Chapter 219: Children's Meeting 2: The Evil Fox
The topic of the conversation turned to the Zesu Church's Holy High Society.
However, the topic inevitably slowed down the tempo of the conversation. Two members of the Aterahan family and one member of the Millendorva family did not seem to know much about the current priests, and Prince Dunkel had to give explanations and explanations each time. Orcian didn't seem to be interested in the conversation, though, and was engrossed in his tea cakes.
My father, too, had some basic information about priests, especially about priests before the Rebellion, but he was not familiar with the priests of today.
Even my father, who was known for his scheming and knew the importance of information, was in such a state, so it was not surprising that the next head of one of the five major noble families was ignorant of the situation.As Dunkel said, the distance between the nobles and priests has grown very long.
The Quardenze family has been strengthening its intelligence in the Holy City area since the series of disturbances caused by priestess Diana, and they have a native of the Holy City named Cynthia.
But of course, they are not going to be foolish enough to show that they know about it here. A moderate amount of advice.
The “…… Holy City is still in the midst of a fierce internal conflict, isn't it? The most important thing to remember is that the priests are not the only ones who have been in conflict for the past two hundred years.
Kalmia sipped from her cup of tea.Sitting next to her, Nowarulf repeated his words her as if to confirm them to the prince.
There are those who have stood on the battlefield and defended the Holy City on the front lines, those who are pushing for rational organizational reforms with the restoration of St. Navempos as their first priority, and those who are trying to restore the faith and authority that once existed. …… It is a complex and bizarre mix of not only the interests of the priests, but also their own agendas, and the desire for power that comes with the position and office.
Yes, it is.The most important thing to remember is that the best way to get the most out of your time in the world is to be a good listener.The most important thing to consider is that there are three factions.The priests of the Holy City can be broadly divided into the martial faction, the practical faction, and the faith faction to which Lorna belongs.
I had heard that these two had attended the royal academy together, but they seemed to be familiar with each other.
When the prince confirmed that Novaluf nodded, he continued his explanation as if telling everyone.
Apparently, in the Holy City, the faith faction is downwind. The prince nodded and continued to explain to everyone. ……The problem here is the martial faction.
The prince explained earlier that the martial arts are an emerging force that has become increasingly influential in recent years.
Its basic policy is anti-nobility. The prince explained that the martial faction is an emerging force that has been gaining more and more influence over the military personnel of the Holy Army.
The hard-line attitude toward the nobility should not be viewed with optimism. Their radical ideology may influence many priests and eventually cause a major war, according to Lord Lorna.
In short, there are three major camps in the Holy City: the innovative hawks, the innovative doves, and the conservatives.
The prince's story is an unpleasant one from the perspective of the kingdom's aristocrats, but no one would take it at face value. Kalmia quickly returned the words.
'But that is the story told by Lord Lorna, isn't it? It is, of course, true that the faithful are losing momentum and the martial faction is gaining momentum, but it is only her saying and speculation that many priests are becoming steeped in radical ideas because of those incitements. And to say that it would lead to war would be a bit of a leap at this stage of ……. Isn't it quite possible that this is a trap set by the priests to sway us?”
To begin with, she continues.
The most important thing to remember is that the people of the world are not the only ones who have a strong sense of faith,” Said the priestess. Considering the arrogance of the former Holy High Society, I wonder what they will say to us . ……”
This is absolutely true. If they do something like invading the Holy City, Fanny will be shipped out in exchange, so keep the negativity coming.
While I was thinking about this, I felt a look from next to me.
“Mister Wilk.”
Is something wrong, Mister Sardine?
Zeldmitra Sardin.
The next head of the Zeldmitra family, he was looking at me.
I was wondering if you had any thoughts on the matter, Lord Wilk. If you don't mind, I'd like to hear what you think.”
He is 22 years old and would have been a senior in college in his previous life.
The men who came to the next head of the family can be categorized into two groups: the boys, Quardenze Millendorva, and the young men, Levios Aterahan Zeldmitra.
I believe that Novaruf was about 20 years old and Dunkel was probably 21. I don't know the birthdays of Novaruf and Dunkel, so I only know their approximate ages. On the Eluo continent, age is only a concern when you are a teenager at most, and after that, as long as you know a rough age, there is nothing wrong with it.
