Volume 3 Chapter 51 Kingdom Government - Unknowingly The Perpetrator
That day, the royal castle looked calm as usual... but in one corner, there was a tense atmosphere.
"...This is a huge problem."
King Gerald was sitting in his chair, holding his head in his hands, while Count Abel Row, the Minister of Justice, knelt on the floor with a pale face.
This was King Gerald's office. Here, he usually goes over important matters for the country and sometimes talks with Abel or Prime Minister Dill about work.
Just yesterday, he was having an important discussion with Abel about next year's taxes, and now...
"Your son is connected to the dark guild..."
"W-What? I had no idea──."
This was a serious lecture about a huge mistake that could turn the country upside down. The difference in mood was shocking, but Abel probably wanted to say, "I had no idea!" more than anything.
Still shaking his head in disbelief, Abel looked pale as he thought, "No way Chris could be involved." King Gerald sighed heavily.
──He was completely unaware of this.
Gerald knew he couldn't say anything else. After all, this was news that shocked him too.
Actually, it was a series of shocking reports.
It all started last night when Crown Prince Edgar was attacked. The attack resembled a hit ordered by the dark guild at the old school building.
According to the dark side who were there, it seemed Chris had helped them.
After barely driving off the assassins, the dark side found various pieces of evidence at the dark guild's hideout a few hours later.
The truth about a noble who died suspiciously.
An assassination request for a suspicious death of a cardinal.
The disappearance of a famous merchant guild leader.
One by one, solid evidence showed that the dark guild was behind these previously mysterious events.
And that wasn't all. Even more shocking things came to light.
These were the two pieces of evidence caused him the greatest concern.
One was an assassination request for Elizabeth and Randolph Victor made by Chris. He didn't leave any names, but handwriting analysis almost confirmed it was him.
This meant that the attempted assassination of the Crown Prince was likely a mistake in targeting. Of course, this was something Gerald didn't want to know.
The son of a high-ranking official planning to assassinate a noble from a neighboring country was a bigger headache than the Crown Prince's assassination plan.
And the other troubling thing was...
"The church was using them too..."
As Gerald said with a grim expression, there were traces showing that the church had made requests to the dark guild multiple times.
"Could it be that the church encouraged Chris...?"
Abel cautiously spoke up, and Gerald frowned deeply.
It was true that Chris had originally been raised in an orphanage run by the church. Gerald knew this, but it was too soon to say the church had influenced Chris.
"Even if that were the case... there's no solid proof. Besides, why would the church want to encourage Chris to assassinate Miss Elizabeth and the Viscount Victor's son?"
Gerald lowered his voice, and Abel just nodded silently. Since they couldn't confirm the facts, they didn't know the connection between Chris and the church, or what the church was planning.
Still, there was no reason for Chris to want to assassinate Elizabeth or the Viscount's son from the neighboring country. If the church was involved, they didn't seem to have a motive either.
──He never even thought about the possibility of wanting to create chaos and weaken the country.
Gerald couldn't imagine that kind of motive, nor could he foresee the Pope's plan to take over the country.
They are also victims in a way, but since they don't know about the plans behind it, their minds are like those of the attackers. All they know is that Chris, the son of a powerful government official, tried to kill the daughter of a former Marquis and a noble from a neighboring country. That's it.
If this gets out... it could become an international problem.
So, you could say they unintentionally became the attackers. Right now, they're thinking they have to keep the truth hidden.
King Gerald (who is acting like an attacker) initially thought that if he could just catch Chris, everything would be fine.
If he could just control Chris, he could cover up the situation however he wanted.
Whether Chris is connected to the church or not, it would be Chris and Abel's responsibility, and it could be dealt with as a Crown Prince assassination attempt.
The motive doesn't really matter. It could even be a love quarrel over the recently rumored Saint.
The Crown Prince's reputation might take a hit, but it would give him a reason to separate from the Saint. If he thinks about it, the least damaging outcome would be a "failed assassination of the Crown Prince." Abel would take the blame and step down, but afterward, he could still be given a local government position.
But things aren't that simple.
The dark guild's hideout was found in terrible condition.
Everyone who was there seemed to have died in a brutal way, as if a giant beast had attacked them. Most of the bodies were unrecognizable, and even those who have seen a lot of dark side stuff said it was shocking.
Gerald, who felt strong anger and resentment, didn't think it was a big deal that the dark guild had enemies. So, the way they died wasn't really a problem.
The real issue is that there's only one person who could have done this.
"Maybe I should ask Marquis Braubelg..."
"Don't say such reckless things..."
This is what's bothering Gerald the most. He suspects that Braubelg is involved.
It's hard to believe that a person could do this.
If the dark side's words are true, and the Marquis's people did this, then they must have some terrifying power. It's enough to make the dark side say that.
But it's also true that no one else but Marquis Braubelg comes to mind.
If that's the case, it's better to think that Lord Braubelg knows who Chris was really targeting and the church's dark side.
If they can just catch Chris, the cover-up that could have worked is now known to the victims. Plus, the church's dark side is also involved.
If the victims find out that Chris is connected to the church, things could get much worse.
Whether it's "a failed assassination of the Crown Prince" or "a plan to kill Elizabeth and the noble from the neighboring country," it could shake the country and even the world. And without solid proof, can they confront the church? The answer is "no."
