༺ I Don’t Need a Guillotine for My Revolution ༻
Written by – 카르카손
Translated by – Mara Sov
༺ Revolutionary Period – Proof of Faith. ༻
One week later, the Archbishop arrived at the Marquisate with a considerable entourage and Knights.
“Marquis Pierre De Lafayette welcomes the esteemed guests from the Holy Theocracy.
Thank you for coming such a long way, Archbishop Mateo. It’s an honor to receive the faithful from the Holy Theocracy in this Marquisate.”
“This humble servant of God is honored to meet the Marquis of Lafayette. Your faith and reputation have reached even our Holy Theocracy, so how could this old lamb refuse this journey?”
The old Archbishop had a kind and devoted smile on his face. At first glance, everyone would assume this old priest was a sincere servant of god without any ulterior motive.
Noticing the Archbishop scanning his surroundings, I smiled and said.
“Allow me to escort you inside, Archbishop. These servants will guide your retinue to their quarters.”
“Then I will gladly accept……”
As I led the Archbishop inside the mansion we were greeted by Eris dressed in a completely white and ceremonial robe.
Standing beside her were Sir Gaston and Sir Beaumont.
Sir Beaumont, the old man who always preferred to be called Uncle Francois by Eris, now had shaved his beard and was clad in a proper Knight attire, exuding the presence of an ex-royal guard.
While the Archbishop looked at them with narrowed eyes, Eris introduced herself with flawless etiquette.
“It’s an honor to meet the Archbishop of the Holy Theocracy. I am Eris, a simple girl under the grace of His Lordship the Marquis.”
With a bow, Eris’s long silver hair cascaded downwards, shimmering under the light as her mystical purple eyes were curled into an eye smile.
Now on the cusp of adulthood, Eris was already beginning to show a more mature figure, and with the proper clothing, she had an almost divine feeling.
“Oh……”
A gasp escaped from the Archbishop’s attendants, showcasing the success of our little play.
With this, Eris’s standing in the eyes of the Holy Theocracy would shift from a nameless girl with innate Divine Power, to a lady of noble lineage, or at the very least, someone masterfully molded by my hands.
Now that I’ve successfully baited them, I had no intention of allowing the Theocracy to neglect Eris or underestimate her. And certainly, I wouldn’t give them a chance to take her away under the excuse of ‘training’.
The Archbishop seemed to have grasped my intentions as he looked at me with narrowed eyes and a knowing smile.
……I’m sure that Eris is certainly struggling to hold back her laughter in front of him.
As am I.
“You have traveled far, so you must be spent. We have taken great care to ensure that the Archbishop’s stay is comfortable, so allow me to show you your quarters—-“
“This humble lamb of God is touched by your hospitality, Your Excellency. However, I must follow God’s will first. Before I settle in, I wish to discuss your profound faith, which even managed to impress the Pope himself……”
Ah, I see it now.
“Very well. Let my servants escort your entourage while I shall receive your teachings, venerable Archbishop.”
He must be very eager to see my ‘gift’.
After instructing the servants to provide the Archbishop’s entourage their rooms, only the Archbishop and an Imposing Knight, who was likely acting as his bodyguard, remained.
Guiding them down the familiar path, I showed the Archbishop the ‘gift’ I had prepared behind bars.
“This is Halphas, a member of ‘Pride’. I believe the Theocracy is already aware of its existence.”
“Ah, your faith and dedication are without equal. God must have guided your path well.”
The Archbishop gazed towards Halphas with unconcealed greed, as the demon in question paled and trembled upon realizing just who was the one before him.
“Gasp-. M-Marquis! T-This isn’t what we agreed on!”
“Pardon? I have made no deals with you, demon.”
“Ah….C-Call for the Countess! T-The Countess said I-“
“I don’t see the need to call for the Aquitaine Countess when we are in Lafayette. Now, Archbishop, I believe my faith has been sufficiently proven. Shall we discuss the specifics of our deal?”
“Hoho-. Of course, Your Excellency! With such a pious gift, even His Holiness will be overjoyed.”
While Halphas continued to yell something in the background, I simply ignored it. Oh, what’s that? Ah, it must be some annoying pigeon cooing while we were doing business.
“You tricked me! You-!! You’re more despicable than a devil-!!!”
Leaving the dungeon with the Archbishop, who seemed to be in a very pleasant mood now, I closed the door behind us.
–
“A reward is needed to congratulate your faith and dedication towards God, Marquis.”
The Archbishop sat across from me with a kind smile as he sipped his tea.
“The test you desire will proceed without a hitch and shall occur as soon as possible.
