EP. 19
After meeting with the Baron, Maria had been avoiding looking me in the eye for the past few days.
We shared meals and occasionally had tea together, but the subtle pressure she used to exert on me, wrapping me up in her presence, had dissipated. Instead, she often turned her head away whenever our eyes met.
However, there was one thing I gained from this change.
“Maria, I’ll be stepping out for a bit!”
“Yes, take care.”
In the past, she would pester me with endless questions whenever I wanted to do anything, but nowadays, she mostly just nodded along.
I didn’t necessarily need Maria’s permission to move around, but given that I was staying in the Imperial Palace, it felt polite to let her know when I was going out and roughly when I’d be back.
Now, even that sense of obligation was fading away.
“Is the Archbishop here?”
“Oh, he’s inside.”
Maybe it was because we had seen each other a few times, but the priest greeted me warmly. I sat waiting on a chair in the worship hall, and it wasn’t long before Archbishop Paolo arrived.
“You really messed up your grand plans from the start, didn’t you? It’s nice to see you again.”
“Seeing you again after all that drinking with friends at our first meeting, I must say you look surprisingly well.”
Hahaha.
Hehe.
After exchanging friendly greetings, we simultaneously sighed.
“So, where did you go during the Rite of Passage? Didn’t you say you would flaunt your connection with me then?”
“I was called away by Her Majesty the Empress.”
“The Empress, you say?”
The Archbishop frowned slightly.
“That sounds like you got tangled in some bothersome affairs.”
It was a somewhat ominous statement.
“Do you have any knowledge about the Empress?”
He hesitated, pondering whether he should share such information. But remembering I had a clear recollection of past events, I playfully tapped my head. He then sighed and said,
“You might guess, but I have a few, um, helpful connections.”
“Helpful connections?”
“Having reached this position, do you think I have no connections at all?”
“Ah.”
Indeed, knowing people in power is a form of wealth. During times of need, making a subtle nudge could turn everything around suddenly, and that is always the case in any era or place.
This was just another place where people lived, so it was nothing particularly different.
“And once I’ve helped out someone once, that alone can become a reason to seek their assistance with parish management later on.”
“So that’s how unused alcohol was flowing around.”
“…….”
He momentarily feigned ignorance.
Talk about being transparent! I had no idea how he managed to hide his deeds until now.
“Anyway, my original plan was to use this to cover all expenses needed to run orphanages or meal programs, and I even had a surplus for supplies and gifts.”
“…Wait, so the cathedral looks this splendid because of that?”
The Archbishop looked at me as if I were the one being strange.
“The Golden Cross Church has plenty of money without needing to rely on that! I mean, do you think a mere penny from me would contribute to the grandeur of this building, which cost an arm and a leg to build?”
“Uh, is that so?”
No, that just made me even more curious.
“How much did it cost to build the cathedral?”
He leaned in and whispered in my ear.
“—-―.”
“Are you serious?”
With that amount of money, the kingdoms to the east of the Empire could practically be bought off and turned into economic colonies!
I was taken aback, eyes blinking in shock at a sum that could rival the annual budgets of ordinary nations, leading the Archbishop to wave his hand in front of me to snap me back to reality.
“Anyway, the important part is the conversation related to running the orphanages and meal programs.”
“Oh, right.”
He let out a deep sigh while discussing the orphanage and meal programs.
“In any case, the donations I used to receive for mediating various matters inside Palatinate Castle have started dwindling over the last few years.”
“And this is related to the Empress?”
“More precisely, it’s about the Empress’s faction.”
He brought out a piece of paper and took out a fountain pen to illustrate his explanation.
“This circle represents Palatinate Castle, and the dots scattered around signify the bureaucratic network. In reality, they are all clustered near the Imperial Palace, but I assume you get the gist?”
“Just because I’m famous for my brawling doesn’t mean I lack brains, you know?”
*Clears throat.*
He cleared his throat and drew a square within the circle. Then he wrote “Cathedral” inside it and connected some of the dots with lines.
“Anyway, I have connections with the ministers and deputy ministers, or even those just below them, who actually hold power in most cases.”
“Well, religious folks can’t survive without some social skills.”
“With these connections, I assisted with various matters while scraping together donations. But then…”
He drew another tiny circle above the Cathedral. I could understand what that meant.
“The Empress stepped forward with a faction made up of bureaucrats and central nobles, and the situation changed.”
He connected all the dots towards the Imperial Palace, expressing his grievances in a critical tone.
“Previously, people in Palatinate helped one another in their own ways. It was unavoidable for managing the country’s affairs.”
“Hmm.”
“…Anyway, that’s the situation.”
As I stared at him silently, he cleared his throat again and hurriedly continued.
“However, the Empress’s faction destroyed all those relationships and began to only allow requests from those who aligned themselves with her. Of course, they wouldn’t dare do anything against the Emperor’s personal dealings, but this country doesn’t operate solely on His Majesty’s orders, does it?”
So, they were controlling domains that the Emperor couldn’t touch while meddling with national affairs as they pleased. So that’s why the Emperor, despite being from the government, dared to anger them.
“Now, unless the matters are truly trivial, even if they go through me, they can’t proceed. Naturally, the donations have drastically decreased. As a result, the gifts and special meals for the orphanage children have been significantly reduced.”
