I Became the Commander in a Trash Game Who Copies Skills-Chapter 149 : Chapter 149

Chapter 149. Duo (4)
I first met Archbishop Walter right after the civil war.
It was during the time when Marquis Ricardo was defeated in the civil war and a festival was being held in the Imperial Capital.
I was supposed to receive a title for defeating the marquis.
Archduke Gabir had given me a heads-up that the domain I would be granted was Wolfskrig.
Now it's a metropolis that has surpassed Gunterburk to become the largest city in the south, but at that time, Wolfskrig was just a frontier that had been reclaimed from the vampires not long ago.
I needed priests to purify the mana of necromancy.
That was the reason I went to see the archbishop as soon as I arrived in the Imperial Capital.
"Ah, th-this, you mean? Uh, hahaha! Grapevines are not the only evidence of Luark's grace."
"...Is that so?"
"Grains like wheat and barley are also products of Luark's grace."
At that time, the air in the Imperial Capital was hot with a festive atmosphere.
Wine, bread, and meat were provided unlimitedly for a week to celebrate the victory in the civil war.
So even when I saw the archbishop opening a bottle of wine worth dozens of gold coins right in front of me, I just thought of him as a religious leader who was matching the cheerful mood of the citizens, but…
"If you have a chance to pass by the fields in autumn, you will know. The sight of the setting sun over the horizon illuminating the golden wheat fields before the harvest is truly…"
Now I see he was just a drunkard.
Well, it doesn't matter.
As a key figure in the Empire's political circles, I know Archbishop Walter's traits well.
He did not have traits like [Drunkard] or [Withdrawal Symptoms].
It means that even if he likes to drink, it's not to the extent that it interferes with his daily life or work.
"By the way, what brings you to the Imperial Capital? I heard you went on a training trip to the vicinity of the black forest… Ah."
“……”
"You were wary of the wolves aiming for your domain. A wise decision. Then the reason you came here is… surely for that reason, right?"
Look at him now.
We haven't even exchanged a few words, but he has instantly deduced why I came to the Imperial Capital.
His information network, which has already obtained rumors about my whereabouts from this distant Imperial Capital, must also be considered remarkable.
It's not an empty compliment; he is well-informed about the political situation.
Especially among the twelve archbishops of the Empire.
That's also why I came to see him.
It's time to get to the main point.
Of course, before that…
"Ah, you say there is one more guest outside? We must bring him in immediately. Priest Matthew!"
I let Randal, who was waiting in the alley, inside.
Even though I've created a fake identity for him, he stands out because of his size, so it's better not to leave him outside.
Crack!
"Hm, a mistake. My apologies."
There was a small accident in the process.
He crushed a wooden statue placed next to the door with his hand while trying to squeeze through the narrow door.
"Haha, it's alright. It's because the door is narrow. Are you perhaps Sir Randal, who served Archduke Petroke?"
"That's right. Why did you make the door so small?"
"A righteous life is to pass through a narrow path and a narrow gate. The design is according to the words of the Book of York."
I feel it every time, but religious people are certainly skilled at dealing with people.
To think that a sculpture that looks like it's worth hundreds of gold coins turned into sawdust, and he responds without a change in his expression.
Meanwhile, the priest who brought Randal has turned pale.
Tsk, tsk.
His training seems to be lacking.
"I smell alcohol. Is there a lot of alcohol here?"
"The church is a place where we keep the grace of Luark. Alcohol is also a product of the warm light bestowed by Luark."
"Good."
"Shall we have a light drink while we talk?"
"You two talk. I'll just drink."
There's something else I learned on this trip.
This friend Randal.
He likes alcohol quite a lot.
I've never seen him drunk, so I thought he didn't drink much, but it turns out he just doesn't get drunk no matter how much he drinks.
How absurd it was when I found out that what he had in his leather pouch was not water but alcohol.
And a strong liquor that seemed to be over 30 proof at that.
"What is your preference? Royal Chaluttois? Or Fibosan Vintage 30-Year-Old?"
"I don't know what those are. Anything is fine."
"You are as generous as I have heard. Priest Matthew!"
Leaving Randal, who had started to chug from the bottle, I went through a door.
The archbishop's private office was attached right next to the reception room.
As I sat down, the priest named Matthew carefully closed the door.
I snapped my fingers.
[[Wide-Area Silence] is deployed.]
The air settles.
Mana surrounded the inside of the room like a thin film.
The gist is to block the door, windows, the chimney connected to the fireplace, and even the fine cracks in the ceiling or walls.
Air itself can pass through, but its original vibrations are scattered through multiple refractions and cancellations.
A principle that allows for ventilation but prevents sound from escaping.
"Remarkable. It should be difficult to use spells in this building."
Archbishop Walter let out a hearty laugh.
His voice sounded as if I were listening to it in a soundproof recording studio.
"You may not know this, but when making the bricks and mortar for the Empire's church buildings, the priests bestow blessings. Thanks to that, the church rarely collapses, and it has resistance to mages' spells."
"I am aware. Thanks to that, I was able to hold out against the beastmen in Gunterburk."
"Does that mean I can understand that you have reached the level of a high-ranking mage, my lord?"
I smiled without a word.
That would be a sufficient answer.
It's not something to brag about, but I think I've lived every day to the fullest since falling into this world.
As much as I paid attention to the development of the domain, I did not neglect my own growth.
I haven't skipped a single day of training since returning from the Eastern Expedition, and in the process, I explored the origin of quite a few skills through [Warrior's Insight].
My growth was particularly noticeable in the spell department, and I became able to use more than half of the spells I had learned so far, including [Wide-Area Silence], at a higher level.
In the process, I also gained a few traits that are helpful to mages, like [Rapid Mana Replenishment].