Although this was the first time I’ve met this candidate, I can tell at first glance that Your Excellency has carefully ensured there will be no issues with the schedule.”
Eris usually behaves like a curious bard, but she did grow up in the palace.
The foundations for her etiquette were already there, so I didn’t have too much trouble instructing her, but they must be convinced that I have carefully molded Eris to my whim and are being cautious about it.
“Of course, if her qualities and abilities are found sufficient, then her recognition as a Saint will be certain. The Theocracy also wishes to reward the Marquis’ dedication to finding another Shepherd for the Lord.”
Pausing for a moment, the Archbishop hummed as he continued.
“Despite the rumors that have reached our ears, I understand that the Marquis is an honorable Knight.”
My eyes narrowed at his words. Why would he mention my qualities as a Knight now?
“Should the Marquis agree, I would like to bestow upon you the honor of becoming an Honorary Crusader.”
Ah, would you look at that?
The Crusaders. They were the Theocracy’s strongest force, composed of Knights who had proven their faith and commitment to their cause.
Although it was only an honorary position, for a devout to become a member of the Crusaders is something worthy of bragging about for generations to come, and once part of their order, one would receive treatment equal to that of a high-ranking clergy.
“I’m flattered by this honor. However, it is with great regret that I must refuse. As a noble of Francia, I cannot allow myself to receive such an esteemed position without having the means to serve the Theocracy directly.”
Those guys have set their eyes on me as well.
I know they want to use Eris, but now they are trying to rope me in to further increase the Theocracy’s influence and settle the matter of Halphas by giving me an honorary title.
“Ahem-. We wanted to bestow upon you a fitting reward for your faith since you gave the Theocracy such a valuable gift and even found a Saint candidate. But it seems that our eager offer was overwhelming for you.”
Hah, at least this Archbishop had the decency of looking embarrassed.
Trying to snag me because of my exemplary ‘faith’ now eh?
“As you know Marquis, the Theocracy is always searching for lost lambs of the Lord. Your gift has even pleased His Holiness the Pope, but since it’s an unofficial trade, we cannot reward you with mundane wealth. Of course, since the Marquis is a pious man, you wouldn’t covet such things……”
I gave him a polite smile.
There’s simply no chance that the Theocracy is lacking in funds, especially when they are busy extorting everyone in the guise of faith.
Even Christine’s bullets, imported from the Theocracy cost about half of the Marquisate’s revenue.
But since they want to keep this matter a secret, they can’t move a large amount of money right away.
“Indeed. As a devout believer, I do not need such things. Instead, I have a favor to ask.”
“Please, speak your mind.”
“My ally, the Countess of Aquitaine, runs a trading company. I presume you are already aware of this.”
“Hoho-. But of course, the Aquitaine trading company is a cherished business partner of the Theocracy.”
“I see, then I would ask you to exempt them from tax and assure the free trading of the Aquitaine Company.”
There’s no need to give me money. After all, with this, Christine would gladly reward me with all the money I need.
The Archbishop’s smile cracked a bit.
One simply doesn’t get to his position just by having a lot of faith. No, you must know how to play the game, so he must have grasped what I was after.
The profits lost by exempting the tax for a company the size of Aquitaine can’t be covered by a simple monetary reward. But it’s not like Theocracy would have to ‘spend’ any of their wealth by granting this, so it would be awkward for them to refuse this favor.
Above all, they want Halphas more than they would want their taxation rights.
The Archbishop remained silent for a while before he spoke.
“This one is aware that the Marquis and even the Countess are in negotiations with this…Republic.”
“That is correct, Your Eminence.”
“Those Republicans have forsaken the Only God, harmed the clergy and our churches.”
“I am aware, Your Eminence.”
Mateo huffed.
The Theocracy has declared trade sanctions against the Republic, but since every single nation in this continent is already doing the same, one more sanction against the Republic wouldn’t matter at this point……
But if the Aquitaine is guaranteed free trade, then even if we joined the Republic, the Theocracy would continue their business with Aquitaine.
In other words, the Republic would become dependent on the monopoly of international trade of Aquitaine and Christine would make a fortune from it. My personal funds, entrusted to her, would also inflate significantly.
Mateo seemed to hesitate for a moment before he opened his mouth.
“I cannot decide on this matter by myself. I need to reach out to His Holiness. Meanwhile, I would like to ask something of you, Marquis.”
“Please, speak, Your Eminence.”
“……It’s quite regrettable that a faithful man like you would join hands with those faithless Republicans. That a Saint candidate would do so as well is deeply troubling. Therefore, it might be for the best if you demonstrate your faith, perhaps then the Theocracy would feel more at ease to discuss your reward?”
