"Nyaaa nahaha…"
Sylvester's eyes opened the following day to the strange noise of Miraj's laughs. He quickly looked to his side and noticed the furry white boy was still sleeping. But there was a grin on his face.
"What's he looking at in his dream? That smile does not seem very family friendly." He wondered. But he didn't bother him and got up to freshen up and make breakfast.
Being a man from the modern world where scam food such as cornflakes was considered healthy, he really appreciated the diet in this world. Everything was natural. Just eggs, good homebaked bread, real fruit juice, and of course, Sylvester's cocaine—Honey.
"Honestly, if I wasn't in the race to become the Pope, I might have opened a restaurant. Haha, I wonder what life would have been then." He talked to himself while cooking.
He made three servings, and by then, Isabella and Xavia had also woken up. Isabella even brought Xavia to the dining table in her wheelchair.
Xavia apologised the moment she saw Sylvester. "I'm sorry, dear. You have to do all this. I know you wanted to relax at home after harsh missions."
Sylvester shrugged and put plates on the table. "Believe it or not, mum. I really feel relaxed with what I am doing right now. Cooking, and building a pool for ourselves is very relaxing."
"I hope you're not lying just to keep me happy," Xavia muttered.
Sylvester put food on her plate, a little extra. "Hush up now, little one. You're the baby, so just eat. Do you want the birdie to fly to your mouth as well?"
Sylvester played around by picking a spoonful of chopped fruits towards Xavia's mouth.
She scoffed and looked away jokingly. "Stop treating me like a child, Max."
Sylvester chuckled and let her eat on her own. "By the way, I was thinking of bringing Zeke here and letting him live with us. He's a simple man and has no family or friends. Also, he's pretty strong and needs my guidance. He will also be studying at the School of Dawn with Isabella. So he can be her loyal protector. We have empty rooms anyway."
"Why would I say no to such an amazing plan, dear? Zeke saved my life that day and killed the two attackers. He even injured his arm in the process. If anything, he's like a son to me now." She responded happily.
Though Isabella seemed reserved. She knew Sylvester and Xavia very well, but to have another man in the house.
Sylvester smelled her emotions and reassured her. "Don't worry. Once you meet him, you'll treat him like a little brother. He's charming and naive, but his loyalty is unwavering."
Then Sylvester quickly gobbled whatever was on his plate and stood up. "Alright, I'll be leaving now. Isabella, a trainee Bright Mother by the name of Anya Moller, will come later as caretaker of mum."
Isabella chirped in all smiles. "Got it, Sylvester. And don't worry about Mother Xavia. I will take care of her."
"I know. I'll go and pack my bag."
Sylvester went into his room and changed his clothes. Though first, he looked at the wound on his thigh that he had opened to fix the magical blockage temporarily. 'Why is my body so weird? How do my wounds heal so fast?'
"Chonky! Wake up. It's time to go." Sylvester patted the sleepy cat.
"Umh… Two more meow meow only!"
Sylvester folded his arms and stood by the bed. "Oh! What's this? A giant, juicy, succulent banana?"
Woosh!
"Where?!"
"..."
Sylvester took out a regular banana from the bag and handed it over. "Get up now. We have many places to be today—And pray for someone special."
Miraj's interest was piqued. "Who? Grandpa Monk? Shane? Markus or…"
"Stop talking and eat fast."
"Aye, Aye!"
…
It was still early morning when Sylvester left the house. This time he didn't take any friends or companions along. Just him, his horse and a hungry cat. He had decided to spend some alone time today.
But, still, he had one thing to do, something he had promised to someone some time ago. So, he travelled on horse to the Holy Land's weapons research division. It was also situated on the Pope's Peninsula since the department was crucial.
"Good morning, Lord Bard!"
"May the light bless us!"
Sylvester saw many people on the way. Some faces he had seen, and some were new. But they all seemed to know him as they greeted him with worship and respect.
"So strange how it started with being called Lord's Bard, and now they simply call me Lord Bard. Well, I'm not complaining." He talked to himself as he enjoyed the soothing morning breeze on horseback.
Soon, he arrived in the heavily restricted area. Thankfully, with his identity as a Sanctum Inspector, he could easily enter after naming the man he wanted to see. Still, he was restricted from the primary research and production base.
So, he sat by the seashore on a bench and waited for the man he wanted to see. He also had a small flask full of tea with him as this was his relaxing time.
'I should focus on those cardinals who voted against me in the council. Once I have dirt on them, I can bury them or make them my slaves. But how do I ensure that loyalty remains unwavering?'
"Y-You called for me, Lord Bard?"
Quickly, Sylvester stood up and looked at the man. It was a simple, black-haired, stubble bearded man with a thin build and height shorter than Sylvester. He wore work clothes, including a tunic, pants, boots and a leather apron.
However, the man's rank was not so simple. "Greetings, Cardinal Robert Maxim. I am surprised to see a Cardinal who looks as young as you."
