Ch.72Church Territory Disposition (2)

“Father, here are the offerings for this time.”

“Ohhh…! Come in, come in. With you, there’s no need to check the contents.”

The shabbily dressed man places his cart at the church entrance, then bows respectfully to the corpulent priest, who greets him with great warmth. The priest smiles, but due to the fat accumulated even on his cheekbones, his smile appears grotesquely distorted.

Servants emerge from the church and move the entire cart to the barn. The man watches them with an expressionless gaze before shifting his attention back to the priest.

“Hmm? Why aren’t you coming in? While you’re here, shouldn’t you offer a prayer to the Lord?”

“Father… about that.”

The priest tilts his head curiously at the man who has suddenly become hesitant.

Judging by his attitude, he seems to have something to say to me. Why would this faithful servant, who has diligently offered tributes for years without complaint, suddenly approach me like this?

“What is it?”

“Well… next month’s offerings might be insufficient…”

“…Why?”

“My wife fell ill, and I had to spend a lot of money. To make matters worse, our house was robbed, so…”

Ah… I thought this worker would last longer.

What a trite story and excuse.

“Oh, has your wife recovered?”

“Not… not yet. The doctor says she needs to take medicine for a long time, and the cost is quite substantial…”

So because the medicine is expensive, you’re asking me to make an exception?

Ha, hahaha…

My, I must have become quite underestimated.

Just because I’ve exchanged a few words with mere commoners, you think you can take me lightly? That won’t do.

“Listen here.”

“Yes, Father…”

“Shouldn’t you be making even more offerings then?”

“…Pardon?”

“If your offerings are insufficient, the Lord won’t hear your voice. That means your wife might leave your side.”

“But if I give offerings, I can’t buy medicine…”

“Above all, if you don’t show endless faith in the Lord, what will happen to your wife? She won’t be able to go to heaven even after death.”

“That can’t be…”

The man’s resolve withers under the priest’s words.

The man who had come determined to negotiate a reduction in his tribute now trembles with fear that his wife might fall into hell.

The priest nods with great satisfaction as he watches the man quiver.

Just one more dagger to thrust in.

“Listen carefully. The moment gold and silver clink into the offering box, your wife’s soul will ascend to heaven.”

“I’ll… I’ll pay… somehow, definitely…”

“Of course, that’s how it should be. Now, go calm your mind and body with prayer.”

“Yes…! Father, thank you so much… I almost made a terrible mistake.”

Tsk, what a nuisance.

Can’t afford to pay? Then earn more money. If you don’t have money, bring harvested crops instead.

And… phew… what is this terrible smell?

These peasants always reek disgustingly from rolling around in dirt and handling manure all day.

“You there, quickly escort this man to the prayer room.”

“Yes, Father.”

I need to get rid of him quickly.

This is an expensive robe, and I can’t have it absorbing such foul odors.

As the man heads toward the shabby prayer room set up outside the church, the priest finally drops his forced smile and scowls.

“Phew… let’s go.”

“Yes.”

Between this lowly creature trying to crawl up to me and this terrible stench, today has been most unpleasant.

I’ll have to relieve my stress with this cute one tonight.

……….

“…What did you say?”

What did I just hear?

This person looking down at me with that gaze and attitude I find so disagreeable has just uttered something completely incomprehensible.

“I’ll repeat myself. This church is violating the law regarding church territories and their subsidiary documents. You must dispose of the church territories that exceed the legally designated limits.”

“What are you talking about, violating the law? This church doesn’t own any cities.”

This is the first I’m hearing of this.

Violating the law? And that annoying law about church territories?

Churches can only own agricultural lands, which has been a major source of frustration as it prevents them from swallowing up cities.

Some clever ones have bought all the land around cities and imposed exorbitant tolls on carriages entering and leaving, effectively consuming them, but I’ve never done anything like that because it seemed too risky.

How can anyone accuse a priest like me, who only squeezes peasants honestly, of breaking the law?

“No. Churches may only own farmland necessary for cultivating crops needed by the church.”

