Chapter 57

I have kept you waiting! This time, I'm updating six chapters at once!

...My head feels heavy.

There are too many things to think about, and it's giving me a headache. While pressing my temples, I flipped through the documents.

After receiving the excommunication notice, I sent a statement of explanation with Sebastian. The land had been sold once, and the building was in ruins, requiring repairs. I have the sales contract from when it was sold. Instead of repairing it, we rebuilt the church in a different location. And before that, we had sought permission from the church.

However, there was no retraction of the excommunication from the church.

"...What a splendid case of cutting off the tail to escape..."

"Yes. We used the connections of the House of Armenia to search for the priest who sold the church, but we couldn't find him. He was probably abandoned. Similarly, the person in charge when Lady Iris sent the letter during the demolition cannot be found. ...Given that the church is a special organization, even with the power of the House of Armenia, the information we can obtain is limited, making further investigation difficult."

"It would be easier if we could find that priest..."

I can't possibly ask for the disclosure of all members. It's already a good thing that we obtained the information that they couldn't be found in such a short time.

"So? How is the situation in the territory?"

"...In just a few days, concerns have already spread."

"That's to be expected. What about the officials?"

"Similarly, some are resigning, and others are taking leave. Thanks to the rare workaholics, the current situation is being maintained..."

That's right. To those who don't know the details of the exchange and the process, I am the one who demolished the church without permission... the one who destroyed the land of God, showing no fear of the divine.

Given that I am in charge of the territory, it's understandable that people might see my actions as being for my own benefit.

"The trade has also plummeted. The impact on the entire territory is significant."

The neighboring territories and other supporters of the second prince have started to declare that they will increase the trade fees if they export through our territory or if the goods pass through it. The reason is the same.

As a result, the merchant guilds based in our territory are suffering significant losses. Just being based in the Armenia territory has put them in such a situation... If we don't resolve this quickly, we might lose the support of the merchant guilds.

Of course, this is a major blow to the Azuta Merchant Guild as well. After all, I, the head of the guild, have been declared a sinner. It's not surprising that people would avoid us.

Moreover, we have to raise the prices of the goods we ship from here to cover the taxes, which is painful.

While some nobles who use Azuta Merchant Guild products are expressing dissatisfaction due to the price increase, they haven't openly complained because of the current situation. However, there are complaints from the common people.

Furthermore, in just a few days, the guild's sales have clearly dropped, and to make matters worse, employees are being poached by other guilds, even those from the capital and other territories. As a result, production has decreased, and the guild's sales have declined.

As a result, similar products to those we used to produce are now being sold by other places. While this has always happened to some extent, this time, the people who left our guild are directly involved in the manufacturing... So, some people might think that similar products from other sources are good enough instead of those from a guild with an excommunicated head.

"...What a terrible face..."

Looking in the mirror next to my study, dark circles are clearly visible under my eyes, my hair is a mess, and my skin is rough.

From my perspective as someone from Japan, excommunication from the church... But in this world, the church is really powerful.

Its influence is well-known.

Because they have the backing of a deity, the name Armenia means almost nothing.

The church, as an organization, is an inviolable domain, making negotiations difficult. To begin with, it's hard to even reach the right contact point. Part of the reason is that I have been declared a sinner.

The excommunication of my head has emboldened the supporters of the second prince to attack my father. My mother has also stopped attending all events. The Dowager Queen cannot openly take major actions because, on the surface, the church is an organization that does not bow to power and cannot escalate matters too much.

I looked up.

Ah, my head feels heavy... If I stand up, I'll probably feel dizzy.

Just a few days. Yet, those few days.

I hardly slept, grasping the changing situation moment by moment, thinking of countermeasures, and holding discussions.

It's a battle against time, causing anxiety and an intense sense of tension every day.

I lowered my gaze again. My vision seemed to warp and twist.

Just a little more... Just a little more, and the preparations will be complete. However, the chances of success are still not clear. The uncertainty of whether this is the right path casts a dark shadow over my heart. The opponent is too powerful. I wish I had more time to prepare thoroughly... but I can't afford to wait.

I apologize for keeping you waiting. I plan to update this section on the church in one go until it's finished.