MT 222 - 10% - English Only

Imagelesskink is completing this chapter here: http://goo.gl/QFndLi



Chapter 222 - Chess
The next day.
Again, I find myself facing the Pope in a private room separated by a barrier.
Cliff is standing next to me.

"Your eminence, you look well."

Cliff knows about last night.
About how Zenith was kidnapped, I told him everything.
I told him about the Latreia house's recklessness, and asked to borrow the Pope's power.
The result, an audience with the Pope for the second day in a row.
The Pope doesn't have free time, he made time to meet me.

"Rudeus-sama, you look fatigued."
"Have you heard about the situation?"

I touched my cheek.
I felt the stubble of my freshly shaven beard against my hand.
I kept going over everything Claire said and did in my head last night, I couldn't sleep.
Of course I look terrible.

"Yes. Have you come today regarding that matter?"

The Pope already knew why I was here.
Maybe, he's already heard something about Zenith.

"In fact, last night my mother was kidnapped."
"Hou, by whom?"

The Pope watched me with a smile.
Acting like that, after all, you must know something.<Ref>　誰にといういい方をする所を見ると、やはり、知っているのだろうか。 Bad TL</Ref>
Possibly, could the Pope could be the one pulling the strings behind the scenes...

"The Latreia house."

As I told him about yesterday's details, the Pope's eyes narrowed.

"And, you want me to assist your search?"
"Frankly speaking..."

The Pope had a thoughtful face, and was stroking his beard.
A beard like Santa Claus and big round eyes.<!--Or is he bald? くりくり is confusing.-->
He was carefully observing me.
His face was still smiling, but his eyes were not.

"Then, what shall I do..."
"Your eminence?"

The one who raised his voice to the Pope's inexplicable words, was Cliff.

"He is my friend, this is not a matter of factions, this is a matter of family. How can you take this as a bargaining point..."
"So it is. Cliff."

The Pope admonished Cliff in a gentle voice.

"This is a problem of the Latreia house.
Though we can intervene, we can only intervene as outsiders.

However, if it comes from the good offices of the Pope, a discussion should be effective.
After all, this is a problem between a mother, her daughter, and her grandson.
And, as the Grimoire house, we will become indebted to the Latreia house."

From the Latreia's side, it might be like using a sprat to catch a mackerel.<Ref>A sprat is a small herring-like fish. This basically means trading up,</Ref>
As the sprat, it won't pay unless I make it profitable.

"Your eminence, what do you request of me?"
"Well, saying it is easy...
Such a conversation is very convenient for me.
The [Dragon God's Right Arm] has appeared before me with a troubled face, asking for help...
In the first place, why has the Latreia house purposefully taken action against you, the [Dragon God's Right Arm]?"
"... I do not understand. Such information, do you know?"

Claire seems to have been looking down on me from the beginning.
Even taking into account Aisha's presence, she still ignored my first greeting.

"The Earl of Latreia is a person who is adept at collecting information.
He would doubtlessly know of a warrior of your caliber, I do not think he would make light of you either."

If you say [Earl], then it's not Claire.
It's Claire's husband, Carlyle.<!--Carlisle is not a fkn man's name, I'm calling him Carlyle.-->

"... I have not met the Earl who is the current family head. Claire, the countess, may have been moving at her own discretion."

Even if Claire was informed, people have different senses of value.
I'm not a noble, and I don't hold any position in this country.