Chapter 95

#095 Counterfire (3)

[It's true that Sedric and Cristel were different from ordinary holy knights from the start. It was a case where innate power and the blessing of the deity intersected.]

Cardinal Bute answered.

The bishops gathered in the hall listened to her words with bated breath.

[According to Sir Johann Haines, who was dispatched by the Vatican, the two would surpass the level of a bishop even if they were ordained immediately.]

Indeed, you knew that too. The central cathedral became noisy at the cardinal's explanation.

The bishops bowed their heads, whispering to each other, nodding or shaking their heads, creating a heated atmosphere.

I alternately looked at the prince and Cristel sitting on either side of me.

The expressions under the veils were equally calm. They really do look alike at times like this.

[Your Majesty, countless Rieste citizens also know of the two's marvels. Those who witnessed the 'Great Beast Purge' and the nobles who saw the prince's duel have all praised them. Such sacred abilities should never be hidden behind the label of 'apprentice'!]

Archbishop Turquain, who had been standing, spoke passionately, spitting out his words.

It felt like the British Parliament.

[Right!]

[Seconded!]

Cries from the bishops erupted from various parts of the congregation.

According to Sir Haines, it was expected to take at least a year to be ordained as a holy knight.

That was a short estimate due to the exceptional nature of the two main characters; usually, it took 5 to 10 years for a single priest-level holy knight to emerge.

This included the training period during their youth.

[The Princess of the Penetian Theocracy, Elise, became a priest-level holy knight at just six years old due to her remarkable talent. Though it's presumptuous to say this in the presence of Prince Yeseo, did she really undergo more than a year of rigorous training for her ordination? I don't think so!]

When an archbishop suddenly stood up to speak, the bishops murmured again.

Over two thousand eyes turned to me at once.

To avoid looking awkward, I hugged the lesser pandas.

The prince and Cristel showed signs of discomfort.

So, they were saying that if the princess of the neighboring country could be ordained at six due to her talent, why couldn't our prince and lady be ordained?

Since there was a precedent, it was hard to call it unreasonable, and considering the empire's pride, their reaction was understandable.

As the first case, it was bound to be more sensitive.

"Why are you clinging to someone who's just standing there?"

Cristel grumbled. I smiled and told her it was fine.

[The petition from the 20 archdioceses, I've read it carefully. The arguments were valid.]

The cardinal replied.

It seemed she had anticipated the meeting would go this way, as her voice was calm as usual.

[Is there anyone who opposes?]

The hall fell silent. The bishops were looking up at her with enthusiasm.

It was hard to imagine the existence of an opponent. The cardinal spoke again.

[What about sending the two to the Vatican?]

The quiet room suddenly burst into noise.

Since the ordination of a holy knight was one of the pope's duties, those who were to be officially ordained had to go to the Vatican to receive their title.

However, after Pope Irene's passing, the position had been vacant, and subsequent holy knights had been ordained with the cardinal's approval.

Well, it was worth reading history books.

[That is also out of the question. Princess Elise was ordained comfortably in the theocracy's royal castle with the blessing of the cardinals. There is no need for the noble Prince and Lady Sarnez to undertake the arduous journey!]

[Well said!]

This time, a relatively young bishop spoke up.

A few bishops nodded and clapped.

At this point, it felt more like a regular assembly than an annual prayer meeting.

[I see. Any objections to this?]

A silence like water being poured returned.

It was quite amusing how the room would get noisy and then quiet again with every word the cardinal said.

As I smiled and looked around, I saw a puppet making small gestures from the front of the congregation.

"......Eva?"

I widened my eyes.

Wearing a large bishop's hat and buried in a heavy uniform, a girl was smiling at me.

Come to think of it, Eva had just been ordained as a bishop.

Most of the bishops looked to be in their forties or older, so it was touching and impressive to see a sixteen-year-old girl sitting among them.

I waved back at her and Cristel.

She said the letter I wrote to my parents had been properly sent. I hoped everything went well.

[Archbishop Castex!]

The chair called out loudly. It seemed they had moved on to the second question.

