I Became the illegitimate son of a duke

60 – Heresy (3)

“What do the youngsters of Burgon say?”

“For now… I don’t think we will intervene. Burgon has gone through too many wars, so I think we’ll focus on the domestic side.”

“For now? Like? That’s what I’m going to say now… No, I guess.”

King Caroling, who was a little angry when he saw his servant reporting in an unsure tone of voice, put up with it.

“Did you say that all contact with the spies you planted has been lost?”

“…Yes, it is.”

“Tsk.”

All contact with the spies planted in the Principality of Burgon has been cut off.

A few months ago, the regular reports that were supposed to come from the spies began to come in less and less, and eventually no reports came.

If the spies planted by this side had been captured by Burgon, they would have been constantly sending reports to act as double agents, but they didn’t. That said, it’s very likely that they’re all dead.

‘…I don’t like it.’

Since the relationship was contracted for money anyway, I can’t believe that all spies are loyal to me.

Surely some would have betrayed me and joined the other side if I had been paid more.

But they all died. All of them, including spies who might have betrayed them.

There are two main possibilities, either Burgon didn’t think of capturing the spy or didn’t feel the need to capture the spy.

‘It’s most likely the latter.’

He has enough brains to eliminate all spies, but there’s no way he couldn’t have thought of the possibility of the former.

In a word, those burgons provoked me.

[All Carolingian people are trash, so there’s no need to embrace them.]

‘…Things that aren’t cheap.’

Even though we went to war, this is a little too much.

As expected, I received the blood of a lowly mother, so there is nothing I can do about it.

“You’re so resourceful that you managed to get this kind of information even when all the spies were expelled.”

“That’s too much praise.”

“No, I mean it. According to your words, we can send troops to the Holy Empire.”

If Burgon had not sent troops to the Holy Empire for no reason, he would have had to reconsider sending troops to the Holy Empire for defense reasons.

However, if he refused because he needed to stabilize the country, that is a good enough reason. The Duchy of Burgon has raised too many troops in a few months, so it’s time to rest.

“Your Majesty, however, sending troops abroad is a financial burden…”

“Haven’t I told you before? Never mind that.”

“…I apologize, Your Majesty.”

The Carolingian Kingdom is in a state where all available funds have evaporated due to the indemnity given to the Principality of Burgon.

The treasurer, keenly feeling this, tries to change the king’s heart, but the king vehemently refuses the treasurer’s plea.

“If you plunder in the Holy Empire, where heretics are rampant, you can make up for the wages of mercenaries and knights and other standing troops. Why don’t you know that this is an opportunity to make up for the loss in Burgon?”

“Yes…Yes.”

The servant unconsciously tries to teach him not to act as if the war has already been won, but he bites his molars and barely endures it.

Even though he suffered a crushing defeat from the Duchy of Burgon because he took war too easily, this king does not try to change his habit of seeing war easily.

Even in order to escape from responsibility, he purged the nobles whom he did not like from before by blaming them for the defeat.

Your political sense is excellent, but your military sense is poor, but… If I say more here, you won’t even listen, and it might go off your eyes, so I’ll have to keep my mouth shut.

“Indeed, Your Majesty, Your Majesty’s loyal troops can move at any moment, and the mercenaries currently available for immediate hire—”

‘…I’m just going to work hard and then find the right time and go home.’

The treasurer sighs inwardly as he sees the king and nobles having heated discussions about military affairs.

…………

[If what you’re saying is true… What about Ines?]

[Yes, yes… That witch is even worse. The ghosts who are suffering are just sticking to me… Ugh…!]

‘…Kuh, crazy b*tch.’

As Chloe walks down the dark hallway, she sneers inwardly as she reminisces about what happened in prison.

It’s such an absurd story, but… That crazy b*tch knew everything to the point of giving goosebumps.

[…Yes, okay. I’ll save you for now, but if you hear about me in your brother’s ears, you’ll die that day.]

