NOVEL NEXT Chapter 210
Chapter 210. Beggar Siblings – Blood Relations
Grandfather?
The small parlor of the annex. Leo’s thoughts, alternating between Xenia and Bishop Berg, dug into the past.
The relationship between the bishop and Count Gustave Peter seemed to be an unsolvable tangle, but it wasn’t as it appeared.
Xenia was the clue to the solution.
And Leo only realized belatedly that this clue had come from the mouth of Marquis Benard Tatian a long time ago.
– “Oh, that’s right. There’s no one closer than family. Long ago, my friend got married hastily and had a daughter, who turned out to be quite a tomboy…”
It was during the episode where the beggar siblings tried to become the marquis’s adopted children. While exchanging strong drinks, the drunken marquis let slip some seemingly trivial details about his only friend’s daughter being quite a handful.
At the time, he hadn’t paid attention to the marquis’s words.
He was too busy plotting to enter the marquis’s household as an adopted son or daughter, thinking it would help make his sister a princess, and later forgot about it.
Ah… you idiot.
As his thoughts began to flow, Leo became distressed. Thinking that the solution to the beggar siblings’ scenario might have been there from the beginning, he couldn’t forgive himself for missing the clue.
Of course, with his forgotten past, he couldn’t have known that Xenia would be waiting nearby on a morning when he didn’t get water.
He didn’t even know of her existence, so he just kept visiting Cassia, and through her involvement with Ober, entered the Rauno family. Only then did he meet Marquis Tatian, who was trying to assassinate his son, and get a tiny clue.
Moreover, it was only after solving Cassia’s curse and the brothel turning into a theater that he met Xenia, so it wasn’t really Leo’s fault…
However, Leo’s face darkened. He knew that wasn’t the first time he had seen Xenia.
In that very episode where he got the clue from Marquis Tatian. I went to the Arilley Theater with Soirin, a flower shop girl. There, I saw an actor struggling in a black cloak, and my heart pounded.
That was Xenia.
I later learned about Xenia working at Arilley Theater when we dated, but I had clearly felt it at the time.
The same feeling I had when Lev saw Leah. The same heartbeat Leo Dexter felt when he saw Lena Einarr. I shouldn’t have missed it.
I’ve messed up so much. Just as Leo’s self-reproach was about to deepen,
“Leo?”
Xenia shook him. Coming to his senses, he found her right beside him.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to deceive you… Are you angry?”
“Oh, no. Not at all.”
Leo shook off his self-reproach. Feeling sad was something best done alone later, so he straightened his back and faced Bishop Berg.
“I’m not sure how to address you… Bishop. Nice to meet you. This isn’t our first time meeting, is it?”
“…That’s correct. You’ve grown. Congratulations on returning alive. The title is unnecessary.”
The bishop let out a low sigh.
From the moment his long-lost granddaughter brought back the princess he thought was dead, he sensed something was off. When Xenia introduced the prince as her future husband, he realized all his plans had gone awry.
The class system.
Berg had planned to reform this flawed social system deeply rooted across the continent. He believed it was his mission and had done his best in secret. Oh God, what should I do? This is the consequence of my sin of consorting with my sister. ─ He couldn’t help but lament. He lacked the courage to sever the deep bonds of blood.
“Xenia. I’m sorry, but could you step out for a moment? There are things I need to discuss with the prince.”
“…Grandfather. I made it clear. This man will be my husband. If you intend to oppose our marriage, don’t.”
“No. How could I shamelessly block your marriage? I just have something to discuss with him privately.”
However, Xenia seemed unwilling to leave. Instead, she moved closer, and Leo gently persuaded her.
“Xenia, please step out for a moment. I want to talk to the bishop too.”
“…Alright, I understand.”
With Leo also asking, Xenia, looking somewhat sulky, went outside. Finally, Leo was alone with Bishop Berg for the second time, but the atmosphere was very different from before.
Abandoning the subtlety of noble conversation, Bishop Berg spoke frankly like a priest.
“Your Highness.”
“Yes, please speak.”
“What kind of king do you intend to be?”
“…I wish to be a king of a nation where the people do not go hungry.”
“Is that because you have lived in poverty?”
“Yes.”
“…I was an illegitimate child. My real name was Varik Monarch, and my lowly-born mother died without receiving any medicine, despite being the concubine of a wealthy noble. Do you think the people go hungry simply because there isn’t enough food?”
“….”
“No. There is plenty of food. There is also plenty of land to cultivate, and the people are full of the will to make that land prosperous. So why are their lives still impoverished?”
“You want to say it’s the fault of the nobles.”
“No.”
Bishop Berg took a breath. Leaning forward, he dared to say what should not be said to a prince.
“It’s the king’s fault.”
Leo remained silent as the bishop continued with the [doctrine of universal priesthood] that had once caused such a stir in the capital church.
