episode_0083

Originally, I had planned to spend some time looking for decent armor, but given the circumstances, I had no choice but to prepare to leave.

First, I decided to return to Alphen to gather equipment in case of any unexpected situations, and then head to the Kanosa Castle where the Marquis was located.

And the next destination would be the Papal Palace, where the Pope resided.

“I, make an entrance!”

It was while I was checking my schedule after finishing my preparations to some extent.

With a lively spirit, Lycia entered the room and alternated between looking at the luggage and asked me.

“Laven, where are you going?”

“I have to go to Kanosa Castle, not just for a quick trip. I’m sorry for leaving as soon as we arrived, but the master called for me. But I’ll be back as soon as I finish my business.”

“Ah….”

And just as I was considering whether to tell her the details, the girl spoke to me first.

“I heard from Her Highness. The Pope has excommunicated the Emperor again.”

“If you heard about it, the news must have spread faster. Just like last time, I’ll request mediation and go see him briefly, so there’s no need to worry too much.”

Well, as a princess, she would probably receive news earlier than me. It also meant that Lycia was close to the princess. At least she wouldn’t be lonely at the university, which was a relief.

I tried to reassure the girl, but there was a lingering remark.

“…You know it won’t be resolved so easily.”

Lycia seemed to know how things were going.

“Laven, I have a favor to ask.”

“Go ahead, tell me.”

“I want to go with you. It’s where you’re going from now on.”

“There’s no need for you to do that just for me. Thanks to the blessings, I rarely get hurt-”

“We don’t know what might happen on the battlefield. I’m worried that you might get hurt for no reason like last time.”

Lycia approached me slightly and gently touched my shoulder. A faint light sparkled at her fingertips.

It was the part where she had been bandaging a wound from a recent encounter with a spear. I hadn’t mentioned it, so I thought she had overlooked it, but she knew.

“This, so… it’s my fault for making you worry….”

Even though the wound had long since healed, the girl continued to touch it as if there were lingering regrets. Her slightly lowered eyes turned to me.

“How are you going to continue your studies at the university?”

“I think I can graduate quickly anyway, so taking a year off should be fine. My head has been hurting a lot lately, so I thought I should take a break.”

“Is it okay to take a break from university like that? You can’t just quit on your own.”

“I can get permission from the Saintess. As long as I have your permission, it’s possible.”

Lycia seemed more determined than ever as she spoke. Whether it was because the girl had grown up or there had been a change in her mindset, I didn’t know.

But regardless of that issue, the princess couldn’t live her whole life in a greenhouse.

I shouldn’t keep trying to confine her forever.

“In that case, promise me one thing. Don’t do anything dangerous, and don’t get hurt for no reason.”

“Yes. And Laven, please promise me one thing too.”

“What is it?”

“I can’t help but do dangerous things, but I promise not to get hurt.”

I ruffled her head at that noble thought. She had grown quite tall now, so I had to bend my arm rather than reach down like before.

“Alright, promise me.”

*****

The tasks assigned to Princess Heine could be broadly divided into three main categories. However, even though she was a princess, she only had one body, so the exact tasks could be considered shared responsibilities with the attendants accompanying her.

One of the tasks was to lead public opinion in favor of the emperor.

This was not a difficult task. As we were on the winning side, naturally, the more we gained the upper hand, the more we became supporters of the emperor.

Since the war was initiated by the other side without any justification, there was no need for any major actions.

All that was needed was to subtly sprinkle some exaggerated truths for those who were ignorant of how the world worked and interested in it.

The next task was to secure support from the professors and clergy.

It was more challenging than the first task as the professors had to outwardly maintain strict neutrality, but thanks to the spin-off of the withdrawn condemnation by the pope, the situation had improved considerably.

The real task that Heine had to do was simply to maintain a friendly relationship with Licia.

“La la la, a joyful song-”

“I’ll give it a try too-”

And this task was successfully completed.

It was no secret that Heine and Licia duo strolled through the corridors singing songs.

While enjoying university life, being away from the imperial palace for a while, Heine had forgotten about the reality he had been neglecting.

And even if it seemed like a dream that would never end, it was inevitable that it would eventually come to an end.