(A/N: The man was first mentioned in Chapter 207.)
The man appeared to lack confidence as he stuttered while speaking. Sylvester quickly caught onto it and created a complete character profile in his mind.
"I… I am honoured to be in your p-presence, my lord. I'm but a mere human with no talents, magic o-or knightly. All I have is a decent alchemical talent that earned me the rank. D-Did I commit something wrong?"
'Good god! What mad genius is he to be able to get this rank?'
Sylvester waved his hand and took a seat. He was in a pleasant mood today, for it was an important day. "No need to be nervous, your eminence. I'm not here to investigate you as a Sanctum Inspector nor here to preach as a bard. I'm just Sylvester Maximilian, a random bloke from the neighbourhood. So please, take a seat and share a cup of tea with me. I made it myself… It has honey in it."
The Cardinal nervously sat down and took the cup of tea Sylvester extended. "What is this about, Lord Bard? I… I've never met you before."
Sylvester shrugged and took a sip. "And now you have, on a nice warm day with nice tea. I also have a letter for you. When I went to deal with Duke Daemon, a woman gave it to me."
"My sister?"
Sylvester nodded and handed it over. "Why have you not replied to her? She was so distressed when she came to me looking for help. She didn't even ask for anything other than the request that I give this to you."
The Cardinal looked at the letter. "M-My lord, forgive me! I have sinned! I took the vow to forget the ties that make us families by blood. Yet I used my influence to send the money directly to the school to allow my nephew and niece to study."
"..."
Sylvester was taken aback by the confession. "What? What sin? That's not a sin. Your eminence, the money is not reaching them. When I saw them, your sister had patched up, dirty clothes, and your niece and nephew looked malnourished, dirty, sad and hopeless."
Thud!
The cup of tea fell from the Cardinal's hand as his face filled with horror. "H-How is that possible? She's married to the Master of that land."
Sylvester waved his hand a few times to use wind elemental to clear the spilt tea from the bench and filled the glass again. "That's why you should have read the letter. Her husband died, and before he died, he took a second wife—The daughter of another master of land nearby. That woman threw your sister out and took her husband's property."
Cardinal Maxim's shoulder fell as the realisation of his failure hit him like a bull. His hands shivered as he opened the letter and read it. In no time, as he read her desperate pleas for help, tears fell from his eyes.
"I… I just didn't want to break the rules and appear corrupt. I thought… I need to stay away from my family as per the oath."
Sylvester added a few words to the man's character profile in his head. 'Super genius, hence lacks some comprehension and common sensical abilities. Too loyal to the faith.'
Sylvester patted the Cardinal's shoulder. "Your eminence, you're mistaken. The oath tells you to draw a line between your family and duty, but it never tells you to ignore their plight, for that's a sin in itself. In fact, the oath is not meant to be absolute. Its main target is the high-ranked clergy with great decision-making powers who may have kids and later try to push them to a high rank in the church—Nepotism, basically.
"Heck, there are old priests outside in backwater monasteries who have married and even have grandkids. That doesn't mean they are not clergymen—That only destroys their chances of ever-rising high.
"Cardinal, not everyone is lucky to have a family of their own. You have some left, so cherish them. Or else, once you lose them, you'd only be filled with regrets and pain—And mark my words, it will never go away."
The Cardinal nodded and wiped his eyes. "H… How do I help her, my lord? I don't know anyone, and my senior said only to focus on work."
"Then perhaps you should stop listening to your seniors. And don't worry, now you know me. Ask me for help anytime. I may not be very high-ranking, but I know people all the way to the top, and thankfully, my words are valued.
"But, you need not worry for now. I gave your sister money and sent her to the undergarment factory run by Bright Mother's Economic Aid Association. She now has a job, and her kids are in school. So, be sure to write to her, and remember, if you ever need help, find me." Sylvester replied and started to pack his stuff.
However, as Sylvester stood up, the Cardinal stopped him. "L-Lord Bard… Can you help me bring her here?"
"Sure. Send her a letter to arrive at Guild Peninsula. I will ask someone to handle it from there. Now, I must say my farewell. I have a few places to be. May the holy light enlighten you and stop you from ignoring more letters." Sylvester saluted and walked away.
Cardinal Maxim kept watching his back. But eventually, he gathered some courage and asked. "L-Lord Bard! You don't know me, and I never met you before. Then… Why go out of your way to help someone?"
Sylvester stopped and glanced back. A big smile shone on his face as the bright sunlight fell on his golden blonde hair. "A long time ago, someone told me—That sometimes, the best way to help yourself is to help someone else first—Take care, Cardinal."
'Of course. The more I help you all, the farther my name will spread—The legend of the Bard of the Lord.'
500 GT = 1 Bonus chapter.
1 Super Gift = 1 Bonus chapter.
Ape Together Strong
