Ch.60Heresy (3)

“What did the Burgon youngster say he would do?”

“For now… it seems he won’t intervene. Burgon appears to be focusing on domestic matters, perhaps due to experiencing too many wars.”

“For now? It seems? Is that how you… no, I suppose that’s reasonable.”

King Caroling, who had initially been slightly angered by the uncertain tone of his subject’s report, quickly restrains himself.

“Did you say all contact with our planted spies has been cut off?”

“…Yes, that’s correct.”

“Tsk.”

All communication with the spies planted in the Duchy of Burgon had been severed.

The regular reports that should have been coming from the spies had gradually become less frequent over the past few months, until finally, no reports came at all.

If the spies had been recruited by Burgon, they would have continued sending reports to act as double agents, but they hadn’t. This meant there was a very high possibility that they were all dead.

‘…I don’t like this.’

Since it was a relationship based on money, I couldn’t expect all spies to be loyal to me.

Surely some would have betrayed me and sided with the other party if offered higher compensation.

But they all died. Even those who might have been likely to betray us.

There were two main possibilities: either Burgon hadn’t thought of recruiting the spies, or they didn’t feel the need to recruit our spies.

‘The latter is more likely.’

Someone smart enough to eliminate all spies wouldn’t have failed to consider the former possibility.

In other words, those Burgon bastards were provoking me.

As if saying, [The people of Caroling are all vermin, not worth recruiting.]

‘…Insolent fools.’

Even though we’ve been at war, this goes too far.

I suppose it can’t be helped since they have the blood of a lowborn mother?

“To obtain such information despite all our spies being expelled shows great skill.”

“Your praise is excessive, Your Majesty.”

“No, I mean it. If what you say is true, then we can dispatch troops to the Holy Empire.”

If Burgon had refused to send troops to the Holy Empire without reason, we would have had to reconsider sending our own troops there for defensive purposes.

But if they declined because they needed to stabilize their domestic situation, that’s a credible reason. The Duchy of Burgon has mobilized too many troops in recent months, so it’s time for them to rest.

“Your Majesty, but dispatching troops to a foreign country would be a financial burden…”

“Didn’t I tell you before? You needn’t worry about that.”

“…I apologize, Your Majesty.”

The Kingdom of Caroling has depleted all its available funds due to the reparations paid to the Duchy of Burgon.

The treasurer, feeling this acutely, tries to change the king’s mind, but the king coldly rejects his plea.

“Plundering from the Holy Empire, where heretics are rampant, will more than cover the mercenary fees and the salaries of knights and standing army. Why don’t you understand this is an opportunity to recover our losses from Burgon?”

“Y-yes, of course.”

The subject, who was unconsciously about to mention the lesson that one shouldn’t act as if they’ve already won a war, barely restrains himself by gritting his teeth.

Despite suffering a humiliating defeat at the hands of the Duchy of Burgon due to taking war too lightly, this king refuses to correct his habit of underestimating warfare.

He even purged nobles he had disliked before, pinning the blame for the defeat on them to escape responsibility.

Excellent political sense but terrible military sense… Sigh. There’s no point in saying more; he won’t listen, and I might fall out of favor. I should keep my mouth shut.

“Indeed, Your Majesty. Your loyal army is ready to move at any moment, and the currently available mercenary groups—”

‘I should just work half-heartedly and retire to the countryside when the time is right.’

The treasurer inwardly sighs as he watches the king and nobles engaged in heated discussion about military matters.

……….

[If what you say is true… could Ines possibly…?]

[Yes, yes… that witch is even worse. The suffering souls just cling to her… uwub…!]

‘…Kuk, crazy woman.’

Walking down the dark corridor, Chloe inwardly sneers as she recalls what happened in the prison.

It’s an absurdly far-fetched story, but… that crazy woman knew everything to a chilling degree.

[…Fine, I’ll spare your life for now, but if my brother hears anything about me, know that you’ll die that very day.]