Since the beginning of this meeting, Sardin has been more of a listener.I subconsciously thought that this was because he was the oldest person in the room, so he was giving the younger ones a chance to speak.But I was probably the only one who cared about such details as “Who is the oldest,” As I was the only one who continued to pull on the temperament of my previous life.
I should think he was focused on observing the reactions of Aterahan, Millendorva, and Quardenze to Dunkel's narrative.
I guess he was just trying to broach the subject because I had been speaking less since the topic turned to priest-related topics. I was probably a little too quiet compared to the first time.
You have a thought?
Yes, I think so.The first thing to do is to make sure that you have a good idea of what you're talking about.I think they may feel various things.
In a place where words of straightforward expression have increased, this is a man with an unpleasant way of asking questions.
If I answered that I had no idea what he was talking about, he would think I was an idiot who had not studied the history of his own family.
For the time being, I will answer after filtering out the parts that seem to be safe to say out loud.
I also wondered about the true nature of what you said about …… Lord Lorna's lumping together of factions that cherish their faith. From what Prince Dunkel just said, there are many priests who belong to that faith faction, such as the Holy Family and the priestly families that have been around for a long time, aren't there? Returning to the old faith means, in other words, regaining the interests that those concerned have lost through the turbulent times. Is well said.”
Oh, that's a harsh statement.
I understand it better when people say that they trusted on the nobility for their own benefit than when they say that they trusted on the nobility for the sake of their faith. I don't trust them, though.”
As he summed it up, Novaluf, Kalmia, and even Killode nodded their heads in agreement.
This fundamental distrust of priests is deeply rooted in aristocratic society.
At any rate, there was no need to believe Lorna's words and invade St. Navempos.
As Wilk said, factions are a group of people, and there may be many different thoughts that gather there. But isn't it possible to guess the fact that the faith faction is in a disadvantageous position? If they had the upper hand, there would be no need for them to turn to the nobility.”
Sardin said so, but I did not deny that the faithful were outnumbered.I sense his intention his to casually change the subject and lead the conversation in the direction he wants.I felt that strength lurked inside his calm and relaxed voice his.
'One can certainly make that inference. Likewise, it is also possible to speculate that the faithful have slipped into the Levios kingdom with a false cause.
To avoid Fannie's donadonna, I would not hesitate to launch a negative campaign.
The current state of priestly politics can only be imagined in the end, so what works for now is to create an impression. I hope the Aterahans and Millendorvas think that priests can't be trusted and that they don't want to have anything to do with priests …….
It was Dunkel who picked up on my words.
'Well, well, this is a very harsh opinion indeed. You are very wary of priests, aren't you, Lord Wilk?
I didn't want to be connected to the conversation by saying, “If he's so wary, let's just attack him boldly.
I just thought it would be unwise to take the easy way out of a major incident such as the defection of a holy priest.
I left some room for negotiation, since cutting him off too soon might be detrimental to our future plans.
Come, prince, come and see what line Quardenze Wilk deems not too easy. I don't like the proposal of intermarriage between the Levios and Quordentse families.
I don't like the proposal of intermarriage between the Levios and the Quardentzes. I think we should think deeply about it, because it will have a great impact on those around us. We can all come to a good agreement rather than being tense and worrying about it.
……It seems that the prince understands my line of anger without needing to check it.
Yesterday, when I leaked the magic of malice to the prince, my excuse was “I made his face tense. The reason I bring up the same words here and now is to show him in a way that only I can understand.”You don 't like intermarriage, do you?” And.
I wonder how much recognition the prince who received my ill will had. I guess he could tell from the line I just said that I was strongly resentful of the mutual betrothal, but since I didn't say it in words, I don't know to what extent he really got the message.
However, I understood from the content of the conversation that Dunkel also wanted the marriage to fail and that he wanted a place to talk with me.
Yes, I agree with that.
So I decided to accept the prince's invitation honestly.
If I remained silent, there was a strong possibility that the conversation would proceed as my father and King Levios wished. If that is the case, I should try to get close to the prince even if there is some risk of failure. A unique opportunity to establish a connection without my father's involvement.
As I was thinking about this, Killode let out a disgusted voice.
