129 – Disaster at the Church Headquarters
Royal capital Grand Seine. As the capital of the Kingdom of Palatinia and the largest city, many people were coming and going even today.
And of course, to protect those people, guards and apprentice knights are divided into groups and patrol.
Previously, Ferris Valtreia, an apprentice knight, was harmed by a vicious criminal who was banned from entering the kingdom.
She was ordered to do paperwork at the Knights’ headquarters until her injuries fully recovered.
Of course, Ferris was a little dissatisfied as she preferred moving her body rather than doing paperwork, but she couldn’t be said to be in good shape, so she just kept doing paperwork without saying anything.
This day too, Ferris was organizing documents while everyone was out.
To Ferris, she heard a knock on the door of the Knights’ headquarters.
Ferris stopped what she was doing and stood up from her seat.
“No one will come to visit today…?”
Actually, that’s the reason why quite a few people were absent.
Even employees who do office work are taking a break after finishing their work in advance.
It is possible that they were guests they did not know about or that they were unscheduled guests.
“Yes, please wait a moment.”
At the sound of Ferris’ voice, the knocking on her door stopped.
When Ferris opened her door, a brown-haired woman with a very flushed face caught her eye.
The face of her close friend, whom Ferris also knew well, was there.
“Aria?”
“Ferris! It just worked out!!”
Not long ago, a friend who had left to go abroad for trade came to visit him.
But there was great anxiety in that friend’s voice.
“Quirrr!!”
“Ahahahaha!! This way!!”
Count Wentoth’s mansion, inside the greenhouse managed by his mother.
The sight of a little girl running around in a greenhouse with her white pet was literally like a painting.
…Well, aside from the fact that the pet is a dragon, albeit a small one.
Bligh, the reborn guardian dragon, was very energetic.
And since Cyr, who had grown up, was also full of energy, the two were always running around the mansion and playing.
The final place they arrived at was this greenhouse, and with their mother’s permission, the two of them were often seen playing in the greenhouse as a playground.
And in the background, Riel and I were sitting around with her mother, drinking her tea.
“Are the preparations going smoothly?”
I nodded at my mother’s words.
Preparation, this is none other than the story of me and Riel’s wedding preparations.
Well, the exact date is Andrew Young master…Now it’s Andrew’s brother.
Anyway, we will decide in coordination with him, but for now, the outline has been clearly established.
“Yes, I think it will probably be around next month.”
“It’s okay. It will be quite warm in the north by then… What’s going on with the invited guests?”
At her mother’s words, Phyllis, who was waiting behind her, held out a document.
List of guests to be invited to my and Riel’s wedding.
First of all, as it is the wedding of the next head of the family, it is no exaggeration to say that there are many important people.
Each of the noble families we are friends with, the merchant families we do business with, the friends and families of Riel and I, etc.
When I put it together like that, it ended up being a fairly long list.
My mother, who had been reading the list carefully, nodded her head and looked at Riel.
“Riel… Judging by her expression, she seems to be okay.”
“Yes!!”
Recently, Riel, accompanied by Luca, her personal attendant, and several of her family’s maids, was going around trying to fit her wedding dress. She
She… She tried to follow once, but she had no choice but to hold back because Riel was desperately opposed to it, saying he wanted to surprise her.
I said it was roughly decided, so I gave up and decided to just enjoy it at the time.
“Okay, it looks like the wedding preparations are generally going smoothly.”
Her mother smiled contentedly.
Usually, it was up to my mother to decide the details of events like this in the house, but this time she left it up to me and Riel to decide them ourselves.
… Well, it may be because Riel will one day succeed her mother’s position as a countess, but it is better for the parties involved to decide on her wedding.
“Then next…”
“Ma’am.”
A person appears from behind, as if interrupting the mother.
Although she is wearing a maid uniform, that sharp aura that is faintly felt must be a member of the count’s intelligence unit serving her mother.
It must have been quite urgent for them to interrupt her mother’s conversation midway.
My mother must have thought so too, and she accepted the letter she offered without getting too angry.
“……”
A mother reading a letter without saying a word.
Then, she motioned for me to come closer.
As we approached, her mother held out the letter.
I guess you should read it. She accepted and read the letter.
‘Inside the kingdom, information on sightings of Alan Ludwig was obtained’
‘After confirming the facts, a protest was sent from the Kingdom to the headquarters of the World Tree Church, but there was no response.’
