210. Shoot Towards the Emperor (2)
After the Pope left, Beorn was quietly looking at the map placed on his desk, with piles of reports just sitting there. The tactical map, which filled one wall of his office, depicted the complex spheres of influence of civilized society.
Pinning the church’s problems on the Emperor. This wasn’t the job of an Inquisition Officer. No signs of heretical circumstances or corruption had been found in the Imperial Palace, and it wasn’t right for a priest to meddle in secular affairs.
So, perhaps this was his own fault. Beorn thought so. Hastily requesting the declaration of a Holy War. That’s why the situation had spiraled out of control like this.
As Beorn sighed and picked up his teacup, there was a sound at the door.
-Knock knock.
“Come in.”
Beorn slowly turned his chair to face the door. It opened, and Fernandez walked in.
“Are we starting already?”
“Yes, Monastery Head. It won’t take long.”
The tone was light, as if he had just returned from inspecting a neighboring town. But the one who spoke was the Inquisition Officer who had unofficially dealt with two Great Demons.
Beorn nodded and gestured for him to sit. Fernandez took the teacup from Beorn and sat across from him.
“From my personal standpoint, I’m concerned about this matter.”
“Intervening in secular affairs?”
At Fernandez’s words, Beorn silently took a sip of tea. It tasted bitter.
“His Majesty used us first in the Imperial Palace, so we should do the same. But the teachings of the Lord do not advocate for retaliation.”
“If the Empire splits, it will benefit civilized society in the long run.”
“…What?”
Fernandez spoke without a hint of laughter.
“The Emperor is arrogant, and the Empire is powerful. The Eastern Kingdom sends vast amounts of war support to the Empire every year, and at this point, after the 50-year war has ended, the tax rates imposed on the Eastern Kingdom Federation to maintain their own economy are rising daily. The unease of secular monarchs is actually due to the current peace, because the Emperor and the Sultan are not at war.”
“Peace is the problem?”
“Yes, Monastery Head. The Emperor is propping up the authority of the Imperial Palace with gold to prevent it from collapsing due to war failures. That gold comes from the granaries of the Eastern Kingdom, and the Empire’s legions, once focused on the western expedition, are now seen as monsters devouring maintenance costs.”
Fernandez stood up and walked over to the map. He drew a long line from west to east as he spoke.
“The Emperor needs war. If he can’t touch the west, he doesn’t have many options left.”
The southern jungle wouldn’t bring in money. And there’s a specific reason the Imperial Palace can’t touch the southern jungle.
To the north, there’s only a vast ocean. Beyond that, of course, lies the northern continent, but there’s still a severe lack of information to send an expedition, and the initial investment cost to assemble a fleet to cross the ocean is excessive.
So, from the Imperial Palace’s perspective, the only place left to go is the east. The reason the Eastern Kingdom Federation willingly supported the Imperial Palace’s western expedition was precisely that. It was a subtle request to turn their attention away from the east.
But now. At this point, when the east has become the only region the Imperial Palace can focus on, peace has instead become a dagger for war.
“The war with the Sultan ended too quickly and without any profit. Moreover, the silk road across the wilderness has been blocked, the wasteland has turned into greenery, the Federation of Nobles has firmly united, and even the Legion of Wraiths lurks in various parts of the wasteland.”
The Empire’s public opinion was already weary of the western expedition. Fifty years is by no means a short period, and the vast amounts of capital and manpower sacrificed for this were collapsing the authority of the Imperial Palace.
So, from the Emperor’s perspective, he needed a victory. A clear victory that could leave a mark and satisfy the people.
The secular royal families of the east must also know this situation. That’s why the attention is inevitably focused on the Holy War declared at this point. The hypersensitivity of secular monarchs stems from a survival instinct.
“We must prevent a war between the Eastern Federation and the Empire. It won’t be a loose and sluggish war like the western expedition. The Empire will set the entire continent on fire until it completely devours the east.”
“So we must dethrone the Emperor…”
“Yes, the throne is elective. Therefore, dissatisfaction with the current Imperial Palace and political instability will subside with the transfer of the throne.”
“Good. So what do you plan to do? How do you dethrone the Emperor, who is robustly guarding the Imperial Palace, and how do you elect a new Emperor?”
“The fall of a great power always begins with internal strife. Monastery Head.”
* * *
The spring wind blew low beneath the spire. The Pope had left abruptly, and Fernandez and his party did not undergo any purification rites or heresy trials. Whether this was fortunate or not, Kirhas couldn’t tell.
She rested her chin on the windowsill and grumbled.
They were idiots. Living in the same era as the great hero who crossed the gaps of the world to another dimension, defeated the Great Demon, and stopped the gods and demons from destroying the Material World, yet they couldn’t even recognize him.
