Chapter 117 - Chapter 117: New Church
Thank you always for your typo reports.
It was a little before Steve returned to the country. Alex was meeting with Count Cutter. Count Cutter was a noble with land near the capital. He was the central figure of the Alex faction. Because his land was near the center of the country, if he aimed to expand his land further, there was no choice but to use the failure of other nobles as an opportunity. So, he formed a faction to support Alex. If Alex became king, he planned to eliminate the nobles supporting Carter for some reason and take their land.
"Viscount Matthews seems to have died of illness."
Alex did not react much to Count Cutter's report.
"I see. It is a pity to lose such a person."
"Yes. It is a shame that I cannot hear his activity results at the next meeting."
"It is better not to hear it. If someone says they did something like plotting against the country and the church for me, what would my father say? So, did you handle it?"
"Hmm, what are you talking about? Viscount Matthews died of illness. Also, even if Viscount Matthews was killed, I thought it was the Chancellor's doing. Our faction is small, so we are not in a situation where we can kill each other."
Count Cutter denied killing Viscount Matthews. In the end, the country did not seriously investigate this matter. Even if Steve knew that Viscount Matthews was framed, by then he was dead, and evidence of who killed him would become harder to find as time passed. Sometimes it is better not to know the culprit.
Neither Alex nor Count Cutter was searching for the culprit, and neither was the king. That is why. Viscount Matthews, who plotted a conspiracy, was killed by a conspiracy, and no one seriously tried to find the culprit.
"But now the throne is further away. My brother overcame the conflict with the church without losing points. Even if Archibalt's efforts were involved, the neutrals might evaluate this as a merit. On the other hand, I have no merit. Viscount Matthews did too much."
"That is why no one agreed. He was a man who overestimated himself. It should have been a plan that worked in his head, but he made a very sloppy plan."
"Could you not have stopped him, Count Cutter?"
"People like that will resent you if you stop them, thinking they would have succeeded. They won't understand until they suffer pain."
"But he is dead, so he has no regrets."
"What a pity."
Seeing Count Cutter not looking sorry, Alex thought that Count Cutter probably killed Viscount Matthews.
But he would never say it out loud.
"So, did you come just to report on Viscount Matthews?"
"Yes. I thought we might need to adjust the schedule for the next meeting."
"If so, tell everyone to come to me when they have an idea. It is a waste of time to gather people who don't speak."
"I understand."
Count Cutter bowed his head and said that.
Oh my, how many people will bring plans to put this man on the throne? Just because they inherited a position from their parents, they are nobles, but they are all people who cannot think or act for themselves.
He thought that.
At that time, Steve was picking up Christina and others. Teleporting to a room in the Imperial Palace, his family was waiting there.
"It is finally settled, and I can return to the country. No more assassins will be sent."
Christina smiled at Steve's report.
"That is good. Then, did the Pope step down?"
"That, the Pope became material for checking magic talent."
"Well. What does that mean?"
To Christina's question, Steve told her about the Holy Nation. Deep wrinkles appeared between the eyebrows of Christina and Nancy after hearing everything.
"The Pope became prey for Man-eating Grass, and the real mastermind was the Sect Master using Necromancy."
"Sir, who was that Sect Master?"
"A ghost from three thousand years ago."
"So, lying for three thousand years makes it true?"
"Religion is like that. Even if they say there was a miracle of God a thousand years ago, there is no way to check it. They are terrible people who prey on weak hearts."
"I think it is better not to say it publicly."
"That, I am certified as an Apostle by the church, so at least Bishops and above cannot touch me."
"Dragon Head Medal, Imperial Duke, and now an Apostle?"
Christina screamed in surprise and made the child cry.
"Arthur, I am sorry. I am not angry."
He hurriedly comforted the child.
In contrast, Nancy looked like it was natural for her husband.
"So, the church cannot touch Sir, which means the Saintess and the Holy Knights will not do anything either? Especially pushing for a relationship between men and women?"
"I don't think so. Or rather, fanatics might increase. It is not about men and women, but like selfless love for God."
"I feel like we look bad because of that."
"Thinking that people will pray to me regardless of gender... God must be thick-skinned. I would get tired of it in a day and quit. Or rather, I want to run."
Steve was asked about religion by other priests as if he were Eton. It was not a debate, but from the faith that they must not miss the words of the Apostle-sama. Steve found that gaze scary. Since the other party was kind, he could not reject it, so he was very troubled.
"Well, when I return to the country, I plan to stay in the territory for a while, so my connection with the Fries Holy Church will decrease."
"Is that so?"
"I will send everyone home first, and I will return to the country with Prince Carter a little later. I need to prepare gifts for Your Majesty the Emperor and Cecily."
Thus, the family returned to the territory, and later Steve presented the list of those involved in drug trafficking and the typewriter to the Emperor.
After returning to the country, Steve went to Nick immediately.
To finish the accumulated work.
Nick laughed seeing Steve surrounded by documents.
"However, not only Lord Brian, but Lady Freya and Lady Sherry also worked without running away. The House Archibalt is a family of similar parent and child."
"Indeed. They are stubborn."
"It is a welcome thing for the subjects. Other nobles would abandon work and run away."
In the end, there was no attack on Steve's bloodline. However, it was checked by the Pope's order so that it could be moved at any time.
