Ariadne was momentarily speechless at the bombshell announcement from Grand Duke Odes. Alfonso's military treasury of 100,000 ducats was Queen Marguerite's secret fund.
No matter what the Grand Duke Odes claimed, it wasn't his money. The problem was that Ariadne couldn't arbitrarily reveal this fact.
'If they ask how the Queen was able to raise that large sum of money...'
It was a question she couldn't answer. Even if she denied knowing, it would have been problematic later on.
Because in the Etruscan kingdom, Leo III would be waiting with a critical eye.
Ariadne glanced at Alfonso's face.
Alfonso gritted his teeth and glared at Grand Duke Odes's face.
After all, he must have been worried. Ariadne decided to give Alfonso some time.
Only Alfonso could have resolved to do this—to ruin Odes in exchange for disgracing his mother's name.
Taking advantage of this gap, Princess Lariesa crept out of the corridor quietly. She seemed to be searching for something.
But unlike Ariadne, there was one person who decided not to hand the reins over to Alfonso: Raphael.
'Why does it seem like I've been hesitating more since I took the priesthood vows....'
He opened his mouth calmly, having told a lie. He spoke fluent Latin.
“I am sorry to speak here, where the greatest luminaries of the Central Continent have gathered.”
When a handsome young man who had entered the crowd of investigators spoke up, everyone looked in his direction.
Some of them had a look of displeasure on their faces, as if they couldn't stand the sight of unqualified young people in the forefront.
But such a mob was quickly suppressed by the filthy, quick-witted Cardinal de Mare.
“Brothet Baldessar is the acting abbot of the Abbey of Aberruche.”
Cardinal de Mare secretly promoted Raphael, the deputy abbot, by half a rank.
Since he said he came in place of the abbot who died, the Cardinal guessed he's the acting abbot now.
“He is the eldest son of the Marquis Baldessar of the historic city of San Carlo. He is well-versed in theology, and with his excellent skills, he helps out in many matters of the Etruscan branch of the Holy See. I am delighted to be able to introduce you to this promising young man.”
Since he was Baldesar's child, if he was worse than that house, don't pick a fight, and since he was the one he brought, he threatened to keep his mouth shut unless he was going to fight him right now.
The crowd's uproar immediately subsided.
Raphael debated whether or not he should thank the Cardinal.
Does he have to say hello to someone who is just doing it for the sake of others? Oh, and what does he mean by great 'skills'? It would be cooler to say skills.
But since other people were watching, he ended up bowing his head obediently. What he had to say today was very harsh. He had to at least be obedient.
“I would like to ask Your Highness the source of the 100,000 ducats.”
It was a sharp question, but it was a crucial point. Grand Duke Odes got angry at Raphael's sharp question.
“What authority does a punk like you have to ask me such a rude question?”
“I have no authority whatsoever.”
Raphael raised both hands in a gesture indicating that he was harmless, a gesture indicating that he was not carrying a weapon.
But even if his hands are empty, it's all in vain. Raphael de Baldessar's true destructive power was not in his sword, but in his tongue.
“I am the one who delivered the 100,000 ducats, but this is the first time I have heard that the source is the Grand Duke of Odes.”
A commotion spread among the people. This was not hearsay or rumor, but direct evidence.
However, Grand Duke Odes set the standard for today as 'unconditional victory'. He responded mechanically without even thinking.
“On the topic of delivery men!”
His voice was loud, and his expression was stern. He was determined not to give even a single knife a place to go.
“How dare a small-time errand boy on the scene dare to look into the thoughts of his superiors who are drawing the big picture?”
The Grand Duke of Odes's words went down well with the crowd in the room, which consisted mostly of 'upper-ranking officials'.
It was a remark that fit quite well with their perception that the workers were simply doing delivery work without knowing anything. Reading the mood, Grand Duke Odes shouted in high spirits.
“It’s not your place to get involved, and it’s not your place to demand an answer from me!”
Raphael shrugged his shoulders, as if he were truly sorry.
“That’s not my job, of course. But...”
Raphael glanced at Cardinal de Mare.
“The person who gave me the money to run that errand is in this room.”
Cardinal de Mare was startled by the wink from young Baldessar.
Raphael, who confirmed that the Cardinal had seen him, pointed to Ariadne with his chin, and Cardinal de Mare understood immediately.
