Chapter 64: Think it’s too much?

Duncan sat in his office, rubbing his temples.

His eyelids had been twitching for days, a nagging sense of impending doom.

His mental state had deteriorated, snapping at Freeman twice and countless others.

Exhausted, he secluded himself in his office to work.

A knock came, and a guard entered. “Your Majesty, bad news.”

“What?”

“Our scouts outside Notting City report the bandits have come down, likely targeting the city.”

Duncan rolled his eyes. “Just another raid for harvest spoils. Once our five thousand elites arrive, they’ll be powerless.”

“But… Majesty, the Hero went there too and hasn’t returned.”

Duncan’s gaze sharpened. “You think the Hero might be aiding them?”

“It’s possible.”

“Don’t worry about that. Fratina cares too much about her reputation. Helping bandits would ruin her as a Hero.”

“Understood… Should we take precautions?”

“Aren’t five thousand troops enough?”

Duncan’s voice rose, chilling the guard.

“I-I’ll take my leave.”

The guard left, closing the door.

Duncan suddenly remembered something, but the guard was gone. It wasn’t urgent, so he let it go.

*

Holy City, Papal State

Dorothy gently placed Fratina’s letter on her desk, opening it with care, as if it were a priceless relic.

Reading that Fratina and Lucia were helping Christine restore her throne, Dorothy’s heart tightened. “This feels bigger than last time…”

She continued. Fratina mentioned Lucia asking her to seek Church aid.

Dorothy gave a wry smile. “Fratina, I don’t have that kind of power.”

Last time, her thousand-man mission to Londe had the Pope’s backing. Alone, she’d have been powerless.

Sighing, she tucked the letter into her bookshelf and headed to the Holy See.

Approaching the cathedral, Dorothy rehearsed her words, strategizing how to maximize the Pope’s approval.

Inside, seeing Pope Gregory, she stopped her mental rehearsal and stepped forward. “Your Holiness, I’d like to discuss something.”

“Oh?”

Gregory looked curious. “Speak freely.”

“It’s about the coup in Londe years ago. Do you recall it?”

“Of course. It was shocking. I never expected Duncan’s boldness. I only recognized him to stabilize Londe. Why?”

“There’s new progress. The royal family wasn’t entirely wiped out. Princess Christine survived, has been gathering strength, and now, with Hero Fratina and dragon Lucius, she’s launched her restoration. They seek our help to legitimize her claim. What do you think?”

Gregory was stunned, taking a moment to process. “In principle, the Church can’t meddle in secular disputes. We have a pact with Londe. Supporting Christine could damage our standing with other nations.”

Dorothy had expected this, disappointed but resigned to being their only Church support.

Then Gregory’s tone shifted. “However… recognizing Duncan was a mistake years ago. The Church has a chance to atone.”

Dorothy’s eyes lit up. Was he agreeing to help?

“While we can’t provide direct military aid, the Church Guard is phasing out equipment. Instead of discarding it, we can send it to Christine.”

“Also, Dorothy, there are idle hands in the Holy City. You can gather them into a volunteer force to aid her.”

“…”

Dorothy was speechless, stunned by the extent of the aid.

She’d hoped for support but hadn’t expected this much, even tapping the Church’s darker side.

Indeed, the Church wasn’t all light. In its early struggles, it maintained shadowy groups for dirty work.

These fanatics believed the Church was holy but vulnerable to corruption, tasked with eliminating threats.

Though dormant for decades due to reforms, the organization persisted, often absorbing retired Church Guards.

Seeing Dorothy’s shock, Gregory smiled. “What, Saintess? Too much aid?”

“No… but our pact with Londe?”

“What of it? Duncan’s no man of his word. Better to remove him than guard against him endlessly.”

Gregory’s face darkened, a rare sight. “Dorothy, Duncan’s no devout believer. You understand?”

“I do.”