"What's a ninja, Maxy?" Miraj asked with much excitent, since Sylvester was excited.
Sylvester smiled, sowhat looking forward to eting the strange man again. "They are remarkable individuals with incredible stealth techniques. If that man was able to elude my senses and infiltrate the castle where multiple Grand Wizards reside, he must be of equal rank."
Sylvester then continued to descend the staircase, maintaining his composure despite the recent events. However, it was also a wake-up call for him as he began to understand how the Warsong Kingdom had been able to hold off the Masan Empire in a stalemate for so long — how a small kingdom was able to withstand the might of an empire.
If their combat and infiltration abilities were so highly developed, then there was no chance for an easy victory for Masan, he reckoned.
"Now I comprehend how those Masan forward commanders keep getting assassinated. There is simply no way to avoid that level of skill. If not for my sense of sll, I would have missed him as well."
Sylvester began to grasp many things about the West, but he also realized how much he still didn't know.
"I suppose I now know what my priority will be in the Holy Land. I must read about the history, geography, and politics of every kingdom in the world."
With a new focus, he arrived at the banquet hall. It was imnse, with a white marble floor and golden chandeliers hanging from the ornate ceiling full of tapestries. However, the hall was empty, with only the King, Queen, the Prince, their family, and Sylvester's team seated at the long table.
"Perfect timing, Young Bard." King Highland voiced after noticing him. "Did they reach any resolution?"
"King Conrad has requested so ti. If everything goes well, I believe the conflict will be resolved soon. But let us not discuss such matters while eating. Instead, I hoped to inquire about the agricultural suggestion I made. Was your dam successful?" Sylvester changed the subject.
King Highland nodded. "The land is currently being dried. The chief alchemist spoke highly of the nutrients he detected in the soil after conducting so experints. Additionally, ever since I returned from the Holy Land after eting you, I ordered animal manure to be collected and stored according to your recomnded thods. Hopefully, this sowing season, we will have enough fertilizer for our main farmland."
'I anticipated as much. The Snake River lacks floods, resulting in the washing away of many minerals. However, only ti will reveal if their crops will flourish.'
"It's delightful to hear, your majesty. With the end of the crisis in the Sorrow Kingdom, I believe the Highland Kingdom will soon have a food surplus. Please sell it to the Sorrow Kingdom at a fair price. Lord Einarr is doing his best, but rebuilding an entire Kingdom from nothing will require the assistance of neighbors and the Holy Land simultaneously," Sylvester requested earnestly since prosperity was one of the factors that could reduce the influence of Anti-Light in the area.
"Additionally, I must caution you beforehand. Keep a watchful eye on all your villages bordering the Sorrow Kingdom. Anti-Light is very active in that region and continues to turn minds against the warmth of Solis," Sylvester added.
"Outrageous!" Highland stood up, angered. "After your life-threatening battle for freedom, they still choose those preachers of darkness? Have they gone blind?"
"Not blind, but hungry," Sylvester corrected. "A hungry stomach does not care whether the food cos from the palm of a Solis preacher or otherwise."
"Indeed," Queen Trinity finished feeding Prince Rex Magnus. The child was almost a year old and had begun to consu regular milk and other stomach-soothing food solutions. "When there is a lack of leadership and chaos reigns, the values of society hold little significance. To satisfy one's hunger, one may go to any extent."
Sir Dolorem interjected, "That was the situation before the Fifth Pope, Pollux Ragthon, The Warrior, spread the faith across Sol and consolidated the church."
"But then Atrox, the Mad, brought madness, making the Church more militant, and from his reign began the Witch Burnings, which still plague us," the Queen added. "There have been good Popes and bad Popes. Fortunately, we are living in a good period currently. Pope Axel stopped the war, and now His Grace, Sylvester, has brought order to the entire East Sol. Before, Gracia and Riveria were constantly on the brink of war, and now they have flourishing trade relations. With the Sorrow Kingdom restored, the four Kingdoms of the East have the prospect of becoming stronger than ever before."
King Highland grinned gleefully and raised his glass to Sylvester. "Let's toast to 'Saint' Sylvester Maximilian!"
Sylvester chortled and gestured his hand. "Attaining sainthood is a more formidable feat than earning the rank of Cardinal, Your Majesty. The elderly gentlen in the Council of Thirty-Two would rather perish than see a nineteen-year-old bestowed with the title of Saint."
The King sneered. "Nonsense! In just four years, you have accomplished more for the betternt of our realm than the Church has in four centuries, I regret to say."
Sylvester uncomfortably sat in his seat as he never liked to talk about his future with anyone, simply because he knew that his future was as unexpected as Miraj's hunger. Especially his life, which had more secrets, sches, and mysteries hidden than clergyn in the realm.