“You don’t need to explain to the errand boy, but shouldn’t you explain to the real owner of the money why the Grand Duke is embezzling someone else’s money?”
Raphael, convinced that Cardinal de Mare had received the signal well, pressed on without hesitation.
“At that time, at the request of Countess Ariadne de Mare, I crossed the sea with 10,000 ducats, the first of 100,000. It was military funds to be sent to Prince Alfonso de Carlo, who was participating in the Crusade. The Countess said that this money came from the Holy See.”
Cardinal de Mare, who had accidentally become the lead actor in this impromptu play, raised his voice with his eyes tightly shut.
That little fox must be doing this because he has an idea.
“That is correct. The money was collected with the utmost care by the Etruscan people and was delivered to Yesak through the San Carlo branch of the Holy See. Prince Odes must clearly explain why he claims that a large sum of money is his own!”
Ariadne also had a keen sense of humor.
She immediately realized what Raphael and her father were attempting, and why Cardinal de Mare insisted on calling it 'the people's fundraising' when he had never raised any money before.
'Even if you collect all of the Archdiocese of San Carlo that my father governs and the entire Etruscan region, there is no trace of 100,000 ducats disappearing from the ledger. The reason he doesn't say '100,000 ducats' himself is because he is not sure of the exact amount in case he doesn't fill the ledger, so he creates a loophole to hide himself.'
Ariadne's pleasant husky voice filled the hall.
“To be exact, it is money added to the Holy See treasury with my family’s personal funds. I was lucky enough to make some money with grain during the Black Death.”
The rumor that Ariadne de Mare had been cured of the Black Death by eating grain and wax spread throughout the Central Continent.
“I don’t remember the exact amount now, but I still vividly remember the feeling I had at the time that I had to contribute even my family’s small strength to the fundraising that the people had put their hearts into.”
This is what it sounded like to Raphael and Cardinal de Mare.
'They are going to claim that it came from the Holy See funds, but since this is not something we agreed on in advance and is being made impromptu, when we open the ledgers later, the amounts will not match. The difference between the amount that disappeared from the Holy See and the 100,000 ducats was paid by the de Mare family.'
It was an accurate translation.
The tiki-taka between Baldessar and de Mare was unstoppable.
Cardinal de Mare gave a nod to the Grand Duke Odes, as if he had no regrets at all.
“It was clearly a collection of money that contained the wishes of the people of the Etruscan Kingdom, so how can Grand Duke Odes claim that it is the money of the Kingdom of Gallico?”
At first glance, it seemed like a statement that would open up a way out, but in reality, it was forcing them into a corner.
“Did Your Highness receive military funds worth more than 100,000 ducats twice?”
Because Prince Alfonso de Carlo could not possibly have said anything against Cardinal de Mare at this time.
“No way.”
Alfonso shook his head firmly. This was both a question of where the money came from and a question of the pride of the armed forces.
“If I had 200,000 ducats in military funds, I should have pushed all the way across the Hejaz region to the Sea of Silence, and not just captured Yesak and returned.”
A huge smile appeared on Pope Louis' lips. Yes, this is how I will live. I will return after winning the holy war. I will conquer Hejaz.
This time, the Pope asked. He could not resist answering this question.
“Then how on earth did two people end up claiming to have sent this 100,000 ducats?”
The crowd watched with interest as Grand Duke Odes mumbled what he would say.
Odes, the Grand Duke of Gallico, and Cardinal de Mare of the Etruscan kingdom of San Carlo. Coincidentally, these two families were rivals for the throne of Prince Alfonso's wife.
“It seems like we’re really looking for the mermaid Princess who saved the Prince.”
“The Prince is now completely in love with Cardinal de Mare’s daughter, so wouldn’t he want to say that the military funds he received from the Grand Duke Odes were Cardinal de Mare’s help?”
“Well, even if you received military funds from Grand Duke Odes, it would be difficult to take Grand Duchess Lariesa as your wife, so you might want to just say no. It would be a bit much to receive help from Grand Duke Odes and take a wife from somewhere else.”
Another voice, squeezing through the chattering crowd, shouted loudly.
“I think I can tell you about that!”
Ariadne looked at the owner of the voice.
Sir Manfredi was always talking nonsense, making people forget that he spoke Latin.