In terms of the level of the spells I've learned and the quality of the traits that support them, it wouldn't be strange to be called a high-ranking mage.
This is the level of a hero who has grown splendidly by the mid-game.
It's just that I keep getting compared to monsters like Randal and Alina who are by my side.
Anyway, it's time to get back to the main point.
"Have you come to find His Majesty the Emperor?"
Perhaps because security was established.
Archbishop Walter asked bluntly.
I nodded.
"I heard that His Majesty is in the subterranean city. I have come to help retrieve His Majesty the Emperor from the hands of the Ratmen. I would like to ask you to arrange a meeting with Archduke Gabir."
"...There is good news and bad news."
The archbishop picked up a glass filled with whiskey.
He put it down without taking a sip, as if it were just a habit, and continued.
"The good news is that His Majesty the Emperor was not kidnapped by the Ratmen."
"...I see. Then what is the bad news?"
"The Archduke is no longer in the Imperial Capital."
The archbishop, with his hands clasped on the desk, said.
"He led his army and descended into the underground a week ago. To rescue His Majesty the Emperor and subjugate the subterranean city."
“……”
"I will arrange a way for you to go down. May Luark shine a light on the path ahead for you and His Majesty the Emperor."
***
It's pouring rain.
The weather in the Imperial Capital is fickle.
It doesn't show dramatic changes like the south where Wolfskrig is, with its dry and rainy seasons, but it can be said to be a different kind of damn climate in that it has four distinct seasons and sudden rain falls several times a week.
To put it metaphorically, it's similar to the weather in London, England.
I'm not sure why that is, since it's not an island nation like England.
Splash. Splash.
The damn fickleness of the weather is felt more starkly the further you go to the outskirts of the city.
Unlike the main streets with well-equipped drainage systems, the slums on the outskirts of the city don't even have flagstones.
I walked on a path that had turned into a semi-mudflat, mixed with filth and mud washed away by the rainwater.
I took out a small piece of paper from my pocket.
A piece of a map given by the archbishop.
The entrance is not far.
"I smell something."
"Hm?"
"It's the characteristic smell of sewer rats. The smell of their fur and excrement."
Randal said, taking a deep breath.
I stuck my nose out a little from under my hood and sniffed.
I couldn't feel anything.
But he must be right.
His senses are as good as Karen's, the elf.
Anyway, let's review the objective.
Fortunately, the members of this operation are just me and Randal.
Therefore, I don't have to worry about trivial factors like supplies, morale, soldiers' stamina distribution, the location of the provision merchant, or formation composition, as I would when leading an army.
It means I only need to focus on the objective and the method to achieve it.
The first objective is to rescue the Emperor.
For this, I received help from Archbishop Walter.
'Honestly, I was surprised. His Majesty the Emperor is fond of you, my lord, but the viscount I saw was an independent monarch.'
The archbishop, who could be called a representative of the pro-Emperor faction even within the Imperial Church, had spoken in a puzzled tone.
He's not wrong.
Unlike Viscount Pewin or Archduke Gabir, my goal is not the revival of the Empire, but my own survival.
To survive in this game that is increasingly getting embroiled in a huge war, and to protect myself and my people to the end.
And perhaps, to grasp the possibility of returning to my original world that might be granted at the end of it.
But in that process, the Empire needs to hold out for a long enough time.
The revival of the Empire is heavily dependent on the Emperor's survival.
That is why I am helping Archduke Gabir to rescue the Emperor.
'For the past year, His Majesty the Emperor has had an entrance drilled near the Imperial Palace that goes straight to the Ratmen's den. It was with the intention that he could no longer just watch them come over to this side. It is wide enough for an army to pass through, so Archduke Gabir set out from there.'
'Can I go down that way too?'
'It is difficult with your identity concealed. The security is very tight, both inside and out. But there are other ways. The rat-men have carried out many operations in the Imperial Capital, so there are countless passages leading to the subterranean city.'
Archbishop Walter had said, handing me a few pieces of paper.
'The closest would be the entrances in the sewers of the slums. They are too narrow to send an army down, but it should be fine if it's just the two of you.'
For reference, Archbishop Walter is the most powerful of the five archbishops in the Imperial Capital.
As a true pro-Emperor faction member, he has gained the complete trust of the Emperor and Archduke Gabir, and he is also close with Viscount Pewin, Alina's grandfather.
Among the five archbishops of the Imperial Capital, he is the one who shows himself the least in public, but conversely, that could be evidence that alludes to his political power.
That is also why he knows the whereabouts of the Emperor and Archduke Gabir accurately.
It's not for nothing that I came to see him at a time like this when accurate information is crucial.
Thanks to him, I was able to hear information I didn't know.
'Could you please explain again what you said earlier about His Majesty's whereabouts?'
'Ah, His Majesty was not kidnapped or taken prisoner. It's not exact, but I heard that he has established a position deep in the subterranean city and is fighting the Ratmen.'
'Then Archduke Gabir is...'
'That's right. There is also the objective of rescuing His Majesty, but this was a pre-discussed operation with His Majesty in the first place.'
The Emperor is carrying out a diversionary tactic.
It is a very dangerous operation in itself, and I don't know if it's proceeding well, but one thing is clear.
The iron-blooded Emperor, who holds all the information, thinks that now is the perfect opportunity to bring down the subterranean city.
Therefore, a second objective has been added for me as well.
'To bring down the subterranean city.'
One of the three final bosses of the game.
I will cut off the Ratmen's lifeline this time.
"Viscount."
Randal opened his mouth.
I pushed back my hood and looked down.
A deep channel and a sluice gate that drains sewage out of the city, and a hole above it that seems just big enough for one person to pass through.
The Ratmen's passage.