56 – Paving Stone for God’s Hand (2)

In the continent of Europe, everyone believes in the universal faith, ‘Deus’.

Deusism is very similar to Catholicism, except that it believes in one god, the Deus, instead of God.

Because I believe in the only Son of God who forgives sins, the clerical system such as priests, auxiliary bishops, bishops, archbishops, cardinals, and the pope.

And like Catholics, they do ‘confession’… This confession is really, a good event to meet people secretly.

Because at confession there is no one but the priest and the faithful.

I arrived at the Kingdom Cathedral an hour before the time I had promised to meet with the duke and went into the room closest to the front door among the many confession rooms for confession.

Upon entering, it smelled a little damp, perhaps because of the humidity.

Even though it was still daytime and it was bright outside, the confession room was already lit with candles, probably because it was built in a secret place with little sunlight.

In a room of nearly 3 pyeong covered with bricks, there are chairs for me to sit on, wooden walls with a dense iron net embedded in the middle, candles and rugs for long confessions, and even blankets…

When I touch the futon, it seems that I have prepared something very soft for my coming…

Damn did you think that after I made a formal confession, I would secretly cheat here like the other nobles?

After waiting for a very short time, a thick voice came from the other side of the wooden wall.

“Brother, what have you come for? Deus is listening to your sins. Tell me everything and be forgiven of your sins.”

The formal words to start the confessional, I also recited the formal lines in a sorrowful voice.

“Father… I am a sinful man. Can I still be forgiven?”

“Of course, because Deus died on the cross for you.”

“Then… I have a woman I really love. However, because I am a sinful body, I also have eyes for other women. One of the ladies-in-waiting at our mansion has a child named Sarah, and I keep my eyes on her ass and breasts…”

Even though Ella is objectively the prettiest girl I’ve ever seen, and she really carefully fulfills my needs every night for me…

I’m a human too, so my lower leg sometimes turns my eyes to other places.

Among them, the girl who catches my eye the most…

Talking about Sarah at the confessional makes me think of her chubby, bouncy butt…

After hearing that, the priest accepted my confession with a sincere voice.

“Oh, brother. Since we are human beings, it is inevitable that we will feel lustful… Nevertheless, haven’t we put that desire into practice?”

“Yes, when I think of that child who loves me, I couldn’t bear to act.”

“A brother who has such self-restraint is a wonderful person. But, good looks good and sin is sin… so…”

“Please tell me. The Lamb will listen.”

“If you give 10 pieces of silver as an offering to the church as reparation, your sins will be forgiven. And as much as you feel guilty, give for the woman you love.”

After saying that, the priest opened the iron net with his own hand so that I could pay the silver coins.

I handed him a gold coin I had prepared accordingly, and he handed me a bridal suit that fit my body.

Is this the person the duke prepared…?

For a moment, I thought about asking, but I thought it would be better not to do something stupid by asking, so I just silently accepted the bridal gown.

Then, after changing into her bridal gown, she read the Bible inside to pass the time until the Duke arrives.

As I waited, I heard a loud coughing sound from the other side.

The only person to come in at this timing is the Duke, so maybe this is the Duke of Brussels I’m looking for.

But even knowing that, I waited for him to speak first.

After a while, a voice came through the wooden wall.

“Father, I am a sinful man.”

“Tell me.”

After a moment of silence, the duke loudly called for the confessional to leave.

“I am a person living with sins. For now, even before I came here, I personally killed two barons with my own hands who dared to communicate with foreign countries. I am a sinful person. Because even at His Majesty’s funeral, I was more concerned about the civil war surrounding the empty Emperor’s place than mourning His Majesty’s death… I am a sinner, because…”

Then, after a moment of silence, he whispered in a low voice that only I could hear.

“It’s because I came to see the young baron even when I was mourning the death of His Majesty. Because I was interested in him.”

He spoke to me in a whisper, but in his words I felt great fear.

The fear that made me feel as if I had turned into a small mouse and faced a huge lion.

Even so, I answered calmly without a single trembling voice.

“Ciel von Kreuttel, rightful lord of Baron Creutel, greets the Golden Lion of Elain, His Highness, Duke of Brussels.”

“John von Brussels Sr. So, did you say you wanted to see me?”

“Yes, Your Excellency. This lacking bastard did it because he wanted to learn from you personally. However, when I was in trouble because there was no way out, it happened that His Excellency Brandel helped me…”

Hearing that, the duke laughed out loud and said.

“hahahaha, stop talking nonsense. I’ve heard rumors about you too. Franchi’s Healthman fed him properly, right? At only 23 years old. I barely managed to knock out a knight on my first march with my father…”

“I was just lucky.”

The Duke of Brussels said in a voice slightly annoyed, as if my humble words didn’t make him happy.