'Even so, that priest left the Holy City in reliance on the Marquess of Zeldmietra, didn't he? If he was cornered, how ironic that is. Relying on a fox's house?”
Haha, even my family was surprised at first.”
Sardin, who gave a slightly acted-out laugh, indicated the crest on his costume so that everyone could see it.
The current Zerdmitra crest is a mooning fox and a double-edged sword. Originally it was just a quadruped, but it was changed to a fox during the war period.
The impression of the fox on the continent of Eluo is bad. They are perceived as ferocious, cruel, and destructive of reason and order. This is largely due to a matured magical beast that once shook the Eluo continent.
The demonic beast Measles.
It is the second example in history of a mature demonic beast that remains as a jewel, and the first in the threat class, the Barriola class.
The Zesu cult's Holy High Society dispatched the Holy Army three times to defeat this threat, which was born in the western part of the continent, but all of them failed. This great magical beast, later called the “Great Disaster,” Was said to have taken the form of a gigantic three-tailed and six-legged fox wearing a razor.
The magical beast Measles, which bit the Holy High Society of Zethus, the absolute ruler at that time, and inflicted such a heavy blow that the Holy Army was half destroyed, had various effects on the history of the Eluo Continent.
It triggered an increase in the number of priestly nobles in the western part of the continent and prompted a reevaluation of the first rank of the threat class, the demon beast barriola, which had been treated as a half-legend. Also significant, as the fox-shaped hexenbiest appeared in various paintings and stories, establishing its character as the incarnation of fear.
As time went by, in the middle of the Rebellion, Zerdmitra Kraad, calling for self-reliance of the nobility, changed the four-legged beast on his coat of arms to a fox.
When we look at the Zeldmietra crest with these facts in mind, we notice that it has a strange composition. The giant crescent moon, the tail held high and its shadow, these three silhouettes look like three tails, depending on how you look at them It seems as if the fox is not viewing the moon, but looking back at us.
The fox with three tails is looking back with a double-edged sword, the symbol of nobility,…… And we feel a strong hostility toward the priest and a message. I will chew you priests to death like the magical beast Measles.
The official view of the Zerdomitra crest is “A moon-viewing fox and a double-edged sword. The reason is that it is not good appearance to use a magical beast, a natural enemy of mankind, as a motif. However, the sharpness of the design, which is obvious to anyone who looks at it, is likely to cause a funny smile to appear on one's face.
The descendants of those who called Lord Clard an evil fox and denounced him are in such a state that the story of their inferiority in the Holy City is quite convincing, isn't it?
Kalmia said with a quiet chuckle.
From the point of view of the priests of that time, the Clade, who proudly proclaimed the independence of the nobility and encouraged it, was the most detestable existence of all. He must have been considered one of the most detestable of the nobility. Of the highest priests even called him a treacherous and evil fox and ordered the surrounding nobles to defeat him.
Clade himself, however, was not offended by the derogatory term, but rather actively used it to promote himself as a fox. He increased his power by eating the surrounding nobles who responded to the priest's call.
Perhaps because of this incident, it is said that as the leading role of the age shifted from the priests to the nobles, the fox was given not only a bad impression but also a positive one, as if it were “Strong-willed and defiant to its superiors.
The Marquise of Zeldmitra did not have any problems with accepting Lorna?
Sardin answered with an air of wonderment, as if it were a matter of course.
Yes, of course. The current priests have no authority, so in the end they are nothing more than an independent force. So it is only natural that they should sometimes be at odds with each other and sometimes join forces.
I don't know if this is Sardin's way of thinking or the policy of the Zeldmitra family. Don't underestimate them more than we should, just because they are priests. That is the opinion of a nobleman who knows the realities of priests.
Although the content of the statement could be considered gibberish for a royal nobleman, such talk is tolerated at this meeting. The prince, too, was smiling and letting it slide.
In the current atmosphere, there is no problem to be so frank.
If we can intensify the internal strife in the Holy City by taking on Lord Rona, that alone will be beneficial to our family. In recent years, there have been an increasing number of cases where ceasefire agreements have been signed in the free city groups at the urging of the Holy City, so it would be helpful if they were broken down even a little.”
He was speaking in a heartwarming tone, but what he was saying was really quite gruesome.
