Chapter 84 - Eighty-Four ... The Road to Rhomara

Chapter 84: Chapter Eighty-Four ... The Road to Rhomara

Chapter Eighty-Four ... The Road to Rhomara

Fortunately, contrary to his fears, nothing untoward happened. If anything, worrying had been foolish.

"Oh, welcome, my lord. Our city welcomes the Gold-rank lord of Lupton!" 𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ

"In the name of the faith... our diocese gives thanks for the visit of so faithful a lord."

"If there’s anything you need, only say the word. We’ll help you on your journey to the Papal See."

The moment they entered the lands ruled by the Papal See, the stewards and priests who managed them welcomed Jan’s party warmly.

And that wasn’t all.

City officials and the clergy of the dioceses sent the knights of their own churches to escort them.

It was truly lavish treatment.

Thanks to it, Jan and the envoy’s party pushed south toward the seat of the Papal See at great speed, seen off in grand style wherever they went.

"Hmm..."

Of course, Jan felt rather uneasy about this treatment.

"It’s rather a lot."

"Heh heh. What’s there to feel uneasy about, my lord? It’s only natural, my lord."

The envoy said it as though it went without saying.

"Word travels a thousand leagues without legs. Your beautiful faith has become known far and wide within the Papal See. You are truly a model for all. Heh heh."

"..."

Jan had no idea where the misunderstanding had started or where it had gone wrong.

Beautiful faith? Him?

A model for all? Him?

He wasn’t acting with any such intentions. He was acting thoroughly in his own interest. And yet this misunderstanding.

’The misunderstanding runs deep indeed.’

But this sort of thing only tangled further the more one tried to fix it.

It seemed it was time to accept this reputation.

"At this point, why not just give up and enjoy it? That might be the better way."

"I was just thinking the same thing."

"Wise. Rather than trying to change what’s already happened, it’s easier and more certain to think about how to make good use of it."

"Hm... Thank you for the advice, Master Agphiel."

"Advice? Just an old man’s nagging. Heh heh."

Agphiel was right.

A sage’s advice was sharp and sometimes pierced right to the heart of things.

A rumor that had already spread couldn’t be taken back. In that case, it made sense to use it and profit from it actively.

The problem was what to gain from it, and how.

He turned it over in his head as he rode, but nothing came to him right away. At most, his reputation would make it easier to put clergymen to work.

Of course, if he kept using it to exert influence, he might eventually become deeply involved in the inner workings of the Papal See itself, but that was still a long way off.

"We’ve arrived!"

As he was thinking, a shout came from the vanguard ahead.

Before they knew it, they had reached the Palmira Heights, the first gateway into Rhomara, the seat of the Papal See.

"Oh!"

"My beautiful home. Rhomara!"

"Truly, the city where the faith dwells..."

At the sight of the great city of Rhomara in the distance beyond the heights, everyone in the party let out cries of admiration.

Walls as high as mountain cliffs, and a vast city spreading out in rings along a great river. The majesty of the thousand-year capital of the old empire lay right before their eyes.

Even having seen it once in his past life, it still took Jan’s breath away.

The sheer scale of the view was beyond words.

"What do you think, my lord? This is Rhomara, the seat of the Papal See."

The envoy said it in a voice full of pride. It seemed a little out of place, but no one thought to object.

It was only fitting.

The closer they got to the city of Rhomara, the more they could only marvel at the great buildings of the old empire.

A deep, long moat, huge city gates, and countless spires. But even more astonishing was that this city held a million people.

’It’s even greater than I remembered.’

Of course, what impressed Jan was something a little different.

’How does a city this size even sustain itself?’

What about food? And how could plague ever be kept under control?

There must be some art of governance handed down since the days of the old empire. Otherwise, a single city could never hold a population the size of a small kingdom.

’I want it.’

He could see why the Papal See had become the center of culture and learning.

He practically salivated at the thought of how many scholars and remarkable people must be there.

Cardinal Stanislav usually kept his emotions well in check. But today, he couldn’t hide his bewilderment.

"Is this true?"

The reason was a single document in Cardinal Stanislav’s hand.

It was the envoy’s report on the lords of the south of the Kingdom of Hubner.

"Could the envoy have taken a bribe from Lupton?"

No matter how he thought about it, it was so absurd that Cardinal Stanislav had to ask. The official in charge broke into a sweat as he answered.

"Th-the envoy is a strict adherent of the Poverty faction, Your Eminence. If he’d been offered a bribe, he would have denounced it publicly. He would never write something like this at another’s bidding."

"I know that much myself..."

It was Cardinal Stanislav himself who had chosen the envoy.

So he understood very well what the official was saying.

The report was not a lie.

In that case, the lord of Lupton wasn’t an ambitious young noble trying to use the Papal See, but a truly devout noble loyal to the Papal See...

"It’s too convenient."

Far too convenient.

At this very moment, when the Papal See was trying to project its power beyond its borders.

What’s more, the report’s contents were too outlandish to simply believe.

"Heh. Miracles. And one after another, at that?"

Going by the contents alone, it was as if a real saint had appeared.

If the whole report were true, the Papal See would have to kneel to receive the lord of Lupton.

"What a headache."

Cardinal Stanislav felt his head begin to throb.

"What shall we do, Your Eminence?"

"Hm..."

But that didn’t mean he could simply waste such an attractive card.

Besides, rumors and deeds like these didn’t come from nothing. Something at least resembling a miracle had to actually happen for such rumors to spread.

If even a quarter of the report were true, the lord of Lupton would be a very attractive partner for the Papal See.

"When will they arrive?"

"According to the reports, they’ve just reached the outskirts of Rhomara. By now they’ve probably entered the city, Your Eminence."

"Good. Then let’s do this."

Having settled his thoughts, Cardinal Stanislav set down the report he had been reading and went on.

"Receive them as warmly as possible. Welcome them as you would a foreign king. Give them a separate palace of their own and treat them lavishly."

"Would that really be wise? Aren’t we treating him too highly...?"

"We have to take him under our wing before anyone else gets to him, don’t we? And if even half of that report is true, he deserves such treatment."

"Understood."

So, through misunderstanding piled upon misunderstanding, the lord of Lupton came to be treated as a guest of the highest rank.