Chapter 328 – 32. Grand Banquet (8)
The biting cold ran through my skin and resonated deep in my bones. Every time I stepped on the slippery roof and jumped, the bruised area stung. Still, if there was one thing that Inquisitor Olivia did not hesitate to criticize, it was definitely her faith.
There was a wicked nobleman’s trick behind the transformation of an ordinary nun at Brünnhild Monastery into a fanatic who would do anything. She was a faithful monk who lived in the workhouse to practice her faith in her Lord. After that incident, she was no more.
Breaking through her heavily guarded perimeter, Olivia soared between the exterior walls of her mansion and the trees, and soon she landed next to a window. Thanks to the signal fire she lit in advance, she recognized the request for contact and confronted the woman with one of her glass doors between them.
“Olivia, what happened?”
Marguerite Dior, the calmness created by her flowing dark brown hair and long, narrow eyes, was just the two of her.
“The operation was a failure, Grand Abbess.”
As someone who was involved in religion, she was frugal, and she was attractive even in simple, unadorned clothes. Likewise, the sight of her and the interrogator Olivia, who boasts of her outstanding beauty, is like a painting.
“I think it will be difficult to follow the Lord’s calling this time.”
Of course, in a feudal society, sometimes, like these two people, dazzling beauty can become a major obstacle in life. It’s true, if a prominent nun of the order had visited this winter residence with hostile intentions, she would have become a pitiful prisoner before long.
The spell cast by the best mystic scholar in the region against intruders was still effective.
“All members of the Sisters of Battle of Le Verrier have been arrested except for the five senior sisters. Even if you are somehow released from detention, it will be a long time before you can resume your mission. Accordingly, I ordered the remaining personnel to kidnap the three lords’ wives and then retreat to Saint-Buch.”
It’s a paradoxical fact, but on the other hand, the reason why the nuns who caused such a disturbance were able to be safe was also in the same context. If Olivia and the other nuns weren’t so beautiful, they would have been wiped out already.
By that fearsome young lady, Lucien.
“Incidentally, the reason I came to see you was not just to report on the situation. There was one question I wanted to ask. Depending on your answer, you may be held liable, so please answer carefully.”
“Yes, please say so.”
“It wasn’t Lemoin and the three northern lord families that stood in our way. It was just the central royal guard. There was a skirmish with Anais the Red Mace, whom you warned us to be careful about, but you never said that things would turn out like this.”
The wise king’s trust in the northern frozen land can only be traced to one person: Baron Ardennes. Since they had been hostile to the existing noble family, Lemoin, until recently, it was safe to assume that there was no one other than Romuald Arden who could attract them.
In short, Olivia sensed his unexpected hostility for that reason and raised it as an issue.
“The power of Lumiere’s invincible knight is not something that people like me should deal with. “He is the one who will have a slim chance of winning even if he brings not only Le Berry but all the armed forces that are said to be powerful in the church.”
“Rom is a good kid. No matter how noble a cause he may be, if he has to make even a small sacrifice, he won’t let it go. That’s why my original instructions were to find something that could be a weakness for sisters Oriane and Henrietta and the three lords.”
Marguerite spoke with a very stern expression. She seemed somewhat sensitive, as if even a woman with a reputation for kindness could not help but face important family issues. After all, her argument that followed was truly a straight argument.
“She wants the child to no longer be deceived by those around him, so that he can understand what the Lord’s will is and what is justice. But I don’t understand why Interrogator Olivia looks for their failures in strange places.”
With her arms crossed there was nothing more that her nun of Brünnhild could say in response. She was convinced that Olivia would do her duty and she took a step back. And only then did Marguerite sigh, glance at the indoor doorway for a moment, and finally open her mouth.
“I was always conflicted, but I was able to make up my mind by watching the live broadcast of the duel trial that took place in the eastern part of the country. I was reluctant when I first saw it, but now I am more confident. “The old sisters of Aquitaine are evil women who only want to exploit Rom.”
Dior, as the famous daughter of a famous family, she was well-versed in how those who wielded her power exploited the innocent and naive. So, if I dared to look ahead, the only path I could see was that the Baron would ultimately be purged.
“We must take action to prevent those wicked things from ruining my brother’s life. To do that, I’m willing to pay any price. The order given by the Archabbess of Gaul is still valid, and the Sisters of Battle of Le Verrier, Inquisitor Olivia, must continue to achieve their intended goals.”
“As the Grand Abbess, a nun of the order, and someone who has dedicated everything to the Lord, I humbly accept your request to fulfill my calling. However, it is true that the attitude you are showing now feels extremely blasphemous, as if a false love of family takes precedence over faith.”
“If so, please file a formal objection. All you have to do is submit a charge of abuse of power against Marguerite Dior to His Excellency the Archbishop and the inspection body, and wait for the results. Of course, you must faithfully follow the instructions given until disciplinary action is taken.”
Even though she was calm in everything, she couldn’t help but be nervous about this issue. The fact that the royal elite suddenly arrived in the frozen land meant that they had already identified the cause of the disturbance seen in the Le Moant family and had taken action.
There was a high probability that Oriane and Henrietta were doubting themselves.
If you keep quiet like this, the reverse will happen. If even the super-strong tactics of the Sisters of the Battle of Le Verrier don’t work, there is only one way left. It is about demonstrating one’s skills without considering the possible repercussions. All-out war.
“When it is not possible, you can use your holy power. If that’s the case, we’ll be able to easily shake off Anais and Rom’s pursuit.”
“Are you crazy? Holy power was not given just to be used for things like this.”
“How can carrying out the Lord’s will be insignificant?”
