Silent Witch-CH24: Meanwhile, at the Church

"Has he noticed Alteria's presence?"

Slamming a report down on his desk, the head of the church, Cardinal Daltor Jumelba, contorted his handsome features.

This room, filled with such ornate furniture and sculptures that it seemed out of place within the church, was Cardinal Jumelba's private study. In the center of it, the document he had just received stated that the official engagement between the Second Prince and the lady the Cardinal was targeting had been decided.

"To think that playboy Second Prince would beat me to it… I grew careless."

The calm words of Jack Darman, the monk who constantly attends him as the Pope's aide, further fueled his anger.

He want to scream at them, asking just how much the royals know and how much they intend to get in the way. But of course, he couldn't do such a thing, and the reality was that all he could do was engage in a battle of wits.

It all started when the First Prince appeared, and the royals of this country—who until then had been so simple you'd think their brains were made of muscle—became impossible to deal with.

In this country, power is divided between the royalty and the church.

In this country, where the existence of magic has long been forgotten, they fight magical beasts with military force. The foremost of those is the royal family. The royals lead the people with their strength and fight on the front lines themselves.

Of course, there is nothing but gratitude for such courageous actions. That is the unanimous will of the people. But it is also a fact that they cannot save the people with that alone.

While the brawn-focused royals do have advisors to conduct politics, their influence is thin.

What became salvation for those who felt anxious in their days spent endlessly battling magical beasts was the current church.

The founder was a minor noble, a count, who was unusually weak for his era. Perhaps that was why the church became not only a spiritual sanctuary for the people but also gained a voice against the ruling class.

That was the start of it. Weaker nobles began to align with the church, meddling in politics. Perhaps it was unavoidable that power unintentionally gathered in the church.

And so, by dividing power between the mighty royals and the church that was close to the people's hearts, the country maintained its harmony.

But that balance is now on the verge of collapsing, all because of the First Prince, Lenanino Crow Regalty, born nineteen years ago.

The First Prince, the root of all the church's troubles. He is blessed with the martial prowess typical of royalty. That I understood, but I never imagined he would be blessed with intelligence as well. He displays a talent unlike any previous royal. On top of that, he inherited the beauty of his mother, who was called the Jewel of Regalty, and from the gentle atmosphere his good looks create, he has built better relationships with neighboring countries as well.

He is becoming a leader who guides the nation's development with his intellect, shifting the perception of royals as merely figures who protect the country from magical beasts and other nations with brute force.

A being who improves their daily lives. People began to see a light in him. A royal who could save their very hearts. The people began to seek salvation not from the church, but from Prince Lenanino.

And if that happens, what is the church's purpose?

If the royals can dispel all the people's worries, where is the need to divide power?

The church holds power only in this country. It is precisely because the royals only hold military might that the church was able to seize power here. It would not be the same in other countries.

And lending his support to the First Prince's achievements is the very Second Prince from earlier.

He is not as blessed as the First Prince, but he is reasonably handsome and a smooth talker. Few are wary of him because of his carefree demeanor, but in reality, his reputation in foreign diplomacy is excellent.

To the point that one might think his trust with the common people is even deeper than the First Prince's.

But as for what he has done, no one really knows. If you ask the people, they all say he's a good person. He even has a bit of a reputation as a womanizer, but there are even those who say that's a good thing.

As I worried about the church's future, holding my head in my hands, good news arrived.

It was a rumor that a Saintess had appeared, one with the power to exterminate magical beasts in an instant.

I immediately went to that village and found the Saintess, Illumise. Her power shone with a divine radiance in my eyes.

A girl who would save not only from magical beasts, but the church itself. It was a stroke of fortune that he found her so quickly and took her in as an adopted daughter.

With this, I can surpass those detestable princes. I was inwardly delighted, thinking I could surpass the royals just as before, no, even more so than before, but my joy was short-lived. Now, the First Prince was approaching, seeking to make the Saintess his own princess consort.

He approached me, asking that he have her adopted by some high-ranking noble so that she could eventually become Queen.

