### Chapter 64: The Situation
What the—…
I pouted.
I pretty much understood that Margaret was implying something unspeakable about the Cardinal’s opinion of Angel. He probably disapproved of my existence or questioned it. Maybe he thought I was some kind of monster, but does that mean I should just—
“Am I just supposed to wait?”
Am I really going to do nothing?
Margaret sensed the frustration in my words. She slightly bowed her head in contemplation and then gave me a serene smile.
“Miss Silvya, I understand your feelings, especially considering how you might feel about that little village in Silgaya… Perhaps you’re quite anxious. To be honest, seeing you like this gives me a strange sense of relief… I’m sorry if that makes you uncomfortable. But I can’t hide my thoughts; I am genuinely relieved, and this proves you are certainly not the monster others claim you to be.”
“Miss Silvya, you’re different. It’s exactly because of this difference that I don’t want you to meet those… who might want to erase that difference from you, at least not right now.”
I raised an eyebrow.
So, “those” means there’s more than just a couple of people in the Church who think I’m a monster, and she seems to believe they might influence me?
“I won’t.”
I looked at her seriously.
“That’s not the issue,” Margaret gently shook her head. “Right now, there’s nothing you can do about the past. It’s pointless. I hope you can meet the Cardinal at the most crucial moment, avoiding early contact and excessive communication, to prove with facts that you are not what he thinks… Okay? Trust me, it won’t do you any harm.”
No harm, huh…
There’s some logic in what she said, and it sounds like she truly cares for me.
Maybe I was just being a bit too eager…
After a moment of thought, I nodded, “Alright.”
Margaret smiled slightly.
The war chariot rattled over the gravel and rounded a bend, the carriage swaying slightly.
After a brief silence, I asked her, “Have you found that bl**d Pearl?”
“Unfortunately, no news yet,” Margaret replied softly. “The Church has issued a reward notice, and it will also be published in the next edition of the news. According to our last deductions, the other party will likely try to find a way to meet up with that batch of heretics crossing the Ipos Sea. I’ve gathered the intel for the Pope, and several checkpoints from Ethanbel to Silgaya will be heavily scrutinized. However, there’s a chance someone might assist him…”
I tilted my head in thought.
If someone is helping him, it’s likely that old duke’s family… and there’s also the possibility of treachery within the Church itself. After all, with Teresa’s history… Margaret is likely aware of all this, and there’s nothing I can do but wait for news.
More than all that, I was more concerned about—
“Any new news from Silgaya?”
This was what I was really worried about. If those crazy heretics come over and manage to reach Woodward Forest, would that little village—Grandma Claire and the others—still be safe?
Every time I thought about this, a dull worry squirmed back into my heart, refusing to go away.
“According to the latest news, the Church Knight Third Legion has set off to the Silgaya coast. They will join forces with the Sixth Legion stationed along the coastline to engage the enemy. Additionally, many outstanding bishops, priests, nuns, and two Pope Knights will be participating in this interception operation. The main person in charge is the commander of the Third Legion, Nick Williams. You should be familiar with him; he’s an excellent commander and won’t let the heretics land… Does that make you feel any better?”
I pouted.
Nick Williams?
Isn’t he the guy who, along with Carlos and the old man in a robe, nearly got turned into a popsicle by me back then… Not exactly reassuring…
But with two Pope Knights and the strength of two legions behind him… hearing this did smooth out some of those little knots in my heart.
“Oh…”
“Serving demons, harming the populace, the Gate of Truth is pure evil. They dare to act so openly; the Holy Church will definitely deliver a severe blow.”
“Yeah.”
Soon enough, the war chariot gradually came to a stop. I eagerly jumped off the carriage and bought ten drumsticks from the stall Margaret mentioned. As I headed back to the carriage, another thought struck me.
“Margaret.”
“Yes?”
“Did you see any soldiers outside the city? Like Iron Guards?”
Margaret shook her head, “No. Why?”
Looks like she doesn’t know yet…
So, I told her about what happened in the palace last night. After listening, Margaret frowned and fell silent for a while.
“Will the Church get involved?” I couldn’t help but ask.
“Well…” She pondered for a moment, “It’s a bit complicated. I’m not sure how much you understand about the rules of human society… According to what you said, if one side has truly committed war crimes, the Church should not ignore it. However, given the current situation, those Iron Guards are just stationed far from the city… They are soldiers of the kingdom, and they have a clear justification for killing the Rosé family. As unfortunate as it is, the Holy Church, being impartial, cannot favor either side. The Church’s protection principles only apply to civilians and do not interfere in internal politics… I hope you understand that unless the Iron Guards take further actions, this really doesn’t constitute any crime.”
