Paladin of a Fallen Order (Novel) - Chapter 82 - Silent Paladin
Chapter 82 – Silent Paladin
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Translated by Pratt
Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net
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Until the day he left the village and returned to the Holy City Solenion, Elbridge could not be sure whether Rombel’s words were a serious statement or a joke.
First, because Rombel often spouted nonsensical talk, and second, because the method was too radical. Frame the Golden Platter Order to solve the problem?
Yet Rombel was a man who displayed excellent determination and execution at strange timings.
Just like the time he blocked the entrance of the Mountain City Barkuntol and spouted lies.
*
One day, about ten days after returning to the Holy City Solenion.
Matilda, the freelance administrative priest, spoke.
“Sir Elbridge. Have you heard that rumor?”
Behind this kind of introduction, an interesting story was usually bound to follow.
“What rumor are you talking about?”
“There’s a rumor that someone seems to have unleashed a demon into the world on purpose. You know, how the Silent Paladin was sealed with the Great Demon…”
Matilda excitedly told all kinds of stories.
‘…Rombel. You really did it.’
If Matilda had heard the rumor, the probability of this rumor flowing into the Golden Platter Order could be said to be one hundred percent.
‘A guest will come visit.’
Elbridge’s expectation was exactly correct.
Because that very afternoon, Vice Archbishop Heinz of the Golden Platter Order came to find Elbridge.
Vice Archbishop Heinz spoke with a serious expression.
“Archbishop Elbridge. I trust you know what reason brought me here.”
Starting from the title, it was Archbishop Elbridge, not Sir Elbridge.
It must mean he wished to talk about a slightly awkward matter as the leadership of their respective orders.
“It is not that I have no guess… but to prevent the talk from going in circles, it would be best to discuss it from the beginning.”
“Since they said a disastrous rumor was floating around, I traced back the source of the rumor for the past few days. Then, the name of the dwarf Rombel was brought up.”
“Oh, that fellow Rombel.”
Elbridge feigned ignorance.
Of course, it was of no use.
“The problem is that your name was also brought up in that rumor.”
“That is indeed a coincidence.”
Vice Archbishop Heinz’s eyes narrowed.
“Archbishop Elbridge. Let me ask you one thing. Did you arrange this on purpose with the by-election ahead?”
The Order of the Rusty Shield did not pay much attention to the by-election in the south. Because the believers of the Order of the Rusty Shield were concentrated in the East’s Solenion and the Mountain City Barkuntol.
There was absolutely zero probability that the Order of the Rusty Shield would acquire the single seat freed up by the by-election.
But the Golden Platter Order was different.
The Golden Platter Order was an ultra-huge order exerting influence across the entire continent, and was also an order with a high probability of securing the single seat left by the God of the Flowing Water.
Since the Golden Platter Order was pouring its heart and soul into this by-election, they could not lightly let go of the unsettling rumor spreading before the election.
Of course, even if there was no election, the Golden Platter Order would have taken the rumor seriously. Because the content of the rumor was so grave.
Elbridge spoke firmly.
“I swear by the Goddess of the Rusty Shield, that is not true. Besides, what do you mean by arranging it? You speak as if I am hostile toward the Golden Platter Order.”
“If it felt that way, I apologize. However, at such a coincidental timing, and with the name of Archbishop Elbridge mentioned together in a ridiculous rumor, confirmation is necessary.”
“It is true that I tracked that case together with Rombel. As you know, the Silent Paladin is my ancestor and a saint of the Order of the Rusty Shield. However, I have never spread the rumor.”
“Furthermore, can I take it to mean that you had absolutely no idea such a rumor would spread?”
A sharp question came in.
“Yes. I did not know.”
Elbridge lied confidently. Because truth was not a value that the Order of the Rusty Shield particularly prioritized.
Vice Archbishop Heinz also knew that fact, so he demanded an answer once again.
“Could you speak confidently even in front of the Goddess of the Rusty Shield?”
At that, the Goddess of the Rusty Shield immediately delivered an oracle.
– Elbridge. You may bring up your Goddess’s name and honor.
Elbridge, the faithful paladin, faithfully followed the Goddess’s oracle.
“Yes. Staking the Goddess’s honor. I did not expect it at all.”
Even an ordinary believer could not easily tell a lie in front of the name of a god. Much less, for Elbridge, who was an archbishop, to speak of the god’s honor was no ordinary matter.
Therefore, Vice Archbishop Heinz accepted Elbridge’s statement as truth and apologized for his own rudeness.
“I am sorry. I apologize for suspecting you hastily. To you, and to the Goddess of the Rusty Shield as well.”
“I am fine. The Goddess of the Rusty Shield will also forgive Vice Archbishop Heinz.”
Heinz let out a deep sigh and asked Elbridge.
“Archbishop Elbridge. Could you explain what the situation is?”
Elbridge shrugged his shoulders and spoke vaguely.
“Because I considered it suspicious that the demon suddenly revealed itself, I have been wandering across the continent since last year to investigate. I met the Central Mage Tower Lord in Middlemarch, and met a sage in the southern part of the continent… and then, I obtained a clue.”
“A clue?”
“Yes. The place where my ancestor, Sir Elbridge, was sealed with the Great Demon. And I found out the fact that someone broke that seal.”
“Who told you that fact?”
“I cannot disclose the source. Please understand.”
Vice Archbishop Heinz was a decent man who knew shame.
Since Elbridge had already spoken of the Goddess’s honor once, Heinz could not pry further.
“Anyway, I visited the place where my ancestor was said to be sealed with the Great Demon. Indeed, there were traces of the seal being broken. As I retraced those traces and looked for suspects, I found out that someone wearing the priestly robes of the Golden Platter Order instigated the deed.”
