Chapter : 36

After the commotion was over.

The pencils that had filled the warehouse were now loaded onto Baron Pierre's trade wagons.

The quantity was so large that even though he brought 10 large wagons, he couldn't even empty half of it and had to promise to come back next time.

Thanks to that, I was able to see the rare sight of the solemn Baron Pierre flustered and at a loss.

“Ahem. The quantity is larger than I thought.”

“Didn't I tell you? It will be too much for you to handle alone.”

Sitting at the reception room table, I spoke nonchalantly, sipping my wine.

“I will bring more wagons next time, Your Excellency.”

“Oh, really?”

“As you've given me an exclusive period, I will do my best to absorb as much volume as possible.”

“Haha. Well, if you can, go ahead. But as I said before, the longer you take, the more volume there will be. Move quickly.”

At my words, Baron Pierre shook his head as if he were sick of it.

Baron Pierre, this man.

He was a friend who was surprisingly fun to tease.

Indeed, even for a seasoned merchant like Baron Pierre, such a massive volume must have been a first.

This was the power of the manufactory system with its division of labor.

It was an overwhelming volume that far surpassed the quantity produced by a single artisan.

To handle this, a small trade network was not nearly enough.

The market had to be expanded beyond the domain level, to at least the national level, to absorb the volume.

Therefore.

‘Hmm. I should start expanding the market.’

I muttered, thinking of Fort Proven.

Let's expand Fort Proven, which I have opened as a free market, and make it a relay market connecting the northern and southern parts of the continent.

Coincidentally, the Seine River flows in the north and the Ram River flows in the south within the domain, so if I use them well, I have a good chance of success.

‘In [Pangea Universalise], if you continuously increased the development level of this region, it would be upgraded to an inland market center.’

It was one of the few things that brought a welcome rain in the drought of the poor Bellua Margrave play.

“By the way, Your Excellency, the Margrave.”

“Hmm? What is it?”

Just then. Baron Pierre, who had been watching quietly, carefully opened his mouth.

“Is the rumor true, by any chance?”

“????”

A rumor?

What rumor is he talking about?

Wondering what this man was suddenly talking about, I looked at Baron Pierre.

Then, Baron Pierre spoke with a rather reverent expression.

“The rumor that you performed a miracle. I heard that you received God's grace and drove away a demon by shining a light…”

“Pfft-!”

Oh, damn it.

Where did he hear this from now? I involuntarily spat out the wine I was sipping and looked at Baron Pierre with a frown.

“Where did you hear that from?”

“The rumor is rampant. It is already very famous in the southern region.”

“In the southern region?”

“Yes. Two bishops are going around talking about it. Especially that… goat beastman bishop, you know?”

“Bishop Marco?”

“Ah, that's right. Bishop Marco. I heard that he is proselytizing so fervently.”

Oh, my head.

I thought I had handled it well, but it seems that wasn't the case. To think that two bishops would be going around blabbering about it.

No, even if Bishop Marco was a friend who naturally made a fuss, I didn't expect Bishop Lauren to be like that.

I had clearly warned them not to spread nonsense before I left the city…

‘I hope an inquisitor isn't dispatched from the Holy See because of this.’

My neck feels stiff from the encroaching anxiety.

“No. It's not. It's true that I dealt with that… demon-like monster. But it wasn't a miracle.”

I answered, massaging my throbbing temples. At that, Baron Pierre smacked his lips as if he were disappointed.

“Is that so? Haha, I was hoping to at least shake your hand, Your Excellency.”

Well, I'll be damned.

Shake my hand?

There was a superstition in [Pangea Universalise] that you would be blessed if you shook the hand of a saint who had performed a miracle… but to think that even this friend would think so.

But on second thought, this friend was also a medieval person. A medieval person for whom honor and faith were still important.

“Don't go around saying such things. I'm afraid it might reach the ears of the Holy See.

Isn't it something that could get you excommunicated if you're not careful?

Haha, really. Bishop Marco. What should I do?”

“Hmm…”

At that, Baron Pierre trailed off and looked at me.

“I think it has already reached the ears of the Holy See, Your Excellency.”

“?”

“From what I have found out, the Holy See has dispatched someone. This information came from the Holy See's branch office, so it is probably certain.”

“Hah. Don't tell me an inquisitor has been dispatched-!”

If they were trying to brand me as a heretic, I had to prepare in advance.

Whether it was by bribing them, or by colluding with them to fabricate something, or, as a truly worst-case scenario, by secretly…

‘Ugh, let's not think about such things.’

No matter what, giving up my humanity should be the last, truly the last resort.

‘Otherwise, I think I'll really go on a rampage.’

I didn't want to lose the last shred of my conscience, the last shred of my dignity. At least not yet.

As I was thinking that, fortunately, Baron Pierre's answer was not what I had feared.

“Haha. You're joking. Your Excellency has already given a lot to the Holy See, haven't you?

As far as I know, it is not an inquisitor, but a special envoy who is being dispatched.”

“A special envoy?”

“Yes. I heard it is because of the recent events in the south.”

