Betrayal Knight's Joyful Faith

Chapter 162: Nothing is Perfect

“…Crown Prince, is this something that has been agreed upon?”“Yes, the captains already know.”

When the Emperor asked in a voice that only Cantares could hear, the Crown Prince silently nodded his head and answered.

He said he would show him something, and it seemed like that natural born jester really meant to do it.

A hollow laugh came out on its own.

“I didn’t expect that much.”

“Your Majesty, you have no idea how much he has been looking forward to this day.”

All Arendt needed was a stage on which he could literally run wild. The end of this story was already decided when the Emperor began to back him up.

It seemed like there would be a commotion, but the room was just quiet.

The audience, unable to decide which side was right, watched Arendt and the High Priest alternately in a state of tension.

“…Lord Arendt. If you say such things without any basis, I cannot help but be very disappointed.”

In a situation where no one was willing to speak up, Priest Lumiel calmly opened her mouth. Arendt tilted his head as her profound gaze fell on him.

“But Priest Lumiel. You know me well.”

“…That’s right.”

Arendt was bold, but at the same time, frighteningly thorough.

Among the priests who had been quietly listening, one of the elders lowered his voice and growled.

“What on earth are you trying to say?”

“Your Excellency, you are also a human being, so I think it is natural for you to act in pursuit of your own interests… But since you insist on wrapping it up in faith, I cannot help but point that out.”

Arendt shrugged his shoulders naturally. In contrast, the High Priest’s face was now devoid of any composure.

“Are you trying to threaten the High Priest now?”

“I haven’t said that yet, but do you have a weakness that I can use to threaten?”

The young knight’s golden eyes curved pleasantly.

Ironically, within the palace and temple, Arendt’s name had as much credibility as the notoriety it carried.

No matter how crazy a dog he was, he would always come back triumphantly, catching prey as soon as he was released.

In reality, it was more like the Crown Prince and the captains gave in to the ideas and actions that Arendt was causing, but that was how it appeared on the surface.

So the priests couldn’t help but be very nervous.

As if reading their anxiety, the High Priest shouted even more firmly.

“There is nothing more to hear. God will never forgive you for disturbing the sacred council with your absurd words!”

“Forgive me for interrupting, but that’s up to the one up there to decide. Since I have an open mouth, I’ll talk more. I stopped by Count Stadler’s study a while ago, and there was a little commotion there.”

People looked bewildered at the sudden change in topic.

The High Priest, who had been glaring at Arendt as if he was going to devour him, also opened his mouth slightly as if the strength in his jaw had disappeared.

“I don’t know who they were, but there were spies who infiltrated his research lab. They even dared to tail an imperial knight. It was very foolish.”

“…Huh, heh heh heh.”

The High Priest, who had been listening quietly, burst into empty laughter.

“That’s ridiculous. What does that have to do with me? Surely you’re not going to find fault with me for being a part of it?”

“That would be fun, but it’s a bit weak. It’s a problem that can easily be blamed on someone else, and you can just deny it and that’s it. But why did you bring it up first…?”

Arendt glanced at the High Priest.

“Hey, I’m thinking of grabbing the ankles of a few people who are wiggling their butts because they want to run away right now.”

“…!”

There were gasps of air here and there. Some people were seen hesitatingly getting up and then quietly sitting back down.

‘As expected, Count Stadler.’

The Count used appropriate threats and persuasion to coax the men he had captured to his side.

In addition, the spies who received several high-quality magic stones in return for their betrayal hid the fact from their employers that they had already been discovered…

As a result, the people behind the scenes who had been feeling safe while listening to the fake reports that kept coming back received the invitation of the Crown Prince and came to observe the meeting in person.

Not even realizing that they were crawling into a trap on their own two feet.

Arendt glanced coldly at a few of the audience members whose complexions were clearly different, then turned his gaze back toward the Great Hall.

“I decided that I could not just sit by and watch this situation unfold. The Count is contributing the most to the fight against the evil cult.”

“…”

“Just because of individual greed, you are sabotaging the protection of Lord Luce’s name and the Empire. Isn’t that something that absolutely must not happen?”

The conference room was filled with a beautiful voice that was unusually appealing to the ear, as if it were a normal conversation.

Even though he was just sitting there and talking calmly, people couldn’t take their eyes off him.

“There wasn’t any major damage. But… my stomach felt a little twisted, so I did some background research.”

“Background investigation, you say…?”

“Yes. As you know, I have long since thrown chivalry into the mud and am a man without manners, so I resorted to a rather lethal method.”

When someone asked him a question in a hurry, Arendt simply nodded.

“But during the investigation, Your Excellency.”

“…”

“For some reason, I often heard your name. I think the High Priest needs to explain this.”

“I have never done anything wrong!”

The High Priest shouted anxiously, but it seemed that there were not many people in the room who truly believed his words.

“Your Excellency.”

The old man flinched at the cold, calm voice.

Arendt looked straight at him and spoke calmly.

“No matter how inhuman a person may be, he can be pious before God. Having faith is freedom. Praying for such people is also something that a priest can do.”

“Stop it, stop it.”

