Ch.135The Beginning of the End (End)

Absurd. Nonsensical. Unreasonable and illogical. Impossible…

The Cardinal spent a long time spewing words of denial. But Niki Brien remained calm, even appearing somewhat brazen.

“If you don’t believe me, compare the document written by William the Chaste himself with his handwriting. To help you, he always squashes the top of the letter ‘e’, and writes ‘p’ and ‘q’ almost identically. He also really likes to write the word ‘conclusion’…”

“Enough, enough! Even if such… such things exist… this is a matter of morality, not a disparagement of his achievements!”

“Correct. We cannot disparage him. But we shouldn’t lump everything together and exaggerate one aspect. Merit is merit, personal matters are personal matters, rewards are rewards, and punishments are punishments.

Each should be handled wholly according to its proper measure. None should encroach upon the domain of another.”

“I saw nothing.” The Cardinal squeezed his eyes shut. “I heard nothing and saw nothing. I will forget everything.”

But Niki Brien didn’t give him a chance to escape. He personally opened the back section of volume 3 to show him.

“The back section of volume 3 is filled with letters. At least this part contains no disgusting conspiracies of others. These are completely private letters.

And according to what has been decoded so far, they don’t appear to contain lewd content. Rather, they’re more terrible and revolting.”

The Cardinal’s eyes were already glazed over.

“…What on earth is it?”

“As I mentioned, since we haven’t decoded the entire text, it’s difficult to say. That’s language for you. A single word can completely change the entire meaning.

However, at the very least… it’s certain that these are exchanges with other heroes during the Fifth Crusade.

‘Our sin.’ ‘A secret to take to the grave.’ ‘Sealed.’ What sin could heroes who defeated the Demon King have that they needed to take to their graves?”

“…I, well… I need to verify this. Until I’m convinced myself. I can’t… can’t say anything now. This is, well, an unexpected… story.”

“Indeed,” Niki Brien agreed.

“It’s an unexpected story for all of us. So let me propose this: We need to secure the remaining three heroes and find out exactly what happened that day.

With representatives from the Empire and the Order present, we need to verify if they truly defeated the Demon King. You wouldn’t say this is difficult, would you? His Holiness is certainly capable of doing this, isn’t he?

After all, the Crusades moved under the command of His Holiness the Pope, not the Empire or the Emperor.”

“What His Holiness does is for him to decide. No one, absolutely no one, can tell him what to do!”

“That’s why I called it a proposal.” Niki rubbed his brow.

“Were our heroes truly heroes? Were they people worthy of respect and protection? If all these matters aren’t clearly explained, we cannot cooperate with the passage of the Holy Knights.”

Anna, who was standing beside him, continued:

“If, by any chance, the Demon King rises again in the Northeastern Wasteland and innocent Imperial citizens suffer harm.

If the Southern Kingdoms and Papal States once again use the Empire as a shield… we will have no choice but to raise questions.”

“What questions?”

“Whether His Holiness the Pope truly has the qualification to guide the children of the Two-headed Eagle.

No, don’t say you didn’t hear me. Deliver my words exactly as I said them, neither adding nor subtracting anything.”

* * * * *

The meeting was over.

Ordinarily, a banquet should have been held, but it was canceled due to the “unavoidable circumstances” of the attendees.

Instead, a silent meal followed, which was so uncomfortable that even onlookers felt uneasy.

The Cardinal boarded his carriage. Niki Brien finally handed the translated manuscript to the Cardinal’s attendant.

Only then did all the follies of the day end. As the evening passed, Anna expressed her irritation first.

“I want to take off this dress right now.”

“Me too.”

Upon returning to the inner palace, the couple changed clothes without hesitation. After changing into comfortable attire, they drank wine in their private space.

Denunciations of “stupid fool,” “pig,” and “one who pretends not to see what he knows,” followed by agreement, laughter, clapping, and roars of laughter.

“Ah. Now I feel like I can live again. My goodness, when was the last time I wore that prison-like outfit? I can’t even remember.”

Anna groaned, fanning her flushed face repeatedly.

“Anna. If you had become Emperor, you would have had to wear it every day.”

“If I had worn it from the beginning, perhaps. But suddenly wearing it after not wearing it for so long made me feel like I was suffocating. You, would you wear your military uniform again if asked?”

“What are you saying? Even if I die, please don’t put a military uniform on me. Please.”

