My testimony as a commoner might not have meant anything, but being the daughter of the archduke changed that, whether I was adopted or not—not to mention that Sylvester had accompanied us during Spring Prayer. Count Bindewald was surely unaware of the fact, but his party had attacked the archduke directly.
“Fascinating. Sounds like he’s got a list of crimes to his name. Count Bindewald, you’re under arrest. Your crimes are illegally entering my city and attacking my daughter alongside her knight bodyguard,” Sylvester said in a firm tone that left no room for argument. “As for the mysterious attack on the carriages during Spring Prayer, I was there with them. It will be taken as a declaration of war from your duchy’s archduke. You are a criminal who has greatly disturbed inter-duchy politics; you will be interrogated, I will question Aub Ahrensbach on whether he does intend to declare war, and then your fate will be decided. Get him.”
Karstedt made his wand appear and brought it down in a sharp slash, which sent bands of light just like the ones wrapped around the High Bishop flying out from its tip. Bindewald, his eyes rolled back in his head and foam bubbling at his mouth, was captured without any resistance.
Karstedt then strode to the door leading to the Noble’s Gate, threw it open, and shot a beam of light up into the sky. The Noble’s Gate opened, and the Knight’s Order—having apparently been waiting behind it—marched into the temple to retrieve Bindewald and the unconscious Damuel. That was when Sylvester, who had been watching them out of the corner of his eye, shifted his gaze to the High Bishop.
“Sylvester, we do not even know what woman gave birth to Ferdinand. There is no need for you to pay any mind to the likes of him. And how were you ever fooled into adopting a despicable commoner like Myne? I cannot believe a child like her has corrupted the heart of our duchy’s archduke. Please, cancel the adoption right away,” the High Bishop said haughtily from the ground, still wrapped in bands of light. “This is my sincerest warning as your uncle and you would do well to listen.”
I could tell from Karstedt’s and Ferdinand’s exasperated expressions that this wasn’t the first time he had used that line.
“Ferdinand may have been born from a different mother, but he is still my little brother. He is skilled and his work is true. I will not have you scorn him.”
“You cannot trust a half-blood relative! My older sister—”
“Your circumstances are your own. We are different.”
...The High Priest is the archduke’s half-brother, and the son of the last archduke? Okay, that explains why the Knight’s Order would kneel to him.
His past caught me by surprise. I could imagine that the High Bishop and Sylvester’s mother were always trying to get in the way of their friendship. Maybe the High Priest had joined the temple due to something like that.
“You are my beloved nephew, Sylvester—the precious son of my older sister. I do not want you to suffer any misfortune. Please listen to my warning,” the High Bishop pleaded like a desperate old man.
Sylvester looked down at him with cold eyes. “I am Aub Ehrenfest, and I will not repeat the same mistake forever. As archduke, I will abandon my familial sympathy and have you punished in accordance with the law.”
“What?! Veronica will never accept this!”
Apparently, whenever the High Bishop broke any laws, Sylvester’s mother would get involved and smooth over the situation for her little brother. I had been wondering why he was always so arrogant and aggressive, but now I understood—he really could do whatever he wanted when he had the archduke’s mother compensating for his lack of status.
“Uncle, you went too far this time. Mother can no longer protect you. She too will be charged with forging documents and assisting in criminal acts.”
It looked like Sylvester would be charging his own mother in order to punish the High Bishop. I could guess that, in the past, his mother had only ever protected the High Bishop, never going as far as to commit crimes that could be traced back to her. But this time she had disobeyed the orders of the archduke and forged documents to allow an outsider into the city—a clear-cut crime, regardless of whether or not the archduke was her son. Sylvester no doubt intended to punish both his mother and his uncle in one fell swoop.
“Sylvester, you intend to turn your own mother into a criminal?! You will not escape from such a horrible act unharmed!”
“And that is your fault!” Sylvester barked after the High Bishop yelled in protest. “You have committed so many crimes that I can no longer even count them. Mother protected you out of love each time, and now it has come to this. You will be executed for your countless crimes, and Mother will be confined to her villa. You are not needed in my politics,” he concluded flatly.
The spark faded from the High Bishop’s eyes and he looked at Sylvester with an ashen expression, like a fire that had burnt out. But archdukes did not go back on their word.
“Take the High Bishop and his attendants away.”
“Yes, sir!”
It seemed that just like how any crimes I committed would bring punishment to my family and attendants, any crimes the High Bishop committed would bring punishment to his attendants. The knights called by Karstedt first picked up the restrained High Bishop, then went to his room to get his attendants. The shrine maidens by the door were captured as well, with one of them
