Chapter 227

“…That….”

“Where won’t I tell anyone. Why is the Freiburg Archdiocese called your ideal?”

Silence continued.

I looked at him and quietly opened my mouth.

“I think I’ve given the congressman a lot of convenience so far, but it seems it hasn’t really hit home for the congressman.”

The congressman moved his mouth and swallowed hard.

The melted fear in his eyes was easily readable, and Richthofen was just wearing an ambiguous smile next to him. He seemed not adapted to threatening someone who is a federal congressman.

I led the conversation to make it easier for him to speak.

“I have a rough guess. I was in that area early this year. As you know, the Freiburg Archdiocese is the diocese that includes the Grand Duchy of Baden.”

He immediately realized what I was talking about.

Even though he knew he shouldn’t fall for such words, the congressman’s eyes already looked full of anguish.

He lowered his head and slowly opened his mouth.

“…As Your Excellency said. The diocese that brought the country to the brink of emergency like now is Freiburg. They first did the berserk experiment in the Grand Duchy of Baden, and spread it nationwide.”

Baden-Baden, which we visited early this year, belongs to the Freiburg Archdiocese. The Vatican judged the abnormal phenomena of the people there as the work of demons, but in fact, it was all berserk incidents induced by Pleroma.

“You guys think this is a great achievement, it really makes me sigh.”

“…For now, yes.”

“Now, I know there’s more besides that. Please tell me as you know.”

Of course, he hesitated.

Trying to slip away somewhere?

At this point, I need to add one more log to the fire.

“We can know where the congressman is hiding and where he’s speaking.”

“…Ahem, you might know, but our Pleroma ranks achievements every month, and Freiburg has always been in the top ranks. It’s a diocese that provided so much blood that it’s called the heart of our Pleroma.”

“Heart. There must be a reason why such a place hasn’t been caught in the investigation net.”

“Yes, since it’s on the border, they recruited a lot of foreigners… It’s well-known as a diocese that works safely without getting caught in the national investigation net.”

Narce’s smile gradually hardened stiffly. Richthofen’s expression wasn’t good either.

“Around the second half of last year, there’s the berserk potion being used now, right? They developed it first. Making people berserk to extract Vitriol, how revolutionary is that idea?”

I stroked my chin and shook my head.

The berserk potion was developed in Freiburg?

There’s a part that doesn’t quite match.

“Is the contaminated mosquito in Mepen your doing?”

The contaminated mosquito experiment in Mepen led by Werner Strauch.

It was the first attempt to make people berserk using contaminated magic power. It can be seen as the origin of the current nationwide berserk situation.

In a situation where competition between dioceses has intensified, does it mean the drug developed in Freiburg was used in Mepen of Osnabrück?

The congressman tilted his head, then opened his eyes wide and clapped his hands.

“Come to think of it, the contaminated mosquito incident in Osnabrück Diocese was earlier. This, while talking with Your Excellency, I feel like information is increasing.”

“To express it as information. Do you think the two dioceses were in a cooperative relationship?”

“Probably. I’m not in a high enough position to know all inter-diocese alliances, but I occasionally hear cases of dioceses cooperating. It seems highly possible that the two dioceses were closely sharing each other’s technology. They must have shared the benefits accordingly.”

“I see?”

I nodded and fell into thought.

He seemed to have found fun in finding new information from me, and continued talking.

“Our Brandenburg Archdiocese is competing with the Munich-Freising Archdiocese. After all, they are in Prussia and Bavaria respectively. It’s not to the point of exclusion, but we prefer to achieve higher results than them. After Your Excellency’s appearance, the Munich-Freising Archdiocese has been broken in many ways, so recently it’s livable.”

Yeah, good for you….

Boasting, bragging about that in front of Nicolaus.

I smiled and answered.

“Regional sentiments seem to remain in Pleroma as well.”

“That’s right. Anyway, we’re all people of the empire, aren’t we.”

“But if there are regional sentiments, why is a person presumed to be from the Wittelsbach family the diocesan bishop of Baden?”

Even if not as competitive as between Prussia and Bavaria, Baden and Bavaria are neighboring countries, so there’s a subtle tension.

The congressman thought deeply and lowered his voice.

“…I’m curious about that too. But it’s not very surprising. There are more such people. The bishop of Osnabrück is also from Prussian Junker.”

To bring up Ainsidel.

The appointment with Heike is soon, so I won’t ask in detail now, but I need to hear a bit.

I looked at him without speaking. He quickly grasped my gaze and started talking about Ainsidel.

“…Hm. What I know about him is that he’s been there since the early days of the church establishment…. He has tremendous ability, so he was earmarked for archdiocese diocesan long ago, but for some reason, he insisted on Osnabrück Diocese, so he ended up only as bishop there.”

“So, in fact, he’s someone who could receive up to archbishop position?”

“That’s right. I don’t know why he insists on that diocese. It’s unfortunate…. With his level of ability and achievements, he could have entered the top leadership beyond bishop, but by continuously refusing opportunities, he missed the timing and now he’s only being checked.”

With high probability, the ratio of juniors to seniors in the leadership has increased. Unless he’s a senior with considerable virtue, from the leadership’s perspective, Ainsidel wouldn’t look comfortable or good.

