Chapter 18

18. Divine Partners

There was a flush on Samuel Dorfman’s face.

The priest, who was with him, was intercepted by the knights guarding the door as he tried to slip away from the priest’s room.

Realizing something was amiss, Samuel glanced at the stacks of money on his desk and quickly racked his brain.

‘I don’t know why Callion came in, but there’s no need to confess first. I can just say that I was counting the donations he received, and that was enough.’

Callion Tiflis is a high-minded man, but the priest thinks that he can get away with it if he plays his cards right.

“Have you come to pray, Your Grace?”

After completing the calculation, Samuel smiled warmly and asked. His attitude was so natural that anyone who didn’t know the inside story would think he was a benevolent priest.

“Why didn’t you give me a heads up? If I knew you were coming, I would have made preparations…….”

“I’m on my way to the chapel now.”

“……!”

Samuel’s eyes widened. Callion tilted his head sharply.

“There’s a lot of commotion in the chapel, so much so that God himself would not dare to visit.”

“W-what do you mean…”

“The priest is very good at counting money, just like you, High Priest Dorfman.”

Callion’s gaze fell to the wad of money. Samuel Dorfman’s face was drained of color.

If he had known everything, resisting would have been counterproductive. Even though Callion had fallen from the throne, he was still the Lord of Tiflis, and lords had the right to punish their subjects.

Samuel immediately fell to his knees.

“Forgive me, my lord!”

“How can a high priest ask for forgiveness after what he did in the chapel?”

“I just lent the place! I had no idea what was going on.”

“There is evidence that priests were involved in the auction, so how dare you lie!”

“It’s true!”

Samuel grabbed Callion’s coat desperately. His forced tears were pitiful.

“I only agreed to lend the chapel and help with the preparations in exchange for payment. I heard they were going to hold an auction, but I didn’t know it was for slaves. Please believe me!”

As if he could have not known.

Adelaide snorted, remembering the priest she’d met after the auction.

Handing over the sacred chapel for an auction was condemnable, but that alone wouldn’t be enough to bear guilt. However, knowing that a slave auction was going to happen and still leasing the place was a grave sin.

He might be accused of being an accomplice to the slave auction, and it would be best to arrest him.

Callion wouldn’t be so naive as to not see through such a blatant ploy.

“I have no use for your lying tongue, and I must cut it out.”

“You Grace!!”

“Lucid, what are you waiting for? Quickly cut off this man’s tongue.”

“P-please spare me! I’ll tell you the whole truth!”

Samuel dropped to the ground as Lucid approached with his sword drawn.

“I needed money. We lacked funds to maintain the temple… I pleaded with the Pope several times, but he didn’t respond, so I had to find a way…”

“And the way you found it was a slave auction.”

“Y-yes, I thought it wouldn’t be a big problem since I was just providing the location.”

“You thought there would be no problem with human trafficking in a sacred place of worship? I can’t fathom that with my senses.”

“Even though human trafficking is a great sin…… they’re pagans, so God wouldn’t mind.”

“Ha.”

The brazen reply was incredulous.

Seeing no reason to argue further, Callion gave sharp instructions.

“Lucid, have this man thrown in jail and have all the priests involved in this arrested as well…….”

“Wait a moment, Your Grace.”

Adelaide, who had been watching the situation, stepped forward.

“May I have a word with the high priest?”

What does she want to say?

Samuel Dorfman was good at telling nonsense.

Callion, who was worried that Adelaide might fall for his wordplay, spoke in a reluctant tone.

“Wait outside.”

After sending out the knights, he crossed his arms and leaned his back against the wall. He meant that he would not be involved and that they could do whatever they wanted.

Adelaide, grateful, looked down at Samuel.

“Rise, High Priest.”

Samuel, who had been glued to the floor, raised his head and looked up.

“Let’s sit down and talk.”

At Adelaide’s urging, Samuel gingerly swung his butt into the chair.

Even in this urgent moment, his mind was sharp.

Samuel had always known the Duke and Duchess to be on bad terms, as far as the outside world was concerned, but the fiery Callion’s temper had been stoked by a single word from the Duchess.

‘Perhaps their relationship isn’t as strained as rumored.’

Having only heard rumors about the Duchess, Samuel tried to gauge what kind of person she was, while Adelaide recalled her memories of Samuel.

Samuel Dorfman is a man of ability as well as greed.

In her past life, he was recognized for his contribution to building the Temple of Therminas and was summoned to the central temple.

At the time, the Pope’s health is failing, and the power struggle within the temple is at its peak.

