Chapter 450
A Cardinal feeding a carrot to a horse wandering around the palace. The sentence is grammatically correct, yet my brain struggles to wrap itself around the oddity of the scene.
‘Is this a dream?’
Such thoughts crossed my mind. Had the new Emperor set up some magical defenses within the palace to celebrate his ascension? A miraculous defense spell that unknowingly puts intruders into a dreamlike state? It does seem plausible; to protect the palace of the strongest nation on the continent, you would need some level of magic.
If I weren’t actually here under formal inspection, I’d totally believe it. Where in the world would there be a defense spell that intercepts not just intruders, but legitimate visitors?
“Respect to the sage who follows your light, and homage to the martyr who bleeds for faith.”
Having concluded my brief denial of reality, I quickly made the sign of the cross and spoke up. Out of courtesy, since the Cardinal had greeted me first, it was only right for me to respond.
“A faithful believer longing for your embrace wishes to pay their respects.”
I gave a small bow, and the Cardinal looked visibly surprised.
Of course, that was the reaction I wanted—it was a greeting that had only been exchanged during the early days of the Dawn Sect.
“Impressive. Many among the bishops wouldn’t know such a greeting if they aren’t well-versed in our traditions, so I certainly didn’t expect a humble brother like you to.”
Perhaps because I mentioned the ancient greeting, the Cardinal’s expression softened, radiating a friendly vibe.
‘Nice!’
That was just the kind of response I was hoping for, so I returned the smile.
From the Cardinal’s perspective, I am a blessed individual favored by the divine. And now that this individual shows respect and understanding towards the traditions of the sect, how could she not be pleased?
“There’s a knowledgeable acquaintance in the sect who helped me understand a lot about it.”
“Ah, I see.”
But I didn’t stop there, and as I continued to speak, the Cardinal’s expression became even gentler.
“Yes, indeed, Brother Tannian has a keen interest in the traditions of our sect, so it is quite likely that you’d be aware of them.”
I was referring to Tannian, who was a significant figure even within the Holy Kingdom.
“Oh, we shouldn’t linger here any longer. Let’s head to the Sun Palace. I was so eager to meet both of you that I came out early, but inside, His Majesty and the other Cardinals are waiting.”
“Oh no, then we must go at once.”
Finally remembering, the Cardinal clapped her hands lightly and naturally guided Mar and me onwards.
Fortunately, I seemed to have left a good first impression.
While I didn’t wish to use Tannian as a bargaining chip in front of the Cardinal, I had to admit: he might be a clueless club member most of the time, but if there’s a time to leverage his importance, it’s now. It would be a bit embarrassing for me to exploit him, but it wasn’t like I had an option.
Nevertheless, I mentioned Tannian because the recipient was the Cardinal. If I was going to work with a Cardinal on something official, I needed to use every card I had.
‘Not someone to hold back against.’
The Cardinal commands significant respect. The early martyrs of the Dawn Sect sacrificially fought for faith, and now they rule as the heads of the largest religion on the continent.
The youngest minister of the Empire? The Crown Princess’s mentor? Those are credentials enough to deserve respect, not to be treated lightly. Only the Emperor and the Pope stand above the Cardinal on this continent.
Thus, I reluctantly sold out Tannian. To appear dignified in front of the Cardinal, the title “friend of Tannian” is far more effective than any earthly authority.
“Tannian asked me to convey his regards. He regrets he couldn’t attend your wedding as a guest.”
“Although he’s far away in body, his spirit has certainly reached us. Please let him know that we greatly appreciated the gift.”
“Of course, I will. Oh, speaking of which, it was when Brother Tannian just returned from abroad—”
I really hadn’t anticipated how effective this would be.
The distance from where we met the Cardinal to the Sun Palace isn’t that far, but in the meantime, I ended up talking a lot about Tannian. It felt like a newbie trying to pass off half-baked knowledge in front of a seasoned professional and getting caught.
It was painful. While this is better than awkward coldness, I really didn’t want to talk extensively about Tannian.
‘Is this the Tannian faction?’
At the same time, I couldn’t help but admire Tannian’s abilities. At under twenty, he’s managed to turn the Cardinal and other influential figures into ardent supporters. Is this what it feels like to be a main character in a fantasy novel?
“And I was told you had the good fortune to meet a valuable acquaintance in the Empire regarding Brother Tannian.”
“That’s great news.”
I mechanically nodded along as the Cardinal finished her sentences.
Patience. As a price for maintaining a pleasant atmosphere with a potential future saint candidate like the Cardinal, I can endure a little discomfort.
‘…But we still haven’t introduced ourselves.’
I almost chuckled at the absurdity of it. After using Tannian as my ticket, we still hadn’t shared names.
Of course, the Cardinal probably knows I’m the Minister of the Information Department, and I’ve come to learn that the only female Cardinal present is one with significant influence, so it shouldn’t be a huge issue—but still…
‘Is everything normal here?’