‘Please exercise caution until the situation is understood.’
To summarize, this is a letter from His Highness Yuril that contains this information.
Alan Aria, who had gone abroad for her trade, saw him in the port city of Freyton.
After that, she reported the fact to the Knights through Ferris, and His Highness Yuril, who received the information from the Knights, is said to be conducting a search operation.
Also, since Alan had an accident in the royal capital not long ago, it is said that the kingdom is now following him with all eyes on him.
… Even though he was punished in the royal capital, he never thought he would come back into the kingdom.
“Kyou, what do you want to do?”
Mother asking about my doctor.
After thinking for a moment, I looked at Riel sitting across from her.
Riel was in the middle of dealing with Sir, who came to visit her mother while she was playing.
She turned her head towards her mother.
“…Mother, please leave this matter to me.”
After hearing what I said, my mother nodded her head with a faint smile.
…Slowly, I wanted to put an end to this bad relationship with my own hands.
Meryl Miliano, the bodyguard of Princess Yuril, the crown princess who will succeed the kingdom.
Currently, she was leaving the kingdom and heading to a certain location, not as a guard knight but as a knight commander.
What she is heading for is none other than the headquarters of the World Tree Church.
The kingdom cut off exchanges with the World Tree Church and established a policy of not dealing with them.
However, a person who had been expelled from the kingdom and became a member of the church once came in and caused an accident.
When we protested about that fact, he put out his flippers, but it is said that that person has entered the kingdom once more.
There was a limit to what they could do anymore, so Meryl came to the church in person as one of the representatives of the kingdom’s knights.
It is clear why she led her subordinates, even her Silver Snow Knights, to visit.
She had already made the situation worse on the church side several times, and she was planning to use force.
“Captain, I can see the church!”
“Approach while being alert to the surrounding area. Don’t let down your guard.”
Of course, we know that when the church was divided, the 1st Holy Knights, which can be said to be the largest armed force, broke away.
However, in the case of the 2nd Holy Knights, it is said that there are strong players in their ranks, so there is nothing good about letting down your guard.
“How about it?”
After a while, Meryl arrived in front of the church and approached his men who had been sent as scouts.
She spoke with a mysterious expression.
“It’s… Strangely quiet. There’s no one watching security.”
“…What?”
The headquarters of the World Tree Church is literally the headquarters of the World Tree Church.
Isn’t it ridiculous to say that there wasn’t even a guard stationed in a place like that?
In an embarrassing situation, Meryl somehow regained her composure and opened her mouth.
“…What happened to the plunge team?”
“I think I’ll be back soon.”
Just as they said, the intrusion team that broke into the church has returned.
After hearing Jo’s report of her rush, Meryl put on her face of despair and stormed into the church with her men.
“…How on earth did this happen?”
World Tree Church Headquarters, the church’s headquarters and largest facility.
No room or facility there was quiet and empty, without a single person.
“…Start the search operation.”
By any chance, does anyone know what happened here?
With that in mind, the members of the Silver Snow Knights began to search the church thoroughly.
As Meryl walked around the interior of the church, she entered the most luxurious room.
As she looked around inside the room, she could see that this was the cardinal’s room.
Of course, that room was empty without an owner.
“Isn’t even the cardinal here… Hell?”
“Captain!!”
At that moment, one of her subordinates came running towards me.
The subordinate’s expression turned pale, as if he had seen something he had not seen before.
“Captain, this way! Please come this way!!”
“……”
Meryl, who sensed something unusual in her subordinate’s expression, nodded her head without saying a word and followed her subordinate. She follows her subordinate down the stairs, and down again, and down again…
The place she arrived was in the basement of the church.
In that gloomy, dark place, there were so many iron doors that one could tell that it was a prison.
Of course, the inside of that prison was empty too. She continued down the passage with her men, until they reached the huge iron gate at the very end.
“…Captain, it might not look good. Here…”
At her subordinate’s words, Meryl swallowed her saliva and opened the iron door.
She heard a loud sound and the iron door opened, revealing that the large space was an underground chapel.
And in the center of the room…
“…Oh my god.”
It was a sight that left even Meryl, who had gone through so much chaos, at a loss for words.
…Numerous priests and paladins were there.
There was not a single wound, but his expression was filled with fear, and his body was no longer alive.
“What on earth happened here?”