Children of the Holy Emperor - Chapter 410



Only Noblemtl

410. Head Tower (8)

Originally, the Holy Empire’s punitive force should have been out in the open ocean by now. As soon as they arrived in Cyprus, they were scheduled to join up with the local navy and set sail immediately.

But I was anxious for a moment because I couldn’t send the punitive force right away.

The council members began to delay the departure repeatedly, unlike the first day. The reason was that serious safety concerns were raised regarding the secret weapon that was supposed to be the center of the operation, [Ancient Fire].

First of all, all of the ships owned by the Cypriot Navy are made of wood, and there are no suitable islands to take refuge in the open ocean.

But let’s say that due to poor management, a fire broke out on one ship. Given the nature of [ancient fire], which spreads rapidly even on water, it was obvious that all the other ships in the area would be caught in the fire as well.

Not only is it not enough to drown the army that has been gathered with great effort in the deep sea, but if we are not careful, we could even lose the precious prince and princess of the Seonghwang family.

If this were to actually happen, there would be no diplomatic problem more serious than this, let alone the loss of the Navy itself.

“General Lysander. Isn’t the operation itself, of leading the navy and using firearms that spread easily on water, problematic?”

Logan tried to suppress his impatience as he asked. Even as the council debate dragged on, the suffering of the Cypriot people and Ortona refugees continued to grow by the day.

Then, Lysander, who was asked the question, answered with a slightly complicated look in his eyes.

“Because there is no other way to deal with the sea monsters, Your Majesty.”

Lysander of Helios.

He was the Commander-in-Chief of the Cypriot Navy, a veteran who had encountered and subdued sea monsters on numerous occasions.

“I can assure you that their hide is the toughest of any whale in the world, and their fins that slash across the bow are enough to sink a fishing boat with a single strike. Spears and harpoons alone are not capable of causing any real damage.”

“… … .”

“Fortunately, they are more vulnerable to chemical attack than our ships.”

But there was another reason Logan was really nervous. In his view, the argument over [the Ancient Fire] was merely superficial.

Logan’s impressions from attending every single council meeting so far were as follows.

‘That’s great. It’s really ugly how they’re the ones who have the ancient fire-making method and think they’re so great.’

‘So what are you going to do? Are you saying that you won’t use our secret weapon now?’ A fight between the factions that show off their courage.

And now the argument is slowly turning into, ‘Share the ancient fire-making recipe with the world for safety! Or give us something instead.’ Power-

‘Who is being bullied now? If the upper-level activities continue to decline and fishing is halted, who do you think will be the first to die here? Huh?’ It is showing signs of turning into a confrontation between factions.

This problem arose from the special nature of Cyprus as a ‘confederation of cities’ that came together for profit rather than as a unified country.

Rather than dwelling on the immediate loss of fishing, it would be beneficial for the city in the long run to take advantage of the current situation to gain a relative advantage over other cities.

Naturally, the council members who represent them cannot help but be more focused on taking away a handful of land under their feet than on the enemies outside the walls.

Logan’s face, which had been silently watching the situation unfold, became paler as the days passed.

“Brother… … .”

Sisley looked up at Logan with a worried expression. She knew how much he had tried to suppress his impatience while leading the expedition to Cyprus.

But fortunately, Logan managed to keep his composure in that situation.

“… I have suggested to them several times to hurry up, but I have no good reason to completely convince them. It is only natural to secure the stability of the firearms before departure.”

Kuk.

The hand that holds Arjuna’s handle is strengthened.

“But looking at the way they’re going back, it seems like the voices of those centered around Helios are still louder. If we leave it like this, there’s a high chance that they’ll set sail safely with Elder Crises at the center. Even if we, as outsiders, urge them, we might end up delaying their decision due to unnecessary caution and resentment.”

Logan has extensive experience leading vocal Republicans and effectively taking charge of the front lines.

