The Champion's Return

by Hyougetsu

  I couldn’t decide if he was practical, or just heartless. Either way, he wasn’t someone I wanted as an ally. That being said, he had surrendered to Eleora, meaning he was technically in her camp now. If I got into a fight with him, it’d make Eleora’s faction look weak. Not only that, but since he’d surrendered peacefully, Eleora had no way of punishing him. As much as this guy gave me the creeps, I had no choice but to play nice with him. It was part of the job description.

  I nodded in response to his words and replied, “I’m happy you feel that way. I’m sure Princess Eleora will be glad to hear that as well.”

  Lord Bolshevik’s smile grew.

  “It’s an honor to hear that, Lord Veight. It’s reassuring to know I’ve been accepted by Eleora’s most trusted confidant.”

  “Hahaha, you think too highly of me.”

  I shook my head, but Lord Bolshevik pressed on.

  “Not at all. Without you, this war would have ended differently, I’m sure of it. Your actions have shown me just how powerful Meraldia is.”

  His praise didn’t make me feel happy in the slightest. Man, I wanna go home. Maybe it was time to change the topic.

  “By the way, Lord Bolshevik, have you met with Prince Ashley already?”

  Lord Bolshevik gave me a troubled smile and replied, “No, not yet. Prince Ashley seems rather wary of me, and I’ve had trouble securing an audience. It’s quite a shame, really.”

  You’re saying you don’t have any connections to Ashley’s faction? Do you really think I’m stupid enough to believe that? His words just now were 100% a lie. They reeked of falsehood.

  It seemed Lord Bolshevik was as friendly with Ashley’s faction as he was with Eleora’s. If a new conflict broke out between Eleora’s and Ashley’s factions, he’d immediately side with whoever had the advantage. He was as opportunistic as most of Ashley’s supporters, but he was ten times shrewder than all of them. Originally I’d wanted to ask him about the Sternenfeuer cult, but now I realized that was dangerous. I couldn’t afford to let him find out what I did and didn’t know, or what intel I was looking for. I think it’s time to call it quits.

  “Thank you for inviting me here today, Lord Bolshevik. It was an honor. I look forward to working with you in the future.”

  I bowed to the lord, bringing our meeting to a close. He nodded amicably and got to his feet.

  “No, thank you for coming. Hopefully we can meet again soon. You make for a wonderful conversation partner.”

  You’ve gotta be kidding me.

  As I left the mansion, I found Jovtzia waiting for me in the garden. He bowed to me as I passed, half-hidden by the trees.

  “After examining the magic seal and the penmanship, I have confirmed that the letter is indeed authentic. Know that I will do my best to aid your cause.”

  I should have known Woroy did something special to his letters. He’d also written them on paper he didn’t normally use. Because of how rare the paper was, it was difficult to forge and served as the perfect authenticator. It was reassuring knowing that Jovtzia was on my side. Having a supporter within the Bolshevik family would make a huge difference.

  But is he really fine with betraying his older brother? Well, considering how different their personalities are, I guess it’s plausible that they don’t get along. As far as I could tell, Jovtzia was a dyed-in-the-wool soldier who valued honor and integrity. I nodded silently to him and walked past.

  This meeting had been an exhausting ordeal. I was looking forward to getting back to Eleora’s manor and eating dinner with everyone. Sadly, it seemed my days of political intrigue were just getting started. Still, I wanted to wrap things up quickly so I could keep my promise to Airia and return by the summer solstice.

  “You went off somewhere the moment you got back, and now you return without saying anything?”

  Eleora gave me an exasperated look as she nibbled on a scone. It seemed my friends had started a tea party in my absence. Mao, Parker, and Ryucco were all in attendance. Eleora’s adjutant, Borsche, and her friend Natalia were present as well. The princess took a sip of brandy-infused tea and heaved a sigh.

  “It’s a relief to have you back. Mao and Parker are capable enough aides, but I get worried whenever you’re not around.”

  “You’ve got Lord Kastoniev and Ser Lekomya to help you out too, don’t you? Plus you’ve got Borsche and Natalia and the others to help you on the military side of things.”

