Chapter 319 – Dalian
The only training hall located in the Cathedral of Mercy, the Citadel of Splendor.
The Cathedral of Mercy, the headquarters of the Celestial Church, is guarded by carefully selected elite paladins. If training is necessary, most of them prefer to use their own training hall or the training hall of the tribe they belong to.
In other words, there is no Paladin who wants to train by damaging the Cathedral of Mercy, where each and every facility is a cultural heritage, and especially the Citadel of Splendor, which has the symbolism of containing traces of the Great Crusade.
However, that common belief is meaningless.
—Roaring…
“Sister Lucille. Is Brother Wolfgang really visiting here today?”
“Yes. Moreover, according to Bishop Richard’s message…”
It was well into the afternoon and the sun was setting at the Castle of Radiance, where unlike usual, numerous paladins wearing pure white armor were gathered in groups of twos and threes.
Excluding the essential security forces, the crowd was such that it would not be an exaggeration to say that all paladins residing in the Cathedral of Mercy were gathered in one place.
Wolfgang looked down at that figure with devastated eyes.
“…He asked me to wait a moment, what on earth is going on?”
“Ah, ahaha… That’s…”
Ophelia sweats and avoids his gaze.
The place where the two are currently located is the internal observatory located on the top floor of the Castle of Dawn, a space prepared for VIPs to easily view events in keeping with the trend at the time of its construction.
Wolfgang was clearly just requesting a simple sparring to gauge the twins’ skills.
It was just dumbfounding because a large-scale event was about to take place.
“Tsk, it took a suspiciously long time.”
When Wolfgang clicked his tongue and expressed his displeasure, Ophelia pursed her lips and made a small excuse.
“I’m sorry, brother! I just asked for permission to use the training hall for the three of you to spar. Grandpa Goldenbaum, stop…”
“What? Who?”
That moment.
—Jump-jump-jump-jump-bump
The sound of someone’s footsteps began to be heard from behind the observatory. The weight felt from the clanking sound is considerable.
Soon, a middle-aged man wearing splendid full-body armor that sparkled in gold appeared.
“Oh my! You’re already here.”
Judging by his clothes and appearance, he seemed quite arrogant at first glance, but after seeing the faces of Ophelia and Wolfgang, he quickly lowered his head.
Could it be that his personality is different from what he appears to be?
As soon as Ophelia saw him, she started screaming at him.
“Oh really! Grandpa Goldenbaum! What if you keep doing things like this without even saying a word? Your brother is in trouble!”
“Heh heh. I’m sorry, saint.”
“No, you should apologize to your brother, not me!”
But Goldenbaum, Goldenbaum.
I’m sure I’ve heard this name a few times before. Wolfgang looked him up and down quickly, while slowly recalling his memory.
“This is why you always fight with Grandpa Malleus! How many times do I tell you to change your bad habits!”
“Huh, heh, heh. Lady, just a moment, just a moment…”
As he was dealing with Ophelia’s nagging, sweat dripping down his face, he took a break from her nagging and held out his right hand towards Wolfgang, who was looking at him closely.
“Hehe, I’m sorry about this. I was so excited that someone important was visiting our school. This old man couldn’t explain it well.”
“…I accept your apology, but honestly, I’m a little embarrassed.”
And, after remembering who he was, Wolfgang thought as he held his outstretched hand.
I guess I can somehow understand why Cardinal Malleus hates this man so much.
“His Excellency Cardinal Goldenbaum, Superior of the Holy Cross.”
“Uh huh, huh, huh! Sir Wolfgang, a hero renowned throughout the empire, recognizes the name of this insignificant old man. This is beyond praise!”
Cardinal Goldenbaum makes a fuss with an exaggerated air.
His appearance was more reminiscent of a seasoned merchant or politician than a priest serving God.
Considering that he is called grandfather by Ophelia, he must be quite old, and if Cardinal Malleus is capable of burning a sense of competition, he must have considerable power within the church.
No matter how promising he is, he can be so cheap to a young man he meets for the first time.
Wolfgang instinctively guessed that his attitude was a mask.
I guess this too is a strategy of its own.
‘Are you intentionally creating an atmosphere that makes rejection difficult? ‘He’s a formidable opponent.’
If it were Wolfgang in the past, he would have been caught off guard by that sloppy appearance.
Recently, Wolfgang, who had often encountered various social leaders due to his position as the princess’s lover and a high-ranking member of the military, was no longer an immature young man who knew nothing about politics.
I also now know how to express my dissatisfaction in a dignified manner.
