Capítulo 20: Kill Them if They Get in the Way Chapter 20
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Medieval folks tend to get flustered when someone says, 'I'm someone important.' Unless they can count the powerful figures on their fingers.
The nobles, including Count Iso, seemed unfazed.
'I hope this is all.'
At this moment, Sena didn't want to allocate energy to such things. It all felt pointless when his life was nearly over.
However, looking at the displeased faces of the nobles, it seemed like a lost cause.
"Of course, someone will be held accountable."
"Accountable?"
"Indeed. How can we trust someone who isn't even a qualified priest to be Her Majesty's physician?"
Baron Martin approached Sena, bearing the burden.
"We should review those medical records. It's for the Empress's sake."
"Ah, I see. However, I understand that medical records are classified. Do you have the authority?"
Sena grinned.
Martin also smiled.
"We are central nobility. We are the engine of this empire. Knowing the health of our ruling Empress would facilitate governance, wouldn't it? And vice versa. Who are you to refuse our request?"
'They're coming out with it—'
The other side began to push forward with their argument. It was tiresome, but Sena had to play along.
Otherwise, he'd be disliked, and that would be even more troublesome.
Suppressing his annoyance, Sena gathered his hands and spoke with a touched expression.
"You are people who work for the empire. You should have said so earlier. I had no idea…"
"Haha! Finally starting to understand. Now, bring us the medical records."
"But what about Her Majesty? I must inquire with her about your request."
"No need!"
Iso asserted firmly, while Baron Martin intervened.
"We will report later. Wouldn't that be easier for you too?"
In other words, 'You don't want to face tyranny? I'll relieve you of that burden.'
"It may seem easier, but choosing the easy path doesn't always lead to good outcomes."
Sena smiled. It implied, 'What if Her Majesty gets upset? How will you take responsibility?'
"There's no absolute rule that it'll end badly. Easy paths aren't always made for convenience. And it's the role of us central nobles to ensure that people like you can use that easy path without burdens. Oh, I almost forgot to mention. Here's a little gift."
-Of course, I'll take responsibility. But why do you keep talking back as a commoner? Just show the medical records. I'll make sure your retirement pay is generous.
Sena glanced hesitantly at the pouch extended by Baron Martin.
It was probably filled with gold.
Sena liked gold subtly, but he wasn't so desperate that he'd lose his mind over it.
"…Although I'm not a priest, I was raised under Archbishop Cruyff's care since childhood."
-If I have Cruyff behind me? Manageable?
He asked once, and Sena clasped his hands. It was one of Sena's few finishing moves.
To appear devout!
'Truly detestable, but what can I do.'
"How could I accept such an offer? Lady Justitia might see this and be frightened. Please, put it away."
"Haha, an offer? I'm simply expressing gratitude for your cooperation."
Ah, look at this guy. He was casually acknowledging the handing over of medical records.
Let's do a priest cosplay.
"Justitia says that expecting a reward for a good deed is not true kindness."
"Ah, indeed. Growing under an excellent priest has made you truly faithful."
Well, he wouldn't have bad intentions, would he? Let's let him think that.
Above all, he could reinforce his next words.
"She also said, 'If you witness a friend's good deed and don't spread the word, you are also a skeptic.' I will make sure that your kind-heartedness is known to Her Majesty and others."
Of course, Justitia probably didn't say that.
It was just something Sena made up just now.
But checkmate.
Now, even if Sena went around making a fuss, they'd think, 'He must mean no harm.'
Blocking their intentions could lead to being questioned by the Inquisition as a heretic, with a mace-wielding inquisitor charging towards him, calling out, 'Are you a heretic?'
In other words, while thwarting their intentions, Sena could also ensure his own safety.
However…
"Well, it doesn't matter. Can you just hand over the medical records?"
'Huh?'
Do I have five lives…?
Sena could only feel bewildered. Those words implied that it didn't matter even if this fact was reported to Empress Astria.
But that couldn't be. Astria's personality was no joke. She wouldn't just let this go… would she?
"Excuse me."
When things got difficult, Sylvia stepped in front of Sena.
"Anything more will be considered disrespect towards Sena-nim, and I will tear you apart. Get lost."
By the way, Sylvia's family, the Cliftons, are counts.
Being a count, they stood at the pinnacle of power.
**
"I'm exhausted!"
Sena immediately lay down on the bed and tossed and turned. He didn't want to move for a while.
"You're quite adept at noble-speak. I tried to become a knight for that."
"Sylvia could use a bit of learning, don't you think…?"
"What?"
Sylvia was already blaming herself for getting upset earlier.
When Sena spoke, everything seemed plausible, but when she spoke, it seemed like there was nothing to say.
"…But thanks to that, I'm alive. It would have been really troublesome otherwise."
"Actually, Senior being too kind is the problem. You just need to swear at those guys once. Try it. 'B*stard', 'son of a b*tch'."
"…Who taught you that?"