“Humans are ‘equal.’ In the eyes of the holy god, everyone is merely a creature. Of course, even within the church, there is much debate about this equality. They say that responsible royalty and noble aristocrats should not be placed on the same level as commoners. I agree to some extent. I do not deny that the current king and nobles are descendants of leaders who achieved great deeds in the past, and it is undoubtedly fair to treat them differently based on their abilities and efforts. However, is the world fair now? Is it a fair world where those of low birth are not given educational opportunities, and all the land is inherited by nobles generation after generation? Absolutely not. The balance of equality has been tilted ever since the first king of humanity, Todller Akiunen, made Banoon the first noble.”
“So, what do you desire?”
Bishop Berg’s eyes shone. His divine power glowed white as he demanded firmly.
“I want the abolition of the class system.”
“That is impossible.”
But Leo also did not let go of his definitive tone. Having glimpsed the world Minseo lived in, Prince Leo had long established what he needed to do as a king.
He explained to the bishop, who was staring at him with cold, sunken eyes.
“That is not something that can be done just because you wish it, and I accept and implement it. Putting aside the practicality of taking away the rights of the nobles and distributing them to the people, it is also undesirable.”
“Why is that?”
“Because the people themselves are not ready to rise to the top.”
Bishop Berg is the foremost theologian of the present age. The wise man quickly, shockingly, grasped the concept uttered by the prince.
“Then, Your Highness, you mean…”
“Yes. I will impose the duty of education on the people. Not a right, but a duty. When they have fulfilled this duty and equipped themselves with sufficient capabilities, the class system will naturally disappear.”
Leo stared back at Bishop Berg. It was clear that this was not a world the elderly bishop would live to see.
“Now, priests are teaching history and theology to the people, aren’t they? I want the church to take on that task. Many priests and monks will likely be needed… Bishop Berg, will you help? You must have some ideas.”
I know you are running the ‘Grania Orphanage.’ Taking in orphaned beggar children and raising them as priests and holy warriors, Bishop Berg was the perfect person for this task.
Bishop Berg remained silent.
He felt that while trying to persuade the prince, he himself had been persuaded. However, the prince’s logic had depth.
‘The responsibility of creation’
If there was a division, Bishop Berg was a priest who advocated for ‘the responsibility of creation’ rather than ‘the bondage of creation.’
He perceived humans as beings who advance through their own will, and life as a creature was a responsibility given by God, not a right.
Thus, the concept that the people should awaken and rise by themselves, as the prince mentioned, felt plausible. It would need academic research over time, but it at least aligned with the direction he supported.
It’s a pity I won’t see that day with my own eyes… Bishop Berg nodded.
“I understand what you are saying. Then what will you do about illegitimate children? They are neither commoners nor nobles.”
“Aren’t illegitimate children also people?”
“…Wait a moment. Are you intending to impose duties on the nobles as well?”
“Yes. While nobles invite tutors to educate their children, avoiding the duty of education, illegitimate children will be sent to the church. Does that answer your question?”
Phew—Impressive. Bishop Berg sighed in relief, feeling that perhaps the divine had sent this prince to him through Xenia.
The prince extended his right palm.
It seemed like a gesture asking for candy, which made the bishop look curiously at the prince, who was just starting to shed his boyish ways. Of course, he wasn’t asking for candy.
“Do you see anything in my hand?”
“…Are you holding something?”
“No. My palm… You can’t see anything either. Well, do you feel something unusual?”
“I don’t understand what you mean.”
Hmm…
The prince seemed contemplative. He opened and closed his right palm, fidgeting uncomfortably before finally confessing.
“Have you ever heard of an evil god?”
“Of course.”
“Do you believe they exist?”
“Well, I’m not sure. But I’ve heard reports of strange entities. Unconverted natives sometimes wield incomprehensible powers…”
“Yes. The name doesn’t matter. What matters is that some transcendent entity does exist. The reason I bring this up is… Hmm, you probably won’t believe me if I just say it. How about we go for a walk? It’s evening now.”
“…Alright.”
The bishop wore a puzzled expression but obediently followed Leo outside.
He wasn’t well-versed in ‘ancient theology.’ It wasn’t his field of expertise, so he didn’t know much about these evil or unknown gods. Given that the Kingdom of Conrad was largely one vast plain, there were almost no unconverted natives, so Bishop Berg had no reason to expel barbarians with holy warriors, unlike the bishop of a kingdom with many barbarians.
Thus, he had a somewhat naive understanding of these entities compared to bishops from more barbarian-rich regions.
Of course, being naive doesn’t necessarily mean being weak or helpless.
As dusk settled and darkness fell, Bishop Berg shuddered while walking through the park with the prince. Exuding white divine power from his entire body, he shouted.
“Halt!”
He sensed vile beings nearby. Once a holy warrior, he always carried a sword. He drew it and swung it broadly, dispelling the thick mist and instantly calming the sticky air. Leo knew that Oriax’s minions had fled.
“Bishop. It may be hard to believe, but…”
“No, there is something there.”
“…Please hear me out. The one who cursed me is Prince Eric. He is an apostle of an evil god named Oriax. My father’s illness is also likely related to him.”
Leo revealed a truth close to reality. He felt a bit like a boy tattling about a very bad person, but this was an issue that only his future father-in-law could resolve.