Chapter 223
(Kyle Calendar Year 512: Age 19)
Political Upheaval in the Imperial Kingdom
Translator : PolterGlast
The political upheaval that shook the Imperial Kingdom,
which Sieghart mentioned, secretly progressed in the spring of Kyle Year 512,
half a year prior to his meeting with Takuhir.
Until then, Cardinal Castro, who had lost a precious Divine
Messenger and many Longbowmen in the defeat against the Kingdom of Kyle,
had been held responsible for the defeat and imprisoned in the underground
dungeon of the Imperial Kingdom of Istria's Central Church for nearly
three years.
However, he was permitted to go outside once every few
months solely to conduct aptitude confirmation rituals for Mage candidates at
his church. Although restricted to 30 per year, he had been able to obtain
magic stones, which served as catalysts, from the Kingdom of Kyle for
the past few years. Thanks to this, Cardinal Castro, despite being under
confinement, was able to perform the confirmation ritual well over 100 times.
Furthermore, in addition to the magic stones officially
entering from the Kingdom of Kyle, the Imperial Kingdom was also
obtaining magic stones from underworld figures, albeit in significantly reduced
numbers.
The result of these efforts was merely four individuals.
Still, compared to the plateaued state of several years ago, this could be said
to be a very high probability.
For Castro, the fact that only he could perform this
ritual was his lifeline, and also his sole opportunity to go outside. And
producing results was the only way to maintain his own value and preserve his
life, so he was desperate.
Based on his experience so far, he had constructed and
proposed a method to narrow down candidates with the highest possible accuracy.
And on this day, he had come above ground for the first time
in a while for an aptitude confirmation ritual and visited the church inherited
from his ancestors.
Of course, under surveillance...
"Fufufu, Castro, you seem to be
struggling."
"!!!"
Castro, who had
secluded himself alone in the church basement where the Orb was hidden—a
place beyond surveillance—to prepare for the ritual ordered by the Emperor-King
(Pope), was startled by the voice that suddenly welled up from behind
him, and shuddered.
"Th-This is... Master! I am truly ashamed.
Despite your kind advice, things have turned out this way..."
Realizing who the owner of the voice was, he fell to his
knees on the floor and bowed his head deeply.
"It is no use speaking of what is past. I have merely
come to verify if your spirit has broken, or if your eyes have died."
"Ha! Though I have fallen, I am Castro. My
ambitions have not changed in the slightest from before, and someday, I intend
to exterminate that greedy Pope and the Archbishops."
Answering thus, Castro's face was still full of
vigor. For nearly three years, assuming survival as the priority, he had hidden
his fangs and feigned obedience.
"You must have heard from my subordinate whom I
dispatched to you previously? Finally, the moon is full, and the time has
come."
"Ooh! Then, finally? Hearing of Master's grand
plan from Lord Azal, I have been waiting with bated breath."
"Since the seeds Azal sowed to ensnare some of
the Archbishops have borne fruit, I intend to have you take command after the
harvest. From here on, the curtain will rise on your revenge."
"Even the Mages currently called the 12 Apostles
in this country—eight of them were originally my subordinates. I have fed false
information and planted suggestions in the four newly added ones, so they will
not oppose me."
In the Imperial Kingdom, the status of Mages is
extremely high. They are served by many citizens as messengers of God and are
granted high status and stipends.
Castro had
instilled information in them that during the ritual, only he could
grant the power of a Mage, and conversely, only he could take it away.
The Mages feared losing the status they had once obtained—a
status that no one else could gain no matter how much they desired it.
"Especially the Pope, who hoards the Holy
Mages, using them as tools to display his own power and toys to satisfy his
own desires. I cannot forgive that either. Day after day, amidst humiliation
and fear, they are tormented by an agony that one could never imagine from
their glamorous positions."
"Ho ho ho, Castro the Liberator. From here on,
you shall liberate the Mages, and furthermore, liberate the people of the Kingdom
of Kyle suffering under tyranny.