Wait a minute. I seem to have missed something while I was busy with internal affairs. The events in the south…

‘What was the important issue that happened in the southern part of the Elang Kingdom now…’

Then, something suddenly came to mind.

The great incident that had overturned both the Elang Kingdom and the Aragon Kingdom.

Because of this, the southern region of the Elang Kingdom was unable to escape from the influence of the Holy See for decades, until the king finally drove them out.

“Don't tell me, the heretic hunt?”

“Oh! Exactly.”

As I got the answer right, Baron Pierre let out an exclamation of admiration. He probably thought I wouldn't get it right.

But I wasn't offended.

In the first place, I wouldn't feel offended by such things, and more importantly, the current situation was more serious.

“Ahem. I apologize, Your Excellency. I was rude.”

“No. It's not because of that, so don't misunderstand.”

The timeline had been shaken.

Of course, [Pangea Universalise] was originally highly random and didn't always follow the scenario, but this was a bit much.

‘The heretic hunt event occurred earlier than originally.’

This meant that there was a possibility that the major events I knew about in the future would be twisted. Of course, the major global events would probably proceed as they were.

Thanks to that, I felt a sense of alarm.

“The Holy See's movements have become bolder than I thought.”

“Isn't it all because of you, Your Excellency?”

“Because of me?”

What connection do I have with the Holy See for their movements to become bolder? Then, I suddenly recalled the things I had done in the past.

Using the church's notarization to oust Isabella and escape the pressure of the surrounding lords. Sending a huge donation through the diocese.

Offering the sugar manufacturing method to the Holy See to protect it. And this time, being mistaken for performing a miracle by defeating the Soul Eater.

Now that I think about it, the things I had been doing were, to anyone, pro-Holy See actions. To others, I was a very devout lord.

‘Damn it. I've shaken the timeline.’

The Holy See must have acted that way because they thought they had secured a pro-Holy See force in the southern region. It wasn't bold, but rather, a carefully calculated move.

“This was a foolish question.”

“Foolish? Your Excellency is very wise, unlike the other nobles I have seen.”

“You should at least wet your lips with saliva before saying such compliments.”

“Haha. Am I caught?”

Baron Pierre joked and chuckled. I looked at him with a sullen expression and asked.

“The king has already agreed to this, right?”

“That is correct.”

“Indeed, from the king's perspective, he must have thought there was nothing to lose if the Holy See stepped in and weakened the power of the southern lords.”

“Hmm…”

“But in that case, a great lord could emerge in the southern region. Can the king really control him with his power?”

I asked the question and then immediately answered it myself without even listening to Baron Pierre's reply.

“No. I was foolish again. Since the right of succession was already lost due to excommunication, the appointment to the vacant domain would be up to the king. He could just crush the complaints of the participating lords with force.”

“Umm…”

“He probably already made a deal with the Holy See. The Holy See would gain honor, and the king would gain practical benefits. Am I wrong?”

“Th-that is correct, Your Excellency.”

The longer I spoke, the more Baron Pierre began to look at me as if he were seeing a ghost.

And in the end.

“Your Excellency. If it is not too much to ask, may I ask one thing?”

“What is it?”

“Did you, by any chance, receive a revelation? Like what the bishops said.”

“……”

“If not, how could you know everything so well…”

* * *

There was a slight misunderstanding(?), but the meeting with Baron Pierre was quite useful nonetheless.

At the very least, I was able to get a rough grasp of the current political situation.

If a heretic purification really occurred in the southern region, I had to prepare in advance. No, I had to start preparing right now.

Based on my experience of playing [Pangea Universalise] thousands of times, this was an event that would definitely happen.

The later I prepared, the greater the loss would be. If the heretic purification occurred, the southern region would be devastated, and this would surely have a major impact on the supply of food and military supplies.

I should probably gather the Chamberlain and administrators quickly and reorganize the army.

And as I was thinking that.

“Meeeh~! My looord!”

The trouble-making goat beastman, Bishop Marco, returned from the City of Markel and came to see me.

He blinked his characteristic square eyes and continuously uttered praises in a voice full of emotion.

“Performer of miracles, slayer of demons! The lord who has received God's grace!!! Meeeh~ I have brought great news, meer!”

“Ugh. Bishop Marco. I did not perform a miracle. If you keep saying that, it will put me in a difficult position.”

“Meeeh~ I'm sorry, meer.”

“By the way, did you say you brought great news?”

I asked, massaging my throbbing head. At that, Bishop Marco nodded with a triumphant expression.

“Veeery. Important news, meer! You will truly thank me when you hear it.”

“…Are you perhaps talking about the Holy See?”

“Meh?!”

“I guess I'm right.”

I had already heard it all, so I was just indifferent. But Bishop Marco seemed surprised.

“H-how did you guess, meer. Tsk! But you won't be able to guess the details, meer?!”

“Sigh… You're not talking about the dispatch of a special envoy for the heretic hunt, are you, Bishop Marco?”

“Mehet! Het!?”

At that, Bishop Marco let out a shriek.

“A m-miracle-! It's a miracle, meeeh! You're reading my mind, meeeh! My mind is being read, meer!”

“……”

Oh, for crying out loud. This one and that one.

Really, that miracle talk…