Ch.172Report on the Downfall of Charity (14)

The grand cathedral was packed with people. Less than a third were clergy, with merchants and officials making up the majority. They appeared to be people seeking the church’s support by establishing connections with the temple.

The administrative building was equally bustling. It was an impressive structure, meticulously built brick by brick with red bricks—a rare sight in Venelucia—and it looked expensive at first glance.

Entering the building wasn’t difficult. But meeting Father Prolo proved impossible.

“Oh my, your timing is unfortunate. He’s gone on a business trip to the Papal States in the southern kingdom. It was just a few days ago, what a shame.”

A chubby-faced brother answered with genuine regret. Kain clicked his tongue in disappointment. He had just introduced himself to this kind-looking brother, saying, “I received great help from Father Prolo before, and I wanted to express my gratitude while passing through Venelucia.”

“When might he return?”

“Well, I’m not entirely sure about that. Would you like to leave a note?”

Kain provided a fake address and identity. He then asked the brother to add the line “Please ask if he remembers the watermill with the broken axle,” explaining that otherwise Father Prolo might not remember him.

The brother seemed intensely curious about what significance this might hold, but Kain just smiled it off, as if implying there was a deep connection between himself and Father Prolo.

“He seems quite busy, I gather. Traveling all the way to the Papal States.”

“Oh my, indeed! He’s one of our finest administrators. He travels so frequently that his face has aged considerably. You know what I mean? When you spend too much time on ships under the scorching sun, the reflection from the sea burns your skin.”

“Of course, I understand.”

The brother was quite talkative, and thanks to this, Kain learned much about Prolo. He discovered that Prolo was essentially a diplomat dispatched from the Papal States to Venelucia, and that he regularly visited the Papal States to report on current affairs and bring back orders from the Pope.

Yet nowhere in this information was there any mention of medicines, herbs, or fruits.

“From what you’re saying, the administrator seems knowledgeable in many fields. Is he also well-versed in trade?”

“Trade?” The brother pondered thoughtfully. “Well, not so much trade as… if I had to specify, it would be closer to transportation?”

“Is that so?”

“It couldn’t be otherwise, since he was in charge of the supply chain during the Fifth Crusade. He connected the Venelucian crusaders with the Papal States and managed the procurement and supply of necessary goods. I heard he did an excellent job.”

“Then he must be close with Leonardo of the Charity, one of the Seven Heroes. I heard his private fleet was in charge of supplies.”

“That’s right.” The brother’s eyes sparkled with delight. “To be a comrade standing shoulder to shoulder with such a great hero—isn’t that amazing? As they say, one must truly master one’s own field.”

“Indeed. Everyone should become an expert in their own field.”

Kain agreed wholeheartedly.

* * * * *

Even after leaving the administrative building, Kain wandered the streets for a long time, organizing his thoughts.

He already knew that Leonardo of the Charity and his fleet had been in charge of supplies. While other mercenaries fought and died in the wasteland, their minds breaking until they became invalids, his private fleet had been able to preserve their strength in the relatively safe rear.

Of course, since Leonardo himself was one of the seven who defeated the Demon King, no one could criticize this arrangement.

It was also understandable that Leonardo and Father Prolo had been closely intertwined professionally and therefore had a deep friendship.

But what about the drug? Something wasn’t adding up.

Based on his experience so far, the Black Phoenix Faith placed great importance on the Asas herb. Leonardo himself seemed to have strong connections to the Asas herb. He had been with Niccolo Dandolo when he died, and Dandolo’s office had smelled similar to burned Asas herb.

But while Leonardo might know about the herb, Father Prolo did not seem to. His career and activities were more aligned with supply, administration, and communication. Medicine didn’t appear to be his field.

Yet he had offered his opinion during Giusepe Conlone’s trial.

If the legal scholars had known that the “Hero’s Fruit” was dangerous, no additional witnesses would have been necessary. They could have simply made their judgment based on common knowledge.

But that wasn’t the case. The original verdict clearly included Prolo’s name. This implied that Father Prolo had advised the legal scholars who didn’t know what the Hero’s Fruit was.

This meant that Father Prolo also knew about the fruit—the one used as medicine in the north and west.

And yet, his name had been conspicuously removed from the copy of the verdict. The fact that the Venelucian judges had made the decision implied that there were orders from families, guilds, and beyond that—perhaps even from the new Duce. After all, the judges followed their commands meticulously.

‘The fruit and the herb. How different are they? If Prolo knew about the fruit, did the Papal States know about it too?’

There was a connection, but no clear cause and effect.

