Chapter 367: Pressure

Translator: Jay_Forestieri

Editor: Tseirp

When Ryo returned to the quarters, the receptionist asked him to go immediately to the Commander’s room.

And when he entered the Commander’s room, he saw many different faces.

Hugh, former king Roberto Pirlo, his Guard Captain Groen, Niels, Etho, Amon, and Gladys, the negotiator from the Ministry of Military Affairs, and her deputy, Ashley.

According to them, the holy sword that Groen was carrying was targeted.

The three from Room 10 who happened to be watching, prevented it.

“Ooohhh~”

Ryo was frankly impressed.

Then he looked at the three of them and said.

“Must have gotten yourselves an awesome reward then!”

“…”

No one said anything.

“…Hm?”

Ryo’s comment might have been too forward.

Then he looked around flustered.

“O-Of course. The Union Delegation will be sure to reward them with a lot of gold.”

Roberto Pirlo said hurriedly.

Perchance… if Ryo hadn’t said that, they wouldn’t have received anything….

While they were talking about that, a loud voice echoed from outside.

Soon, they could hear the sound of someone coming up the stairs.

The door was violently opened and DeLong, the leader of ‘Coffee Maker’, rushed in.

“Mr. Hugh, the Church’s Inquisition or whatever they’re called wants us to hand Ryo over to them.”

“What?”

“Me?”

As they descended into the lobby, they found themselves in a situation that could truly be described as a powder keg.

Members of the church in black robes were trying to advance past the lobby, but the Kingdom adventurers were blocking their way and stopping them with their bodies.

Then, Hugh intervened.

“I’m Hugh McGrath, head of the Kingdom Delegation. Can someone tell me what the hell is going on?”

His voice overwhelmed the entire space.

A voice that seemed to be accompanied by physical pressure.

But the woman who emerged from among the church members in black vestments did not flinch at all.

“I am Archbishop Stefania, head of the Inquisition. I am bringing the Kingdom Adventurer Ryo before the Inquisition. Please hand him over immediately.”

The woman who appeared to be in her mid-twenties, unlike Hugh, said in a calm and quiet voice.

“What are you talking about? You do realize we’re a delegation from the Kingdom, right? And you want to put one of our escort adventurers through the Inquisition? Do you think you can get away with such a thing!”

“There’s nothing to get away with. No one can interfere with the Inquisition.”

“Does Cardinal Graham, our point of contact on your side know about this? He even used to be the head of the Inquisition.”

“Cardinal Graham also has no authority to interfere with the Inquisition.”

“The hell…”

Stefania’s words infuriated Hugh, causing his face to turn red.

But then a voice interrupted them.

“Although I have no authority to interfere, I did share my concerns.”

Cardinal Graham emerged from behind the black-robed Inquisition officers.

At the sound of his voice, the Inquisition officers who had been blocking the way quickly split apart, clearing the way.

Six years after leaving his post as head of the Inquisition, it seemed that even now his prestige remains intact.

“Graham! What the hell is this?”

Hugh yelled.

“I’m so sorry, Master McGrath. Stefania is right, no one can interfere with the Inquisition. Not even me, a Cardinal.”

“You gotta be kidding me…”

“But I did mention that if they insist on bringing Ryo-san before the Inquisition, negotiations with the delegation will break down, and that is something they really should consider. Stefania, if you are going to back down, this is your last chance, okay?”

But Stefania completely ignored Graham’s words.

“I will have you hand over the adventurer Ryo.”

“Screw you!”

Hugh yelled. At that moment.

“Silence.”

The voice was neither loud nor sharp.

But it reached the ears of everyone in the lobby.

The Kingdom adventurers, hearing the voice behind them, immediately turned and made way.

They didn’t know why exactly.

But they all understood that it was the right thing to do.

Quietly.

And slowly.

A magician in robes emerged through the path the adventurers made.

Meanwhile, no one uttered a word.

Neither Stefania nor Hugh.

They felt… that they must not speak.

Then the magician arrived before Graham.

Graham stood there without a change in his expression.

But that was a kind of bluff.

As he was under pressure that he didn’t quite understand.

(What’s going on here…. Ryo-san… yeah, it’s Ryo-san alright, but… unlike his usual self. What tremendous pressure…. Just like the one I felt from the former Pope… no, more than that.)

“You want to put me before the Inquisition?”

Ryo said, turning to Stefania.

(Me? He always speaks informally though…)

Hugh was curious about the change in his speech pattern.

Stefania couldn’t answer Ryo’s question.

“You want to put me before the Inquisition?”

Ryo asked Stefania again.

“Y-Yes.”

Stefania’s voice was weak.

The composure she had earlier was completely gone.

Her lips and fingertips were trembling and she broke out in cold sweat.

“Do you know what will happen if you bring me before the Inquisition?”

Ryo asked. As before, in a very gentle tone.

A gentle tone, but… a frightening one.

“Negotiations… will break down.”

Stefania replied.

“Ahahahaha. Nah, not quite.”

Ryo laughed.

But the next moment.

His expression went stale.

“I’ll put the Holy Capital, everything, on ice.”

And then he chanted.

“”

For a moment, just a moment, the lobby froze.

