, be sure to call me. Now I can use my own strength!”

“Could it be something special?”

Seeing as they’ve been emphasizing power for a while now, it seems like it’s a magic that I’m vaguely fond of.

Even putting practicality aside, I don’t think I could bear it if it were to the point where an ordinary girl could even arm wrestle with a knight.

Anyway, Lisia told me to rest in the room, and after briefly getting ready there, I went out alone.

The temporary bedroom happened to be not far from the church. And when I arrived at the church, slightly exhausted, I immediately knew where the emperor was.

Because there was a colony of humans swarming over there.

Of course, it’s almost certain, but we should at least confirm it. I asked the guards surrounding me sparsely.

“Is it true that His Majesty the Emperor is over there?”

“That’s right. So from here on, entry is restricted… Oh, are you Lord Raven?”

“That’s right. Do I need proof of identity?”

“Where… Yes, I checked. You were His Majesty’s guest. You can pass by.”

Next, an errand boy who was waiting nearby jumped out as if he had been waiting, approached the emperor, and whispered something.

He listened intently, and must have heard the news of my arrival. He nodded, raised one arm, and cut off the chattering around him.

“-We’ll talk about this later, and excuse me for a moment.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

The wall of buzzing people quickly dissipated as if it had never been there before.

The emperor who appeared in the meantime seemed to have deeper wrinkles than he remembered, perhaps due to various events that had taken place in the meantime.

Of course, I’m not Licia, and the face from the past didn’t exactly come to mind.

It may have been just his mood, but he was giving off that kind of vibe.

“It’s been a while. I said we would meet again someday.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“There are a lot of eyes watching here, so let’s walk for a while.”

I followed the emperor to a corner of the church where there were few people. The destination was a secluded room like the one where he had been treated alone in the past.

Even his attendants were bitten, so he held on to the stone railing, tapped the top of it with his finger a few times, thought about something, and then opened his mouth.

“Coming this far means that you heard Heine’s story roughly.”

“When you say story, do you mean signing a contract and serving for His Majesty?”

“You’re half right. But that’s not the only content. Isn’t there one most important suggestion?”

The proposal is about my biological father, the Count of Ravenna.

“I know this question may be a bit rude, but I need to check, so please understand. So, is it true that you are a blood relative of the Count of Ravenna?”

“As far as I know, that’s correct. I heard this firsthand when I was young, so maybe it remains in the records of my hometown church.”

“The Count of Ravenna is not a very meticulous person. If that were the case, we wouldn’t have created so many illegitimate children. And no matter how meticulously you try to erase your records, there are bound to be traces left behind.”

Perhaps because he had received a satisfactory answer, the emperor shook his head and continued speaking.

“Guiberto, who was the bishop of Ravenna, knew more about the count’s family history than I did. He’s nearby too, so you can listen to it in person later.”

The emperor, who had finished talking about everything important, stopped tapping on the railing and looked back at me.

Then he stretched his tongue and asked quietly.

“Anyway… I’m just asking to confirm, as I was briefed on it in passing. Did you bring your daughter here?”

“… Not exactly a daughter, but a ward, but yes. Because I want to experience the wide world before graduating from college.”

“The thought that it will be dangerous never leaves my mind, but since I entered college without any knowledge, I guess I have my thoughts on it.”

Was this something that even the emperor would be curious about? Still, it was a question I thought I would get asked someday, so I was able to answer it right away.

Even after that, I couldn’t help the deep suspicion and subtle stares that followed me.

“It means that they believe in the scriptures a lot, so they are a very harmonious family.”

“Isn’t it because you are smart rather than trusting me?”

“I have become humble. Because such relationships are not created one-sidedly. Families should not be divided. The last thing we should do is to be intoxicated by short-sightedness and greed, and to try to split forces at a point when our combined efforts are not enough. Moreover, at a time like now, there is no need to even say it.”

The Emperor did not specify what he meant, but at that moment I remembered what Heine had said:

What kind of trick was the prince trying to pull? Perhaps the emperor was saying this because he already knew the truth.

“Now that I think about it, there was something I said to you a while ago. Please take good care of Heine.”

“I’m a little worried that I might not have lived up to those expectations, but yes.”

“I heard that something good happened on the way. And it is said that the wonder gave us a new treatment method for the plague. I am glad that my words seem to have been well received and not forgotten.”

Although there was no one around to hear, the emperor spoke in a lower voice for no reason.

“Would it be okay if I asked my sir to do a little more of that?”

“Of course, Your Majesty.”

