#Episode 79
Knock, knock.
At that moment, there was a knock at the door.
It was Oliver.
“Lady Vasha, there is a guest here to see you.”
“A guest?”
Vasha’s eyes widened at Oliver’s sudden statement as she pointed to herself. Vasha’s presence in society had not yet been announced. Thus, there were very few who knew of her.
Tilting her head curiously, Vasha asked,
“Who is it?”
***
After leaving the inn, the compass repeatedly pointed back at it. It was evident that the vampire had used the inn as a base for some time.
As they tracked the vampire’s trail, they eventually found themselves near Noctiluca.
“Doesn’t it feel a bit eerie? Perhaps it’s because we’re near the forest….”
No sooner had Matteus spoken than a flock of crows in the forest shrieked and took off into the sky.
Caw, caw!
Flap, flap!
“That scared me.”
Startled by the sound of flapping wings, Matteus hunched his shoulders and muttered in irritation. Regardless, Bernardo continued to firmly focus on the compass.
After walking for a while longer, a villa appeared through the thick bushes.
A garden filled with blooming roses. A modest wooden mansion without any ostentatiousness. At a glance, it looked cozy and warm, a noble’s retreat for relaxation.
And yet, for some reason, the villa exuded an eerie aura.
The white annex’s domed roof, visible through the dense bushes, looked oddly like a skull.
The compass needle pointed unwaveringly toward the villa.
With a hardened expression, Bernardo marched silently toward the villa’s front gate.
As the unfamiliar knights suddenly approached, the villa’s gatekeepers clutched their spears tightly and spoke warily.
“We do not receive visitors at this villa.”
“I am a Holy Knight of Lamphas. Please let your master know that I wish to speak with them.”
Bernardo immediately revealed the insignia of a Holy Knight of Lamphas.
Hearing the words ‘Holy Knight,’ the gatekeepers exchanged uneasy glances. After a brief moment of silent communication, one of them responded reluctantly,
“Then please wait here for a moment.”
One gatekeeper went inside the mansion while the other stayed behind, an awkward silence lingering between them and the group.
Fortunately, it wasn’t long before the gatekeeper returned with the butler. A middle-aged man, the butler had the stern demeanor of an accountant, and his presence was anything but ordinary.
Even upon hearing that the visitors were Holy Knights of Lamphas, he didn’t so much as raise an eyebrow. Instead, he coldly and curtly stated,
“It is an honor to meet those who serve the Light. As much as I wish to welcome the knights to the villa, our elderly master has been in poor health recently and is currently recuperating. We fear that the turmoil and busyness of worldly affairs might worsen our master’s condition, so we kindly ask for your understanding.”
This was the second refusal, following the one at the inn in the slums. While they had backed down at the inn without digging deeper, this time they could not.
The reason was clear: the compass needle, which had wavered and shown inconsistencies at the inn, was now firmly fixed, pointing straight toward the inside of the villa. Despite repeatedly invoking holy power to confirm, there was no change.
The implication was clear.
The vampire was inside.
Determined to investigate the villa at all costs, Bernardo resorted to a more forceful approach.
“Do not obstruct the path of the Light of Lamphas. That in itself is evil. Such actions may lead to misunderstandings, brother.”
In other words, it could lead to accusations of heresy.
Given that even the Van Drake family had been exterminated after being branded as heretics, being labeled as such was a terrifying prospect.
However, it was not easy for just anyone to be accused of heresy, especially nobles.
With the power of the royal family and the Lamphas Church evenly matched, the church desperately needed the support of nobles in parliament to maintain their influence. Thus, they could not afford to disregard the opinions of the nobility.
As a result, it was difficult to summon a noble to court under suspicion, and it was not uncommon for the church to face counterattacks, accused of tarnishing the noble’s honor.
The Van Drake case had been an exception, driven by aligned interests between the royal family and the Lamphas Church.
Knowing this well, Oliver did not even flinch at Bernardo’s threats.
“Brother, you must also consider how these actions will reflect back on you.”
The butler’s response, effectively a threat against the Holy Knight himself, made Bernardo sigh.
If they had been mere investigators without any significant backing, the butler’s words might have intimidated them.
In reality, even when nobles were arduously indicted for heresy, many cases were dismissed as the Holy Kingdom often refused to open an inquisition trial.
It was exceedingly challenging to bring a noble to trial for heresy.
But Bernardo was different.
He was a member of a grand noble family and the rising star of the Holy faction.
Bernardo pulled out a flintstone from his coat.
The crude flintstone bore the insignia of Lamphas. Upon recognizing it, the butler raised his eyebrows.
“That is….”
Lapis Ignarius.
The title granted to one who has perfectly mastered doctrine, demonstrated unshakable resolve, and is brimming with holy power—a faithful servant of Lamphas.
Unlike other investigators who struggled to bring their targets to an inquisition trial, a Lapis Ignarius had the authority to convene such a trial alone.
Bernardo solemnly declared,
“If you do not step aside, it will be considered an act of hostility toward the Church, leaving me no choice but to ignite this flint.”
The pressure from Bernardo made the butler’s face harden.
Matteus looked down at the butler with a smug gaze, as if proudly showing off his master.
‘See how amazing our young master is!’
He always found it thrilling to reveal Bernardo’s true identity, especially since Bernardo disliked boasting and usually pretended to be an ordinary investigator. This moment felt electrifying.
He could already picture the butler panicking and hurriedly opening the door.
As expected, the butler looked troubled when he realized that Bernardo wasn’t just an ordinary investigator. However, it was also clear that the butler still had no intention of opening the door.
Shaking his head regretfully, the butler explained,
“I understand your suspicion of heresy. However, I truly cannot open the door. Our master has strictly ordered that no one from the Lamphas Church is to be met, as the mere mention of the Church causes his blood pressure to spike. Refusing your visit is purely for our master’s health, so please do not be angry.”
“To refuse the Lamphas Church—that itself is proof of heresy! You must be hiding something…!”
Matteus shouted angrily, pointing his finger. However, the butler’s expression remained calm and unchanged.
Bernardo could tell that the butler was only pretending to be flustered.
As expected, the butler’s next words were shocking.
“And His Holiness the Pope has also acknowledged this, granting our master the right to refuse any approach from the Lamphas Church.”
“…The Pope? That’s absurd!”
Matteus, thinking the butler was lying, erupted with anger. Had Bernardo not stopped him, Matteus might have grabbed the iron bars of the gate and shaken them in frustration.
Bernardo doubted that the sly butler would tell such an easily refutable lie.
Therefore, the statement was probably true… but at the same time, he agreed with Matteus—it was unbelievable.
‘Is the villa’s owner a relative of the Pope? No, that wouldn’t justify such special treatment. Even if they were royalty, it’d be the same. Who in the world is the villa’s owner…?’
Bernardo tried to think of potential candidates but couldn’t come up with anyone.
Meanwhile, the butler shamelessly continued,
“To protect our master’s honor, we will, of course, comply if a heresy trial is held. However, if you intend to bring our master to trial, even as a Lapis Ignarius, you would still need the Pope’s approval.”
“Wait…!”
“Until then, we will await orders from the Holy See. May the blessings of Lamphas be with you.”
As Bernardo tried to stop him, the butler turned away, ending the conversation.
