The game difficulty
is insane.
The result was a draw.
There was neither a winner nor a loser, but the spar satisfied both Glenn and Cardinal Grazia.
I thought I was going to lose.
The decisive move at the end of the spar was, in truth, a gamble by Glenn.
He tried his best not to show it, so it wasn’t obvious, but the one who had a bit more leeway during the spar was Grazia.
The reason was one of Glenn’s chronic problems: combat endurance.
Maintaining 8-star–level power was limited to about sixteen minutes at most.
Even if Glenn could maintain his full power, Grazia’s strength was among the stronger side even within the 8-star rank, so if the fight had gone to the end, he would have lost.
That was why, in the limited situation of a spar, he aimed for a draw—and by having both of their weapons destroyed, things turned out exactly as he intended.
But still, she really fights well. Seriously.
Grazia Deledda.
Honestly, she was stronger than he had expected.
In the original work, there was never a scene that directly showed her fighting, so he could only assume she was strong.
He had gone into the spar thinking he would peg her at around the middle of the 8-star range and keep things even, but the moment their blades first clashed, he changed his mind.
He had said it several times already, but in this world, the number of rings was an important indicator that divided levels of combat power.
However, chasing only that alone could never make someone truly strong.
Just as having a larger build in a fight gave an overwhelming advantage but did not guarantee absolute victory.
If one had many rings, one also needed additional abilities to actively make use of them.
In the past, the 4-star holy knight Robert Zendricks, who had sparred with Glenn at the Wordsworth estate, focused solely on stacking holy rings while ignoring everything else, and lost to Glenn, who was only 1-star.
On the other hand, Glenn had won because he surpassed him in aspects beyond the rings.
But Grazia was different.
She possessed solid, well-rounded abilities worthy of the eight holy rings she wielded.
While Glenn had grown rapidly over several months by exploiting the strengths of a player, she had steadily built her power and skill over decades.
Thinking that far, Glenn even felt proud of himself for somehow managing a draw against someone like her.
Well… there’s also the fact that she herself seems to think highly of me.
“Hmph. It’s been years since I’ve seen a knight this solid.”
In the dining hall of the Inquisition headquarters.
Since the spar ended, Cardinal Grazia had not stopped praising Glenn even once.
She didn’t make a big fuss because of her personality, but it was obvious she was in a better mood than usual.
“…….”
Katrin’s shocked reaction was proof of that.
To her, Grazia’s smile was something rarely seen, so this whole situation must have looked very strange.
“If Sir Henry were still in good shape, I would’ve liked to take you into the Inquisition.”
“Haha… I’ll gratefully accept the sentiment for now. I have many responsibilities in various areas.”
Glenn smiled bitterly, but Grazia did not give up easily.
“I hear your younger sister is quite talented as well. How about leaving the next headship to her instead?”
That was, in fact, Glenn’s plan.
But saying that in front of this woman would be foolish.
If he wasn’t careful, she might throw him into the Inquisition without even asking his opinion.
Brushing it off with a vague answer about thinking it over, Glenn continued his meal.
Until the end of the meal, Grazia’s gentle praise continued.
Afterward, Glenn and Cardinal Grazia moved to the garden of the Inquisition headquarters and enjoyed a tea time.
He had raised her favor enough—now it was time to reap the rewards.
“You need the support of the Inquisition?”
In the warm atmosphere, Glenn carefully brought up the main point, and Grazia raised an eyebrow.
“The reason?”
“To annihilate the Black Order.”
“The Black Order?”
As if telling him to explain in detail, Grazia slowly rested her chin on her hand.
Glenn continued.
The holy war against the demon race.
The Black Order, trying to gnaw away at the Papal State while the nation’s attention was turned outward.
How Glenn had pursued them for months, gathering information, and finally pinpointed their headquarters.
He told a story that would certainly interest the head of the Inquisition, and Grazia nodded along.
“Finding the Black Order’s base is certainly impressive. But it’s hard to believe that’s true.”
Though he explained at length, there was ultimately no proof to back up his claims.
Even if one knew enemy information and the future, believing it depended entirely on the listener’s judgment.
“The Black Order is something the Inquisition has searched for over a long period of time.”
How could you discover the dioceses and headquarters of the Black Order when even the elite priests of the Inquisition could not?
She quietly brought the teacup to her lips, but the unspoken words were clear.
“…….”
Judith and Katrin beside them shifted in their seats and cleared their throats, as if their mouths were itching to speak.
Wouldn’t it be much easier if you just revealed yourself as the Saint?
Ah… to think Cardinal Grazia lacks faith to this extent.
They said nothing, yet somehow their thoughts were readable from their expressions.
Of course, he could claim to be the third Saint again by mentioning the voice of God as he had before, but this time the losses would outweigh the gains.
It’s not time for me to step forward as the third Saint yet.
With too few allies gathered, prematurely claiming that title could invite backlash.
Especially saying something so unfounded to the head of the Inquisition, who strictly maintained neutrality, could easily lead to trouble.
Instead, I’ve prepared another method.
Glenn wore a relaxed smile.
This level of distrust was only natural from Grazia’s point of view.
He never expected her to trust him just because they had crossed weapons once as pre-meal exercise.
“I understand your position, Cardinal Grazia. You must remain neutral in any situation, so it’s difficult for you to trust me easily. But what if I were to show you proof that what I say is true?”
Dropping his public smile, Glenn revealed his characteristic sly grin.
Grazia seemed intrigued by it.
“Oh? Proof, you say?”
“Yes. By this evening, Cardinal Grazia, you will believe what I told you earlier.”
“You sound quite confident. So what is this proof?”
“You’ll have to confirm it yourself.”
Suspicion filled Grazia’s eyes.
Glenn smiled with his eyes once more.
“It may be a bit troublesome, but I would like you to follow what I’m about to tell you.”
Ordering a Cardinal of the Church to do as you say was clearly crossing a line.
But Grazia Deledda was not that authoritarian.
And besides—
—If Sir Henry were still in good shape, I would’ve liked to take you into the Inquisition.
—I hear your younger sister is quite talented as well. How about leaving the next headship to her instead?
After the spar, she’s built up a fair amount of goodwill toward me.
After the duel, Grazia wanted to bring Glenn into the Inquisition.
There was no way she would miss the perfect chance to place someone she liked—and rarely liked—under obligation.
“Fine. I’ll follow your instructions. But.”
With a slight curl of her lips, Cardinal Grazia crossed her arms.
The next moment, her deep sea–colored eyes flashed with a warning.
“If the result is trivial, you will pay the price.”
A Cardinal of the Church.
