Five days after Cesare spoke to Ardis, the church declared Ardis a heretic, just as he had said.

　The recognition of Ardis, the defeater of the three great goblins and the winner of the Lotus Cup, was a great shock to the people of King's Landing.
　Some people can't believe their ears, some say "I didn't think so" and some believe it without a doubt.
　While provoking different reactions from different people, the name of Ardis was once again spreading throughout the capital as a heretic.

　A drunkard who had been praising Aldis' achievements yesterday, a young man who had admired his strength, quickly turned his hand to the ground and began to speak ill of him.
　It was like a highly contagious disease that was invading the city with unstoppable force.

　I'm sure it was a blessing in disguise that there were more voices defending Ardis than I had expected.
　Unlike the time of Tria, the fact that he had brought a great deal of profit to the royal capital by defeating the three powerful demons, the fact that he had made a name for himself in the war against the empire, and most recently, the fact that he had participated in the Fuyo Cup and won it for the first time as an outsider, had built up a positive reputation for Ardis.

　Since it is a church proclamation, it would not be possible to deny it outright, but Aldis is heartened by the fact that there are fewer people dancing around the recognition of heresy than he had expected.

　But that doesn't mean you can't walk around the royal capital with your face exposed, so Aldis bought a suitable robe and walked around the royal capital with her entire body covered, including her face.
　Without hesitation, he stepped into a deserted tavern in the entertainment district of King's Landing and went upstairs on his own without even looking at the owner inside the counter.
　In an atmosphere that seems to be often used for surreptitious meetings, you reach the room you're looking for and knock on the door and open it.

　There was a visitor in the room.

''Yo. I didn't expect to have to meet with you in secret like this.

　Aldis is approached as he steps in.

''Not that I would have minded paying a visit to the Duke's mansion with impunity?

'Give me a break. No matter how much power your husband has as an aristocrat with great power, it's a big deal on the day that you, certified as a heretic by the church, come to visit me in the front.

　The one who called out to me was Moore Greysta, a former national army battalion commander who is the head of the Nilesteria duke's guard.
　Other than that, there was no other person in sight.

　Unlike when they were chatting in the Duke's residence, they were not caught off guard by each other.
　Both sides stand and exchange words while standing, ready to move at any time.

I'm sure you'll be able to find out more about this. No matter how you look at it--

He's waiting for me to come to the Duke's house.

　Aldis took over Moore's words.
　Moore nodded silently.

'What does the duke say?'

They want us to be quiet for a while as they negotiate with the church to get the heresy certificate revoked.

You're going to trust me over the Church?

Well, that wouldn't normally happen.

　Moore agrees with Aldis, who gives him a look of surprise.

'It's more than that,'

　Moore crossed his arms and gave him a somewhat silly look.

'You're going to let me hear the truth, aren't you?　The master intends to protect you despite the fact that he knows he is at a disadvantage. You wouldn't throw sand on his good intentions with your hind legs, would you?

...... What do you want to ask me?

　It's hard to say no to the air, and reluctantly Ardis urges him to go on.

The twins that started the heresy certification. Are you sure you're hiding and raising them?

...... There was no such thing as a goddess in that world over there. Of course, there is no doctrine that condemns twins. I'm sure you'll find that they're just children if there's no reason to avoid them because they're twins.

So you're telling me that he's really hiding the twins?

What if it was?

　Aldis asked back as if he had been coaxed.

'Don't be so alarmed,' he said, 'at least I know you're from another world. At least I know you are from another world,' he said. I'm not so narrow-minded as to impose my values on someone who has lived in a different world with a different common sense. It's not like me and my husband are particularly ardent believers. The ordinary people in the royal capital are the same kind of people. It's not a bad thing if it's a remote village, but especially if it's a crowded place like the royal capital. In front of the church, there are people who don't enjoy the prejudice against the twins although they don't talk about it openly. The only people who would be annoyed would be the church and a few noblemen, and the rest would be devoted followers.

　'Right,' says Aldis, closing his eyes.

'Well, be quiet for a while. The master says so, it will take some time, but he'll take care of it.

'I'm wondering, how can the duke move so far?　It's true that I've had a bit of contact with you, but from the Duke's point of view, I'm just a mere mercenary, right?

'Oh, I wonder if that's ....... Your daughter is .......

　Moore's eyes swam.

'Minerva?'

'I was already furious about that. You can't be an infidel, and you're about to hit the church at any moment: ......

You can't do that.

　If he did that, it would be an abomination compared to the time of the attack.
　It would definitely doom my marriage.

''Of course. The rumors are too bad. I have spent a lot of money to restore the young lady's reputation with a prayer ceremony. It must not be good for the master to hear such an ugly news about the church in less than a month.

　Of course, both the Duke and Moore must be very aware of such things.
　It may be unwilling for Minerva herself, but she will be forced to live an inconvenient life under close supervision for a while.

'I see, I understand. Well, I'll take it easy for a while," he said. I'm sorry to say to Minerva, but I guess I'll have to take a break from teaching swordsmanship for a while too.

How's the reserve?

No problem. I still make a decent amount of money from the takedown requests. I've got enough money in my pocket to shut down for six months or a year or so.

　This is not the first time that bad news is being spread.
　But with Tria, it was just gossip that was supposedly spread by the territorial army, and this time it was a heresy recognition officially declared by the church.
　The degree of seriousness could not be compared.

