episode_0066

A cradle of education that teaches theology, philosophy, literature, and art.

The university was truly a symbol of intellectualism in this era, while also maintaining a position of true neutrality.

First and foremost, it was supported by practical force and authority. Adults were rare beings who could fulfill both of these elements.

Furthermore, the princess herself had shunned the university to avoid political involvement, adding credibility to her neutral stance.

Of course, the professors at the university were intellectuals, and in this era, intellectuals were essentially clergy.

So, one would think that they should be somewhat favorable towards the church.

However, the church itself periodically demanded tribute, claiming that the professors were stealing God’s exclusive knowledge and turning it into money.

Therefore, the university achieved a perfect balance.

It had the power to enforce this balance, the justification for it, and a story that everyone could agree on. Compared to this, Count Canossa’s neutrality was merely a plea.

“Let’s depart as soon as possible.”

The princess’s first words to me upon seeing me.

I understood why this needed to be done, so the conversation did not become complicated. If we were not going to hide in the mountains, the university was the only place for the princess to go.

“Do you need to prepare anything else separately?”

“I didn’t bring much, so let me know when you’re ready after the carriage is prepared.”

“Originally, we were supposed to depart next month, but I will have the carriage ready by next week.”

This week was meant for resolving minor issues.

Securing permits for travel, arranging for a new carriage, and other such tasks were kept to a minimum.

In reality, it was still early to go to the university.

The ground conditions were not favorable as winter had not completely ended, and there was no place to stay upon arrival at the destination.

But given the circumstances, there was no need to worry about such trivial matters.

Perhaps even Alpen could be affected by the civil war. The world was so chaotic that one had to consider multiple possibilities.

If that were to happen, the princess or Lycia could be trapped here without any movement. So, I had to act first.

As for the house to be used at the university, if I had saved money until now, when else would I use it?

Most things that couldn’t be solved with money were usually due to a lack of money. If one was well-prepared, there was nothing that couldn’t be resolved.

I looked at Lycia beside me. It was something she, as a party involved, should know.

The look in the girl’s eyes as she gazed at me was subtle. It seemed to contain a hint of anxiety and regret. It was understandable, as she had to live in an environment she had never experienced before.

“Are you ready too?”

“Yes!”

But despite feeling that way, her response was firm.

The girl seemed to have grown a lot by now. I was confident that she could live well even at the university.

Having received confirmation from Lycia as well, all that was left was to prepare for the journey.

*****

During the week that followed, there were no visible changes.

As the snow melted, the farmers raised their arms one by one to work on their fields, and while the prices of food and metal rose, it was not yet significantly felt.

The world seemed peaceful on the surface.

But from the perspective of someone constantly monitoring the changing situation, the tension brewing beneath the surface was growing tighter.

The visits of the village steward to my room, where I was preparing in earnest to leave Alpen, became more frequent.

Previously, they would only come in if absolutely necessary, respecting each other’s privacy. But recently, the necessity for their visits had increased.

“A guest has arrived from the north of Alpen.”

“Which side is it this time?”

“It’s on the side of Count Rudolf, just like last time. What should we do?”

“We should meet them first. Prepare some beer to quickly dismiss them.”

Whenever that happened, I tidied up my appearance in preparation for the upcoming meeting.

This week was filled with days of being invited to lunch and repeating nutrition-less conversations.

Honestly, just a little bit, really just a little bit.

I couldn’t help but wonder if all of this was just the emperor’s pretense.

Having been harassed by nobles in the past, maybe I was being overly sensitive due to a persecution complex.

So, although it was just a possibility, I considered the chance of a mistake. I turned this hopeful hypothesis around in my mind.

And I soon found out whether the internal strife was just a show of pretense or if it was really going to happen.

Before long, guests began to whisper at Alpen.

Even though they claimed to be just passing by, the self-proclaimed travelers were consistent in their requests for stories from me.

“Count Rudolf is recruiting knights to stand against the pretender.”

