Episode 332
“The Pope’s successor will die if they go to the Holy State of Vadoka?”
Bacchus nodded in response to Zeke’s question.
“Yes, the situation in Vadoka is quite complicated right now.”
Zeke was aware that some cardinals from the Holy Kingdom had sided with the Empire. Cardinal Verdi, who had led the children of Luvern into Death Valley in search of the Holy Grail, was one of them.
Bacchus looked at Zeke and spoke.
“You know that the Pope has almost no influence within the Holy State, right?”
“Yes. Although the Sign of the Sun appeared on a nun rather than a priest, and she ascended to the papacy, I’ve heard she hasn’t been able to wield her authority effectively.”
Currently, the Holy Kingdom was being run not by the Pope but by the chairman of the Bishop’s Council of Vadoka. Traditionally, the Pope appointed the chairman, but because the current Pope was a nun and not a priest, the council had shifted legislative, executive, and judicial powers to the chairman. As a result, the Pope was little more than a figurehead.
In this environment, the power of bishops and cardinals naturally grew stronger. However, if someone like Rovan, a priest with the Sign of the Sun, were to become Pope, all that power would revert to the papacy.
If the young Rovan were to ascend to the papacy, the current Pope might manipulate him from behind the scenes, acting as a regent. In such a case, those who had ignored her, including the chairman and his faction, could face retribution.
Rovan, the Pope’s successor, was kept outside the Holy State due to these tangled interests. Consequently, many within the state were not keen on Rovan’s return.
Power is like a drug; once tasted, it’s hard to let go. Those intoxicated by power might even assassinate the young Rovan to maintain their current privileges, which is why Bacchus couldn’t take him to Vadoka immediately.
Zeke nodded, understanding Bacchus’s explanation.
“So you wanted to safely deliver the successor to the Pope, but the situation made it impossible.”
“Exactly. The Pope has no real faction within the state, aside from a few loyal guards.”
“I see why the Holy Kingdom couldn’t respond properly when the Orc Legion invaded.”
Deploying troops required approval from the chairman and the council. However, they were more concerned with their own safety upon hearing that the Iron Legion was marching toward Vadoka, neglecting the rest of the kingdom.
Bacchus frowned as he spoke.
“Some bishops and cardinals are even calling for the Emperor’s help to drive out the monsters.”
The cardinals who had sided with the Emperor saw this as an opportunity to bring the Emperor into the kingdom.
Understanding the complexity of Vadoka’s situation, Zeke nodded and spoke.
“I’ll take Rovan into the state myself.”
Bacchus looked surprised at Zeke’s words.
“Are you sure? If you take Rovan, the state’s leaders might refuse Draker’s help.”
“Those pests can be swept away. It’s actually convenient. I needed a reason to clean them out, and if they make the first move, all the better.”
Bacchus looked anew at Zeke, who casually spoke of overturning the Holy Kingdom.
“When you were young, you seemed so small and weak that I wondered if you could survive in Draker… but now, it seems you’ve inherited Draker’s blood more strongly than anyone.”
Unaware of Bacchus’s thoughts, Zeke decided their conversation was over and stood up.
“Take the vampires and leave. Once I’ve dealt with the Holy Kingdom’s affairs, I’ll meet Carmilla myself.”
Bacchus nodded.
“Understood. My mother and I are in a neutral city right now. It would be best to meet there.”
“Good. One more thing. Which hand do you use more, your left or right?”
Bacchus tilted his head at Zeke’s sudden question.
“I use my right hand more, but why do you ask…?”
Before Bacchus could finish, Zeke sliced off his left hand.
“Ugh!”
Startled by Zeke’s sudden attack, Bacchus staggered back. Zeke picked up Bacchus’s severed hand and spoke.
“I needed some evidence to send to the Black Stage. With a vampire’s regenerative abilities, you can regrow a hand, right?”
Bacchus, initially shocked by Zeke’s action, soon understood and nodded.
”…I’ll fake my death and disappear.”
“Good, I’m glad you understand quickly. Until I come for you, avoid unnecessary actions that might draw the Black Stage’s attention. It seems Arthur Draker is desperately searching for you and Carmilla.”
Zeke sensed that Bacchus and Carmilla were hiding something from him, possibly related to an unknown secret about Arthur Draker. He decided he needed to meet Carmilla directly to uncover what they were concealing.
After Bacchus and the Red-Eyed Vampires left the old monastery, Zeke prepared to take Rovan, the Pope’s successor, to the Holy State of Vadoka. He needed to reach Vadoka before the Emperor, driven by ambition and madness, could arrive, so he hurried his departure.
Boom!
The largest and most ornate building in the Holy State of Vadoka was the Central Assembly Hall, where the Bishop’s Council convened. Here, decisions were made regarding the Holy Kingdom and the Sun Cult.
In the Central Assembly Hall, cardinals and bishops, the core forces of the cult, gathered, raising their voices in debate.
“We must accept the Emperor of Rom immediately to stop those monster hordes!”
A bishop openly aligned with the Empire strongly insisted. Other cardinals and bishops around him nodded in agreement. They were all individuals who had amassed illicit wealth by accepting bribes or favors from the Empire.
These corrupt groups had been handing over the Holy Kingdom’s abundant resources to the Empire to satisfy their own greed.
A small group of bishops sitting on the opposite side vehemently opposed their claims.
