Chapter 145
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146.
"You've been waiting long."
Deslatino emerged through the back entrance that connected directly to the Temple, settling slowly into the seat across from him.
A Priest who shadowed him like his own darkness draped a cloth between them.
Behind the billowing fabric, Deslatino's voice drifted forth.
"My apologies. My appearance is rather unkempt today, so I must ask your understanding as I conceal my face."
Unkempt? That was hardly likely.
True to his profession of standing frequently before the masses, Deslatino was renowned for his meticulous grooming, always fashioned according to the latest trends.
It was clear his true intention was merely to hide any shift in his expression from Zeppelin.
Zeppelin let out a derisive chuckle at Deslatino's peculiar excuse, yet spoke with composure.
"Do as you wish."
"Thank you. But this man here...."
He seemed to be referring to Bates.
The Pope found even the mere fact of a private meeting with Zeppelin unsettling.
The Devonshire Family had been adversaries of the Temple for generations.
Moreover, Zeppelin had once been investigated by the Knights of God on charges of blasphemy.
The position of Pope was not eternal. Particularly within the Defrian Church, the tenure of Pope was notably brief.
Since those who had stepped down from the papal seat had met rather unfortunate ends, many chose to tread carefully to avoid stirring great discord.
Thus, Deslatino's wariness was entirely justified.
Zeppelin let out a hollow laugh.
His current predicament—cast aside by the Emperor and now shunned by the Temple—struck him as absurd.
Whether rumors had spread that he had fallen from the Emperor's favor, the Emperor's Faction nobles had begun gradually severing their ties with him.
Those entangled with him financially did not openly scorn him, yet their demeanor had undeniably shifted from before.
'How pathetic. Zeppelin. Destroying our family like this.'
Suddenly, Jakim's voice echoed like a phantom in his mind. Even in death, the man continued to torment him.
Zeppelin's eyes narrowed sharply.
'That cannot be. Father.'
Zeppelin Devonshire would not crumble over such matters.
He smiled crookedly and spoke.
"But tell me—have you made your decision? You didn't summon me personally just to play games, surely."
"Yes. My resolve is firm. I will refuse."
"Refuse...?"
Zeppelin's brow furrowed instantly.
"What is your reason?"
"What reason is there? I am but a humble servant of the sacred Goddess Defria, and the House of Johannes is no different. We cannot simply cast aside those with whom we differ in political views. I shall pretend I never heard your proposal, Count. Now, if you'll excuse me...."
The sound of a chair scraping echoed loudly through the curtain.
Unmoved by this, Zeppelin rose stiffly and spoke.
"What if."
"...?"
"What if the Duke of Johannes differs from Your Holiness not merely in political views?"
"What are you talking about?"
"I heard your fifth wife ran away."
"That's my personal matter. I don't see why you should concern yourself with it...."
"I heard her original fiancé was Barinika. Doesn't that strike you as odd?"
The Pope, who had been half-rising from his chair, sank back down into it.
"That, what do you mean...."
"All those disrespectful paintings that have been troubling the Temple are Barinika's work. But no matter how hard you searched, you couldn't find any trace of him, could you?"
"Are you saying you know where Barinika is, Count? And before that, how can you be certain those paintings are his work? There was no seal on them."
"Even without physical evidence, this is something everyone knows in whispers."
As if agreeing with his words, Deslatino fell silent.
Zeppelin continued in his stead.
"I don't know exactly where Barinika is."
A sigh from Deslatino drifted from beyond the curtain.
Zeppelin hastened to speak before the Pope's disappointment deepened.
"But I know very well who spirited him away."
"Who is it!"
"You're well aware that I have an excellent military organization called the Hounds, aren't you?"
"Yes, yes. I'm aware."
Deslatino shifted his body as if urging him to get to the point.
Zeppelin, who had been carefully observing the way his shadow flickered, crossed his legs with an unhurried smile.
"My Hounds excel not only in combat but also in gathering information. I've obtained quite accurate clues about who spirited Barinika away. And you asked how I knew those were his works? Simple—I participated in creating them. To be precise, my role was to monitor him."
"What?"
Without a word, Zeppelin threw one of the posters that had caused such a stir throughout the Empire onto the table.
The Priest picked up the poster from the table and brought it to Deslatino.
Deslatino took the poster in hand, bewildered.
The poster depicted a man with bloodshot eyes, obsessively rolling dice in a frenzied manner.
It was a crude and deeply unpleasant image, no matter how many times one saw it.
"What is the meaning of this? And don't you know that merely possessing this image constitutes a grave sin? It seems you wish to encounter the Knights of God again, Count."
"Ah. The Knights of God. I was truly grateful to them then. For releasing me without much investigation."
"That was by order of the Rose of Light. You need not thank me. I wonder what they were thinking when they released you...."
'They?'
Zeppelin's eyes gleamed for a moment.
He knew almost nothing about the Rose of Light. Octavio had primarily served as the contact.
But Zeppelin showed no sign of his ignorance and spoke with composure.
"I see. I don't feel obligated to answer that. But look at the painting again. Doesn't it resemble someone?"
