Volume 18 - CH 3

「You mean the Papal or Privy? Elisa is neither. She is neutral. I believe that's why she was chosen as a Temple Knight.」

Frederick answered my question.

「But wait. Didn't Howell-san say that Elisa's boss is a papist?」

Serina said, Who is Howell?

Well, it's probably one of Elisa's party members.

I'm pretty sure the only people from the Holy Kingdom we've met are the guys from Elisa's party.

I remember the small, light blue haired knight Marine, but the other guys are not important.

「You're talking about High Priest Kabler. Sure, he's the Templar Knight's direct superior in his position, but he doesn't have the authority to give orders. I've heard that it's customary for the Templar Knights to take a majority vote on their duties at the Imperial Council with the King and the Senate.」

「He's Templar Knights, but the King and the Senate want to interfere?」

「Yes. That's what I'm wondering too, but if you think that the Temple and the Templar Knights are two different organizations, it kind of makes sense. She's not a "Knight of the Temple", but a Temple of the Knight".」

「No, you're making things even more confusing, Frederick. What is a "Temple of Knights"?」

「A temple worshiped by knights. Or a temple dedicated to knights. She is a knight among knights, and she idol is sought after. ......」

「An object of worship, an ideal type of knight.」

It seems that she herself is being worshipped.

Elisa, who is very formal, may be the right person for the job.

I've never seen a woman say, "I am..." other than her.

「It sounds like a lot of work.」

「If it's so hard, why don't she just refuse it?」 （?）

Kaede, who had been asleep in the carriage until a moment ago, seemed to wake up before I knew it and said with a fluttering wave of her hand.

「No, I don't think you can refuse a role just because you don't want to do it.」

Ione said, but as the daughter of a swordmanship dojo, she must have been aware of the fact that she was going to be the heir.

Fortunately, that role was avoided with the help of a talented childhood friend named Fritz.

「Just back off, man.」

「What is the back ......?」 ( TLN: Kaede is using Katakana バック=Bakku, so Yulia didn't understand it, it's like when you disscussing in japan and someone use english)

Yulia didn't seem to get it, so she asked back.

「It means to run away in Showa language.」

「S-stop it, Alec, don't treat me like an old lady.」

Kaede got up in a bit of a panic, apparently faking her real age to the rest of the group.

She went on an educational internship in college,......, Well, let's not pursue the details.

In her physical age, she's seventeen years old.

「It's nothing to be concerned about. If Elisa is neutral, who is trying to trap her, the Pope or the Privy?」

「That's......I don't know either.」

「But I'm sure there's a complainant or an initiator who said let's open an inquisition.」

「The decision to hold the Inquisition was made by High Priest Kabler. But he didn't tell me who started it. I think it was someone from the Privy Council.」

「That's what we need to find out.」

「But even an anonymous third party can apply for the Inquisition. If High Priest Kabler was just given a letter, he might not even know the name.」

「Why didn't Elisa just play along?」

Kaede says, but Kaede doesn't know Elisa. She's not that dexterous, you know.

「Elisa is a person who never lies.」

When Frederick stuck out his chest, Kaede heard him and shrugged lightly.

「If that's what it takes to get you imprisoned or executed, you'd better be foolishly honest. So, Alec. You're taking all these warriors with you, you're going to destroy the Inquisition, aren't you?」

「Don't make it sound so bad, Kaede. I'm only going to be there as a witness. It may look like a bunch of roughnecks, but the guys in my clan are gentlemen, okay?」

I say to Kaede with a grin. In fact, no girl has ever been attacked by the our clan members.

I give them money to go to the brothel from time to time, and they're all afraid of Serina.

「I woo~nder about that. I saw some guys fighting and hitting each other when I was getting into the carriage.」

「It's just... a little voluntary training.」

「Ha. It's fine to go and punch in, but I don't want to suddenly get caught by a soldier for some strange trouble. No matter how much permission the headmaster gives you, it won't work in another country. I don't want to be imprisoned.」

「Well, don't worry, I have my own ideas about that.」

「I see. Well, if it's Alec's plan, I'll be on board.」

「Yeah. Saki, go through the team leader and tell everyone to be quiet at first.」

「Got it.」

「Alec-san, are you sure you're okay with this? The Inquisition is such a strict thing, you know, you can't just bypass them......」

The worried young man, Nicole, pestered me from behind to make sure this will be okay.

He's not a member of our team, but when I told him I was going to Ufa, he said he wanted to go with me.

Nicole is from Ufa, too.

He wanted to tell his parents that she had passed the exam, but I guess he was going to deliver the gold coins I gave his to help pay the bills.

「Shut up, if you're worried, just pretend to be someone else. It's not like you're going to be attending the Inquisition, is it?」

「Yes, that's true, but ...... please be careful with your language at the Inquisition. As a matter of fact, my father was also present as a defense attorney at the Inquisition, but he was accused of insulting God during the hearing, and he was found guilty and executed. ......」

「I see. That's a terrible story. Well, I'll be fine no matter what happens on my end, so don't worry about it.」

「Got it.」

「But I can't believe they would go so far as to execute him just for his words. ......」

Fianna's face became sad as if she was heartbroken.

If Fianna was the head of the tribunal, even if it was the same priest, such a thing would never have happened.

An organization is, after all, a collection of people.

If stupid people get together, it becomes a stupid organization, and if shady people get together, it becomes a shady organization.

「You're right, ...... it's really terrible.」

「Yeah.」

「That's right.」

It seems that everyone agrees.

「Alec, if there are factional conflicts in the Holy Kingdom, why don't you talk to the people of the Privy Council?」

Hannah said something like that, but I don't think I know any of the low-level guys, and I don't know any of the big guys.

「Well, I'll think about it. Frederick, are you sure you're a papist?」

「Yes, well, ...... I don't think I'm particularly conscious of the factions myself, but my father is close to High Priest Kabler, and I'm also close to His Eminence.」

「Is there anyone in the papal faction who disliked Elisa?」

「Quite a few, yes. Elisa used to be a commoner from a nameless family, and she was selected as a guard knight after she saved the previous Pope from thugs when she was a child, but there were already priests who talked about her behind her back, saying that she was just lucky or that she had a family background. After she was adopted by the Michel family, she was less likely to talk ill of them. ......」

「It's amazing that she was able to beat up a thug as a child. She've got some skills, and she should just admit it.」

As Serina said, the only reason she rose to become a Knight of the Temple was because she was recognized by the higher-ups too much.

She's bought too many jealous, that one.

She's not the type of person who can be flattered, and I'm sure she had many enemies, not just papists.

If she's just a knight in shining armor, she probably won't even have to deal with the Inquisition. ......No, I don't think that's the point.

「By the way, how many people are going to be brought before the Inquisition?」

I checked there.