“We have excellent paladins! We are fully prepared for a holy war, so how can you suggest inviting that greedy Emperor into our state?”
In response, the Empire-aligned members clicked their tongues and waved their hands dismissively. Their reaction stemmed from the fact that many paladins had already been privatized. They were no longer knights protecting the Holy Kingdom but had become private soldiers, aligning with powerful priests for personal gain.
Sending these paladins into battle against the monsters would be a significant loss for them, so they refused to approve the conscription of troops, insisting instead on seeking the Empire’s help.
The honest priests, having less power and influence than these corrupt individuals, were unable to conscript the paladins.
As a result, despite having a powerful paladin force, the Holy Kingdom stood by as orcs invaded major cities and ravaged the citizens.
The bishops and cardinals believed that as long as their assets were concentrated in the Holy State of Vadoka, they only needed to protect this area.
Watching the assembly members, who still couldn’t reach a conclusion, the chairman of the Bishop’s Council, Bishop Pierre, tapped his fingers on the table, contemplating how to resolve the situation.
Pierre was searching for the best way to preserve their power while using external forces temporarily to solve the problem.
“Bringing in the Emperor isn’t a good idea. That greedy old man could be more dangerous than the monsters.”
As Pierre considered various political variables, a priest approached and whispered something to him. Pierre’s eyes widened, and he straightened his posture.
After pondering for a moment, he struck the podium.
Bang! Bang!
The sound echoed through the hall, drawing the attention of the assembly members to Pierre.
Pierre addressed them.
“I have two pieces of news to share.”
He began slowly.
“First, the filthy orcs will reach the state in a few days.”
The assembly members murmured at Pierre’s words.
An Empire-aligned bishop stood up and shouted.
“Chairman! We must bring the Emperor’s army into the state immediately…!”
Pierre raised his hand to silence him. The bishop reluctantly closed his mouth and sat down.
Pierre looked around at the assembly members and spoke.
“Bringing in the Emperor is always an option. But we must consider whether we can send him away as easily as we invite him. If the wolf-like Emperor bares his fangs after driving out the monsters, can we stop him?”
Pierre’s blunt words left the Empire-aligned members looking uncomfortable, avoiding eye contact and turning their heads.
Seeing this, Pierre clicked his tongue and spoke.
“As servants of God, we must not only see the immediate situation but also, like our Sun God above, be able to see further.”
In response, an Empire-aligned bishop addressed Pierre.
“Then, Chairman, are you suggesting we conscript the paladins to face those monsters?”
In fact, the faction with the most paladins was none other than Pierre’s. Under his command were dozens of paladins capable of wielding aura blades.
The Arch Paladins were symbols of the state, so even the chairman couldn’t move them at will. However, if the assembly approved, they couldn’t refuse to go to the battlefield.
However, with the army now privatized, even the chairman found it daunting to deploy the Arc Paladins into battle, given the potential losses they might incur.
Pierre, known for his insatiable ambition among the clergy, made an unexpected remark, drawing puzzled looks from the other bishops and cardinals.
Pierre spoke slowly, “I mentioned there were two pieces of news. The other is that a force sent by the Silver Knight is soon arriving in Vadoka.”
The mention of the Silver Knight stirred a buzz among the cardinals and bishops.
Kali Draker had been the one to rid the southern seas of the troublesome pirates, amassing great wealth through trade brokerage for the Holy Kingdom. In gratitude, the kingdom had gifted him a mithril-crafted Silver Hershion, fostering a strong relationship between them.
One of the cardinals turned to Pierre, “Chairman, does this mean the Silver Knight himself is leading the order to our nation?”
With Abel Draker missing from the Ghetto region, Kali Draker was solidifying his position as the heir to the Draker family.
If Kali Draker were to enter the Holy Kingdom, it would be akin to welcoming the Draker family, who held sway over the entire continent.
Pierre shook his head at this, “Not the Silver Knight, but the Knight of Salvation is coming.”
The assembly murmured again at Pierre’s words.
“The Knight of Salvation?”
“Isn’t that Zeke Draker? The one who recently purged the monsters in the Ghetto?”
“The youngest of the Draker family? The youngest to become a Red Knight…”
The news that it was Zeke Draker, not Kali, leading the order left the assembly pondering how to interpret this development.
While Kali Draker’s arrival would have been overwhelming, Zeke, far removed from the line of succession, seemed unlikely to wield significant influence after the monster hunt.
Pierre observed the assembly’s reactions before striking the table again.
As the members turned their attention to him, Pierre spoke, “The Knight of Salvation, Zeke Draker. We shall welcome him into the Holy Kingdom and task him with eradicating those filthy monsters. What do you think? It seems a better option than inviting the emperor, wouldn’t you agree?”
The assembly quickly grasped Pierre’s intent.
A figure to handle the dirty work, easily dismissed afterward.
Despite being a direct descendant of the Drakers and renowned as the ‘Knight of Salvation,’ to them, he was still just a young upstart.
No matter how formidable his strength, they believed he couldn’t navigate the treacherous waters of politics as they could.
Nodding in agreement, the assembly members voiced their approval of Pierre’s plan.
“Agreed! We support the chairman’s proposal!”
“We concur!”
In a rare moment, the assembly reached a unanimous decision.
The following day, Zeke led the Black Sword Order into the Holy Kingdom of Vadoka.