  “I know, but you’re the one who came up with this ridiculous scheme, so I need you here to see it through.”

  Fair enough. Eleora flashed me a wry smile before her expression turned serious.

  “My current concern is Lord Bolshevik. From what I’ve heard, he practically forced his father to retire when he took over as family head a few years ago.”

  “Yeah, Woroy told me he can’t stand the guy either.”

  Initially I’d just thought Woroy was biased because he was friends with Jovtzia, but now that I’d met Lord Bolshevik, I knew his assessment had been spot-on. I summarized my conversation with Lord Bolshevik for Eleora and the others.

  “Lord Bolshevik might be a capable commander,” Borsche said, raising an eyebrow. “But it’s clear he cares nothing for those under his command.”

  Eleora nodded in agreement, “Yeah, he’s even worse than I used to be. He looks at everything like it’s a game of Shougo and picks the most efficient strategy, regardless of the cost.”

  I agreed with their appraisal, but something nagged at me.

  “While I agree that he’s an unprincipled opportunist, there’s one thing I don’t get.”

  Parker, who currently had Ryucco in his lap, cocked his head.

  “And what’s that?”

  “He ostensibly betrayed his sworn allies in order to protect his serfs and vassals. But at the same time, his sympathy for Woroy and Ryuunie is genuine. Isn’t that weird?”

  While those two feelings weren’t technically contradictory, prioritizing one side would inevitably mean sacrificing the other. Normally, someone who cared about both their allies and their people would be more conflicted about their decision.

  “Especially because I got the feeling that he didn’t hesitate at all when he made his decision.”

  Ryucco grabbed a scone off the tea tray and started gnawing on it.

  “That’s ’cause he’s a piece of shit, right?” he said.

  “I mean, that’s not wrong, but...I can’t help but wonder.”

  How could he be that decisive while still caring about both Woroy and his people? From my conversation with him, I didn’t get the feeling that he was a hypocrite. No, there was something more to him. Suddenly realizing something, Eleora spoke up.

  “There’s a certain group of people who are quite good at being decisive. Isn’t that right, Natalia?”

  Natalia, who’d been in the middle of patting Ryucco’s head while she handed him another scone, twitched. She hadn’t expected the discussion to turn to her.

  “O-Oh, yes! It’s exactly as you say, Your Highness!”

  She totally wasn’t listening. Eleora gave Natalia a knowing smile, then turned back to me.

  “I’m talking about religious zealots. Their perspectives and values are pretty different from those of normal people. Because of that, it’s sometimes hard to understand the decisions they make or the actions they take.”

  Calling them zealots was perhaps a bit harsh, but I understood what Eleora was getting at. And she had a point.

  “That would explain it,” I said, nodding my head in understanding. “Lord Bolshevik doesn’t seem to regret betraying the Doneiks in the slightest. But at the same time, his concern for the members of the Doneiks family is genuine. And to him, those two things aren’t contradictory.”

  Mao pulled a sheaf of documents out of his bag and turned to me.

  “This might be related, then. According to the documents we recovered from the Doneiks estate, the Bolsheviks have been persecuting Sonnenlicht believ
ers in secret.”

  Natalia looked up in shock. I had forgotten she was the daughter of a Sonnenlicht bishop.

  “But Sonnenlicht is Rolmund’s official religion!”

  Mao shrugged his shoulders in response. “The Bolshevik family’s been trying to limit Sonnenlicht influence in their territory for some time now. In fact, they asked the late Lord Doneiks to help them. Though it’s possible Ivan and Woroy weren’t aware of that.”

  So the Bolsheviks were at odds with the Sonnenlicht Order. There was one plausible theory that explained Lord Bolshevik’s strange conduct then. Hesitantly, I gave voice to that theory.

  “Is it possible that Lord Bolshevik is a heretic?”

  Eleora and the other Rolmund natives lapsed into thought. After a few seconds, they turned to me and nodded unanimously.

  “I would say that’s highly likely,” Borsche said.

  Natalia nodded again, and Eleora added, “Long ago, there used to be a religion called Sternenfeuer in North Rolmund. It’s been stamped out now, but it used to be really influential. Perhaps...”

