Surviving as the Mad Son of the Ducal House

Chapter 24

"It sounds like you can give me anything."

Ian looked at Shendelzar above the mana sphere with amusement.

"For a long time, we have been cultivating our strength to fight against evil, following the revelations of the God of Light.

However, we have never been able to find the existence of demonkin anywhere."

She paused for a moment and looked at the small bottle in her hand before continuing.

"We have confirmed that the blood you gave us is indeed the blood of a demonkin.

If one of the holy knight commanders was a demonkin, we don't know how far evil has spread within the Holy Empire."

After saying that, she bowed her head and politely asked.

"I know this is shameless, but I would like to know how the Young Lord of the Moner family found the demonkin."

"And you can give me anything in return for that?"

"Nothing in this world is more precious than the knowledge to fight against evil."

I smacked my lips at the request from a figure representing the Holy Empire, but I couldn't give what I didn't have.

"That's a shame."

As I smacked my lips as if I were genuinely disappointed, Shendelzar raised her head and expressed her doubt.

"Pardon?"

"Finding the demonkin was a complete coincidence.

The bastard who was after the vice-bishop here revealed himself; I didn't find him."

If it weren't for Ashuita, the demonkin would have just fled.

I would have found the bishop even if I had to search the entire domain, but if the knight commander, who wasn't on the kill list, had disappeared, I wouldn't have looked for him.

"It's not much of a substitute, but..."

As I paused for a moment to draw it out, Shendelzar urged me on.

"Any information related to the demonkin is welcome."

"If you say so... that demonkin said it would return the moment it died.

The demonic energy felt from its body disappeared even before its physical body died."

At those words, Shendelzar looked at Ian with a skeptical voice.

"Pardon me for being rude, but were you also there, Young Lord?

As far as I know, a man in a white mask was there..."

"Ah, I heard it directly from that friend."

Realizing that it was useless for him to say anything with his credibility at rock bottom, Ian let out a small sigh.

"I'll let you meet that friend sometime.

For now, believe my words.

The only thing I can say for sure right now is that the demonkin named Ajiyog is not dead."

Even though I spoke with sincerity, the other party would not believe my words.

Wasn't I the infamous mad young lord of the Moner family?

"Don't tell me that even White Mask, who killed twenty 3-star paladins and a bishop-level priest, couldn't kill a demonkin..."

Doubt still remained in the voice of Shendelzar, who had bowed her head and was lost in thought, her chin resting on her hand.

"He said it wasn't that he couldn't kill him, but that he was no match for him."

Ian looked at Shendelzar with serious eyes.

'In this world, the greatest power I have is information.

Demonkin can change that information with their very existence.

Since I can't do anything about it right now, I have to use them.'

As a demonkin that didn't appear in the game had appeared, I had to make the Holy Empire move to investigate them.

Of course, to do that, it was most important to tell them the exact power of the demonkin.

The problem was that Shendelzar would not readily believe my words.

Fortunately, I had a hidden card prepared for a time like this.

"The vice-bishop who was there would know.

How immense the power of that demonkin was."

At those words, Ashuita nodded and took Ian's words.

"The demon I saw had a more powerful demonic energy than any demonic beast I have ever seen.

The Young Lord... no, White Mask said that if the demonkin had recovered a little more of its strength or had seriously tried to kill him, he would have been the one to die, not the demonkin."

I had asked Ashuita in advance to keep the fact that I was White Mask a secret.

Normally, she would have never complied, but given the circumstances, she had agreed to go along with it to avoid a war.

Ashuita, who shivered slightly just from imagining the appearance of the demonkin, made a small sign of the cross.

"Hmm..."

As Shendelzar was lost in thought at the appearance of a much more powerful demonkin than expected, Ian opened his mouth.

"Now, I think we have provided enough information.

Then you will admit that the knight commander was a demonkin, right?"

Shendelzar, who had flinched at his sudden question, nodded her head slightly.

"Yes, of course.

We have already confirmed that the ominous black blood is the blood of a demonkin.

We also confirmed the black blood from the gift you sent... the knight commander's head."

Bain looked at Ian in disbelief at the words that he had actually sent the knight commander's head as a gift.

"Then you will understand the circumstances of the Moner family, who had no choice but to punish the unfortunate priest who was corrupted by a demonkin."

"......?"

At the sudden words, everyone in the room looked at Ian, but Ian's expression did not change as he continued to speak confidently.

"It is truly regrettable that a demonkin corrupted the faithful priests within the Moner family."

Ian, who spoke as if he were genuinely regretful, lightly tapped the table.

"Of course!

Everyone knows well the nobility of the priests who undertook a path of penance and came all the way here to the Moner family!

That even such people were swayed by the whispers of a demonkin.

It's a truly terrifying thing, isn't it?"

Ian's brightly shining eyes stared intently at Shendelzar.

"The inquisitors will be busy for a while.

Who knows how far the cunning tongue of the demonkin has spread.

I hear the Holy Nation is not quiet either."

At those words, Shendelzar flinched.

"What... are you talking about?"

"What am I?

I'm just expressing my concern.

Rumors that the Prince-Electors are crazy about money have reached even this remote region, so I was suddenly curious."

"......"

This was something I had planned since I sent the edict that was no different from a declaration of war.

As a demonkin that I didn't even know existed had appeared, I had to somehow use their existence as a joker card to my advantage.

From now on, the outcome of this negotiation depended entirely on the tip of my tongue.

I had to overcome the debuffs of credibility and favorability with just my words and pressure and manipulate the other party to follow my plan, whether they liked it or not.

After moistening his throat for a moment, Ian opened his mouth again.