What is he talking about? She is mine. She belongs to the church. If he wished for her to become Queen as my daughter, that would be one thing, but if she leaves my hands and becomes the daughter of a high-ranking noble, the church will have nothing to do with it. If that happens, the church's position will vanish according to the royals' plan.

I consider telling the Saintess to ignore the prince, but I can't have her develop a rebellious spirit against me or the church.

The Saintess must recognize the church as a comfortable place, a place she doesn't want to leave.

As I spent my days worrying what to do about the First Prince, who was so stubbornly trying to get closer to the Saintess, another ‘saintess' descended upon me, as if by divine guidance.

She was performing small miracles in a place where no one was watching.

In the sight of her stirring a small gust of wind to gently lower a nut, I felt the same divinity as I did with the Saintess.

Even if the current Saintess were to fall for that handsome First Prince, as long as I have her, the church will not fall under the royals' control.

So I approached her. She was a noble's daughter. It would be difficult to take her in as an adopted daughter easily. On top of that, there was the matter with the First Prince. What should I do to avoid making the same mistake? After much thought, I proposed to make her my wife.

Me, at thirty-nine, taking in a fifteen-year-old girl. It might be a bit of a stretch, but there is no other way.

Just as I expected, her father, Count Hwant, was reluctant. But I am a Cardinal. I am not someone who can be easily refused. The Count said he would leave it to his daughter's decision.

In that case, the matter is simple. There's no way I can't make one little girl fall for me.

Conveniently, my appearance is youthful enough to pass for a man in his twenties, and I am handsome. My silky silver hair is the envy of young maidens. If not for my position as a Cardinal, I could have my pick of women.

The wishes of a dreamy girl are easy to guess. She would want a gentle, magnanimous, manly adult. I am the very embodiment of that. There's no way she would refuse.

But, she seemed to have different tastes than most. Not only did she refuse to open her heart to me, she wouldn't even meet with me. Finally losing patience with her evasiveness, I decided to have my followers placed around her mansion. I ordered them to bring her to the church immediately if she stepped outside.

We could talk calmly, just the two of us. If she still refuses, we could spend some time together, alone, at the church. Once she is alone with me, she is sure to be mesmerized by my handsomeness.

I will make her mine, slowly but surely, and have her use her power for the church.

If she can wield power on par with the Saintess, I might even be able to hand the Saintess over to the First Prince as a favor from the church. I would negotiate, maintaining that the Saintess belongs to the church.

And yet, despite having formulated such a plan, before I knew it, she had been acknowledged by all as the Second Prince's fiancée.

What is this? I confronted Count Hwant, insisting I was the one with the prior claim, but he just replied nonchalantly that it was his daughter's decision.

That cunning fox…

Damn you, royals. To think that I, of all people, would be toyed with by children of nineteen and sixteen…

"Your Eminence, she has not become a princess consort yet. If she is merely engaged, it can be overturned. Let us sneak into her mansion and abduct her."

As I was agonizing, Jack casually suggested something thief-like.

I snorted in amusement.

"That's a dangerous thought. I can't approve of that. If we're found out…"

"We won't be found. We won't take her directly to the church, but to some ruins. I'll have thugs carry it out. As it turns out, we have a man among our top brass who is a believer. That kind of person is tight-lipped. And even if we are found, that would be more convenient. A young lady who was kidnapped, even for a moment, by thugs would be treated as a victim, even if she were unharmed. In such a state, she could never become the Second Prince's consort. She would be abandoned by the Second Prince, and then Your Eminence can rescue her."

Jack grinned slyly, making no attempt to hide his villainous face. He knows it's dangerous, and yet, he is willing to do it for my sake.

I have felt his loyalty before. This is a man who would do anything for me.

I decided to honor his feelings.

The future of the church, with its back against the wall, should perhaps be entrusted to a man like this. But I will maintain a stance of non-involvement. So that if this plan is discovered, the fallout doesn't reach me.

Leaving him with the words, "Do as you please," I departed.

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