Chapter 307
Now, there were two reasons I resolved to begin the "Snake Hunt."
First, if things were left as they were, bad things might happen, but good things certainly wouldn't.
Second, it was to cut off any worries from behind so I could focus on the battle against Azidahaka.
And to achieve that goal, the first move was, of course—
"And so, I request that His Majesty the King scrutinize these documents and then take appropriate measures."
To wield power to its fullest, I was informing Duke Edelgard.
The documents Judess and the others stole might not be conclusive evidence, but they shouldn't be judged as nothing.
In this world—no, in the southern continent's judiciary, winning often hinged on moving the King to action.
The FBO was truly a place where anything went; during noble activities, there were even cases of people falling from grace after being falsely accused.
That's precisely why, in noble circles, learning how to move the King to judge one's opponent was an essential skill for winning in court.
"Your Grace.""Hmm, with this..."
And then, being judged by official institutions was the necessary procedure to bring down public-facing power.
Ah, the nostalgia. Those days spent idling my time as a noble, infiltrating the mansions of rival nobles to kick out troublesome fellows.
The way these pieces of evidence were obtained was less borderline criminal and more definitively criminal. But since the other party were criminals, we showed no mercy in that regard.
After seeing the documents and confirming they weren't forgeries, Duke Edelgard exchanged glances with Ms. Lotus, then they both nodded.
"We can dispatch an inspection team and extend Duke Boldorinde's detention period. Furthermore, depending on the inspection team's results, stripping him of his rank is also within sight."
It seems physical evidence holds significant sway no matter the world. With this evidence, we could create any number of justifications.
Furthermore, if Duke Boldorinde was officially under restraint, Duke Edelgard could dispatch an inspection team to the northern territories as the royal proxy.
"Will Your Grace be leading the inspection team?""No, Lotus will go. I must remain here.""I believe you'll be fine staying within the mansion, but please ensure you have thoroughly reliable guards by your side.""I'd be most at ease if you were here.""Unfortunately, I have other matters to attend to, so I cannot stay by your side forever. The strengthening of your private forces is progressing steadily, so if you select the best from among them, you should manage without issue."
The royal proxy and its inspection team are dispatched by royal decree, giving them legitimate cause.They couldn't do *anything* they wanted, but resisting the inspection was tantamount to admitting one had something to hide from the state.
"...Not even Esmeralda?""No. And besides, isn't it pathetic to rely on your daughter for protection? It was you, Your Grace, who postponed your own enhancement plan using work as an excuse. Originally, if you had become stronger yourself, there would be no problem.""Isn't it somewhat unfair to be told that by you, who brought me this work?""The feeling is mutual."
Thus, a situation was created where obedient compliance was hell, and resistance was also hell.Moreover, the private soldiers under Duke Edelgard were trained by me, making them incomparably stronger than ordinary soldiers. The civil officials were quick with paperwork, and I had also trained scout-type soldiers, making investigations their specialty.
"Your Grace, now is not the time for such arguments. We must act swiftly.""Indeed. I shall go see His Majesty."
Therefore, both the security around the Duke and the inspection should be executable without issue.After this brief exchange, the Duke stood up and donned his cloak.
"What if His Majesty balks?"I asked the Duke, just in case, what would happen if the negotiations hit a snag.
"What of it? In that case, the power balance simply becomes a three-way deadlock. It would be interesting to see if His Majesty's forces alone could withstand it."
Grinning with a smile somewhat reminiscent of his expression when he had fallen to darkness, Duke Edelgard left the room, leading Ms. Lotus.
"Well, even His Majesty the King will probably bestir himself this time. And if he doesn't, Duke Edelgard will likely force him to."
Faced with solid evidence of slave trading and drug smuggling, even the indecisive King would have no choice but to act.
I knew he was like that from the start, but this country is truly difficult to change.
"Alright, that settles matters with His Grace. Next is—"
It was now decided that later, in the royal castle, the Duke would wield a great axe and put on a grand performance, cutting down the opposition nobles left and right.He would mercilessly slash down any opposing views, so the dispatch of the inspection team would likely be decided by the end of the day, if not sooner.
Having no further business here, I moved on to my next schedule.
"Ms. Claudia, sorry to keep you waiting.""It's no problem. You are right on time."
The person I had arranged to meet was Ms. Claudia.Lately, she had often been operating separately, acting as a liaison for temple-related matters and meeting with Duke Edelgard. This time, however, I had a request for temple affiliates, so I asked her to introduce me to an acquaintance of hers.
By tracing connections from Claudia's original status, one could connect with suitable individuals.
However, the person we were contacting this time had a personal connection with Claudia.
I had obtained permission from His Grace the Duke, and was informed the person was already waiting in the reception room. Guided by Claudia, I headed there.
"He is my junior.""I am André Larvan! I have been in Ms. Claudia's care since our days at the temple school!"
A brawny giant of a man rose from a three-seater sofa and performed a neat bow.
