Ch.187187. The Mastermind

A ray of sunlight filtered through the stained glass.

The colorful windows blended with the dark cathedral atmosphere, creating a strangely sacred ambiance.

In the quiet, still atmosphere,

a woman dressed in pure white nun’s clothing knelt before the statue of the main deity, offering prayers.

She had been praying for a long time with her eyes closed, without the slightest movement.

Her prayers were primarily focused on the well-being of others rather than herself—wishing for world peace and stability, the continuation of the world, or salvation for those who were troubled and suffering.

After praying for quite some time, the woman finally concluded by expressing gratitude to the deity who watched over everything. As she opened her firmly closed eyes, clear pupils that seemed to contain starlight sparkled.

“Holy Maiden.”

Having finished her lengthy prayer, Holy Maiden Veronica turned to look at the Holy Knight Commander who had been waiting for her.

He was a steadfast man who always stood in a corner of the prayer room, despite her telling him there was no need to guard her during prayer time, insisting that he needed to be prepared for any potential danger. She slightly bowed her head to express her gratitude to him and gently smiled at the Knight Commander.

“Sir Johan. I told you that you could rest a bit during prayer time.”

“My duty is to protect the Holy Maiden. There can be no exceptions to that.”

“Hehe. I feel apologetic every time.”

“There’s no need to think that way. I am simply fulfilling my responsibility to my duty.”

His response was exactly as she had expected.

While this was likely why he could serve as the Holy Knight Commander, the Holy Maiden thought he might be a bit too rigid.

Of course, she didn’t mean his character was bad. She just thought it would be nice if he could have a more relaxed mindset.

“More importantly, I’m here to report about Gilbert Lionheart, whom you inquired about earlier.”

“Shall we move to a different location first?”

Upon hearing the long-awaited news about Gilbert, Veronica immediately left the prayer room and headed to her office. She was not only the Holy Maiden of the Holy Empire but also a high official who handled numerous civil petitions.

The position of Holy Maiden, which once held value by mere existence, had clearly changed in the current era. Now that the Demon King and the Hero were gone, the Holy Maiden was no longer chosen by divine revelation but was an artificial Holy Maiden selected by the Holy Empire.

Naturally, she had to follow a different path from before, when the position was described as “the body of God.” As the meaning of the term “Holy Maiden” changed, so did the position.

Now that the role of Holy Maiden remained largely symbolic, she had become a civil servant handling the empire’s petitions. It was unreasonable for someone who hadn’t studied politics to discuss major imperial affairs, yet it would also be problematic if she didn’t act in her capacity as Holy Maiden.

After much deliberation, it was decided that she would simultaneously perform the duties of receiving and processing numerous petitions with the purpose of watching over the people of the Holy Empire.

Some mocked this arrangement, but Veronica herself actually accepted the work with joy. She believed that helping those in suffering was the essence of being a Holy Maiden.

By now, she had come to see it as natural.

After all, she had truly become a Holy Maiden.

Upon entering her office, Veronica brewed herbal tea for the Commander and placed it before him. Although he wasn’t particularly fond of tea, he never refused anything given by the Holy Maiden, so he bowed slightly and took a sip.

Perhaps because her tea-brewing skills were exceptional, even the Commander, who didn’t appreciate tea much, found it pleasant.

“Now, may I hear about him?”

“You must be well aware that the Infractus Empire has been in turmoil recently.”

“Because of Grand Sage Horizon, correct?”

The rebellion of Grand Sage Horizon.

Under the pretext of continuing the legacy of the Lion King, the Grand Sage rose against the empire, leading an army of thousands of giant soldier units into war.

This rebellion, occurring at a time when a current of peace was spreading across the continent, caused tension even in countries neighboring the Infractus Empire.

It was an excellent opportunity to glimpse the power of the Infractus Empire, which was always ranked first in military strength on the continent, and considering the potential impact on continental politics if the rebellion succeeded, the concern was inevitable.

However, despite the preparations of various countries, Horizon’s rebellion was suppressed so early that it felt almost anticlimactic.

Although a prolonged civil war was expected, they succeeded in killing the rebellion leader Horizon after just two battles on the Obitus Plains. It was puzzling how such a result could occur despite leading thousands of giant soldier units.

It would later be recorded in history books as one of the most incompetent campaigns in continental history, with results disproportionately poor compared to the scale of the undertaking.

“Still, it’s fortunate. That innocent people weren’t sacrificed.”

“While he was called the Grand Sage Horizon, it seems he lacked the ability to command troops, regardless of his other qualities. Or perhaps the empire’s strength was simply greater than expected—there’s no other way to explain it.”

The Commander moistened his throat with tea.

His throat had quickly dried from delivering so much information.

“In my personal opinion, both explanations are correct, but I believe the latter carries more weight.”

“Are you saying the empire’s strength was greater than anticipated?”

“Yes. Among them, the exploits of Gilbert Lionheart, known as the sword of First Princess Seraphina, were particularly notable.”

“Please tell me more specifically.”

The Commander began to elaborate in detail on Gilbert’s achievements in suppressing the rebellion.

He conveyed the story as objectively as possible, from Gilbert’s use of a special detachment in the initial battle to his rushing into enemy lines to save Ian.

After listening to the Commander’s report without interruption, Veronica could reach one conclusion: Gilbert was indeed the person she had been searching for, which until now had been merely a suspicion.

“Commander. Didn’t you say that Princess Seraphina’s heir designation ceremony will be held in Infractus a month from now?”

“Yes. We received an invitation letter for the heir designation ceremony a few days ago.”

“I see. Then I must see the Pope.”

“Holy Maiden. Surely you don’t intend to attend?”

“Yes. I must go.”

