Barbarian in a Failed Game

Elena, following Georg Melchus out of the cathedral, squinted her eyes and scanned the crusaders awaiting outside.

‘Twelve….’

The crusaders of the Pantheon Church were not only priests trained in basic divine arts but also elite warriors hardened by grueling, hellish training.

Unlike the private soldiers of nobles who demanded exorbitant pay, these crusaders were cost-efficient in their maintenance.

Fundamentally ascetic due to their devotion to the church’s faith, they embraced a mindset that regarded offering their martial prowess in return for divine grace.

Furthermore, the crusaders summoned to guard the cardinal of the main sanctuary were inevitably of the highest caliber. To Elena’s eyes, those twelve crusaders were likely Georg’s trusted aides and some of the strongest within the crusader ranks.

‘As expected….’

It made sense that Georg wouldn’t be foolish enough to bring crusaders to a secret meeting without ensuring their absolute loyalty. Elena felt a twisting sense of disgust. That the church’s corruption had spread so widely….

“If anything happens, they will serve as a reliable shield. No need to worry. This way, please.”

Though they were said to be her guards, she knew they were actually there to prevent any unexpected moves on her part. However, instead of showing her displeasure outright, Elena maintained her usual stoic expression.

The night streets of Koeltz, blanketed by darkness, were eerily quiet compared to the day, almost as though people had vanished as night fell.

“Quiet, isn’t it?”

“Koeltz is known to be one of the cities with the lowest crime rates in the empire, isn’t it? While only the Imperial Family might have the precise figures, this quiet night seems to be evidence enough, wouldn’t you say?”

Georg deftly sidestepped Elena’s veiled question implying his involvement.

“I have heard much about the piety of the Genswein family, even living in a distant kingdom. They have long been staunch friends and benefactors of the Pantheon Church. Indeed, this city lives up to its reputation.”

“The lord of Koeltz would be most delighted to hear that. For someone who will become the Scales of Justice to confirm such piety is truly an honor.”

Sparks seemed to fly between the two as they conversed. Despite the gentle tone of their words, their exchange was sharp and pointed. And once again, the verdict favored Elena’s side.

Through the recent conversation, Elena was half-convinced that the lord of Koeltz was either in cahoots with or a pawn of Georg. Additionally, she guessed they weren’t heading to the lord’s mansion.

“This is….”

Following Georg’s lead somewhere, Elena murmured softly. Was this a district for nobles?

“The villas built by nobles or influential merchants from other cities are mainly located here, aren’t they? As someone who has dedicated their life to the clergy, I don’t know too much about it. But they say that during the harvest season, the city becomes paralyzed by the throngs coming to view the river scenery,” Georg explained with a gentle expression, like a grandfather explaining something to his granddaughter. He then whispered quickly to the crusaders before turning back around.

“Let’s proceed. It seems there is no separate reception.”

The luxurious houses built along the riverside were all three or four stories high, with continuously added terraces protruding in a very cluttered manner. This was a side effect of the owners adding various features to flaunt their status.

However, such structures seemed useful for holding secret meetings. The interiors were obscured from the street view and the elongated terraces created shadows so thick that, on nights like this, it was nearly impossible to see anything clearly.

‘Not a single sign of life,’ Elena thought.

It was the off-season for nobles visiting for sightseeing, contributing to the desolate atmosphere. Elena, Georg, and the crusaders entered an area lined with villas and stopped in front of one sporting the sign ‘Theoron Trading Company’.

“Theoron is famous for dealing in spices. They’ve entered into a partnership with the Platinum Merchants of the Renford Kingdom, making them quite promising. There are even rumors that the lord’s mansion in Koeltz cannot host a banquet without Theoron’s spices.”

“The Platinum Merchants, you say.”

“Yes. Given that you are a priestess from the frontier, you must have heard of them.”

Elena nodded slightly without any particular response. The crusaders opened the villa’s door, and Georg and Elena entered the garden.

“It seems they’ve also allied with Theoron.”

Georg noted, making an obvious deduction aloud not to belittle Elena but perhaps to emphasize the considerable influence of their soon-to-be ‘collaborators’.

Creak.

The door of the villa opened easily, as though it had been waiting for guests late into the night.

The interior was extremely dark. The only source of light was the faint moonlight streaming in from the windows, utterly insufficient to illuminate the expansive hall.

The tension among the two crusaders who accompanied them for security was palpable. However, Georg and Elena stepped inside unguardedly, seeming unperturbed by the possibility of an ambush.

As they moved closer to where the moonlight shone, a scent, like one from deep within a forest, filled the air so intensely that it almost numbed their senses.

“This smell…?”

“Come to think of it, I haven’t informed you of our collaborator’s identity yet. Well, at this point, hiding it seems rather pointless….”

Elena, hidden in the darkness of the mansion and unable to see Georg’s shoulders clearly, felt as though he was somehow smiling. After all, why wouldn’t he be pleased when his prey had fallen into the trap he had set?

“There is only one race in the Midlands that exudes such a deep forest scent that it tingles one’s nose….”

