125 – Smiling Prince Maker (2)
In Lucerne’s scriptures, there was a verse that said everyone in the world was a sinner.
Nowadays, no one says that phrase out loud because it is too absurd, but Siron especially liked that phrase.
‘Isn’t it true that there is no one who doesn’t get dust by brushing?’
next day. The time has not yet dawned.
There was someone who came first to the meeting place.
Like Siron, he was wearing a black cassock, although I don’t know if it was because of the early hour. The current situation seemed like a secret meeting between dirty criminals.
“Brother. Are you ready?”
“of course.”
Siron made the sign of the cross and greeted Devialet.
“I was taught to destroy evil and follow the light. I always follow the teachings, so I am always ready.”
“…It’s a good attitude.”
Exaggerated answer.
But Devialet didn’t think it was a problem. The excessive passion characteristic of a first-time priest could have been the cause of his work going astray, but Devialet was a man who preferred a courageous fool to a coward.
“Then let’s go right away.”
“yes.”
Siron nodded and walked behind Devialet. The two walked along the well-paved street and eventually arrived at a certain place.
Uniformed police officers surrounded a mansion as if it were a siege. Siron turned his head and looked at Devialet.
“…Has the Cardinal prepared this?”
“Is that possible?”
Devialet sighed.
“I heard that the Minister of Finance requested personal protection.”
“Rather than running away, I put myself under house arrest… Doesn’t this make it look like the Minister of Finance is the victim?”
“I was thinking that too.”
Devialet nodded and looked at the view of the mansion.
All the windows were boarded up with wooden boards. The appearance of preparation for a sniper attack or an assassin’s invasion confused Devialet’s thoughts.
“We will have to meet him to find out if he is truly a victim or if he is just playing it off, but it is clear that this incident is not unusual.”
Devialet turned his gaze from the mansion and looked at Siron. The face of the young man clenching and unclenching his fist was one of the faces that Devialet had seen many times.
‘You were nervous.’
“Brother Shiron. There is no strong demonic energy being felt in the mansion. So you don’t have to be so nervous.”
“…is it obvious like that?”
“I have a lot of experience with things like this.”
Devialet patted Siron’s shoulder and headed forward. As if he had been told in advance, the person representing the officers saluted him.
“…I was waiting for you to come.”
At first glance, the officer’s complexion was not good. He didn’t know what the devil was that made him so scared, but it was good news for Siron that the boundaries of work were divided.
Since the matter was serious, Devialet and Siron were able to enter the mansion without any restrictions.
Security became tighter as you went inside.
Even though the Strasser family is a family with a long history, the mansion was filled with heavily armed knights, as if they had borrowed troops from somewhere.
However, unlike the ones who were heating up their tents so that they could fight at any time, they were unable to hide the feelings of fear that were blooming on their faces.
*
Deep inside the mansion.
Opening the thick iron door and encountering it was another unusual sight.
“Oh my lords, I’ve been waiting for you!”
Minister of Finance Strasser welcomed the group wearing only a gown.
To be honest, the middle-aged man’s face looked miserable. His face was bloodshot from being so frightened, and there were dark shadows around his eyelids, as if he hadn’t slept well for several days.
That’s not all. Shiron looked around the room and frowned.
“…What the hell is this?”
There was a huge bathtub in the middle of the room, and sacred relics containing weak divine power were piled around it.
“The water in that bathtub. Is it really holy water?”
“That’s right. I was soaking in holy water more than ten times a day just in case I got unclean.”
“I’m sure it’s not something that’s usually expensive.”
“Is your life worth it? You have to be alive to spend money. This is the only way you can barely come to your senses.”
“…In this way, it looks like His Excellency is the victim.”
“Well, what do you mean by that?”
Strasser looked at Devialet in surprise. After stroking his lips, Devialet looked around the room and spoke.
“Of course… Wasn’t the evil demon’s temple instead discovered in the basement of Your Excellency’s villa? If so, wouldn’t Your Excellency be the most likely suspect?”
“Oh, no!”
After saying that, Strasser suddenly knelt down on the floor.
“I-I don’t know! I don’t even know why that terrible temple is in the basement of my villa! I am a devout believer who was baptized into the cult since birth! Please, please, save me…!”
“…It would be difficult if you did this. Since we have just arrived, we should listen to His Excellency’s statement instead of being considered a heretic.”
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Devialet said that and tried to help Strasser stand up, but he seemed to be in a state of panic and his legs were weak and he couldn’t stand up.
“Oh my… what a heresy… what a heresy.”
“…her.”
Devialet eventually gave up trying to calm Strasser down. This was his first time in his decades of clergy life.
‘Why are there such cases? ‘It doesn’t feel like he’s in contact with the devil, but rather he desperately claims his innocence…’
“Then you can’t.”
Devialet shook his head and turned to Siron.
“Brother Siron. Help us prepare to move the suspect to the cathedral.”
