Chapter 941: Act 114 – The Imperial Chancellor and His Daughter
The Chancellor’s daughter went wherever she pleased; this was originally unrelated to the Temple. However, Varla understood that the statue of the Virgin in Lion Palace never spoke without purpose, so she crossed her fingers and placed them on her chest, waiting silently for Sidney’s further remarks.
The candlelight in the Hall of Candles cast a slightly slanted glow on the lady’s platinum short hair, leaving a deep shadow on one side of her forehead and the dip on the side of her straight nose. Sidney spoke quietly, “She and the leader of Erluin’s embassy have become rivals due to the death of Viscount Alman, and this time she is going for the sake of the other. But there is someone behind this stirring things up—Delphine visited Count Fleuruit before leaving the imperial capital and borrowed the Demon-killing Lance. As far as I know, although Fleuruit was the father of Viscount Alman during his lifetime, this time he is linked with Delphine through someone named Price, who is the steward of Vice President Freeman Lylis of the Archaeological Society. Freeman Lylis leaked the news of the Demon-killing Lance and the Earl of Toniger to the two previously mentioned individuals through him.”
“So this young girl’s journey was planned ahead of time, huh,” Varla listened quietly and replied, “From this, one can indeed sniff the scent of conspiracy, indicating someone is targeting the Nidwen Chancellor or perhaps Count Fleuruit? But what does it have to do with us, Sidney?”
“Freeman Lylis has a very close relationship with Priest Eugene.”
Varla sat in her chair, silent for a moment before responding, “To find a connection so quickly is commendable. It seems we are about to see the truth. What happened after that young girl went to Anziluwa?”
What followed were the unrest in Anziluwa and the invasion of Jotungrund, which were things that went without saying, but Sidney understood that this Cardinal wanted to hear more than that.
“She went missing,” she replied.
“Is Freeman Lylis’s relationship with Eugene an open one?” Varla asked again.
“Indeed.”
“So outsiders can easily contact us through him.” The elder tapped the armrest of his chair and said solemnly, “Young Nidwen treasures this daughter like a jewel; she is a spoiled young lady. She is now missing, and those behind this are closely connected to our Temple, making it difficult for the Chancellor to not associate it with us.”
“The world is not blind. What benefits do we gain from harming a little girl?” Sidney questioned, “Young Nidwen is not a fool, and moreover, her father is not dead yet.”
“We will know soon enough.”
Varla gently shook her head and responded.
Sidney’s brow furrowed deeply; she looked displeased at this exalted figure of the Temple. This reply was strikingly similar to what she had heard forty years ago: “Her Majesty has gone a bit too far recently, High Priest.”
Varla’s thick eyebrows lifted slightly, and it was as if two sharp glances burst forth from his deeply sunken eye sockets, landing on the statue of the Virgin in this Lion Palace—this was his proudest student. Beneath her platinum-colored scattered hair, a flat forehead, and eyebrows like a platinum sword, her golden pupils radiated a clear and unyielding light. This gaze seemed to remind the aged priest of his younger self; he sighed deeply and returned to his chair: “Just this, don’t mention it. You know, Sidney.”
“Royal power and religious authority rise and fall; this is a historical rule, but the secular power and sacred authority have been separate and mutually supervised for thousands of years. This is a convention. Her Majesty reaching toward the Temple is extremely dangerous; she is making a mistake, and you must prevent her from repeating it, High Priest,” Sidney replied indifferently.
“No, things have not reached that point yet. Sidney, you do not understand; there are some things you do not understand—” Varla shook his head, “Things have not reached that point. She merely covets power and does not want to relinquish her throne. This is quite normal for mortals. We cannot stand against her because of this; what she does may be a bit excessive, but it is still bearable.”
“Is the teacher being too lenient towards Her Majesty?” Sidney’s eyes revealed her irritation and discontent.
“This is something we owe her. At least on this matter, we cannot openly oppose her. Remember, Sidney, this is not my command but my teacher’s command. I must obey this command, and you must as well,” Varla answered solemnly, “You know, this is an agreement. During her reign, we may not support her, but we must never oppose her as long as she does not make incorrect choices on key issues. We cannot violate this agreement.”
“Isn’t this not even a critical issue?”
“This is merely a worldly affair, Sidney.”
“Sacred faith is not without roots, High Priest.”
“Be quiet,” Varla admonished. He understood this point but certain words could not be uttered: “How dare you speak such filthy and lowly words in this sacred place, Lady Sidney? Do not let resentment and hatred towards the opponent occupy your heart. Bring forth your usual calm; you are not suited to continue talking with me right now. Go and calm yourself.”
