The Game Difficulty
Is Crazy
After that, there were no more variables.
In the end, what began as a meeting triggered by the Pope’s audience with the son of a single noble house concluded with a momentous decision by the Pope himself.
After about an hour of discussion, Pope Agostino IX agreed with Glen’s persuasion and declared that the Black Order would be annihilated before the holy war.
That same evening, excluding the great regional nobles who were busy preparing for the holy war, the Pope summoned the cardinals and archbishops to the Papal Palace.
The faction led by Cardinal Joachim and Archbishop Bastian strongly opposed it, but due to the firm support of Cardinal Grazia and Saint Luceria, their resistance ended in failure.
“Now we can breathe a little easier.”
Luceria smiled warmly and pressed a hand to her chest.
She had come personally to inform Glen of the outcome after meetings that lasted until dawn, yet she did not look tired at all.
“Yes. It’s all thanks to you, Saint, and Cardinal Grazia, for lending your strength.”
“But the one who brought our intentions together was you, Brother Glen.”
A smile befitting a Saint.
It was hard for Glen to look at her beautiful violet eyes for long, so he subtly averted his gaze.
“Still, this is only the beginning.”
“That’s true. We’ve only officially been granted permission to move the troops.”
Because of the strong opposition from Bastian and Joachim, they could not expect full support.
“Even so, we’ve already secured more than enough forces. As long as we prepare thoroughly, there won’t be any variables.”
Saint Luceria and her combat force, the White Veil Knights.
Roderick, the Saint’s aide, and several high-ranking priests who had connections with him.
Five or six knight orders from the participants of the secret meeting, led by Randolph Hayward.
Cardinal Grazia Deleda and a small but elite group of Inquisitors.
And on top of that, part of the Holy Spear Knights dispatched by the Pope’s command, along with Ignat himself.
There was nothing to fear.
“The only condition is that we finish it quickly.”
Since the Pope had officially declared the annihilation of the Black Order, the news would soon reach their ears.
‘It’ll probably be passed along through Archbishop Bastian.’
Archbishop Bastian and Cardinal Joachim, who were in league with the Black Order, would try everything to interfere with the extermination campaign for their own benefit.
“Yes. That’s why we’ve scheduled the main expedition meeting for tomorrow morning. We’ve also discussed departing as soon as possible.”
“And we’ve decided to have you attend the expedition meeting as an advisor from the Inquisition’s side. So please come to the Grand Cathedral tomorrow morning.”
Luceria and Cardinal Grazia had also put various measures in place so that Glen could act freely during this expedition.
He had worried that things might turn awkward since he couldn’t attend some meetings himself, but it turned out to be needless concern.
“Thank you very much.”
Saint Luceria had done exactly what Glen remembered of her.
“Considering what you have done for me, this is nothing.”
With a smile and words telling him to ask for anything else if he needed it, Saint Luceria returned to the Grand Cathedral.
Glen remained alone in the reception room of the mansion beneath the lamp, organizing his plans.
Not long after, Romina and Riedenhall returned from the Black Order’s archive and reported to him.
“There’s nothing particularly different.”
“There are some subtle changes. They’re minor, but worth reporting.”
The most notable thing was that although the book recording the activities of Prophetess Cluny Sister was gone, no successor had taken her place.
“It seems they don’t have the leisure to worry about that.”
“That means the ritual is that important.”
It was nothing less than a ritual to summon the Order’s god into the mortal world.
With so much to prepare and focus on, selecting a successor for a dead prophet had been pushed aside.
Thanks to these movements of the Black Order, Glen became certain that what they were planning closely resembled events from the original story.
And the more an event followed the original flow, the more boldly Glen could act.
“As for variables… the only real concern is Cardinal Joachim and Archbishop Bastian causing trouble.”
Cluny Sister, who would normally have been plotting various schemes while coordinating with them, had already disappeared at Glen’s hands.
Now that the expedition was confirmed, there was little they could do.
At best, they could relay the expedition’s movements to the Black Order in real time or secretly slip spies into the expedition to sabotage it.
‘Even if something unexpected happens, Sir Hawkney is monitoring things day and night. It’s unlikely to turn into serious damage.’
The longer the preparation, the fewer the variables.
With everything already decided, that level of scheming could not stop the current flow.
“If it bothers you that much, should I just take care of them? That archbishop or whatever.”
Romina, sitting beside him, suddenly leaned her face closer and smiled.
“No.”
“Why? If we’re moving with the expedition anyway, I won’t have much to do. Wouldn’t it be better to stay behind and wipe out a few annoying pests?”
“You’ve got plenty to do.”
At Glen’s look that clearly said what nonsense are you talking about, Romina tilted her head.
“A lot to do?”
“Yeah. You have to fight.”
The confusion in Romina’s amber eyes deepened.
Glen was telling a demon to fight on a battlefield filled with high-ranking priests and holy knights.
“…What kind of weird plan are you thinking up this time?”
“What weird plan.”
Glen shrugged with a sly smile.
“There’s nothing special. I’m just planning to use all our forces, just in case things don’t go the way I want.”
“All our forces?”
At Romina’s question, Glen simply smiled meaningfully.
The next morning, Glen went early to the Grand Cathedral to attend the expedition meeting.
He first met with Cardinal Grazia and briefed him on the flow of the meeting.
If it were the Cardinal Grazia Glen knew, he would rally the expeditionary force well and lead the atmosphere even without explanation.
