Chapter 64
“Here. The information you wanted.”
Thud—
A few days after finishing his talk with Lucio at the workshop.
Following the holy knight who came to his lodging, Eric headed to the Papal Court. As soon as he entered the room, he blinked blankly at the stack of papers laid out on the table.
“Is this… all right? This is too much…”
As he pulled the documents toward him and sat down, Eric let out a low murmur of amazement at the fairly thick bundle.
Rustle—
From the people involved in the recent incident, to the charges used to put Gregory on trial, and even their presumed motives behind it—
It was more detailed, and far more comprehensive than he’d expected.
As he slowly flipped through the papers, he looked at Justia with worried eyes.
The fact that she had dug up so much information, rather than merely gauging the other side’s intentions, meant one thing:
She had decided to risk direct conflict.
I thought, at most, she’d only find out how that southern vulture, Benepatio, managed to drag Gregory into trial…
Though he and Justia had formed a sort of alliance, turning a cardinal within the Church into an enemy for his sake was another matter entirely.
Even if he had managed to persuade her that day using Allure, it would take more than that to make someone risk everything on a supposed “incompetent noble.”
“Thank you, Tia.”
“Well, I said I’d help as much as I could. That was our deal. And didn’t I tell you not to call me that…? Ah, forget it. Do as you like.”
Watching her, Eric gave a genuine expression of gratitude.
He had originally planned to do his own investigating after receiving some basic intel from her—but that was no longer necessary.
Everything he needed was right here in this pile of papers.
“Ugh, I knew I shouldn’t have said all that back then… seriously, my damn mouth is my enemy.”
Justia turned away, pretending to be disgusted.
The deeper she dug, the dirtier it looked. It couldn’t be written off as just Cardinal Benepatio scheming to eliminate a political rival.
But on the other hand—this was an opportunity.
A massive force within the Church trying to frame an innocent cardinal through a sacred trial.
If she could expose their corruption and prove Gregory’s innocence, she would earn immense credit—and a favorable reputation as a saint candidate.
“So, how did you do it?”
“How did I do what?”
Of course, her decision to get involved wasn’t based only on ambition.
The masterminds behind this weren’t fools.
They would have destroyed or hidden all evidence of their wrongdoing long before anyone could notice.
Unlike ordinary trials, a sacred trial didn’t require the prosecution to prove guilt—it demanded that the accused prove their faith.
It was a perfectly orchestrated performance. To uncover the truth in such a short time before the trial was nearly impossible.
So when Eric first proposed his plan, Justia had only intended to help in name—maybe persuade a few people, just to make it look like she’d cooperated.
But then—
“The Second Princess. She suddenly criticized the sacred trial in public and voiced her support for Cardinal Gregory. That was your doing, wasn’t it?”
A few days ago, the entire situation flipped.
The Second Princess—who had never shown any particular connection to the Church—had taken the stage.
And Lucio Draconis was involved.
No matter how influential the Church was across the continent, they couldn’t ignore the Imperial Family.
The same applied vice versa, of course—but Lucio was no ordinary royal. Alongside the First Prince, he was one of the strongest candidates for the next emperor.
Unlike the First Prince, who relied on his noble lineage and knights, Lucio’s support came purely from his ability and character.
To those who had plotted Gregory’s downfall, he was as troublesome an opponent as the current emperor himself.
If they ignored him and pressed forward with the trial, and later even a hint of corruption surfaced, the backlash would be so immense that even their cardinal’s status wouldn’t protect them.
“I was lucky,” Eric said simply.
“Lucky, my foot. That ‘Iron Princess’ doesn’t move for things that don’t benefit her. Did you blackmail her or something?”
Justia grumbled, pouting at his evasive answer.
If he didn’t want to tell her, fine—but calling it “luck” was just annoying.
“Anyway… I take back what I thought. That day, when you told me you’d make me the next Saint—I thought you were just throwing words around.”
She gave him a sharp look, then straightened her back, recalling his original offer.
Rude, arrogant, and impossibly smug.
She had no idea why she accepted his proposal back then—but she certainly hadn’t expected much from it.
Yet here he was, proving her wrong by turning the entire game around overnight.
“To think you managed to sway a princess in a single day… you really meant it, didn’t you?”
Eric had overturned the impossible, as if to mock her doubt.
She didn’t know how he’d done it, but one thing was clear now:
Eric Ather was no ordinary “incompetent noble.”
There wasn’t a trace of the so-called “degenerate” from the rumors.