Leaving Licia, who had something to ask the saint, behind, Heine returned home first and was welcoming a guest.

At the door stood the emperor’s confidant and faithful servant, Bishop Gilberto. It seemed as if he was saying that he could never escape from the imperial court and politics.

“Have you been well, Your Majesty?”

“Thanks to my father and loyal servants. Have you been well, Bishop?”

“Yes, of course. With God’s watchful eye over us and Your Majesty leading the empire correctly, how could we not be well?”

“For what reason have you come all the way here? You must be very busy in the empire at this time.”

“I wanted to assist Your Majesty on the journey to the papal court.”

Although he said he wanted to assist, it seemed more likely that his father had not sent him as a spy.

Gilberto was the most trustworthy servant of the emperor and held a position of no small importance. The position of a bishop was never to be taken lightly.

Such a person would not wander around casually. It was natural to assume that there was another purpose behind it.

“Also, Your Majesty mentioned that you wanted to know how I have been doing. Is there any news I should deliver separately?”

In simpler terms, it meant that it was time to evaluate what had been done so far.

It was to verify that the support given so far had not been in vain and at the same time, it was a moment to prove one’s usefulness.

“The impromptu and inconsistent condemnation by the pope has not received much response. This is not much different from the thoughts of the professors at the university.”

“It is good news for Your Majesty. It may be disrespectful to even speculate on the intention, but I dare to think that perhaps this is because God truly wishes for our victory.”

Up to this point, there was not much of a problem. Unless one was a complete fool, it was impossible to create support for the pope who was not really a fool.

However, the mission did not end here. Gilberto added one more word to his sentence.

“Your Majesty also mentioned something about Lord Raven. I have no idea who he is, so could you please enlighten me?”

“Lord Raven was… a trustworthy person. He was a rare upright knight these days.”

Heine recalled how he had willingly brought him to the university before.

Understanding the importance of contracts and promises was a quality that all knights should possess, but in reality, Lavrent knew that it wasn’t always the case.

Confirming that there were no major flaws in his usual lifestyle, as Lycia often relayed updates about his occasional raids as a thief and barbarian, Lavrent also pondered on the fact that skilled and faithful knights were rare.

“Skilled and faithful knights are hard to come by. But one important question comes to mind.”

“Please, go on.”

“He has not intervened in any wars so far, but will he continue to refrain from doing so in the future?”

However, when asked if that was enough to make Lavrent join the war, he could only shake his head in uncertainty.

Whether it was possible to gently persuade Lycia with words was unknown, but whether it should be done at all was another matter.

It was not something a self-proclaimed friend should do. Maybe if it was just a friendly game.

Proving his worth to the Emperor, to his father, to rise higher. Or admitting failure.

Going against his conscience and entering his father’s shadow, or keeping his conscience and enduring his disappointment.

Whichever path he chose, the outcome was equally feared.

“…I suppose we’ll find out from now on.”

The answer that came out of that crossroads was ultimately put on hold.

*****

Hein’s residence was not far from where he stayed.

If he stretched out of the window, he could see the window of the other person’s room. This was partly influenced by Hein’s close relationship with Lycia.

So, it wasn’t strange to meet Hein in the middle of the street while heading to the university to apply for a leave of absence.

However, it was strange to pretend not to know when she was already talking to a clergyman.

“-I believe I have conveyed everything. Please refer to the letter for more details, and if you have any questions, do not hesitate to ask me later.”

“Of course… It must be inevitable.”

Watching them for a moment, a sudden sense of unease made him hide behind a corner. Peeking out, he looked at the scene.

The person talking to Hein seemed familiar, like someone he had seen before.

If he couldn’t remember this well, it meant they hadn’t met many times. Who was it?

“Thank you for your hard work, Bishop.”

“Then I will see you again when you depart, Your Highness.”

The clergyman left Hein, and although it might have been a momentary illusion, Lavrent felt like their eyes met.

It was a clear sensation, not just a figment of his imagination.

The clergyman, and for some reason, a feeling of unease.

Fortunately, his memory was something he was confident in. Thinking about the given information, a figure came to mind.

‘Gilberto.’

A long time ago, on the way to the university with Lavrent, they had encountered that clergyman.