The Hunt of Arrogance
The place the attendant guided the three of them to was a meeting room. No one had introduced it as such, but Roberta thought of it that way.
When she stepped inside, the first thing she saw was a long, large table. Spread across it was a map.
It was a full map of the Parvije Kingdom. Perhaps they had been in the middle of planning an operation—various figurines were placed atop it: men holding spears, mounted riders, and more. Around ten people sat in their seats, studying the models and the map.
Ulrich was seated at the head among them. There was one seat by the window that stood slightly higher—clearly meant for the lord—but he occupied it instead. Count Schnautfen sat diagonally to his right, almost like a vassal.
The windows were all shut to keep out the cold wind, and the room was warmed by the heat and light of the stove and candles. When the attendant opened the door to let the three of them in, a gust of cold from the corridor spilled into the meeting room.
The attendees glanced at them and rose from their seats.
"Then, I will see you again shortly."
Count Schnautfen gave a slight bow to Ulrich.
Afterward, one by one, they approached him and kissed the back of his hand.
"I heard you were looking for us. Did you have something to say?"
Once everyone had left, Roberta closed the door behind them.
"Hm…"
Letting out a long breath, Ulrich leaned back into his chair as if collapsing into it. His outward expression was as composed as ever, but she could faintly read the fatigue hidden beneath.
"You look tired."
"I did something that doesn't suit me. It's exhausting."
"You seemed quite skilled at it, though."
"I've had more than enough experience, whether I like it or not."
Ulrich pressed his temple lightly with his fingertips for a moment.
"You can probably guess why I called you. I've set the departure date. Three days from now."
"Three days… that's quite soon."
Fritz had said they wouldn't wait until spring. So she had expected it to some extent, but three days was even earlier than she imagined.
Even if they gained several hundred reinforcements per day, it would only amount to a few thousand at best. With fewer than fifty thousand troops, did he truly believe they could conquer Parvije?
"Are you sure about this? Even if not until spring, shouldn't you prepare a bit more?"
Alessandro seemed to think the same, frowning.
"The preparations are complete. Waiting longer won't improve anything."
"Complete? What preparations?"
"When I sent out the proclamation, do you remember that I signed it with three names as guarantors?"
Carmelo, Ertie, and Oscar—those three names.
At her answer, Ulrich nodded a couple of times and continued.
"I've been waiting for those names to spread far and wide."
Alessandro still looked confused as he stared at Ulrich.
"Each name carries meaning. Carmelo bears the prestige of the Kormilius lineage, while Ertie and Oscar hold significance to those who recognize them. Like how, when you hear the name Kurvanoi, you think of the court mage Shwab's dragon form."
"So? You were waiting for someone who knows those names to respond?"
"That's right," Ulrich replied.
"They're old names, but anyone who remembers them would have no choice but to seek me out."
"Who would that be?"
His words paused for a moment.
Following Ulrich's gaze, Roberta briefly glanced at the door. It was closed—but not perfectly.
"You'll find out soon enough. It wouldn't be good if this leaked out."
Alessandro also glanced at the gap in the door and spoke in a lower voice.
"…Have they come looking for you yet?"
"Not yet. But they must have heard the news. If things went as expected, they were somewhere not too far away. The only question is when they'll come to find me. There's no need to waste more time here."
Who could that person be?
Resting a finger against her lips, Roberta narrowed her eyes.
It wouldn't be someone connected to Carmelo or the Kormilius family. If it were, there'd be no need to add the other two names. It must be someone tied to Ertie and Oscar. The former she had never heard of, but the latter—she had heard once before.
"We have enough troops. Time is fair—while we steadily build our strength, the enemy does the same. So as long as we meet the minimum, there's no need to delay further."
With that, Ulrich fell silent.
"That's all. We depart in three days."
"If there's anything you're curious about, ask."
"Is there anything I need to know?"
"Well… nothing about strategy."
"There might be something personal, though," he added.
Alessandro let out a short laugh and shook his head.
"Then I'm good. If I dig into it now, it'll just make things more complicated. I'll ask later."
Ulrich stared at him intently.
"Heritage really isn't something you can ignore."
"That's a first. What, do I resemble one of my ancestors?"
"Just ignore it. It's only a feeling. My memory's hazy—I just got that impression."
Alessandro chuckled in disbelief.
"I get that you've lived a long time, old man…" His voice lowered cautiously. "Don't tell me you're actually my ancestor or something?"
Ulrich smiled faintly without making a sound.
"Don't worry. It's nothing like that."
"Well, that's a relief."
Alessandro let out a sigh.
"It'd be awkward if you suddenly turned out to be my ancestor or grandfather."
Roberta coughed lightly without thinking.
"Yeah, that would be awkward."
At that moment, Ulrich's gaze shifted from Alessandro to her.
He was still smiling, so she awkwardly returned the smile.
***
When they stepped outside, the snow had already stopped. The brief snowfall had left the ground damp, as though it had been sprinkled with water. An east wind blew, but it wasn't cold enough for the moisture to freeze. The sky, however, remained a dull gray, as if it might pour snow or rain again at any moment.