And after everything he’d accomplished since becoming the Church’s hero, it was clear he had the power to back it up.
“I suppose I’m more capable than I look,” he said with a sly grin.
“Ugh… insufferable. If only you didn’t talk like that.”
As Justia sighed, Eric smiled mischievously in return.
“So, what now?”
At her question, Eric looked down at the pile of documents on the table.
According to Justia’s information, Cardinal Benepatio wasn’t acting alone.
Two men had orchestrated Gregory’s trial—
The “Great Hawk of the South,” Cardinal Benepatio, and “the Little Rat of the West,” Cardinal Malepaver.
While those two pressured Gregory, another familiar name surfaced beneath them—
A northern bishop who had boldly exposed corruption within his diocese.
Bishop Impietas.
Who, later, would succeed Gregory as the new northern cardinal.
A mere bishop… and yet he took the northern cardinal’s seat right after Gregory fell, passing over far more powerful rivals.
That couldn’t have been a coincidence.
There must have been a deal behind it.
And the charges they used against Gregory…
Rustle—
As he turned another page, Eric’s eyes narrowed at the detailed accusations.
They had charged Gregory with three main offenses:
Negligence in safeguarding a Church relic granted to the northern diocese during the Great War.
Neglecting border defenses as the northern cardinal, despite evidence that recent anomalies were caused by monsters across the frontier.
Maintaining a close relationship with a “Named” entity that spread plague within the old diocese.
The first two charges could be fabricated easily enough—but the third? That was only known to those who had been there during the Rattenfänger extermination.
And yet, the holy knights had been waiting at the fortress beforehand with that charge ready.
Which meant—
There are collaborators within the Church working with the Anti-Goddess Alliance.
What had once been a suspicion was now confirmed.
And if there truly were such people within the Church—he couldn’t just sit back.
As long as those parasites remained, humanity’s victory in the next Great War against the monsters would be impossible.
If he could root them all out, it would not only protect the Church but also cement his path as the Archduke’s successor.
Then I’ll start with the most suspicious one—Bishop Impietas. I’ll investigate him first…
“Wait, sir! You can’t just barge in like this—!”
“I must speak with him immediately!”
“Every second counts!”
Just as Eric was about to explain his plan further, chaos erupted outside the door.
Bang!
“Lord Eric!”
“Hah—huff! Something terrible’s happened!”
The door burst open, and his group came rushing in.
Lillian, gasping for air as if she’d run all the way from their quarters, looked panicked.
Eric turned to Leona, silently demanding an explanation.
“…A massive horde of monsters is gathering at the border,” she said gravely. “The Archduke has summoned you both. Lord Allen has already departed.”
“What?”
Eric’s eyes widened in shock.
A massive monster horde?
If even the Archduke had recalled both him and Allen from the capital, this was no ordinary skirmish.
For the Archduke to react like that… does that mean the Demon King himself is moving?
Monster incursions were nothing new along the frontier.
Usually, it was just small packs of strays or wandering beasts not aligned with the Demon King’s army.
Border clashes in the hundreds were common enough.
Even when a “Named” appeared, it was usually enough to call for nearby reinforcements—not a direct summons from the Archduke himself.
For him to do so now… that was rare.
Eric bit his lip.
Because as far as he remembered, before the player inherited the frontier lands and the Great War truly began—
There had never been any record of a Demon King’s assault at this point in time.
What’s going on? Has the future changed? And why…
And it wasn’t just the timing that made no sense.
Even if the princess had disrupted the trial, this was still their best chance to remove Gregory and install Impietas, their puppet.
So why summon monsters to the border now—forcing the trial to be canceled?
…What are they planning?
“Lord Eric.”
His thoughts paused.
Hearing the cautious voice that called his name, Eric took a deep breath and stood up.
“Tia. I think I have to go.”
“Already? But what about the trial—”
As she spoke, Eric gathered the papers and rose from his seat.
“I think it’s already been suspended.”
“…What?”
Turning slightly, Eric answered with quiet certainty.
“Lady Justia! Lady Justia!”
A hurried shout echoed from the corridor—a holy knight’s voice.
Eric turned toward it, his expression firm.
He didn’t know why the Demon King’s army was suddenly on the move, but one thing was certain—
For now, the matter of Gregory could be set aside.
“Cardinal Gregory’s trial has just been suspended!”
Because in such an emergency, they couldn’t afford to leave a cardinal’s seat vacant.