The evidence suggesting the church is involved is weak and not reliable. That level of proof isn't enough to challenge the church.
The church's higher-ups, who are supposed to be the messengers of the goddess, have harmed the country that protects them as the state religion. Or they were trying to assassinate a noble from a neighboring country.
Without solid proof, who would believe such a ridiculous story? If things go wrong, the church's followers could turn against the kingdom.
Challenging the church is a risky move.
They want to avoid it if possible. In fact, if they can handle this situation as "a failed assassination of the Crown Prince," they could secretly tell the church, "We have evidence against you." That way, they could gain an advantage over the church, knowing their dark secrets.
Of course, the church wouldn't admit to it, but emotionally, they would find it hard to act strongly against the kingdom. That would be enough. Just that would be enough.
But if Braubelg knows this fact...
The kingdom will investigate the truth, right? They also need to report to the Dukedom.
There's no way to argue back against the victims' complaints. With just a little evidence, we might have to go all out and confront the church.
"Why did your reckless son run away back then?"
Gerald glared at Abel. If Chris had been there, he could have convinced him to back him up.
But Chris hasn't shown up at all since that incident.
"Do you think the church might be hiding him...?"
"Do you really think so?"
Gerald sighed, and Abel weakly shook his head. Just like Gerald said, there's no reason for the church to hide Chris.
If Chris was connected to the church and that terrible scene was caused by the church's armed forces, then Chris would have been killed there too. Or he would have been dumped somewhere as a dead body.
But there's no sign of Chris at the scene. And there's no dead body either. So it's clear that the church isn't the one who has Chris.
That's why they ended up at Braubelg.
As for the evidence left by the dark guild, they could just say, "I don't know anything about that. Isn't it made up?" But they can't do anything about Chris. If Chris starts talking, it would put the kingdom's government in a really bad spot.
"It can't be helped. It's a risky bet, but..."
Gerald stood up with a thought.
"For now, you're under house arrest. If you hear from your son, let me know immediately."
Abel deeply bowed and left the room after Gerald's words.
"...The church. That annoying thorn in my side."
Gerald looked out the window bitterly, seeing the shining cathedral under the blue sky.
* * *
"Now, Chris Row... Are you feeling calmer?"
Cedric, sitting on a chair, smiled at Chris, who was lying on the bed.
"Can you tell me why you targeted my cute little sister?"
Cedric smiled gently, but his eyes were not smiling at all. Honestly, if Chris wasn't an important witness, Cedric would be furious enough to tear him apart.
But right now, getting information is what matters.
The magic he used all night to calm the mind worked, and Chris was stable enough not to freak out at the sight of red.
The kingdom's government is probably searching for Chris right now. They must have realized that the Marquis family has him.
Normally, they could just deny everything, but this time it's different.
According to reports, Randy and the others were at the academy last night. That means they were close to the scene of the attempted assassination of the Crown Prince. When you put that fact together with the information the kingdom wants, you can narrow down the cards they might play.
Of course, they won't play a crazy card, but it's clear they will try to shake things up. Depending on how they respond, the country could split apart.
Gerald, the Marquis, is trying to weaken the royal family without causing harm to the people. So it's Cedric's job to respond to that.
That's why it's a race against time, and he smiled at Chris again.
"So? What was your goal in the end?"
"...To bring the kingdom──."
Chris muttered, continuing with a vacant look in his eyes.
"──to cause a civil war in the kingdom."
Cedric and Miranda widened their eyes in surprise at Chris's words. They couldn't believe that the son of the Minister of Justice was actually thinking about splitting the kingdom.
After all, Chris's request was just a vague one to "kill Elizabeth on the academy grounds."
Still surprised, Cedric continued to question Chris.
"What did you want to achieve by splitting the kingdom?"
"It wasn't me... It was the Pope... preparing to take over this country."
After saying that, Chris slowly closed his eyes. It made sense. He had been shaking all night from nightmares and hadn't been able to sleep well. He was finally calm enough for sleep to take over.
"...Miranda. Did you hear that?"
"Yes."
Miranda nodded with a bitter expression, and Cedric let out a big sigh.
"Maybe he's from the future... planning to destroy the church."
Cedric shrugged, and Miranda shook her head, saying, "It's just a coincidence."
"Well, that's fine. We got some important info. My father is coming tomorrow for the camera reveal. I think the situation is in our favor."
"We can't let our guard down. If we make a wrong move, it could get really messy."
Miranda looked serious, and Cedric nodded, saying, "I know."
"But I wonder why I'm feeling so relaxed."
Cedric joked around, and Miranda smiled back, saying, "What a coincidence."
"Maybe... even if we misread the situation, there's someone who can just crush everything anyway?"
Miranda gave a wry smile, and Cedric replied with a chuckle, "Yeah, that could be true."
"Well, it depends on how they act, but let's keep getting ready."
Cedric stretched, and his eyes reflected the big cathedral shining under the blue sky.
"For the kingdom, it's a real pain. But it's the same for us... maybe we should ask for a little help."
When Cedric closed the curtains, the room was completely dark. Inside, Chris was softly breathing in his sleep.
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