Chapter 5.3 : Clergies
As I stood there, in a somewhat isolated part of this room, me and the princess were humbly bowed by one of the Archbishops of Albion, Maurice of Collrées, the Archbishop of Collrées, one of the 5 members in Amadela's College of Archbishops. To put it simply this person of the white robe, slightly thin yet tall, and mustachee man is another powerful piece in this Kingdom. Though his creepy smile gave a lot of mix messages, I still believe that he is more of an NPC (Non Playable Character) rather than a player in this court.
"Yes… I thank you Archbishop Maurice and of course, every support and/or service that came from people like you are much needed and appreciated!" Though his face was still slightly off-put because of the smile, I managed to muster a relaxed face and a well-mannered tone when thanking him.
"As a humble vassal should do! But… of course… I must know first who the master am I about to faithfully serve!" He said. "So, tell me, Lord Protector… do you believe in God? specifically of course our God! Lux."
The question weirdly didn't catch me off guard, considering the line of profession he is in, but that tone though… I mean I knew what the answer is, but it's as if I need to answer the right answer or something unexpected would slam into my face.
"Considering your God brought us willy-nilly to this world, I do believe that he exists, though if you're asking if I have a faith in him… then the answer is, I don't know?" His face was not that of a shock nor disgust, but weirdly, an intrigued one when he heard my answer. "Considering that me, my two friends, and my teacher have only been here for a couple of days, we certainly don't have a satisfying answer for you." As dodgy as I could, I answered his question while trying to not step into a landmine and by the looks of his face, I think I dodge all the landmines.
"Hmm… it is true that the four of you have been here for a couple of days…. So please then, enjoy our customs, traditions, and of course, religion! Get to know us more, which I hope not far from the future I will have that answer from you, your two friends, and your teacher!" He said. "Ohh and I want to congratulate as well on this joyous event, as well as… on what you have done to the Solei brothers!"
Shit…. how the fuck was that leaked?? Fuck… if I have a whistle-blower in that council, some things that would conflict with the church are going to be blocked by them, damn it, loyal to me my ass, of course, they have their own agenda you fuckin idiot!
"Well, it's a pleasure meeting you Lord Protector, I have some business to deal with that boy over there!" he then gazed and pointed at Alaxandair, with a stern look at his eyes, I could feel that it was important so… I dismissed him.
I took a sigh after that tense encounter, the fact that he knew about my handling with the Solei brothers was deeply concerning and quite annoying too in fact, I knew right there he was an opponent to not be provoked. Thankfully he only hinted about the Solei brothers in front of me and the princess, but... that was just wishful thinking in my part.
"He knows because I know, L-O-R-D P-R-O-T-E-C-T-O-R" as she said my title slowly, I could feel the fiery anger behind her tone.
While looking straight at me with a huge cartoony twitch around her forehead, I realized that she pulled me from the grand dukes was not only to savor myself from an embarrassing, though could be an entertaining, watch, she 100% was about to ask me about the Solei brother.
"I don't know what you are talking about…" I said as confidently as I could to avoid suspicions.
"Cut the confident act Lord Protector! I've dealt with many people like you who tried to slither away with their silver tongues!" She snapped at me. "I know about the Solei's miner slaves and that... little Fada girl, and I know how you cut a deal with them, you even dragged my father and brother to this little scheme of yours! How could the second hero make a deal with a slaver and a pedophile?!"
"…." Silence is the only thing I could muster after hearing her rambling.
"At first I thought it was just a normal day at the office, Lady Chloé, every a blue moon or so, brought slaves to me from a noble who have wronged them. I free them and prosecute those nobles, but when these particular slaves came, she didn't even say who's their previous master were." She stopped a moment. "That girl… she was the one who unravel everything to me and Sapphire, then it shocked me further when Sapphire told me how you made a deal with the Solei brothers, I… questioned myself, did I really summon the second heroes? Or did Lux send us monsters who will destroy this world! I just… don't know what the answer is, just… please tell me why?"
"I know this is something that is against your religion's teaching, but tell me, which one in this room has the skill and talent to organize and operate a mining operation? while we are at it, which one in this room is loyal to me? Or at least loyal to the crown?" I asked her.
