Chapter 36: The Enemy of an Enemy

Thinking back on it, his previous arrivals were all within the territory of the Candlelight Society, where making contact with the supernatural was incredibly difficult. He had nearly mistaken this for an ordinary world, even the priest who had killed him kept his mechanical body concealed beneath layers of robes.

Yet, what was the benefit of concealing the existence of the supernatural? If the Church held dominion over the supernatural, shouldn't they be broadcasting it to solidify their status?

He shook his head. Now was not the time for such musings; there were more pressing matters at hand.

Hugh looked at Connor and spoke after a moment of deliberation:

"Indeed, so what I fear is not that your plea for help will go unanswered, but that they will..."

"Bury us along with the secret, is that it?"

Connor did not answer. He simply bowed his head and stood to the side, waiting for Hugh to make his decision.

Hugh rubbed his temples, sitting in his chair to think carefully.

This was certainly troublesome, but on the whole, it remained manageable.

First, the Candlelight Society generally did not want to openly sour relations with local lords. He was, after all, a Border Count now. If he were killed by pirates, the Empress would simply send someone else, but if he were mysteriously done away with by the Church...

The Imperial Court was currently looking for any excuse to keep the Church in check. Given the Church’s current strategy of total consolidation, they would certainly not hand the Imperial Court a blade to use against them.

Hugh felt that as long as he didn't do anything suicidal, the Church shouldn't do anything to him. He could even afford to be a bit arrogant in his dealings.

After all, he was the Empress’s man!

Besides that... Hugh thought of Chloe.

Perhaps it was because she was young and had not been with the Church for long, but he always felt this girl was far removed from the style of the Candlelight Society.

Hugh had spoken with her for a long time in the confessional.

She was filled with passion and curiosity for the world, as if there were a fire burning within her, and everyone who came near her was infected by it.

Hugh had probed her attitude toward non-human races. Although Chloe had hesitated, the curiosity and anticipation in her tone were unmistakable.

At the time, Hugh had thought that perhaps he could gain the support of this nun.

He hadn't expected to have to reach out to her so soon.

"I will approach Sister Chloe first; she is not as resistant toward the non-human races," Hugh mused. "The attitude of the Candlelight Society is not truly important. This is Sister Chloe’s church; I only need to convince her."

And if he failed to convince her... Hugh glanced at the floor. Castle was an isolated island; the only way to leave was by boat, and any message sent back to the Candlelight Society’s diocesan headquarters would take a long time.

He could easily suppress any unforeseen circumstances. The previous priest had died in an "accident," so if another nun were to have an accident, it wouldn't be entirely unexpected.

He could make everything seem perfectly reasonable.

But after a moment, Hugh abandoned this rash thought. It wasn't that he lacked the resolve to carry it out, but that he remembered the other person he had seen in the church: Brother Kesch.

Hugh knew he was not a living man, but some sort of mechanical construct. His existence was undoubtedly tied to supernatural power, and Hugh’s knowledge of the supernatural was almost non-existent.

Did he have combat capability? Could his soldiers handle him? All of this was an unknown.

Hugh remembered the Candlelight Society priest who had killed him—the speed that had completely surpassed his ability to react. Could he really stand against such a thing?

A shadow of gloom clouded Hugh’s eyes.

Though the Candlelight Society was always low-key, they were by no means weak. If he wanted to seek their help, he had to be cautious and probe carefully. This would waste a great deal of time, and time was the one thing he lacked most.

"Cough, My Lord Hugh, actually, the Candlelight Society is not necessarily the only option," Connor suddenly said in a low voice.

"Oh?"

"Steward Alexei did not come here alone; his sister accompanied him as well."

"Sister? I recall he..."

"Yes, he was an orphan adopted by the Imperial Court in the North, with no blood relatives."

"So this 'sister'?"

"It is the wish of the Imperial Court," Connor whispered. "Before you took office, Duke Cohen sent men to investigate these matters, so he likely gave his tacit approval."

Hugh looked at Connor with some confusion. He was supposed to be one of Duke Cohen’s men; judging by his tone, was this not something the Duke had told him directly?

Duke Cohen had chosen to feign ignorance, not even telling his own people, yet he had not stopped them from investigating...

Hugh smelled trouble.

The identity of this person must be of great significance.

The Imperial Court was pushing it, meaning it served their interests. The Duke was playing dumb, meaning he wouldn't be the one to lose out...

Alexei... the Imperial Court... the Duke... an orphan... a sister...

Perhaps the answer was right in front of him.

Hugh’s eyes brightened.

"I recall there is a White Crow Duchy in the northern part of the Empire, is there not?" Hugh chuckled, looking at Connor.

"Yes, my lord." A flash of surprise passed through Connor’s eyes; he hadn't expected Hugh to guess the answer before he could even explain.

"Alexei’s 'sister' is a refugee from the White Crow Duchy, adopted by an Imperial orphanage when she was young."

"And in reality?"

"She is a [Burier], from the Silent Sanctuary."

The Silent Sanctuary? Hugh knew the name. It was one of the four great churches, and their territory lay in the northern White Crow Duchy.

It was said that the White Crow Duchy had suffered some strange calamity, and now most of its people were fleeing to the south, including the Silent Sanctuary.

And now it seemed they were very interested in the Empire; their reach had already extended to the territory of a Border Count like himself.

The Imperial Court was at odds with the Candlelight Society and had chosen to bring in the Silent Sanctuary as a counterbalance. Almost no one here knew of the Silent Sanctuary, so they would pose little threat to Hugh. If Hugh approached them, they would likely be more willing to offer help.

And even if their attitude toward non-human races was overly aggressive, there was no need to worry; they had no foundation here and would not stir up a scene...

They were the perfect candidates for a plea for help.

"Where are Alexei and his sister staying?"

"Not far from here. You intend to go tomorrow morning, do you not? You can claim you are going to visit your chief clerk."

"Tomorrow morning... yes." Hugh looked out the window. It was late at night; to go out now would attract too much attention.

"Then I shall make the arrangements for you in advance to ensure everything goes smoothly." Connor winked at Hugh.

He intended to send someone to make initial contact so that Hugh could make a formal visit the next day.

Hugh took a deep breath. Although time was tight, rushing blindly would be useless, and besides, he was not without things to do.

"Connor, I need to allocate some supplies for the Banshees. As it happens, I shall show you this secret passage..."