What Happens When The Second Male Lead Powers Up [EN]: Chapter 472

#472

Grandfather and the Blizzard of the North Sea (4)

“High Proctor.”

Ronalte Rüpert, who had been inspecting the dusty library, turned to the young voice.

A sub-deacon was looking at him from the wide-open door.

“His Eminence, Cardinal Ari Schött, requests an audience.”

“……”

He nodded silently, and the girl bowed and scurried away backwards.

It was to escort the guest.

The Cardinal’s deep eyes moved to look out the window.

“…Then bring the ladder over here! No, this way!”

-Thump!

“Yes, sir!”

In the winter desert, the Temple of the Boundary was still under heavy construction.
The site where the debris had been cleared was now piled high with materials and equipment for reconstruction.

It wasn’t exactly snowing or cold enough to warrant winter clothes, but the temperature was definitely much lower than in the summer. The workers, who were outside all day, occasionally warmed themselves by the bonfire. The paladins encouraged them, raising their voices here and there, and checking the progress. Their special aether [a powerful, magical energy] was also of great help.

“Your Eminence, have you had your meal?”

Around that time, a subtle voice echoed from behind him. The High Proctor slowly turned around. His face was as expressionless as ever.

“…Welcome, Your Eminence.”

“Yes. It has been a while since I have requested an audience like this.”

…Cardinal Ari Schött.

He was a member of the neutral faction within the Papal States and an elder who had recently been drawing Rüpert’s attention with his pro-imperial actions.

Now, the only high-ranking clerics left in the temple were Schött and the neutral elders, along with the High Proctor. Most of the clerics from the Holy State had fled to their hometowns as soon as the war broke out, and they could never set foot in the desert again. With the Emperor watching the roads with his eyes wide open, it was questionable whether they could return even if they risked their lives.

And the Imperial soldiers who remained here called the High Proctor ‘Venetian’s Watchdog’ [a derogatory term implying he is loyal to Venice]. It meant that the High Proctor, who did not budge even though the war was caused by the unilateral fault of one side, was no different from a dog of the Holy State. It was also meant to criticize him for never standing up for the neutral zone. At least in the eyes of the Riester people, a leader who did not act was not a leader. The monarchs they had served for generations were great men who did something, even if they failed. Therefore, the High Proctor, who was only interested in the superficiality and formalities of the temple, was naturally the target of insults.

Rüpert was aware of all of this, but he tolerated it. It wasn’t like it was a new thing.

“I see. What brings you here?”

“I came to ask if you have been watching the skies these days.”

“……”

A silence as gritty as sand filled the air. The High Proctor stared at Schött, who stood as upright as an old tree.

“Regarding the white lines that have appeared in the sky, what are the thoughts of the one who oversees the Papal States?”

“……”

“Shouldn’t you reveal the interpretation soon? Not only is there a war between the two countries, but natural disasters are also occurring, so the anxiety of the people of both countries must be considerable. What about the feelings of the neutral zone residents who have nowhere to turn?”

“……”

As the circulating criticisms said, Rüpert was a person who did not take a single step beyond the temple grounds. However, he was perfectly aware of everything that happened within it. So he knew well that the old man before him had incited his colleagues through the neutral faction’s council, which was held once every quarter, and had finally handed over various information about the Holy State to the Riester Emperor. It didn’t matter how old the intelligence was or how much it helped the Empire. The key point was that Schött was no longer someone who could be called a ‘neutral faction’. A traitor to faith. The High Proctor tilted his head almost imperceptibly.

“I am perplexed. As you know, I am not the Holy Father.”

“Yes. You hold the title of High Proctor.”

“Therefore, I have nothing to say about the great will or plan of the Main God.”

“Your Eminence… I don’t know why you are doing this.”

Then Schött made a pitiful expression. The High Proctor stood up straight and looked down at the old man.

“With all due respect, I did not nominate you as High Proctor in the mutual election. This is because I was concerned about such a result. However, at the time, your mechanical neutrality was well received. You have great insight and never take sides, so you were the perfect choice to balance between the two countries.”

“……”

“But that is also a thing of the past.”

The old man looked up at the High Proctor with his unique, mysterious eyes. There was an unyielding dignity in his old voice.

“Do you still believe that not acting is the best course of action?”

“Of course.”

Rüpert replied in a monotone voice.

Schött closed his eyes and took a deep breath. The High Proctor was an inhuman figure ‘in a neutral sense’. He seemed more like a doll sent down by the Main God to further exacerbate the current situation. The old man continued calmly.

“…Some time ago, Cardinal Aurelius Boutier visited this library.”

“That is correct.”

“The sky cracked on that very day. It is a truly mysterious coincidence.”

The old man spoke as if he were telling an old tale.

“After that, an unprecedented torrential rain poured down, causing a great flood in Venetian and forcing the Holy State army to carry out a massive retreat. Emperor Frederick advanced inland without hesitation. In the sky after the rain cleared, a second white line appeared.”

“……”

“But now, rumors are rife that the Holy State’s black market has collapsed.”

The veins in the old man’s neck were standing out. Schött firmly supported the hand holding his cane with his other hand.

“It is said that the Great Earth Divine Object [a powerful artifact] was sealed there. The ‘Spirit of Iran’, which our neutral elders could not find even if they devoted their entire lives to it, is rumored to be trapped and suffering in such a place, and the rumors are being spread by the mouths of children.”