Vice Archbishop Heinz gasped in shock.
“That is nonsense. What benefit would it be to our order for the demon to be released?”
“I know. That is why Rombel and I did not suspect the Golden Platter Order. At any rate, since no clues to track the culprit remained, we had no choice but to end the investigation there and return. That is all I know.”
Heinz still could not hide his aggrieved feelings.
“If so, what grudge does Rombel hold that he spread the rumor that our order broke the seal of the Great Demon?”
Elbridge thought.
‘No. Rombel would never have said it that way.’
Rombel was no fool, and sometimes even showed a clever, crafty side.
Particularly in a situation where he might have to take responsibility.
How would Rombel have spoken?
“Vice Archbishop Heinz. By any chance, did Rombel say the Golden Platter Order was the culprit?”
Heinz hesitated.
‘As expected.’
Elbridge shook his head side to side.
“That fellow Rombel must have been drunk and couldn’t even think deeply. Without even considering that the Golden Platter Order might face misunderstanding, he probably blabbed the information he found to just anyone.”
Heinz might regard Rombel as trash. However, Elbridge did not care much.
Although the direction was different, wouldn’t that also be slightly the truth…
“Groan…”
“By any chance, where is Rombel now?”
“He left.”
It meant he had set up the situation and slipped away.
Heinz’s expression was utterly helpless.
“There’s not much time left until the by-election. We must somehow quiet down the false rumor…”
“If people ask me, I will tell them that the Golden Platter Order did nothing wrong.”
Of course, there was no way the false rumor would quiet down with just that level of response.
Heinz’s thought was the same.
“Thank you. However, we won’t be able to put the rumor to sleep with just that. Because false rumors spread easily but are hard to correct.”
Elbridge knew all too well what he should say here.
“Vice Archbishop Heinz. Why don’t you step forward a bit more actively instead?”
“Actively?”
“Yes. The Golden Platter Order steps forward to find the real culprit. You must show at least that much movement for the people to react. Of course, I will also join the Golden Platter Order.”
The descendant of the hero who sealed the Great Demon goes out to find the real culprit together with the Golden Platter Order.
Although it was not a perfect solution, no solution more appropriate existed.
“Would you really do that?”
“Yes. Since, strictly speaking, I am not unrelated either. Furthermore, when the Golden Platter Order steps forward for a great cause, there is no way I can just stand by. Partly to make amends for my friend’s fault…”
“Thank you, truly thank you.”
Looking at Vice Archbishop Heinz, who was clutching his hands tightly and tearing up, Elbridge felt a faint prick of conscience.
To pin a charge on innocent people, pass the work onto them, put on airs, and even receive expressions of gratitude.
However, apart from that, it was undeniable that the picture Rombel had drawn was exceedingly splendid.
‘It’s not something I’m doing for my own private gain, is it? Besides, since Vice Archbishop Heinz and I are grateful to each other, isn’t it a win-win in the end…?’
Vice Archbishop Heinz left after leaving his thanks to Elbridge.
Elbridge entered the prayer room and offered a prayer of gratitude to the Goddess of the Rusty Shield.
“Goddess. Thank you. Thanks to you permitting me to encroach upon your honor, I have overcome the obstacle.”
At that, an oracle descended.
– Do not worry, Elbridge. As long as you don’t get caught, your Goddess’s honor does not fade.
The Goddess of the Rusty Shield maintained a practical stance in such matters.
– Actually, I felt somewhat proud for some reason. A Goddess sacrificing for her sole paladin. Isn’t it cool…?
Elbridge decided to pretend he had not heard the final oracle.
*
– In the end, it seems Rombel’s judgment was wise, Elbridge.
“I do not know if it was right, but I think it was effective.”
The Golden Platter Order began a massive investigation.
Even more extensively and publicly, just to prove their own innocence.
Notices requesting information related to the case were posted here and there, and the investigators of the Golden Platter Order ran all over the place. It was not even something happening only in Solenion. The investigation continued not only in the continental East but in other regions as well.
In that process, people grew anxious, and all sorts of false rumors spread.
“There’s a guy who unleashed a demon on purpose?”
“So they say. Could a demon’s kin be mixed in among people?”
“Maybe so.”
“Oh dear. What is the world coming to…”
Although there were side effects, large and small, progress was surprisingly fast.
Seeing as Dieter, who had introduced the request to the innkeeper’s son, was caught in just a few days.
Meeting Elbridge, Dieter complained in distress.
“Just what on earth is going on? What did Ned and his friends do?”
“They were mobilized to break the demon’s seal.”
Dieter’s face turned white.
This was not a problem on the level of just connecting a greenhorn mercenary with an untrustworthy client.
“I had absolutely no idea about that. Really! If I knew it was such a request, I would never have introduced them. Even if my head were to roll!”
“Do not worry. Since the Golden Platter Order does not seem to suspect you in that regard either. The only thing you can do is cooperate with the investigation.”
A while after that.
Around the time Rombel, who had vanished, slinked back into view and the by-election drew close.
Elbridge realized that the number of people visiting the Temple of the Rusty Shield had visibly increased, and that people were stealing glances at him.
Although he had continuously drawn people’s interest since the last Grand Festival… it was far more severe these days.
‘What is it?’
Ultimately, Elbridge asked Matilda the reason.
At that, Matilda opened her eyes wide.
“The reason why people are doing that? You didn’t know?”
“Of course I don’t. Since I don’t tend to have many external activities. Did some strange rumor go around?”
“Not exactly a rumor… but there has been such talk since a while ago.”
Matilda looked intently at Elbridge and spoke.
“The story of where the Silent Paladin, who was sealed together, is if the seal was broken and the Great Demon was released.