"What the Moner family desires is only for God's grace to reach this barren land.

We have no further greed.

However, now that people have died at the hands of a 'demonkin', I would like someone to soothe their souls."

It was impossible for the Pope of the Holy Empire to hold a memorial service for the subjects of a kingdom, and a duchy at that.

Even more so if the corruption of the clergy was the cause.

But what if the cause could be shifted to the demonkin?

What if all the sins committed by the clerics and paladins could be blamed on the demonkin?

"You mean those who fell victim to the demonkin."

"That's right.

The unfortunate lives that were lost in vain because God's grace did not reach here.

If a memorial service is held for them every year, it will both honor their souls and serve as a warning against the demonkin."

"In that process, the clergy and the Holy Empire can clean up their internal affairs under the pretext of finding the demonkin.

They can also put pressure on the Prince-Electors who are using the priests to increase their financial and military power."

If that happened, the power of the clergy and the Pope would surely grow.

In the first place, they had to admit that there was no better way to clean up the rotten clergy.

The problem was that this method was the one that would shed the most blood.

Many priests would die, and perhaps a civil war would break out in the Holy Empire.

The man before them was urging them to straighten out the twisted clergy using the demonkin as an excuse.

At his cruelty and lawlessness, Shendelzar's eyes, looking at Ian, trembled slightly.

However, Ian ignored her gaze and just stared at Shendelzar with wide eyes, as if he couldn't have imagined it.

"Huh?

Was there a problem within the Holy Empire?

Well, if there's trash, it needs to be cleaned up.

That's the Holy Empire's business, so we're not in a position to give any advice... but if a cleanup is necessary, what happened in the Moner family might serve as evidence."

Then, he slightly raised one corner of his lip and smiled.

"The Holy Nation did nothing wrong; there was just a priest who was seduced by a demonkin.

Since the Holy Empire is taking responsibility for the relief funds and memorial service for the victims, how can they question the Holy Nation about an individual's corruption?"

Shendelzar, who had been listening in thought, asked with a reluctant expression.

"If we refuse..."

"By chance, a very chance, all the nations of the continent will discover the corpse of a holy knight.

The remains of a demonkin with ominous black blood."

Ian's voice, speaking nonchalantly, sank coldly.

"Perhaps, if such a thing were to happen, the Moner family would be the first to turn against the Holy Nation, which is hiding the demonkin.

The last cleric in the Moner family will be exiled, and the clergy will lose its sanctuary.

A truly unfortunate event."

Shendelzar, who shook her head as if fed up with Ian's resolute demeanor, asked him.

"So, what you want is a memorial service and relief funds for the victims of the demonkin?

I thought you would make more unreasonable demands.

I heard that the Moner family needs food."

As expected.

Ian had also initially thought of demanding food or pressure from the Holy Empire.

If the Holy Empire stepped in and pressured the merchant guilds, the merchant guilds would no longer be able to play games with the food supply.

However, if he had demanded food or money, the Holy Empire would have demanded that this matter be kept secret in return.

In a negotiation, the desperate side always loses, doesn't it?

Pretend to have what you don't, pretend not to be scared even if you are.

With your chest puffed out and confidently.

"What did you think of the Moner family?

As if they would demand anything other than faith from the clerics."

At those words, Shendelzar stared at Ian in disbelief.

"You demanded something much bigger than that, though...?"

If they followed Ian's demands, a great deal of blood would flow in the Holy Empire.

If the Pope and the clergy began to punish the corrupt priests within the clergy and the inquisitors began their activities, no one knew how the Prince-Electors would move.

In the end, the turbid blood that had been stagnant at the top and bottom of the clergy for a long time would finally burst forth and cover the world.

"That's not my business."

Ian cleaned his ear as he looked at Shendelzar, who was pressing her forehead with her hand.

"Anyway, I think we've both conveyed what we want, so I'll be expecting good news."

Ian stood up and stretched as if he would not allow any objections.

"Ah, there's no bishop in this cathedral here, and if we were to get a recommendation from you, a demonkin might be appointed, right?"

Shendelzar frowned at Ian's words, which anyone could hear treated all priests as potential demonkin.

"Don't get on my nerves and just tell me what you want."

"It's nothing special, but it's a bit much to accept just anyone for the position of a dispatched bishop.

Would it be alright if Ashuita, who was recommended by White Mask, takes the position of bishop?"

As Ian pointed at the vice-bishop and spoke, she was startled and shook her head.

"No.

I haven't been a priest for very long, and there are many more excellent people than me in the clergy..."

However, seeing Ian's resolute expression, Shendelzar realized that Ian's request was not a request but a notification.

"Infringing on the personnel rights of one's own country is a serious matter, Young Lord."

"That's why I asked."

Shendelzar's brow furrowed as she looked at Ian, who was smiling foolishly and about to leave.

"Next time, I hope I can meet with Sir White Mask in person!"

At the firm voice that clearly showed she didn't believe Ian's words at all, Ian turned his head slightly and said with a sneer.

"Sure, why not.

But, you know, unrequited love usually doesn't have a happy ending."

A vein popped on Shendelzar's forehead at Ian's mocking reply.

"Well then, I'll be on my way.

Ah, can I ask you one last thing?"

"You're going to ask anyway, aren't you?"

Ian, who had ignored Shendelzar's icy voice, shrugged his shoulders as if she were making a fuss and asked.

"I'm just curious... you said you represent the God of Light?

What's your rank?

Cardinal?"

As if she had expected the question, Shendelzar bowed her head and answered in a voice smaller than a mosquito's, as if she were whispering.

"...in the clergy, I am called the Saintess."