Chapter 29: Chapter 29 - The Shrew's Choice (1)
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On the fifth day after leaving our territory, I arrived in the region known as Westford in the western part of the Empire.
Although Westford, like the Academy, was situated in the western region, its geography leaned more toward the southwest, bordering the western kingdoms.
Also, this was a fief ceded by the Empire to the Holy Kingdom, and the lord of Westford has been appointed by the Archbishop of the Holy Kingdom For generations.
Westford was also a place that played a role like a general council that managed all the parishes in the empire, and a unique custom has been handed down that the lord of this place was both a priest and a Marquis of the Empire.
And the reason I came here was to properly dispose of the Relics I had obtained from the Demon Realm last time.
"Welcome to the Westford Archdiocese. Please state your name and purpose of your visit."
"My name is Edwin Reed. My father, Albert Reed, is the Count of Madehaven in the South, and I am his heir. I have an urgent matter to ask the Archbishop, so I have come to Westford this time."
"Reed... ? Excuse me, but please wait for a moment."
After hearing my introduction, the guards left in a hurry somewhere, and I followed their instructions to the shade by the gate and began a long wait.
I think they probably went to call a superior, but since this is a different region, my position may not be as effective as it was when I visited the Madehaven diocese.
In that case, I might have to wait quite a long time.
"Huff...Huff... I'm so sorry!"
After waiting for about an hour, a man in splendid silver armor suddenly rushed out from inside the castle. Judging from the way he was dressed, he was probably the superior of the soldiers earlier. He was breathing heavily, as if he had rushed here in haste. Spotting me in the corner, he approached directly.
"I am Osmond Turner, the Chief Security Officer of Westford.I am ashamed to have committed such an offense against the Lord of Reed. From now on, I will personally escort you, so please forgive any inconvenience."
"Haha, there's no need to apologize. If anything, my abrupt visit is what can be considered disrespectful. I appreciate your careful consideration."
I waved my hand in gratitude in response to the Chief Security Officer's words. According to him, Westford often experienced visits from swindlers and conspirators posing as members of renowned families, causing delays in meeting with the ArchBishop. Due to this, there were meticulous verification procedures in place, which could take some time.
However, there seems to be a lot of traffic here, and because of the uniqueness of the Archdiocese, there are a lot of different people coming and going, so it seems inevitable that there would be such a procedure.
"You said you wanted to request an audience with the Archbishop, right? I'm sorry, but it may not be possible to meet him immediately. He is a very busy man, and even people who have made an appointment in advance often leave without seeing him. I will submit your request, but it is best not to expect too much."
"That's fine. However, as far as I know, visitors with the purpose of donation can receive priority in the audience ranking. Please be sure to include the reason for my visit when you submit the request."
"Haha, you seem to be quite a devout follower. Don't worry; I won't forget to convey that part. Rest assured, I will inform them accordingly."
Instances of collusion between the church and the Empire's nobility were not uncommon, and donations were the most widely used means.
With goods transferred through donations, both the giving and receiving parties could save on taxes. Given the nature of the funds, their usage was relatively flexible. As I subtly mentioned that my visit was for such a purpose, if there was anyone here interested in that aspect, they would prioritize putting me on the audience schedule.
* * * * *
After waiting patiently in the reception room for nearly half a day, a person from the church finally came to visit me.
"Even though you are still young, I didn't know that you had such a devout child. This, the future of the empire is really bright, haha."
The person guiding me to the Archbishop's presence appeared to be a high-ranking priest. However, despite his prestigious appearance and status, his physique proudly displayed a bloated body tainted by greed.
Fleshy bulges escaped from beneath his priestly robes, swaying with each step. His face, immersed in oiliness, gleamed under the chandelier light.
"Lord Reed may not know, but Sanders has worked hard to make the meeting between Lord Reed and the Archbishop a reality. Archbishop Timothy is a very principled man, so he doesn't enjoy these meetings very much. The success of the work now depends on Lord Reed's efforts, but no matter what the outcome, please don't forget Sanders' hard work."
