Chapter 25, Edward, Investigating

Translator: Lizz

In the end, Calogero’s story was left ambiguous.

Using a reason that wasn’t even a valid one, he managed to deceive Sylvia, but neither Edward nor Gina was convinced.

However, since Sylvia seemed to accept it and not wanting to dig further, they let the matter rest there, and Edward conducted his own investigation.

What was discovered was that Calogero was not originally from that place. He was found drowning and being swept away by the river, and it was an official who rescued him.

Although he survived, he had amnesia. Judging by the flow of the river, he was likely from the neighboring country, but as this town had become an isolated island, they couldn’t discuss with the neighboring country.

While the Mayor did send letters to the Duke’s family, no reply ever came, as expected.

Upon having his skills and magic assessed by the church, it turned out to be holy magic, and since it aligned with his wishes, he became a priest.

Edward pondered about it.

He wished to go to the neighboring country to investigate, but he had no such means at his disposal.

It was clear that Calogero was clinging to Sylvia and pretending to act as a butler in order to exploit her power.

And that likely stemmed from whatever had happened to Calogero before he arrived here, back when he was still in the neighboring country. Edward instinctively thought so.

Calogero did not appear immediately after Sylvia became the Lord. He came recently… only after the town’s rebuild had progressed.

Therefore, it was initially thought that he came to request the repair of the church.

Of course, such a request would be declined.

However, up until now, Calogero has never asked Sylvia for the church repair, and these days, he rarely even shows up at the town church. In other words, his visit wasn’t influenced by the church’s intentions but rather by the increased flow of people. It became clear that Calogero personally wished to establish a connection with Sylvia.

Edward made time to meet with the High Priest.

As he looked at the church, which, while somewhat aged, was far better maintained and even featured some new items compared to the Mayor’s mansion, Edward heard the High Priest chuckle wryly and say, ‘Well, it’s thanks to Calogero, to be honest’.

After all, with that pretty face of his, many people came to worship just to see him, and when he bowed his head, the donations reportedly flowed generously.

Although his popularity had waned somewhat compared to its peak, the townspeople remained deeply devout.

Edward skillfully appealed to the High Priest.

He explained that Calogero was acting as a butler, that many people were unaware of his origins, and that as the protector of the Lord, he could not overlook Calogero’s unchecked behavior. The High Priest responded with a troubled expression.

“…I understand your concerns very well. I, too, was surprised when I was told that Calogero assumed the position of butler at the Lord’s earnest request.”

Edward raised an eyebrow at the phrase ‘earnest request’.

He wanted to retort that it wasn’t such a strong desire and that anyone would have sufficed, but since his aim wasn’t to argue, he swallowed his words.

“It seems the Deputy High Priest has some misunderstandings about the situation, but bringing it up won’t resolve anything, so for now, let’s set that aside. Have you not asked why he visited in the first place? At first, I thought he came to request renovations for the church, but up until now, he has never asked Lady Sylvia for such a thing. …So why? I found it suspicious.”

The High Priest looked troubled. It seemed he knew the reason but found it difficult to say.

“Your suspicion of Calogero is entirely reasonable. However, thus far, he has made significant contributions as a priest here. And I also trust him. I swear to God, Calogero would never harm the Lord. So, could you trust him as well?”

With this, Edward gave up.

Even God wouldn’t make Edward trust him. After all, it was not Sylvia whom Calogero intended to harm, but likely Edward himself.

Still, arguing this with the High Priest would be meaningless. It would simply be dismissed as paranoia.

Bidding farewell to the concerned-looking High Priest and leaving the church, Edward decided to use his last resort.

“To think I’d have to spend money on someone like him… how annoying!”

Gritting his teeth, Edward penned a letter. The following morning, at dawn, he rode his horse to a neighboring town to send it.

The letter was addressed to an informant he frequently relied on.

Edward had been consistently monitoring the movements of the individuals who had framed him and the Marquis’ household.

Although Edward had fled, he had by no means abandoned his grudge. Moreover, he suspected that his enemies were well aware of his resentment toward them.

If that was the case, then they must also be conscious of the possibility that he might seek revenge.

If it were merely a groundless grudge, they would have no such awareness. However, they had treated Edward as a criminal, despite his protests of innocence and claims that the charges were fabricated.

Initially, they might have celebrated his departure with a toast, but as time passed, the fear of retaliation from the absent Edward would inevitably grow. This fear stemmed from the knowledge that he was truly innocent. That fear would, in turn, lead them to devise schemes to utterly destroy Edward.

And so, Edward continually kept an eye on their movements, searching for weaknesses to exploit.

Of course, Edward had been wandering under a false name until now. The fact that he introduced himself to Sylvia and Gina with his real name, despite not intending to deceive them, was nothing short of a miracle.

He used the alias ‘Rage’ when contacting the informant and spent a considerable amount of money to gather information.

“…And this is the result?”

The information wasn’t particularly substantial.

Calogero was an alias. However, this was likely due to his amnesia, meaning he either created a suitable name or derived it from something inscribed on his belongings. Thus, it wasn’t an issue.

Based on his appearance, age, and the timing of his rescue, it seemed that Calogero was the son of a lower-ranking noble in the neighboring country.

One day, while traveling, he was attacked by bandits and went missing. A large-scale search party was organized to find him, but he was never located and was presumed dead.

If this information were to be shared with that noble family from the neighboring country, they might come to retrieve him. However, the head of the family had likely already changed by now. Even if he were to return at this point, it would merely be to show his face to his parents. Either way, he’d likely end up needing to find work and eventually return here.

Though Edward felt disappointed, something suddenly caught his attention.

“…Huh? Would someone really come to a fortress and start working as a butler for such a trivial reason?”

Perhaps that wasn’t his original intention, but now, Calogero no longer left the fortress. He worked there and even slept within its walls.

Even his prayers to God were conducted at the chapel within the fortress. While he occasionally came to town, once the gates closed and the bridge was raised, he head straight to the chapel.

During the day, being at the town church would be inconvenient. He remained secluded within the fortress, as if deliberately cutting off contact with the outside world.

“…I need to have them investigate a bit more; otherwise, it’s not worth it,” Edward muttered as he once again penned a letter and headed out to send it.