"Resemble whom.... Wait, isn't this you?"
Zeppelin clenched his teeth as heat rose within him the more he thought about it.
"Correct. I was deceived most cunningly."
Though I had given my permission, Zeppelin omitted that detail and continued.
"I was confined to the Villa for a month under the Emperor's orders to monitor Barinika's completion of the painting. But it was a trap to cast me out. You're well aware of how disastrous my autumn ball became, aren't you?"
"Emperor Zahidra did such a thing? How dare he!"
"Please, calm yourself. We must not jump to conclusions. Does this not strike you as odd? The Emperor has no reason to undertake such a venture."
"There is nothing odd about it. That the Emperor has long coveted the Temple is common knowledge even to a child."
"But would he risk something so dangerous? Moreover, was Barinika not a painter belonging to the Temple? I believe there is another hand at work here."
"Another hand? Who?"
"Julian, Duke of Johannes."
"What—what do you mean!"
"He helped your fifth wife flee overseas with Barinika. If you require proof, I can provide it at once."
"Preposterous!"
Deslatino tore the curtain aside with such violence that the rod supporting it trembled.
His face flushed crimson with rage as he brought his fist down hard upon the table.
"What possible purpose could the Duke of Johannes have for orchestrating such a scheme?"
"This is a delicate matter to speak of. I can only tell you if you swear not to hand me over to the Knights of God."
Deslatino stared at Zeppelin for a moment, then sighed as though resigned to his terms.
"I swear it."
"His plan is to join hands with the Emperor and bring down the Temple."
"That is absurd—!"
"I understand it sounds preposterous. Yet all the circumstances point to this truth."
Zeppelin rested his hand on the armrest and pressed his temples firmly.
From here on, he would need to weave careful lies into his persuasion of the Pope.
It was certain that Julian had smuggled Barinika and his betrothed out of the country.
It was evidence he had fortunately uncovered while searching for why the Emperor had connected him to Barinika.
He had spoken boldly to the Pope, but the story he was about to tell was nothing but fiction built entirely upon suspicion.
Yet it was plausible.
No—if this were not the truth, he could not explain the trail of Julian's activities he had uncovered thus far.
"The Duke of Johannes has been conducting investigations into the Temple's secrets. He gathered this blackmail material and presented it to the Emperor."
“....”
"And he whispered to the Emperor, placing Barinika in his hands: destroy Zeppelin Devonshire. There are two reasons for this. One is..."
"Your former wife, Rebecca Ophelia."
Deslatino recalled the woman who had trampled upon his feet not long ago.
Rebecca possessed such vitality that one would never believe her to be a recently divorced woman.
Thus he had surmised that Rebecca must have been waiting for Zeppelin's divorce.
The fact that she had married the Duke of Johannes immediately afterward only strengthened his suspicion.
Zeppelin still bristled at the words "former wife."
His brows rose sharply for a moment, then fell again.
"Precisely. And the other reason is to eliminate the Defrian Church—or more precisely, the Temple."
"But that makes no sense! If the Temple falls, the House of Johannes falls with it!"
"No. Even if the Temple falls, the House of Johannes will survive. Certainly, their honor will tarnish somewhat, but does he not have the Alchemy Tower? He has already accumulated sufficient wealth to live comfortably without the Temple."
"That may be true, but it is not enough to move against him on those grounds alone."
"The Duke of Johannes, you say? Are you truly certain he received such a blessing?"
Zeppelin smiled with a thin, mirthless edge.
Deslatino's eyes widened in alarm as he studied him, cold sweat trickling down his spine.
Yet he was a man of considerable political acumen.
Deslatino quickly composed himself and spoke with measured calm.
"Of course. The blessing bestowed upon the House of Johannes is explicitly documented in scripture—an irrefutable fact."
Deslatino added his words with an air of austere gravity.
"To question his sanctity is nothing less than an insult to the Goddess herself."
Deslatino's expression had hardened in a manner uncharacteristic of him.
Even the matter of his wife's disappearance had not moved the Pope to abandon his protection of Julian.
It seemed the bond between the Duke of Johannes and the Church ran far deeper than anticipated.
To press forward without evidence would be reckless.
Zeppelin decided to retreat for now.
He shrugged his shoulders as he spoke.
"It was merely the curiosity of an ordinary man. Please, think nothing of it."
"Curiosity killed the cat, as they say. I trust your curiosity ends with curiosity alone, Count."
"I shall take those words to heart."
Zeppelin bowed respectfully.
Deslatino regarded his transparent flattery with displeasure, then gestured to the Priest.
The Priest promptly drew the curtain closed.
The runaway Countess had returned.
E-book publication.
January 12, 2022
Author.
Long night sky
Publisher.
Desert fox
Published by.
Woongjin ThinkBig Co., Ltd.
Submission received.
naver.me/54VzzLSn
Blog.
blog.naver.com/wj_fennecfox
Twitter.
@wjt_fennecfox
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Brought to you by Valir Scans! To support our team and enjoy the latest releases, please read directly on our official site: valirscans.org
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