Barbarian in a Failed Game

Cardinal Georg straightened his back, still wearing a friendly smile.

“Soon, there will be a vote on the appointment to the position of Cardinal.”

“Yes.”

“Typically, the appointment of a cardinal is done by His Holiness, the Pope. However, in the absence of His Holiness, it will be decided through a vote by the six master-level cardinals and twenty-eight priest-level cardinals. During this process, priests like Elena who manage dioceses outside the Empire will be the candidates.”

“Hahaha. We all know that Priest Elena is more than qualified to become a cardinal!”

Cardinal Berto added further explanation with his hearty laughter, stepping in for Cardinal Georg.

“However, the priest-level cardinals may have a different perspective from ours. Being stationed outside the Imperial Capital, they may not be fully aware of the situation at hand, including the intricacies of Dame Aries’s dismissal, which will certainly require extensive discussion.”

“If Priest Elena, who is destined to become the Scale of the Goddess, intervenes, public opinion could easily be swayed. And you, too, could ascend to the position of cardinal. Though you will start as a sub-deacon, such matters will be resolved in time as you are destined to become an apostle.”

Nodding calmly in response to the two cardinals’ words, the twin-tailed girl, elena, replied.

“As much as needed.”

“Haha! The heavens are truly favoring us. The Goddess of Justice has blessed the church with a talent like Priest Elena!”

Despite Cardinal Berto’s excessive praise, elena’s expression remained emotionless. Her youthful appearance made her look like a doll. As if trying to peer into her mind, the eldest cardinal, Georg Melchus, slightly opened his eyes.

‘Indeed, she’s no ordinary person.’

No priest could ascend to the position of bishop-level cardinal based solely on faith. While generally, priests were naive, the position required political astuteness and the ability to navigate various vested interests.

To transcend such interests, one must possess something extraordinary, as the girl before them likely did.

‘The Scale of Justice. There must have been a good reason to hastily appoint her alongside the Sword of Justice to the long-vacant position.’

She looked barely over twenty. Raised in a small convent on the outskirts, she must have had little to learn other than fighting, even under the former vice-captain of the Order of Paladins, berta.

Thus, her equanimity and composure beyond her years must be innate. At that moment, Georg felt a slight shiver down his spine from a girl who had lived less than a quarter of his years.

‘Dangerous.’

But she’s young. Despite the benevolent smile he maintained outwardly, Georg pondered this inwardly. No matter how sharp her intrinsic insight might be, it could never match the accumulated shrewdness derived from long years.

He couldn’t fathom why this girl betrayed Aries, who was to become an apostle of the same Goddess of Justice, and assisted in her dismissal. It could be a rivalry for divine favor, a spur-of-the-moment decision driven by personal feelings, or perhaps hidden motives.

Nevertheless, she was already like prey that had voluntarily walked into a trap.

“The discussion on appointments will take place not at the main headquarters but at Koeltz Archdiocese, where attendees from dioceses outside the Empire will meet. Cardinal Berto, being the archbishop there, oversees a lively and bustling city, a central hub for logistics. Have you visited it?”

“This will be my first time.”

“That’s excellent. Before the discussions begin, this old man will personally introduce you to the wonders of Koeltz. You see, I’ve traveled everywhere within the Empire.”

“I look forward to it, cardinal Georg.”

“Haha… then, let’s adjourn for now.”

While the cardinals from the main headquarters seemed to continue their conversations even after the adjournment, elena turned and left without a word. Georg’s persistent gaze followed her, but she acted as if she didn’t notice it at all.

“Cardinal Georg, what about our commitments with them…?”

“Oh, that matter is already settled.”

Georg, who had been overly cautious of Elena, had no choice but to respond to the other cardinal’s approach. Returning to his usual smiling demeanor, Georg answered the cardinal’s question while muttering inwardly.

‘Hmm… We shall see.’

***

‘This is quite…’

The moment Elena thought she was entirely out of the cardinals’ sight, her face twisted in contempt. The lingering, toxic gaze from Georg Melchus made her feel as if insects were crawling all over her body every time she recalled it.

Indeed, it seems fitting to say that an old coot who had lived nearly a hundred years could still be so perceptive. He continued to regard her, who had raised a hand towards Aries’s dismissal, with suspicion, which didn’t seem likely to dissipate anytime soon.

‘At least until he believes he has complete control over my leash. Isn’t that right?’

Elena quickly restored her expression to its usual impassiveness, as if she had never grimaced. Though most of the clergy at the main headquarters would be retiring for the night, there was still a chance she might encounter someone.

As her gaze turned towards the headquarters of the Paladins, a thought struck her suddenly.

Elena stared at the headquarters of the Paladins for what seemed a long time, her expressionless eyes betraying no emotion. Suddenly, she muttered to herself.

“What could this mean…?”

