Chapter 38 – Count Gerard

There was also some merit to her words.

Vane Sanctum could not be brought down with a mediocre pretext.

Since minor faults could be covered up well, and he was a person in that level of position.

‘Something big is needed. A major crime of his that cannot be forgiven.’

As for a major crime here,

Vane would naturally commit it on his own as time passed, even if Rashid did not make an effort.

Because he was sure to commit a clear mistake.

However, he could sufficiently advance that timing through his own efforts.

‘If he is cornered, he will naturally choose the demon. Since that will be the only solution.’

If so, it was important to push him into a corner.

From the moment Rashid became an inquisitor, he focused solely on digging up Vane Sanctum’s corruption.

Several circumstances were captured, and he began to gather evidence secretly.

However, there was no way such an investigation could proceed quietly.

Eventually, it reached him.

Having poked around here and there, Vane had reacted in the end.

“Inquisitor.”

Aria entered his room and

delivered some bad news.

“It is a summons from the Papal Court. His Excellency the Director of Palace Affairs wishes to see you.”

She did not miss saying these words either.

“Please do not misunderstand, as it has nothing to do with me.”

Rashid nodded his head.

Although it was possible that she had spoken of it, first of all, poking around here and there was the issue.

‘Is it a check? That would be natural. Indeed, that gentleman would not stay still when someone is digging into him.’

“The time?”

She replied indifferently.

“He said to visit at any time. At a time convenient for you, Inquisitor.”

“I will go now. There is no need to delay it.”

Having finished his preparations to go out, Rashid headed straight to the Papal Court.

It was time to face the fellow.

* * *

The office of the Director of Palace Affairs located in the Papal Court.

Vane was facing the guest he had personally invited.

“Count Gerard. It has been a long time.”

“It has been a long time for me too, Your Excellency. Have you been well in the meantime?”

A trivial conversation began.

However, the main point came from Vane.

“The story I heard at that Choral Dome back then. It was indeed interesting. Controlling people with music, was it? I heard she is a performer who dominates everything—the sensations, emotions, and even the nerves felt by the person.”

“It is the pinnacle of art. Her performance is completely flawless. Since it is a heavenly melody, whatever audience it is, they are naturally fascinated by that music.”

“Hearing that story suddenly makes me recall a past event that I had forgotten. In the past, there was a child with a similar ability in the choir school under the order…”

Gerard’s expression stiffened, and Vane continued his words without paying attention.

“That child also possessed the power to fascinate and dominate people with her performance, just like the performer in the rumors. She was a girl and had silver hair. Is that performer similar by any chance?”

The expression of Count Gerard, who coughed shortly, sank coldly.

“She is similar, but she is probably a completely different person from the one you know, Your Excellency. Since I am her sponsor, please do not harbor any strange thoughts, just in case.”

Vane waved his hand.

“Haha, I did not mean it in that way. Even if it is the same person, how could I harbor any strange thoughts when someone is sponsoring her?”

“Thank you for saying so, Your Excellency.”

“However, I still think very highly of that power, both back then and now. The power to dominate people through art… Although it is a bit of a past event. Back then, I briefly thought about what it would be like to subjugate heresy using that power.”

“Heresy…”

Would that not be his political enemy?

Or those who opposed him.

Gerard suddenly had such a thought.

“Although I have no interest in that child who fled… I still covet that power. Right on cue, she possesses a similar power…”

His meaningful gaze, which blurred the end of his words, reached Gerard.

“You may speak comfortably. Are we not in a relationship where we have clear things to give and take, Your Excellency?”

“Then I will speak straight to the point.”

“Please speak.”

“I heard such an incident occurred in the autonomous territory ruled by the Count. That everyone who attended the concert committed self-harm for no apparent reason.”

Gerard could roughly know what he would want.

“Based on my personal investigation, I heard it had absolutely nothing to do with her.”

“I have no interest in who the culprit is. However, would it be alright to request a similar performance at the Basilica Choral Dome?”

“Do you mean a performance?”

“If you grant my request, I too will grant your request.”

“She will dislike it… Ah. No, indeed. I thought wrongly.”

Gerard scratched near his temple as if he recalled something.

“There was something I had dreamed of for a long time. That her perfect performance is sublimated into a single art and fills this imperial capital. Did you say the Basilica Choral Dome?”

“That place would be the best. It will also be easy to gather people.”

Having finished his thoughts, Gerard wore a deep smile on his lips.

“I will take charge of the concert. You just gather the people, Your Excellency.”

“The seats there will be selected from the best audience. And the perfect performance.”

He also wore a cruel smile on his lips.

“Hearing it once would be enough. I request that there won’t be a second time hearing that performance. Would that be alright?”

“I understood well what you mean. I will persuade the protagonist well. Please support us with both material and spiritual aid so that there won’t be any mistakes in the concert, Your Excellency.”

Vane replaced his reply by nodding his head.

Knock, knock!

Around the time the conversation ended,

Vane’s secretary came in and informed him about the guest who had arrived.

Vane’s expression, which had been good, cooled down instantly.

“Who is it? It does not seem like a very welcome person.”

“A fruit fly that has been sticking to me and annoying me recently. Ah, it would be good to clean him up at this opportunity as well. Since I believe it would be better to let him hear her good performance too.”

The Count rose from his seat with a smile.

“Then I will head out. Let us talk about this story again later.”

“Let us do so.”

Gerard, who was leaving the reception room of the Director of Palace Affairs, happened to run into a man wearing a black inquisitor uniform.

The gaze looking at him was quite sharp.

However, since it was someone he saw for the first time, Gerard simply ignored him.

However, Rashid did not.

‘Count Gerard? Why is he here?’