“Do you remember the paper that His Holiness first saw?”
“It was an impressive piece of content.”
It was said that he had bribed a servant from the Dde Mare mansion to attempt to assassinate an 'Etruscan woman'.
“The ‘Tail’ mentioned there originally refers to a knight named Sir Elko who was under Prince Alfonso’s command.”
At that name, the eyebrows of Marquis Variati, who was mixed in the crowd, rose.
“The man was recruited by the Kingdom of Gallico and actively engaged in spy activities.”
He continued his explanation, out of breath, as if he had rushed in so quickly.
“To the extent that, at the instigation of the Grand Duke of Odes, he stole the Prince’s personal letters.”
The Grand Duke of Odes's expression became distorted. However, rather than an expression of distress at having been caught, it was closer to an expression of anger at having to deal with one more bastard.
“Among the letters he stole was one stating that the gold had been sent from the Etruscan Holy See.”
Most people would have given up at this point, but Grand Duke Odes, who had decided to push on regardless, did not budge.
"So?"
He raised his voice.
“I don't even know who he is, but do you have any letters he stole?”
No matter what the Grand Duke Odes claimed, it wasn't his money. The problem was that Ariadne couldn't arbitrarily reveal this fact.
'If they ask how the Queen was able to raise that large sum of money...'
It was a question she couldn't answer. Even if she denied knowing, it would have been problematic later on.
Because in the Etruscan kingdom, Leo III would be waiting with a critical eye.
Ariadne glanced at Alfonso's face.
Alfonso gritted his teeth and glared at Grand Duke Odes's face.
After all, he must have been worried. Ariadne decided to give Alfonso some time.
Only Alfonso could have resolved to do this—to ruin Odes in exchange for disgracing his mother's name.
Taking advantage of this gap, Princess Lariesa crept out of the corridor quietly. She seemed to be searching for something.
But unlike Ariadne, there was one person who decided not to hand the reins over to Alfonso: Raphael.
'Why does it seem like I've been hesitating more since I took the priesthood vows....'
He opened his mouth calmly, having told a lie. He spoke fluent Latin.
“I am sorry to speak here, where the greatest luminaries of the Central Continent have gathered.”
When a handsome young man who had entered the crowd of investigators spoke up, everyone looked in his direction.
Some of them had a look of displeasure on their faces, as if they couldn't stand the sight of unqualified young people in the forefront.
But such a mob was quickly suppressed by the filthy, quick-witted Cardinal de Mare.
“Brothet Baldessar is the acting abbot of the Abbey of Aberruche.”
Cardinal de Mare secretly promoted Raphael, the deputy abbot, by half a rank.
Since he said he came in place of the abbot who died, the Cardinal guessed he's the acting abbot now.
“He is the eldest son of the Marquis Baldessar of the historic city of San Carlo. He is well-versed in theology, and with his excellent skills, he helps out in many matters of the Etruscan branch of the Holy See. I am delighted to be able to introduce you to this promising young man.”
Since he was Baldesar's child, if he was worse than that house, don't pick a fight, and since he was the one he brought, he threatened to keep his mouth shut unless he was going to fight him right now.
The crowd's uproar immediately subsided.
Raphael debated whether or not he should thank the Cardinal.
Does he have to say hello to someone who is just doing it for the sake of others? Oh, and what does he mean by great 'skills'? It would be cooler to say skills.
But since other people were watching, he ended up bowing his head obediently. What he had to say today was very harsh. He had to at least be obedient.
“I would like to ask Your Highness the source of the 100,000 ducats.”
It was a sharp question, but it was a crucial point. Grand Duke Odes got angry at Raphael's sharp question.
“What authority does a punk like you have to ask me such a rude question?”
“I have no authority whatsoever.”
Raphael raised both hands in a gesture indicating that he was harmless, a gesture indicating that he was not carrying a weapon.
But even if his hands are empty, it's all in vain. Raphael de Baldessar's true destructive power was not in his sword, but in his tongue.
“I am the one who delivered the 100,000 ducats, but this is the first time I have heard that the source is the Grand Duke of Odes.”
A commotion spread among the people. This was not hearsay or rumor, but direct evidence.
However, Grand Duke Odes set the standard for today as 'unconditional victory'. He responded mechanically without even thinking.