“Actually, when Hellsman went to his wife’s house, the Duke of Reims, he came to see me. You’ve been raving about your strategy and tactics like crazy. The guy who fought in the war on the same level as me. Defeat him, and don’t pretend to be humble. Never twice, Ciel von Kreuttel.”

“Yes, I understand.”

“By the way, what do you want to ask of me? Brandel said you were single, so could you arrange a marriage? In my duke’s family, there’s a decent girl, even though she’s my concubine’s child. You will love it.”

For a baron, being the daughter of a duke’s concubine is an incredibly good condition.

Because becoming in-laws through marriage with a duke who has a core lineage or position equivalent to that of the royal family has a different meaning from welcoming the daughter of the count’s concubine.

If the daughter of a count’s concubine is just a ‘daughter of a good knight’s family’, the daughter of a duke’s concubine is equal in status to ‘daughter of a count’s family’.

In other words, you’re saying that you’re going to treat me like a ‘Count’…

Hellsman, what the hell was he talking about while taking turns?

“It is an undeserved honor. But, why the hell are you making this offer to me? What did you hear from Mr. Hellsman?”

“It’s just that I captured all the counts of Nantes, but they say they lost their county because of the kid who stole Hellsman Castle. And then you went away cursing the idiot of Nantes who doesn’t treat talented people like you properly.”

No matter how close the aristocrats of this era are, there are not a few cases where they drink together and play girls after the war ends…

Seeing that Count Hellsman went to visit the Duke of Brussels even after his own ruin… they must have been very special.

Then, of course, you know something about me…

“It is an honor, sir. However, I am already betrothed to Lady Emily, the former Countess of Nantes. And I am a baron serving Nantes. Like a baron…”

“Stop talking nonsense. Start by telling me why you can’t accept the marriage proposal I propose.”

“I cannot abandon my territory and its people. Sir Hellsman evaluated me as a great talent, but the reason I was able to shine so bright was because of the knights and soldiers and serfs of my territory. That is why I cannot serve you.”

The Duke heard that and said in a surprised voice.

“It’s amazing, at that age, you understand so well the duties and responsibilities of a nobleman. That’s right, the reason why nobles are nobles is because they can unite the people and create great power. Then… you.”

Now I can slowly reveal my true feelings.

Anyway, all or nothing, and I have the next best thing to choose ‘if I only survive here’.

Also, in a situation where I don’t openly do anything for Lee Wan, no matter how duke I am, as a vassal of the Count of Nantes, I can’t be killed.

Instead of answering the duke with words, I took out a letter I had hidden in my arms and handed it to the duke across the wall.

“Read it. It was written by His Highness, Duke of Maxburg, Elector Count of Holy Romania.”

“The Duke of Maxburg? Have you ever fought the Duke of Maxburg?”

“I have fought against two barons who are vassals of the duke.”

And the duke read my letter, but didn’t say anything.

After a while, I heard the sound of snapping and tearing the letter I gave you from beyond the wall.

“Your Highness, did you read the letter?”

To my natural question, His Highness the Duke responded with an enthusiastic response.

“Ciel von Kreuttel!!! What are you thinking?!!!!!”

“Your Highness, calm down. It’s just a letter, isn’t it?”

“Just a letter? Is it just a letter? The contents written in it are spectacle!! Of course, I don’t think you followed the suggestion in this letter. If you did, you would already be a Romanian noble! I’m going crazy, you’re giving me the entire county of Nantes and the daughter of a Maxburg chin’s concubine on the premise that you’ll be the spearhead invading the count of Nantes?!”

That letter, in fact, was handed over to me by the ‘spy of the Duke of Maxburg’ who came through the door a month before I came here.

I read this letter in preparation for this time and kept the original in a secret space on my desk.

And this letter is very likely to be a real offer, not a ploy to cheat in exchange for land. I’d say it’s almost 100%…

Because from Maxburg’s point of view, if I were to lead the way, I would be able to march comfortably to the Duchy of Brussels…

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My power is already at a level where I can beat the soldiers of ‘a fair number of counts’ direct control’ if I include the power given by Schwein.

Of course, because Nantes is such an affluent place, it is a region that has the prestige of a duchy rather than a county, but…

Still, there is nothing strange about making such a proposal, considering that I almost sacrificed myself to defeat the two barons that Magsburg sent with care.

Also, in negotiations like this, it is said that the one who gets angry first loses, but His Highness, the Duke of Brussels, who is in front of me, got angry first…

Now it’s time to lay out my cards.

“majesty.”

Hearing this, the duke sighed and replied in a voice filled with a little anger.

“What else are you going to say?”

“I already maintain a standing army of 5,000. And with a little bit of effort, you can raise 10,000 standing troops and last for two years. Sir Hellsman must have already told you, that Baron Creutel came with 3,000 elite soldiers before the estate was bestowed on his Excellency, Count of Nantes.”

Negotiations begin now, Your Highness the Duke.