And what made her even angrier was that Fernandez hadn’t said a word about it. That was what really ticked her off. Why? Why didn’t he claim his own achievements?
His deeds were only known to a few inquisitors within the Inquisition Office and some high-ranking officials of the Church. Other members of the Church of the Temple of the Gods and secular sovereigns thought the northern holy war was just a conspiracy-filled uproar.
How unfair was that? From what she had seen alone, Fernandez had faced death dozens of times, enduring frostbite, bruises, fractures, and all sorts of wounds as he pressed forward. His eyes bursting and flesh rotting were just ordinary occurrences.
If it weren’t for the fact that he was a saint, if it weren’t for Diemonica’s power, and if it weren’t for his own divine power, no one could have survived such harsh conditions. Yet, he stood firm.
And no one acknowledged it.
“Idiots…”
Kirhas’s turquoise eyes glinted coldly. She watched as the Pope’s entourage disappeared into the distance, their flags fluttering.
“Do you feel wronged?”
“…Your Excellency.”
When Fernandez’s voice came from behind her, Kirhas wasn’t startled—she was resigned. Diemonica’s sharp hearing couldn’t have missed her grumbling. She let her ears droop.
“Yes, Your Excellency. I feel wronged.”
“What’s so wronged about it?”
Fernandez approached with a gentle smile. The wide corridor of the inner sanctum was empty except for the two of them. Kirhas pouted and thumped her tail on the floor like a sulking child.
“It’s unfair that Your Excellency’s achievements are buried and forgotten. Who else but you has slain the Great Demon? Only you! Every sovereign in civilized society should be bowing at your feet in gratitude!”
“If I sought fame, would I have become a priest? But your heart is kind. Thank you.”
Fernandez smiled softly as he approached Kirhas. His rough hand rested on her hair. Kirhas lowered her sharp eyes and growled softly.
“The weather’s nice. Let’s take a walk.”
“Yes, Your Excellency.”
Kirhas followed behind Fernandez, her ears drooping as she trudged along. The spring breeze blew through the open windows of the corridor, brushing against the hair by her ears. A warm floral scent wafted from somewhere.
“Do you remember when I said that purpose is more important than reason?”
“Yes.”
“That’s right. Back then, you were driven by vengeance, and I only wanted to use you to fight more demons and wage more battles.”
Fernandez spoke as if it were nothing. To use her. She had known it then, and she knew it now. Just like in the Great Wilderness, Fernandez had treated her as a tool.
But that didn’t sadden her. So what if she was a tool? The fact that she still had value to him was more than enough for her. That they could walk together like this, looking toward the same path, was a blessing.
“I’m not as good, righteous, or just as you think I am.”
“…Your Excellency?”
“Now, reason and purpose carry the same weight for me. Kirhas. What to do, how to do it, what to sacrifice and how far—these calculations are becoming harder.”
Suddenly, Fernandez stopped by the window. A white seed fluttered onto his hand, struggling. He shook his hand lightly and looked out the window.
The Dragonspine Mountains were anything but flat, yet even in their rugged terrain, flowers bloomed and beasts thrived. The chirping of birds and the buzzing of insects filled the air.
The sound of new leaves rustling in the spring breeze echoed like a melody. Fernandez gazed at the scene for a moment before choosing his words.
Purpose was more important than reason. That was an absolute truth for Fernandez and Faijashi. It was the principle that had allowed them to turn their lives around—and the one they had to follow.
At first, it was only for the peaceful life of his son. That was all. But now, Fernandez was seeing and feeling other things.
Was that a bad thing? Or was this, too, just an illusion shaped by Vaitas, forcibly molding the “evil parts of the soul”?
Whatever the reason, it wasn’t a welcome change. Personal emotions had no place in achieving his goals. He wasn’t in a position to be leisurely, and it wasn’t his style anyway.
But for some reason, as he stood there, about to say, “I’ll use you again,” the words wouldn’t come. So he just looked down at Kirhas.
After a moment of silence, Kirhas spoke.
“Speak, Your Excellency.”
“…Huh?”
“I can feel your hesitation. If there’s something you want from me, say it. I’ll gladly follow.”
In that brief moment, in an almost instinctive realm, she had sensed that Fernandez wanted something from her.
“You’d help? It won’t be pleasant.”
“Don’t ask me to help, Your Excellency. Just order me, as you always have. That’s better for me.”
Kirhas slowly raised her head. Her strong turquoise eyes shone so brightly that it was hard to look directly at her.
“There’s something I need from the Chieftain of the Beastman Nobility.”
“Will you be coming with me, Your Excellency?”
“Of course.”
“Just the two of us?”
“For now.”
“That’s more than enough.”
With that, Kirhas smiled brightly.
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