“On the topic of delivery men!”
His voice was loud, and his expression was stern. He was determined not to give even a single knife a place to go.
“How dare a small-time errand boy on the scene dare to look into the thoughts of his superiors who are drawing the big picture?”
The Grand Duke of Odes's words went down well with the crowd in the room, which consisted mostly of 'upper-ranking officials'.
It was a remark that fit quite well with their perception that the workers were simply doing delivery work without knowing anything. Reading the mood, Grand Duke Odes shouted in high spirits.
“It’s not your place to get involved, and it’s not your place to demand an answer from me!”
Raphael shrugged his shoulders, as if he were truly sorry.
“That’s not my job, of course. But...”
Raphael glanced at Cardinal de Mare.
“The person who gave me the money to run that errand is in this room.”
Cardinal de Mare was startled by the wink from young Baldessar.
Raphael, who confirmed that the Cardinal had seen him, pointed to Ariadne with his chin, and Cardinal de Mare understood immediately.
“You don’t need to explain to the errand boy, but shouldn’t you explain to the real owner of the money why the Grand Duke is embezzling someone else’s money?”
Raphael, convinced that Cardinal de Mare had received the signal well, pressed on without hesitation.
“At that time, at the request of Countess Ariadne de Mare, I crossed the sea with 10,000 ducats, the first of 100,000. It was military funds to be sent to Prince Alfonso de Carlo, who was participating in the Crusade. The Countess said that this money came from the Holy See.”
Cardinal de Mare, who had accidentally become the lead actor in this impromptu play, raised his voice with his eyes tightly shut.
That little fox must be doing this because he has an idea.
“That is correct. The money was collected with the utmost care by the Etruscan people and was delivered to Yesak through the San Carlo branch of the Holy See. Prince Odes must clearly explain why he claims that a large sum of money is his own!”
Ariadne also had a keen sense of humor.
She immediately realized what Raphael and her father were attempting, and why Cardinal de Mare insisted on calling it 'the people's fundraising' when he had never raised any money before.
'Even if you collect all of the Archdiocese of San Carlo that my father governs and the entire Etruscan region, there is no trace of 100,000 ducats disappearing from the ledger. The reason he doesn't say '100,000 ducats' himself is because he is not sure of the exact amount in case he doesn't fill the ledger, so he creates a loophole to hide himself.'
Ariadne's pleasant husky voice filled the hall.
“To be exact, it is money added to the Holy See treasury with my family’s personal funds. I was lucky enough to make some money with grain during the Black Death.”
The rumor that Ariadne de Mare had been cured of the Black Death by eating grain and wax spread throughout the Central Continent.
“I don’t remember the exact amount now, but I still vividly remember the feeling I had at the time that I had to contribute even my family’s small strength to the fundraising that the people had put their hearts into.”
This is what it sounded like to Raphael and Cardinal de Mare.
'They are going to claim that it came from the Holy See funds, but since this is not something we agreed on in advance and is being made impromptu, when we open the ledgers later, the amounts will not match. The difference between the amount that disappeared from the Holy See and the 100,000 ducats was paid by the de Mare family.'
It was an accurate translation.
The tiki-taka between Baldessar and de Mare was unstoppable.
Cardinal de Mare gave a nod to the Grand Duke Odes, as if he had no regrets at all.
“It was clearly a collection of money that contained the wishes of the people of the Etruscan Kingdom, so how can Grand Duke Odes claim that it is the money of the Kingdom of Gallico?”
At first glance, it seemed like a statement that would open up a way out, but in reality, it was forcing them into a corner.
“Did Your Highness receive military funds worth more than 100,000 ducats twice?”
Because Prince Alfonso de Carlo could not possibly have said anything against Cardinal de Mare at this time.
“No way.”
Alfonso shook his head firmly. This was both a question of where the money came from and a question of the pride of the armed forces.
“If I had 200,000 ducats in military funds, I should have pushed all the way across the Hejaz region to the Sea of Silence, and not just captured Yesak and returned.”
A huge smile appeared on Pope Louis' lips. Yes, this is how I will live. I will return after winning the holy war. I will conquer Hejaz.
This time, the Pope asked. He could not resist answering this question.
“Then how on earth did two people end up claiming to have sent this 100,000 ducats?”
