Haste

Translator: Cinder Translations

...

"May I ask what brings you to see the Duke, Bishop Leonard?"

Earl Kent asked with a smile, though the smile on his face sent a shiver down the bishop's spine.

"I have come regarding some religious matters in the northwest bay that need to be discussed with the Duke."

"Oh, that's easily arranged! Due to health reasons, the Duke has handed all affairs over to me, as I am his heir. Feel free to speak with me about any matters."

Leonard hesitated, "Well… I still need to meet with the Duke."

Earl Kent's expression turned cold. "The Duke is unwell and unable to receive visitors."

Leonard persisted, "In that case, I'll just visit the Duke…"

"Your Grace!"

Maltz Kent's eyes flashed with a dangerous glint.

"I suspect you have another motive for your visit. Have you perhaps been misled by some rumors?"

The so-called "Duke's secret letter" that had leaked from Henry's hands had caused quite a stir in the northwest bay, and it had been giving him a headache.

The letter accused him of using witchcraft to control Duke Fraule.

Well, it was true to some extent, and for that reason, he was absolutely unwilling to allow Duke Fraule to meet anyone he shouldn't, including the current Bishop Leonard.

Leonard looked at Maltz Kent and said, "The pure remain pure, and the corrupt remain corrupt. Earl, what exactly are you afraid of?"

Indeed, Leonard was at the Duke's residence to investigate the suspicions of witchcraft surrounding Maltz Kent, much like his previous visit to Paul Grayman in Alden. Although he didn't need to handle this personally due to his current position, the future Duke of the northwest bay demanded careful attention.

"Humph, this is an affront to my honor."

Maltz Kent stood up abruptly.

"My Kent family has always been loyal to Duke Fraule, as everyone in the northwest bay can see. And now you dare to tarnish my reputation based on baseless slanders fabricated by some traitors of the Fraule family."

"I apologize, Earl, but I will judge for myself whether there is any slander."

"You!"

Maltz Kent felt an immediate urge to imprison the bishop, but the bishop's high status helped him regain his composure.

With a rigid expression, he stared hard at Bishop Leonard and shouted, "Someone, see the guest out!"

Immediately, two fully armed guards rushed in and, in a deep voice, addressed Leonard, "Your Grace, please follow us."

Leonard sighed and slowly stood up, saying, "Earl, I will continue to request an audience with the Duke. If I am consistently denied, I will have no choice but to report to higher authorities."

Earl Kent sneered inwardly: Humph, such threats might work on the smaller lords below, but it's laughable to use them to threaten me, the Duke's heir.

He had heard that this newly appointed bishop was rigid and lacked worldly understanding, and it seemed to be true.

"No matter what you do next, I will appeal to the Kingdom's Archbishop and even to the Holy See. As a regional figure, you are making baseless accusations against a future Duke, seriously damaging his reputation."

Maltz Kent spoke with righteous indignation.

"Furthermore, Bishop Leonard, haven't you heard of the Grayman family's 'fire crossbows' and 'thunder hammers'? They are definitely witchcraft. My troops have just suffered a great loss due to such witchcraft, and there are thousands of witnesses."

Leonard shook his head, "Your Grace, the so-called 'fire crossbows' and 'thunder hammers' are merely advanced weapons. Their official names are 'firearms' and 'cannon.' When I was the head of the North Shore Monastery in Alden Town, I used a magic detection stone to examine them and found no traces of magic. Moreover, Earl Grayman is upright; he agreed to the inspection immediately when I requested it."

Maltz Kent's eyes shifted, and he asked urgently, "You've inspected the 'fire crossbows' and 'thunder hammers'? Then…"

Leonard immediately responded, "I only know that there were no magical traces on the surface. I am not familiar with their internal structure or manufacturing methods. Please do not think too much of it, Your Grace."

Earl Kent snorted coldly, "I suspect it's because you and Paul Grayman are from the same hometown, so you are deliberately shielding him."

"I swear by the Light…"

"No need for further words. Please leave!"

Earl Kent turned and walked away.

Leonard shook his head and followed the guards out.

Earl Kent went to his study and gathered Jaius, Emerson, and several other trusted confidants.

"We can't wait any longer; we must act quickly."

---

Two days later, a major event occurred in Sente City—Duke Fraule had passed away.

The Duke had been suffering from illness since last year, and now he was called to the Lord's embrace. Perhaps it was a good thing for him—many thought so.

As the Duke's heir, Maltz Kent held a grand funeral for him.

Before the attendees, the Earl expressed his grief, saying, "A model of noble kindness has entered the Lord's embrace. Let us inherit his will, quickly end the chaos in the northwest bay, and give the people living here a peaceful and stable homeland."

At the Duke's burial, many noticed that the eulogy was not read by Bishop Leonard, but by an unfamiliar clergyman.

With Duke Fraule gone, Maltz Kent naturally became the new Duke of the Northwest. Upon his succession, he immediately announced to the entire northwest bay his firm intention to eliminate the rebels led by Pryce Park.

However, his initial target was someone else.

On the second day of Maltz Kent's succession, a battalion of fully armed soldiers surrounded the cathedral in Sente City.

The people inside the cathedral were terrified. Ordinary worshippers huddled in corners, shivering, while several priests stood their ground with difficulty.

"What are you doing? This is the holy place of the Lord of Light; you must not be disrespectful."

The leading knight shoved aside a priest blocking his way and shouted, "We have received reports that some high-ranking clergy members in the northwest diocese have been colluding with rebels and interfering in secular affairs. We are here to search for evidence of their crimes. Move out!"

The soldiers behind him stormed into the cathedral, quickly taking control of various areas and searching through everything.

These soldiers couldn't read; as long as they found something they considered suspicious, they would immediately take it away.

Under the threat of gleaming swords and spears, no one dared to obstruct them.

Bishop Leonard, who had come out to investigate the commotion, was trembling with anger. "Maltz Kent, you… you are so bold!"

His room was also searched, and seeing his treasured edition of the "Scripture"—a special copy printed and given to him by Paul Grayman—being roughly handled by the soldiers, the old bishop fainted from shock, and the surrounding priests were thrown into chaos.

Meanwhile, at the Inquisition headquarters on the outskirts of the city, church personnel were also disarmed, and a few church knights who dared to resist were killed on the spot.

The church's armed forces in the northwest bay were not large enough to withstand the power of a Duke. The surrounding army claimed that there were people in the church colluding with rebels, and that the armed forces controlled by the Inquisition might be involved as accomplices. Therefore, before a thorough investigation was completed, they had no choice but to disarm them first.

(End of the Chapter)

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