Chapter 28
I stepped outside, leaving Leona in shock, her face frozen in surprise. The temple was already in chaos, and with Leona acting like this, I realized I needed a new plan. If I just stayed here, my chances of being victimized as the powerless one were high.
Although I had many good friends, I needed a stronger, more certain source of power. I had to find the perfect card that could sever ties with the Myaria Church. One that would ensure they could never covet me again, that they would never look down on me again.
However, I had no idea that Leona and the church would start bothering me for an entirely different reason. Life is truly unpredictable. Here I was, the most famous astrologer in the empire, yet I couldn’t foresee my own fate even a moment ahead. It was an ironic situation.
* * *
The atmosphere in the palace was lively for the first time in a while. It was the day of a meeting about tax issues with the Myaria Church. Emperor Aust, Prince Ilias, Prince Aiden, and Duke Crothos, the chancellor, gathered with the cardinals from the Myaria Church for discussions.
In fact, it would be fair to consider everyone present as representatives of the church, except for Emperor Aust and Prince Ilias. After the church took control of the empire, the administration was left to the chancellor. Naturally, the chancellor was the head of the church faction.
In reality, the royal family was just a facade. All state affairs were decided at the whim of Chancellor Crothos. Day by day, the nobles grew richer while the poor struggled to survive. There were even people fleeing across borders as a result.
Chancellor Crothos spoke with an air of authority, as if he were the emperor.
“I will begin the meeting.”
Ilias felt ashamed that the royal family was having a tax distribution meeting with the church.
The taxes collected from the people of the empire didn’t originally allow the imperial family any decision-making power over their use. About seventy percent of the taxes were directed to the church under the pretext of relief efforts.
However, this time the church was demanding eighty percent. Emperor Aust frowned at this demand and said,
“This year has seen poor harvests, and the situation is dire. We must preserve life, don’t you
think? Otherwise, we won’t be able to collect taxes next year. If we keep squeezing like this, we will lose everything.”
The elderly cardinal sitting in the highest seat smiled kindly and replied,
“That’s precisely why we are asking for eighty percent, Your Majesty. We will conduct relief efforts at the temples in each region.”
They speak so confidently of relief efforts, but they take more than half of it for themselves at the central temple before sending what’s left to the local temples. Once it gets to the local temples, they pocket their share, leaving the people of the empire with barely anything.
The cardinal saying this is probably well aware of the situation. After all, it’s the royal family that will be criticized, and the temples aren’t concerned about that.
Ordinary people don’t know that the church is taking their taxes. They believe the church is
saving the citizens abandoned by the royal family.
As Emperor Aust struggled to find a response, Aiden spoke up with a calm expression.
“I think it’s best to leave it to the temple as we have in the past.”
Emperor Aust remained silent. Ilias clenched his fists tightly to control his rising anger and
turned his gaze toward the window.
At that moment, Christian, seated in the middle, opened his mouth.
“It seems the First Prince is not pleased with this decision.”
Ilias glanced toward the source of the voice, meeting Christian’s bold gaze and audacious tone.
“Is that so?”
“It seems your expression is not favorable, which is why I asked.”
Ilias yawned and looked at Christian.
“I was just bored. I can’t go out until the meeting ends, can I?”
“What do you think about the church taking eighty percent?”
“Is my opinion that important?”
“Yes, it is.”
“Of course I wouldn’t like it!”
His blunt statement made the church representatives frown.
“Since it will reduce my personal funds, I’m against it. I’ve developed a new hobby that costs a bit, and it’s rather embarrassing to still be receiving allowance from Her Majesty at my age.”
The church representatives, except for Christian, openly mocked him.
“Would it be acceptable to negotiate for seventy percent to avoid reducing your personal funds?”
* * *
After the meeting, when Ilias returned to his palace, his expression turned cold. He was filled
with rage at having to endure this repeatedly. Living like this, he felt he might die not from being assassinated by the empress but from an anger-induced illness. He wanted to fight, but he was still weak. Even if he tried, a mere cough from the temple could spell disaster for him.
Knock knock!
“Come in.”
Zion approached and handed him a note.
[Tonight at 7 PM, Park on Fiji Road, 3rd Street.]
When Ilias nodded, Zion burned the paper. They communicated important matters only in writing, cautious of anyone listening in. It was a life filled with tension, where even breathing felt burdensome.
* * *
Meanwhile, Sierra was in the empress’s garden, drinking tea with Duke Crothos.
“Father.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“Isn’t it about time to crown Aiden as the Crown Prince? He’s getting older.”