The crowd watched with interest as Grand Duke Odes mumbled what he would say.
Odes, the Grand Duke of Gallico, and Cardinal de Mare of the Etruscan kingdom of San Carlo. Coincidentally, these two families were rivals for the throne of Prince Alfonso's wife.
“It seems like we’re really looking for the mermaid Princess who saved the Prince.”
“The Prince is now completely in love with Cardinal de Mare’s daughter, so wouldn’t he want to say that the military funds he received from the Grand Duke Odes were Cardinal de Mare’s help?”
“Well, even if you received military funds from Grand Duke Odes, it would be difficult to take Grand Duchess Lariesa as your wife, so you might want to just say no. It would be a bit much to receive help from Grand Duke Odes and take a wife from somewhere else.”
Another voice, squeezing through the chattering crowd, shouted loudly.
“I think I can tell you about that!”
Ariadne looked at the owner of the voice.
Sir Manfredi was always talking nonsense, making people forget that he spoke Latin.
“Do you remember the paper that His Holiness first saw?”
“It was an impressive piece of content.”
It was said that he had bribed a servant from the Dde Mare mansion to attempt to assassinate an 'Etruscan woman'.
“The ‘Tail’ mentioned there originally refers to a knight named Sir Elko who was under Prince Alfonso’s command.”
At that name, the eyebrows of Marquis Variati, who was mixed in the crowd, rose.
“The man was recruited by the Kingdom of Gallico and actively engaged in spy activities.”
He continued his explanation, out of breath, as if he had rushed in so quickly.
“To the extent that, at the instigation of the Grand Duke of Odes, he stole the Prince’s personal letters.”
The Grand Duke of Odes's expression became distorted. However, rather than an expression of distress at having been caught, it was closer to an expression of anger at having to deal with one more bastard.
“Among the letters he stole was one stating that the gold had been sent from the Etruscan Holy See.”
Most people would have given up at this point, but Grand Duke Odes, who had decided to push on regardless, did not budge.
"So?"
He raised his voice.
“I don't even know who he is, but do you have any letters he stole?”
The Grand Duke gave Sir Manfredi a harsh scolding.
“There is no evidence, no evidence! If you are going to fabricate such nonsense, then stop! Prince Alfonso, you also take good care of your men! This useless, wasteful slander and such...”
“It is not slander.”
It was Ariadne. She cut off the Grand Duke Odes's cries in a calm voice.
“We have all the documents ready. We can prove the source of funds. Is that possible, Your Highness?”
An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. It was the exact same thing as the Grand Duke of Odes.
Ariadne figured out that the Grand Duke was trying to use his power to break through the situation, since there were no documents to discuss anyway.
So in the end, this was just a dogfight over whose 'words' were more credible.
And Ariadne was confident that Pope Louis would not side with Grand Duke Odes in the absence of evidence to the contrary.
Grand Duke Odes exploded with anger. It seemed as if the anger he had felt after being treated so many times had been triggered by Ariadne's attack on him for stealing his daughter's place.
“This insignificant...! Now, is this girl from the Etruscan kingdom going to do something to this Odes!”
The anger of the Grand Duke of Odes reached the heavens.
In fact, it was obvious that it was not in the proper order for Countess de Mare of the Etruscan Kingdom to speak first to Grand Duke Odes of the Gallico Kingdom.
“The outrageous rascals of the Etruscan kingdom...!”
“I agree that the Etruscans are ridiculous, Odes.”
A deep, settled, yet at the same time snake-thin voice came from the end of the hallway.
Behind him, Princess Lariesa was held by the man's men with a desperate expression on her face, hugging a leather bag.
The man appeared with heavy steps as if he would sink into the ground with each step, and took a deep breath while resting his hands on the wall.
“But can you honestly tell me where the money came from?”
The man who appeared with a face full of shadows was none other than King Philip IV of Gallico.
“Tell me, Grand Duke Odes. Where did the 100,000 ducats come from?”
A deceptive smile appeared on the King's face.
“Have you embezzled 100,000 ducats from the national treasury without telling me and given them to a foreign Prince without permission, or have you already embezzled so much money that you have 100,000 ducats piling up in your treasury?”
The cruel smile on his pale face grew darker and darker.
“Tell me, is it embezzlement or tax evasion?”
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