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Death’s Daughter Chapter 277

Author: FoodLovingPanda

CHAPTER 277: THE ARCHBISHOPS

When I woke up the next morning, I knew that I was in trouble. Behind Mia were a dozen or so servants ready to bring me away and let me go through a session of pure torture that is called dressing up.

“Mia, I thought the test was tomorrow. Why are they doing this to me right now?”

“Naoko-chan, please bear with it. Vitou will explain everything when you meet him later on. I don’t know much, except that you must be presentable in the next hour.”

I wanted to cry. Putting on these glamorous dresses is way too troublesome. It’s no wonder that people often have others serving them and helping them dress. I admit that I alone wouldn’t be able to put on such clothing. But that doesn’t give me an explanation as to why I need to do this today. I couldn’t do anything but endure this session of torture.

That is why I felt extremely relieved when the maids declared I looked presentable. I was led to the gates of the castle where a Royal carriage was waiting for me. When I climbed on board, I saw that Vitou was already sitting inside dressed in formal wear.

“What’s all of this? I thought I still had a day off.”

“Didn’t the maids tell you? We need to meet the envoy of Archbishops coming all the way from Vilikis.”

What a bother. Couldn’t they send someone else? There is no need for the Crown Prince to come out and meet them personally outside the city. I bet those old geezers think they are so far above all, and that they demanded Vitou to bring them to the castle personally.

“You don’t seem to be upset about this situation. Is everything good on your end?”

I knew that forces behind Vitou and King Erik were more or less evenly divided, with younger nobles supporting Vitou and the older ones standing with the King. There is also the case of nobles outside the city standing with Vitou, while those stationed in Kapitalia grouped around the King.

“It’s fine. So far there is not much progress. I can’t stop him from being willful, but I can make him delay and overthink things. As long as it prevents war, I will count it as my win.”

He didn’t say anything specific, but he seemed relieved. I guess his recent actions made the King delay his plans. It is a good thing. I don’t want to have a war on my hands right now. If he can stop his father from acting until after our wedding, I will be content. What happens after that, I’ll be far from it. That is something that I already told Vitou.

“I’m happy for you. I don’t want to see countless people suffering for nothing.”

“Neither do I. Hopefully, father will be able to understand this and give up his wild ideas.”

“Let’s all hope that happens.”

The rest of the ride was spent in silence. I was thinking about how to deal with these old geezers that will conduct the test tomorrow. I knew that there was nothing to worry about, but I don’t want them to give me any sort of trouble. Right now, all my plans are based around my wedding day. That is why I must make sure to not offend them.

The carriage stopped just outside the southern city gates. The reports from the patrols stated that the envoy will enter the city here, but it didn’t say when exactly. That is why the two of us could only patiently wait in our carriage.

“What is the point of rushing me all this time when we have to wait? I could have easily slept for an hour longer. And why do you need to pick them up personally? Couldn’t the Archbishops present here in Kapitalia do this, or at least send someone else.”

“The Archbishop has a similar rank as the Duke. Besides, they came here all the way from Viliks for our sake. This is also a sign of goodwill coming from us.”

“I thought they were close to the city.”

“Just be a little more patient. It shouldn’t take much longer before they arrive.”

That ‘not much longer’ ended up being another hour and a half. When a convoy of about twenty carriages arrived, I was ready to lash out at all of them. Luckily, Vitou was there to keep me in check and prevent trouble from happening.

“Welcome to Kapitalia, Your Holinesses. I hope the road was safe and the journey smooth. Accommodation has been prepared for you. Allow me to lead the way.”

I stood behind Vitou and let him greet the guests. If I was annoyed earlier, now I am plain angry. These old geezers didn’t even bother returning the greeting, or even showing their faces. Is this their attitude? Bleh, the Church is truly doomed if it is being led by such people. How can people have a good image about it in the first place?

Since there was no response, we could only climb back onto our carriage and lead the convoy back to the castle where an entire wing was emptied out just for their sake.

“Is this really the way they usually act? Why are you being so nice to them? Heck, how come everyone keeps on praising the Church when the leaders are so conceited? I think those old geezers need to be taught a lesson or two.”

“Nao-chan, I think you might have a wrong idea about them. The Archbishops are the most popular members of the church and they are reelected every ten years, but they are not truly in charge. They do a lot of work on behalf of the Church and they maintain the image of it, but the real leaders are six cardinals and three saints. Unless it is the coronation or sending a divine message, those people will not appear. As for the Archbishops, well I’ll let you see for yourself why they are the most popular members.”

The carriage stopped and I disembarked. I wanted to know what Vitou meant when he gave me that explanation. I looked at the six most exquisite carriages that the Archbishops should be riding. When the doors opened and the six figures appeared in front of us I understood just how wrong my image about them was.

These were not old geezers at all, but rather six pale skinned and extremely beautiful young men that outshone everyone else present. I can totally see why they are the most popular members of the Church.