"I have heard about you from Senior Claudia, Lord Liberta. It is the highest honor to meet the Apostle of the Goddess of Wisdom, Kefeli, in this manner."
This was my first time using connections to contact a named character since coming to this world.Claudia was a quite famous figure among church affiliates.
A living legend, who continued to leave behind legends.Using her connections, the person I absolutely wanted to meet was this man, André Larvan.
"Pleased to meet you. I'm Liberta."
He offered a handshake; his hand felt like hardened, thick leather over crushed beans, matching his trained physique. The handshake conveyed a solid, reliable sensation.
As a member of the Temple Knight Order, his unit was fundamentally dedicated to defensive protection, adhering to a principle of non-aggression, staying at their posts to guard the Church organization.The conditions for recruiting him involved manipulating a special parameter called 'Contribution to the Church,' requiring the completion of various quests, but we used Claudia's connection—a cheat—to skip that.
From the respect he showed me, I could tell he viewed me favorably.
His face, befitting his large frame, was bear-like.A glare from him would instantly terrify enemies, while he showed a charming smile to allies.Perhaps from daily training under the sun, his skin was healthily tanned.
Among potential allies, he was a very versatile tank-type character.
"So, you are willing to cooperate?""Yes! Having heard from Senior Claudia that this could weaken the Evil God Cult's influence, we simply cannot stand idly by!!"
Upon recruitment, he was around the first half of Class 6 in level. True to being Claudia's junior, his combat abilities were high, and unlike Claudia, he preferred leading a team in action.
Claudia's leadership was the solitary type, based on personal strength.André's leadership, in contrast, was based on cooperation and harmony; their genres were fundamentally different.
"I see. In that case, I earnestly request your assistance."
The reason I contacted him was to prevent reinforcements from reaching Duke Boldorinde.The organization possessing the greatest strength in the underworld was undoubtedly the Evil God Cult.
Physical combat power, intelligence activities, assassination organizations.Holding influence over various underground organizations, if they heard Duke Boldorinde was in dire straits, they would send reinforcements to gain a stake and extend their influence into the surface world.
Their relationship was one of mutual use, maintaining a balanced scale. If one side stumbled and tipped the balance, the Evil God Cult would seek to seize those interests.
If they managed to介入 (involve themselves) clumsily and somehow helped him recover, even patchily, it would be unbearable.
I knew what those guys wanted, so I requested the deployment of their natural enemy—the Temple Knight Order, aka, the "We Absolutely Do Not Forgive the Evil God Cult" guys.
"However, that is strictly limited to cases where there is solid evidence the Evil God Cult is present. I do not wish to call citizens' reports lies, but we often hear that by the time we rush to the scene based on a report, the scoundrels have already turned tail and fled. We also have our duty to maintain the Temple's stability and cannot readily mobilize the Knight Order."
There were several conditions for mobilizing the Knight Order.One of them was providing information on the Evil God Cult, which allowed for the mobilization of Temple Knights.
However, to deploy them, corresponding evidence was needed.Attempting to move them with lies or fabrications would worsen relations with the Temple, so we had to act with certainty.
"Don't worry. Regarding that, the materials are here."
I wasn't too worried about that point.Among the documents Judess and the others pilfered was also a list of underworld figures connected to the Evil God Cult members.
"I'd like you to mobilize not a large-scale force immediately, but first, personnel within the Knight Order capable of arresting these specific individuals.""...I see.""And to do so in cooperation with this kingdom's inspection team.""Hmm... I believe you are aware that non-interference in politics is our Temple's stance?""Yes, I am aware."
Unlike nobles or merchants, those who handle information have bases in various places.If they weren't fixated on Hokushi, they could quickly flee.
"What I'd like the Temple Knight Order to do is apprehend suspicious individuals trying to escape the city. The inspection team will be busy with inspections inside the city. They will try to prevent escapes, but they cannot pursue those who have already fled outside.""I see, I see. That is truly regrettable. To let associates of those enemies of God slip away. Ah, how vexing. If only I didn't have plans for expeditionary training in the North, we might have been able to manage something..."
By blockading that, we could trap and arrest them. However, those scoundrels knew the terror of the Evil God Cult, so while they might sell out nobles or merchants, they would never divulge information about the Cult.
But if they were captured by Temple Knights who already knew what kind of people they were... one can only imagine the outcome.
Serving the gods is the Temple Knights' role; they cannot assist the politically involved inspection team. However, they do share the desire to crush the organization that worships an Evil God.
"I see. You seem busy. Please forget we had this conversation.""Indeed. My apologies for not meeting your expectations. Senior, I just remembered I have matters to attend to; may I take my leave?"
No political connection whatsoever; it was all purely coincidental.We created that necessary narrative.
It might seem transparent, but it was a necessary procedure.
"Very well. If you have matters to attend to, it can't be helped.""Then, with your permission, I shall take my leave."
And so, I saw André off, now holding a strategy in hand.