[B-but… if the Saint doesn’t know this fact, then you all—]

[You all? Don’t lump me together with Ines, it’s unpleasant. And for my brother, it’s better if he doesn’t know this.]

[That may be true, but…]

Well, I got her firm promise not to tell anyone, including my brother, and she told me the truth about Ines, so I’ll let her live for now.

Even if Jeanne breaks her promise and tells my brother, he wouldn’t believe that crazy woman anyway, so I can just kill her then.

‘Ah, this should be about the place.’

Having arrived at a specific location, Chloe stops her thoughts and looks around.

It’s too dark, with no windows or candlesticks. It’s so dark that even Chloe, with her good night vision, can barely see.

‘Should I light a candle? No, better not, just in case.’

This is one of the places Jeanne said was filled with unpleasant energy, and also one of the places where Ines had been found at night.

Until now, Chloe had simply thought of Ines as an unpleasant, gloomy woman who liked dark places, but after hearing Jeanne’s words, she slightly changed her mind.

What if she wasn’t just fond of dark places, but was doing something in them?

The possibility is high— Ha.

‘I found the right place.’

Chloe detects a faint smell of blood clinging to her nasal membranes and simultaneously notices a gaze fixed on her back, inwardly confirming her suspicions.

With her face slightly contorted from the unpleasant gaze, Chloe slowly turns around to see a moderately bright but desolate corridor with no trace of human presence.

Ines should be in my brother’s room, so was that gaze from a servant? If they’ve assigned separate surveillance personnel this late at night, this must be the place.

“…”

I think I’ll stop here for today and return to my brother’s room.

I don’t know how many servants there are, and I don’t know what might happen if I proceed alone.

If that crazy Ines has ordered them to bury anyone trying to uncover the truth without mercy, I couldn’t possibly handle it alone and unarmed.

Those servants will report my actions to Ines, but I can brush it off since I didn’t even see, let alone approach, whatever she’s trying to hide.

I should come back with people when it’s daylight.

“Haaah… I guess I’ll end my duty here for today.”

Chloe walks nonchalantly down the corridor where she had felt the gaze just moments ago, as if she knows nothing.

………

“Kill all these heretics! It is a command from heaven!”

“Waaaaaaah!!”

“Kyaaaaaaah!!”

“Save me, save meeeee!!”

An unnamed rural village is completely devastated by people clad in steel.

The villagers are all poor farmers without proper weapons, but those killing them don’t care about such things at all.

Because these people are heretics.

“Do we really… have to do this?”

“Have to do this? Are you seriously asking that question?!”

Of course, not everyone is participating in this madness.

Some try to persuade the general leading this army to change his mind, but it’s far beyond their ability.

“These are orders from the Holy See. They are heretics and must be eradicated from this world.”

“But… they’re just ignorant farmers, aren’t they?”

“Not ignorant farmers, but ignorant heretic farmers.”

“Ugh…!”

People who realize it’s futile to say more close their mouths.

The general, with eyes full of madness, ignores them and continues his lengthy speech.

“Listen well. These people have committed apostasy, a sin.”

“…Yes, but shouldn’t we have at least once advised them to return to their original faith—”

“Hahahahaha!!”

The general blows away the young man’s words with a maniacal laugh.

The young man’s face fills with disgust.

“What guarantee is there that someone who has committed apostasy once won’t do it again?”

“Those heretics must have been forced at swordpoint.”

“Forced at swordpoint? Then they should have died.”

“…Pardon?”

The young man looks at the general with an expression suggesting he might have misheard, then realizes he heard correctly.

“Listen well, that’s called martyrdom.”

“Martyrdom… you say?”

“Yes, martyrdom! They say they had no choice but to commit apostasy at swordpoint? Wouldn’t they have become martyrs if they had refused and died?”

God would have surely taken them to heaven, yet they clung to this world and committed apostasy.

The young man is rendered speechless by the general’s subsequent words.

Beyond disbelief, he feels as though he’s conversing with an animal in human form.

The general glances at the young man as if bored, then shifts his gaze to the burning village and smiles with satisfaction.