　On the other hand, this time it was prepared in advance by Cesare's warning.
　The same is true of the arrangement to communicate with Moore in this way in secret, and I've already pulled out of the inn.
　The twins and Nere live in the Caucasian forest, where no human being ever comes close to them, and Aldis only goes out into the human settlement when he has to make a minimal purchase, and even then he always hides his identity with a robe that covers his entire body.

　If you are an ordinary citizen of King's Landing or a mercenary, you would immediately fall into a predicament, but Ardis, who originally lived outside of King's Landing and has ample reserves, does not have much trouble.
　Of course, that was based on the assumption that things would remain as they are.

The only question is, will the other side leave us alone?





What's going on here?

　In the castle of the fiefdom, in the heart of the Marquis of Olguin's estate, the former marquis threw a glass of wine at the wall in a fit of anger.
　The glass was broken and the spattered wine ran down the wall and stained the carpet on the floor.

'You even had the church declare him a heretic, and you can't find out anything about him?

　The old side servant supplemented without seeming to be frightened, despite receiving a decent amount of anger.

''It seems that no one has been seen in King's Landing since he was last seen five days before the proclamation. It is possible that he is only temporarily away from King's Landing due to a long-term request. ......

'No, it's not!　I'm sure we've got our hands on the request the kid is about to make. ...... You don't suppose the information came from somewhere?

　No matter how secretive they are, they are involving the church and funneling a lot of money to the underworld.
　The more people who are involved in this, the more they will have to keep this information secret.

We've even got the forces in place to capture them in line with the proclamation: ......!

　As soon as he was recognized as a heretic by the church, he paired up the church's monks with mercenaries hired for money and placed them everywhere, including the inn, the tavern, the store, and the Duke of Nilesteria's mansion, where a thousand sword sorcerer might stop by.

　If they were caught quietly, that was fine, and if they resisted and the monk soldiers were harmed, that could be blustered as an appropriate action for an infidel to avenge the goddess.
　It is not acceptable for such a person to humiliate, humiliate or even force the former marquis, a nobleman, to retire.

　They must be rewarded for their ignorance.
　They are branded as heretics, lose their fame, are driven from their homes, and die in humiliation and regret with a broken heart.
　The former marquis had no doubt that this was a fitting end for a sorcerer of a thousand swords.

　Nevertheless, even now, five days after the proclamation, he has not been able to catch a glimpse of it.

''It doesn't matter that he escaped if he perceived it in advance. The proclamation of heresy recognition has been transmitted to the churches of the nations. He will have to live in the shadows in the future anyway.

That doesn't sit well with me!

　The former Marquis of Olguin kicked off the old side servant's words.
　It was also annoying to the former Marquis that there were more voices defending the Thousand Swords Magician than expected.

''I don't like it ......, I don't like it!

　The former marquis paced around the room, his nervous face contorted further.
　Holding his right elbow in his left hand and supporting his chin with his right thumb and forefinger, he murmured to no one.

'Come to think of it, that little bastard had a place to live in the Coruscus Forest: ....... Are you going to stay in there and wait for things to change?　I'd like to think that the heresy finding will not be withdrawn, but I can't say it's never going to happen when the Duke is working to defend it: ......

　The former marquis, who is supposed to be hunting down the sorcerer of a thousand swords, begins to feel an unidentified sense of urgency.

''Sitting down and waiting might be a bad idea ....... Should I hit him in one fell swoop?　There is no condemnation for defeating that little boy now that he has just been certified as a heretic. If you want, you can pretend that you sent out troops at the request of that priest: ......

　It reminds me of the distinctive priest with blessed ears that I spotted as a negotiator when I was providing information to the church this time.
　The priest, who completely believed that the wizard of a thousand swords was a pagan, did what we wanted him to do, to the point of being comfortable.
　His skill in consolidating the will in the church, persuading the headquarters in the west of the continent to declare heresy recognition was a great feat.

　Of course, he wouldn't know that he was being danced around by the former Marquis and seen as a useful pawn.
　The clergy are notoriously difficult to deal with, but those with too much piety and narrow-mindedness are easier to deal with.

But those who are too narrow-minded in their religious beliefs are easy to deal with. "We've given away a lot of money, so let's try to be of service to them.

　The former marquis grinned and immediately gave instructions to the old side servant.

　The old servant was reluctant, and remembering that Marquis de Trier had been interested in this story for quite some time, he began to calculate his strength in his mind, hoping that he might be able to help.
　The former marquis's own private army and fiefdoms, together with mercenaries who have an antipathy to the wizard of the Thousand Swords, plus the church's monks and reinforcements from Marquis de Trier.

　Even though they are going to the outer edges of the forest, it is necessary to select the best of the best, because they are going to be in the forest of Kosus.
　Inevitably, the number of men to be brought in would be reduced.
　But even so, he was only one opponent.

　It was true that the strength he had shown in the Fu Rong Cup was unparalleled, but even a magician of a thousand swords would not be safe if he was surrounded by a large number of people.
　The former marquis thinks that the story of his lion's share of the war in the empire is also an overly exaggerated story.
　And I don't think he can even show his abilities while protecting the twins.
　I'm not sure if I'll be able to find a way to get the best out of it.

"Hmm, I'll let you pay for frustrating my ambitions.