Betrayal Knight's Joyful Faith

Chapter 163

“For something like throwing an egg at a rock… wasn’t the High Priest too easy of an opponent for you?”After the meeting ended in chaos, they moved back to the Crown Prince’s office.

Arendt shrugged as the Emperor spoke slyly, sipping the tea Jereon had brought out.

“I won’t deny it. It was so easy that I was a little taken aback.”

“How were you taken aback? You were so excited.”

Cantares, sitting close to the Emperor, grumbled briefly. The other captains nodded in agreement.

“For someone who was originally messy, a few drops of mud wouldn’t be noticeable, but for someone who consistently insisted on perfection, taking them down isn’t that hard.”

“…”

Regardless of the incredible temper of the man who spoke such words to the High Priest, there was nothing wrong with the words themselves.

Who would have thought that the High Priest who obsessively cared for god Luce would commit such a crime? He was so angry that he couldn’t even control his anger in the presence of the Emperor, so it spoke volumes about the level of betrayal felt by the spectators and priests.

“By the way, why did the High Priest do such a thing? I’ve known him for a long time, but he wasn’t a very materialistic person.”

“Even though he didn’t have any material desires, his thirst for power was overwhelming. Maybe he was a bit impatient?”

When the Emperor asked subtly, stroking his chin, Arendt gave the answer.

“He made excuses using Lord Luce, but in the end, he interfered with the investigation of the temple in order to keep the imperial family in check, and he also took the money. He felt satisfaction in seeing the other person bowing to him.”

He probably wouldn’t even have felt guilty.

He would have rationalized that he had done nothing wrong, that the people had bribed him without permission, and that he had felt pity for those who felt guilty about their sins and blessed them in the name of God.

“It was just a relationship, but recently, he has felt a greater sense of crisis. His Highness the Crown Prince’s status has risen significantly due to the issue of the evil cult, to the point where he has complete control over the nobles.”

“The High Priest was wary of the Crown Prince?”

“Yes, I guess he was afraid that he would end up like His Majesty, who was stepping down. That’s why he had people he had connections with spy on Count Stadler. That’s where he got caught.”

“Hah…”

A sigh burst from the Emperor’s mouth.

“In the end, it was something that could have been resolved without putting Arendt at the forefront.”

“That must have been difficult. If we had filed an official complaint, he probably would have gotten away with it somehow.”

Cantares shook his head.

High Priest Theodore was by no means an easy opponent.

He was a man who was good at using his people in the right places and was especially good at using God as a shield to protect himself.

Arendt added to this:

“The faith people feel in those who hold the position of High Priest is stronger than you can imagine. Even if the human being is a little bit lacking, he is still the High Priest… Everyone thinks that. That heart itself is the High Priest’s weapon.”

But he also had a weakness… It was the perfect image of himself that he had created while serving as the High Priest.

“That’s why it was necessary to publicly shame him. If the mask of integrity he had built up was completely shattered, people’s trust would naturally be broken.”

It was Arendt’s unique rhetoric that completed this farce.

From the beginning, the provocation of talking about faith was a prelude to revealing to the people that the High Priest’s claims were contradictory and that he had even committed corruption and interfered with the Crown Prince’s work.

“Actually, I thought he wasn’t an easy opponent, but he fell more easily than I thought, so it was a bit disappointing.”

“How many times has he been ridiculed like that in his life? Since he had no immunity, it was only natural that he would collapse.”

The apprentice knight shrugged at Kendrick’s dismayed remark.

“That’s why I’m saying that people who grow up well shouldn’t be like that. They need to have some twists and turns in life to be able to deal with situations like this.”

“No matter how much a person’s been through, I don’t think there’s anyone who can deal with a natural disaster like you.”

“Who are you to say that I am a natural disaster and then allow me to act like this?”

A cold reply came back to Diana, who was mumbling tiredly.

That was also an undeniable statement.

As she got used to this guy’s actions, the days when she valued following principles and following due process more than anyone else seemed so distant.

Tak.

Arendt put down his teacup and gave the Emperor a sly glance with a playful smile.

“Your Majesty, how was it? Did you enjoy it?”

“Heh heh, this is really… a troublesome friend. This was better than I expected.”

“Then can I consider that I have paid the price Your Majesty has asked for?”

It would probably be difficult for the High Priest to recover, as he had shown himself to be so ugly in front of people, and had not been able to offer even a single proper excuse for the corruption that had been revealed today.

It was a result he had been hoping for, so the Emperor could only nod his head and burst into laughter.

“Okay, I admit it. I should pay you back for showing me something fun.”

The relaxed atmosphere from just now had disappeared, and the captains looked at the emperor with some tension.

“With the replacement of the High Priest, the palace will be in turmoil for a while. There will certainly be opposition, and there will certainly be those who point out the unsmooth investigation process. I have a feeling that it will be difficult for the Crown Prince to handle it alone.”

The Emperor’s profound eyes turned towards Cantares.

“How is it, Crown Prince? Do you need my help? Of course, I have already made a promise with that guy, so I have no choice, but I will ask out of courtesy.”

“…Of course, Your Majesty!”

The Crown Prince, who had been blankly staring for a moment, answered quickly.

“Your Majesty’s wisdom has been sorely needed. If Your Majesty could step forward, I would be more than happy.”