Sidney was slightly stunned but then gently nodded, “I understand.”
With that, she did not offer further explanations, took one last look at her teacher’s bookshelf, and turned to leave. However, halfway through, she turned back and asked, “Is it because of the dragon clan?”
“The dragons in this world are not allowed to act at will, Sidney. Their restraints are far greater than ours,” Varla shook his head in response, “It is well-known that Her Majesty has the shadow of the dragon clan behind her, but the truth is far from that. If it were solely relying on the dragons, the Empire could not be subdued. Remember, Sidney, this is the age of mortals; the will of the Empire is swayed by people like us, not by those high and lofty legends and fantasies.”
“This world is the result of the efforts of the sages, and thus our noble faith is rooted in this.” The elder spoke passionately for a few moments, only to feel a sudden sense of desolation. He sighed and said, “The dragon clan owes Her Majesty a favor, and our Temple is no different. I do not want to speak of that past matter for the moment. You may go now, Sidney; one day you will understand.”
If other members of the Temple were present, they would most likely be surprised by the elder’s words, for they subtly contained some thought-provoking information. It encompassed not only a secret but also the potential transfer of the Supreme Authority of the Temple in the future.
However, Sidney seemed to show no concern, merely nodding lightly before turning to leave.
Varla watched her departing figure, unable to help but nod with satisfaction. Calm amidst honor and disgrace—that was the temperament a successor of the Temple should possess. He was a clergyman born after the year of the frog’s croak; his generation had become accustomed to the ups and downs of history and the shifts of great powers. The disparities from highs to lows and the transitions in status had profoundly affected their generation of clergy. The trivial difficulties rarely caused this wise elder to frown. To him, the present and past of the Temple had become an inevitable result, difficult to change and impossible to recover. But at least he still had an outstanding disciple. Varla hoped that in Sidney’s generation, perhaps the current plight could be altered.
Indeed, it was a plight. Perhaps even within this magnificent holy palace, few would comprehend how dire the situation of the Temple really was. The elder shook his head, recalling the generation of clergymen from his own teacher’s time. Except for the younger generation from that era, very few could accept such a disparity. Many clergymen who had previously become martyrs for this reason were not few, and his teacher was one of them—yet very few knew this secret.
Youth is truly wonderful, the elder could not help but think as he shook his head; at least the young still had hope.
He watched Sidney leave, then turned back and gently tapped the rosewood tabletop with his finger.
Sidney’s words still caught his attention; Her Majesty’s reach had indeed extended a bit too far. However, that was inconsequential. He was worried about another matter: Had Duke Helix been assassinated? Just when the Flowerleaf territory had issues, it made him catch a whiff of something unsettling. The elder suddenly stood up, pulled a large book with a red cover from the bookshelf, opened it, and shook out a thick piece of parchment, spreading it out—it was a large map. The old priest laid the map on the table, his gaze resting for a long time on the position of Flowerleaf.
He slightly lifted his eyelids, his eyes continuing north along the hills north of Rovov Fortress, reaching a series of intersecting mountains.
The map elegantly labeled the place names there in beautiful calligraphy.
Alcas.
“Bless Fiona,” Varla murmured, “It can’t be.”
He set down the map, closed his eyes, and after a while picked up the bell on the desk:
“Come here—”
……
The afternoon tea party of Her Majesty the Queen was held as usual in the Holy Contipal Palace. The tradition of this tea party originated before the year of the walnut, during the era of Emperor Granteddy. Emperor Granteddy often secretly met with his subjects during the Queen’s tea party; this tradition was passed down from that time on and further developed under his son, the eleventh son of the Great Emperor—who would become the previous emperor. The elder Nidwen Chancellor discussed matters concerning the Temple more than once during the tea parties, leading to these plans, born from tea parties, being maliciously dubbed as the ‘Tea Party Conspiracy’ by the clergy, even sung by many minstrels.
To this day, the Silver Queen’s tea party had become an unwritten rule. Every three days of the week, Her Majesty would hold a tea party in the Rosary Garden; however, the ministers of this era were no longer secretly invited but attended openly, becoming a symbol of status and honor.
Yet today, the atmosphere in the parlor to the east of the Rosary Garden was somewhat subtle.
No one in the room spoke, as if everyone had been cast under a spell, sitting motionless in their places, neither blinking nor speaking, like a group of puppets.
The Queen wore a cold smile, while the Chancellor beside her looked very grim, feeling anxious and displeased. Below him, the other nobles mostly watched with a detached demeanor as if afraid to invite trouble, but without exception, everyone’s gaze was focused on a stack of parchment lying on the parlor coffee table, their looks containing a profound meaning as if this parchment recorded something exceedingly strange.
