episode_0113

The results of the council held at Brixen spread throughout the empire.

Compromise was no longer an option, and the war could only end when one of the two popes fell.

That bold declaration flowed south from mouth to mouth.

And when Pope Gregory finally heard the news, he poured out raw anger at the cardinals around him. A formal statement of condemnation was then issued to the emperor.

However, something a little different was happening behind the scenes.

“Cardinal.”

“Yes, Your Holiness.”

“Are the mercenaries ready?”

The spirit of regaining the cool-headedness of the past and thorough calculation were there.

Looking back now, it was a clear mistake to excommunicate the emperor out of impatience and without making a future date.

Still, it wasn’t like I didn’t gain anything from my mistake. The Pope was finally able to regain his humility and ability to objectify himself.

So I couldn’t waste time regretting the past forever.

I had to accept the reality that there wasn’t much I could change at this point. How can God’s exclusive possessions be turned upside down by mere humans?

And if it was something that couldn’t be changed, it definitely had to end.

“At last, the pretender Heinrich revealed his true colors. This means that the time has finally come.”

“The morale of those who have gathered in a sincere heart is high, and the hearts of believers are on our side. If you just give me an order, I will leave right away.”

“Rudolph will be waiting. So hurry and go to him and give him strength.”

“I accept His Holiness’ orders.”

As soon as permission was given, the Pope’s army departed for the battlefield.

It was the moment when the flames of war ignited the Vatican and its surroundings, which seemed to be safe forever. This was also predicted with the emperor’s second excommunication.

However, there was only one route to advance. Unless you wanted to cross the mountain range at the risk of many deaths, you had to go all the way around the Alpine.

And all the roads passing there were the lands of the Count of Canossa.

The army’s invasion without any warning was tantamount to a surprise declaration of war.

Therefore, prior to the expedition, the Vatican dispatched a representative of the Pope to meet the Count.

“Count, I ask for your assistance on behalf of the Holy See. Open the path beyond the mountains, and join me on the path.”

“Now is not a good time for the military to pass by. It’s quite embarrassing to say it with my own mouth, but with barbarians abounding along the coast and thieves disturbing my land, I feel like I have to join the group for now. Please tell His Holiness that I am sorry.”

“Isn’t the Count a subject of your Holiness? So, shouldn’t you help your lord with his request?”

“He is also a subject of His Majesty the Emperor. In the meantime, I’m at a loss as to who to take with me, so I’ll have to think about this as well.”

If you say “, I won’t ask for much. I understand that it is difficult to raise an army and join together. So please at least open the way.”

“I feel like I want to do that too. But didn’t you just say that the timing wasn’t good?”

An inconclusive Zen question and answer continued for a while.

Since he was also a count, he was diligent in answering questions, but the agent was slowly becoming impatient.

If you reacted like this, there was no way you would have known what it meant unless you were an idiot.

The Count’s mind turned away from the Pope. I don’t know when it started, but it didn’t seem like they would cooperate, at least not until now.

It wasn’t a very pleasant thing for someone who was in a hurry.

“… Should I attack?”

“This place is too close to the Vatican to do that. If you act rashly, you could end up in trouble. So, report this to His Holiness and receive a quick response.”

Even though he is an agent, he is not delegated full authority. He did not have the discretion to even decide on adding new enemies.

A mysterious messenger went back and forth between the Vatican and Canossa Castle several times. With each step, precious time passed by.

The plan was a bit shaky from the start.

*****

There was one thing that all landed nobles prepared.

They wanted to pass it on to their children, no matter how small it was, only a handful in size.

It was a means of proving oneself as a valuable being, and even if one’s name could not be engraved in history, it was intended to leave at least a trace of one’s family name.

In the flow of time that even the greatest wizards and knights could not withstand, the land on which future generations would stand forever was immortal.

Of course, there are cases where a noble who has no children or even relatives returns the land to the lord upon his death.

Or, some of the faithful could turn the land over to the church to dedicate it to God. Of course, either way was difficult to find in reality.

If you are an aristocrat, it is actually more difficult to live as a single person as marriage talks come from all over the place.

So, if I were to become a count, wouldn’t something similar happen? This was almost a certainty.

At the same time, it was something I never thought would happen to me in my lifetime, so it was a topic I didn’t think much about.

And if I were to get married, I wondered if it would be an arranged marriage. If that were the case, I would be able to gain political power, but I would not be able to be happy. For both me and the other person.

And for some reason, the image of a girl suddenly came to mind.

Perhaps because of his confidence, he has been speaking more confidently lately.

“Please make a pledge, Raven, please place your seal here once.”

“Licia, this is a marriage vow. More than that, where and how did you get it?”

“Licia doesn’t know that, please make a pledge… … .”

I shook my head to get rid of the momentary thought.

Anyway, he is a child I have raised well since childhood. Although she seemed to have grown up to a certain extent, the girl in my memories could not escape the appearance of a child of about ten years old.

Rather, it was better to think about this later. Right now, I had to focus on what was in front of me.

When I raised my head, I saw someone’s shadow in front of the tent where I was staying. He was the emperor’s messenger.

He shouted in a loud voice, perhaps because he was worried that I might not hear.

Sir “, Your Majesty has called all the knights. As soon as you are ready, you can go to the command tent.”

“I’m listening. Let’s go now.”

After giving the answer, I turned my gaze a little and there was Lisia, who had taken the seat next to me.

It was not something that people who go to fight often say, but I said it with confidence.

“I’ll go.”

“Wait a minute, before I go.”

And the girl who caught me as I was leaving the tent immediately raised her tiptoes and hung something around my neck.

I felt the unique coolness of metal on my neck. When I touched it, I was able to confirm that it was a thinly connected necklace.

I looked at the girl’s face as she adjusted the position. It definitely seemed closer than before.

Now that I think about it, it has grown a lot. In the past, even if I stretched out my arms, I wouldn’t have been able to reach my head.

Children at this time of year tend to grow older with each passing day. I knew it, but it was a surprise every time I saw it again.

After waiting for a while, as if she was done, Lisia took her hand off the necklace and tapped it, then opened her mouth.

“I cast a protection spell, so don’t make me worry like last time.”

“Okay, thank you. I’ll come back without any problems.”

“Be careful.”

I put aside the girl’s worries and held the tent with my hand.

After taking a deep breath, beyond where I stepped, there was an endless line of soldiers and other tents. It was also a place that would soon be transformed into a battlefield.

When mercenaries from the Holy See were stranded at the foot of a mountain range, unable to do anything.

The two emperors, who absolutely should not exist under the same sky, now meet each other on this plain.

It was a major war that had been a long time coming, and may never happen again.

Just stepping foot in it became a story that future generations could write about for a long time. There was nothing to say about a knight who was the undisputed ruler of the battlefield.

But I didn’t come looking for stories or heroics. They had come to find victory, or more precisely, to end the war completely.

After finding my way through the soldiers, I was able to arrive at my destination.

“Ah, Lord Raven. Your Majesty is waiting. Let’s go in.”

After passing the guard at the entrance who checked my face, I was able to stand in that cruel but glorious place. It was something that would have been unimaginable a few years ago.

One by one, the knights gathered under the tent where the emperor was. It would probably be the last meeting before the battle began.

It wasn’t like a strategy meeting or anything. If that were the case, staff would have had to fill the seats.

The knight was not here to lead. As it was given the title of the most outstanding military force of this era, its need was solely for fighting.

The emperor looked for a moment to see if everyone had arrived, then opened his mouth. A solemn voice rang through the tent.

“May God protect us and give us all strength for our victory.”