“I have something to ask you, miss Elena.”

Surprisingly, someone responded to her muttering. A man with his hand on his sword hilt was standing right behind Elena, having somehow appeared without her noticing.

It wasn’t a mystery to Elena that someone had managed to bypass the tight security of the main headquarters to reach this place. The so-called intruder was, after all, an insider.

“Isn’t it frightening for someone to witness this? Sir Leonir.”

“…….”

“How long has it been since you were officially knighted for your meritorious service in safely escorting a portion of the demon’s true body? And here you are, brandishing a sword behind a priest within the main headquarters. Moreover…”

“Elena.”

The intruder—Leonir von Istantil—cut off Elena’s words.

“I have something to ask you.”

The somber tone in his voice was disturbingly different from the usual demeanor of Leonir, making it almost eerie.

Elena quietly nodded.

“Is it true that you supported the dismissal of Dame Aries?”

“Hmm. It seems there is someone among the cardinals who has close ties with the Paladins. Given that you know about it…”

“Please, answer me.”

Elena sighed deeply and clicked her tongue.

“Yes. It’s true that Aries’s dismissal gained real effectiveness because I supported it. After all, I am also someone appointed as an apostle of the Goddess of Justice. I have that level of influence.”

“Why? Why would you … dismiss Dame Aries…?”

“Now, let me ask you something. Sir Leonir, is your current action something Aries is unaware of?”

There was no answer. Leonir’s silence was a tacit confirmation of Elena’s remark.

“Aha… I see. That explains a lot.”

“What do you mean?”

“That’s our affair. But more importantly—”

Scrape.

Elena felt a sudden urge to turn around and strike Leonir with a blunt weapon. How mentally unhinged must he be to draw a sword in the main headquarters? She wished this situation was merely a dream.

But the cold sensation of metal against her neck was unmistakably real.

“Elena. I am not foolish enough to risk my life on empty threats. You must have learned from Dame Berta about how the Paladins operate.”

“That’s what perplexes me more. Paladins are supposed to eradicate heretics according to the divine will and deliver stern punishment to those who violate divine ordinances. Just how does Sir Leonir’s current action align with that?”

“Divine will, huh….”

Leonir, standing behind her, let out a bitter laugh, his eyes glinting sharply as he muttered.

“Are we truly following the divine will? Or the interests of the cardinals?”

“Sir Leonir.”

“To me, the current upper echelons of the church are heretics and degenerates. I am always prepared to become the divine punisher and bring them to justice. If you wish to test whether my resolve is false, continue to remain silent.”

He’s completely lost it. Elena diagnosed Leonir’s state inwardly, frowning. No one, not even Aries, who had been with him since he was a squire, had foreseen that Leonir harbored such a dangerous mindset within his fiery exterior.

It took an outsider, a mere barbarian who had only briefly interacted with him, to notice the bomb ticking within Leonir.

‘So that’s why he told me to remain silent about the plan.’

Elena pondered whether it was more astonishing that Leonir managed to conceal his true nature so well, or that Khan was the only one who perceived it. She swallowed a sigh that threatened to escape her throat.

‘If he goes berserk like this, excluding him might be more certain….’

She remembered Khan’s instructions: if Leonir loses control, let him rampage. No, more than that, create a stage where he could rampage to his heart’s content.

Leonir was just a talented Paladin; what could possibly change if he ran amok? Elena harbored such doubts but was pushed forward by Khan’s meticulous schemes and the silence of the Goddess of Justice.

“Follow me.”

“……?”

“Soon, the discussions for the cardinal appointments will be held at the Koeltz Archdiocese. If we go there, we can uncover what plots the cardinals at the main headquarters are hiding.”

“Does this mean…?!”

“Well, it might be awkward to say now, but… I’ve never truly betrayed Aries. You might not know, but I care for her quite a bit, you see?”

The sword tip that had been pressed against her neck was withdrawn, and she could sense Leonir’s palpable confusion behind her. It dawned on him that the entire church had been played by the act orchestrated by Aries and Elena.

With the revelation, leonir seemed to regain some of his composure and asked Elena in a tone closer to his usual self.

“But will the cardinals permit my departure? The Paladins are currently forbidden from unauthorized movements…”

“That’s true if you’re still a Paladin. As of this moment, I hereby temporarily strip you of your Paladin status, sir Leonir. The charge will be something like threatening a prospective apostle. The punishment will be a temporary banishment and probation outside the main headquarters.”

Elena turned and smiled at Leonir’s astonished face.

“From there, join up with Ron, who’s affiliated with the Magic Tower, and all of you come to Koeltz together.”

For some reason, her smile resembled the one Khan wore when he was about to play a trick on someone.

“Since we’ve decided to set the stage, it’s wise to use every resource at our disposal, don’t you think?”

TL’s Corner:
So, it’s his plan.Got it.