Veil of Destiny

Chapter 19 Cleanup

After a thorough interrogation, it became evident that no further information could be extracted. The nobles decided to end the session for now. However, a new question arose in Dorian's mind. "These secrets must be the Church's most guarded mysteries. How do you know them?" he asked.

Ian sighed bitterly. "I suppose there's no point in hiding it anymore. I am the twenty-fourth Cardinal of the Holy Church. Twenty-five years ago, I voluntarily relinquished my holy powers to become an ordinary mage in order to track down the whereabouts of the Purgatory Angel statue. I settled here, enduring over two decades of hardship, only for the Snow Fox to beat me to it. I had another plan in motion that was on the verge of success, but then you came along. It's fate, I suppose."

Dorian grinned. "Well, you don't have to worry about the statue anymore, old chap. Bedivere, being a Knight of the Holy Church, ultimately ensured that the statue returned to the Church. All your efforts over the past twenty years were for naught. Haha, we thought we had caught an ordinary town mayor, but it turns out you're a Cardinal. My apologies, really."

The nobles were well aware that they had entangled themselves in great trouble. Ian's identity as a Cardinal was significant. Even though he had lived under an alias for over two decades, the Church would have records. Their actions had been too blatant to cover up now. They couldn't possibly kill everyone in Le Mans town, could they? They knew there was no turning back after making such an enemy.

Dorian's face showed laughter, but his heart was heavy. The necromancer's centuries of life experience had taught him to consider all possibilities, both positive and negative, from every angle. This method had its advantages and disadvantages. While it allowed for thorough consideration, it also meant that sometimes the most critical aspect could be overlooked. But Dorian, with his unrestrained nature, often arrived at unconventional solutions.

Knowing that worrying would do no good, the nobles signaled a mercenary and then filed out of the interrogation room. Though they were ruthless, they weren't bloodthirsty by nature. Delegating the act of killing to others was preferable. The iron door closed heavily behind them, but a muffled groan still penetrated the gap.

"Damn it, we catch someone in this godforsaken place, and it turns out to be a Cardinal! Our luck is rotten," Grayson complained.

Tristan sighed. "It seems there's no way to settle this peacefully now. We can't cover this up. We'll have to find another way. Ian's entire family needs to be eliminated. That way, even if they investigate, there will be no witnesses."

Dorian thought for a moment. "Everyone, don't panic. This situation might still be salvageable. First, the Purgatory Angel statue was retrieved by us, which is a significant achievement. Even if it doesn't absolve us, it gives us some leverage. Bedivere values us, and this accomplishment should count for something. Plus, with his background, he doesn't need to compete with us for this minor credit."

He paused and continued, "With this achievement as our foundation, we need someone in the Holy Church to speak for us. There's a Cardinal in Lille, I think his name is Burke? We need to work on him. Everyone has a weakness, and if he doesn't, we'll create one. Also, the current Pope's health is failing, and no Cardinal wants a new rival. Tristan, this is your area of expertise."

The others looked at Dorian as if he were a monster. Feeling embarrassed, he pulled out a book titled "Continental History: Chronicles of the Holy Church" and laughed awkwardly. "I've been reading this recently, just applying what I've learned." They all laughed. Reginald had wanted to mock Dorian, but considering they were all equally unscrupulous, he let it go.

Reginald thought for a moment. "We can't let Ian's children go. We must silence them, but it has to be foolproof. Fira was captured by me alone, so no one but our trusted men knows about it. But Guta is more difficult to handle."