A performance artist.

To be precise, he was a psychopathic murderer who sublimated murder into performance art,

and was a reliable sponsor of Seraphine, the Symphonic Duelist who was a Lazarus Villain.

‘Surely they aren’t planning to perform the Sonata of World Demise here?’

Rashid fell into deep thoughts, pondering about the departing Gerard.

‘There is no reason for him to come here. Since his purpose is firm.’

Right on cue, Vane’s voice calling him reached him.

“Do you know Count Gerard?”

Rashid responded.

“He is a familiar face. Since he is a Count.”

“A familiar face? Your connections are wider than I thought.”

“Rather than that, I heard you summoned me.”

“Inquisitor.”

Vane did not even feel the need to make him sit.

“Why are you poking around an innocent person? Is it because I interfered with you becoming an Honorary Cleric?”

“It has absolutely nothing to do with such things.”

“I also do not think I am such a narrow-minded person. Especially when you are a precious talent who even became an inquisitor.”

“What is the reason you summoned me?”

“Is there a reason? Do you ask while already knowing?”

“If you are asking about digging into your background, Your Excellency, I am naturally just doing what I have to do.”

Vane let out a faint sneer.

“I understand your hot-blooded passion, but it is an impossible task. You are doing annoying, troublesome, and completely useless work. How about targeting someone other than me instead? That would be good for stacking up performance and would be more meaningful.”

“Is there a more meaningful prey than you, Your Excellency the Director of Palace Affairs?”

Vane, who was sitting on the sofa in the reception room, did not even cast a glance at Rashid, who stood at the entrance of the reception room.

“Insolent. Extremely insolent. Just because you are an inquisitor does not mean you are in a position where everything can be forgiven. Since even inquisitors can attack each other.”

“Lucian Alhazen. Are you talking about him?”

Only then did his gaze turn toward Rashid.

Although Vane did not show it, he thought it was unexpected that that name came out.

“What are you talking?”

“You would know very well what this means, would you not, Your Excellency?”

“Hmph, you are talking nonsense. I am a person who has no relation to him.”

“We will find that out gradually as time goes on.”

“Inquisitor.”

“Yes, Your Excellency.”

“It seems there is no need for us to be on bad terms. If you have time, would you like to attend a concert together? Surely you won’t reject such a request? Especially when it is a request I am making.”

Here, Rashid was convinced.

‘They are preparing the concert. The Sonata of World Demise.’

The concert of the Lazarus Villain was special.

Because not only did it dominate everyone who attended the concert, but it also possessed the power to send them to the afterlife.

This was no exception even for himself.

‘The progress is faster than expected. To think I will face Seraphine at this timing.’

However, he knew the countermeasure clearly.

‘If I hasten the preparations, we won’t be helplessly hit by the concert.’

“Since I am busy with business, it seems difficult to attend the concert with you, Your Excellency.”

To think he even rejected this request.

Vane shook his head.

“You are indeed a person with no flexibility. I thought you would remain in the inquisitor position for a long time, but it seems that is not the case either. In my opinion, you won’t be in that position for long. If you keep acting that way.”

Vane did not miss saying these words for him either.

“If a vacancy opens up, then my younger sister will sit there. Although she has been a child without a speck of affection since childhood, she would still be better than a complete stranger.”

“If you have said everything you wanted to say, I will head out. As I said, I am a busy person.”

“Go. I have nothing more to say either.”

Rashid, who was about to leave like that, suddenly stopped his steps.

“Your Excellency. About Count Gerard.”

“What else do you want to say?”

“Meeting him was your mistake. I was a cleric before being an inquisitor, and I have handled various cases during that time. Do you know about the unpleasant incidents related to him?”

A gruesome art made of corpses.

There was a wild rumor that the culprit behind such performance art was Count Gerard.

However, it was merely suspicion.

Honestly, from Vane’s standpoint, it was a story he had no interest in.

“Do you still believe such a wild rumor? It is merely a false story made up by forces trying to slander the Count.”

“There are also people in this world who should never be associated with. This is my sincere advice to you, Your Excellency.”

Insolent fellow!

For a mere inquisitor to dare open his mouth to him.

He glared at him fiercely, but Rashid had already departed.

‘Audacious fellow. How dare he open his mouth?’

If the person backing him was not the Knight Commander,

he would have been a fellow already buried.

* * *

Rashid came out of the Papal Court and scanned the surroundings.

Regrettably, Count Gerard was not there.

‘Gerard would never cooperate with Vane.’

Count Gerard was Seraphine’s sponsor.

Between the two, the real one was Seraphine, who belonged to Lazarus.

‘Gerard is using Vane. Because Seraphine could never harbor good feelings toward the order.’

Behind the background of her growing into a monster was the order, and behind that was Vane Sanctum.

Perhaps she was a failure created by the order and Vane.

Thus, she would absolutely not do anything good for the order and Vane.

‘If they prepare the concert, it won’t be confined only to that stage.’

Seraphine’s strength was also absolutely not inferior compared to other Lazarus Villains.

‘She is a mid-tier villain whose peak is low but whose bottom is not low either.’

A fully formed villain who did not particularly need growth.

She would perform the Sonata of World Demise on the stage prepared by Vane, and this would be a fatal blow to Vane.

‘Vane probably intended only to eliminate his political opponents. However, Seraphine has no intention of helping Vane.’

What she would eliminate

was the order, including Vane’s political opponents, and the entire capital.

‘In a way, it is fortunate. Since they set up the stage on their own without me having to push him into a corner.’

Killing two birds with one stone.

If he resolved Seraphine’s affair, Vane would naturally be cornered, and it was certain that a cornered rat would invite its own ruin.