345. The Immortal and the Mortal (14)
As she walked along the flower path, Abel suddenly burst into laughter. She tapped Fernandez’s back a couple of times and then naturally leaned against him.
“Why are you laughing?”
“Just felt like it.”
Fernandez scratched his head, thinking it would have been nice if Faijashi had said something at a time like this. Though, even Faijashi probably wouldn’t have been able to offer any meaningful advice at this point.
He was someone who had never been comfortable with relationships, both in his past life and his current one. It was different from his relationship with Aria, which had developed from a master-disciple bond. Approaching someone, maintaining distance—it was all unfamiliar territory.
As they walked, Abel suddenly spoke up.
“Your swordsmanship has improved a lot. It’s getting to the point where I can hardly keep up.”
“A lot has happened.”
At his words, Abel fell silent again. Both of them knew. Swordsmanship wasn’t something you could improve by locking yourself in a room and swinging your sword alone. It was a discipline that required practice, not just self-study.
Improving in swordsmanship meant shedding blood—sometimes even your own. Abel gently brushed his hand and said, “You’ve been through a lot.”
“It’s not over yet.”
“Then you can tell me more once it’s all over.”
She smiled softly, offering the most comfort she could to this blunt and awkward man.
At the end of the narrow forest path, they saw Zephis sitting there. But there were unwelcome guests. Fernandez frowned as he looked at them. Familiar faces and others he could guess were approaching him.
It was Everiz de la Tremule, the Countess, and a group of well-armed men.
Their clothes were simple, worn-out light armor, but their posture and build showed the training they had undergone. They were the kind who moved swiftly and stealthily, trained in the arts of espionage.
He knew men like these. State-trained intelligence agents. Given that they were with Everiz, they were likely from Iron Side.
“Long time no see, Countess Tremule.”
“You’re not surprised?”
“Why should I be surprised to see your face?”
“Sometimes I wonder if you’re even human. You never show any emotion.”
“He’s a very sensitive man.”
“Uh… really?”
Abel suddenly spoke up, as if angry, and then retreated behind Fernandez again. He glanced at her briefly, composed his expression, and looked back at Everiz.
“Don’t worry about it. Count Tremule hasn’t returned to his duties yet, has he?”
“…Huh?”
Everiz couldn’t hide her confusion and blurted out a response. How…? They had only exchanged three sentences.
“Were you actually missing… or were you gathering information somewhere?”
“Do I have a reason to do that?”
“No… and you couldn’t have done it without Iron Side noticing. How did you know?”
“The men behind you, judging by their appearance, are from the Gray Circle.”
At his words, the men flinched. Their appearance? They instinctively checked their outfits. They were dressed as ordinary wasteland mercenaries. Of course, they were spies. They wouldn’t be caught so easily.
“Count Tremule isn’t in a position to give you direct orders, so if the Gray Circle is moving with you, it must be under the Emperor’s command.”
“Wait, wait. Robert can’t give me orders? Robert is the head of the family.”
“Count Tremule can’t have children. But you can, and there are people who want you to, including the Pope and the Emperor. You’re too valuable to follow Count Tremule’s orders.”
“Is that a compliment or an insult…?”
Everiz clicked her tongue at the audacity of this man, who spoke so bluntly about her value in terms of political marriage and childbearing to the daughter of a ducal family.
He wasn’t wrong. In fact, his judgment was chillingly accurate. Everiz nodded and gestured for him to continue.
“Why would Empress Carvelier order you to bring the Gray Circle to search for me? If Count Tremule were handling state affairs, it would have been easier and more straightforward to order him.”
“Because my abilities aren’t reliable?”
“Because your abilities aren’t specialized in using the Empire’s intelligence network.”
It was a blow to her pride, but she could admit it. Robert had spent most of his life as the head of the intelligence network, and his personal skills were overwhelming. Having seen him up close, Everiz could readily acknowledge that.
“I think I understand why the Empire’s nobles fear you. You figured that out as soon as you saw me and the Gray Circle, didn’t you?”
“That’s just basic reasoning.”
“Is there more?”
“Is Count Tremule alive?”
“…Yes. Quite well.”
“Is Empress Carvelier still the ruler of the Empire?”
“Can the world change in a few months? Oh, it can. My mistake. Yes, His Majesty is still the Emperor.”
Everiz answered bitterly, recalling that the man before her had overthrown the Empire, started a civil war, ended it, and assassinated her father within half a year.
Realizing this, she could no longer see him as just another human. The black magic that could destroy the Imperial Palace in one strike, his martial prowess, his judgment, and political acumen.