So I knew very well that it would be a hundred times better to let them talk about whatever they want and solve the real problem.

“Sir Valerie.”

“Yes, your Majesty?”

“Could you change the order of the planned church audit a little? Originally, we were planning to start from Helios and proceed to the cities in the northwest, but I think it would be better to split up the group and audit several cities simultaneously.”

Logan decided to divert the attention of the fighting council members elsewhere.

The plan was to create a sense of crisis by saying, ‘If you guys don’t do this properly and end it, you won’t be given time to properly prepare for the Heresy Tribunal’s inspection.’

“Of course, it would be difficult to conduct an intensive audit right away with a dispersed workforce. So, for now, just set the mood. After we set sail, we will gather again and dismantle even the pillars of their church into dust, and I will not stop you.”

Then Sir Valerie asked back with a very embarrassed look on her face.

“Why are you telling me that, Your Majesty? There is someone else in charge of this audit.”

“… … .”

Logan stared blankly at Sir Valerie.

Although he is always teased by Lee Seong-jin for being a pushover, he is not completely clueless. Every time he hears his brother and Valerie arguing, he can’t help but realize something.

-Tell the Inquisition, Lord Valery. What has been going on in eastern Anatolia is simply a plague. Stop sending out Inquisitors to arrest the sick.

-No, why are you telling me that, Your Majesty?

-Well, maybe because you have quite a bit of influence in the Inquisition?

-… On what basis can you say such a thing! I am nothing more than a low-level Inquisitor. I am absolutely not the kind of person Your Majesty thinks I am!

Logan, who was sensitive to the changes in his auror according to emotion, could not help but notice that the red-haired Inquisitor’s scowling retort was a lie.

‘Yes. Sir Valery has more influence within the Knights of St. Marsyas than I thought.’

And Logan’s judgment was right. The very next day after he made that request, the priests and Inquisitors who had gathered in Helios to give thanks began to disperse to their respective cities.

“Thank you, Sir Valerie.”

“So, you misunderstand, Your Majesty. I have no idea about this.”

untruth.

Logan said nothing more about the matter, merely patted the sulking Inquisitor on the shoulder.

This is probably all Logan can do as an outsider. The next step is to endure as much as possible and do his ‘personal’ relief work until the council members’ feet are on fire.

In the process, Logan’s increased ‘allowance’ was put to good use.

“Thank you, Lord, so much.”

“You said you came from Delcross? There are still people like you in the Empire… … .”

“…Thank you for your help.”

The refugees from Ortona, who had received simple groceries, thanked Logan with very awkward expressions.

Not only that. Sisley brought several priests and rolled up her sleeves herself. It was the experience of a saint who had been doing volunteer work for a long time.

“If you bring the knights of the punitive force, we might be able to heal more people, Brother.”

“That would be a tough task, Sisley. Moving the paladins is clearly a military action. Even if it is a relief effort for the civilians, if it is not done tactfully, it will eventually provoke opposition from the council.”

As he wandered around the city like that, Logan would occasionally pick up information like this.

“Hey, how long do we have to wait for the ship to sail? It’s hard to even eat now, so how about we go north while we’re at it?”

“North? What do you do there?”

“Haven’t you heard the rumor? I heard that if you go north, there’s a certain merchant that’ll arrange jobs for you. They don’t discriminate against Ortona refugees, and the wages aren’t bad either, so I guess a lot of people have been flocking north recently.”

“Huh? What’s going on there that pays all those people? Which top?”

“These days, the rumor is going around that ‘Bertran & Lee’ is hiring people. I found out that it’s for a large tunnel maintenance project. But that’s not all. They even promised to let the workers work as miners once the tunnel maintenance is finished.”

“A miner… … .”

“If that doesn’t suit you, the large new logging camp upstream to the northwest is also fine.”

Whenever he heard such stories, Logan couldn’t help but think of Mores, who had confidently made such promises in front of him.