The assassins inside the Kingdom of Cascade were wiped out by Nancy and Bella, so it was necessary to send them from the Holy Nation to execute.
Since the Pope died before giving the order, nothing happened, but I don't know what would have happened if ordered.
And the priest preparing for that was also executed for the crime of drug smuggling. So, Julia holds the authority to move the assassins, and thus the order to assassinate Steve's bloodline was not issued.
"Even so, Wakasama is an Apostle?"
"It is laughable. An Apostle buried in documents."
"Didn't you think about living as an Apostle?"
"I don't want to live being worshipped every day by someone. Also, I can't even eliminate defects in the factory process, what can I do?"
"Can you only fix defective products?"
"You speak well."
After both laughed, Steve's face became serious.
"People seek worldly benefits. I do not have the power to meet that expectation. Rather than being disappointed and hated, it is better not to believe from the start."
"Since the Archibalt Territory of poverty and hunger has become this far, weren't there enough worldly benefits?"
"I can't do that for everyone who prays. Even God doesn't do that."
"If the world is satisfied, no one will pray to God. So, they leave unhappy people on purpose. A dead grandma said."
"Seems like you get along well."
"Right. Probably complaining to God in the afterlife."
Nick smiled happily. Nick is also a believer of the Fries Holy Church, but not a serious believer.
So, he can make such irreverent remarks about God.
After that, as the two looked through the documents, a worker came to call Nick.
"Factory Manager, a new guy broke the machine. We can't handle it at the construction site, can you come?"
Nick shifted his gaze from the documents to Steve.
"See, there is no divine benefit. I pray nothing happens before work every day."
"Everything in the world doesn't happen without reason."
Steve also stopped his hands and went with Nick to see the broken machine.
A few days later, although it was still temporary, a church was built in Archibalt Land.
An administrator from the Holy Nation came, and it was Julia and Camilla. The two came to pay a visit to Steve's mansion.
Julia and Camilla bowed their heads to Steve and his wives.
"We have been dispatched from the Fries Holy Church as the church head of this area. I think self-introduction is unnecessary, but I hope we can continue our relationship as before."
"Similarly, I will also be appointed here as the Saintess's guard."
Seeing the two like that, Christina asked Steve for an explanation. The atmosphere was such that a Hannya mask seemed to appear on her back.
"Steve-sama, what is this?"
"No, I heard it for the first time."
Flustered Steve.
Seeing the two like that, Julia smiled.
"A new Pope has been decided, and the church operation is out of my hands. So, I persuaded the church that I, the Saintess, should go serve the Apostle-sama."
The new Pope was selected from the neutrals. However, even though they are neutrals, they will crack down on the former Pope faction. In addition to drugs, sexual relations with underage believers were discovered, and those who were not punished for drugs are being investigated again.
Also, Eton became the Bishop of the Cascade Kingdom diocese and became the top of the church in the Royal Capital.
With the Pope decided, Julia was freed from the Pope's duties.
And she told the church executives that the Saintess should offer selfless love to the Apostle-sama.
All the executives saw Julia's revelation, the confrontation with the Pope, and the aftermath, and thought Julia was favored by Steve. So, they did not oppose it.
And Camilla, Julia's guard knight, would naturally go with her.
Thus, the two came to Archibalt Land.
Steve had visited the Holy Nation several times after returning to the country and worked with Julia, but he did not know about this matter.
"Now I can offer love to Steve-sama every day."
Julia put her hands together in front of her chest.
Hearing that, Christina's left cheek twitched.
Panicking, Steve made an excuse.
"Love is offered to God, not male and female romance."
Julia ruined it.
"If asked, I will offer everything. Body and soul."
"She says that."
Christina looked at Steve with eyes without highlights. Steve sent a gaze to Nancy as if he was about to cry, and Nancy, who had been normal until now, also had a Hannya mask appearing on her back with those words.
A cold thing ran down Steve's back.
"See, romance is forbidden for the Saintess."
"Yes. My love is not a vulgar thing seeking physical relationships just to leave descendants."
Julia clenched her fist confidently and argued. Christina and Nancy's veins were about to burst. Steve prayed to stop talking.
However, Steve's prayer was in vain, and the situation worsened.
Camilla shyly extended her left hand forward.
"I am not the Saintess, so romance is not forbidden. I received a vow ring from Steve-sama like this."
On the ring finger of her left hand was a gold-shining ring. A Gold Plating ring.
"Sir, what is this?"
"That, Camilla wanted something to not forget me..."
"Why a ring?"
"She said expensive was not needed, so I made a cheap plating ring."
Steve became flustered.
Camilla proudly held the ring up to the sky.
"In our church, a man giving a ring to a woman means loving. I was very happy."
Steve did not know that. He was not a serious believer anyway, so he did not know such rules. Seeing the happy Camilla, he could not say it was different now and came to this day.
The wives also knew Camilla's past, so they could not speak strongly to Steve.
"Everything in the world happens without reason. Normal operation."
"No, trials await Steve-sama from now, so please prepare."
After this, it became a private discussion between husband and wife, and Steve was scolded terribly and was banned from going out for one month.
Camilla was originally planned to be imprisoned with Julia, but the church would not cause trouble if she did that, so it became like that. Well, the author was most worried about whether to make the current country Hitachi Seiki or Miyano, but since Hitachi is from the Kingdom of Forest, it was Miyano. I was worried for about a week.