“I see.”

Count Rudolf was a noble who was a candidate for emperor chosen by other nobles.

But why were they telling me this? At first, I stumbled a bit, but after a week of enduring it, I skillfully replied to them.

“For more details, please inquire with my lord. Come, let’s start with a beer. The beer at Alpen is amazing.”

“You can have the beer later, how about hearing a bit more of the story first?”

“Here, there’s a map of the Kanosa Castle. Normally, it costs ten silver coins, but consider it a gift as a token of my favor.”

I received countless love calls from nearby pro-emperor nobles.

I successfully tossed all their proposals to the neutral guardian, Viscount Kanosa.

But if it ended like this, it would have been a fairy tale.

Rumors spread that I was accompanying the princess, and soon requests for the princess overwhelmed me rather than for myself.

“I heard that you are accompanying the princess.”

“Accompanying is the right word. She’s just attending university, and I’m just providing a place for her to stay temporarily.”

“If that’s the case, you must have a special relationship with her. So, I dare to make a request. I have always admired the princess’s reputation, so could you arrange a meeting for us?”

The people who came day after day to secure an appointment with the princess requested my help.

I felt a little sorry, as the princess didn’t have a reputation worth mentioning. So, wasn’t it obvious that they were sticking around with ulterior motives, even resorting to lies?

But their persistence was real. It was difficult to just send them away with ordinary words.

So, I decided to resort to extreme measures.

After checking the schedule, I diligently replied to their DM requests, and successfully managed to drive them away with a mental attack.

While going through these days, I realized that I had been mistaken about something all along.

Listening to their words as they drank beer and made snide remarks, I noticed a couple of odd things.

Firstly, they consistently referred to me as either Baron Lavigne or Radiant Sword, never mentioning my name as a negotiator.

It wasn’t that they were annoyed by not calling me by my latest nickname.

The fact that they behaved this way despite having a more commonly used name conveyed a message.

And that message was that the nobles were denying any negotiations between the emperor and the pope.

Secondly, they didn’t try to persuade me of the reasons why I should join them.

Instead of using logic and justification, they tried to entice me with money.

Usually, when gathering an army, the first thing to do was to plant the reasons for fighting.

This was also the case when recruiting knights, as you needed to dangle a bait significant enough to risk their lives.

But there was no mention of such justification in their conversations.

From these two facts, I reached the conclusion that I had been mistaken all along.

“There was never any legitimacy to begin with.”

This was Lycia’s conclusion after hearing my story. I nodded in agreement. The girl muttered repeatedly that she couldn’t understand for a while.

It was a fact that was hard to believe.

The nobles had truly rebelled without any particular reason.

Despite the feeling of my common sense collapsing, the countdown to the civil war had inevitably begun.

Still, I comforted myself by thinking that I had done my best from my position.

Among the star-studded lineup of the Emperor, the Pope, and the White Council, I had not backed down and had said everything that needed to be said. The Emperor had thrown a tantrum or two, but ultimately, it hadn’t ended well.

I, as the leader.

But I had to admit it. The situation was now out of my hands.

I had learned to distinguish between what I could do and what I couldn’t.

There was no power to force both sides to kneel and stop the fight.

If there was, without lifting a finger, just by splitting a mountain, wouldn’t they reconcile easily?

So, I had to do what I could from my position.

I glanced out the window. The sky was clear and the weather was fine, perfect for leaving.

“There couldn’t be a better day to depart. Are you ready to leave?”

“Yes, everyone else seems prepared. Should I send word to the others one last time?”

“Yes. Wait for me in the carriage.”

After telling Lycia that, I grabbed my armor and sword and headed out of the house.

The princess’s entourage, Alpen’s guards, and a few carriages that had been arranged in advance were waiting. Sanchu and Dulsinea were also standing by with their luggage.

“Then, let’s depart.”

With my declaration, the group set off towards the university. A gentle breeze brushed against our backs.