Chapter 219: How Many Tasks Did You Handle?
The followers of the Archbishop couldn’t hold back and stood up, pointing fingers at Bishop Porisco, shouting,
“A man cannot receive a revelation! It clearly states that only a saint can participate in the holy war! How can you, as a bishop, not know this?”
“And yet you have never spread the will of the Goddess or preached the gospel to the world! You’ve only been eating bribes!”
“Honestly, considering how you’ve lived, it’s a joke that you’re even in the bishop position! You should have some conscience! No verification needed!”
To be recognized as a saint, several conditions must be met. Among those, Porisco met not a single one.
Among the priests gathered in the assembly, it was undoubtedly Porisco who had consumed the most bribes and committed the most wrongdoings.
The only reason others hadn’t called him out on it was that they had all dabbled in their own shady dealings too.
However, even if he was rotten, he was still a priest. There was absolutely no way they would accept him as a saint. If someone like him were to become a saint, it would be a sure sign that the end of the world was near.
Of course, the bishops following Porisco made a fuss, claiming he should be recognized as a saint.
“Ha! If the one who received a revelation isn’t a saint, then who is?!”
“It’s what everyone is hoping for!”
“You blasphemers who go against the will of the gods! Didn’t you all partake in the bribes too?!”
The priests bickered like nobles in a political arena, squabbling for days. If the disputes escalated any further, the church would be split right down the middle.
Ultimately, Porisco licked his lips and took a step back. No matter how greedy he was, he understood that he needed to back down at this point.
“Hmm, I guess this is still too much? I’ll need a little more time. Only with the church’s acknowledgment can the royal family lend their support.”
It was essential to gain acknowledgment from both the church and the kingdom. It would only be possible with overwhelming influence, enough to achieve a unanimous decision.
Getting the title of a saint was this difficult. That’s why it took so long, and most saints were usually honored posthumously.
“Tsk, if only I could show off divine power as immense as the saintess…”
A bit disappointing, but he was still fine with it.
The capital’s faithful hailed and followed him. The Archbishop wouldn’t dare touch him anymore. His popularity had skyrocketed far beyond that point.
“Phew, I really feel like the Goddess saved me right before death. Or did that brat suddenly show up and rescue me? Damn! By the way, I really need to reclaim that contract to feel at ease.”
Thanks to that brat, he had saved his life, but all his wealth had shifted to Baron Penris, who now held all the cards against him. He had forcibly become more upright.
Nevertheless, if he continued to live this upright life, he would eventually earn the title of saint.
It could lead to a loop.
In that moment, Porisco felt a strange sense of unease.
“Being good? Me? Am I going crazy?”
Since meeting that brat, he felt like he had become weird.
*
“Well, I thought becoming a Saint would be tough.”
Ghislaine chuckled at the news.
If becoming a Saint was that easy, then dogs and cows would be flaunting that title everywhere.
Human jealousy and envy are scarier than you think. Especially for priests who have honor but can’t wield power like the nobles do.
There was no way they would agree to Porisco’s appointment as Saint. Priests from other churches were intentionally spreading slander about Porisco.
They certainly did not want a Saint to emerge.
“Still, in a few years, it shouldn’t be hard to rise to Archbishop.”
The current Archbishop had lost his influence in an instant. Meanwhile, Porisco’s influence had skyrocketed compared to before.
Barring any major mistakes, the operations of the Church would be dominated by Porisco’s faction.
“If I become Archbishop… I’ll designate parishes and request more priests and Temple Knights to be sent.”
It was a plan that would infuriate Porisco, but Ghislaine intended to scrape every last bit off the bottom.
“Well, let’s wrap this up.”
Now that she was in the capital, there was someone she wanted to meet.
Either way, she had to visit after the war, so she figured she might as well get it done while she was dealing with Piote.
“Shall I go see the Marquis? He must have heard plenty about me by now.”
It wasn’t just the Church that was in chaos. Nobles staying in the capital were chattering non-stop about Ghislaine’s antics.
“A revelation from the Goddess? How did that predict a drought? If that guy’s involved, it’s just another wild rumor! That duck is a dark sorcerer, you know!”
