Chapter 82
Cromwell Staviana (2)
“I will accept all your demands. In return, grant me one favor.”
The Count’s gaze was calm and composed. His appearance was immaculate, and his entire demeanor exuded ease.
His wife had been taken from him. He should have been frantic with anxiety, yet he showed no sign of it whatsoever.
It almost made his love for his wife seem false.
Just like Cromwell.
The Count was an old monster who had spent decades navigating the political world and ultimately emerged victorious. Naturally, he was more skilled than anyone at maintaining a poker face and controlling his emotions.
No matter how desperate he felt, he would never reveal his impatience.
That manner of conduct had become second nature to him.
Johan sat across from the Count.
“You seem to have forgotten my warning already. Cromwell, you are in no position to demand anything from me.”
The Count raised his tea to his lips. His expression remained tranquil.
“I remember it. That is precisely why I called it a favor.”
“In other words, I’m free to refuse.”
“If you refuse, there is nothing I can do. As I said, this is merely a request.”
Johan considered it briefly.
“I’ll hear you out, at least.”
The Count answered immediately.
“Return my wife to me.”
Johan let out a disbelieving laugh.
“Impossible.”
Yeriyan’s remains were the leash Johan needed to control the Count.
He could not simply hand them over.
The Count said,
“If you require insurance, take the Celestial Coffin.”
The Celestial Coffin was necessary to resurrect Yeriyan.
“It isn’t a bad offer, but I refuse. Who knows? You might discover a way to resurrect your wife without the Celestial Coffin.”
The moment the Count found such a method, the leash binding him would disappear.
Johan had no reason to take that risk.
“I have spent decades searching for a way to revive the dead. I examined countless books, from holy scriptures to forbidden texts. As a result, I can say this with certainty: the Celestial Coffin is the only means of resurrecting Yeriyan.”
Johan shook his head.
“What you know is not everything that exists in this world. I’ll say it again: I will not return Yeriyan.”
The Count spoke in a low voice.
“…Then I will serve the Thirteenth End. The moment I become the Apostle’s servant, there will be no possibility of me betraying you.”
Johan clicked his tongue.
“You must travel regularly between the Holy Kingdom and the Empire, yet you intend to carve a demon’s brand into your body? That is absurd.”
The Holy Kingdom and the Empire possessed defensive systems against demons several times more comprehensive than those of the kingdom.
A demon worshiper would inevitably be exposed the moment they entered the imperial capital.
The Count knew that well, which was why he had never entered a contract with either the Evil God Society or Belzarak.
As the kingdom’s chancellor, foreign diplomatic activity was essential to his position.
Even to fulfill Johan’s demands, the Count would have to continue traveling between the Empire and the Holy Kingdom.
Neither Johan nor Mapheltan could afford to enter a contract with him.
The Count said,
“There are plenty of ways to evade detection. In fact, several imperial nobles—”
Johan abruptly cut him off.
“That is enough. If you want Yeriyan back, make me an Archduke, as I told you before. The moment I become one, Yeriyan will also be resurrected.”
The Count swallowed a groan and took a sip of tea.
His aged hand was trembling faintly.
“…Then her face.”
“What?”
“Allow me to see her face occasionally, at least.”
After a moment’s consideration, Johan answered,
“Very well. I’ll grant you that much. You may see Yeriyan before you leave.”
The Count needed some room to breathe.
If he completely broke down, it would cause Johan considerable trouble.
The Count steadied his breathing.
“You have my gratitude. Now, let us address the main issue. Is becoming an Archduke your ultimate objective?”
The position of Archduke was merely one step along the way.
“For the time being, you could say that.”
“Then our relationship will end the moment the Myatro domain becomes an archduchy.”
Yeriyan would also be resurrected by then, so the Count was correct.
They would no longer have any reason to remain connected.
Johan chuckled.
“Why? Do you dislike being involved with me that much?”
“This is not a question of whether I like it. We will inevitably become enemies.”
Was he revealing a desire for revenge?
No. If anything, the Count was the sort of person who would conceal his hostility.
There had to be another reason for his words.
“What are you getting at?”
“Think about it. Yeriyan will be resurrected as an angel, while you share the Apostle’s cause. As an angel, Yeriyan will naturally stand on humanity’s side. For Yeriyan’s sake, I will also have no choice but to fight against the End. Structurally speaking, we are destined to meet again as enemies.”
Johan said,
“What I hear is this: you want to know why I intend to resurrect Yeriyan as an angel instead of a demon.”
The Count nodded.
“It is contradictory, no matter how one looks at it. You walk alongside demons, yet you intend to bring an angel into this world. I cannot comprehend it.”
If they corrupted the Celestial Coffin into an abomination, they could easily resurrect Yeriyan.
Countless human lives would have to be sacrificed, but Johan would not care.
He was a heretic, after all.
At least, that was what the Count believed.
Johan opened his mouth.
“As I told you before, I have a greater cause. Consider Yeriyan’s resurrection as an angel part of that cause. I will not explain any further.”
The Count replied,
“Understood. I will not ask again. From this moment onward, I will focus solely on making you an Archduke.”
Johan had expected him to keep probing indirectly, but he accepted the answer surprisingly quickly.