“Haha. Now that you say it like that, I can’t help it. This lazy old man has no choice but to lead.”

The Emperor, who had been smiling playfully, soon withdrew his smile and added a serious word.

“Your Highness, my son. I am sorry for burdening you so quickly.”

“Uh… Yes?”

Cantares, who had been dazed for a moment, not understanding the sudden words, suddenly came to his senses and waved both hands in fright.

“How can you say that? I just did what I had to do.”

“Thank you for saying so. You have had a hard time too. It must not have been easy to support the young Crown Prince in the midst of the chaos of the generational change.”

This time the Emperor’s gaze fell on the knight captains.

The knights who had met eyes with the king of a country quickly bowed their heads, and Kendrick answered on his behalf.

“I just did what I had to do.”

“Yes, I ask that you take good care of the Crown Prince in the future as well as Lord Arendt von Eckhart.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Instead of bowing, Arendt straightened his awkward posture and looked the Emperor straight in the eye.

It was because he already knew that the Emperor preferred it like that.

As expected, a smile appeared on the Emperor’s wrinkled face, perhaps pleased by the attitude of the impudent apprentice knight who met his gaze.

“Please ask me things often. Thanks to you, I won’t be bored in the future.”

“Yes?”

The knights who had still had their heads bowed opened their eyes wide in surprise.

Even now, they were having a hard time dealing with that guy, and if even the Emperor came out like that, they were already worried about what would happen next.

But Arendt, who had no way of knowing the captains’ intentions and who didn’t care at all even if he did, smiled pleasantly.

“It can’t be free.”

“Poohahahaha! Have you ever seen such a guy?”

Leaving behind the Emperor’s bursting laughter, Laius clutched his stomach, which was starting to hurt for the first time in a long time.

“…I’m sorry, Your Majesty. I will have him re-educated on etiquette.”

“Give up, Sir Laius.”

Rather, what was more amazing was that he never gave up until now.

Diana quietly patted his back.

The palace and the Great Temple were turned upside down, and as expected, protests poured in from all sides.

From the suggestion that the knight who insulted the High Priest be punished to the claim that the entire palace should be investigated… the palace was on the verge of bursting with people fighting each other with bloodshot eyes.

However, the dispute soon ended with High Priest Theodore admitting all his guilt and declaring his retirement.

All those who had paid the bribe were arrested, and Theodore, now a former High Priest, was forced to live out the rest of his life in a temple far from the imperial palace.

He was practically banished, and would never be able to set foot on the imperial land again.

Naturally, the next replacement chosen was Priest Lumiel, but she didn’t seem too pleased with the position.

“…But since things have turned out this way, I guess I have to consider this as being under Lord Luce’s guidance.”

This was what Priest Lumiel said, who had deliberately summoned Arendt to Lawrence’s restaurant outside the palace.

The current High Priest, whom he met after a long time, seemed quite haggard. It seemed that she had suffered a lot as the misdeeds of the former High Priest, whom she had trusted, were revealed one by one.

“It wasn’t my intention, but I feel like I’ve caused some great trouble to you, Your Excellency.”

“If you know, please buy me dinner today.”

“Of course.”

As Arendt readily nodded, a faint smile appeared on Priest Lumiel’s face.

“But we had been studying together and living together for quite some time… It seems that the unknowable is what fools people. Or maybe I was just foolish and judged people wrongly.”

“It’s not that Priest Lumiel is foolish, but that he is a bad person who has abandoned the gods.”

“Hahaha. Sir Arendt is as straightforward as ever.”

Priest Lumiel, who had been looking at the grumbling apprentice knight with gentle eyes, slowly continued speaking.

“I have been wandering the world since I was young because I wanted to know many things, but even at this age, there are still too many things I don’t know. Now that I have been put in a position that is not suitable for me, I must work harder in the future.”

“Don’t be so humble. I truly believe that you are the one who is fit for this position.”

When Arendt answered calmly, she burst into laughter.

Those blunt words sounded all the more sincere because they contained no pretense or comfort.

“Thank you. And as long as Lord Arendt continues to work as he does now, I think I will be able to work with you for quite some time to come.”

“Even though I am a blasphemous man who doesn’t even know how to pray to God?”

“Even if you don’t pray, you are already filled with God’s blessings. That’s how I see it.”

The apprentice knight flinched at the reply he received to his playful remark.

The old priest who had become the High Priest smiled warmly and continued speaking slowly to the young knight.

“May Lord Arendt be blessed by Luce. If you do not wish for God’s blessing, I will pray on your behalf for you to be blessed with the same amount of luck. Thanks to you, I was able to cut out the damaged part of the Great Temple and start over again, so I will not forget this favor.”

“…”

His heart felt a little uncomfortable at those sincere words.

Arendt had no intention of cleansing the temple or exposing corruption. He just got angry because the former High Priest kept lingering in front of him and was getting in his way, so he got rid of him.

But speaking in detail was not exactly ‘Arendt-like’, so he chose to raise his chin and chuckle.

“Then how about Priest Lumiel foot the bill today? You’ve become the High Priest.”

“That is not right. Since I have been forced to sit in a position I do not like thanks to His Majesty the Emperor and Lord Arendt, I must be compensated with a delicious meal.”

Priest Lumiel also answered in a sly manner.

It was a brief moment of respite after a storm had passed.