  “Mhmm. I heard from Woroy that the Sternenfeuer cult is still around even today. It’s possible Lord Bolshevik is a Sternenfeuerist, or is harboring Sternenfeuerists in his territory.”

  If Lord Bolshevik really was a Sternenfeuerist, I could see him not caring about the Doneiks family, since he’d consider them heretics; especially if betraying them meant he’d be able to protect his own people, who ostensibly followed the same religion. But if he was a zealot, that made things difficult.

  “This isn’t good,” Eleora muttered, a grave expression on her face. “If he really is a Sternenfeuerist, that means we have a heretic in our camp. Unlike Meraldia, Rolmund’s Sonnenlicht church has no tolerance for heretics. We need to confirm whether or not he is one.”

  Ryucco finished licking scone crumbs off his fingers and said casually, “Why not just tell the bigwigs in the Sonnenlicht Order that you think he’s a heretic? As long as they don’t reveal us as the guys who ratted Bolshevik out, we’re clear.”

  “We don’t know for sure he’s a heretic, and we don’t have any evidence that he is. After all, we can’t afford to make secret Doneiks family documents public,” I replied.

  On top of that, Rolmund loved making people guilty by association. If Lord Bolshevik was outed as a heretic, the resulting scandal would be big enough to hurt Eleora, too. Wait, I’ve got it.

  “On the whole, I like your plan, Ryucco. But before we report Lord Bolshevik, we need to find some proof, and also make some connections with the Sonnenlicht high order.”

  “And how’re we gonna do that?”

  Ryucco’s ears perked up. It seemed he was happy I’d praised his idea. I shoved a scone into my mouth, grabbed my coat, and got to my feet.

  “I’m gonna go pay the Sonnenlicht leaders a visit. Eleora, you get everything ready. Try to be as quick as possible. Mao, you look for proof of Lord Bolshevik’s heresy. How you choose to conduct the investigation is up to you.”

  “Oi, you think the Sonnenlicht bigwigs are gonna agree to see you just like that?”

  Ryucco gave me a dubious look. I winked in reply and said, “You might not know this, but Meraldia’s Sonnenlicht Order has ordained me a saint. The patron saint of pilgrims.”

  “Are you kidding me!? You’re a werewolf, for fuck’s sake!”

  Thanks to all the religious sanctuaries I’d set up along Meraldia’s highways, I’d been made into the patron saint of pilgrims. That was back when I’d been fighting Eleora. Eleora nodded, and started giving orders.

  “Borsche, contact Bishop Zanawah from the third parish. Tell him I need to see him. Today.”

  “Yes, ma’am!”

  As Borsche hurried out of the room, Eleora turned back to me.

  “Bishop Zanawah’s from East Rolmund, and he has the support of the Originia family. He should be able to get you an audience with one of the cardinals.” Eleora gave me a bitter smile. “You can trust Bishop Zanawah. When Natalia’s father was exiled for heresy, he’s the one who kept the rest of her family from being punished as well.”

  “He definitely sounds trustworthy then.”

  I glanced over at Natalia. For a moment she looked conflicted, but then she gave me a weak smile. Her family and her father’s disciples still hadn’t been fully cleared of suspicion, and they were only allowed to remain free because Eleora was acting as their guarantor. If anyone within our camp was suspected of religious wrongdoing, Natalia would end up in grave danger.

  Nobles who got into secular trouble were often protected by the clergy, and clergy who got into religious trouble were often covered for by nobles. However, that system of mutual protection had its limits. We couldn’t afford to be too reckless. Eleora was protecting a number of other people too, so we couldn’t risk antagonizing the Sonnenlicht Order. If I messed up, a large number of Eleora’s subordinates would be in trouble. I needed to tread carefully. But since I was a nonbeliever myself, I was a little worried I wouldn’t be able to keep my act up.

  Bishop Zanawah met me on the steps of a large cathedral tucked away in a corner of the capital. Evening was beginning to fall.

  “My apologies for the sudden visit, Father Zanawah.” I bowed my head, and the elderly bishop led me into the cathedral with a smile.

  “Allies of Princess Eleora are always welcome here.”

