Chapter 49: Winds of War

After the catastrophe in the Ellington Holy Alliance.

Podric Kendal, Inquisitor of the Ellington Holy Alliance’s Sixth Diocese, headed straight to the imperial palace upon receiving the summons from the Felberg Empire’s emperor, Cain.

Though he had been dispatched from the Ellington Holy Alliance at Cain’s request, strictly speaking, Podric was an outsider who hadn’t undergone sufficient “verification.” 

Thus, he was currently lodging and dining with his subordinate Executors at a high-end inn located in the inner castle.

After passing through those complicated and tedious checkpoints and procedures, the Beheading Priest Podric finally entered the audience chamber. 

Cain looked at him with a stiffly hardened face and opened his mouth.

“Inquisitor, have you heard the news from the sanctuary?”

“Yes, it has already reached me.”

“First, as the emperor of the Felberg Empire, I officially express my deep regret for the tragic catastrophe that occurred in the sanctuary.”

The relationship between the Imperial Church and the Ellington Holy Alliance wasn’t particularly good, but it wasn’t the worst to the point of being called “hostile.” 

So, upon hearing of a regrettable incident, it wasn’t as if their relations were bad enough to applaud and laugh.

Moreover, with various circumstantial evidence pointing to a high possibility that the empire’s five dukes were cooperating with black magicians, the Beheading Priest Podric was a reliable ally. 

Therefore, Cain officially expressed “regret” as the imperial emperor, and in response, Podric drew the sign of the cross and bowed politely in lieu of a reply.

“With the official stance out of the way, there’s something I want to ask directly.”

Having expressed regret officially, it was now time for a business-like conversation. Cain mentioned this and asked Podric.

“The Second Diocese suffered an enemy attack, resulting in considerable loss of life… Will there be no issue with the deployment of the holy war army?”

Cain’s eyes gleamed. 

The Second Diocese was an institution responsible for producing and managing “graces” and “holy water,” which could be said to be the most important in the Ellington Holy Alliance, and even storing “relics.”

Having been attacked by unidentified entities presumed to have been born through black magic this time, the Second Diocese not only lost Archbishop Alberto Schuheim but also had countless affiliated clerics killed along with him.

With the Second Diocese suffering such great damage, it was inevitable that there would be disruptions in the production of graces, and since graces accounted for a significant portion of the Holy Alliance’s combat power… 

Wouldn’t it be somewhat burdensome to organize and deploy a force of a certain scale as the holy war army to the Felberg Empire in this state? 

Cain’s question was precisely inquiring about that.

Then,

“Regrettably, I too have been informed that this catastrophe will greatly hinder the deployment of the holy war army.”

Podric answered honestly without bothering to hide it. 

Cain’s prediction was correct. With the Second Diocese suffering major damage, disruptions had arisen in the production and supply of graces, so even within the Holy Alliance, they had begun showing a passive attitude toward mobilizing the holy war army.

From the Ellington Holy Alliance’s perspective, they hadn’t officially declared a holy war on the Felberg Empire’s five dukes yet; it was merely a decision reached after internal discussions, so they had gathered opinions in the direction of observing the situation more cautiously.

“I see…”

With the answer, Cain slowly nodded while narrowing his eyes. 

He had expected it, but hearing that the support from the holy war army had become uncertain inevitably brought a sense of regret.

Many nobles who had declared neutrality had returned to the loyalists, but due to the long power vacuum, their armies weren’t particularly formidable.

Even combining all the forces of the existing loyalist nobles, the imperial army, the imperial central army, and so on, there were many shortcomings compared to the military might of the empire’s five dukes, which was why he had brought in the foreign power of the Ellington Holy Alliance… Even if he didn’t expect the deployment of the holy war army, he thought it would be good to have additional support at the level of the Sixth Diocese.

“However, just because the deployment of the holy war army is on hold doesn’t mean the heresy hunt has stopped.”

Had Cain’s emotions shown that much? Looking at Cain, whose regret was evident, the Beheading Priest Podric said that the heresy hunt wasn’t over yet.

“The Holy Royal Office ordered my return, but I strongly stated that I couldn’t.”

“Because the heresy hunt isn’t finished yet?”

“You’re correct. While participating in the subjugation battles around Granada… I’ve seen more traces of heresy on this land than I thought. In a state where the machinations of such evil seeds are so clear, I cannot dare return to the sanctuary for personal safety.”

Even if the opponent was the empire’s emperor, if they were related to heresy, he was the type to step forward for judgment without hesitation—that was the Beheading Priest Podric Kendal. 

Given his personality, at the current point where the circumstantial evidence of cooperation between the empire’s five dukes and heretical forces had been clearly captured, complying with the return order to the sanctuary was something that could never happen.

“I intend to track and annihilate the heretics to the end.”

The resolute will to exterminate evil, declaring to chase all manner of evil beings to the ends of the continent and destroy them. 

The appearance of the Beheading Priest declaring this felt quite reliable to Cain.

“Excellent.”

Watching Cain murmur in admiration, Podric opened his mouth again.

“Moreover… While the deployment of the holy war army has become difficult for now, both the Holy Royal Office and the Holy War Office recognize the need to swiftly subjugate the heretical forces currently scheming in the Felberg Empire’s territory. Accordingly, there will be additional support from the Sixth Diocese for heresy subjugation.”