“……”

“I heard that the Empire liberated it, and the Divine Object blesses them and does not leave their side. It is said that a third line appeared in the sky on that very day.”

“……”

Two pairs of eyes intertwined complexly in the air. Wrinkles like sand patterns were etched around the old man’s eyes.

“Do you still not understand? You are far too knowledgeable to be taught by an old man in the back room…”

“……”

“The Main God is revealing his will. Surely, that thing in the sky is a miracle appearing on the continent to convey his words. Especially in a way that helps the Riester Empire.”

“Do not dare to falsely claim the will of the Main God.”

“Do not dare to hide the will of the Main God with the word ‘false claim’. It is not a threat to an old man who is about to die.”

The old man began to laugh. Rüpert simply remained silent. He was someone who had survived that way his entire life.

Eventually, Schött, who had changed the direction of his cane, moved his steps.

“Since you are going to maintain ‘neutrality’ this time as well, I respect the High Proctor’s decision. If you believe that is the way to protect the Papal States, then it cannot be helped. But you must remember this one thing.”

Then, standing in front of the massive entrance, he turned back to look at the High Proctor one last time.

“Perhaps the Main God will finally bestow the Holy Grail upon us. Are you preparing for that day, Your Eminence?”

Only then did Rüpert’s eyes widen for the first time.

Instead of continuing, Schött only slightly raised the corners of his lips and walked away. The Holy Grail. The most sacred cup that holds the tears of God. In other words…

“The Regency of the Main God.”

It meant that a Pope might be born at the end of this war.

Rüpert stood there for a while, unable to move.

*

That’s how a few more days passed smoothly.

Of course, it wasn’t all happy and joyful. Jericho had become a city where more than half of it, including the black market, had collapsed and could not be guaranteed to be restored, and the number of patients in the monastery, which had turned into a hospital ward, did not decrease at all. If someone clung to life on one side, someone else would let go of the world’s hand.

Still, we didn’t give up hope. Yesterday was definitely better than the day before, and today was clearly better than yesterday. The city was slowly but surely regaining its vitality.

-Whoosh…

And that could be seen just by looking at the faces of the people walking around the streets. I sat on the saddle of Arumhardt and observed the surroundings.

“Wow, the air is cold. I can already smell winter strongly.”

-Clatter, clatter, clatter

Every day after Bishop Blaise’s soul healing was over, I went out to the tent village to heal other patients. I attended military conferences once or twice and sat down with His Highness Stanislas to carve arrows. In the meantime, we certainly had some wonderful events. For example—

“Mr. Morhan, am I going too fast? Should I go a little slower?”

“Don’t treat me like a child, Palace Master. I’ve lived ten times longer than you.”

“Hahaha.”

The fact that ‘Informant’ Morhan had woken up!

I laughed out loud and looked at the round back of her head in the front seat. She was in a very weakened state, but at the same time, she desperately wanted to live. Since opening her eyes, she had never left any of her patient meals and often went for walks. Yesterday, for the first time, she recalled memories of ‘that day’.

‘He recognized me.’

‘…That was that child’s choice.’

Morhan, no—the last moments of my beloved sister ‘Noel’.

“By the way, the cold wind is blowing so early. The weather is strange.”

“Is that so? His Grandfather Eminence also said something similar. He said the wind is unusual.”

“Yes. Usually, you don’t feel this cold until mid-January…”

Her large eyes looked up at the sky. The crumpled, dark clouds filled the sky, facing her.

“Could it be that the griffin’s flapping is affecting even this far?”

“Excuse me? What?”

-Flapping

I couldn’t believe the sentence I just heard, so I asked twice. Arum stopped abruptly, flapping his ears, and Bakari, who had come as my escort today—a non-combat mage but said to be better at fighting than Nana and François—blinked his eyes.

What’s flapping?

“…Come to think of it, you wouldn’t know. Well, how would foreigners know about a strange rumor that is unfamiliar even to the people of the Holy State?”

Ms. Morhan muttered something like a sigh and then cast her gaze far away. We hurriedly followed her gaze. Beyond the horribly collapsed tavern ‘Unforgiven Wine’….

“……”

“……”
The black market, which had high fences, sharp iron thorns on them, and several layers of mana barriers on the outside, was visible. To be exact, the traces of that place. A huge, dark pit of black magic.

“Ms. Morhan, shall we go back to the castle and continue the story?”

“…No. It was a place that had to become like that someday. I am very grateful to you.”

The informant answered in a low tone, then turned to me and lowered her voice even more.

“How much do you know about griffins?”

I’ve even met one.

“Well…. Only as much as I read in books. It’s a monster from very old continental myths, and it’s treated as an ancestor of modern magical beasts along with dragons.”

“You only know as much as the common people. Is it okay for a child who is said to be favored by the Imperial Family to be like that?”

Why are you suddenly hitting people….

“There is a saying that one flap of a griffin’s wings can destroy a city, turn a fortress back into dirt, and turn humans into dust.”

Bakari, who had been listening to the conversation quietly, added seriously. Then Ms. Morhan nodded.

“No one believes it, but there is a rumor that griffins appear in the northern part of the Holy State.”