Chapter 25

A week later, morning.

“Hamel Gilmore, come forth and receive the command of His Majesty the Emperor of the Empire!”

A booming voice shattered the dawn silence and filled the mansion.

Those at the mansion were a group of knights and nobles sent from the imperial household.

“So it’s come.”

Daniel snorted and looked out the window.

Hamel nodded calmly.

Having resolved the mansion’s problem, Hamel contacted the Empire at once.

As a result, an investigative party had thoroughly inspected the mansion over the past few days.

However, the existence of the cellar and other details had to be concealed.

To be honest, he couldn’t predict how they’d react to his condition, and moreover what his father had done originally warranted a severe punishment.

Since Hamel had solved the problem, collective punishment likely wouldn’t apply, but they might strip the mansion and fief of their ownership.

He didn’t much care about the fief or title, but he had to protect the mansion.

So, together with others, they agreed to attribute the incident to demons.

He was a bit worried about Ono, who had gone off to the order.

Ono would report to the order and wouldn’t know the full details, so it was a gamble worth taking.

And that gamble had, so far, succeeded.

The investigative party only confirmed what Hamel wanted them to see and left.

Today was the day to learn the results.

The noble from the imperial household, accompanied by knights, had arrived.

“If it wasn’t discovered, it’ll be a conferment of title.”

“If it was discovered, it would be execution.”

“… What?”

Antonio trembled violently, his face turning pale blue.

Hamel placed a hand on his shoulder, as if to comfort him.

“It’s fine. Perjuring Antonio will probably only have his tongue removed and that will be the end of it.”

“Well… that’s reassuring.”

Antonio nodded with an expression that was anything but reassured.

Hamel smirked at him, supported him, and headed to the main gate.

Daniel followed behind them, keeping watch.

“Are you Hamel Gilmore?”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

Hamel answered the noble’s question, entrusted Antonio’s support to Daniel, and stepped forward.

The noble looked at him with a strange expression and continued speaking.

“All the reports the investigators filed have been personally heard by His Majesty the Emperor.”

“Yes.”

“And as a result, following Dennis Gilmore, He has decided to confer the baronial title upon you.”

“Glory to the great Emperor and his bloodline.”

Hamel knelt on one knee and bowed his head.

Now the noble from the imperial household needed only to touch Hamel’s head with the emperor-bestowed sword to complete the conferment.

But the noble did not place his hand on the sword yet and continued speaking, as if not finished.

“However, there are conditions.”

“…?”

“I understand you are a priest belonging to the order.”

“Yes.”

The noble shook his head decisively at Hamel’s answer.

“Clerics of the order cannot also serve as secular lords. You must renounce your priestly office here and now.”

“…Could you give me a little time?”

Hamel was troubled.

He intended to relinquish the priesthood anyway, but no one from the order had arrived yet.

It would only be proper to explain the circumstances to them and then resign.

But the noble was firm.

“That cannot be. You must decide now. Will you accept the conferment of title, or will you remain as a priest?”

Hamel hesitated, but there was only one answer.

The order was likely to sever ties anyway, and to protect the mansion it was right to give up his priestly status.

“…I…”

Just as Hamel was about to answer.

,thud thud thud thud thud

The ground trembled slightly and dust rose in the distance.

The clamor grew until it shook the eardrums like a waterfall after a heavy downpour.

“What is that…”

The eyes of the noble and the knights behind him narrowed.

On the road up to the mansion.

Flags flapping through the dust revealed themselves.

A banner bearing several white flowers on a green stem.

“…It’s the Equestrian Order of Holy Knights.”

“What?”

At the knight’s words, the noble’s face crumpled.

For a moment he muttered as if remembering something.

“If it’s the Equestrian Order, they’re directly under the Lettria region. Could that mean…”

At the vanguard of the order.

A rider wearing the purple phylorium that signified a bishop was leading a horse.

“…Does that mean the diocesan bishop came personally?”

The noble’s eyes trembled.

No matter how high-ranking an imperial household noble, one would be cowed before a diocesan bishop who stood just below the archbishop.

A moment later, they thundered to a halt in front of the mansion.

Among them were familiar faces.

“Ono and… the bishop?”

Hamel simply murmured, stunned.

“Ah, Hamel. Long time no see.”

The bishop waved energetically as he approached Hamel.

He wiped his brow and gave a bright smile.

“My, I suppose I’m getting on in years; I’m quite tired.”

“…”

The surroundings fell silent.

The imperial household noble and his knights had inexplicably stepped back and made way for the bishop.

Daniel and Antonio stood bewildered, watching the situation.

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Meanwhile, about fifty paladins had dismounted and formed a long line behind the bishop.

Ono, who had left the mansion earlier, stood expressionless beside them.

The imposing presence radiated by their wide formation protecting the bishop was not light.

“…”

The imperial noble, watching this, unconsciously swallowed dryly.

“…Bishop Arsen, what brings you here?”

“Hmm? Ah. You are one sent from the Palace. Good to see you.”

Bishop Arsen, regional Order’s bishop.

He oversees Lettria in the eastern Empire and is the only Exorcist priest to have reached the rank of diocesan bishop.

Bishop Arsen surveyed the area and continued.

“Of course I’m here on matters concerning the order. But rather, noble sir from the imperial Palace, what business brings you here?”