“But, Your Excellency, if there is a price to pay for that prayer, wouldn’t that be a bit problematic?”

“Didn’t I tell you to stop!”

The High Priest’s thunderous roar erupted from in front of the statue of the god Luce.

Only then did the old man’s eyes begin to waver as he realized his mistake.

Although the High Priest would not normally have been shaken by something like this, he had already lost his composure due to Arendt’s exquisite provocation.

In that state, his weak point was hit, so he reacted immediately, which was unusual for him.

When Arendt obediently kept his mouth shut as ordered, only a cold silence settled in place.

The High Priest looked around the room with trembling eyes.

The gazes that had been focused solely on Arendt von Eckhart’s mouth were now fixed on the High Priest standing alone, with obvious confusion and contempt.

Thud. Thud. Thud.

His heart was pounding, his hands and feet were shaking, and cold sweat was running down his spine.

“That kid is talking nonsense…!”

“On the list the Count sent, there was someone who donated a large sum of money to the Great Temple and even received a letter of appreciation.”

Just as one of the old priests was about to hastily close Arendt’s mouth, which was about to open again, the Crown Prince suddenly intervened.

“Our investigation has revealed that he is financing smuggling operations. We have confirmed that some of the proceeds are steadily flowing into temples in coastal areas.”

“So, just in case, I dug into the people behind the infiltration of the Count’s laboratory. And sure enough, there were some people who had been consistently donating money to the High Priest.”

Arendt continued what Cantares had said.

“I considered this a matter of urgency, so I personally went to some of them and questioned them. As expected, a fist close by is more frightening than Lord Luce who is far away.”

In other words, he went directly to those he suspected and beat them up to threaten them.

Everyone had no choice but to remain silent.

That was something only Arendt could do.

“I heard a rather interesting story. He said that he had done it at the request of the High Priest, and that if he had been caught, he had decided to take the blame for it all himself.”

Arendt took the video recorder out of his bosom and placed it on the table.

That was the testimony he received.

“In addition, it is said that among the dozens of gold bars donated to the temple, several were given as private gifts to the High Priest. There are quite a few people who offer bribes in this way… The price was a blessing bestowed directly by the High Priest.”

He obtained more lists of those who had bribed the High Priest, and the Crown Prince had them sit in the conference room as observers as a stage prop to put pressure on the High Priest.

That wasn’t particularly difficult. Since they were the secret confidants of the High Priest, there was no way they could miss the opportunity to observe this meeting.

“It seems that you had no mercy to protect the young priest who had no place to put his mind, but you were willing to accept a price and give him a blessing.”

“…”

“That’s great. I can buy Lord Luce’s blessing with just a little gold. Can I ask you for a favour? As you know, I am a blasphemous man who does not know the ups and downs or the gods, so it would be difficult if a lightning bolt were to strike me.”

Arendt openly mocked him with a wry smile.

But the High Priest could no longer point that out.

His lips, which had always spoken the truth, were shut tightly and only sounds of heavy breathing could be heard, his pupils wandering in the air clearly reflected the great confusion in his mind, and his hands, which were resting on the table, were trembling.

No, it wasn’t just his hands that were shaking. His entire aged body was convulsing.

The Emperor, who had been watching him quietly, slowly sighed.

“Before we determine the truth of the matter… I think it would be best to adjourn the meeting for now. Let’s postpone the discussion until later. The High Priest’s health does not seem to be good.”

“Your Majesty, I…!”

“Say no more. Lumiel, help the High Priest up. It would be best for him to get some rest.”

The High Priest, who had suddenly come to his senses, tried to make excuses in a trembling voice, but the Emperor remained indifferent.

The state of panic among the few nobles caught in the crowd was not much different from that of the High Priest.

The High Priest, whose chin was trembling, began to curse.

“I, I was just guiding the wanderers. What’s wrong with that? It’s all for the temple…!”

“Those guys who you led tried to harm Count Stadler.”

Arendt’s flat tone abruptly cut off the High Priest’s speech.

“They attempted to steal the research data on demons and dragons and hinder progress. Can you prove that it was not done without your will?”

The meeting had already lost its purpose and was headed toward ruin.

The High Priest gasped for breath and the priests lowered their gazes, unable to even bring themselves to take his side.

The apprentice knight who had been watching the scene drove the wedge in.

“You’re saying that you’re blocking the investigation for Lord Luce’s sake? I repeat, that argument no longer holds any credibility. Because you, the High Priest, have tarnished his name the most.”

“Your Excellency!”

Finally, one of the spectators, unable to bear it any longer, jumped up from his seat and stood up.

“How could you do that? How could the person who is closest to Lord Luce…!”

The conference room quickly became chaotic, starting with screams filled with betrayal.

Those who were watching now screamed for the High Priest to tell the truth, and some who tried to escape during this opportunity were grabbed by the back of the neck by those next to them and beaten to dust.

And there was even one crazy guy who looked at the chaos he created with satisfaction.

The Luce statue, standing tall under the brilliant sunlight, looked down on it all.

With a holy sword symbolizing justice, and compassionate eyes filled with love.