[Ha, but… If the Holy Son does not know this fact, you guys—-]

[You guys? I’m offended, so don’t tie me up with Ines. And for my brother, it would be better not to know this.]

[That’s right, but…]

Well, since I was assured that I wouldn’t tell anyone, including her brother, and the truth about Ines, I should let her live first.

Even if Jeanne broke her promise and told her brother, there’s no way he would believe the crazy b*tch’s words, so I’d just go and kill him then.

‘Ah, the end is roughly like this.’

When Chloe arrives at a certain place, she stops thinking and looks around.

It is very dark because there are no windows and no candlesticks. Even Chloe, who has bright eyes at night, can hardly see.

‘Should I light a candle? No, just in case, let’s be patient.’

This is one of the places Jeanne said was full of eerie vibes, and it’s also one of the places where Ines was found at night.

Up until recently, Chloe had thought of Ines as simply a grumpy, sullen b*tch who liked dark places, but after hearing Jeanne’s words, she changed her mind slightly.

What if you didn’t like the dark, but were doing something in the dark?

The possibility is high—- ha.

‘I came to the right place.’

Chloe senses the subtle smell of blood clinging to the mucous membranes of her nose, and at the same time notices the gaze on her back and is convinced inside her.

As Chloe looked back slowly with a wrinkled face because her gaze was unpleasant, she entered a desolate hallway with moderate brightness but no trace of people.

Ines will be in her brother’s room, so is the gaze just a servant? This is the right place to assign guards until late at night like this.

“…”

For the time being, let’s stop here today and go back to her brother’s room.

You don’t know how many attendants there are, and you don’t know what will happen if you go further alone.

If that madman had given the order to bury anyone who would seek the truth without mercy, I, alone and without a weapon, could not deal with it.

Those attendants will report my whereabouts to Ines, but since I haven’t even seen or approached what Ines wants to hide, I can only gloss over it.

I’ll have to bring some people back when it’s light.

“Huh ah … Then will we work today.”

Chloe calmly walks down the hallway where she had been staring at her just now, as if she didn’t know anything.

………

“Kill all these heretics! It is an order from heaven!”

“Waaa!!”

“Kyaaa!!”

“Save me, save me!!”

A nameless rural village is completely devastated by people covered in steel.

The people who live in this rural village are all poor peasants and don’t even have a meager weapon, but the men who are killing them don’t care about that at all.

Because they are heretics.

“Do you really want to… Do this?”

“Should I do this? You say that now!?”

Of course not everyone is participating in the madness.

Some go to the general who leads this army and try to change his mind, but it’s not enough.

“This is an order from the Seonghwangcheong. They are heretics and must be exterminated in this world.”

“But… Aren’t they ignorant peasants?”

“It’s not the peasants who don’t know anything, they’re heretical farmers who don’t know anything.”

“Wow…!”

Those who realize that it is futile to try to say any more will shut up.

The general, whose eyes are full of madness, leaves them alone and continues to talk.

“Listen carefully. They have apostatized, apostasy that is considered a sin.”

“…That’s right, but I should have encouraged you to return to your original faith at least once—”

“hahahaha!!”

The general blows away the young man’s words with a mad laugh.

A look of displeasure fills the young man’s face as he speaks.

“Where is the guarantee that those who apostatized once will not apostatize again?”

“I couldn’t help it because those heretics put their swords first.”

“With a knife in front? Then you should have just died.”

“…Yes?”

The young man looks at the general with an expression as if he had heard something wrong, and then he realizes that he did not hear something wrong.

“Listen, that’s called martyrdom.”

“You mean martyrdom…?”

“Yes, martyrdom! You had no choice but to apostatize with the sword? Wouldn’t it be martyrdom if you died without apostasy?”

God must have taken them back to heaven, but they were apostasy clinging to this world.

The general’s words eventually lead to the young man being unable to say anything.

Beyond being dumbfounded, it was because I felt like I was talking to an animal in the shape of a human.

The general glances at the young man as if he is not funny, then he turns his gaze to the burning town and smiles contentedly.