Is he even human? How can someone like this exist? The Church of the Temple of the Gods seemed to regard him as a ‘saint,’ but…
This seems more like the power of a demon…
As her thoughts reached that point, Fernandez spoke up casually.
“Something’s happened. What is it?”
“Talking to you keeps breaking my train of thought. You agree, don’t you?”
“Talking to him isn’t easy.”
But isn’t that better? Abel laughed in response to Everiz’s words, clearly smitten. Everiz sighed deeply and nodded.
“Listen carefully, and don’t be surprised. The Phaeirn Royal Family is collapsing.”
“That’s not surprising.”
“By Daryan Schryke.”
“…Huh.”
Huh.
Daryan?
Daryan Schryke? The Emperor’s Eye? Why is his name coming up here? Fernandez stroked his chin, lost in thought. The most logical reason would be…
“Perhaps the Phaeirn Royal Family pressured the Shield Church or committed heresy… No, no. If that were the case, the Inquisition would have stepped in. And Daryan is no longer under Empress Carvelier’s command…”
“Exactly. The organization known as the Emperor’s Eye has disappeared. Most of its agents are missing. Schryke is acting independently of the Empire’s will.”
“Why? Daryan Schryke can be arrogant, stupid, and self-righteous, but at least—”
He’s not someone who can be corrupted. Fernandez swallowed those words. It was the result of dozens, hundreds, no, thousands of attempts. Daryan had been his greatest rival in his past life and humanity’s brightest hope.
Killing him was a last resort. The best outcome was having him slaughter his own people with his own hands. Faijashi had fled from Daryan with all his might, and with equal determination, he had tried to corrupt him.
All efforts had failed. Except for one thing—escaping. That had lasted a full thirty years. In his middle age, he couldn’t even stand against him…
And as he entered twilight, he barely managed to escape, and in his old age—
‘He’s lived his life. That guy.’
Sixty years old. An age that might be considered too young for a warrior who had reached his peak to die. Daryan closed his eyes in the arms of his last disciple. Without leaving Faijashi a chance for revenge.
Fernandez quickly shook off the memories. Whatever the past, it was Daryan. That Daryan. The brilliant hero who burned with all his might for the justice he believed in, even if it cost him his life.
“Ah, I should’ve said this first. Spending time with Robert has made me forget the order of things. To clarify, Phaeirn hasn’t fallen yet. It’s scheduled to fall in a month.”
“A prophecy? Orcis? Or is it Piel?”
“……You do seem like a prophet. The latter.”
Everiz clicked her tongue and continued.
“The shrine maiden said that in a month, when all of Daryan’s offensives are concluded, the Phaeirn Royal Family will collapse on its own.”
“……All offensives?”
“Daryan is currently burning down all the monasteries within Phaeirn. Many monasteries have already fallen, and by now……”
After a brief pause, Everiz continued in a cold voice.
“St. Bartholomew Monastery. The Inquisition Office must have fallen.”
At that declaration, Fernandez couldn’t think of anything. He just stared blankly at Everiz’s lips.
* * *
St. Bartholomew Monastery had fallen. The moment he heard those words, Fernandez was half-frozen in shock, and the other half of him began to think furiously.
A flood of guesses and hypotheses swept through his mind, making his head spin. The first thought that came to him was, naturally, ‘how.’
If it were him, how would he have done it? In his past life, the Inquisition Office had slowly lost its function. Their manpower was extremely limited, and the demon incidents at the end of civilized society were too frequent. It was an organization that had withered away, losing many agents and having its limbs severed.
But not now. The Inquisition Office at this point in time is an extremely powerful armed force. To bring down the current headquarters, what could an individual do?
‘If it were me, I’d first leak the internal forces of the headquarters.’
I’d burn nearby monasteries or villages and incite demon incidents. It shouldn’t be too far or too close to the headquarters. And at the same time, the incidents shouldn’t happen too close to each other.
If it’s too close, there won’t be enough time to finish the job and hide my identity. The Inquisition Officers are competent. If it’s too far, even if I succeed in luring them out, there won’t be enough time to attack the headquarters.
And at the same time, the incidents happening in various places should be seen as separate heretical activities. That’s the hardest part. It’s nearly impossible to do alone. I’d need to create evidence for concealment and prepare in advance to make each incident appear as a different heresy.
But that’s……
‘The logic of a Dark Mage. Impossible for Daryan.’
He attacked the monasteries indiscriminately? To satisfy the first condition. But for each offensive to be accepted as a heresy by completely different cult groups, there had to be a real connection with demon worshippers.
