The Enemy of My Enemy

Theus looked at Connor and considered his words before speaking:

"Yes. So what worries me isn't that your request for help will go unanswered, but that they..."

"They'll bury us along with the secret, right?"

Connor didn't answer. He merely lowered his head in a nod, then stood aside, waiting for Theus to decide.

Theus rubbed his temples and sat in his chair, thinking it over carefully.

It was certainly a problem, but overall, it was still manageable.

For one thing, the Candlelight Society usually didn't make things too tense with local lords in the open. He was a Border Count now. If pirates killed him, the Empress would simply send someone else. But if the Church killed him without explanation...

The royal family would find a reason to put the Church in its place even if they had to make one up. Given the Church's stance of retreating on all fronts, it certainly wouldn't hand the royal family a weapon to use against it.

Theus felt that as long as he didn't go looking for trouble, the Church probably wouldn't do anything to him. He could even afford to act a little brazenly.

After all, he was the Empress's man!

Besides... Theus thought of Chloe.

Perhaps because she was still young and hadn't been with the Church long, he couldn't help feeling that the girl was nothing like the Candlelight Society.

Theus had spoken with her for a long time in the Confessional.

She was full of enthusiasm and curiosity about the world. It was as if she had a fire burning inside her, and everyone who came near her was infected by it.

Theus had discreetly asked about her attitude toward other races. Chloe had sounded a little hesitant, but she couldn't hide her curiosity and excitement.

At the time, Theus had thought he might be able to gain the support of this nun.

He hadn't expected to be in contact with her again so soon.

"I'll approach Sister Chloe first. She's not as hostile toward other races." Theus considered it as he spoke. "The Candlelight Society's attitude doesn't really matter that much. This is Sister Chloe's church. As long as I can persuade her, that's enough."

And if he failed to persuade her... Theus glanced at the floor. Castel was an island, and the only way off was by boat. Any news would take a long time to reach the Candlelight Society's diocesan headquarters.

He could suppress any unexpected developments. The previous priest had already died under strange circumstances. If another nun met with an accident, it wouldn't be all that unusual.

He could make it all seem perfectly reasonable.

But after thinking it over, Theus abandoned the reckless idea. It wasn't that he lacked the nerve to go through with it. He had thought of someone else he'd seen in the church.

Brother Kaeschi.

Theus knew Kaeschi wasn't alive, but some kind of mechanical construct. His existence had to be connected to Transcendence, and Theus knew almost nothing about Transcendence.

Could Kaeschi fight? Could his soldiers handle him? He had no idea.

Theus remembered the Candlelight Society priest who had killed him. The man had moved so fast Theus hadn't been able to react at all. Could he really stand against someone like that?

A shadow fell over Theus's eyes.

The Candlelight Society was discreet, but it was certainly no weakling. If he wanted to ask for its help, he would have to be cautious and probe carefully. That would waste a lot of time, and time was what he lacked most...

"Ahem, Lord Theus, the Candlelight Society isn't necessarily your only option," Connor said suddenly in a low voice.

"Hm?"

"Steward Alexei didn't come here alone. His younger sister came with him, too."

"His sister? I seem to remember..."

"Yes. He was an orphan adopted by the royal family in the Northern Territory. He has no blood relatives."

"So this 'sister'?"

"It was the royal family's idea," Connor said quietly. "Before you took office, Duke Cohen sent people to investigate the matter, so he must have tacitly approved it."

Theus looked at Connor in confusion. Connor had been Duke Cohen's man from the start. From the sound of it, though, Duke Cohen hadn't told him about this.

Duke Cohen had chosen to pretend he knew nothing, and hadn't even told his own people. Yet he hadn't stopped them from investigating...

Theus sensed trouble.

This person's identity had to be important.

The royal family was pushing for it, which meant it benefited them. The duke was turning a blind eye, which meant he had nothing to lose...

Alexei... the royal family... the duke... an orphan... a sister...

Perhaps the answer was right there in the question.

Theus's eyes lit up.

"I seem to remember there's a White Crow Duchy in the Empire's Northern Territory, isn't there?" Theus smiled faintly at Connor.

"Yes, young master." Surprise flashed through Connor's eyes. He hadn't even gotten the chance to explain, yet Theus had already figured it out.

"Alexei's 'sister' is a refugee from the White Crow Duchy. She was adopted by the royal orphanage when she was young."

"And what is she really?"

"She's a Burier, from the Silent Temple."

The Silent Temple? Theus knew the name. It was one of the four great churches, and its territory lay to the north, in the White Crow Duchy.

The Candlelight Society was the Empire's state church. Although the royal family and the Candlelight Society had been drifting apart, they hadn't fallen out yet. For now, the Silent Temple had no presence in the Empire.

What were they doing here?

Theus searched through his memories, then suddenly understood.

Apparently, the White Crow Duchy had suffered some strange disaster. Most of its people were now fleeing south, and the Silent Temple was among them.

And now it seemed they were very interested in the Empire. They'd even extended their reach into the territory of a Border Count like Theus.

The royal family and the Candlelight Society were at odds, so the royal family had chosen to bring in the Silent Temple to keep the society in check. Hardly anyone here knew about the Silent Temple, so it wouldn't pose much of a threat to Theus. If he approached them, they would also be more willing to help.

And even if their attitude toward other races was too extreme, there was no need to worry. They had no foothold here, so they wouldn't make a scene...

They were practically the perfect people to ask for help.

"Where are Alexei and the others staying?"

"Not far from here. You plan to visit tomorrow morning, right? We can say you're going to see your chief clerk."

"Tomorrow morning... yes." Theus glanced out the window. It was already late at night. If he went out now, too many people would notice.

"I'll make some arrangements in advance to ensure everything goes smoothly." Connor winked at Theus.

He planned to send someone to make brief contact ahead of time. Theus would meet them formally the next day.

Theus took a deep breath. Time was short, but there was no point in panicking. Besides, he still had things to do.

"Connor, I need to get some supplies to the Banshees. While we're at it, I'll show you this secret passage. You can meet the Banshees, too. I have a feeling they'll be working more closely with the territory in the future..."

He had to save the Banshees. They were the Steam Engine's last hope.

Connor's eyes flickered. He nodded, then followed Theus down through the hidden door.