Niki leaned back in his chair. He tilted his head back to look at the ceiling. A map of the entire Empire was drawn on the ceiling.

The Grand Chancellor’s eyes slowly scanned the capital, the south, and the west. As if believing he could find Kain’s trajectory by doing so.

“That friend… he still hasn’t been caught.”

“Thankfully.”

Anna also looked up at the ceiling like her husband. But with nowhere specific to focus, her gaze wandered. Where in that vast Empire was Kain…

* * * * *

A few days ago, mail arrived through the Royal Guard Bureau. It was from Kain, containing a hastily written letter, a report, and a book.

The book was three volumes of William the Chaste’s obscene diary. The report bore the seal of Inquisitor Maria, with fingerprints on each page.

It contained interrogation records of Count Bördem and a heretical priest called Marbio.

“Bring Niki. Immediately. This is urgent.”

Anna and Niki read the interrogation records and Kain’s letter. It contained reports about what happened in Berta Village and at the Monastery of St. Georgios.

“Inquisitor Maria was being treated for exhaustion. Using what little strength she had left, she interrogated Count Bördem and the heretical priest Marbio, and I assisted her in writing the interrogation report.

Originally, this report should have been delivered to Magdeburg. However, I determined that this report should not be handed over to the Order.

The intimate relationship between Count Bördem, who is essentially the right hand of Elector Reinhardt, and Roberta, a hero of the Empire, is one thing, but if it’s revealed that they were deeply involved in heretical religion and even plotting treason, the repercussions would be unmanageable.

Therefore, with Inquisitor Maria’s consent, I prepared a separate report with many parts omitted.

That report does not bear the fingerprints of those interrogated, so it has no legal effect. (I also attach a copy of the ineffective report)

Since the report was sealed and stamped with the Inquisitor’s seal, its contents cannot be known until it is opened. Even if problems arise, we can simply claim ‘it was done for confidentiality.’

Escort personnel arrived from Magdeburg, and Maria, I, and the two prisoners were in an escort carriage heading to the Inquisition headquarters.

As a precaution, I gave them the ineffective report and hid the original.

If only it had been just needless worry…”

“What an impressive friend,” the Grand Chancellor of the Empire said, stroking his cheek.

“He’s my star pupil.”

“It’s a shame someone so capable wants to quit after this mission…”

“This is enough, isn’t it?”

Anna criticized quite sharply. Niki shrugged and continued reading the report.

“The problem occurred during the escort. The escort personnel attacked Inquisitor Maria and me. After a struggle, we neutralized them, but we couldn’t delay due to the arrival of a support unit.

We seized horses and fled, barely shaking off the pursuit. But since pursuit teams are still chasing us, I’m sending all the materials I have like this.”

“Which branch sent this?”

“Reidelberg in the south-central region. From the grocery store branch.”

Reidelberg. A trading city located between Elector Reinhardt’s territory and Bohemond I’s Kingdom of Taranto. Judging by its location, it’s on the correct route to Magdeburg in the southeastern Empire.

“I don’t know why the Holy Grail Knights attacked us. Since Inquisitor Maria and I are being pursued, it’s difficult to conduct a separate investigation into who’s behind this.

Agent Lily returned home injured. She’s under the guidance of Chief Executor Astrid, so I believe she returned safely.

Inquisitor Maria and I sustained some injuries, but not enough to hinder our mission. However, we will move more secretly and nimbly than before.

And what I’m writing now isn’t in the official report either. I seem to have found some clues about the identity of the Knight of the Scabbard.

(1) He claimed to be a White Blood Knight apprentice, but this is uncertain. It would certainly be meaningful to look into the White Blood records.

(2) He accompanied a childhood friend, a girl from the same hometown, during the Children’s Crusade. They were in their early to mid-teens then, so they would now be in their mid-to-late twenties or early thirties.

According to testimony, they often said, ‘We have a hometown to return to,’ and apparently took on leadership roles from the early days of the Children’s Crusade.

Therefore, I think it would be effective to trace back from the initial rise of the Children’s Crusade.

(3) The boy’s name is Laios, surname unclear. The girl’s name is Ismene, surname also unclear.

(4) The girl is presumed to be buried in the Northeastern Wasteland. The boy, through unknown circumstances, transformed into the Knight of the Scabbard.

Finally, more information about the Northeastern Wasteland is needed. It is…”

What followed was truly perplexing.