Despite the Commander’s serious expression, Veronica simply smiled sweetly.

She intended to go to Infractus regardless of any opposition.

If only to meet the protagonist of the revelation who would be there.

***

As promised, Gilbert converted Fresia into a spirit core and visited Ian early in the morning.

Currently, Ian was under disciplinary confinement.

Despite finding himself in a difficult situation due to his independent action during the battle at Obitus, Ian had not received severe punishment.

Normally, he would have been court-martialed and received a heavy penalty, but his past achievements and status as the legitimate heir of the Rainbarrel family were taken into consideration.

Above all, Seraphina, who had secured her position as heir, specially pardoned his crime, significantly reducing the severity of his punishment to just one month of confinement.

However, since he was not allowed to move freely while confined, Ian couldn’t come to Gilbert to retrieve Fresia, even though several days had passed since the end of the Obitus battle.

[It’s a bit disappointing to be in this form.]

“Don’t forget your promise.”

[Don’t worry. I may be an artificial spirit now, but I was originally a princess. And the words of royalty should never be taken lightly.]

Gilbert nodded slightly in response and entered the quarters where Ian was confined.

As soon as he entered, servants attending to the confined Ian approached Gilbert.

“Lord Gilbert, may I ask why you have come here?”

The man who appeared to be the head servant politely inquired about the purpose of his visit. Despite being from an opposing faction, they couldn’t turn away someone from a prestigious count’s family who was also rising as a new star in the empire, attracting all kinds of attention.

“I’m here to see Ian. I have something to give him.”

“If you give it to me, I will deliver it to Lord Ian.”

“I must deliver it personally. Guide me.”

Gilbert deliberately used an authoritative tone. Not many people knew about Fresia’s existence.

Increasing the number of people who knew about her wasn’t a particularly good decision.

“Understood. Please follow me.”

The head servant didn’t bother to contradict Gilbert’s words. Whether it was because of Gilbert’s reputation as a former good-for-nothing or to avoid upsetting the now highly regarded Gilbert was unclear.

The head servant led Gilbert up the stairs to the top floor.

Upon reaching the topmost floor, he approached the largest door among the rooms on that floor, politely knocked, and announced Gilbert’s visit.

“Lord Ian. Lord Gilbert has come to visit, saying he has something to give you.”

– Thud!

Instead of answering, Ian hastily opened the door.

Seeing Ian rush out from the room, Gilbert slightly furrowed his brow.

Even as a figure of speech, Ian’s current state didn’t look normal.

Bloodshot eyes, hair matted as if unwashed for days, and wrinkled clothing that seemed unchanged for days—nothing about him was neat.

“Gilbert!”

“Head servant. I’d like you to leave us.”

“Understood.”

The head servant bowed deeply without changing his expression and went down the stairs. He seemed to have judged that further involvement would not be appropriate.

“Hand it over!”

“Your manners have deteriorated since I last saw you.”

“Manners? That’s rich coming from someone who steals others’ belongings!”

Ian growled.

It seemed he had seriously misunderstood something, but Gilbert didn’t feel the need to correct that misconception.

It was obvious at a glance that Ian was in no state for rational conversation. Right now, no matter who said what, he would clearly twist it to suit his own perspective.

Instead of speaking, Gilbert took out Fresia’s spirit core and held it out to him.

“Fresia!”

“My business here is done.”

Gilbert turned around, deliberately shaking off any lingering attachment. Although he was still displeased about giving Fresia away, it was time to keep the promise he had made to her.

Ignoring Ian’s shouting from behind, he returned to his quarters.

The room seemed somewhat empty, perhaps because he had been with Fresia for the past few days.

– Knock knock

“Lord Gilbert. It’s Leila.”

“You may enter.”

The door opened, and Leila came in. As soon as she had finished the funerals for Johnson and Roel, she had rejoined Gilbert, leading the Golden Mane troops.

This was approved by Count Lithuania, the head of the Hart County family, with the official reason being to eliminate Horizon, who had dared to rebel against the imperial court.

Count Lithuania, a margrave guarding the empire’s borders, was a nobleman firmly aligned with the emperor’s faction.

Despite being from an ancient noble family, he was a loyal vassal who even restrained external activities lest he might pose a threat to the imperial family.

It would have been strange for such a loyal family to remain idle when a force rebelling against the empire appeared.

For this reason, Leila had led the Golden Mane troops to participate in the battle at Obitus.

However, the reason she hadn’t returned even after the war ended was to root out any remaining members of the New Resistance and to clarify the mysterious death of Horizon.

If she was suddenly visiting Gilbert while busy with investigations, it meant she had discovered something related to one of these two issues.

“Captain Leila. Have you found something?”

“As expected of you, Lord Gilbert. Yes, we’ve found the chairman of the New Resistance.”

“Chairman?”

Gilbert recalled Brecht, who had led the Resistance in the Tactical Combat, but then remembered another name: Vandyke.

It was a name that still stuck in his memory because when they first suppressed the Resistance, someone other than Brecht had been leading them.

“Where is he?”

“We’ve detained him and imprisoned him in the basement of this mansion.”

“Did he resist?”

“No. He was unusually compliant. It was puzzling how relieved he seemed.”

“Then let’s go see him. Interrogating him is our priority.”

Gilbert and Leila went down to the basement of the quarters. Originally used as a storage area, it had been converted to accommodate prisoners.

As they descended, they saw a man with his limbs restrained behind iron bars. Though smaller than Gilbert, he was larger than the average adult male.

Gilbert sat on a chair handed to him by Leila and faced the man.

“Are you Vandyke, the chairman of the New Resistance?”

“Yes! I am Vandyke. Please, sir, just spare my life!”

What is this?

Gilbert was speechless at the unexpected response.