I smiled. This was somewhat expected.
“I’m sure you understand that we cannot change the Republic’s position soon. But should our negotiations with the Republic proceed smoothly, you have my word that we’ll do everything possible to cease the Republic’s persecution against the faith of the True God.”
The Archbishop sighed, but his face remained composed as he clasped his hands in prayer.
“Your faith is remarkable. Now let us discuss how this old man can reciprocate such devotion.”
“It is my duty and honor to serve the Theocracy.”
The negotiation without a single hint of faith proceeded smoothly.
–
In a small room surrounded by marble walls,
Each crevice in the walls was adorned with magical stones emitting a faint glow, ensuring the brightness of this place.
In the center of this room stood a spring, filled with holy water.
Eris, dressed in white garments was submerged in the water, brimming with Divine Power.
Her hair reflected the light from the magical stones, shimmering under the water as it swayed, creating an alluring visage.
However, as soon as the quasi-divine figure opened her mouth……All the sanctity of this place was shattered.
“Ah, this sucks…..My skin is going to become all wrinkly.”
“……”
I cast a dry gaze towards Eris as she began to thrash about in the spring.
“Soooo-Bor-ing!”
The holy water splashed around the small room adorned with marble and magical stones imported directly from the Theocracy.
Using my mana, I managed to shield myself from the water to avoid looking like a wet dog.
After throwing her fit, Eris hugged her knees, with only her eyes and nose above the water as she glared at me.
“Just endure it a little longer. There’s only one day left.”
Eris got up from the spring as she grumbled.
“Haaa-. If you could just sell the materials used in this ‘sacred spring,’ you could feed a thousand people for a long time! I’ll never understand how this waste of money is supposed to purify a person’s body and spirit.”
A bitter smile sprouted on my face.
“It’s because you still have a conscience to say things like that and the discretion to keep quiet in front of the clergy, that you are fit to be a saint.”
“I’m not a saint.”
Eris continued to grumble, as I spoke to her a little more formally.
“That’s why you are the right choice to sit on the throne, Your Highness the Princess.”
Eris looked at me, her eyes containing a glint of mischief as she opened her mouth.
“Well after all of this, you won’t be able to get rid of me, my dear deceptive patron.”
“I may have hidden the truth sometimes, but I have never lied to you. Perhaps it would be better to call me a trickster then, Your Highness?”
Just then, someone knocked on the door behind us, making Eris and I exchange a look before chuckling.
“Well, it’s almost over, so hang in there.”
“I’ll try~”
Opening the door, I could hear Eris snort as I faced the kneeling Knight before me.
“Sir Gaston? What is the matter?”
“We have an unannounced guest, and it seems imperative that you, My Lord, meet him personally.”
“Well, who is it?”
“……Count Millbeau.”
Count Millbeau?
Isn’t that the guy I turned into mince-meat alongside Duke Bretagne?……No that can’t be right.
If it’s the current Count of Millbeau then he would be Damien De Millbeau, the second son of Millbeau.
We’ve only met three times.
The first one, when I lured his forces with the Aquitaine caravan; the Second, when I returned with Eris to the Marquisate; and the third was during the battle in the south where I killed his father and elder brother.
Now that I think about it……Didn’t my actions help him a lot?
I may have smacked him a couple of times, even Christine helped me sometimes, but still……He became the Count thanks to me, right?
……Ah, I may have spent a little too much time playing the Devil.
Next to the parlor entrance, my Knights stood guard as two disarmed and anxious Knights looked at me.
They must be the Knights Damien De Millbeau had with him.
I… Can’t remember their names……
Regardless, I entered the parlor and looked at Damien for the first time in a while.
Either he’s very bold or he’s an idiot to come directly to his enemy’s stronghold.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you after a long time, Count Millbeau. Or should I congratulate you on your ascension first?”
As soon as I said this, Damien’s expression twisted, revealing his complicated thoughts.
I wonder just what things he must be thinking about now.
As I wondered, the doors were closed behind me and Damien did something I could have never imagined.
He knelt before me and shouted.
“I have recognized your greatness from the first time we met, Marquis!”
What is this crazy bastard saying? Didn’t he challenge me, thinking I was a disgraced noble?
While I stood there without understanding what was happening, Damien started crying.
“I’ll give you everything you want – My title, My lands…… Everything! Just spare my life, please-!”
TL Note:
Damien just can’t catch a break can he?
Bruh has the legendary E-Rank Luck.