“You’re saying you’ve allied with the elves?”

“Yes, correct! To be precise, we have an agreement with ‘Paradise’, the faction that founded the Paradise Bank….”

Georg laughed heartily, finding joy in finally revealing the long-held secret.

“In exchange for using the church’s influence to change perceptions about Paradise Bank and the elves, they promised unrestricted support to the archdiocese’s lands. The prosperity of Koeltz has been furthered by the bank’s support, and soon other diocesan territories will enjoy similar benefits.”

“Isn’t that contrary to the teachings? Cardinal Georg.”

“Haha! What a disappointing statement for a candidate who is destined to become the Goddess’s Scales of Justice.”

Georg retorted, as if genuinely surprised, even sounding aggrieved.

“With the help of Paradise, the lands of faith will become more fertile, and those ignorant of faith will reflect upon themselves seeing the prosperity of the diocesan territories and will enter the path of faith. This is the fundamental purpose of the Pantheon Church! And we are shepherds who feed and protect our flock. Isn’t this my duty?”

“Can you genuinely prove that all the money Paradise Bank is pouring in is purely for the sake of the flock?”

“Priestess Elena…. How pitiable you are! You still misunderstand….! The gods do not doubt our faith. They merely oversee our duties! Abstinence, temperance—those are merely perspectives of mortal men!”

With a voice impossibly robust for a ninety-two-year-old, Georg refuted the core tenets of the Pantheon Church’s doctrine, spreading his arms wide.

“I have fulfilled my duty. Though unintended benefits arose, is that truly a failing? Absolutely not! With this old body unable to carry out duties, I borrowed strength from external means to regain my lost youth, and thanks to that, I am more faithful than anyone in performing a shepherd’s duties. If this is truly a failing, why do my prayers still receive answers from my God─!”

Huff.

For the first time, Georg Melchus revealed his true sentiment, appearing possessed with a hint of madness. Breathing heavily, his eyes shone with an eerie gleam in the darkness.

“Well, I’ve shown a shameful side of myself to someone I shouldn’t have.”

“Indeed. You revealed yourself too candidly, didn’t you, Cardinal Georg?”

“…Priestess Elena?”

Georg’s eyes twitched in puzzled surprise.

It was mystifying to him that Elena, despite hearing the shocking statements from the oldest clergyman and the highest-ranking member of the church, showed no signs of being taken aback.

Instead, she even let out a chuckle, further disconcerting Georg. What’s with that reaction…?

“Well, the unique scent of elves is something no one can imitate, right? That’s why you so easily took the bait, Cardinal Georg.”

“What do you mean by that—?”

“Lady Neria. I think it’s safe to stop acting now. Who would’ve thought he’d spill everything without any prompting—.”

“Priestess Elena! What are you talking about!”

“What do you think?”

A familiar, aged voice rang out from behind an infuriated Georg. A voice so familiar to him but unheard of in this empire.

“It means I’ve heard and seen your vile corruption with my own two ears and eyes, Georg Melchus.”

As Georg’s face twisted in panic, multiple figures emerged from the darkness. Among them were a beautiful woman and an old woman, both of whom had concealed their pointed ears under dark monastic robes, and….

“You wretched, corrupted soul…!”

Leonir, who was thought to be subdued by them, appeared perfectly fine.

“How could you… The person who dedicated the longest time to faith has fallen to this state, Georg.”

Finally, an elderly man donned in the cardinal’s attire, with a narrow-sleeved white robe and a short crimson cloak, stepped forward.

Seeing the elf’s face, which was hidden by the hood, Georg shouted in betrayal.

“You, you! Aren’t you the elf who informed me of this meeting’s schedule…!”

“Uh… I apologize.”

“A- Apologize?”

That haughty race apologizing? Georg couldn’t believe his ears at the unexpected response. When the elf threw off the hood covering her ears, Georg was even more shocked.

‘Scarlet?!’

Indeed.

The scarlet hair hidden beneath the hood was a color never seen among the elves Georg had met.

“I am a half-elf. Though I was only fulfilling a request, I ended up lying….”

“What are you apologizing for? Neria, you should hold your head high and be proud.”

“But, I impersonated someone affiliated with the church….”

“It was unavoidable. Even the Golden Tower’s dye couldn’t change your hair color. In that sense, the monastic robes were the most fitting attire, don’t you think?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

As Georg listened to the exchange with a blank expression, anger slowly crept across his face. He had been deceived!

Yet, Georg found himself unable to take any action to escape the situation. His body froze under the eerie gaze of the old woman standing before him.

“Well, don’t think of it as unjust. Cardinal Georg… no, former Cardinal.”

“Berta…!”

The old woman—known as the Crusher of Carpenta in the empire and a former vice-commander of the Paladins—stood before him. After her retirement, she was rumored to have been running a small convent in a frontier kingdom.

And here she was now. Clad in resplendent holy armor, as if she had regained the strength of her prime.

“Today, Koeltz will become the graveyard of the corrupted. Including you, along with all the elves of Paradise Bank.”