"Looks like the first one was well resolved."

I whispered to the prince. A deep voice replied.

"The Vatican is requesting the dispatch of cardinals."

Indeed, that's how it turned out. I nodded.

Today's holy knights are ordained if at least two out of three cardinals agree after a review.

Until now, the empire had only Cardinal Bute, but three would be coming, which was quite surprising.

It seemed there was nothing that could stand in the way of the protagonists' narrative.

[Regarding the point that neither Prince Yeseo nor Lady Sarnez have a fixed cleric partner, what is Your Eminence's stance?]

Finally, the most important question came up.

Around that time, a few attendants brought us drinks and snacks.

They seemed to be aware that the meeting was dragging on.

"What is it? I can't see well."

"The drinks are coffee for the two of you and rooibos for me. The snacks are......"

It was a bit hard to explain, so I lifted Cristel's veil with her permission and showed her the cuissin de Lyon and crustade.

Cristel, who seemed hungry, picked up the freshly baked goose meat crustade.

Then, I lifted the prince's veil and let him choose what to eat.

[Prince Yeseo is a Penetian. While he can assist, it would be difficult for him to serve as a permanent partner.]

"Shut up."

A bishop argued. Cristel took a big bite of bread and shot back.

I laughed bitterly and met the prince's gaze.

His orange eyes darkened like sunspots. This guy has a dangerous look.

"Candy, please, candy."

I said soothingly.

As if he had already planned to do so, the prince picked up two or three cuissin de Lyon and immediately put them in his mouth.

The sound of him crunching was quite fierce. I lowered the veil and added,

"Be careful, or you'll lose your teeth."

It would be a bit sad if the male lead of the story had to get implants.

[The relationship between a holy knight and a cleric is very special. Even without a formal covenant. The story of Prince Yeseo's special friendship with the two is well-known throughout the empire, but depending on Prince Yeseo could lead to national security issues......]

"Nicely packaged, but it's just what you want to do."

Cristel's retort made me chuckle.

I whispered to her as she drank her iced Americano.

"Still, what he says is true. Having a hostage as a partner would create political difficulties."

Of course, not all the bishops gathered here were motivated by patriotism.

Most likely, many of them hoped to gain from being involved with the prince or Cristel.

The Rieste Bishops' Conference, after all, was primarily a massive power bloc.

"Then, what about the prince?"

"Excuse me?"

"Putting aside external issues, just looking at the prince's feelings. Is it uncomfortable for you to be with us?"

Cristel looked at me directly and asked.

"......"

At that moment, the temple didn't feel dark at all.

The bustling hall suddenly seemed distant.

Her clear gray eyes were shining brightly.

Feeling my breath catch, I turned my head away.

A quietly burning gaze seemed to grab my collar.

"Hmm."

I cleared my throat.

The atmosphere demanded an answer, but I didn't want to lie to them.

I also lacked the skill to dodge the question.

Jeon Eunseo, who read the novel, would often say, "Human, express yourself! No one will understand if you keep your mouth shut!" while tapping the phone screen.

This criticism applied to both the original prince and Prince Yeseo.

The characters in Banzaimen's "Reason and Emotion and Holiness" also often ambiguously conveyed their true feelings, which only made the situation more complicated.

I didn't want to create such a scenario with my own words.

"I think you two are good people. I also think you would be good partners. But honestly, I'm afraid of the harm that might come to me. You might think I'm a coward, but that's just my nature. I've actually been the target of assassination attempts before."

"......"

"......"

This was the best answer the temporary side male lead could give.

The lack of response made me feel a bit embarrassed. This was a polite rejection, right?

I stroked the chest of the determined lesser panda on my palm.

[This is not something I can decide. The opinions of the parties involved are most important, right?]

The cardinal's gentle voice echoed on the podium. Then, Cristel abruptly stood up.

Her voice, surprisingly bright, addressed the prince.

"I'll be right back."

The prince nodded. Did he understand and immediately agree?

-Tap, tap

Her confident footsteps echoed.

Appro