“All right.”
“You mean the castle, the cathedral?”
Strasser, who was grabbed by both shoulders, was startled.
“I can’t believe I’m being interrogated for heresy like this…”
“Don’t misunderstand. If you are truly innocent, you will be safer there than in this mansion. At least you will be safer in the sacred fortress than in such temporary measures.”
Devialet spoke reassuringly and placed his hand on the trembling middle-aged forehead. Hwaak – As warm light emanated from his hand, Strasser’s eyes slowly closed.
“Brother Shiron. What do you think?”
“…I do not know.”
At Devialet’s question, Chiron lowered her eyes to the floor.
“To put it mildly… His eyes didn’t look like someone who was lying. And.”
“and?”
“As you know, Cardinal-nim, I don’t even feel the slightest demonic energy in this room.”
Shiron glanced around the room.
“If I could get demon blood, I would have pursued the truth of a cult that was quite deep, but it’s just strange that I don’t feel any special energy even though I’m so close.”
“I think so too.”
Devialet nodded towards Chiron. Unlike the villa where the evil temple was located, in this room, only divine power was felt, perhaps because of the holy water.
‘It feels more distant from the truth.’
“First, let’s move to the cathedral. Then we’ll have to request the dispatch of knights to the Holy Kingdom.”
“All right.”
Shiron lifted the heavy middle-aged man with one hand.
*
The next day, the villa where the first prince lives.
Austin’s eyes widened at the news that had come since dawn.
“…What do you mean? The Minister of Finance is being detained?”
“That’s right, low. Let’s look at this first.”
Austin quickly scanned the paper the man handed over.
“A cultist temple… what on earth is this?”
“I only know roughly, but it is said that a temple of a cultist was discovered in the basement of a villa owned by the Minister of Finance. Because of that, His Majesty the Emperor issued an edict and an investigation was immediately conducted, and less than two days after the incident occurred, the Treasurer They say the minister is in the cathedral.”
“…her.”
Austin smiled helplessly at the words, which were hard to believe even after hearing them. However, although Austin was surprised, he did not feel any regret or anxiety.
I was just amazed at the unexpected side of people I was close to.
‘Minister of Finance. It didn’t look that way.’
The Minister of Finance has been known to attend church services not only on weekends but also in the early morning on weekdays. If you look at it closely, it has a fanatical side that may seem excessive.
‘…Does everyone have secrets?’
Austin felt complicated as he felt like he was digging into the secrets of a confidant that he shouldn’t know.
Since he himself had dabbled in the evil practice of witchcraft, he expected that there were people other than himself who were involved in heresy, but he did not know that the person he was drinking with until recently was such a person.
“True. It’s something you don’t know even if you know it.”
After rubbing his eyes for a moment, Austin looked up from the report and looked at the ceiling.
At that moment, Austin’s mouth slowly opened.
“you.”
“Yes, sir.”
“What do you see on that ceiling?”
“…You mean the ceiling?”
The knight looked at where the prince’s finger was pointing.
There, I saw an unlit chandelier.
“I can see the chandelier.”
“…I’ll just leave now.”
“yes.”
Without any time to question his seemingly unexpected actions, the driver left the room after giving a brief courtesy.
Without even looking at it, Austin stared blankly at the ceiling.
Austin couldn’t take his eyes off the gorgeous sight that had caught his attention earlier.
I see clouds.
I see a rainbow.
A colorful sight with sparks flying… It was at that time that Austin was mesmerized by the fantastical sight.
“It’s suspicious.”
A familiar voice rang in my ears.
The term “hovering” is not another word; it means that it is difficult to tell where the sound is coming from because it is so mumbling.
“I wouldn’t have been the person to do that.”
However, the second words were heard clearly.
I turned my head to the side and saw a man dressed in exotic clothing sitting by the window.
“Borland… When did you come here?”
“I was always by your side.
“…It’s a boring joke. It’s creepy, so stop.”
Austin clicked his tongue briefly. I didn’t call him, and I didn’t even schedule an appointment, but he was a really strange guy.
How did he manage to break through the strict imperial palace guards and reach this place? No, more than that… When the hell did you come here?
“Then let’s tell a real story, not a joke.”
Did he even understand Austin’s suspicious eyes? Volland’s skeletal face had an odd grin on it.
“You’ll have to come to your senses.”
“What are you talking about? New advice?”
“I have an ominous feeling.”
Borland nodded and looked at his wrist. As expected, there was nothing there, let alone a watch.
“An ominous feeling?”
“Well, it’s time to go.”
Flash-
In a split second, Austin blinked and Boland’s figure had disappeared.
“……”
But Austin wasn’t surprised by the sight. Borland suddenly disappeared in front of Austin like this every time, so it was a boring sight to say the least.
And a week later.
Austin was able to realize what an ominous premonition it was.
Five temples of the cultist appeared in the mansions of his supporters.