Uh…
What is this?
I felt a little unhappy.
But I also understood that Margaret wasn’t speaking loosely just to avoid getting involved.
I wasn’t sure how war crimes were defined in this world. But considering the Church’s current position… I suppose, for them, as long as it doesn’t harm their own interests, it doesn’t matter who becomes king. In a world full of conflict, just like when Edward was killed in the Valen Empire, similar incidents probably occur daily; the power structure isn’t as stable as in my previous life, and the Church doesn’t have the manpower or resources to deal with the multitude of disputes between royals and nobles. They have more important things to deal with, like the Abyss, like the heretics.
It seems I can’t rely too much on the Church concerning Victoria… but Margaret, why do you keep looking at my drumsticks while you talk?
When her gaze swept over me again, I hugged the paper bag containing the drumsticks closer.
You’re not helping me at all, and now you want to eat… No way!
Margaret quickly looked away and continued, “At this stage, all we can do is mediate the conflict and prevent war. Miss Silvya, I understand your worries about Her Majesty the Queen, but there’s no need to overthink it. In reality, we are already assisting her; without the Church’s help, implementing the treasury affairs would be much more difficult for Her Majesty than it is now. Moreover, the Clive Family has already been listed as suspects of collusion with the heretics, and the Church will definitely assist with this. She may have not told you everything, but you know her—you know she can handle it.”
“Yeah…” I nodded.
That’s true. Victoria gives off this vibe of being able to do anything, like she can tackle any problem thrown her way… But I just wanted to fight for her a bit more…
“As for that old duke, I’ll try to find time to meet him in the next few days.”
“Alright.”
I smiled.
But even so, you’re not getting one of my drumsticks.
…………
The war chariot quickly arrived at the estate gate. Holding my clothes and drumsticks, I stood up, and just before getting off the carriage, another thought hit me.
“Oh, and Margaret. A few days ago, someone got drunk at night. He tried to—”
Why does it feel so hard to say?
Weird, am I blushing?
“I hurt him, but it wasn’t intentional… I was scared… I sent him to the church… I want to know if he’s okay.”
That guy was disgusting. Even though he was gross, he was drunk and influenced by friends to do that. I was not in a good state that night; if he just… died like that, I might not sleep well.
I don’t want him to d*e, nor do I want the Church to think I might lose control over it, so I have to explain this clearly to her.
“I understand,” Margaret said softly.
After saying it, I felt much more at ease and hopped down off the carriage. The magnificent war chariot rolled away, and as I stood watching it disappear for a moment, I turned to head home and spotted a small figure squatting at the gate.
She was hugging her knees and curled up in the shadows, seemingly looking up at me. She hesitated, stood up, and took a couple of steps forward—sunlight spilled onto her round, cute face.
“Aili!” I called out in surprise.
“Sister Peilo, it’s me.”
The little girl’s eyes sparkled with joy, her little braids bobbing as she bounced over to me, her hands behind her back, a little shyly saying, “I’m here…”
It really is Aili… When did she get here? Her nose and forehead were sweaty; she must have waited a long time…
“Sorry. I went out for a bit, and there were no servants at home…”
The little girl smiled sweetly at me.
“It’s okay, sister; I just arrived too.” She bounced back to the gate, her little hands gripping the railings, peering curiously inside, her bright eyes sparkling, “Sister, is this really your home?”
“Yeah.”
I stepped forward, gently pushed open the iron gate, “Come in, let’s go inside. It’s boiling out here.”
“Oh… let me carry your things.”
“No need.”
“It’s okay, give it to me!”
Aili snatched the clothes out of my hands like a little rabbit and darted through the iron gate, and I followed closely behind her.
“So big! So beautiful wow…”
“I’ve never been to such a pretty big house, with a fountain…”
“These flowers are so pretty, did you take care of them, sister?”
“Uh, not me…”
As we walked onto the lawn in the courtyard, Aili was as excited as a little girl who had found her favorite toy, chattering non-stop.
“When I was looking for you earlier, I couldn’t believe you live here. I was scared I’d gotten it wrong and didn’t dare knock… If I got it wrong, I’d be thrown out, haha, I don’t want to get hit.”
“Whoever hits you, I’ll go and hit them.”
As Aili and I made our way through the courtyard to the inner door, she suddenly spotted the muddy shoes that had been tossed outside last night and frowned slightly.
