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It turns out that the people who blocked the Cardinal’s path were sent by the Count of Monferrato, one of the nobles supporting the 1st Prince.

“Honestly, it’s not that surprising. Rumors are spreading that the current King’s condition is critical, so they must be getting impatient.”

At the Cardinal’s relaxed words, Sophia furrowed her brow, visibly uncomfortable. While it was true that they were in a hurry, the means they chose to express their urgency clearly crossed a line.

“And so, in their haste, they came up with the idea of gaining the Church’s support.”

Hildegard chimed in, her brow also furrowed. Well, this was inevitable, given that the Church’s headquarters was adjacent to the royal capital of Rotaringia.

‘But why now, of all times?’

With the Demon Clan’s resurgence looming, the Church needed to maintain its focus, preparing humanity for the great battle ahead. Getting tangled in secular power struggles was the last thing they needed.

Some might argue, “Wouldn’t it be more reasonable for the Church to actively involve itself in the succession dispute to establish a pro-Church government?”

In truth, even Hildegard wasn’t entirely sure if this was the right choice for the Church’s greater mission. Many clergy members likely felt the same.

“Anyway, I’m truly grateful for today.”

“I only did what was necessary. Please don’t dwell on it.”

“Nonsense. I don’t have anything prepared right now, but I’ll make sure to properly thank you later.”

As they bid farewell to the Cardinal, the group couldn’t help but feel the lingering traces of their heavy concerns.

Still, daily training and discipline couldn’t be neglected. After resting for a while, Sophia led Conra to the open space behind the dormitory. Watching Conra grumble as he followed, Hildegard and Esiocles smirked and followed the two to the backyard.

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After the council, Sophia’s task was to teach the basics of the Immovable King Wisdom Technique and her own training methods to talented individuals affiliated with the Church across the continent.

But Sophia couldn’t possibly travel to every Church on the continent, nor could she gather all the talents in one place. Time, space, and transportation issues made it impossible.

So, the idea was to gather talents from the southern region in the holy city of Ravenna, which had a well-developed port and roads. Then, they would move to Strabenher in the lowlands for the western region, and finally to Aarhus Cathedral on the Jutland Peninsula for the northern region.

This plan was quickly reviewed and agreed upon by many clergy members, naturally determining Sophia’s itinerary, with Ravenna being the first stop.

Under Sophia’s original plan, she wouldn’t have been involved in the royal capital’s turmoil.

“That’s how it should have been.”

Sophia pressed her temples with her thumb and index finger, looking troubled. On the table in front of her in the reception room lay an invitation.

What troubled Sophia was the seal on the wax of the envelope and the contents of the invitation.

The double-tailed eagle seal on the wax. Typically, lion or eagle seals were reserved for families of at least ducal status. For eagles, the family head usually used a three-tailed eagle, the heir a double-tailed eagle, and other eligible brothers a single-tailed eagle.

Unsurprisingly, the sender was Alfonso di Este, the heir of the Duke of Ferrara, brother of the Duchess of Mantua, and Count of Cento. And as Sophia knew, Alfonso di Este was a family supporting the Prince.

“It seems they haven’t heard about the warning Master gave to those sent by the Count of Monferrato.”

Conra, who had just finished washing up, smirked upon hearing the contents of the invitation.

“That seems to be the case. Even if they had heard, it wouldn’t have changed their judgment. Human perception isn’t exactly a convenient tool, after all.”

“That’s true.”

As Conra dried himself off, he casually asked Sophia, “So, what are you going to do, Master?”

“What can I do? This country isn’t under our jurisdiction. Why should I stick my face into such matters? I’ll just send a polite refusal.”

Conra nodded in agreement.

“That makes sense.”

As Conra checked his appearance in the mirror and combed his hair, Sophia suddenly asked, “By the way, where are you going?”

“It’s the thousand-year capital, isn’t it? Hilda said it’d be a waste not to explore it.”

“Hmm, that’s true. But the current situation isn’t great.”

Worried, Sophia added, “The succession dispute in the royal capital is still a problem, isn’t it?”

“Of course. The streets there are practically lawless right now. Anything could happen.”

“Then I guess I’ll just stick to the holy city.”

“Honestly, even the holy city isn’t entirely safe… but with your skills, you should be fine.”

“Then!”

Conra’s face lit up at Sophia’s implicit permission. He had been anxious about not getting approval. Sophia smirked as she watched the excited boy.

“Anyway, be careful and don’t get hurt.”

“Got it!”

The boy, thrilled at the thought of going out, responded energetically.

And a few hours later.

Conra stood amidst a group of suspiciously dressed men sprawled on the ground, looking utterly bewildered.

“Why…?”

Everything had been fine after lunch. He had enjoyed exploring the historic buildings, enriching his mind and spirit. Wandering through the bustling market, spending his pocket money on snacks, had been fun and enjoyable.

What ruined his cheerful and pleasant time was when he accidentally entered a secluded alley.

Suddenly feeling a chill on the back of his neck, Conra instinctively reacted with his trained movements. The suspiciously dressed man who had tried to sneak up and kidnap him was instantly overpowered by Conra’s technique.

The man, struck in the solar plexus and unable to breathe, was thrown to the ground, completely disoriented.

Conra, momentarily stunned by the realization that he had just assaulted someone, was further shocked by the man’s blatantly suspicious attire. His bewilderment peaked as more similarly dressed men emerged from the alley.

Thus began the brawl between the unarmed boy and 17 suspiciously dressed men. The result? All 17 would-be kidnappers were left groaning, their vital points struck and their bodies completely incapacitated.

After a grueling ordeal, the men lay in avant-garde positions, limbs tangled, with no strength left to resist.

Twitching uncontrollably, their sprawled forms resembled corpses, save for the pitiful groans that indicated they were still alive.

“What am I supposed to do with this…?”

Conra, his rationality returning after instinctively taking down the men, sighed heavily as he surveyed the human chain of avant-garde positions on the ground.

 

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