Ch.523Secret Meeting

# The Northern District of the Holy City of Alhebron was an area developed to ensure that visiting nobles and royalty could stay in satisfactory accommodations.

Mansions with gardens replaced cheap inns, and restaurants and taverns only dealt in the finest goods worthy of banquets.

‘There’s no silver in the Northern District.’

When speaking of the Northern District, residents of the holy city would say this with envy. No matter what store you entered or what item you bought, there were no products that could be paid for with silver coins. It was a street wealthy to the point of extravagance.

On the day of the secret meeting with Cardinal Carnius, Lacy rented an entire high-end restaurant in the Northern District and waited for Carnius to arrive. She was accompanied by Demian, Bels, and Richard.

Haschal had not yet awakened, and Nigel and Leonore remained at the cathedral guarding Haschal’s chamber, as the sensation in their severed parts had not yet returned to normal.

As for the remaining one, Millia was watching the entire restaurant from a distant hill. She was there to shoot off Carnius’s head should any conflict break out.

Six o’clock in the afternoon.

The time when the setting sun sits on the horizon. With the fading sunset light at his back, Cardinal Carnius finally arrived.

—-

“Thank you for coming so readily, Your Eminence Cardinal Carnius Gustav. I wonder if you’ve been getting enough sleep, given how busy you must be with the Arvil situation.”

Lacy greeted Carnius with a face devoid of any smile. There was no reason to welcome the culprit of the Arvil disaster cordially, nor did she want to.

“Hmm… I’ve been sleeping well enough, though perhaps not as soundly as your hero has been.”

Carnius responded with feigned composure. He countered Lacy’s sarcasm about how he could sleep after causing such an incident by pointing out that her strongest asset was currently asleep and neutralized.

Lacy merely raised an eyebrow slightly as she guided Carnius to the meeting table located in the inner part of the restaurant.

Following Carnius inside were the guard knights he had brought along.

Behind Lacy, Bels and Richard assessed the combat strength of the guards Carnius had brought.

Four paladins in full armor. Three were high-ranking paladins of the Church of Saulite whom they already knew, but the remaining one was an unfamiliar face.

‘Who is that…?’

‘A face I’ve never seen before. His aura is unusual… was there someone like him in the Church of Saulite?’

He appeared to be in his mid-twenties. A man with unkempt long red hair and golden eyes.

He wore the armor of a Saulite paladin with a cloak bearing the image of the sun, and at his waist hung an elaborately decorated sword.

A sword with a golden hilt. A sapphire diamond was embedded in the middle of the blade base, and a crystal ornament adorned the end of the hilt of the one-handed sword.

It was so ornate that it could be considered a decorative weapon for display rather than for actual combat, but the extraordinary aura it emitted even while sheathed indicated it was undoubtedly a legendary blade rather than some noble’s luxury item.

‘…This could be dangerous.’

Demian suppressed the urge to draw his newly forged greatsword. The presence of a strong opponent can be felt without crossing blades. Though not at the level of Haschal or Ceylon, this was an opponent against whom his chances of victory were low.

“This gentleman is someone I haven’t met before. Your Eminence, if it’s not impolite, may I ask for an introduction?”

Sensing the tension in the room, Lacy asked Carnius to reveal the man’s identity.

Carnius nodded willingly. Even to him, it was a reasonable request. It wouldn’t be appropriate to include someone of unclear identity in a confidential conversation between figures who were essentially the core of two religious orders.

“By all means. This is Sir Perlien, a Sun Knight of our order. He’s from the western border, so this would be his first meeting with Duke Elmaine.”

“It’s an honor to meet you, Duke Elmaine. I am Perlien de Genes.”

The red-haired man, Perlien, bowed his head to Lacy in greeting. The presence of a surname indicated he was certainly of noble birth, but his etiquette was subtly awkward for someone of such standing.

“…A pleasure.”

Lacy returned the greeting calmly. Of course, she didn’t believe Carnius’s words. If such a powerful figure had been from the western border, she would certainly have known about him.

The claim that he was from the western border must be a cover. In reality, he was likely a secret force that Cardinal Carnius had trained in private, similar to her own special crusaders.