Support at the level of the Sixth Diocese likely meant the additional dispatch of Inquisitors. Inquisitors were classified as high-level forces even in the Ellington Holy Alliance.

Of course, even among Inquisitors, cases like Podric Kendal, classified as bishop-level and having reached the “Meister” realm, were rare across all Inquisitors… Most Inquisitors were at the Grand Chevalier level, and if an Inquisitor moved, a few Executors would accompany them. Thus, the “additional support” mentioned by Podric could certainly be expected to be a great help.

“I convey my gratitude for the wise judgment of the Holy Alliance.”

When something is appreciated, one should say thanks. 

Cain honestly expressed his gratitude. In response, the Beheading Priest Podric also briefly bowed his head in courtesy.

Though the deployment of the Ellington Holy Alliance’s holy war army was put on hold, the news that additional Inquisitors would be dispatched from the Sixth Diocese to the Felberg Empire also reached one of the empire’s five dukes, Duke Hans Deneve.

Of course, along with a “personal letter” personally written by the Felberg Empire’s emperor, Cain. The content of the personal letter was sufficient to provoke Duke Hans Deneve.

“This damned emperor!”

It stated that Inquisitors had been dispatched from the Ellington Holy Alliance to root out the insidious forces secretly colluding with black magician forces, so he should actively cooperate. 

Throwing the personal letter—clearly written by Cain himself—onto the floor in irritation, Duke Deneve spat out coarse curses.

“Naias!”

“Yes, Master.”

At his master’s call, Count Beck, who happened to be visiting the mansion and nearby, came running and bowed deeply.

“Muster the army at once!”

Those mad Inquisitor bastards sent from the Holy Alliance were saying they would rummage through his inner chambers, and he was supposed to shut up and cooperate. 

From Duke Deneve’s standpoint, this was an insult he absolutely couldn’t tolerate. 

Even if he wasn’t planning to advance on Granada right away, he thought it necessary to show once the scale of the military forces gathering under his banner.

“Master, please calm down first.”

Fortunately, Count Naias Beck was the rational type, so he first tried to calm his master with kind words. 

Though Duke Deneve had a hot-tempered personality, he also had a surprisingly cool-headed and rational side, so as long as he was properly calmed during the moment of impulse, he wouldn’t push through unreasonable decisions. 

Thus, Count Beck first worked to calm his master… but his efforts didn’t work this time.

“Whose side are you on? Naias. That wastrel-turned-insane emperor has openly provoked me. You wouldn’t tell me to calm down if you saw this either.”

Duke Deneve, still unable to control his emotions of anger, ordered him to check Cain’s personal letter, and Count Beck replied briefly, picked up the letter from the floor, and checked it. 

The content was truly outrageous.

Perhaps because of his wastrel origin, it was filled with various sentences that strongly provoked the opponent while adhering to etiquette, so he could understand Duke Deneve’s feelings to some extent.

However.

“Master, His Highness Archduke Hyperion has forbidden preemptive attacks.”

Count Beck mentioned Archduke Hyperion with a stiffly hardened face. 

As the leader of the five dukes’ faction, Caynes Hyperion—one of the five dukes of the Felberg Empire. 

Officially, he held the title of duke, but from the point when the five dukes’ forces surpassed the emperor’s, he had been calling himself archduke.

Archduke Hyperion’s stance had been clear from before: since not all neutral nobles had returned to the loyalists yet, they must not provide a justification that could mistakenly make all neutral nobles side with the loyalists. 

Therefore, he had issued orders to Duke Kosak Tiberian and Duke Hans Deneve, who were relatively close to the emperor’s loyalists in the same faction, to especially refrain from preemptive attacks.

Count Beck’s words pointed this out, but.

“Naias. It seems there’s a misunderstanding. I’m not ordering the assembly of the army to attack Granada right away. It’s just to make that wastrel-turned-emperor, who keeps making petty provocations, clearly feel the power I can show.”

The provocation through the “personal letter” completed with Cain’s ornate literary style was quite effective. 

At Duke Deneve’s hardline attitude, Count Beck ultimately gave up on persuading him and returned to his domain to muster soldiers as per his order. 

Because if war broke out, his domain, Beck County, would become the frontline position in the great Felberg war.

Mobilizing the maximum available reserve forces beyond the domain’s standing army and gathering them under the family banner, their numbers reached about fifteen thousand.

Moreover, the territorial army of Count Beck, which exceeded the typical level mobilizable from a noble with the title of “count,” wasn’t just large in numbers; most were well-equipped and well-trained regulars.

Considering that the standing army of Count Theseus Haren right nearby was two thousand, and even with additional conscripts, it barely exceeded six thousand, one could roughly guess how much Count Beck had invested in military expenses.

However, since Duke Deneve wanted an even more intense level of military demonstration, he urgently dispatched the “Swordsman Brigade,” a mercenary group jointly operated by two of his disciples, to Count Beck’s domain. 

The Swordsman Brigade was a large mercenary group of about two thousand, and their joining would chill the spine of the neighboring lord who had recently returned to the loyalists, Count Haren.

“Do they truly want war…”

Such intense provocations from Duke Deneve’s side were reported to Cain through Count Haren, and with a coldly chilled gaze, he looked down at the map of Haren County and muttered to himself.

It seemed special measures were necessary.