A bitter wind blew. Although it was a metaphor, it was also true in reality. Unlike Olivia, who was a highly skilled talent, Marguerite, who was just an ordinary woman, nevertheless did not bat an eye. Even though the cold weather was fiercely approaching, I just fought back confidently.
“Olivia, you know this is already a temple. If that devout child gains control of the northern frozen land, the true doctrine will not only spread here, but can even reach Kamarg.”
“… Tsk.”
“Then the road to the empire and the vast Rus will be opened. There is an opportunity to educate everyone, from those who have defiled the name of the heavenly gods through apostasy to those who serve false deities like the Lord God. In other words, this work is part of a holy mission.”
“It’s not that I don’t know that. It was probably because of that calculation that the Archbishop gave his strength to award the title to Baron Ardennes. But as you said, in order to see the big picture, you have to be able to consider the small details.”
“I’m counting. So, I’m asking you to continue.”
Strictly speaking, Albert Monet’s purpose was not to expand his church. The Archbishop of Gaul is a man whose true intentions are as unpredictable as his calm mentality. The holy king of Etruria probably wanted to destroy all countries that believed in heresy, but contrary to the expectations of the two women, he was not interested in petty religious authority.
It was probably a good thing for them.
‘For the sake of the church, the North should fall into the hands of his brother? What will it be like? I’m not completely opposed to that opinion, but if the Margrave is changed to a Baron, I think you’ll change your position soon, right?’
‘Of course. I don’t want any kind of war. All we hope for is a peaceful stalemate. The current situation is unusual, considering that Emilien, who had been hiding for a long time, suddenly came to visit and gave a warning.’
Duke Dajeong’s advice to leave the center and settle in the north was, in other words, a tip to prepare for the coming war. The words of my younger brother, who never spoke in vain from a young age, were worth keeping in mind.
‘Soon the storm will come. We have to prepare for that time. This is not for me, but for my precious child. He can never back down.’
‘I can’t help it. No matter what the archbishop’s intentions are, it is true that as long as the abbot does not go against him, he must follow her orders…’
Marguerite, with a brilliant mind befitting a millennial, continued.
“Let’s do it like this.”
The window, which was hard to open because it was frozen, was opened with great difficulty, and the interrogator, who was hanging precariously, was brought inside. Then, I rummaged through the drawer where I had unpacked my luggage, took out a small dagger, and handed it to him.
“The maid of this mansion will return in a little while. From then on, he wanted to do a play with me. If done well, it may be a trick that can turn a difficult situation around.”
“What kind of play?”
“They are pretending to hold me hostage. Pretending to have received instructions from Oriane Lemoin, he gives clues in a non-obvious way. “At the right time, he stabs me in a place where my life is not in danger and runs away.”
If there is no reason, you make it. Françoise, who has a deep relationship with the baron, would have no choice but to convey the news that his wife may be a shady person. If that’s the case, you can just start working in a place with more people.
“According to Gallic law, an assassination plot between nobles is exempt from capital punishment if it is an attempt.”
“I see, it doesn’t change that it’s a serious crime, but…”
“It will be resolved through confiscation of property and title and lifetime pension.”
Once that happens, it will be easy to purge the two villains who are ruining her younger brother’s future.
“I agree that it is a worthwhile attempt. Certainly, with a blade of this magnitude, a stab wound to the abdomen would look like a fatal wound. “If you puncture the spleen well, you may be able to recover within a few days, contrary to appearance.”
“That’s good. There is nothing better.”
“However, each person’s body structure is slightly different, and even for a skilled person like me, it is not easy to avoid and stab only important organs in an emergency. “I think you need to know that.”
Nodding, Marguerite’s eyes full of determination stared at Olivia.
“I am prepared.”
No further conversation was necessary.
“Okay, then come here.”
Her interrogator, recognizing her bravery in confronting her enemy, immediately hugged her from behind. I mumbled that the scent wafting from her cold space was indeed the off-white of her famous family, and then I pressed the tip of my sword to her neck.
“Let’s start the play together.”
For the coming climax.
* * *
A few minutes later, the same place again.
It didn’t take long for the solemn atmosphere to turn awkward.
“…”
“…”
Soon, there was an embarrassingly awkward silence in the room. They were so embarrassed that some of those gathered had their faces flushed red.
It had to be that way.
What on earth had happened was that the maid returned from her absence and brought with her a number of great people that she could not possibly contain.
“Um, what’s going on?”
“Ma’am, it’s dangerous, so I think it would be better for us to fall back.”
Far away are Lady Orianne of Le Mohan and her maid, Jean Françoise.
“Is he an assassin? “Don’t move!”
“He is indeed the supreme loyalist! These vicious things are so impatient that they cannot be kept in check inside and outside! However, it would be better to give up thinking that you can easily escape from here!”
In front of him are Vincent, a courtier of Renoir, and Richard, commander of the Knights of Calais.
“Romuald, what is the situation?”
“It looks like some slut is holding a knife to my sister’s neck and threatening her.”
Even at the forefront are Warchief Temur and the much-talked-about Baron Romuald Arden.
‘The abbess said that only the maid would return!’
‘I didn’t know either. It’s embarrassing, but I think this is also a trial given by the Lord…’
‘Fuck you!’
It was a situation where double insults came out of the mouth of even the polite interrogator. Olivia, who tried to make a belated attempt at reconciliation, expressed her intention to cautiously negotiate with those gathered in front of her.
“Everyone? “I’ll just leave quietly, so you can watch it, right?”
“… Is that okay?”
Of course, there was no guessing.
