I’m sitting face-to-face with my grandfather and Lord Dardale.
Before diving into the conversation with the two of them, let me talk a little about the Nirgunid religion.
The Nirgunid faith is widely propagated across many nations on this continent. In most of these countries, the Nirgunid sect has taken root, while the Katrias sect holds influence only within the Holy Kingdom of Katrias. This is because the Katrias sect has a history of summoning heroes unnecessarily and using their power to invade other countries. This has happened several times in the past, earning them widespread disdain.
Such actions are a testament to how rotten the Holy Kingdom of Katrias is.
In six years, my classmates will be summoned. By then, I need to have grown much stronger.
This time, the temple inquisitors excelled once again, and Vishnou fell within two days. For all his bluster, Vishnou proved unremarkable—his strength owed more to his rank than to his actual character.
“Vishnou has long been involved in assassinations and abductions of key figures in our nation. Until now, we lacked evidence and could only endure our losses. But thanks to Toma, we’ve obtained a wealth of information this time,” my grandfather said.
He had meticulously gathered information on Haten’s suspected activities. I was present during the interrogation this time.
“To think Haten abducted Hermina… The Holy Kingdom of Katrias will pay dearly for this!”
My grandfather’s anger is palpable, almost tangible, as though the air itself trembles from its intensity.
Through Vishnou, I also learned about my mother and the motives behind their attempt to kidnap me.
Apparently, the Holy Kingdom of Katrias has three high-ranking archbishops. These three had dismissed the idea of apostles as nonsense and sought to abduct me to expose the “fraud.”
As for Reinhardt, their reasoning was even simpler—they believed abducting and brainwashing an S-rank child would turn him into a valuable asset.
Such short-sightedness is mind-boggling. With three of them, did they not consider the potential fallout of their actions?
Frankly, their plan would have made more sense if they intended to kill Reinhardt and cover it up. Brainwashing him as a pawn would obviously escalate into an international incident.
This kind of thoughtless behavior is, in a way, the most terrifying of all.
The reason my mother was abducted goes back to the fact that the Bayerlein ducal house had conducted extensive investigations into the internal affairs of the Holy Kingdom of Katrias.
They had also disrupted several of Haten’s operations. In retaliation, Vishnou abducted my mother to limit the actions of the shadow operatives serving the Bayerlein family.
At the time, Haten enlisted a completely unrelated criminal organization to carry out the kidnapping. Of course, Haten concealed its involvement, ensuring that no information would leak even if the criminal organization was compromised.
Vishnou transported my mother by ship, reasoning that it would be harder to trace. However, my mother jumped into the river, foiling their plans completely.
In conclusion: Haten is despicable, and the Holy Kingdom of Katrias, which harbors Haten, is vile.
I will never forgive Haten or the Holy Kingdom of Katrias.
Vishnou had been a member of Haten for a long time and served as its leader for the past thirty years.
If I recall correctly, Vishnou was 255 years old. His long life had allowed him to commit countless misdeeds.
Moreover, Vishnou was of the Shadow tribe, a race considered demonic.
The demonic races are powerful beings who once fought fiercely against heroes, led by the Demon King.
It’s ironic that the Katrias sect, which has summoned heroes numerous times, includes members of the demonic races. Their actions blatantly contradict their teachings, highlighting their lack of consistency.
Or perhaps their one true consistency is their relentless pursuit of their own desires.
“That just shows how corrupt the Katrias sect is,” my grandfather said.
“Indeed, I wish such vile people would stop calling themselves Nirgunid believers,” I replied.
Though I personally wish the Nirgunid name wouldn’t be associated with any deity, now is not the time to voice that thought. I kept it to myself and listened.
“This incident resulted in the attempted kidnapping of Prince Reinhardt, the deaths of four teachers and eight students, and numerous severe injuries,” my grandfather continued.
Reinhardt only sustained minor injuries, but the deaths caused significant trouble.
One of the deceased teachers was the youngest sister of the Duke of Miesel, and one of the students was the fourth son of the Marquis of Vandenberg.
With both families holding considerable influence and military power, my grandfather doubted they would easily let this matter rest.
At the royal castle, the atmosphere seemed to suggest that war might be inevitable.
While I have no intention of forgiving the Holy Kingdom of Katrias, I want to keep war as a last resort. There are many things I wish to accomplish before it comes to that.
“And as for Count Baltzar’s daughter… it seems she’s quite taken with him. What a troublesome situation,” my grandfather remarked.
The daughter in question is Lady Claudia. She was rescued from Vishnou’s subordinates.
The problem is that Ben was the one who saved her, and Claudia seems to have fallen for him after witnessing his bravery. Is this the infamous “suspension bridge effect”?
To me, Claudia is the epitome of a noble lady. That she fell for Ben… surprising, to say the least. Nobles usually understand that their partners are chosen for them by family interests.
I have no qualms about love crossing social boundaries, but most nobles don’t share my perspective.
Still, if Ben is interested, I’ll support him.
A romance between a commoner and an earl’s daughter… will Claudia’s unrequited love bear fruit?
“Isn’t Count Baltzar opposed to this?” I asked.
“Surprisingly, he seems rather enthusiastic about it,” my grandfather replied.
“What?”
Had they already overcome the class barrier?!
“He’s a man who admires strength. I wouldn’t be surprised if he barges in recklessly one of these days,” my grandfather added.
“What…?!”
What exactly does he plan to do? Surely he won’t demand that Ben be handed over, right? If he does, I won’t just stand by quietly!
That said, if Ben wants to become a noble, it might not be such a bad opportunity. Knowing Ben, though, he’ll likely turn it down, calling it too much trouble.
