Chapter 142 - 137: Seizure by the Church
Velin unfolded the letter.
Lilia’s elegant and nimble handwriting leaped from the page.
In the letter, she first described the splendor of the Royal Capital, the tedious social climbing at the noblewomen’s afternoon tea parties, and the young Knights’ ostentatious displays.
Then, her tone shifted as she got to the main point—Count Leman’s business strategy for "The Last Knight’s Grand Tournament."
This was precisely what Velin had requested.
The Count’s methods were masterfully cunning. He had chosen an old, frail Count, who was worried about the issue of succession, as his breakthrough point.
That old Count’s only son, famously weak and sickly, had displayed a "virility" in the bedroom after taking the potion that even his wife found difficult to adjust to.
In just a few weeks, joyous news arrived: his wife was pregnant.
This affair stirred up a storm within the Royal Capital’s highest social circles, becoming the talk of the town.
"The Last Knight’s Grand Tournament," this romantic-sounding name, began to spread like wildfire through the private banquets and secret talks of the major noble families.
The Count even established an extremely high barrier to entry for this potion.
Buyers had to possess a sufficiently noble status; money was not the only ticket for admission here.
This move, paradoxically, led the minor nobles who couldn’t purchase through official channels to buy it on the black market at several times the original price.
At the end of the letter, Lilia relayed Count Leman’s delight and guessed that it wouldn’t be long before the Count sent someone to ask Velin to increase production.
After reading it, Velin’s ambition soared.
’Just as I thought,’ he mused. ’In a world founded on bloodline inheritance, the number of one’s descendants not only means the continuation of a family but is also directly related to its future prosperity.’
He picked up his quill and wrote a brief reply, placed it back in the message cylinder, and the magnificent messenger falcon flapped its wings and soared high, disappearing into the sky toward the Royal Capital.
...
「Meanwhile, in the Royal Capital.」
Inside the "Golden Acorn," a potion shop owned by Count Leman, several butlers from the manors of great noble families were waiting in line with reserved expressions.
Their postures were ramrod straight, their chins slightly raised. Even if they were anxious inside, they maintained their aristocratic restraint and decorum.
Suddenly!
BANG—!
The shop door was violently thrown open by an immense force.
The wooden door slammed against the wall with a heavy, muffled THUD.
A pair of men walked in.
They wore silvery-white robes, their expressions cold. On their chests, embroidered with brilliant Golden Thread, was the emblem of the Eternal Radiance Church—a radiant sun.
The one in the lead was a middle-aged Judge with sharp eyes.
His cheeks were gaunt and his lips were thin. His gaze swept over the crowd as if he were scrutinizing each person’s original sin.
The Judge ignored everyone. Brushing past the attendant who tried to stop him, he walked to the center of the room and, in front of everyone, unrolled a Scroll that emanated a sacred aura.
He emotionlessly read the announcement from the Eternal Radiance Church.
"In the name of the Archbishop of the Haiti Archdiocese, this is proclaimed to all believers in the Duchy."
"Recently, a potion known as ’The Last Knight’s Grand Tournament’ has been circulating. This substance, with its illusory power, tempts nobles to indulge in desire, presumptuously attempting to interfere with the sacred process of procreation."
"This act is suspected of violating Articles Three, Seven, and Twelve of the Bloodline Purity Act!"
His voice echoed through the shop, causing the faces of the butlers in line to turn deathly pale and a chill to run down their spines.
The Judge emotionlessly closed the Scroll, his gaze sweeping over the exquisitely packaged wooden boxes on the shelves.
"Seize it all."
The enforcement officers behind him immediately stepped forward, moving quickly to sweep all the potions into special containment chests.
Finally, everyone, from staff to customers, was driven out.
A seal, imprinted with the golden sun emblem, was slapped onto the door of the "Golden Acorn."
At the street corner, inside a lavish carriage.
Count Leman peered through the carriage window, his face as dark as a storm cloud as he stared at the glaring seal on his shop’s door.
