novelraw Chapter 169 : Chapter 169
Chapter 169 : Chapter 169
Chapter : 169
“I meet the devout Margrave of Bellua, Your Excellency.”
“Praise be to the Performer of Miracles! His Holiness sent us like this, Your Excellency.”
I tensed at the sudden visit from an envoy of The Holy See.
It was because the envoy’s makeup was somewhat odd. It included doctrinal theologians who interpreted doctrine directly under the pope, and monks beneath them.
‘They did not get dispatched because of Bishop Marco’s issue, did they? Surely not an inquisition or an excommunication?’
Cold sweat streamed down my back. Seriously, what a mess this money-greedy goat beastman had caused!
My worry was that I might get treated as part of the same package deal and be interrogated together.
I had piled up a bit of karma along the way, so the moment I got excommunicated, I would not be able to handle it.
But fortunately, the purpose of the visit was, instead, incredibly good.
“His Holiness said there had been no noble who embraced commoners so warmly like this. You have recently been working on translating the bible into the common kingdom language, have you not?”
“Uh…. That is so.”
“His Holiness sent us to support that work. It is so the bible will not be damaged due to translation errors, you see. Hehe.”
“Oh? Is that so?”
No, then that meant.
Did this mean The Holy See would authorize the translated bible being published this time? They were even attaching doctrinal scholars. Then I could just print the bible without much worry.
‘What a relief.’
I had worried a lot, but at this level, it did not seem like there would be any big problem.
Rather, would it not sell even better because of the symbolism that it was an authorized translation approved by The Holy See?
‘Hehehe. I can really rake in money with a rake.’
Somehow it felt like I was becoming like that goat beastman Bishop Marco, but no. That could not be.
I hurriedly shook my head and looked at the envoys of The Holy See, spreading my arms in welcome.
“Welcome to my domain! If you are ever uncomfortable, tell me anytime. I will assign people to help you!”
“Just your words alone are enough. Your Excellency.”
“What do you mean! As one who follows God’s will, is it not only natural?”
Yes, of course.
So I hoped they would work hard and fill my granary to bursting.
Hehehe.
---
-Ding-a-ling!
[Books are registered as the Margrave of Bellua’s new specialty product.]
[Margrave of Bellua specialty products : Bollinwood, manufactured goods, sugar, salt, books - translated bible, books – social contract theory, books – about the mysteries of the forest]
At last, books began to be produced in earnest and sold as goods.
The printing presses introduced into the newly created Printing Office totaled six machines. There, they were producing more than 100 books a day.
In truth, I wanted to raise production speed even more, but after hearing the overall details, I had no choice but to give up.
There were physical limits.
“If we do not rest, we can keep making them, but the process gets blocked at raw material procurement. Lord. The amount of wood we can supply per day is fixed.”
“Damn. What about importing from elsewhere?”
“Even if we import from elsewhere, it will cost transport fees, and these days, is there even a usable forest zone near here. No matter how you can just take any wood, crush it, and make it into paper….”
The Printing Office manager answered while sweating profusely.
Right, since all raw materials were being procured from nature, it would indeed be difficult to meet the production volume I wanted. The overwhelming productivity of modern civilization was, in truth, the majesty of fossil fuel, oil.
It had been refined to supply all kinds of raw materials as if stamping them out….
‘Maybe this is better.’
No matter how high production was, it would only be oversupply.
How many people in this era even had meaningful purchasing power. And surely even fewer could read.
Besides, [Pangea Universalise] was only at the level of the late medieval twilight era. It was still an era overflowing with nobles who took not knowing how to read as masculinity.
‘It really is too much.’
It was even more certain when I thought of the elf knights who were filling my domain. Watching them fight among themselves every day, saying they were seeking an honorable death, I could only sigh.
“I know you are working hard. Keep doing it like this.”
“It, it is an honor, Lord!”
“What honor. Then I will be going.”
After patting the moved manager’s shoulder, I headed straight to my office.
There were urgent things I had to handle. Recently, the internal trends of the kingdom had not been normal.
“How is the king?”
“According to rumors, he is mobilizing the army.”
“The target is the Crusader Knight Order, as expected, right?”
“Most likely, is it not? With The Holy See supporting at his side….”
In the end, The Holy See pronounced excommunication upon the Crusader Knight Order.
The pretext was the crime of violating doctrine and charging interest to believers.
In truth, it was doctrine they had been violating for nearly 200 years since the crusade began, but it was now coming back to bite them.
The Crusader Knight Order claimed it was something Cardinal Adriano, blinded by power, had done unilaterally, but there was no way that would work.
The authority of The Holy See that issued the excommunication was authority, but to all nobles, the wealth the Crusader Knight Order had amassed tremendously all this time was far too appetizing.
“They made too many enemies.”
“But lending money…. That is not a bad thing, is it? Rather, not paying back the money is the strange thing. Magician Agpiel.”
In [Pangea Universalise], nobles routinely swindled away borrowed money, as if the value of credit meant nothing.
Merchants often had no choice but to fail to recover under those nobles’ strong-arming, but the Crusader Knight Order was different.
They wrung the money out no matter what.
And they did it by bringing a whole bunch of armed knight-order people.
“Tsk tsk. Still, did they not pile up too much resentment? That is the problem. People’s hearts are different when they are desperate and when they have leisure.”