Samuel moves quickly and succeeds in securing a cardinal’s recommendation, but the appointment is thwarted when Cardinal Orland, the pope’s representative, refuses to seal the letter of appointment.

Cardinal Orland is one of the Emperor’s people, and he opposes Samuel Dorfman’s appointment to the cardinalate because of his long stay in Tiflis and his suspected ties to Callion.

Samuel Dorfman was relegated to a provincial temple and was never heard from again.

“I am very sorry about this, but I also heard about how hard the High Priest worked for Tiflis.”

Adelaide began kindly. Samuel, convinced that it was her gesture of holding out her hand, decided to cling to her.

“I am grateful that you recognize that I did my best, despite my inadequacies.”

“Of course, the wise high priest also knows that your sin cannot be an excuse, right? ”

“That…….”

Samuel, at a loss for words, bowed.

He must have realized that his fate would be determined by his answer.

Adelaide cut to the chase.

“You say that the Pope is ignoring your request for assistance?”

“That, yes.”

“And since when?”

“We’ve been out of touch for half a year now.”

“I see.”

Adelaide paused and looked back at Callion. He bobbed his head up and down, listening to the conversation in silence. With his unspoken permission, she spoke.

“I heard that the Pope is unwell. It seems to be true.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“Didn’t you know?”

“I haven’t heard anything, but…….”

“Seeing as the high priest doesn’t know, it seems like someone is covering it up.”

Samuel Dorfman’s brow furrowed.

“I hope the Pope regains his health, but if he doesn’t, it will be a terrible disruption to the temple, and in the meantime, someone might have a bad heart.”

“The Duchess is right, and I am concerned that the priests of the Central Temple will not be able to keep the Temple in the right direction.”

“Yes. If the Temple falters, the Empire will suffer, and we need someone to keep it centered, don’t you think?”

“What do you think? …… Can I do?”

Thankfully, he’s a quick thinker. Adelaide smirked.

⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜

While Callion and Adelaide talked in the temple, Julian finished his mission with a flourish.

Callion, who returned to Tiflis Castle, immediately received the report.

“All those who organized the auction were captured, and those who simply attended were identified and sent back.”

“What did you do with the slave?”

“We’ve arranged for them to stay at the Knights’ Hall temporarily. Some of them are in poor health and are being treated.”

“I’ll have to see them.”

Callion glanced at Adelaide, who stood to one side.

“Would you like to go with me? ”

“Yes.”

Adelaide followed Callion willingly, regretting her decision as soon as they entered the Knights’ Hall.

The number of slaves housed in the temple was far greater than she had seen at the auction house. The ones not up for auction were in such bad shape that they could not be sold.

Few had their tongues intact, and there was not a single one without a wound, large or small.

“I checked their personal information, and they were all from the Kingdom of Helenia.”

Most had been caught crossing the border for various reasons, but some had been kidnapped from within the kingdom and brought here.

“Are you saying that they even crossed the border? ”

“I think so.”

“How long has it been since the war ended? ”

Callion’s fists clenched, his anger rising.

It is an unforgivable atrocity to commit something that could lead to a conflict between nations for personal gain.

“What shall we do with them?”

“Those who wish to return to the kingdom should be sent back, and those who have nowhere else to go should be allowed to help out here at the castle.”

“Accepting people whose identities are unclear… … .”

“I’m responsible for what happened on my lands. The choice is theirs, not mine.”

Callion spoke forcefully. The few who understood the Imperial language looked at him through clouded eyes.

Adelaide stopped in her tracks as she was about to leave the hall, the only woman in the crowd sitting in the corner.

‘That girl is…….’

She was the slave she won in the auction. As Adelaide approached, the woman shrank back.

“What’s your name?”

“…….”

“Don’t you know the Imperial language?”

“My name is Zatia.”

“That’s a pretty name.”

Zatia’s eyes widened at Adelaide’s compliment.

“You’re Caucasian?”

“Yes…….”

“I heard that Caucasian women are not allowed to leave the Caucasian Autonomous Region, so how did you end up here?”

“That’s…….”

Zatia stammered, her voice cracking. She didn’t probe because there might be something she couldn’t talk about.

“They seemed to treat you pretty roughly. Are you hurt?”

“Yeah, I’m fine.”

“That’s good; you’re safe here, so you don’t have to be afraid. I’ll send you back to the Caucasian Autonomous Region in a few days.”

“Oh, no, Please do not send me!”

Zatia’s face grew pensive, afraid to speak.