“Deal with the Order first. If they continue stirring up trouble in the south, the situation will become difficult.”
“I have already sent word. There will be no further investigation.”
His efficiency was almost excessive.
“Impressive. Not only did you travel from the central region to the south in two days, but you also managed to contact the Church?”
It was physically impossible.
Even riding horses to exhaustion, the journey would have taken roughly a week.
“Haha, it was quite an ordeal.”
The voice came from somewhere unexpected.
Johan raised his head.
A man was stuck flat against the drawing room ceiling.
It was Hakain.
Icicles were wedged around his armpits, groin, neck, and shoulders.
The contorted position he had adopted to keep them from piercing his body was quite comical.
Ilea calmly sipped her tea.
Johan turned to her.
“Is this your work?”
“Don’t scold me too harshly. I restrained myself considerably.”
Johan sighed.
“Let him down.”
The moment he finished speaking, the icicles melted away.
Hakain landed lightly and looked at Johan.
“We meet again. I apologize for my discourtesy the other day.”
Hakain had threatened Johan’s life several days ago, but Johan held no particular grudge against him.
It was only natural to target an enemy’s weakness.
Johan said,
“It doesn’t matter. More importantly, Count, what is the meaning of this?”
The Count had brought Hakain into the domain.
That meant Hakain now knew everything about the Myatro domain’s connection to the Apostle.
Johan found the situation deeply disconcerting.
The Count replied,
“I cannot travel alone every time I come to see you. I need at least one capable subordinate. Without him, I would never have reached this place alive, nor could I have arrived so quickly. The south is remarkably distant and dangerous. Hakain is reliable in many respects, so do not worry.”
Hakain took out his pipe and placed it between his lips.
“I know how to keep my mouth shut. No—I must keep it shut. What you fear will not happen.”
Ilea spoke.
“The dead cannot speak at all. Johan, what should we do?”
The Count said,
“Hakain is bound to me through ancient magic. He cannot disobey my commands in any way.”
Johan was already aware of that.
He was merely irritated by the Count’s unilateral decision.
His expression twisted.
“Cromwell, you should have discussed this with me.”
“I will do so next time. I was too desperate to think clearly on this occasion. Please understand.”
Johan fell silent for a moment.
Could the Count have some ulterior motive?
Suspicion rose within him despite himself.
It was unavoidable when dealing with the Count.
Johan spoke.
“I’ll keep Hakain with me for the time being.”
Now that Hakain knew so many secrets, Johan could not simply allow him to return.
He needed to find a way to ensure his complete silence.
Depending on the circumstances, he might have to kill him.
The Count said,
“You expect me to return to my domain alone?”
That was impossible.
“I’ll assign someone to you.”
“Can this person carry me on his back and cover hundreds—perhaps thousands—of kilometers in two days?”
Apparently, Hakain had carried the Count on his back all the way to the south.
“That would be impossible, but they will at least escort you safely back to your domain.”
The Count looked dissatisfied.
“…Very well.”
“This was your mistake. Deal with the consequences.”
“I accept.”
Hakain scratched his cheek with the end of his pipe.
“Does my opinion matter?”
Ignoring him, Johan continued,
“Returning to the previous topic, you said the matter involving the Order has been completely handled?”
“There are still some loose ends to resolve, but there will be no investigation for the foreseeable future.”
Johan nodded.
“Then let us move on. Recommend me for membership in the Kingdom Council as soon as possible.”
Johan intended to seize control of the kingdom’s public sphere through the council.
“Only someone who represents a noble house may sit on the council. You are not yet the head of your house.”
Had that rule existed?
Johan did not know the kingdom’s laws in exhaustive detail.
“Then I’ll have to obtain the barony first.”
It was a position he could claim whenever he wished.
“Under the kingdom’s laws, only a noble who has undergone their coming-of-age ceremony may become the head of a house. Even if you inherit the title of Baron before then, you will merely possess the authority of an acting representative. Naturally, you would remain ineligible for the council.”
Johan would have to wait at least five more years for his coming-of-age ceremony.
He did not have that kind of time.
He clicked his tongue.
“I must join the council immediately.”
“There is no comparable precedent. It is effectively impossible.”
“Nothing should be impossible for you.”
The Count silently studied Johan before speaking.
“Surely you are not asking me to change the law?”
The corners of Johan’s lips rose.
“Change the law or purge everyone who opposes it. I don’t care how you do it, as long as you produce the desired result. I will join the council as the Watcher of the Abyss.”
The Count exhaled in disbelief.
“What an outrageous demand.”
“Use your influence. The sooner my conditions are fulfilled, the sooner your wife will be resurrected.”
“You are certainly making excellent use of Yeriyan.”
“I’ll take that as agreement and move on.”
Johan intended to squeeze every last drop of usefulness out of the Count.
“What else?”
Johan spoke with a composed expression.
“Adopt a child as your daughter.”
“…An adopted daughter?”
Johan nodded.
“A girl named Ilea. She is exceptionally intelligent, so she will be of great assistance to you as well.”
Ilea suddenly spat out the tea she had been drinking.
The Count, who was sitting directly across from her, was drenched from head to toe.
Startled, Ilea looked at Johan.
“Johan?”
Her pupils trembled.