Sanders, the high-ranking priest guiding me, continuously glanced back and gave subtle signals during our walk. Judging by how things were going, it seemed that the reports were not going up directly from the Chief of Security, but through middle managers like this.
And If it didn't suit their tastes, they would conveniently cut off any excuses at this intermediate level. It seemed that claiming the purpose of my visit was for donation was indeed the correct move.
"Of course it is. It is natural for those who work hard for the peace of all the people of the empire. I still have a lack of insight, but I fully understand that much."
"Haha, I see now that you are not only handsome, but also have a good heart. Then I will only believe in Lord Reed."
As I was walking and having a fruitless conversation with him, I soon arrived in front of the Archbishop's office. Sanders, who had been quiet for a while, cleared his throat a few times and then raised his arm to knock on the door of the office.
"Your Grace. It's Sanders. Lord Reed, whom I mentioned earlier, has arrived."
"Let him in."
As soon as the Archbishop's permission was granted, Sanders opened the door just a crack and then stepped back.
I walked toward the open door, and as I entered the inside of the office, I could see the figure of the Archbishop sitting at the desk in front of me.
Archbishop Timothy was a religious man in his 40s, which was a younger age than the image of an archbishop.
However, in contrast to Sanders, who was glaring with greed, he was radiating a pious aura from his whole body befitting the image of a religious person.
"Welcome. Although my body is feeble, I am Timothy, the Archbishop of Westford."
"My name is Edwin Reed. I am sincerely grateful that you considered my request for an audience."
"Sit down."
After a light greeting with the archbishop, I took a seat on the sofa placed in the middle of the office.
Unexpectedly, instead of engaging in any further pleasantries, the Archbishop, after a period of silence, began sipping his tea thoughtfully.
And after about 10 minutes, when I was about to speak first, tired of the long silence, the Archbishop finally opened his mouth and threw a topic of conversation, "... There are too many thieves in the world. Isn't it?"
"...?"
"And our church members, who pride themselves on being those who worship God closest to them, are no exception. Didn't a thief come knocking on my door just now?"
Thief? Is he talking about Sanders? It seems that the Archbishop does not have very good feelings towards his priests under his command.
"The most ridiculous thing is that the bigger the thief, the more power they have. So how can we catch them?"
Is this person trying to engage in some kind of philosophical conversation with me? I'm a busy person with unfinished tasks for the day. However, I came here to win over the Archbishop, and it seems that if I don't properly entertain his questions, achieving my goal might prove challenging. I have no choice but to play along…
"That is simple. Wouldn't it be enough if Your Grace had more power than the thief?"
"What?"
"In the end, everything in this world comes down to power. There are no exceptions. Even the Great Demon in the past could only be defeated by the power of the hero with overwhelming force. Even transcendent beings are like that, so what more can be said about the affairs of the world?"
"Power…"
The Archbishop listened to my answer, pondered for a moment, and then asked me again, "Then you came here to gain that kind of power you speak of, right? Since you said you were here to donate, you must have something you want from me in return."
"That's right."
When I gave an affirmative answer, the Archbishop laughed and picked up the teacup again and spoke, "You're an inexperienced child in the ways of the world. What you're doing now is akin to stretching your legs without even knowing where you're lying down. I don't usually accept donations or anything like that. Even if someone like Sanders below me picks up crumbs, there's nothing I can do about it. But how could I, with my own hands, directly suck the lifeblood out of the common people?
The reason I accepted your audience was because I had seen your father several times before and knew what he was like. However, your current behavior of preaching about donations is nothing more than the arrogance of a fool.
Remembering the old ties with your father, I won't issue a decree against you. But I have no intention of entertaining your request, so don't harbor futile thoughts. Just quietly have a cup of tea and leave."
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