“I have no choice. I’ll have to ask directly.”

Kain looked toward the distant dock, toward the Ship of Fools.

* * * * *

The Ship of Fools has no masts. They’ve all been cut off. Instead, anchors are dropped to prevent drifting, and the ship is fixed in place with bells and connected horizontally to other Ships of Fools with iron chains. The rudder is fixed and the steering mechanism completely destroyed, making it impossible to change direction.

That’s not all. These connected ships are located beyond the outer harbor, meaning they serve as the first barrier against strong waves. If a hole were to form in the ship, the occupants would have to bail water out by hand if they didn’t want to meet a fatal end.

If a storm were to hit, the Ship of Fools would sink instantly. There are pumps installed, but no one knows whether they work properly or not. Even if they work today, there’s no guarantee they’ll work tomorrow.

This spine-chilling anxiety is precisely the punishment that Venelucian politicians have imposed on these criminals. Trembling with fear on an unstable ship would make them reconsider the value of solid ground and the society that protects them.

There are no guards on the Ship of Fools. Since the prisoners are confined to the ship, guards are unnecessary. The guards stay comfortably in the lighthouse and barracks of the outer harbor, only coming out to casually toss supplies onto the deck when it’s time for provisions.

The guards’ duties are limited to putting people on the ship or retrieving people or corpses. Even these tasks are performed under strict surveillance. They don’t interfere with order or discipline on the ship.

They believe these are matters for the people on the ship to handle themselves, so they don’t care whether the prisoners devour each other or beat each other to death. In their view, if someone was willing to commit a crime, they should be prepared for such consequences.

They don’t even worry about escapes.

Those confined to the Ship of Fools have chains attached to both ankles. If they have no ankles, then to their wrists. If they have neither wrists nor ankles, there’s no need to worry as they couldn’t escape anyway. Whether serious offenders or petty criminals, all wear these chains, so anyone who jumps overboard is dragged straight to the bottom of the sea.

This is the information Kain had gathered about the Ship of Fools. And even this was merely a collection of “well-known facts.”

Even the city guard doesn’t know exactly what happens inside. This means even more horrific things could be occurring.

But precisely because of this, Kain wasn’t overly concerned. When everyone thinks the same thing and looks in the same direction, blind spots inevitably emerge.

And Kain had easily found that blind spot.

* * * * *

To board the Ship of Fools, preparations were necessary.

First, he needed a fine officer’s hat and uniform. In the pleasure district, people are always eager to discard their clothes. After waiting patiently, climbing over a wall, and slightly lifting a window, Kain stole a perfectly fitting outfit.

As dawn gave way to morning, when guards changed shifts and officers hurried to work, Kain blended into their midst. Thanks to this, he could easily enter the harbor guard building.

The duty roster for the inner and outer harbors was prominently displayed on the wall, making it easy to reference. Conveniently, the schedule for supply deliveries was also listed.

Even if the prisoners maintained their own order, food, medicine, and clothing had to be provided from outside. Of course, the guards didn’t care how these items were distributed. Their job ended once they tossed over the required supplies.

As he left the guard building, Kain picked up a thick leather bag. It was kept aside for messengers and communication officers to prevent orders from getting wet with seawater or blown away by the wind.

Carrying this bag at his side would make him less conspicuous than walking around empty-handed. People would think he was an officer delivering important orders.

After killing some time, Kain surveyed the boats traveling from the inner harbor to the outer harbor.

Boats frequently traveled between the inner and outer harbors. There were warships, but also many small boats carrying port goods. Kain boarded a suitable barge, scratching his head with an awkward smile.

Whether it was his excuse about missing the scheduled communication boat due to distraction or the United Kingdom coins hidden in his officer’s uniform that swayed the captain’s heart is hard to determine.

The captain cheerfully allowed him to sit anywhere, enabling Kain to reach the outer harbor with ease.

The outer harbor was incredibly busy.

Inside the outer harbor was a separate port for repairing damaged ships and a supply base for loading weapons and provisions onto warships. With tugboats pulling large sailing ships, rescue vessels attempting to save ships and people in distress for various reasons—it was easy to get dragged off somewhere if you weren’t paying attention.

But Kain’s interest lay with the guard. Fortunately, he arrived just in time for supply delivery. As expected, the guards and officers were too busy loading supplies onto the ship to pay any attention to a communication officer they’d never seen before.

They didn’t notice this officer hiding in a quiet corner of the warehouse, nor did they realize he was there when they carelessly locked the door, celebrating the end of another uneventful and boring day.

Eventually, the moon rose.