“Nothing came up?”

“Nothing came up,” Anna nodded. That was the result after thoroughly searching the Imperial archives.

The connection between the Empire and the Northeastern Wasteland was incredibly simple. It was just that they had tried to pioneer and cultivate it, but gave up because the land was too barren and the climate too harsh.

“Yet this friend tells us to dig deeper into the connection between the Empire and the Northeastern Wasteland. He says the Empire’s karma lies there.

What does that mean? And what does it have to do with the Life Tree Order? Not even a blade of grass grows properly there, let alone trees.”

“Niki.”

“Yes?”

“Let me ask you one favor.”

“What is it?”

“I need to enter the confidential archives.”

Niki’s face instantly hardened. It’s a place only the Emperor can enter. Since the establishment of the Empire, that principle has never been broken.

Military mobilization records. The Emperor’s personal memoranda. A place where the Empire’s shame and disgrace are recorded.

“You know that’s not possible.”

“I can’t exactly ask my brother to go there and find some books for me.”

Niki was about to say no again. But then he looked at the report Kain had sent. If an agent of this caliber had written something at the risk of his life, there must surely be a reason.

“…I’ll ask him. Don’t get your hopes up. For matters like this…”

“I know. It’s strict. As it should be.”

* * * * *

Surprisingly, the Emperor approved. He said he would grant access if they met with Cardinal Benedetto and expressed his anger on his behalf.

And now Anna has faithfully fulfilled that task.

“That was nerve-wracking,” Anna rubbed her brow.

“If… just if. If the Holy Grail Knights and Mercy Knights had surrounded the heroes, Kain, Maria, and Lily would never have been able to approach them.”

“Wait a minute.” Niki straightened his back as something occurred to him.

“Isn’t that what the Pope really wanted? Setting aside this Knight of the Scabbard business… what he really wanted was to block us from accessing information in any way…”

“Then it worked out even better. We precisely hit the Pope’s blind spot and opened the way for those two,” Anna shook her head.

“…Is there anything more we can do for them?”

“We need to know where they are first.”

Anna rose from her seat. She staggered, and Niki had to steady her.

“…The Electors will make a fuss, won’t they? Saying, ‘How dare a usurper show her face?'”

Niki was concerned about that too. The Electors make a fuss even when the Emperor just coughs.

If it becomes known that Anna appeared at an official event, the pressure on her would be beyond imagination.

“If anyone says such things, I’ll cut out their tongue.”

Niki vowed. Anna smiled and dissuaded him.

“It’s… okay. Some people are fighting at the risk of their lives. Being criticized is nothing…”

Intoxicated, Anna couldn’t steady herself. Niki Brien gently lifted his wife. Cradled in her husband’s arms, Anna gazed at the Empire map on the ceiling.

There was much Anna could do. She could renegotiate with the White Blood Knights. She could track the boy and girl whose names were now clearly known.

As Kain pointed out, they could trace the trajectory of the Children’s Crusade. This part wouldn’t take long if they mobilized teaching assistants from the history department.

Or she could pressure Elector Reinhardt. The matter of Count Bördem. The story of the Black Forest. There was also the option of moving the Treasury…

These were just the immediate options that came to mind, but Anna felt sorry. She was afraid. The Shadow was consuming the Empire, and rebellion and unrest were spreading.

The Electors were becoming increasingly uncooperative, and news of robber knights attacking small villages was being reported one after another. The incident in Count Bördem’s territory was now about to spread throughout the Empire.

The Pope was showing an attitude beyond uncooperative, bordering on hostile. Not content with attacking Kain and Maria, hadn’t he assassinated Bördem and the priest in the prison of Magdeburg?

There was no evidence, but it was an obvious and shallow move, the most basic of tactics. It was assassination.

Burning them under the pretext of an epidemic was to leave no traces of assassination, and furthermore, it was a move to prevent Elector Reinhardt from being caught with a weakness. The Pope was only trying to cover up weaknesses.

Anna sighed. The age of kings. The age of disorder. She sensed that the end of stability was approaching.

And at its center were the Knight of the Scabbard and the Demon King. Those who come only to cut the ropes of the Empire and the Order.

‘We need to move before it’s too late…’

Whether it was shadows flickering or her eyelids constantly closing, the Empire was growing dark. In her distress, Anna reached out her hand, but all she could do was point.

‘Where is… hope…’