He wrapped it up nicely, but in the end, it meant fewer bribes due to his inability to accept requests.
“Ah, this is something.”
Having no interest in swaying the electors, I thought that if the Emperor were to collapse right now, the Empress-born prince wouldn’t have a chance at the throne. But this suddenly altered the narrative.
Even if he was relying on his mother’s influence, being able to completely command the capital was also a type of capability.
The only variable was the fact that the prince, who couldn’t take center stage due to youth, was absurdly incompetent, but that wouldn’t be a problem since there were no other candidates.
No wonder assassination attempts were never-ending.
“Still, if that were the case, I wouldn’t have called the Empress annoying.”
“Eh?”
Archbishop Paolo’s words weren’t finished yet.
“The Empress even tried to draw me into her faction. She said that if I supported her, she would help the Golden Cross Church.”
“…What did you say?”
Archbishop Paolo drew an X inside the circle representing the Imperial Palace.
“Naturally, I refused.”
He shook his head in exasperation.
“Why? It would at least ensure ample donations.”
“Oh my, Sir Wilhelm, don’t say such nonsense.”
He thumped his chest.
“I may not have been consecrated as a cardinal, but I am the Archbishop of Palatinate, a diocese that rivals any in terms of influence. Above me, there is only the Holy Father and the Lord.”
It was ironic coming from a man who was adept at accepting bribes for favors, yet there was truth to his words.
Actually, it made perfect sense upon reflection. While there were faintly dubious aspects (and it certainly posed a significant issue theologically), it wasn’t right to say that he was a horribly corrupt person.
He might indulge a bit too much in alcohol and accept bribery for it, but it seemed accurate to say that he also diligently performed his duties as a believer.
To rise to such a position of Archbishop in an era when religious figures were among the elite, one certainly needed a degree of conviction.
And from his words, I could find a breakthrough.
“Alright, since I was already looking for help, I seem to have come to the right person.”
“…Help, you say?”
Suddenly, the expression on Archbishop Paolo’s face soured even more than when he had been discussing the Empress.
“It seems I need to put my plans to leave the capital on hold and handle something else first,” he said.
“Can I hear you out before deciding?” I replied.
He let out a small laugh. I was confident that this man would definitely accept my proposal.
“Don’t you want to strike against the Empress’s faction?”
“Th-That would mean turning against the royal family—”
“It was His Majesty who suggested this to me.”
“I have long been displeased with the rampant corruption of secular officials.”
He quickly took my hand and shook it enthusiastically.
—
The next day, I headed to the Wurttemberg Marquis Residence.
Since I had made contact the day before, I was able to meet Yom directly.
“The marquis hasn’t returned yet, it seems?”
“Well, he mentioned that he needed to resolve some matters for certain this time, so it might take a while.”
“Hmm, is that so?”
That was a bit troublesome. This was the only place where I could discuss what I needed.
“Is there anything you need? The funds are set to be deposited through the merchant guild soon, if that’s the issue.”
“No, it’s something unrelated to that.”
I pondered whether I should share this with Yom. This matter was significant enough to connect back to the Empress. The opposing organization was substantial, and casually bringing it up could lead to complications if word got out.
However, it was also clear that stalling would yield no benefits. While being cautious is wise, focusing too much on security could increase the chances of being discovered if I kept dragging my feet. There are times when one has to take decisive action.
Before getting to the point, I decided to check if he was involved in this matter first.
“Yom.”
“Yes?”
“Have you ever negotiated with other families or bureaucrats under the marquis’s orders?”
“Eh? Yes. About three years ago, I was asked to gain some practical experience, so I led various negotiations and transactions myself.”
That confirmed it.
He might not be aware, but he was somehow involved in this matter. I straightened my posture before asking my next question.
“Then, have you met these people?”
I jotted down a few names on a napkin and handed it over to him. He took it and examined the names.
“I’ve met all of these people once or twice in the course of my work. However, I can’t say more as it relates to their family matters.”
That was the answer I had hoped for.
“Oh, that’s more than enough.”
I smiled as I said this.
Really, this was sufficient.
The reason I had come to the Wurttemberg Marquis Residence was simple.
“The Wurttemberg marquisate. They are among my biggest contributors, especially with their donations skyrocketing in recent years. It’s such a pity.”
The marquisate had been the family that utilized Archbishop Paolo’s favor services the most. The frequency of their requests had been increasing, but at some point, the Archbishop testified that their relationship had abruptly ceased.
However, that demand surely did not vanish. That demand would have undoubtedly redirected towards the Empress’s faction.
Knowing that such a thing had happened was entirely different from having a clear starting point to begin an investigation.
“I’ve heard that the marquis often associates with Baron Ulm.”
And with Baron Ulm being among those connected to this matter, it became even more significant.
“That was a good reference.”
“…Are you really leaving now?”
“Unfortunately, I’m a bit busy these days.”
I shook hands with the reluctant Yom and stood up.
Of course, that didn’t mean the Wurttemberg marquisate was the enemy. Archbishop Paolo, along with Maria, mentioned that this place held considerable political influence but did not outright label it as part of the Empress’s faction.
However, one thing was undeniably clear.
The Wurttemberg marquisate was a backdoor—a massive and intricately woven ant nest that I could burrow right into.
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