Marquis Maurice McQuarry, the Supreme Commander of the Kingdom Army, exclaimed in shock upon hearing the news. No matter how superstitious he might be, he couldn’t just believe it straightforwardly.
Senseless rumors had already struck the capital once before, including information on how Count Penris had triumphed in war.
“A flying machine? Falling knights? That duck is a Swordmaster? How does that even make sense, you idiots! Why is every rumor about that guy so absurd? None of them are credible!”
There were vivid testimonies from Cabaldy’s forces who had fought against Penris, but the other regional nobles, who had only heard bits of information, simply wouldn’t believe it.
Each rumor shattered common sense.
Naturally, the informants compiling rumors were busy getting crushed daily.
“That guy’s manipulating information! He’s definitely spreading ridiculous rumors to cause even more confusion! We must get in touch with their officials and get the correct information right away!”
With the truth about the war still unclear, now rumors about Saints and revelations were spreading, causing Maurice to unleash his frustration on his poor subordinates.
He wasn’t alone in this. The nobles in the capital were too busy engaging in meaningless debates amidst the chaos.
“How could Baron Penris, not a priest nor a Saint, receive any revelations? It’s certainly another absurd rumor like last time!”
“Ah! Then how do you explain the preparedness for the drought? If he received a revelation, it makes perfect sense, doesn’t it?”
“Does that mean flying in the sky and being a Swordmaster are gifts from the Goddess? Think about it logically! Please, just use common sense!”
“Why can’t that make sense! The Goddess could very well grant the ability to fly and give strength! And tell him to stockpile food too!”
“Haven’t the informants already analyzed everything? They were just lucky that their preparations for the immigrant plan coincidentally worked out! It’s all false rumors, I tell you!”
“It was pure luck that the immigrant plan exploded like this! It’s all just ridiculous rumors, you know!”
“The climate crisis is real!”
And just like that, unconfirmed rumors spread like wildfire. Ghislaine’s name was mentioned at every feast attended by the nobles.
At the ‘Investment Success Stories’ feast, Meriel also asked Rosalyn.
“Not long ago, there were rumors about flying in the sky or being a master, and now it’s the goddess’ revelation? Obviously, it’s a lie, right?”
“Yeah, they must be going crazy again.”
“Honestly, I can’t make sense of what they’re doing. ‘Saint Baron Penris’? Isn’t that just too funny?”
“Where in the world is there a saint obsessed with money?”
Rosalyn pouted, reminiscing about the past. It must have taken a lot of money to distribute such enormous food supplies.
But thinking she knew Ghislaine’s character well, she believed he wouldn’t suffer a loss.
“There must be something he’s aiming for. Probably received something somewhere that exceeds what he spent. He definitely pulled something on Bishop Porisco.”
Separately, one thing was certain: Ghislaine’s popularity had skyrocketed compared to before.
With everyone in the capital chattering about Porisco and Ghislaine, Marquis Branford was getting a headache.
“Ghislaine, Ghislaine. Because of that guy, even the informants are wasting their efforts! He spread weird rumors about the war, and now suddenly supports greedy scoundrels like Porisco? What on earth is he doing?”
Informants were tirelessly gathering and updating information to verify the truth of the rumors, causing a mountain of pointless paperwork to pile up day by day.
Naturally, the ones reporting and confirming the information were left in an awkward situation.
In the midst of all this, the subject of the rumors unexpectedly visited Marquis Branford.
Arriving in the capital, he didn’t even bother to greet first and just strolled over after finishing his business. Still as cocky as ever.
“Marquis, how have you been? I’m here!”
With a cheerful greeting, as if visiting a friend’s house, Marquis Branford asked with a grim expression.
“You’re really overflowing with popularity. What on earth gave you the idea to pull off such antics? You’re not as thoughtless as you act, are you?”
“I just did a bit of charity work. Times are tough for everyone, you know?”
“You do charity work? Without compensation? And with Porisco? How does that even make sense?”
“My fortress has a nickname now—Saint, you know. Haven’t you heard?”
“…….”