The congressman returned to the Freiburg story.

“Anyway, that Freiburg Archbishop really doesn’t look human. Among us, we jokingly said he must be continuously transfused with Wittelsbach blood.”

“Even if influenced by magic power, appearance doesn’t change with transfusion.”

“Yes, that’s true. It was just a joke.”

I scribbled that content in the note and organized the list of what I really need to know.

I got new information I hadn’t expected so far. But now, there was no time to ask too much.

“Do most of Pleroma wear mental resistance artifacts?”

“No. Even if they wear them, they won’t work against strong mages like Your Excellency anyway. As you know, the mechanism of mental strength is less researched than health. If there was such an all-purpose tool, everyone would use it… Could it be that somewhere they were using such a tool?”

“No. I’m asking because I’m developing a product aimed at mental strength enhancement artifact. To test the effect of the newly developed artifact.”

“…….”

The congressman’s smiling face turned ashen.

It seemed to sound like truth even though it was a lie. Of course, since I’ll start development soon, it’s not entirely a lie. I didn’t explain and asked the next question right away.

“Which diocese is in hostile relationship with Freiburg? At least competing dioceses or something.”

“There’s no such place in particular, but actually, our Brandenburg Archdiocese isn’t on very good terms with them.”

No such place in particular.

I shook my head and changed his words in the note.

“It seems there’s performance competition. It was a good topic. Pentalon is opening soon, what are you guys planning?”

“…….”

The guy’s eyes shook madly. He turned his gaze elsewhere to not show agitation.

“Hm, the incident blocked by the current Eszett 1st place student, that was our diocese’s plan. I don’t know which diocese struck first with such reckless act…. Because of that, everything is paused for a while. And such important plans aren’t shared with low-position Pleroma like me at a time far from implementation.”

“Why?”

“To prevent situations like now….”

Prevent?

“Then we can meet every day from today until the weekend.”

“…Haha…?”

“I’m serious.”

The guy’s face gradually darkened.

“Is there any plan in Pleroma regarding that Eszett 1st place student?”

“He’s the top scouting priority student, so there probably is. But of course, I don’t know the detailed plan.”

When I picked up the wand, the guy freaked out and waved his hands.

“R-really…! I really told Your Excellency only the truth today. Your Excellency also said we’re in the same boat… I answered faithfully….”

Narce looked at me and nodded.

It seems he didn’t say anything wrong.

This is enough information I can get from this guy.

“Now, let’s stop here for today.”

I smiled and lightly tapped the palm on the note. The guy flinched as if placing his hand on his heart.

“I’ll write soon.”

“Yes, yess….”

The congressman answered weakly as if not pleased at all. Then, he escorted us to the lobby on the first floor.

Coming out of the building, I looked once at the sun high in the sky and checked the watch.

“It’s still 3 o’clock.”

“Because your team skipped all today’s schedules.”

I ignored Richthofen’s nonsense.

Anyway, since the terrorism against me at the Pentalon main stadium, such schedules could be freely adjusted.

“Thank you for coming out, Senior. I can call you often from now on, right?”

“If I say don’t call, will you not?”

“No. Thank you in advance.”

I answered like that, took off the mask, and returned the hair color and eye color to original. Richthofen smiled and said.

“If thankful, come to the catacombs.”

“I will.”

He took me to the mansion, waited until I changed into casual clothes, then took me again to the school corps dormitory.

Now, the schedule with Heike remains.

It’s awkward to go from Bavarian politician to high schooler in 30 minutes after meeting the congressman, but no choice. It was a situation where I had to save even 1 minute.

‘I need to finish the proposal.’

How did I collect 7 points so far. I can’t fly the proposal lacking 5 points like this.

Coming out to the school corps dormitory lobby, I saw Heike looking around.

“Heike!”

“Oh, Lukas.”

Heike turned around expressionlessly and waved her hand to greet.

She observed me here and there, then with still emotionless face, snapped her fingers.

“I wondered what changed, it’s this. It’s been a while seeing you with hair down.”

“Haha, probably.”

“First time seeing you in casual clothes too.”

“Probably. Want to change and come out? We’re going to play, so wear comfortable clothes.”

Comfortable clothes, in fact, there are no clothes as comfortable as modern ones. Just shirts and jackets made of more floppy fabric, and wide pants. Still, it would be less burdensome than the angular uniform Heike is wearing now.

“…Should I?”

Heike quickly ran up the stairs to her room, and came back to the lobby only after 10 minutes. I smiled, pointed to the beige jacket inside my black robe, and said.

“Ah, similar clothes to me~”

“I matched on purpose.”

Heike said with a solemn face.

Since she said such words seriously without joking, I don’t know how to react. I made a similarly solemn expression and said anything.

“Hm, yeah. Good. It feels like we got closer somehow.”

“Right?”

Since Heike answered with a proud face, I subtly turned away from her.

Anyway, now I need to decide what to do.

“Heike. Did you eat?”

“It’s not mealtime, right?”

“That’s true.”

I stroked my chin, gestured outside the window.

“Want to go to the Spree River?”

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