Chapter 98

Late at night, the craftsmen were working, tears streaming down their faces.

Amidst a tight schedule, they had poured all their skills into completing the lord's mansion.

The task of making a hole in the wall of one of the rooms in this mansion, which could even be called a work of art, was tormenting the craftsmen—though that wasn't quite the case.

"Stop crying, all of you! Look to the viscount for strength. He is the one suffering the most!"

"I understand your pain! I, I am...!"

"Fools! Don't cry!"

The craftsmen exchanged incomprehensible words, making futile efforts to hold back their tears.

Sania watched the craftsmen with a suspicious look.

"...It's disgusting."

Sania muttered her honest impression of the craftsmen.

The craftsmen's work was reaching its climax, and they had started to fit a large mirror into the hole in the wall.

This mirror, which Sora had prepared in advance, seemed to be the cause of the craftsmen's tears.

When she had approached and examined it closely earlier, Sania had been plagued by a strange sensation.

"Still, it's a peculiar mirror, isn't it?"

Though she couldn't put it into words, Gorge seemed to share the same sense of unease.

Lazette and Luly, who were standing next to her, tilted their heads.

"I don't feel anything special?"

"Neither do I."

The laid-back and lazy Lazette and the one who never cared about her appearance, Luly, apparently couldn't sense it.

Sania twisted her head in even greater confusion.

When she asked Sora for an explanation, he had dodged the question. The craftsmen seemed to know, but they clammed up, citing male dignity.

Sania frowned at the strange solidarity shared by Sora and the craftsmen.

"By the way, where did Sora go?"

After giving instructions to the craftsmen, Sora had left with Chaff.

Even in the freezing cold of a winter night, it wasn't enough to stop Sora.

It must have been a matter of great importance.

"He went to the church. He's going incognito and will be back before sunrise."

"Another scheme. Geist must be having a hard time."

Though her words were tinged with concern, Sania and Luly exchanged glances and laughed.

"Serves him right."

"Geist brought it upon himself by making Sora his enemy."

The girls laughed maliciously, and Lazette smiled wryly.

Gorge looked puzzled.

"Who is this Geist?"

Sania and Luly seemed to have no idea what kind of person he was.

Lazette placed her hand on her chin, recalling.

"Six years ago, he was the bishop who conspired with the Wooddora Trading Company to cause a firewood shortage. Five years ago, he took over the village that Sania and the others had rebuilt and seized the rights to sell Ogarite. Now that he's fallen into Sora's trap, he's like a dog."

"To be disliked even by Lazette, he must be quite something..."

Gorge's cheeks twitched at Lazette's harsh metaphor.

Sora, Chaff, and their guard Felix were walking towards the church, having descended into the town.

They were wearing deep hoods and mufflers to cover their faces.

A sharp, knife-like cold wind was blowing.

"...Is the Viscount Kleinserdt feeling well?"

"What, are you worried?"

"–N-no! I just don't want to deal with you collapsing halfway!"

Chaff, who seemed flustered, replied, and Sora shrugged.

–He's a good guy at heart, but he's stubborn.

While thinking about something that would make Chaff angry if he heard it, Sora turned his gaze to Felix.

He hadn't brought Gorge as a guard to avoid drawing attention.

The Flame Corps were too conspicuous for good or ill. In contrast, Chaff's guards were just intimidating.

Felix was paying attention to every corner of the road, ignoring Sora's gaze.

Sora looked ahead without speaking.

A wall that seemed whiter than snow was floating in the darkness.

Two or three priests were polishing the wall with cloths dipped in cold water.

They must have encountered the midnight cleaning.

The priests frowned when they saw Sora and the others, whose faces were hidden by hoods and mufflers.

"Is Sharina here?"

Felix, receiving a nod from Sora, sighed slightly and asked the priest.

"Do you have business with Miss Sharina? Who are you?"

"Probably, you'll understand if I say 'the village.'"

"...Wait here."

The priest, who seemed unsatisfied, entered the church after hearing the words Sora had given him in advance.

After a while, Sharina and Geist came out, their faces changed.

Without confirming Sora and the others' faces, they led them to a room in the church.

"...It had a greater effect than expected."

Sora muttered as he entered the room and removed his hood and muffler.

Sharina and Geist's eyes widened.

"Lord Sora...?"

They must have thought that someone from the former village had come.

As soon as they recognized him, Geist immediately stood up and bowed formally.

"I apologize. I didn't expect it to be Lord Sora."

"Don't worry. I didn't contact you in advance. I'm sorry for the deception."

Sora apologized with words and crossed his legs.

Their attitudes clearly showed the power dynamics.

"I have an urgent matter. I want to send a few town officials from the viscount's domain here tomorrow."

"To our church?"

The officials had a terrible reputation.

Moreover, Sora, who now oversaw the officials, was seen as an enemy by the church.

For him to come to enemy territory, it was hard to believe he had no ulterior motives.

"Yes. I want to hint at my connection with Geist. Also, I want to show the influence of this church. Gather some believers, but not too many."

Sora gave orders, mixing in lies casually.

To the troubled Geist, Sora offered a smile that wasn't a smile and asked,

"Do you have any complaints?"

"...No."

Even if he said yes, Sora would carry out his plan without hesitation.

Moreover, he would trap Geist in front of the believers.

Even a three-year-old Sora had outsmarted him. Now, he realized that resisting was futile.

Geist sighed in resignation.

"However, I hope you will refrain from doing anything that would harm our church."

"Don't worry. The church's believers are also important subjects of the domain."

Sora calmly changed his words.

Geist felt a twisting sensation in his stomach, sensing that Sora had become even more cunning than before.

"Well, you can really relax. Regardless of the church's ideology, I value its function as a mutual aid organization. I won't destroy it recklessly."

Seeing how visibly unwell Geist looked, Sora tried to ease his mental burden.