A Snake’s Life Ch 92

Chapter 92

 

Duke Bert was examining the materials Ian had given him when he noticed something suspicious. He pointed at a particular part with his finger and said,

“The flow of funds is going to the Mage Tower and the Temple. The Mage Tower I can understand, for assistance from mages, but why the Temple…?”

It was listed as a donation, but the amount was far from ordinary. Ian glanced at Zerpell. He hadn’t yet informed the Duke about the matter with the Pope, so Bert could only look puzzled. Zerpell also commented as he looked at the amount.

“I had almost been certain…”

Zerpell rubbed his forehead. He had heard about the Sanctuary from Shuiren and Casa. But with the evidence erased by magic and nothing but verbal accounts, there was no way to prove anything. Besides, they couldn’t just arbitrarily inspect Aiden’s medicine. At most, it would be dismissed as “a rather unusual drug.”

“But the real issue is whether the people will believe it.”

Ironically, the Pope’s popularity had increased proportionally with Shuiren’s appearance. Among the deeply devout, it would be hard to convince them that the Pope, the leader of the Temple, had trespassed into the Sanctuary, killed snakes, and caused the drought.

He began to wonder if the matter of the Temple should be left to Shuiren. As the emissary of the gods, his words would likely draw everyone’s attention.

Winning the hearts of the people was, in essence, a form of politics. While the donation amount was abnormally high, Aiden had been so frail that a priest had to remain at the palace to attend to him, and the Pope had even examined him personally. Framing the donation as a gesture of gratitude would be a sufficient excuse.

Seeing the grave expressions on their faces, Duke Bert asked,

“Is something going on at the Temple?”

There was no way the Duke didn’t know that the Pope was allied with the Emperor’s faction. After all, the Pope was elected from within the Temple, and as long as he had divine power, the one with the highest influence at the time became Pope.

“Yes, the Duke needs to be informed. Originally, I had no intention of touching the Temple… but the corrupt must be purged.”

Zerpell recalled the Pope emphasizing that Shuiren must summon rain, along with his insidious schemes. There was no doubt the Pope was plotting something. He had become more cautious after several incidents and wasn’t showing himself much, but when he did, something was sure to happen.

“This is something I heard from Shuiren. They trespassed into the Sanctuary, killed the snakes, and used them to make medicine that was fed to Aiden.”

“What? That kind of trespass is grounds for execution… and the Temple being the trespasser? That’s outrageous.”

Duke Bert let out a hollow laugh. It was an act of blasphemy.

Throughout the long history of the Eifelt Empire, no god other than Sushin had been acknowledged or worshiped. Sushin was that deeply rooted in their culture. For the Pope—supposedly the representative of God—to trespass into the Sanctuary was nothing short of ludicrous. And to commit murder on top of that? Duke Bert frowned and asked,

“But you said it was fed to His Highness? What do you mean by that?”

“I’ll just say that Aiden’s sudden improvement in health is related to the drought.”

Duke Bert’s eyes grew wider. Now that Zerpell mentioned it, the timing of Aiden’s improved health did match with when the rainfall started decreasing. If this had been going on for a year, then it started around the time the war was ending. Perhaps, when Zerpell didn’t die, they panicked and took desperate measures.

No—calling it a year might be misleading. It could have been planned long before that. That would explain the sudden retirement of Marquis Francia. He had always been suspicious, as the man wasn’t one to give up his leadership position just for business reasons.

“So that’s why they were so relaxed. When we purged the nobles… the Emperor’s attitude makes sense now. He was certain the rain wouldn’t come. And with the Pope backing him, it was more than enough to stir division.”

“Exactly. When’s the trial?”

“In five days.”

“Then we have until then to extract everything we can. Let’s interrogate the nobles.”

“You mean you’ll personally do it?”

Duke Bert was taken aback. Zerpell lifted one corner of his lips into a smirk and replied,

“Do you think this is the first time I’ve interrogated someone? I’ve done it countless times before… Besides, such people are easy to handle. In the end, they only care about themselves and crumble before power.”

Zerpell stood, smiling coldly. Just then, there was a knock at the door. Ian opened it, revealing Cedric standing outside. His expression was extremely serious. Seeing his face, Zerpell asked,

“What’s the matter?”

“The nobles have gone to see His Majesty.”

Zerpell’s brow arched sharply.

“Nobles?”

“Likely to beg for forgiveness. Some of them were even marked for detainment, yet they’ve been released. I suspect someone in the Imperial Knights might have let them go, just as we feared.”

“So it’s full of fools who don’t understand the situation. Do they really think appealing to the Emperor will save them?”

“They’re probably grasping at straws.”

“What about the nobles we captured?”

“They’re being held in an empty chamber, guarded by knights to prevent escape.”

Cedric had investigated the nobles’ mansions and detained those who had committed crimes, but the prison was already filled with other nobles. They had no choice but to gather them in a large room and post guards.

Upon hearing Cedric’s report, Zerpell nodded as if a plan had formed in his mind.

“Then we start with the ones who escaped. I’ll go see the Emperor. Good work. Duke, continue your search for the Marquis.”

“Yes, I’ll take my leave now.”