-Do you understand? This ‘Bertran & Lee’ will be the logistics transport route connecting the northernmost part of Ortona and the zodiac!

-Northern Ortona?

-Yes! Starting with this ‘Bertran & Lee’, we will slowly make Ortona’s economy self-sufficient!

At the time, I just responded bewilderedly because the guy explained it so passionately. But I was more skeptical that it would really work out that way.

‘Yes, Mores. Maybe it really will be as you say.’

Of course, it was still difficult to be optimistic. Hadn’t Logan experienced times too desperate to be hopeful?

It was at that time that Ambrose, a member of the council, made this proposal.

“Looking at the situation, it seems that the punitive force will be able to set sail safely in a few days. Before that, would you like to come with me and take a tour of Cyprus and see the sights?”

* * *

Ambrose of Helios.

He is the son of Chryses, the real power in Cyprus, and the youngest member of the Council. He is better known to the world as the ‘Prince of Cyprus’.

After being involved in a recent fire, he began to act somewhat strangely.

-By the way, I would like to express my gratitude to you two. If it weren’t for you, would I have survived until now? So please, would you please stay at my father’s mansion tonight? I hope you will give me a chance to repay this favor, even if only a little.

The excuse seemed plausible. But it wasn’t something a seriously ill patient with burns all over his body would make, let alone his father.

There was another strange thing.

The thing is, when the conversation fell through, despite inviting Logan and Sisley, he didn’t return to the mansion and instead continued to stay in the council building.

“Why doesn’t he go home? Chryses of Helios is the most powerful in Cyprus. Surely his house has better medicines and better doctors than this place.”

Seeing him continuing his arduous treatment in an uncomfortable place, Sisley expressed strong doubts.

“Maybe it means that his own mansion is not so safe.”

Logan’s answer was bitter. It was quite a long time ago. He was reminded of the relationship between King Ortona and his close friend Prince Benicio before they completely split.

“There are cases in the world where the greatest conflict between parents and children is not at all rare, Sisley.”

“… Yeah, I see.”

Sisley’s face also darkens. This is because he recalls the contents of [The Chronicles of Delcross], where he eventually meets his death at the hands of the Holy Emperor.

Then, Ambrose, who had recovered somewhat, made a proposal. He asked me to come and explore Cyprus with him.

As expected, it was a random suggestion, but Logan thought it was a good opportunity.

There are limits to individual relief work, and it is not possible for a prince of a foreign country to travel around every corner of Cyprus alone.

‘Then it would be better to go with Councilor Ambrose and find out more about the situation of the Ortonian refugees in Cyprus.’

Sisley also readily agreed.

Of course, there was a useless insect running wild nearby.

[No, descendant! What have you been listening to me for all this time! How many times have I told you not to meet that wicked man… …!]

Logan dismissed his words lightly.

Even if Ambrosius had another plan, what could he do in front of the Sword Master after just getting out of bed?

So Logan and Sisley, along with Ambrosius, took a small boat and floated down the Breeze River to its mouth.

“Okay, now we’re here. Master Logan, Master Sisley. That building is the most famous landmark in Cyprus, the ‘Tower of Ambrosia.’”

Ambrosius smiled and pointed to the large gray tower.

Although he still had bandages wrapped around his body and a limp on one leg, he was doing a great job as a guide for his siblings today.

The last place he chose as his final attraction was that dreary, gray ‘head tower’.

“There is a legend that in ancient times there were actual piles of prisoners’ heads. But now they are just old and worthless relics.”

Ambrosius added his explanation nonchalantly, but Logan frowned as he sensed a hint of subtle emotion in his words.

Truth… and lies? What is it?

It was at that very moment! Sisley, who had been blankly staring at the gray tower, suddenly began to tremble as if startled by something.

“Brother!”

As Logan, startled, helped her up, Sisley reached out and grabbed his sleeve with a pale face.

“There, there’s a head… …!”