He adjusted his collar, stepped down from the carriage, and walked through the crowd to stand before the Judge.
"Your Excellency the Judge, I’m afraid this is all a misunderstanding. My potion is merely intended to help those families worried about producing an heir."
The Judge’s face was impassive, his tone strictly business.
"Count Leman, the Church’s verdict is not to be questioned. Whether your actions constitute blasphemy will be determined by the Judicial Court."
Count Leman’s fists clenched inside his sleeves, but his expression remained composed.
He understood.
’This isn’t aimed at the Klein Clan.’
’This is the Church’s new round of suppression against the nobles of Haiti.’
In recent years, as commerce in the Duchy of Haiti flourished, the power of the secular monarchy and the nobility grew stronger and their thinking more liberal. This made the Church, which had always sought to control everything, feel threatened.
’My potion just happened to be the one caught in the crossfire.’
He took a deep breath, his voice betraying no emotion.
"I understand. I will await the Judicial Court’s summons."
The news spread like it had grown wings, quickly reaching every corner of the Royal Capital.
The "Golden Acorn" had been seized.
The Eternal Radiance Church had declared "The Last Knight’s Grand Tournament" a forbidden medicine. The once sought-after potion instantly became a hot potato that no one dared to openly seek anymore.
...
「Grey Marsh Territory, Mist Spring Valley, Phase One of the Magic Potion Garden construction.」
The air was filled with the fragrance of soil and a strange, sweet scent.
The first batch of "Dragon Blood Horny Goat Weed," force-grown in a special environment, was being carefully harvested by apprentices.
The edges of the plant’s leaves were serrated, and a deep red liquid, like blood, flowed through its veins.
Velin was using a pair of tweezers to pick up a stalk, examining the details of its roots with a satisfied expression.
Just then, a messenger falcon landed on his shoulder.
Velin took the letter and scanned it quickly.
Kael, Ryo, and the others gathered around. When they saw the smile vanish from Velin’s face, a sense of foreboding rose in their hearts.
"My lord, has something happened in the Royal Capital?" Ryo asked in a low voice.
Velin didn’t answer, simply handing him the letter.
Ryo took it and read it ten lines at a glance, his face instantly turning deathly pale.
"The Church... the Judicial Court... Th-this... How is this possible?"
Valerius, who was standing nearby, also leaned in for a look. He immediately spat on the ground, his white-streaked beard trembling with rage.
"It’s those damned Church charlatans again!" the old Mage stomped his foot in anger. "It’s been over a hundred years! They’re always like this! A bunch of idiots with their heads full of Holy Light! They’re the stumbling blocks of civilization! The mortal enemies of knowledge!"
Velin gave the old man a strange look. He usually went around saying things like "By the Holy Spirit," so Velin hadn’t expected him to have such a strong opinion against the Church.
He had recently been cramming on the political situation of the Duchy of Haiti and knew well that the conflict between the Duchy’s nobility and the Church had a long history. It was just that this year, the Empire had tightened its control over Haiti, which had made the Church’s power unprecedentedly strong.
He took back the letter and read it again, carefully.
’The Church mobilized the Judicial Court. This means they want to use a lightning strike to completely crush this product, making an example of it to warn others.’
His fingertips tapped lightly on the letter.
’But they also made a mistake.’
’Some things, the more they are forbidden, the more they drive people to madness.’
A mocking smile played on Velin’s lips.
He raised his head and looked at his indignant subordinates.
"A crisis?"
"No. This is the best kind of advertising."
Velin slowly shook his head.
"The Eternal Radiance Church has, with its own authority, personally bestowed a halo of ’forbidden’ upon our potion."
Everyone looked at each other, unable to comprehend their lord’s logic.
Velin stood up and patted the dirt from his hands.
"Ryo, prepare my baggage, an escort, and a fast horse."
"Master, extract and package all of the mature ’Dragon Blood Horny Goat Weed’."
He surveyed the group, his gaze sharp.
"I’m going to the Royal Capital."