“And that’s exactly what I have, isn’t it? There’s nothing but farmland here.”

“Only farmland necessary for the church, I said.”

“I don’t know how many times I need to say… What?”

The priest, so obese he can barely move, finally notices something odd in the messenger’s words.

Churches may only own farmland necessary for the church.

The inverse of this is that churches must not own farmland unnecessary for the church.

“…What are you saying? Those farmlands are necessary for the church.”

“According to the financial audit, excluding offerings, more than 90% of the tributes are deemed unnecessary for maintaining the church.”

“No, I’m telling you they are necessary for maintaining the church! And… what did you say? Financial audit?”

Financial audit?

Does that mean this bastard somehow obtained documents related to my church?

All churches in the Kingdom of Rotaring should be under Bishop Armand’s command, shouldn’t they?

“Financial audit? You’re an official of King Rotaring.”

“That’s correct.”

“Then how dare secular power attempt to invade God’s domain?”

Look at this impudence.

Despite my sacred rebuke, he doesn’t even twitch an eyebrow and maintains his arrogant posture. How contemptible.

“This clearly defiles the church’s domain. Do you not fear God?”

“Of course I fear God.”

After saying this, the official turns around and walks toward the door. The priest is slightly taken aback by his behavior.

A man who acted so arrogantly is intimidated by just this? Something seems wrong—

“But… I don’t fear you. Hey! Come in!”

“What is this commotion?!”

The official at the door shouts these words while poking his head outside.

The priest finally realizes something is going terribly wrong and tries to stop the official by shouting, but it’s already too late.

CRASH!

“Ugh…!?”

A group of soldiers armed with armor and swords burst through the church doors with fierce intensity, causing the priest’s face to turn pale instantly.

The priest, who always maintained a superior attitude toward poor peasants and officials, now breathes in short gasps and trembles like a cornered mouse facing death.

……….

“I knew about it, but… seeing it firsthand is quite unpleasant.”

“Indeed it is, Your Majesty.”

Even though not all the reports have arrived yet, my direct territories have already doubled.

Good heavens, the church owned this much land? How much tax has been evaded altogether?

“For now… I’ll continue to employ the tenant farmers who worked on church lands. As for places that were simply left as hunting grounds or gathering sites without tenant farmers, we’ll leave them be until we find a useful purpose for them.”

“Yes, Your Majesty. I will inform the officials accordingly.”

“Also, since churches that have lost their farmlands might harass the tenant farmers, we should station some soldiers at each church for a while under the pretext of maintaining public order.”

These greedy bastards will undoubtedly cause trouble, claiming the farmers stole their land or trying to continue extracting offerings from them.

Stationing soldiers is essential to prevent such behavior.

“Might the church not take action if they feel threatened? For instance, requesting your excommunication from the Holy See?”

“Excommunication… hmm…”

To be honest, that possibility is high. The Pope declared a crusade against the Empire’s heretics without much thought, didn’t he?

Having already provided mercenaries and funds to the Emperor, and even receiving a crown, I’m already out of favor with the Holy Father. If I now sweep away church territories as well, the Holy Father will be furious.

No matter how much his staff tries to persuade him to consider the political situation, if the Holy Father decides, I could be excommunicated in an instant.

If I were excommunicated, the servants and attendants in the palace would be fine thanks to Ines’s strict management, but the vassals and nobles could be greatly disturbed.

No matter how corrupt, the church is still the church, and faith is faith.

“First, I should send a letter to the Holy Father explaining our situation as best as possible. Something about purifying corrupt churches to prevent heresy, that sort of thing.”

“After taking such actions, will a letter be enough?”

“Of course, I must show sincerity in my own way.”

From the perspective of the Holy See, which receives enormous funds from churches worldwide, mere bribes would hardly register.

If not money, then I must offer benefits in another form.

“I’ll request the establishment of a Metropolitan Archdiocese of Rotaring from the Holy See.”

“…!”

Leclerc’s breath catches at my words.

A Metropolitan Archdiocese is one of the most fatal adversaries for secular rulers who wish to wield power freely.