This time a sigh escaped my lips. Tannian from the Holy Kingdom is odd, and so is the Cardinal before me. It’s enough to make one suspect that the Holy Kingdom is not blessed by the gods but burdened with curses instead.
Frustrated, I quietly grasped Mar’s hand beside me. Because I was drawing the Cardinal’s attention, Mar could quietly slip out of her gaze.
So just let me hold your hand a little. Having some physical connection might help me clear my head.
*
Hmm.
Hmmmmmmm.
‘Pass.’
That’s the conclusion I came to while observing the Minister of the Information Department, who was nodding rigidly with a forced smile.
He passed. Given that he’s someone blessed directly by the divine, he can’t be truly bad, and seeing him in person makes him seem even better than I expected. Although I had speculated that a young noble who rose to power too quickly might carry some pride or oppressive tendencies—
‘He’s just so gentle.’
He’s simply gentle. Almost too gentle to match his looks and position.
It’s surprising. No matter how quiet and modest a person is, once they taste power, they tend to go mad. Yet someone like him, born into nobility and wielding power through their own means, acts like this?
“Who is Brother Tannian? It’s hard to describe. All I can say is that he’s a fine man, a good person.”
Suddenly, Tannian’s words before coming to the Empire came to mind. When I first heard him say that, I thought it was just a conventional compliment. Something one says when they have nothing else to praise.
‘But it was genuine.’
That means he truly is a decent person to warrant such praise. This is why it feels so real.
A bit embarrassed, I cleared my throat and scanned the Minister of the Information Department again. This isn’t just a case of rudeness; blending unnecessary behavior into conversation should test the waters, but given that the Minister had mentioned Tannian first, I decided to keep this train rolling.
…To be honest, talking about Tannian did feel a little excessive, but the Minister continued to swim along with me. He might have insulted me in his head, but outwardly, he maintained his calm.
‘It feels wrong to push him further.’
Originally, my plan was to briefly gauge the Minister’s character and then head into a private room for a thorough investigation.
No matter how blessed he might be, understanding a person’s character is crucial for making accurate judgments. It’s important to know how much divine influence the blessings of the Lord have on the Minister and his wife. That’s how I can determine whether he should be beatified or just given a pass.
However, since I already burdened him by drawing extensive info, I felt it awkward to conduct further deep investigations. My purpose for being here is to honor the righteous, not to burden them with pain. My own seasickness is enough suffering for one person.
‘He’s got to at least be blessed enough for canonization.’
After a brief contemplation, I arrived at a decisive conclusion. For now, let’s just set the criteria for beatification as the basic standard.
Elder Aldino would probably be furious that I’m treating a canonization so casually, but who cares? If he has complaints, he can work on his own saintly development.
In the first place, it was flawed to entrust a barely thirty-year-old kid with such an important office.
*
Fortunately, not everyone from the Holy Kingdom is odd.
“It’s an honor to meet someone of great renown from the continent. I’m Aldino Boitaya, overseeing the sect’s works.”
“I’ve often heard of Cardinal Aldino’s reputation. It’s said you guide the future path of the sect and advise His Holiness the Pope.”
“Oh, I’m rather embarrassed. I’m just an old man rambling on stubbornly.”
Unlike Cardinal Alexandriana, who chatted non-stop, Cardinal Aldino, who was conversing with the Emperor in the Sun Palace, displayed a courteous and gentle demeanor. He truly embodied the image of a wise elder.
Yes, this is how it should be. This is the correct reaction. Having seen the peculiarities of the Holy Kingdom already, I must not generalize them all based on a few.
It’s shameful. If someone were to say, “The Information Department is filled with lunatics,” just based on a couple of Division Heads, I would certainly be frustrated. There are normal people like the Senior Manager or Head of the Fifth Division; why should they be the benchmarks?
‘Let’s reflect on this.’
Moving forward, I’ll use Cardinal Aldino as my standard instead of Tannian—
“It’s a pity that, from the perspective of the young and vibrant, the stubborn ways of an old man like myself must feel like a tiresome lecture.”
…?
All of a sudden, I felt an odd dissonance. Those were words said with a smile, so anyone would recognize it as humility, yet it felt uncomfortably genuine.
In fact, when I looked closely, Cardinal Aldino wasn’t even looking at me. He was observing someone standing in the same direction as me.
And as soon as I recalled who might be behind me, I dismissed the dissonance. Perhaps he conflicts frequently with someone youthful and vibrant. That’s a matter I don’t need to concern myself with.
‘So there’s generational conflict here too.’
Suddenly, I felt a sense of peace. The Cardinal, whom I had just met, gave off a familiar scent reminiscent of the Minister.
The Minister must have called me names like “young brat” or complained about my youthful exuberance on many occasions.
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