"I will leave the decision up to them, Your Majesty. If they find deserving, then it would be a great honor. If they deem too young, then I must accept the reality. Being an Archbishop is already pushing the limits, and I would prefer not to seek more. By the way, this mutton is exceedingly tender and savory. I truly adore Southern cuisine for its generous use of spices. In the North, the dishes are generally bland."
The King and Queen sensed his reluctance to discuss the topic further, and they refrained from pushing the matter. Instead, they imrsed themselves in food and talked of all the mundane things around the world, from the rising modern industries to the hopeful future.
From ti to ti, Sylvester offered a few ideas about governance and how vital it was to curb corruption. He did not propose anything revolutionary, for he was always wary of introducing too much industrial change. He understood it was not the ti, for he wasn't in an absolute ruling position from where he could dictate how his technology could be used.
Amidst the laughter, japing, and so serious conversations, the night fell, and bedti arrived. Sylvester retreated to his private chambers, which were more of a hall than a simple bedroom. It was decorated with aromatic flowers, light crystals, and much more. It overlooked the city from its tenth-floor balcony, and since the city was situated on a hill, the air also brushed into the room naturally.
Sylvester sat down cross-legend on the balcony to ditate. He did it not to calm himself but to rember all the sches, future plans, and dangers he needed to be careful about. He didn't have a perfect mory, after all, so he had to rember everything every single day to not forget sothing crucial.
'I do hope to beco a Saint, but it won't be feasible until more council mbers are replaced. However, I fear that with another promotion, the others will perceive as a threat to the papacy.'
"Haaa… mumumumu… Ha… mumumum…"
Sylvester snorted while holding his laughter suddenly. He looked back and found Miraj sleeping on the floor, on his back, while weirdly snoring.
"M-maxy…banana…hehe…"
'What is he dreaming about?' Sylvester wondered and picked his furry best friend to tuck him into the bed.
"Hmm…" He touched Miraj's back and noticed the bone spurs had increased in size. "They are definitely wings. What the hell are you, Chonky? I'm yet to co across anyone as amazing as you."
"hehe…"
Sylvester noticed a grin on Miraj's face. 'Did he hear ?'
"Well, I should sleep too. If Conrad does not accept the proposal, it'll be utterly ssy tomorrow."
Finally, he dimd the light crystals in the room from the designated runes and went to sleep—a luxury he could rarely afford.
…
The morning ca, and Sylvester cleaned his robes with so water, fire, and air — a great blessing he considered to have all elental affinity.
Then, he donned his Archbishop's mitre and walked out with a sacred book in hand. Once again, he climbed the stairs and reached the rooftop. However, King Conrad and Kaecilius did not enter the chambers and remained under the open skies.
"I have made my decision, your grace," King Conrad declared as soon as Sylvester arrived.
Sylvester nodded and presented the holy book. "State your terms, Your Majesty. Then, if Kaecilius agrees, I will bind the terms in the na of the Lord."
"Clause one is accepted, but Kaecilius will not have the right to kill any noble above the rank of Knight without my order. Clause two is acceptable, but the sum of money cannot exceed five hundred copper Mud. As for the third clause, that is a matter for the Holy Land alone to decide. But I accept the fourth one wholeheartedly." King Conrad's voice softened a bit. "I am no monster who accepts the violation of children. Noble or not, none have the right to commit such atrocities."
Sylvester glanced at Kaecilius. "Do you accept these terms of the agreent, Kaecilius Silvanus?"
The burly slave nodded without hesitation. "I accept the terms. I will be made Lord of Fort Sunflower with Viscount's authority. His Majesty will be allowed to audit to ensure proper taxation. anwhile, I will be allowed to hear out the serfs and assist them as per the agreed-upon terms."
Sylvester walked between them. "Please step forward and touch this Holy book. Then repeat after , using your na after 'I' at the beginning."
Soon, the two n stood face to face, a few feet apart. But King Conrad was no longer angry, as Kaecilius had just referred to him as 'His Majesty,' officially granting the recognition he sought.
"I vow, with my palm on the words of Solis, to abide by the proposed terms, word for word..."
Sylvester knew the entire ceremony was pointless, as there was no binding magic involved. It was rely a church gimmick to convince nobles that their vows were overseen by Solis.
Therefore, the book shone briefly to indicate that the ceremony was complete and the vow was bonded to Solis' magic.
"May the Holy Light Enlighten us. Let us go downstairs and break the fast together." Sylvester suggested, as it was necessary for them to break the ice and beco closer.
For that was step two of Sylvester's master plan. After all, where better to bring down a castle than from within?
"Let's go, Your Majesty." Kaecilius played his part, as advised by Sylvester.
King Conrad, clueless, smiled warmly. "Let's go, my lord."
Sylvester walked behind them, silently and with hope in his heart.
'And the ga continues — a slave has beco a lord, but only ti shall tell if we can reap the ultimate reward.'
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