Roberta pulled her collar tighter and walked alongside Fritz. After their conversation in the meeting room, Ulrich had left to meet with the lords. Alessandro had returned to the garden, saying he wanted to loosen up his body.
Unable to follow one path and with no point in taking the other, the two headed toward the temple. The temple in the city of Lüben belonged to the parish that served Ganymea, and befitting the scale of the city, it was grand and imposing.
"The main gate won't work."
However, despite its size, they couldn't get inside. Ever since people saw Ulrich's proclamation, crowds had been pouring into Lüben, and the temple had become just as crowded.
The chapel was full, so priests were conducting rites outside for those waiting. People with other business were being turned away at the main gate.
"Let's go to the back entrance."
Watching the scene, Roberta let out a sigh and started walking.
There was a small side door at the back of the temple. It was usually kept locked, but in situations like this—when using the main gate was difficult—it would be left open. The two circled halfway around the temple and headed to the rear.
As expected, it was unlocked. Fritz placed his hand on the door and pushed.
At that very moment—
"Ah!"
A startled cry rang out.
"Are you alright?"
Fritz's eyes widened in shock.
Beyond the door he had pushed open, an elderly woman had fallen and was sitting on the ground.
The old woman was a priest. She wore the same color as Roberta—a gray priest's robe. Since gray was the color of priests below the bishopric, she was an ordinary priest.
Wasn't it cold, in the middle of winter? She wore no outer coat over her robe. She had no gloves either, leaving her dry, wrinkled hands exposed, and the same wrinkles marked her face, flushed red from the cold.
Judging by her appearance, she was well past sixty. Her hair looked white at first glance, but on closer inspection it was silver—its color simply faded with age, much like her pale irises.
"My apologies, sister."
Roberta and Fritz helped the priest to her feet and introduced themselves.
"No, no. It was my fault for not paying attention. You can call me 'Rinna.'"
"Are you hurt?"
"I'm fine, I'm fine. I'm not so old that something like this would cause trouble."
Priest Rinna dusted off her clothes. Watching her, Roberta searched her memory. Since no one came to mind, she must be, like herself, a priest from elsewhere.
"Where have you come from, sister?"
"Me? From a faraway place. I don't know if you've heard of it—Volakabor."
It was a place Roberta had never heard of.
"That's not surprising. It's remote. As far as the distant Ice Peninsula, yet even less known. I'm an old servant of Lord Soutabalka from there."
Soutabalka?
It took her a moment this time, but she recognized the name.
A forgotten god.
The Public Church, true to its nickname of the Pantheon, served many gods, but most of them were little more than names passed down or briefly mentioned in scripture.
As humanity entered its third age, the lineages of those who worshipped them died out, and even their records were lost.
Soutabalka was one of those fading gods, and all Roberta knew of him was a single mention—that he had created many races.
"This is my first time meeting someone who serves him."
She answered politely, careful not to sound mocking.
Rinna smiled and nodded.
"It can't be helped. It wouldn't be wrong to say there's no life left that remembers his deeds." She paused as if in thought before speaking again. "And which god do you serve, sister?"
"I serve Lady Ganymea, the Mother of Knowledge and Wisdom."
"Ganymea… Ah, are you assigned here?"
Rinna gestured toward the temple.
"No. I'm only staying temporarily."
"I see…"
The priest wet her dry lips.
"Is something wrong?"
"No, I planned to stay for a few days, but they said there's no room. So I've just been turned out."
Because of the proclamation spread under the name of Kormilius, people had gathered—not just lords and mercenaries, but also a considerable number of priests. They had come to join the campaign under the name of the sacred lineage, and the Lüben temple had given up its rooms for them.
But with so many people arriving, it seemed even the guest rooms had run out.
"Do you have somewhere else to go?"
"It's not that I have nowhere. I have just enough travel money. The problem is, it's not much… At this rate, I'm not sure I'll have the means to pursue the one who carries the Father's blood."
Rinna let out a deep breath and lowered her head. After a moment's hesitation, Roberta took her wrinkled hand.
"Then please share a room with me."
"With you?"
"Yes. The temple has made an exception for me, so I'm using a room alone."
"You appear to be an ordinary priest like me—how is that possible?"
"Well… I have a connection with Lord Carmelo."
"Ohh."
The old woman let out a sound of interest and stared at Roberta.
"Impressive. To be with him… Many among humans have dreamed of such a thing, yet very few have ever had the chance."
"I was just lucky."
Giving a modest reply, Roberta stepped through the side door. It led into a corridor behind the temple. Rinna followed behind Roberta and Fritz at a slow pace.
"Then, you must have seen him in person?"
"Yes."
As she answered, Roberta began climbing the stairs.
"What was he like?"
"You mean his appearance?"
"As far as I know, he's a very young man. Is that correct?"
"Yes."
"And his hair and eyes are black?"
"It seems you've heard from someone else."
After all, the priests who came to Lüben had, at least once, gone to see Ulrich—no, Carmelo. Hearing about his appearance wasn't surprising.
"I know a fair bit. That he's quite old, too."
Roberta stopped walking.
Then she slowly turned her head.
"…What?"
Rinna looked up at the two from below the stairs, smiling with her eyes.
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