Unintentionally, Marquis Branford pressed his temples. He was already a headache, and now he unexpectedly gained popularity.
“The more this goes on, the harder it seems to control him.”
Wait, when was he ever in control?
Sighing, Marquis Branford feigned an angry expression and said, “Fine, let’s say it’s charity work. But I warned you not to cause trouble, and lo and behold, you’ve created a huge incident. The Duke’s faction won’t just let this slide.”
“Didn’t you expect that much? That’s why you sent the 2nd Corps, right? Honestly, weren’t you pleased?”
That part was true. Hearing the reports of victory actually made him feel good, as it flipped the mood of the Crown Prince Faction that had been overshadowed by the Duke’s faction.
With Ghislaine’s audacity making Branford smile, he replied, “Indeed, it wasn’t bad. But now all the informants in the capital are struggling because of you.”
“For what reason?”
“This whole divine revelation incident and the war-related issues, I think it’s best to ask you directly. How did you manage to capture the castle so quickly?”
At Marquis Branford’s question, Ghislaine spoke confidently as if he had nothing to hide.
“Since you’re a marquis, I’ll be honest. I created a flying device and entered the enemy’s castle with 100 knights. After ambushing the enemies guarding the castle gate, I broke down the gate myself, and soon, our allies rushed in and wiped out the enemy.”
“……”
This matched the information the intelligence agents had brought back. Those ridiculous rumors.
As Marquis Branford remained silent, Ghislaine slyly asked, “So… do you have any more questions?”
“……You flew in? With knights? One hundred knights?”
“Yes!”
“How did you break the gate?”
“I broke it by myself.”
“By yourself… broke it?”
“That’s right!”
“……”
It’s already a well-known fact that there are no knights in Penris. And what? One hundred? That’s a number only someone at the level of a great lord could talk about.
Flying is so absurd that there’s no value in discussing it.
Most importantly, to break a thick castle gate all at once by oneself? Only two people in the kingdom could do that. The Count Balzac, who has earned the title of Master, and the Commander of the Royal Knights.
‘Even that information is not certain. Nobody has seen it for real.’
Anyway, they only achieved such feats after they crossed into middle age.
No matter how abundant the talent, it was absolutely impossible for someone Ghislaine’s age.
“Ha ha!”
Toleo, the Knight Commander of the House of Marquis, listening beside them, couldn’t help but laugh.
When Marquis Branford shot him a glare, Toleo straightened up and said, “……I’m sorry.”
In his life, Marquis Branford very rarely found himself in a state of embarrassment. However, since meeting Ghislaine, such moments had become quite frequent.
He pressed his temples a few times and shook his head.
“Fine. It must be a military secret, so you probably don’t want to say it properly. I understand completely; the Duke faction might find ways to counter our maneuvers. Inform them not to investigate that matter any further.”
‘……I clearly have less credibility than I thought.’
Ghislaine clicked his tongue without realizing it.
After all, he planned to use hot air balloons for transportation and reconnaissance within the territory soon. And as the knights continued to perform, the rumors would spread regardless.
Ultimately, it was a problem that would be revealed, so he never intended to hide it.
But in the context of today’s common sense, it made no sense, so even if he spoke the truth, no one would believe him.
‘Once they see for themselves, they’ll know soon enough. About my abilities… No, they might still doubt that.’
Still just a half-done master, so the techniques he could easily use were limited. However, he had no plans to boast about them outright.
Who cares whether others believe him or not? This wasn’t something he was doing to curry favor with anyone.
Completely unaware of Ghislaine’s thoughts, Marquis Branford clicked his tongue and got straight to the point.
“You didn’t come just to greet me, did you? So, what do you need?”
“You really are quick to get to the chase, which is quite comfortable. Just grant me one position.”
At that, Marquis Branford tilted his head.
A guy who doesn’t want to be tied down suddenly wants a position? And on paper, he already holds one title, the Northern Military Support Steward.
“What position do you want?”
“Please appoint me as the Commander of the Northern Army.”
“……”
Marquis Branford was left speechless.
As usual, Ghislaine was here to ask for something huge again.
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