Chapter 31 - The Shrew's Choice (3)

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"I know. Born as a member of one of the top ten noble families in the Holy Kingdom, you were pushed out of the domestic power struggle due to your upright character. You came here to take office as the Lord of the Archdiocese, but you are still suffering every day because you do not have the power to drive out the corrupt priests who hold real power.

But now, what does that matter? Two of the three major relics of the church are now in your hands. And the biggest difference between the Holy Kingdom and other countries is that most of its power is based on the degree of faith. And wouldn't these holy relics serve as strong evidence of faith that no one can refute?"

"...What do you want from me?" 

"Do not worry. What I ask is very simple," I said to the Archbishop, spreading my fingers one by one, "First. These relics were discovered by Your Grace. Externally, I have nothing to do with this. No one other than me and Your Grace should know that I delivered the holy relic to you. 

I'd like to ask for the Seal of Silence, but I believe that you, who are known to be upright, do not need to go that far. Swear. Never reveal this to anyone."

"Uh... hmm...well…"

Contrary to my expectations that he would immediately give an affirmative answer, the archbishop was surprisingly hesitant to give an immediate answer. 

He avoided eye contact, fidgeting uncomfortably. After all, burdening oneself with the knowledge of possessing two incredibly valuable relics could be psychologically taxing.

"Your Grace. Swear, please."

"Well... huff... I understand. I will never reveal this to others. I swear it upon my honor."

Upon my urging, the Archbishop finally made his oath, seemingly firm in his decision. While the delay in his response was somewhat surprising, he was not one to lie in that regard. If he harbored ulterior motives, he wouldn't have left his homeland for this place. With no viable alternatives, I had no choice but to trust him.

I spread my second finger and continued to convey my conditions to him, "Second. In exchange for the relic, please provide holy water to our family. This archbishopric is the same as the headquarters of the Holy Kingdom in the empire. All goods sent from the Church pass through this Archbishopric before reaching their homeland.

Even if you have no real power, you should be able to exercise some discretion to divert some of that amount for other purposes. Well, now that you have the relic, you will have more power as well."

"Where on earth are you going to use so much holy water?"

"I just need a little stockpile. As you know, our territory is adjacent to the Forbidden Land, so the people in the territory often suffer from the mana that comes flying in. It is not an act that goes against the teachings of the doctrine because it is not for personal gain but for the suffering people."

"...I understand. I will try to adjust the amount of holy water going to the homeland within a reasonable range."

"And my last condition is for you, Your Grace, to return to the Holy Kingdom. Return there with the relic, announce to the people that Saintess Cynthia's relics have returned, and establish your presence as the one who brought them. You are not a person without ability, just strong-willed. If you return to the motherland, you will be able to do things like taking a high-ranking position and holding the center without difficulty.

If the Holy Kingdom is to be prevented from sinking into the abyss any further, it needs people like you. These three things are what I want from you in return for the relic."

"...Is that all?" As I finished speaking, the Archbishop, with widened eyes, asked in a tone of disbelief.

I have already told you my condition."

"Is that really the condition of someone who brought two relics...? Haha... How ridiculous... Who are you..." The archbishop laughed in dismay, and in the end accepted all my conditions and promised to fulfill them faithfully.

As the conversation came to an end, he apologized for misunderstanding me, and I readily accepted his apology.

The archbishop and I agreed to contact each other separately if anything happens, so I left Westford after finishing my business here.

And only after a long time had passed, I remembered Sanders, who would be eagerly awaiting the reward I would give him.

* * * * *

Archbishop Timothy felt as if he had just experienced a vivid dream.

Throughout the history of the Holy Kingdom, there had been countless individuals claiming to have found relics. The allure was simple – if one could deceive even once, they could swiftly seize both wealth and honor.

Hence, there were many who schemed with the hope of achieving such a feat. However, those who successfully passed the rigorous procedures of the Holy Kingdom were nonexistent, and even the hair of the revered Saintess, the sole means of final verification, was dwindling with time, leaving only a few strands.

The Holy Kingdom also continued to offer a reward for the relics externally, but internally, there was a growing mood to give up.

But at that time, a young aristocrat appeared before him.

At first, Timothy thought he was just another person who came to offer a bribe under the guise of a donation, but when he heard his name and the surname Reed, he could confirm from the directory of the aristocrats' yearbook that he was the son of Albert Reed, who had been in contact with him in the past.

He wondered if this was a coincidence, so he was going to give him a cup of tea and send him away, but the person dared to utter the word 'relic' and tried to deceive him.

Initially, rage surged within Timothy, and he even entertained the idea of summoning the knights and punishing him on the spot.

But surprisingly, the object he brought was really, really a relic.

He shed tears at the sight of that unbelievable miracle, but on the other hand, he was also afraid of what Edwin would ask for in return for bringing the relic.

But what he wanted was neither wealth nor fame, but only the peace and well-being of the people in his territory.

The conditions he presented were incredibly small compared to the gift he brought.

What is his true identity? How could Edwin have brought two relics that no one else could find? The Archbishop could not make heads or tails of it.

'Even the darkness of the Holy Kingdom, which an outsider could not even know, was accurately understood.'

The Holy Kingdom was a faithful and devout nation that represented humans and accepted the will of the three gods on the outside, but its interior had been rotting for a long time.

In recent years, even the high-ranking leaders of the Holy Kingdom enjoyed such depravity on a daily basis, to the point where receiving bribes disguised as donations from branches in other countries was considered a cute gesture.

The fact that he came to the Archbishopric of Westford was partly due to pressure from his superiors, but also partly due to his own desire not to see such a sight.

But to himself, who was living a life of escape, Edwin said, 'Go back and fulfill your duty.'

In addition, he avoided answering my question about the source of the relic, saying that it was a kind of thing that he could not understand.

At first, I suspected that he had acquired it in an unfair way, but I realized that it was not the case. Then, perhaps...

"Did he receive a revelation?"

It was not a common occurrence, but throughout history, there have been those who claimed to have received revelations from the gods.

If Edwin had received a revelation, then it could explain everything, from how he was able to acquire the relic, to why he did not desire wealth or fame, to why he asked Timothy to return to the Holy Kingdom and take center stage instead of himself, who was limited by his status as a nobleman…

—Thud!

Suddenly, there was a sound of something falling behind the archbishop, who was lost in his own thoughts.

Yes, that's right...He forgot about them. Looks like he was getting old, because he keeps forgetting things these days.

Earlier, he forgot that Edwin was by his side for a moment and was immersed in emotion in front of the relic, creating an embarrassing situation for a while. 

Archbishop Timothy sighed heavily. 

"Sigh... Come out now."

The archbishop spoke to the curtain by the window, but there was no reaction from there as if it were a matter of course.

If someone who didn't know saw this, they might think that the archbishop had gone crazy at an early age.

"Come out, I said. Lord Reed is gone, so there's no point in hiding there anymore. I promise I won't scold you, so come out."

The archbishop spoke to the curtain again, and this time there was movement; something wiggled behind the thick curtain, and soon revealed its true form.

"Hehe... Father…"

The identity of what was hiding was a beautiful girl wearing a robe embroidered with gold thread and a veil that was also lavishly decorated; a girl, with bright white hair and blue eyes, smiled awkwardly as she poked her head out from behind the curtain and walked out cautiously.

If you want to read the first 25 chapters for free and read up to the final chapter for a cheap price patreon.com/Makima02