The Zeldmitra family's basic policy is to expand its territory by invading independent noble families in the free cities. From their point of view, it would be more convenient if the noble houses, which are their prey, quarrel and fight with each other. Mediation of a truce would have been nothing more than an obstacle.
Come to think of it, the slaver Dolan said something similar when he was buying Rave. I heard that these days it has become harder to get slaves because of St. Navempos's ceasefire mediation.
Mhm?” Do the independent noble families accept the priest's mediation?
The Free Cities will take advantage of anything available to them if it means maintaining their independence.
“Oh, really? Is that how it is?
The most important thing to remember is that the free city group is not only interested in the Killode, but also in the Aterahan group.
The Quardenze family also receives a certain amount of information because the Evenapis family is located next to the Free Cities, but even so, there is no doubt that they are still lacking compared to the Zeldmietra family.
I decided to ask a question.
What kind of priest is leading the mediation of the truce?
Mostly martial priests,” He said. I hear that not a few of those involved in the Holy Army, especially the young military officers who are actually on the battlefield, are influenced by the ideology of the martial faction. Well, it is a natural It is not the authority of the great families that has protected the Holy City from the ravages of war over the years, but the military might of the high-ranking priests who fight there.
Having experienced war at the field level, they have many opportunities to confront the nobles of the Free City Cluster. That means they have so many channels and know-how. It was only natural that many of the priests who are capable of organizing advanced negotiations , such as ceasefire mediation, are martial priests.
I see. Then, the priests of Lord Lorna's faction are not doing so well?
It does not seem to be going well. In the first place, the number of priest-oriented aristocratic families (torulo), to whom priests belonging to the faithful can easily approach, has been greatly reduced during the turbulent times. They had it coming.
There are numerous independent aristocratic families in the Free Cities, and they can be roughly divided into two groups: aristocratic-oriented and priestly-oriented.
Most of the aristocrats believed in the restoration of the priestly system of rule for several decades after the outbreak of the turbulent times. That is how long the era of the priests was, and their authority was solid.
And this was more so for the noble families that had fiefdoms near the Holy City and retained their interests.
However, the longer the war dragged on, the more this idea fell into disuse.
Some historians have said that Zeldmietra Kraad, when she advocated the self-reliance of the nobility, had already given up on the priests, and that what she did was merely a crushing blow, a public statement of a thought that everyone felt but kept silent about.
However, there were nobles who continued to believe in the revival of the Holy City despite being exposed to such currents.
They could not forget the blessings of the time of the priests. It may be just stubbornness to keep hoping for the past as the good old days.
The independent aristocratic families of the Free City Cluster who hold such a stubborn view are called the priest-oriented aristocratic families 《torlo》.
It is probably aristocratic families with this kind of thinking that are more likely to be approached by priests of the faith. However, by this time, the number of such families had been decreasing, and they are now in the minority.
Fortunately for Lord Rona's faction, the priest-oriented aristocratic family “Torullo” Is now keeping its distance from the martial faction. The priests of the martial faction are, after all, united in their anti-nobility, and I think they consider it dangerous to approach them so easily.
The prince followed Sardin's lead as he smoothly inserted himself into the conversation.
The priest-oriented aristocratic family 《Toruro》, which still remains today, is very cautious and skilled at survival because they have walked through turbulent times. They are not likely to approach the martial faction with a whimper just because it has momentum.
For them, the old regime of the Holy City, which the faithful are trying to regain, is the most desirable. They would not welcome the rise of either the martial faction, which is bent on killing the nobles, or the pragmatic faction, which is pushing for reform.
What is the situation of the practical faction?
They seem to be having success in Ruling St. Navempos.
According to Sardin, the priests of the practical faction are steadily continuing their reconstruction efforts. In foreign affairs, he says, they are building a cooperative relationship with independent aristocratic families on the economic front.
The practical faction is trying to gain real power in domestic affairs, while the militant faction is trying to increase its influence from outside the Holy City by acting as a mediator for the surrounding noble families.
……The role of the guardian of the land belongs to the martial faction, while the practical faction has shown its power in terms of its achievements in managing the territory. Old system back?
“Does it mean that they sought a way out in the kingdom of Levios because they had no other means left to them? I honestly don't think it's a compliment. Isn't this just a betrayal?
