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The streets of Ravenna were divided into two. There was the Holy City of Ravenna, where the headquarters of the Church Order was located, and the Royal City of Ravenna, where the Iron Throne of Rotaringia stood.

Originally, the two Ravenna regions weren’t intertwined. During the Great War fought under the banner of the Grand Master, both areas were just neighboring rural villages.

However, as the Church Order’s main headquarters was established in the Larsva region to the west, and the Iron Throne of the Kingdom of Rotaringia was set up in the Bennatoria region to the east, the two areas gradually grew and eventually merged into what is now called Ravenna.

The streets of the Royal City on the eastern side of Ravenna were surrounded by a sharp tension. The southern Rotaringia nobles, who followed Prince Eduardo Luigi di Napoli, and the northern Rotaringia nobles, who supported the First Prince Eduardo Lamberto di Rotaringia.

Lastly, the conflict between the prestigious families of Ravenna and its allied cities, court nobles, legal nobles, guild leaders, and vassals of Veneto, who supported the Seventh Prince Bernardo Berengario di Veneto—the current king’s favorite—was no longer a recent development.

If carriages happened to pass each other, the coachmen would sneer and ignore one another, and hired thugs from each faction would frequently engage in turf wars throughout the streets. Illegal duels erupted everywhere, but with the judicial authority paralyzed, there was no way to stop the thugs’ clashes.

And this conflict in the Royal City was beginning to reach into the neighboring Holy City.

*Bang!*

“These frustrating fools! If they want to fight over succession, they should keep it among themselves. Why are they trying to drag political logic into the lives of the clergy who follow the holy light? Do we look so idle that we’d care about their petty power struggles?”

Cardinal Alessandro Borromeo, the Minister of Politics, slammed his fist on the desk and sighed.

The Church Order bore the mission of protecting human civilization and living areas against demons and monsters across the continent. Frankly, the Church had no capacity to meddle in something as trivial as the succession order of a single kingdom.

But it seemed the nobles of Rotaringia believed that just because the Holy City was adjacent to the Royal City, the Church was somehow their fate-bound ally. For Cardinal Alessandro, who oversaw the Church’s political affairs, it was both baffling and infuriating.

“Do they not understand what it means for the Church to interfere in the succession of secular rulers? Why are they so desperate to drag unwilling people into sharing power?”

The elderly Minister of Politics, unable to comprehend the nobles’ mindset, could only scratch his head in frustration and irritation.

“And if they keep sending signals like this, some voices within the Church might start advocating for responding to them.”

It wasn’t as if there weren’t those within the Church who believed that gaining political influence over the secular power of the Kingdom of Rotaringia was necessary. Some argued that to fulfill the Church’s mission and responsibilities more effectively, secular power couldn’t be ignored.

Of course, it wasn’t hard to understand why they felt that way. Dealing with rulers who squandered exorbitant taxes on wars and power struggles, with no expectation of proper governance, sometimes made one want to sweep them aside and take charge.

“But if we recklessly involve ourselves in political matters for such reasons, don’t they realize the Church could become just another political entity?”

The Church gained significant advantages by maintaining a stance of non-interference in secular affairs. By being seen as a religious organization solely focused on humanity’s safety and spiritual comfort, it could act freely without most secular rulers’ interference.

Even in situations where a Church official—often a Knight Templar or Nun Knight—accused a noble, the perception that the Church didn’t seek secular power was incredibly useful.

For instance, in the case of Bhuimat, where the Church could have drawn the secular rulers’ suspicion, cooperation was secured instead of hostility, thanks to the belief that the Church wasn’t vying for power. This also allowed for shared benefits. If the Church had actively engaged in politics, such luck would have been impossible.

The Church simply didn’t have the manpower or resources to handle such a situation.

As Cardinal Alessandro clicked his tongue in concern, he soon heard a knock on the door of his office. Taking a deep breath to calm himself, he called out.

“Come in.”

At his permission, a young priest in charge of administrative tasks entered.

“Your Eminence.”

“Skip the formalities and get to the point.”

“The individuals you mentioned have arrived in Ravenna.”

“Ah, good! Perfect timing.”

A bright smile spread across the Cardinal’s face as he found the perfect excuse to decline the nobles’ persistent invitations.

“Things are about to get busy, but we have no reason to get dragged into the Royal City’s chaos. Let’s go see them. I’m curious about the talents Andrea has been boasting about.”

Muttering excuses to no one in particular, Cardinal Alessandro grabbed his staff and stood up. Though he leaned on the staff, his steps were so vigorous that it seemed more like a weapon or accessory.

As he descended to the first floor and prepared to leave the political office, a few idle priests quickly dressed and followed him.

Glancing at the solemnly dressed priests with satisfaction, the Cardinal opened the door and stepped out.

“Let’s go.”

With a flick of his sleeve, the group of priests left the political office.

+++++

Sophia and her companions, who had just entered the city, also sensed the atmosphere of Ravenna. Sophia, Hildegard, and Esiocles, who had visited Ravenna years ago, frowned as soon as they entered the streets.

“Even though it’s my second visit, this place still feels a bit off.”

“It seems even worse than a few years ago.”

Esiocles agreed with Hildegard’s uneasy remark. Sophia clicked her tongue.

“Tsk, what is it about that throne that makes them forget all dignity and order?”

As everyone but her seemed to share the sentiment, Conra, who was driving the carriage, asked.

“Master, what’s the state of this city that everyone seems so uncomfortable?”

Sophia reached over and patted the boy’s head.

“Look around. Don’t you notice how few market stalls there are compared to the size of the streets and buildings? And what about the number of people passing by?”

Conra finally noticed something was off. The stalls were almost nonexistent, and only a few stores remained open.

“The security in the Royal City streets is practically nonexistent. Most of the missing stalls are probably in the Holy City’s streets.”

“And the stores that are open now probably wish they could sell their buildings and move to the Holy City’s streets.”

Hildegard added to Sophia’s explanation. Conra began to feel the eerie and hostile atmosphere of the quiet Royal City streets.

Sophia’s words proved true as they left the Royal City streets and entered the Holy City’s area.

The Holy City’s streets, which one might expect to be solemn and sacred, were bustling with orderly market stalls and many passersby. Conra realized that the noise actually conveyed a sense of peace and comfort.

Of course, as they passed the bustling area and entered the true Holy City’s administrative streets, the noise gradually subsided, restoring the area’s original clean and quiet atmosphere. From here, the buildings established by the Church Order began to appear, housing various departments and chapels for worship.

Suddenly, Sophia’s group noticed a group of priests approaching from a distance. Recognizing the figure at the front, Sophia dismounted and walked toward them. Hildegard, Esiocles, and Conra, sensing her intent, also dismounted and followed.

As they neared the group of priests, they all knelt on one knee in a gesture of respect.

“Your Eminence, Minister of Politics.”

As Sophia spoke on behalf of the group, Cardinal Alessandro waved his hand to dismiss the formality.

“Enough with the formalities. It’s a bit excessive for an old clergyman like me. I came to see your faces, not to receive such grand greetings.”

“Then, as you wish.”

Sophia, who openly opposed Cardinal Andrea and even attacked the elderly, couldn’t bring herself to treat Cardinal Alessandro the same way. He was one of the few she genuinely respected.

Though this was their first face-to-face meeting, Sophia had long heard of Cardinal Alessandro’s character and deeds, and had even observed him from afar.

For her companions, seeing Sophia show such respect for the first time was a sight to behold.

 

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