“Well…. That is true. They made too many enemies.”
At Magician Agpiel’s words, spoken with a click of the tongue, I scratched my cheek and agreed.
I thought that if they had known how to give in moderation, they might not have been driven into a corner like this.
“How…. shall we support them? Lord?”
“Them? Who?”
“The Crusader Knight Order people. They are fighting the king of the Elang Kingdom, so would it not be fine even if we help them?”
“Mmm….”
The enemy of my enemy is my friend.
This old saying was a line that helped in many situations.
Hamil Chamberlain’s argument to support the Crusader Knight Order, who were enemies of the king of the Elang Kingdom, my enemy, made sense.
The more fiercely the Crusader Knight Order resisted, the more the king’s power would be reduced.
But I did not plan to do that.
“No. We will not get involved in this matter.”
“Why….”
“Is the justification not too good? There is no need to stir it up for no reason. It is a matter where we can just stay still and take only the profit.”
Despite their prestige, the Crusader Knight Order’s cohesion was extremely poor. The monks had tasted money, so how could they keep firm hearts.
In the actual game [Pangea Universalise], when the king of the Elang Kingdom said he would subjugate them, the leadership scattered, saying they would each find their own way to live, and before long it collapsed.
Helping them would be meaningless. That was why it was best to just watch the shaman and eat the rice cake.
‘No, rather, it would not be bad to subjugate the excommunicated as the justification of being Bellua’s guardian.’
I did not even need to mobilize my soldiers.
The title I had been granted, the Guardian of Bellua. This title carried the authority to requisition the resources of knight orders and churches in the kingdom’s southern region.
‘Yeah, that is better.’
A honey-sweet business that did not cost me a single coin, was it not.
Thinking that, I looked at the vassals in my office and shouted.
“Send a convocation order to the churches and knight orders of the southern region immediately.”
Let me put my spoon in too.
I intended to take a huge spoonful, sweetly.
---
The Crusader Knight Order was a very powerful group that had maintained its power for nearly 200 years. It was a near state-level knight order that had branches across the continent, not only in the Elang Kingdom but also in the Holy Empire, the northern Apennine Peninsula, and so on.
And yet they were doing moneylending to people, so how much wealth would they have?
‘It is money enough to buy a small kingdom.’
With this convocation order, I was not expecting anything else.
Money.
And a big sum, enough to run my domain for several years, at least.
That was what I wanted.
So I planned to organize an army appropriately and then strike quickly and withdraw, but….
“???”
My convocation order flowed differently from what I expected.
-The Margrave of Bellua has ordered the subjugation of the excommunicated!
-Gather! Warriors with swords! This is a sacred crusade!
-KYAAAH! For an honorable battle! God calls us.
Suddenly, my convocation order spread by rumor and began to be packaged as a sacred crusade.
Regardless of the south, each region of the kingdom, and even the Holy Empire and the continent’s east, and foreign countries like the Kingdom of Aragon, began to respond to my call.
‘No, what is this?’
If there were many participants, the spoils would be distributed. That was why I had tried to suck out only the sweet benefits with an appropriate number of people, but!
“So knights are flocking in from everywhere?”
“Not only knights. Some minor lords say they will bring their armies and join. And even common peasants and mercenary captains say they will join, Lord.”
“Oh, my head….”
If things became like this, even if I wanted to stay still, would I not have to lead the army out?
I was, after all, the one who issued the convocation order, and if I just hid inside the castle, my prestige would be cut down severely.
“Then…. we have to prepare for departure, right?”
“With the world’s eyes so focused, it seems we must. Lord. Besides, is this not a crusade you started? Hehehe.”
Without knowing my feelings at all, Hamil Chamberlain was blooming with laughter, very pleased. Well…. It made sense. When he was active, the Margrave of Bellua was a declining petty lord, so it was understandable.
The lofty fame of the noble they served was the happiness of vassals, was it not.
“Tsk tsk. That is why you must not play petty tricks.”
“…That is truly helpful advice. Magician Agpiel.”
Of course, Magician Agpiel, who knew my black intentions, was teasing me.
“Then it cannot be helped. We must prepare to depart too.”
In the end, I decided so with a sigh.
“Professor Vesalius. Can you show me the field hospital I requested this time?”
“Mm. I have taught everything that can be taught in theory for now, Lord. The rest seems like they can learn through practice this time.”
“Is that so?”
The phrase “learn through practice” sounded a lot like a quack doctor, but considering the level of this era, it did not seem that bad.
“And Azuela is there too, so it will be enough.”
“Azuela?”
“Your jokes have increased.”
At Professor Vesalius’s words, Magician Agpiel and I flinched. Why was Magician Azuela being brought up out of nowhere?
Then Professor Vesalius awkwardly scratched his head.
“That…. The healing mysteries Azuela uses are tremendous. Especially because they are mysteries connected to herbalism, they help a great deal in surgical operations. She will probably be a great help at the field hospital too.”
“Ah…?”
Because she had shown so many foolish antics, I sometimes forgot.
It seemed Magician Agpiel had been the same, as he nodded.
“Right. Azuela was a magician too.”
“…….”
Of course, Magician Azuela, who was watching that from the side without saying anything.
‘This fucking-!’
She did, in fact, miss the imperial court where she had been treated quite well.