"Oops."
The man, who let out a somewhat irreverent sigh, straightened up and placed a hand on his chest.
"I meet Your Excellency, the Grand Duke."
"Do you know me?"
"Who in this Roem Empire does not know about the young Grand Duke Sheerkhan? In particular, among the knights, you are a legend."
A gentle smile appeared on the corner of the man's mouth as he uttered mixed words. Barcas glanced down at the man with a cold gaze.
Light brown hair, light skin with a bronze sheen, and dark brown eyes. Overall, he had a chatty impression, but he was a man who smelled dangerous somehow.
Barcas, who had been watching him for a moment, spat out coldly.
"I haven't heard your name yet."
"Oh my God.. Forgive me for my rudeness."
The man slowly opened his mouth, maintaining a polite smile.
"My name is Roman Talis."
"Are you a member of the Balbon Great Temple?"
"Yes."
The man who obediently admitted it added in a tone with a soft accent unique to Osirians.
"To be precise, I belong to the Temple Guardians. I received a report from the Grand Duke of Sherkhan that paganism was rampant, and I came to check the actual situation."
"You were in vain."
Barcas cut off dryly.
"The investigation has already been completed. I'm ready to wipe out the pagans."
"You're competent after all."
The man let out a faint sigh and spread his hands lightly.
"But since we are also officially dispatched, we cannot go back empty-handed without doing anything. Isn't it the responsibility of the temple guards to find and punish the pagans? My subordinates will also contribute to the cleanup operation."
"I appreciate the offer, but I refuse. This is an issue that can be resolved without the help of external forces."
"External forces. How can you say that?"
The man looked so surprised that it felt exaggerated.
"The Grand Duchy is also a territory of the Empire, and the Order has a mission to protect all of Roem's flock."
"All those who commit apostasy will be tried according to the procedures of the Eastern Church."
Barcas's eyes, bored by the principled conversation, sank sharply.
"Whatever your identity, you are just a stranger to me. I can't let a stranger roam my land at will."
"..."
"I will allow you to stay in Kalmor until this situation is resolved. However, the use of force against the people of my territory is absolutely unacceptable."
The smiling man's eyes stared at him with tears. Without hesitation, Barcas turned around and stepped up the stairs to the boudoir on the second floor. At that moment, a low voice flew from behind him.
"Is there any reason why we have to be excluded?"
Barcas, who was standing on the stairs, clutched the railing and looked around at the man. The man slowly approached with a gentle step that did not match his huge stature, and continued calmly.
"Immediately after arriving in the East, I heard many interesting rumors surrounding Her Highness the Grand Duchess. If you are wary of us because of her..."
"Don't you hear that you don't know the subject quite a bit?"
Barcas intercepted in a soft tone. As if sensing the living things in the air, the man's left cheek, with his dimples, stiffened. Barcas, leaning towards the face, added coldly.
"Do you think my wife is in a position where she can go up and down the mouth of a priest?"
"...I was disrespectful. Please forgive me."
The man bowed his head politely, but Barcas didn't miss the amusement in his eyes. He took a step closer to the man with an overbearing attitude. Then a thick bloody smell like that of a wild animal pierced his nose. At that moment, he had strong doubts.
"Are you really sent by the temple..."
Just as he was about to pursue the man, a noisy footstep echoed in the chapel.
"Sorry to keep you waiting, Sir."
The priest who hurried over continued with a polite attitude.
"The High Priest has ordered Your Excellency to be brought to his inner chamber. Follow me."
Then he glanced at the man standing next to him.
"And...brother."
"I'll just step back."
The man naturally took over the priest's mumbling words.
"We are staying at the Great Temple Relief Center. If you change your mind, please feel free to let me know. I will gladly help Your Excellency, the Grand Duke..."
"Thank you for just saying that."
Barcas retorted coldly, turned around, and followed the priest. Even as he walked past him, the foul smell of blood that pierced the tip of his nose did not disappear. Barcas looked over his shoulder and looked back at the man once again.
Just in time, a flash of lightning passed by Roman Talis' eyes bizarrely. Leaving the unpleasant afterimage behind, Barcas stepped up the stairs where darkness had fallen.
***
"You broke your promise to me."
Barcas, who sat in front of a wooden table set up in the prayer room, spat out dryly.
"Have you forgotten that you agreed to cover up that absurd suspicion about the Grand Duchess?"
"The report posted by the heretical investigator was destroyed immediately after confronting the Grand Duke."
The High Priest, who was quietly sipping tea, let out a heavy sigh and said.
"I don't know where you heard what you said, but the temple has never said anything related to the Grand Duke's internal resources. If the Investigators dispatched by the Central Church find out something, it is probably information obtained through an independent Investigation."
"Are you saying that the High Priest has nothing to do with them?"
"Yes."
The High Priest raised his head.
"If I had intended to bring in the Temple Guardians, I wouldn't have asked the Grand Duke for help in the first place. What good will this situation do to me? Their visit is nothing short of embarrassing to me."
Barcas looked at him with thoughtful eyes for a moment. Certainly, the intervention of the Central Order in the affairs of the East would not be a pleasant situation for this man.
He asked in a softer tone.
"Are you sure of that man's identity?"
"Of course. All visitors had identity plaques with the seal of the temple and submitted a dispatch card written by the Great temple."
The High Priest took out a parchment document from his bosom and held it out.
"Let's check it out for ourselves."
Barcas, who had received the document, scanned it closely. The dispatch card, written in ancient Osirian, was clearly stamped with the seal of the central church and the coat of arms of the temple guards.
"There is no doubt about it."
"Did you have anything to do to verify their identities?"
Barcas shook his head.
"No, it is not. For a priest, I noticed a man who looked quite rough, so I just did it just in case."
"Isn't the Temple Guardians mainly engaged in judging pagans? If you do hard work, you will inevitably become rough."
The old priest, who had been retorting casually, rubbed his forehead and looked tired, then changed the topic.
"Rather, what can you do now? The Temple Guardians will directly investigate the situation of the pagans in the East."
"I have no intention of letting them disturb my land."
Barcas, who put down the parchment as if throwing, said firmly.
"We plan to launch a sweep operation tomorrow. If all the pagans are captured, the reason for the temple guards to stay here will be gone. The High Priest should return them as soon as the situation is settled."
"To do that, there must be no disruption in the plan."
The High Priest's eyes were filled with worry.
"If the operation fails, they will try to exercise their investigative powers, and then we will no longer be able to cover up the suspicions about the Grand Duchess..."
"That's not going to happen."
Barcas stood up from his seat, looked down at the High Priest coldly, and drove a wedge.
"I intend to eradicate all the pagans in this land so that such troublesome things do not happen anymore. So, stop harassing my wife."
"If you try to pressure me one more time using her well-being as an excuse, the Grand Duke's family will never treat you as a High Priest."
"...I will be careful."
Leaving behind the High Priest's calm answer, Barcas turned around without delay.
When he returned to the castle, the rain was gradually subsiding. However, the sky was still covered with dark clouds.
Hearing the occasional roaring thunder, Barcas stepped into the castle. Most of the knights decided to stay in the camp, so the castle was quiet.
"Are you here, Your Excellency?"
As he crossed the dimly lit hall, the butler, who was directing the servants at the restaurant entrance, hurried over.
He took off his wet raincoat and looked inside the lit restaurant. His sister and older vassals were holding a late evening.
"Where is the Grand Duchess?"
The butler, who was holding the raincoat in his hand, lowered his eyes with an awkward expression at the habitual question.
"Her Highness has said that she will eat separately in her room."
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