"… I do not know people who has that skill and talent, but there are a lot here who are loyal to the crown, to my father!" she said.
"Claiming loyalty is easy princess and it might even be true that some here are truly loyal to the crown, but that is meaningless if they are just another yes man!" I stated.
"So that's why you cut a deal with a slaver and a pedophile?!" she let out a sarcastic and a livid tone.
"YE- NO! Damn it…" I paused after that brief blunder. "Princess! No deal was made under the shadows, no agreement nor cooperation was created okay! I don't have any intentions to empower them, the Soleis are, by all means, under the crown's thumb, and chopping their heads off will be a waste of free high-quality human resources!"
"But…" as she was about to make her case again, I cut her off.
"Look princess, the Soleis are probably the only nobles with any kind of significance under the crown's thumb and it's going to be a long time to replace them and even adding more to it, but I promise you this like how I promise this to your brother too!" I said.
"That is?" I caught her attention.
"They will answer for their crimes and atrocities! Every crime they made against all living beings in your world will have consequences, I will personally go to them, arrest them, and brought them on their knees to you, your brother, and your father. That is what I promise to you!" I valiantly swore to her.
She stood quietly there, probably thinking if my words can be trusted. If I was her, I would still doubt my own promise because I know that the Solei brothers will always be of use for the crown, their crimes are heinous, yet they have a skill that I don't have, it's hard, but ideals are just ideals if you can't run and develop a country.
"Fine…." An annoyed mannerism could be seen as well as a reluctant tone from the princess.
I nodded, thanking her for cooperation in this weird scheme I hatched up.
After that, it popped into my mind, the girl.
"So, how's the girl?" I asked concernedly.
"Her name is Roison and it's... terrible, at the moment she's under my care until I could find an orphanage that could take care of her…" she said as if she was a mother of six.
"I get the trauma, I did read Jacques' journal and what he did to her, but how bad is it really?" I asked.
she took a concerned breather. "Three and two nights ago she had a nightmare attack, saying things like 'please let me go', 'it tastes gross', 'I want to go home', and I think this isn't going to be the last.
But what's more concerning is when she is awake, she's reclusive, silent, and all around depressed, and the cherry on top of this trauma is that she is very fearful when she saw any men even Áron her own kind, poor girl…" the princess with a saddened tone stated that to me.
"So how are you holding up?" I asked in concern of her.
"Truthfully, it's hard, after only a brief couple days with her I found a new sense of respect to motherhood and the sisters who could handle people like Roison!" she stated. "And… I hate to admit it, I think I can't handle nor care for her, with the duties I have as the High Priestess as well as the Princess of this kingdom." After that, she let out a huge sigh as if releasing years' worth of stress. "If only there's someone that knows how to care for her…" the princess quietly muttered.
Hearing her complaining and admitting she can't do everything was somehow… quite relieving and somewhat puzzling for me. I do admit that I like to listen to people, and I have listened too many complaints from Arthur and Eleanna alone as well as some of the rants that miss Marie drooled on about whenever I am in her office.
But it puzzled me on why is she telling me all of this? Isn't this kind of personal? But nonetheless seeing a humbling statement from a blue-blooded person like her is somewhat satisfying. It has always been a win in my book as well as a good sight when a human, highborn or lowborn, admits that they are human.
Thinking back about that girl I immediately thought of miss Marie, she would be excellent at taking care of that girl, I mean she did told me that she has worked in an orphanage for two or three years, and considering how she somewhat patch me up, I think… she could do what she has done to me.
Speak of the devil…
Miss Marie then suddenly appeared and was walking towards us, from her somewhat calm walking mannerism, it shows that it wasn't something important, but her face says otherwise. It wasn't a gruff serious face, but it was quite dense enough for me to guess it's quite the important message being carried.
"Martyn, his majesty wants to talk to you!" after arriving in front of me and the princess, she relayed the message.
"Ohh? Hmm… well, I'll be on my way then!" I hurried myself but stopped at the middle and went back to them.
"And princess! If you want someone who can take care of that girl, you should talk to miss Marie here! She basically raised me, and she can handle what that girl stores, bye!" I walked away and headed straight to the king but not far enough to not hear this from miss Marie who knew right away what I meant by this.
"Huh… so where is this girl?"