Impossible for Daryan. And it’s also impossible for demon worshippers to lure Daryan. Therefore……
“Do you know why Daryan is attacking the Church of the Temple of the Gods?”
“During the Empire’s civil war, he was influenced by the Church’s crusade proclamation. Well. Whether that was really the reason or if there was another reason.”
“Since he was a Temple Knight, that’s possible.”
In his past life, Daryan was a limb of Emperor Tremule. And at that time, Emperor Tremule, unlike in this world, had not fallen into corruption.
Therefore, it was said that Daryan’s relationship with the Church of the Temple of the Gods wasn’t bad. The corruption of Emperor Tremule and the countless atrocities he committed, and the situation Daryan had to clean up—
As a Temple Knight, if he were to face the Church burning civilians under the pretext of a ‘Holy War.’ It’s speculation, but it’s possible. Fernandez frowned as he thought. Yes, unexpected but possible.
The Holy War Daryan had to face contained a madness greater than he could have imagined. It was the result of Fernandez inciting the Temple of the Gods to stir the fear of the Elector Counts. A bigger, more terrible, and more intense wave of fanaticism.
‘Ha, I did it after all.’
He let out a self-deprecating laugh and shook his head. In his past life, Daryan’s fall, which had been impossible by any means, had happened like this?
‘Fool. Idiot……. You should’ve trusted humans more.’
Fernandez clicked his tongue and thought. He soon raised his head and looked at Everiz.
“There must be a demon worshipper hiding in the Phaeirn Royal Family.”
“You……”
“If it’s a descendant of the Royal Family who wants to overthrow Phaeirn, then yes. Would it be the First Prince? He was somewhat capable in his own way.”
Now Everiz couldn’t keep up with Fernandez’s train of thought. She just stared blankly at Fernandez’s eyes.
A firm voice echoed.
“Burning down monasteries? It’s possible to do alone, but not getting caught is impossible. Especially for Daryan. Someone helped him, and it all happened within Phaeirn, and Phaeirn is about to have a succession ceremony. If there’s someone who wants chaos in this political situation, it would be the First Prince……”
Diverting the Inquisition Office’s forces and burning down the headquarters? Of course, that’s also possible. But after that, what would they do with the Inquisition Officers returning to the headquarters? Impossible alone. Even for Daryan.
Then someone must have helped him. Someone who orchestrated this entire game wouldn’t easily discard a powerful pawn like Daryan.
Then.
Going back. ‘If it were me, what move would I make in this situation?’
Fernandez closed his eyes and thought. In the darkness beyond, chess pieces moved across a vast chessboard. Conscious of the white hand holding the pawns, Fernandez slowly calculated the possibilities.
‘Send the First Prince’s forces to the headquarters.’
The First Prince of the Phaeirn Royal Family is a believer of the Vaitas Church. At least according to what was reported during the last Phaeirn Royal Family purification operation. And since the First Prince was a follower of McLaren, he would take action to suppress the Inquisition Office’s arson.
And after the First Prince and his nearby forces are drawn out, something will happen at the palace. If he’s the First Prince, he wouldn’t miss this moment.
Mobilize forces to eliminate the First Prince’s forces heading to the headquarters. After that, announce the corruption of the Crown Prince and the collapse of the monasteries. Backed by the McLaren Church, reject the Vaitas Church. Then, naturally, the distance between the two churches would grow.
The McLaren Church was one of the most secular churches. At this point when the Shield Church is declining, it would be the most significant move in the division of the Temple of the Gods’ sects.
Using the division of the Church and the suspension of the Inquisition Office’s functions, the corruption spreads with the tide. Far, further. Burning through the entire Eastern Kingdom and beyond—
Then now.
How to stop it?
“Lady Tremule.”
“Yes, yes?”
“Do you know how to play chess?”
“As a cultural…… thing, yes?”
“There are two ways to win even when cornered. Do you know what they are?”
“Ways to win when checkmated? Well, are there such ways?”
At the sudden question, Everiz blankly shook her head. Fernandez smirked and continued.
“One is to cut the wrist of the person on the other side of the board, and the other is to flip the board over.”
“What kind of……!”
That’s not chess or anything! Just as she was about to say that, she felt a strange sense of déjà vu. She knew a man who had such conversations, no, such thoughts. She stared blankly at Fernandez.
A phantom brushed past her eyes. An old man draped in a splendid robe, holding a grimoire bound in human skin, shrouded in dark magic……
Only then did she realize. The earlier question came back to her. Is this human ability? No, can this be called a saint’s ability?
This is closer to the way of thinking of a Dark Mage than a saint.
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