The noble hesitated at the bishop’s question but answered begrudgingly.

“I have come for the succession of the Gilmore family’s title.”

“Oh, I see. Then from now on you will be Baron Hamel?”

When the bishop turned to Hamel, Hamel calmly shook his head.

“I could not, because I hold the status of a priest.”

Hamel thought the situation was turning odd.

No matter how strange the events in the Haidern land had been, it wasn’t something that typically brought a bishop here personally.

For now, it was time to observe the situation.

After a moment of watching, the imperial noble nodded and added.

“Under Imperial law, those who receive titles bestowed by the Emperor cannot simultaneously hold the office of a priest of the order.”

This law existed to check the influence of the order.

The bishop nodded in response and replied.

“I know. But Hamel’s case is a little different, isn’t it?”

“…What do you mean by that?”

The noble’s expression twisted slightly.

Is he making some kind of arbitrary claim?

Even if such things happened in the Empire’s southern regions, where the Papal Curia sits, this is the eastern Empire.

The noble, showing displeasure, continued speaking.

“What could be so different?”

“Oh my, it seems you haven’t looked into it closely. Hamel is not an ordinary priest.”

“…?”

The bishop handed a document to the puzzled noble.

Frowning as he examined it, the noble’s mouth fell open and he couldn’t close it.

Three crosses engraved on a shield.

A papal-sealed decree contained information about Hamel.

“Saint…?”

“Yes, Hamel formally received the name of a Saint as of yesterday.”

The noble stood stunned for a moment, then clenched his teeth.

‘He’s been outmaneuvered.’

A Saint, one bearing the name of a holy, can become an honorary priest.

“Hamel Gilmore is, as of this moment, no longer a priest of the order. In my name, Arsen, I pronounce his laicization.”

Having spoken solemnly, the bishop then gave a slight smile as if nothing had happened and continued.

“Furthermore, since you have received the Saint’s middle name, I offer you the position of honorary priest. Hamel, will you accept?”

“Yes. I will accept.”

Hamel nodded without hesitation.

The bishop then looked at the imperial noble and spoke firmly.

“Now then, Father Hamel is no longer a priest belonging to the order. He is now an external cleric under the management of the Holy Ministry.”

“…I see.”

It was exactly so.

A cleric not belonging to the order but managed by the Holy Ministry was a different matter.

An external cleric bore no obligations or offices within the order, so there was no pretext for complaint.

The noble trembled with rage at how they had subtly circumvented the law.

With matters taken this far, there was little he could do.

Still, he stood as the Emperor’s representative.

He had no intention of yielding easily.

“Another Saint has been born—congratulations are in order. May I ask the reason he was made a Saint?”

It was clearly an attempt to find a fault.

The bishop hesitated, but since there was nothing to hide, he answered plainly.

“Of course. He was granted the Saint’s title for slaying the special-class demon Reteil.”

“A special-class demon…?”

The noble pondered briefly, then gave a thin smile and said.

“So that means Father Hamel is truly an outstanding Exorcist priest.”

“Indeed?”

What scheme is he hatching?

Hamel, unable to guess, stared at him when suddenly—

“I heard there is a problem with the salt mine in this land; resolve that and I will agree to the conferment of the title.”

“…What do you mean by that?”

The bishop spoke in a chillingly cold voice.

His tone was so terrifying that even Hamel’s body trembled.

It revealed that he had once been an exceptional Exorcist priest.

“Huh…”

As the imperial noble found it hard to breathe, the knights guarding him put their hands on their swords.

Tensions reached a breaking point.

“Draw and we’ll cut you down.”

The paladin captain standing behind the bishop spoke.

He didn’t move a finger, yet his voice was filled with absolute certainty.

The knights froze and merely exchanged glances.

By the time the noble went pale, the bishop eased his stance.

“Cough. Cough.”

The noble coughed for a long time.

The bishop, watching him, spoke again in a still-cold voice.

“I asked what you meant by that remark. Are you implying the order is colluding and lying?”

“N-no. This is part of the succession process and my duty. I must test whether he is fit to lead the estate.”

The noble hastily lowered his gaze and hurriedly spoke.

Careful not to rile the bishop further.

“Hmm.”

As the bishop frowned and rubbed his chin—

“I will do it.”

“Hamel?”

Hamel nodded and stepped forward.

“I have already chosen priests to go to the salt mine, but…”

“Isn’t this the fief I will lead? Let me handle it.”

“…If that is Hamel’s wish, so be it.”

The bishop said reluctantly but granted permission.

The imperial noble and his knights exhaled in relief simultaneously.

Hamel approached the noble and spoke.

“Please stay at the mansion for a few days. We have no servants, but…”

“I’ll leave that to you. However, I’ll grant a one-week deadline. Fail to resolve the problem or exceed the time and the succession will be canceled.”

“Yes. Allow me to bring only one companion.”

Hamel looked toward Daniel behind him as he spoke.

The noble slowly sized up Daniel.

His battered, shabby armor and dust-covered helm ornament suggested poverty.

He did not look like more than a poor low-ranking knight.

“Do as you wish. But no others may accompany him.”

As the noble glanced warily at the paladin order, Hamel slowly shook his head and said.

“That will not happen.”