The merciless criticism by Killode and Kalmia hit Lorna's faction, who were not here.
Dunkel is flattered by the reaction.
You are right,” He said. But what do you think? But what about us? If we do nothing, the Faithful will simply be traitors who have given in to the nobility, and the Faithful and the Holy Family will lose even more power than they already have because of this incident. If this happens, the martial faction may become the mainstream. If that happens, the priests, who are now only mediators for a ceasefire, may eventually become the bearers of the unification and declare war on the nobles of the kingdom.
I doubt it. The most important thing to remember is that the authority that has collapsed once will never be the same again.
I immediately rejected his words.
My father had already told me the story that the prince had just told me.
The prince looked a little surprised at my straightforward opposition, so I continued as if I was about to fold up my words.
I continued, “I think now is the time for the nobles of the kingdom to accumulate their own strength. If they try to move too hard, the kingdom itself may fall apart. Shouldn't the potential threat be much higher?
I think that the Levios family, in particular, should be steadfastly rebuilding their prestige rather than taking a chance on an invasion of the Holy City.
Dunkel and Sardin looked at each other silently for a moment.
'…… This is interesting.'
'…… Interesting opinion.'
Before I could respond, Dunkel said, “I'm sorry.
My father is thinking of intervening in this matter of Lord Lorna.
This was a statement not only to me, but to everyone present at the meeting.
I looked at him for a moment, but he didn't seem surprised.
I had also heard from my father's mouth about the proposed invasion of St. Navempos presented by King Levios. Perhaps the other attendees had also heard about it through the head of the family.
King Levios is not the only one. It is the Marquis of Zerdomitra who wants this invasion.
Perhaps because of Dunkel and Sardin's blatant appeal for collusion, Killode's frank words were naturally accepted.
In fact, it is the Zeldmitra family that stands to gain the most from this attack. Perhaps it is only natural, since they are the party that has pulled Lorna along.
But it might be natural for them to think that way. What did you think of it, Mr. Novaluf?
Considering the direct impact of a successful operation, I still feel that the Zeldmitra family has a lot to gain.
From the way he speaks, I feel that the Aterahan family would also benefit in some way.
But the Quardenze family doesn't benefit in any way from the king's proposal. That's why the optional agreement of mutual intermarriage and cooperation in the battle of Spierzeig came up.
It is the long-cherished desire of our Zerdmietra to conquer the Umon Islands, so I can't blame them for thinking so. How about you, Kalmia?”
Kalmia, who was asked this question, began to give his thoughts on the operation itself.
The next question would be from me. I'll think of something negative with a hint of sarcasm while I'm at it.
I felt it would be good to tie it to the words “The long-cherished wish of Zerdmietra,” Which was spoken right now from Sardin's mouth. The “Quordenze wish” Is to smash the Spierzeig family, and the Quordenze Wilk will achieve it without relying on others and become independent as a “Single nobleman. The Zeldmitra family is a pathetic crying wolf to the kingdom, and they are sarcastic. This is a good opportunity for me to show my negative opinion on the invasion of the Holy City. There is no problem in being a little straightforward.
After I had formulated some of what I was going to say, I shifted my gaze to Kalmia.
I was particularly intrigued by the strategy of …… The Umong Islands.
I listened to her story as she tore into the tea cakes with her fork.
Kalmia was very interested in how the Zeldmietra family would accomplish the Umon Islands, which they had never been able to do before.
The strategy itself was simple.
The reason why the Zeldmietra family is having a hard time capturing the Umong Islands has to do with the fact that they cannot deploy a large number of soldiers. Therefore, if they can prepare a large number of ships, they can manage the rest by mass maneuvering.
The strategy was to bring the warships of the Levios, Mirendorva, and Evenapis families into Zeldmietra and attack all the islands at once to conquer them.
All three families are far from the Zeldmitra territory, but it would not be impossible to move them by carrying their ships if they had a number of followers. In the history of the earth, this strategy was reminiscent of the fall of Constantinople.
The fearlessness of the plan must have attracted her interest in her.
Then, Kalmia turned her head toward us and said casually, “The Ottoman fleet crossed the mountains.
I thought of that anecdote about the Ottoman fleet crossing the mountains.
I felt my eyes meet with hers as she closed her eyelids.