The lobby and the entire Inquisition froze.

But only for a moment.

And then reverted to normal.

But the Inquisitors understood.

They were indeed entrapped in ice just now.

And so did Stefania, the head of the Inquisition.

“I will freeze the Holy Capital, forever. And if that’s not enough, the whole goddamn Theocracy. Since you’re thinking about bringing me before the Inquisition, that’s about as much blowback as you can expect, don’t you agree?”

Ryo informed Stefania, keeping his expression blank.

Stefania couldn’t reply.

“If you want to talk, we can talk another day in the lounge over there. But I refuse to go along with your Inquisition. Since you will use smoke to loosen my mouth into confessing and tamper with my memory, right?”

Ryo said, glancing at Graham.

Graham’s lips curled slightly.

Then, finally, Ryo undid the ‘pressure’.

“So, feel free to come back again. And next time, please make a proper appointment before you come.”

The Inquisitors, led by Stefania, in their black vestments left.

“Wow, nicely done. It’s not easy to learn how to exert that kind of ‘pressure’. Even royalty, brought up in such an environment from an early age, often fail to acquire it….”

Former king Roberto Pirlo, who was watching in the background, praised Ryo.

Ryo smiled wryly at the praise.

The training was actually done in Rondo Forest.

By a neighbor who comes to his house from time to time… the Dragon King himself instructed him.

Pressure, or aura, or you could call it charisma… but they might be a little different….

Of course, there are those on Earth who can exert it too.

It may very well be one of the inherent traits in humans… but since most people have no use for it, by the time they’re adults, it becomes pretty much nonexistent.

It’s very sad.

“I hope that was okay…”

Ryo said with a wry smile.

In fact, he wasn’t sure himself.

“It was perfect. As expected of the Premier Duke.”

Roberto Pirlo said the second half really softly. All the while smiling.

“Ryo…”

Hugh McGrath approached and called out to him.

“Mr. Hugh, sorry for the inconvenience.”

Ryo bowed.

“No, it’s not your fault, Ryo. I feel like it all started when I sent you to the Republic…”

Hugh scratched his head as he said that.

Even though he had no other choice at the time, seeing how it led up to this point and in this way, it made him keenly aware of his poor judgment.

What a complicated world….

((And so, Mr. Hugh bought me cake and coffee.))

((Oh, I know… or rather, I was linked up with ‘Soul Resonance’ then, too.))

((Oh, I see.))

((You know, those Inquisition officers are priests, right? You said before that you can’t freeze someone who uses magic or something, but I see you can now.))

((Yeah…. is a magic that stops the vibration of water molecules in the air and freezes them, so to put in extreme terms, it doesn’t matter if they are a swordsman or a magician. Besides, I only froze them for a moment, I didn’t bury them completely, you know?))

After everything had settled, Ryo was in the lounge drinking coffee and reporting to His Majesty the King.

However, Abel didn’t seem to understand it well.

It can’t be helped.

The abyss of magic is quite deep.

((…Well, I know very well know how scary Ryo can be when you’re angry.))

((Me? I wasn’t angry? I was just trying to scare them by exerting a little pressure.))

((Eh…))

((You see, I learned how to exert pressure from the dragons living in the Rondo Forest, so I just thought I’d put it into practice. I feel like if I really get angry and lose my cool, on the contrary, I won’t be able to do it. Abel was a prince, so you could do that kind of thing naturally, right? I really envy that.))

Ryo said so honestly.

Members of the royal family were constantly exposed to tangible and intangible pressures from an early age.

That’s a kind of extraordinary situation for people.

Since it’s an extraordinary situation, he believes that those who endure it will obtain something out of the ordinary.

Be it good or bad, of course.

Ryo thinks that the reason Abel can handle being suddenly covered in paperwork may be the accumulation of such experiences since he was a child.

Sometimes he feels sorry for him, but he also thinks he’s amazing.

With all that said, Ryo has a lot of respect for Abel.

((Abel is really amazing.))

((Whoa, where’s that coming from?))

((Just know that I’m always rooting for you, Abel! ))

((S-Sure…))

Then, Abel seemed to remember something.

((Ryo, just to let you know, I’m going on an inspection tour of the northern part of the country tomorrow.))

((Inspection?))

((Yeah. After that, I will go around to the east and then return to the royal capital. It should take about 50 days.))

((So paperwork in the meantime…))

((Oh? W-Well, that’s… for Marquis Heinlein to do, isn’t it?))

Ryo sighed deeply.

He was just impressed earlier.

((I said I was rooting for Abel, but I take it back.))

((Eh?))

((Traveling for fifty days, how extravagant!))

((Yeah, but it was Ryo and others who recommended the inspection.))

((…I don’t think I did, not that I recall that I did, nor do I remember when I did or feel like I did.))

((Well you did! Though, before then, Marquis Heinlein recommended the same thing to me.))

((Oh, really? That’s good then. Good luck with your inspection.))

((What’s… with the difference between your assessment of me and Marquis Heinlein…))

((Accomplishments, I suppose.))

((I see…))

((Good luck Abel, and do your best in racking up some accomplishments.))

((Sure, I’m super hyped…))

For some reason, it was Ryo who said that in a superior and pompous manner.