"Reston."
"Is this Reston guy from the slums?"
"H-How did you know?"
…Well, those words were only used in the slums.
And he could openly say those things because the Clifton counts held such high power that they rivaled even dukes.
It was a world apart from Sena, who was just a viscount.
"However…"
Sena murmured into his pillow.
"You know, Her Majesty."
"…Yes."
Honestly, it was hard to understand.
'Astria holds the strongest imperial authority of all the emperors in history. She's quick to kill and has even been called a tyrant.'
But today, seeing the nobles, they didn't seem afraid of Astria at all.
"Has her authority weakened a bit? It's different from what I heard at the Academy."
Sylvia spoke in disbelief.
"…Did you quit the Academy and got stuck in some rural countryside?"
"…Well…"
Actually, he was confined to an underground city.
Before that, he was trapped in a cave.
He learned then that kidnapping wasn't something only humans did.
"Tell me."
Sylvia sighed and began her story.
"Four years ago. It's right when Senior left the academy."
Sylvia hesitated before continuing.
"The news that Her Majesty collapsed spread throughout the whole capital."
"…Really?"
That long ago?
Parkinson's disease, which develops at a young age, progresses very quickly.
Around four years ago, she would still have been mobile. What happened?
"Yes. Since then, the Empire has changed rapidly. We're now in a state of semi-peace, but back then, we were in the midst of war. The sudden collapse of Her Majesty at the front lines caused a lot of turmoil."
One thing was certain: this was a story Sena hadn't heard before.
He lifted his face from the pillow and looked at Sylvia.
Sylvia spoke with a downward gaze, as if even she didn't particularly like what she was saying.
"We needed a new leader. Someone to stabilize the chaotic empire and handle various tasks in place of Her Majesty."
The name 'Reinhardt' popped into Sena's mind.
Simultaneously, he recalled that Astria's rule had other opponents as well.
"Then, suddenly, Duke Reinhardt appeared. Originally a simple provincial lord, he swiftly consolidated power and emerged as a strong candidate to fill the void. There was no choice but for the Empress to appoint him. If someone else had been chosen, the Empire would have fractured."
Sena stared blankly at the patient diary he wrote yesterday.
The image of Astria seemed to flicker in his mind.
Sylvia continued grimly
"And now, three years after he seized power, the Empire is on the brink of collapse. The corruption among the nobility, unimaginable during Her Majesty's reign, still persists, and the high taxes imposed during the war continue to starve the majority of the empire's citizens."
A tower built of accumulated fear crumbles easily.
He should have known from studying countless histories of modern times.
"Senior."
Why hadn't he noticed?
Four years after the Empress's collapse.
It was enough time for the once formidable imperial authority to crumble.
"… Please fix Her Majesty, no, the Empire. Only Senior can do this."
Sena was too shocked to respond.
**
The 12th Central Noble Conference convened in a somewhat secretive location.
Today's agenda: 'The Future of the Empire'.
Given the grandiose topic, all central nobles attended.
"Being a saint was not just a rumor."
Martin spoke solemnly, addressing someone on one side.
Around the long rectangular table, at the end in a gilded chair, sat Duke Wilhelm Reinhardt, where the emperor should have been.
That was originally the seat where the emperor should have sat.
"As rumored, he was an extraordinary individual. The first time I saw him, I thought he might be capable of achieving the impossible."
At that moment, Count Iso raised his hand and spoke flippantly.
"Isn't killing him the better option then?"
"Hah."
A young man sitting closest to Reinhardt sighed contemptuously, looking at Iso with disdain.
"Count Iso really is worthless."
"What did you-!"
"Count Iso, if you have a brain, use it. How do you propose to remove him? Sena Birkender is the adopted son of Cruyff Birkender."
"And what does that mean?"
"Cruyff Birkender is currently the most strongly mentioned candidate for the next pope. Unless something unexpected happens, he will likely be the next pope. If we oppose the pope, who will crown an emperor?"
The emperor of an empire gains legitimacy only when he is recognized by the Vatican of Justitia.
The Empire's monarch had to be recognized by Justitia for legitimacy.
"Even if you're throwing out nonsense-"
"W-What did you just say!"
"If it's been 500 years, we could do without someone like you."
Iso's eyes rolled back in response to the obvious mockery.
Just as he was about to angrily turn his head towards the one who spoke, he realized it was Duke Wilhelm, and he bowed deeply. His shaking pupils couldn't hide the truth.
"If the next Pope becomes a problem, it is a problem that can be resolved before the Pope changes."
"Are you suggesting…?"
"So be it."
The only man who appeared to be a knight sharpened his gaze.
"When would be a good time?"
"At the ball. It wouldn't be bad to embellish the Empress's final moments."
"Then, what about the physician…?"
Duke Wilhelm chuckled cruelly.
"Kill him if he gets in the way."
The day of the Empress's era coming to an end was not far off.
All the nobles present here thought the same way.
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