—Kwaak… !
Wolfgang deliberately put a lot of force into his joined hands.
“Kwaaah?!”
“Hmm? Why are you doing that?”
A firm handshake means you are welcoming the other person.
“Heh, heh… But how long do you plan on holding my hand…”
“Ah. I’m sorry. I stopped thinking so.”
Even if you pretend it was a mistake and crush the other person’s hand a little, there is no problem at all.
Also, if this causes discord, there is no problem.
Now, Wolfgang is no longer just a knight commander who cares about what others think, but is a high-ranking military general and a semi-imperial person. Unless the Pope himself appears, there is no need for him to enter with his head bowed.
“Given the circumstances, it appears that the person who gathered the clergy downstairs was none other than His Majesty. It would have been good if he had told us in advance.”
“Hehe, I’m sorry. As the saint said, it’s one of this old man’s bad habits.”
“Looking at Ophelia, I’ll just skip this time. I hope something like this won’t happen next time.”
However, there is one surprising fact.
He thought that even if he was slightly injured, he would recover on his own since he was a priest, so he deliberately applied force to the point where a decent knight would have broken his bones, but instead of cracking his hand, it ended up hurting a little.
As expected, it looks like he didn’t take over the position of cardinal out of thin air.
After thinking that, Wolfgang relaxed his expression and opened his mouth with a slight smile on his face.
I don’t think he’s an unusual person who can’t understand verbal warnings. There is no longer any reason for him to be rude and cause unnecessary ill will.
“So, what can I do? Can I show the clergy of the church waiting downstairs how we spar?”
“Hehe. As expected, just like I heard, you have a very refreshing personality. That’s right.”
It’s easy to get a general idea of what Cardinal Goldenbaum in front of you wants.
The Order of the Holy Cross is more than just a religious order, it is an organization that acts as a command tower that oversees the entire Holy Knights.
Together with the Heresy Inquisition, it can be said to be the two major mountain ranges responsible for the church’s military power. So, if you really look at that man, Cardinal Goldenbaum, he would be the twins’ distant superior.
As such, Cardinal Goldenbaum’s purpose was to demonstrate his influence by making it seem like he had invited Wolfgang. Or perhaps he wanted to keep his rival, Cardinal Malleus, in check, with whom Wolfgang was very close.
It was obvious that it would be one of the two.
In that case, it would be better to adjust the rhythm appropriately here. It was a bit of a pity for Cardinal Malleus, but factional strife within the church was none of Wolfgang’s business.
It would always be helpful to have some debt on Cardinal Goldenbaum’s side as well.
After thinking that, Wolfgang relaxed his shoulders and looked down at the observation deck.
And then he mumbled without thinking.
“Right now?”
“Well, that’s not true. After the twins enter first…”
Cardinal Goldenbaum is horrified and retreats.
‘Wow, you really like showing it off. The people below you will have a hard time.’
Wolfgang frowned slightly.
As expected, given his personality, he had a more humanistic crush on Cardinal Malleus than on this person.
“Well, I understand.”
“Hehe. Thank you. Then, the three of us can have a quick tea with the saint…”
When Cardinal Goldenbaum gestured, prospective monks who looked to be about fifteen years old filed into the observatory, holding tea tables as if they had been waiting.
When did you prepare something like that again?
Ofelia seemed to think that she was being too extravagant, but she, who had been quietly watching the conversation between the two men next to her, came forward and criticized her.
“Ah! Grandpa Goldenbaum, don’t make me do weird things like that, really!”
“Hehe. Speaking of which, doesn’t the saint always eat the most snacks?”
“Ugh…”
I was left speechless by Cardinal Goldenbaum’s calm response.
Wolfgang was watching with interest and bringing his tea to his lips.
“Waaaaah!”
At the sound of shouts coming from downstairs, Wolfgang immediately stood up.
“Hehe, brother. Please wait a little longer. There’s still a turn…”
Then Cardinal Goldenbaum tried to stop him with his signature artificial smile.
In the first place, the one that was disappointing was that one.
There was no reason for Wolfgang to allow such convenience.
Wolfgang, neatly ignoring his words, approached the railing and looked down.
The twins appear in the center of the training ground with shouts.
“…Brother?”
It seemed like he could hear a voice trying to stop him from behind.
“Hmm.”
It had been a long time since a large-scale event like this had been held for Wolfgang, so his blood boiled a little.
The worries didn’t last long.
“Brother, brother?!”
—Taat
Leaving behind a scream full of astonishment.
Wolfgang immediately jumped down the railing.