He had brought along the church’s strongest paladin in case Lacy attempted to detain Carnius by force.

‘A trump card… in case the talks break down.’

Lacy’s gaze swept past Perlien’s left side. A sword with a golden hilt and crystal ornament. In the ancient scriptures of the Church of Elpinel, there were stories of a sword with such an appearance.

Until she could confirm the blade itself, she couldn’t jump to conclusions, but… if that sword bore the name she was thinking of, then Perlien was undoubtedly a being worthy of being called a trump card.

—-

Lacy and Carnius sat on opposite sides of the meeting table, which was neatly set with tea and scones, staring intently at each other. For both of them, looking at the other’s face must have been extremely unpleasant.

To Lacy, Carnius was someone who deserved to be burned at the stake immediately, and Carnius likewise held not even a shred of goodwill toward Lacy.

After the guard knights had moved to one side, the two exchanged a few conventional pleasantries while sipping tea and concealing their true thoughts.

Topics such as the recent hearing, current rumors, the well-being of Cardinal Drexler who had been “retired” by Lacy’s hand… and the aftermath of Arvil.

“You must be greatly concerned. Even for the Church of Saulite, it would be a considerable burden to care for the victims there and support their recovery, requiring massive expenditures. Since a city that has become a magical wasteland cannot be restored, you’ll need to secure separate accommodations for them as well. That is, if you don’t intend to cast people who have suffered such physical and mental trauma out onto the winter streets.”

“…Isn’t that what we must do? Showing compassion to those in distress is the very essence of the Sun Church. We will simply do our utmost to support them in every way until they can stand on their own again.”

Lacy smirked.

“I see. Thanks to the dedication of the Church of Saulite, if the residents of Arvil can shake off the memories of the tragedy, the entire holy state will praise the mercy of the sun. It is the way of the world that spring follows winter. If you weather this cold spell well, the Church of Saulite will also welcome a warmer spring than ever before.”

As Lacy said, if the Church of Saulite provided unlimited support and care for the survivors of Arvil, the church’s reputation would rise much higher than it currently was.

Most people in the holy state were unaware that the Church of Saulite was responsible for the Arvil disaster.

The Church of Saulite would be remembered not as the culprit who brought about a terrible catastrophe, but as a merciful church that willingly accepted enormous losses to save the victims. That was the meaning behind her words.

“…Duke Elmaine, you judge matters too worldly. Are you suggesting that our order supports them in pursuit of honor?”

Carnius lowered his voice, sounding somewhat displeased. To Lacy, who knew the truth, it was an incredibly brazen statement.

“Of course not. How could the Church of Saulite, of sun and life, be concerned with worldly fame? That’s impossible, and it shouldn’t be so.”

Shaking her head, Lacy put down her teacup and stared directly at Carnius.

“…Only a materialist like you would think that way.”

“What did you just say…”

An explicit criticism. Carnius frowned. Before he could say anything, Lacy presented the evidence she had investigated—or more precisely, that her special crusaders had investigated.

Evidence that Cardinal Carnius had invested massive resources in Arvil’s entertainment district.

Documents proving the flow of funds, circumstantial reports from those in charge, and even the cardinal’s replies. Numerous documents proved Carnius’s involvement.

This was information secured at the cost of three special crusaders’ lives, and a scandal that could shake the Church of Saulite to its very foundations if formally announced.

“This is…!”

“You poured truly enormous funds into the entertainment district operated by the Reverse Descent Society, the root cause of the Arvil disaster. You could be considered a zealous demon worshipper. Even if you didn’t know their true identity, this would warrant excommunication, and if you supported them knowingly, you could face charges of heresy punishable by burning at the stake, as you’re well aware.”

Lacy condemned Carnius in a voice colder than winter. Her eyes, filled with contempt, looked at him as if he were filth.

‘Of all people, to be caught by this woman…!’

Carnius’s expression contorted. The corners of his eyes trembled. He had received reports that someone was investigating his misconduct, but… of all people, it had to be Elmaine Stardolf. The sense of unease he had felt since receiving the proposal for a secret meeting had proven correct.