Tonight, the Pope shall be summoned to God to receive
judgment. The Archbishops seen as ringleaders will be denounced for their
crimes by those on our side. Listen well. Ride the chaos and rally the Mages."
"Ha! I shall stake my life on it!"
That night, a Cardinal with a hollow expression appeared
before the Pope, who was waiting in his bedroom for the Divine
Messenger who would be his partner for the night. He thrust a dagger into
the Pope's chest, then suddenly turned pale and attempted to leave the
scene.
An Archbishop who happened to be nearby with guards captured
him, and a swift investigation was conducted.
Whether fearing God's wrath, the culprit confessed the names
of the masterminds behind him and then took his own life. Several Archbishops
who were the masterminds of this atrocity were swiftly captured. Ignoring their
distraught cries of innocence, judgment proceeded immediately in the name of
God, and they were executed on the spot.
The time has come!
When an Archbishop who had captured the perpetrator and
identified the masterminds became the Pope and succeeded to the position
of Emperor-King due to his merits, Castro was released by his
pardon.
Upon release, Castro was somehow promoted to Archbishop,
a rank higher than Cardinal in the Imperial Kingdom. Although some felt
doubts about this, those doubts were naturally ignored.
Since this entire sequence of events could have become a
scandal for the church, everything was executed in extreme secrecy within the
church. Due to such circumstances, excluding a select few like Sieghart,
this sequence of events was not conveyed to neighboring countries.
Except for rumors whispered among some church officials.
"Avenge the Children of God lost to the wicked ones!
Prepare military forces under a structure of national unity, and proceed with
the reorganization of the Longbow Corps and the acquisition of Mages!"
While issuing such orders within the church, Archbishop
Castro continued to feign adherence to the armistice and peace externally,
just as before.
Several months later, Castro, whose standing had
completely changed since they last met, encountered the Master he
respected once again.
"Archbishop Castro, I am glad to see everything
seems to be going smoothly. How is the progress of your ambitions?"
The master of the room, who now possessed a spacious and
luxurious private chamber in both the Royal Palace and a corner of the Central
Church, knelt and respectfully welcomed the visitor.
"I am proceeding with everything according to Master's
guidance. Regarding Mages, we are seeing some promising signs, but regarding
the Longbowmen, we cannot solve it overnight, and are struggling
somewhat."
"Indeed. Humans require time until they become usable
to a certain degree. I have come to impart a strategy so you need not rush this
time."
The old man explained the strategy he had devised.
"Such a thing... can we do it now? However, it may be
as Master says. We will proceed with preparations along those lines from
now on."
"That would be best. When
stabbing the belly, one should aim for the soft entrails. Hitting hard bone
would be... bone-breaking work, indeed."
Saying so, the old man laughed.
Will I really be able to do such a thing? Castro felt a touch of anxiety.
"From the arrangements for the Emperor-King's
replacement to this new strategy, I am always impressed by Master's deep
foresight. I realize anew my own lack of talent."
"No, no, all the arrangements for the Emperor-King's
replacement were made by Azal. I merely waved the flag to start."
"What! Lord Azal did... Then I must express my
gratitude to Lord Azal as well."
"Fufufu, Azal, who arranged to save you in this
land, is now moving according to the plan in the western lands. You may meet
again in the Royal Capital after destroying the Kingdom of Kyle. You
should thank him thoroughly at that time."
"Understood. To make that happen, we too will ensure
perfection and move under the new plan."
After this secret conversation, Castro immediately
dispatched envoys to relevant countries. Following the strategy imparted by the
Master. These envoys included one sent to the Third Prince of the
Griffonia Empire.
"One year until the plan established by Master.
We must make it in time to seize this golden opportunity. And we must achieve
military results sufficient to claim priority rights."
Muttering this to himself, Castro was impatient not
to miss the carriage departing for the funeral of the Kingdom of Kyle.
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