  That’s not a very bishop-esque thing to say.

  “And what about Eleora’s enemies?”

  Zanawah’s smile turned into a smirk. “Naturally, they’re welcome as well, but I might suddenly find myself too busy to help them. God is constantly giving Man new trials, after all.”

  It seemed Zanawah was the kind of bishop I’d be able to get along with. Thank god. Relieved, I followed the bishop into his room. Within the Sonnenlicht Order, each member of the clergy, regardless of their status, was allowed only a single small room inside the church they presided over. It was one of the ways they tried to emphasize their teaching that everyone was equal. Zanawah offered me a seat on his sofa, then sat down across from me.

  “So what is it you need from me, Lord Veight? I was not informed of your business here.”

  Hmm, what’s the best way to broach the topic? Zanawah was part of a large organization, so even if I told him I’d found a heretic it’s not like he’d be able to do anything on his own.

  “The truth is, I’ve heard rumors that the clergy in North Rolmund have been facing many troubles as of late.”

  “North Rolmund, you say?”

  Zanawah gave me a puzzled look. He genuinely didn’t get what I was hinting at here.

  “People are telling me a certain noble in North Rolmund has been persecuting Sonnenlicht priests.”

  I avoided giving a name, and continued pretending as if this was all hearsay. So long as I hid behind the pretense of relaying rumors, I could say whatever I wanted. This was a tried and tested way to badmouth people without looking like an asshole. Though, I do feel kinda bad about doing this. Sorry, Lord Bolshevik. Zanawah gave me a weak smile and replied, “Ahh... I know who you’re referring to. You speak of the duke who recently changed sides, correct?”

  “Yes.”

  I knew it, the Sonnenlicht Order’s had Lord Bolshevik marked for a while. What I had to say wasn’t anything new to Zanawah. The bishop peered at me.

  “However, that duke now serves Her Highness Eleora. Why would you bring up something that might harm her cause?”

  Sounds like the good bishop’s just as political as I am. He’s sharp, too. For a few seconds, I wondered how best to reply, but in the end, I decided to just lay everything out there.

  “Because his support is what might harm Eleora’s cause. I don’t want the princess losing influence because of his indiscretion.”

  “I see. You have a point.” Zanawah nodded sagely. After a moment of consideration, he added, “The Sonnenlicht Order has long had trouble with the Bolshevik Family and their attitude toward religion.
Of course, there are plenty of nobles who dislike the order, but of those who hold titles of Duke or higher, it’s only the Bolsheviks.”

  That made sense, considering those with influence tended to avoid rocking the boat. After all, the more powerful you were, the more you stood to lose. Zanawah sighed.

  “I have heard Lord Bolshevik does not even require his people to follow Sonnenlicht’s tenets,” Zanawah sighed. “And as I’m sure you’re aware, Lord Veight, those tenets are important for more than just religious reasons.”

  “I know.”

  I gave Zanawah a halfhearted reply, but he was getting into his speech now.

  “Those tenets exist to guide people towards a more prosperous society, and to protect them from danger. Those who do not follow them sow strife for the rest of the empire.” Zanawah looked out a southward-facing window and added, “Take, for example, praising the sun. Those who do so frequently are more likely to survive the winter. No doubt because the sun’s sacred rays are good for one’s body.”

  Ah, so that’s how you came to that conclusion. Though they’d come to that answer in a different way than me, they weren’t wrong. The more I listened to Zanawah, the more I realized that his religious beliefs were rooted in practicality, not mysticism. That intrigued me.

  “Did you know the ritual to praise the sun doesn’t exist in Meraldia?” I asked, leaning in closer.

  “Oh?” Zanawah gave me a curious look. I decided to give this wise bishop a few more tidbits of knowledge to chew on.

  “You see, Meraldia gets a good amount of sunshine year-round. Even if people don’t spend a set amount of their day basking in the sun’s rays, they get enough of them. Which is why all of Meraldia’s Sonnenlicht believers are still healthy despite doing away with the ritual.”

  “I see. That makes sense.”

  Zanawah’s curiosity was well and truly piqued now. He quickly copied down what I’d said on a piece of rough parchment.