“Lord Fiona, did Delphine truly go to Anziluwa a month ago?”
“This…” Young Nidwen replied, both irritated and regretful, “I didn’t know she would go to Anziluwa, Your Majesty. Furthermore, even if I had known, at that time Anziluwa was peaceful, and I had no reason to stop her from going. My father only forbade her from leaving the Empire, but within the Empire, my daughter is still free. Just think, what reason could I have to prevent her from going to a small place within the Empire? This can hardly be used as evidence.”
“I understand, you need not worry,” the Silver Queen seemed a bit amused by this matter, replying with a gentle laugh, “Your daughter happens to have some misunderstanding with that Earl, if I had known she would go there, I probably would not have permitted it. But it seems she most likely did not notify you, her father.”
Young Nidwen’s face flushed. Although he was the Chancellor of the Empire, he had little control over his daughter. Though he did not wish to admit it, this was common knowledge. The only thing that reassured him was that the Queen did not seem to care much about this matter. He understood that such a situation could be serious or trivial, but as long as the Empire’s highest authority did not mind, everything could be discussed. It was indeed too disgraceful, leaving him extremely frustrated.
“Your Majesty’s observations are as meticulous as always,” he replied, “This matter is as such.”
His gaze could not help but sweep over that stack of parchment, for it was these documents that contained the slanders and accusations that embarrassed him. He naturally understood where these secret documents came from—the secret emblem on the parchment must be from the inner court knights; the Empire had only one such unit, with no other.
But what puzzled the Chancellor greatly was why these inner court knights suddenly acted like mad dogs to bite at him; they stated in their reports that they had colluded with Jotungrund and sent their own daughter to Anziluwa as a hostage. This was entirely baseless. Anyone with a discerning eye could tell that it was a trick of vilification, let alone someone of their stature; such tactics were hardly presentable.
Yet precisely because of this vilification, he was deeply angered. It was well-known that Chancellor Nidwen had a precious daughter, yet these people chose to use his daughter to provoke him, which was almost tantamount to slapping him in the face.
Regardless of concern for his daughter or the dignity of family honor, he could not let this go easily.
However, he knew that the inner court knights were controlled by the royal family; Her Majesty would not use such lowly means against him. Therefore, apart from that, only those who could insert themselves into the matter remained.
First, it was the Parut family. This young Chancellor frowned; internally within the Empire, on the surface, they did not get on well with the Parut family, as Her Majesty had long intended to support the Parut family in suppressing the factions left by the late king. However, insiders understood that this suppression actually came from Her Majesty herself. If the Parut family made a move against him, it would equate to Her Majesty making a move against him. Unless there were personal grievances, the Parut family shouldn’t be this idle.
But he could not recall any personal grievances he had with the Parut family.
As for the rest, there seemed to be even less relevance.
“However, Lord Fiona, if Delphine truly went to Anziluwa, this is not good news,” at this moment, Constance suddenly said with insinuation.
Young Nidwen was taken aback; he had originally been angry because of these documents but completely forgot that if his daughter indeed went to Anziluwa, it could pose a significant problem. Realizing this, he turned pale; the others noted the Chancellor’s suddenly pale face and understood that he had little to do with the incident. They could not help but look at the documents with more peculiar expressions.
This clearly indicated that someone was opposing the Chancellor. Who could it be?
And if it were opposition, would it merely end there? Everyone knew that Her Majesty could not determine that an Imperial Chancellor was a traitor based solely on this kind of one-sided accusation. Such things in the struggle at this level were simply tricks of clowns, not worth mentioning. But the issue was whether the potential enemy had any backup. Everyone understood that if the assailant had a backup, it would most likely be an even more fierce offensive.
At this moment, Young Nidwen clearly also considered this point. Although he was not as competent as his father, he still had some level of capability. However, what he was most worried about was—what if his daughter really fell into the hands of those people?
At this time, the Silver Queen smiled slightly, clearly perceiving what this Chancellor was thinking in his heart. She gently comforted him, saying, “Lord Fiona need not worry. Delphine may not have truly gone to Anziluwa. As for those who conspired against you and the old Chancellor, I will naturally investigate thoroughly for you.”
Young Nidwen nodded, answering somewhat listlessly, “Thank you, Your Majesty.”
Constance smiled gently and nodded to the young Chancellor as well.
……
(PS: The past few days had a bit of writer’s block, but it’s okay now. Indeed, persistence in writing leads to inspiration. Thank you all for your support.)