The Duke set out in search of the Marquis, Cedric went to command the knights, and Ian and Zerpell headed for an audience with the Emperor. When they arrived at the audience chamber, an Imperial Knight was standing at the door. Upon seeing Zerpell, the knight’s face turned pale.

Zerpell frowned at the growing ache in his ear. The nobles’ protest could be heard echoing down the corridor—they were yelling so loudly that it hurt to listen.

“I request an audience with His Majesty regarding the upcoming trial. Announce us.”

Zerpell spoke in a stern voice. The knight hesitated but, intimidated by Zerpell’s sharp aura, quickly went inside. However, unlike his swift entrance, he didn’t return promptly. Then a thunderous shout echoed from within.

“Who gave you permission to request an audience? Can’t you see I’m meeting someone? Tell the Crown Prince to leave!!”

“Y-Yes!!”

The door opened, and the now-crestfallen knight emerged cautiously. Glancing nervously at Zerpell, he said,

“My apologies. His Majesty refuses the audience. It may be difficult right now.”

Zerpell clicked his tongue quietly, and the knight flinched.

“Step aside. I’ll take responsibility.”

The knight hesitated but moved, and Ian opened the door himself. Without hesitation, Zerpell stepped inside.

“I clearly said—”

As the door opened and the Emperor turned toward the sound, he saw Zerpell entering. His expression twisted, and the nobles who had been crying immediately stopped, startled by Zerpell’s presence.

“Crown Prince, what are you doing here? I told you not to enter. Are you defying my orders?”

The Emperor was furious, but Zerpell remained composed. His composure only inflamed the Emperor further, reddening his face. Zerpell calmly looked around. The nobles, who had been on their knees begging, were now frozen stiff in that posture.

“Of course not. I came because I heard those who should be in prison are bothering Your Majesty. I apologize for letting them escape. It’s my negligence.”

“……”

“Did they try to sweet-talk Your Majesty?”

Zerpell smiled with one corner of his mouth. The sight made the nobles tremble violently with their heads bowed. The Emperor clenched his fist and spoke through gritted teeth.

“I have something to say on that matter. The nobles’ crimes have not yet been confirmed by trial. Detaining them en masse may provoke public scrutiny. You might even infringe on their noble status.”

Zerpell slightly nodded, as if acknowledging the point. But he stared directly into the Emperor’s eyes and spoke slowly, emphasizing each word.

“If we are to consider public opinion, then we must act even more decisively. It is not about fearing infringement of noble status—it is about demonstrating noble duty. Countless citizens witnessed the nobles attending slave auctions. If we do not expel them, even the Imperial Court’s prestige may fall.”

The Emperor pressed his lips tightly together. Zerpell had said the Court’s prestige, but he meant the Emperor’s. With the Marquis’s return, many nobles previously loyal to the Emperor were beginning to distance themselves. To be precise, the ones tied to the Marquis were already being imprisoned due to their ties with the casino.

“The Court’s prestige, you say?”

“Indeed.”

Zerpell answered nonchalantly.

“Many citizens saw slaves being traded. Their outrage is immeasurable. Some are furious, suspecting that their missing family members were sold into slavery. If we do not quell this fury, the backlash will be severe.”

Then Zerpell fixed his gaze on a noble with tear stains on his face. As soon as their eyes met, the noble began hiccuping. He had once entered proudly, seeking an audience, but now he was inching backward as if desperate to flee.

“When we searched the homes of these nobles, we found slaves. Surely Your Majesty does not support the slave trade?”

A chilling sound of grinding teeth echoed through the chamber.

“…Of course not. Guards, remove these men at once!!”

The Emperor’s voice rang thunderously through the hall. Zerpell felt a squirming movement around his neck and frowned. Shuiren was stirring, as if being roused from sleep.

The Emperor’s shouting had woken him half-way. Zerpell gently patted Shuiren’s back in a steady rhythm. The movement subsided, and peaceful breathing returned to his ear.

‘Even maintaining his seat is a burden to him.’

Zerpell mocked the Emperor inwardly.

The Emperor had expelled the nobles with his own hands. The knights standing by hurried to drag them out. Not a single noble dared protest as they were hauled away. The Emperor, clearly distressed, pressed a hand to his forehead.

“A wise decision. We will proceed thoroughly and uproot the corruption at its source.”

Zerpell bowed deeply in respect, but to the Emperor, it sounded mocking. In the end, both the Emperor and the nobles were the same—terrified of losing their authority.

As they left the audience chamber, Zerpell clicked his tongue.

“What a waste of time. Let’s go.”

“Where are we headed?”

“To the prison. I need to warn the one who dared release the nobles. And then, we get information about the mages from the merchant.”

“But obtaining information from the merchant…”

Ian had already tried to interrogate the merchant, but the man hadn’t spoken. He was articulate in all other matters, yet when it came to the casino, his speech became fragmented and broken.

‘I definitely reported this to His Highness…’

Ian didn’t believe Zerpell had forgotten, but just in case, he brought it up again.

“Your Highness, the merchant has been bound by a magical gag…”

“I know.”

“Sorry? Then how will you…?”

Zerpell suddenly stopped walking, and Ian almost bumped into his back. Zerpell turned his head and instructed Ian to fetch something. Though Ian tilted his head in confusion, he still bowed and quickly set off toward the office to carry out the order.