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The political issues tied to the dungeon were sort of resolved (?) by sealing the dungeon, so now it was time to deal with the remaining procedures.

To seal the dungeon, priests from the Church Order had to be summoned, and before their arrival, some basic preparations needed to be completed. Additionally, administrative follow-ups were required regarding Baden-Baden and Agnon’s lords, who had been involved with the dungeon, as well as Baden-Baden’s council.

“I think it’s undeniable that the excessive movements of the three factions related to the dungeon have worsened the region’s public safety and livelihood. What do you all think?”

“Why is that our responsibility… Ouch!”

Someone who had just been thoroughly humiliated but still hadn’t learned their lesson was about to spout nonsense when a quick-witted aide swiftly jabbed them, shutting them up.

“Haha, it’s nothing. Please continue. I’m all ears.”

Everyone witnessed the aide’s quick reflexes, but no one commented further. To them, the aide had simply done their job by stopping the fool next to them.

“Then let me continue. To cut to the chase, while the direct cause of this situation is the dungeon that appeared in Baden-Baden, the fundamental cause cannot be ignored either. That’s our stance.”

The succession dispute between Agnon and Baden-Baden, and the council maneuvering between them to gain greater power and influence in the region—all these factors combined to create the current situation.

“Already, the security and economy of the western Empire and eastern Franquia have stagnated because of this. Therefore, I believe it’s necessary for the representatives of the three factions gathered here to reach some kind of agreement. What do you all think?”

What on earth is this? Is the Church Order now planning to intervene in the secular lords’ succession dispute using the Paladin’s martial power? As the attendees’ pupils shook in disbelief, Hildegard cut in sharply, not allowing any misunderstandings.

“Of course, we have no intention of dirtying our hands in your muddy squabbles. Frankly, we have no interest in which of you has the justification or who holds the power. Our concern lies in more fundamental and significant issues.”

Calling the honorable nobles’ succession rights trivial and treating them as petty issues? Those listening were stunned, feeling insulted and angry, but soon they understood. After all, the Church Order had always maintained such an attitude throughout history.

“What we demand from you is simple. You can squabble over the succession rights as much as you like. But please refrain from actions that could negatively impact the region’s public safety and livelihood. What do you think?”

Though many present were dissatisfied with the Nun Knights’ demands to set standards for military actions, excessive requisitions, and plundering that could harm the people, no one openly expressed their discontent.

Instead, they chose to indirectly resist by appealing to their circumstances.

“Um, I think our authority might be a bit insufficient to make such a heavy decision immediately.”

In other words, they wanted to consult their superiors before making a decision. While the dungeon matter was under the Church Order’s jurisdiction, they couldn’t let the Church dictate matters of secular power.

Hildegard, sensing the inevitability of this, readily agreed. She knew that only a small part of her demands would likely be agreed upon, but she considered even that a sufficient achievement.

Incidentally, Sophia, who was from Franquia, had to step in to persuade Agnon’s representatives. Being from Franquia, Agnon’s representatives were less receptive to Hildegard, who was from the Empire.

After the messengers left to gather responses from the decision-makers of the three factions, the Nun Knights began overseeing various administrative tasks while waiting for the talks to resume.

Since ancient times, nuns and monks have been the administrative experts within the Church Order. Moreover, Sophia had some knowledge of 21st-century administrative science, albeit superficial.

Just as she had excelled in Bryumatt, Sophia began to shine in Baden-Baden, to the point where Hildegard fully cooperated with her administrative directives.

Administrators, who had heard of Sophia’s exploits in Bryumatt through their networks, were also amazed by her remarkable performance.

“Truly, the patron saint of administrative science who appeared in Bryumatt!”

“A giant of administrative science who took a wrong turn!”

Conra, who had experienced something similar in Bryumatt, felt a familiar sense of déjà vu.

‘Master is really popular among administrators.’

Why is that? Would the administrators tell him if he asked? But Conra knew he wouldn’t get a proper answer from them.

‘Well, let’s just go with that.’

Conra eventually dismissed his thoughts and focused on completing the day’s training goals set by Sophia.

Around this time, Conra’s training regimen had been partially revised after returning from the dungeon. This was because he had obtained the Bronze Giant’s belt and a spirit from the dungeon.

The Bronze Giant’s belt allowed the wearer to exhibit physical strength equivalent to that of a Bronze Giant. However, it didn’t add strength to the wearer’s base but rather equalized their physical abilities to the Bronze Giant’s level. This was problematic.

If the wearer was weaker than the Bronze Giant, the belt would make them equal, but if they were stronger, the belt would have no effect. It was a useless item for those already strong.

Sophia commented on the belt:

“It’s not something to wear for long. It’s practically useless to me.”

This was why the belt was given to Conra, who was struggling with physical strength in battles. Sophia advised that it could serve as a temporary solution.

Still, Sophia said it wasn’t bad for training the sensation of handling great strength. So, Conra trained both with and without the belt, aiming to feel the difference and bridge the gap.

Moreover, Conra couldn’t neglect honing his skills as a Druid and Alchemist, which he had contracted with the spirit from the dungeon. The spirit, Esras-Hermes, was particularly keen on this, as Druidism and Alchemy were his specialties.

Esras-Hermes urged Conra to study diligently:

“Frankly, if you want to call yourself a Druid, you should master the realms of Bards and Ovates, contract with Ants, or handle Wicker Men. Similarly, as an Alchemist, you should at least know elemental refinement and golem crafting.”

Conra couldn’t argue. His father, Setanta, was a Druid who skillfully handled Ants and Wicker Men, and his mother, Kali, was an Alchemist proficient in elemental refinement and golem crafting. Their Will-o’-the-Wisps were products of such expertise. What could he say?

In any case, such peaceful days lasted about a week. Conra thought that once the messengers returned, they would wrap up their worldly affairs and embark on the next journey. But peace was abruptly shattered with the messengers’ return.

One day, the messenger sent to Agnon returned. His face was filled with fatigue, fear, and dirt. Gasping for breath, he almost collapsed, hurriedly drank water, and then knelt, trembling, and pleaded:

“Nun Knights, please help us! Agnon, Agnon has…!”

Sensing something amiss, Sophia asked:

“Calm down and speak. What happened to Agnon?”

“Agnon, Agnon has…!”

Stammering and repeating himself, the messenger finally broke down. His confession, filled with sorrow and despair, left everyone present in shock.

“Agnon has fallen to a witch! Now, Agnon is overrun by Chimeras and Undead!”

 

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