Sierra’s statement implied a desire to change the order of succession in the Kinsteria Empire.
“He has lived longer than expected.”
“It shouldn’t be a problem, but there’s no need to leave any future troubles.”
“That’s right. After all, he’s just an insignificant prince that no one cares about, whether he lives
or dies. I’ll handle everything, so don’t worry.”
She smiled with satisfaction and then whispered discreetly,
“Isn’t there an important matter today?”
“Yes. I need to handle it personally, so I’ll take my leave.”
* * *
Ilias dressed elegantly and went outside with Zion. When he went out like this, he wouldn’t return to the palace for several days, often losing everything to gambling before he finally came back, even stripped of his expensive clothes. The attendant who was watching Ilias reported his outing to Empress Sierra.
* * *
Ilias wandered around for a while to shake off his pursuers before entering a hidden house in a secluded area. Inside, three knights with similar builds were already waiting. Ilias and Zion removed their clothes and handed them to the waiting knights, changing into the garments typically worn by commoners.
“Since we’ll be returning to the palace today, cause some decent ruckus at the tavern. Dispose of the clothes properly.”
Ilias adorned his outfit with jewels and then went out to sell them for money. Though it was a small amount, it was money he needed.
“Your Highness.”
Two knights, now dressed in Ilias and Zion’s clothes, went out first. Zion looked at the young
knight, Tyler, beside him.
“Have you fully recovered from your injuries? There’s no need to push yourself. I can escort His Highness today. It’s just reconnaissance, so there shouldn’t be any problems.”
“I’ve completely recovered. I’ll go with you, Sir.”
His expression was so resolute that Zion couldn’t say anything more. Tyler’s older sister had entered the selection for a saintess candidate of the Myaira Church over ten years ago, and after
sending a letter promising to return, there had been no news since.
He had come to the capital to find his sister and became Ilias’s knight, so he couldn’t step back
when it came to matters related to the temple.
The three of them moved secretly toward Fiji
Road. It was not far from the bustling downtown area. Ilias was more frustrated about conducting such business right in the heart of the capital.
‘How brazen must they be to carry out such activities right under our noses?’
The park located on 3rd Street of Fiji Road was quite large, so they decided to disperse and find
suitable spots to carry out their tasks, signaling each other with magic rings once they found a location. During the search, Zion sent a signal to Ilias and Tyler. They went to where Zion was
hiding.
Duke Crothos’s soldiers and holy knights surrounded the area, and in the center stood Duke Crothos with members of the church and foreigners who had come to make deals. They were gathered to sell weapons to countries bordering the Kinsteria Empire.
The Kinsteria Empire was rich in iron mines and was known for its weapon-making technology across the continent.
Many places were eager to purchase the empire’s weapons, but legally, trading weapons with foreign nations was prohibited. The lives lost due to these illegal weapons would be those of the citizens living right at the border. They couldn’t allow so many weapons to slip away like this.
“We need to sabotage the deal.”
“It’s impossible with just this number of people.”
Ilias pulled something from his chest.
“What is this?”
“It’s a magical flame. It’ll burst brightly. When I throw this, we’ll each run in different directions. Tyler, you head to the safe house, and you and I will watch from the palace.”
By this time, the knights who had gone dressed in their clothes would have already caused enough trouble at the tavern. There wouldn’t be any risk of getting caught by Empress Sierra—as long as they didn’t get caught.
While Ilias mouthed the numbers, Zion and Tyler cautiously moved toward their escape routes.
‘One, two, three!’
As his arm reached toward the sky, the magical flames burst brightly. People spending time in the park suddenly gathered to see the beautiful fireworks. Ilias, Zion, and Tyler quickly moved in the opposite direction.
Duke Crothos, startled by the explosion overhead, shouted,
“The Holy Knights will chase after those who flee, and the captain of the duke’s knights will split the soldiers in half to return with weapons and escort the guests.”
“Understood.”
With the order given, the Holy Knights and the Duke Crothos’s knights moved in perfect unison.
Since they were in the city center, it was easier for the Holy Knights to search than for the duke’s soldiers, as most people were generally favorable toward them.
Ilias’s position was quickly discovered, likely because he was the one who threw the firework.
However, he was confident in his speed and ability to escape. The only problem was the sheer number of Holy Knights. As he fled from them, he felt like prey being hunted down.
‘This won’t do. If I go along with what they want, I might get caught.’
As he entered the bustling city center, he spotted an open back door and slipped into the shop. There were no people inside, so he took a moment to survey the place. It was somewhere
he had never been before.
‘What kind of shop is this?
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