The emperor was not one to use his power to force people to do unpaid work.

In a position like that, rewards and punishments had to be clear to attract people. Sure enough, he immediately started talking about making money.

“We plan to hold a council at the church here in Brixen in a few days. Let’s make a contract with the others then.”

“ Then, what can I serve for?”

“My victory. If you give it to me, I will give my Lord corresponding wealth and honor. Maybe even a position of nobility. Whatever you imagine, I guarantee you won’t be disappointed.”

The emperor gestured to one of his attendants who was just looking at this place from afar. As he approached quickly, the emperor gave an order.

“Please call Bishop Guiberto here.”

Then, as if his work was done, the emperor turned around and added a sentence with a small exclamation, “Ah.”

“I forgot to tell you this. I saw the Count of Ravenna a few times while I was on the battlefield. He was mainly around Rudolph, the pretender. So maybe you will meet Gyeong too.”

“… … .”

“Please do your best, even for yourself.”

“Do you mean this? I will fulfill the contract as I should.”

He nodded in satisfaction and soon disappeared among the group of nobles from before.

As I looked at the back, I felt a bit uncomfortable and bit my lower lip.

Speaking of power, look at the bloody smell that starts right away.

Although I like success, there are degrees to that.

Even if someone offered me the position of emperor for free, I wouldn’t take it, especially since I know very well what he was doing.

The position of a noble was a position that required a lot of consideration. I also needed to think a little about the count.

*****

Bishop Guiberto arrived shortly after waiting at the spot where the emperor had left.

He seemed to know everything about what was being discussed with the emperor, so he didn’t waste any time and got straight to the point.

“When the Count of Ravenna was young, he walked around here and there with a smooth face. Because of that, several scandals arose, and from what I have personally found out recently, some of them are not completely unfounded.”

“I also heard a little about this story when I was young. They say there are several illegitimate children.”

“That’s just one of countless rumors. But what’s important isn’t his private life. Rather, what arouses interest is his external appearance.”

The bishop showed me a piece of parchment. Inside a round circle drawn at the end of a branch, like fruit growing on a tree, was a picture of a person.

At the end of the tangled mess, a face had been painted over and disappeared.

The face just above it had the name Count Ravenna written on it.

I could tell what it was just by looking at it. It was the family tree of the Ravenna family.

“Count Ravenna, he has no right to inherit the title. They say he had a son, but he died in an accident while out hunting. After that, no new children were born, so isn’t this because God was watching over his careless life?”

“That means… … .”

“His Majesty often reclaims land that has lost its original owner, but if there is a replacement owner, the story is a little different.”

“Are there any other illegitimate children?”

“It must have been there originally. However, some of the dogs appear to have died young, and others are missing. Right now, all we know is sutra. By any chance, do you know anything about this?”

I thought about the gold coin and wedding gift the Count had given me.

It was a faded memory, but the long-distance march amidst the despair and evil at that time was engraved in my bones rather than in my memory.

What if the same thing happened to other illegitimate children?

Not all of them would have lived a second life like me, so it was not surprising that no one survived, as the bishop said.

“It would not be appropriate to say congratulations. But it’s clear that at least Kyung had a chance. A rare opportunity.”

“Thank you for your words, but is such a thing possible for just an illegitimate child?”

“The precedent is set by the king of a northern island nation. Of course, there may be minor complaints, but those can be passed on to the authority of the Pope.”

“Pope… What do you mean?”

I asked back reflexively. Why is the Pope’s story suddenly coming out?

Unless you have a hypnosis Bible, you probably aren’t talking about the Pope who has started a soul cassock with the Emperor.

Instead of giving me an answer, the bishop just gave me a knowing smile.

I couldn’t figure out what that meant until I left and returned to my dorm.

*****

Within a few days, I had to admit that I was wrong.

The secret was not a hypnosis Bible or anything like that. In fact, it went one step further than that.

“-Therefore, I, Henry, will remove Pope Gregory from his duties!”

“As of now, that position will be held by Bishop Guiberto. Accordingly, the bishop’s secular name, Guiberto, will no longer be used, and from now on he will be called Pope Clement.”

Everyone inside the church who heard the declaration was enthusiastic.

“The Pope has been removed from office, it has come.”

“Is that inevitable? Gregory is ultimately a loser of the past era.”

I turned my head to the side. At that moment, Lisia was also looking at me.

And I expressed my impressions briefly.

‘This is a bit much.’

‘Iknow, right.’

Reality has always surpassed imagination.