Chapter 4: Chancellor Madison V / Behind the Scenes: The Theft of the Affirmative Sword
Chancellor Madison, consumed by rage, continued to calculate with a cold and ruthless demeanor. After much struggle, he managed to suppress his emotions and decided to prioritize the complete conquest of the Newly Constructed Ultimate Labyrinth for the sake of the kingdom.
The personnel prepared for the challenge against the Ultimate Labyrinth would be assigned to a different dungeon, allowing them to step in if the Hero failed at any point.
Still, the problem had not vanished. The Hero needed to be kept in check.
While he had resolved to address the increasing unnecessary expenditures alongside the church, the citizens’ voices of discontent regarding the Hero’s poor attitude grew louder by the day.
Even for a Hero, leaving things as they were was not an option. He needed to find a way to rein him in.
To be honest, if he had once decided that it was acceptable to go too far, he could have employed decisive measures without hesitation. However, considering the various circumstances, it was quite difficult to suddenly eliminate a Hero who had made such significant progress.
It wasn’t that he had lost his nerve, but rather that he needed to employ a different strategy. So, how could he control the Hero?
In any world or civilization, the methods to bind a human are limited: money, relationships, power, religion, and violence. Ultimately, all methods in this world can be distilled into these five categories.
So, which method would be appropriate for this foolish Hero?
First of all, using family or loved ones as hostages would be ineffective against a Hero who looked down on everyone in this world. Moreover, thanks to Princess Puffy, who consistently provided him with substantial amounts of money, binding him through financial means was impossible.
Exploiting religious faith was out of the question. That left two options: to bind him through direct violence or to demonstrate the threat of power.
However, here the Chancellor made a mistake.
His decision was to first send an envoy to directly convey to the Hero that “the kingdom will no longer tolerate any further misconduct.” If there was still no sign of reform, he would then resort to more direct methods. He chose to pursue a moderate approach, seeking at least a minimum level of conscience and common sense from the Hero.
Why did Chancellor Madison make this error? It was simple. He felt an unacknowledged guilt for summoning the Hero against his will. If he were to cite further reasons, the person he was dealing with was a monster disguised in human skin, devoid of any conscience or common sense.
Prince Ryuguin, while foolish, was not entirely incompetent.
His inability to read the atmosphere or the current situation was simply because he had not needed to since arriving in this world. Had he been a student in his previous life, he would have understood that building connections and mastering the hearts of others were the most essential methods for success.
Ultimately, he was adept at sensing how others perceived and felt about him.
During the chaotic meeting following Eris’s apology, he keenly noticed the Chancellor’s occasional, probing, and disdainful glances directed at him from the very beginning. At that moment, Ryuguin sensed that Madison was not someone he could trust.
Thus, for Ryuguin to scheme and advance his plans, it was only natural that things would unfold secretly, away from Madison’s watchful eyes.
The Affirmative Sword had been stolen. While handling paperwork in his office, a report came in from one of his trusted subordinates. Chancellor Madison could hardly believe his ears.
He had been inundated with warnings about the seal for as long as he could remember. He had heard countless tales of the dangers of the Sealed Domain passed down from ancestors of generations past, and he had been informed of the truth behind it all, including the deepest secrets related to the Sealed Domain, upon his appointment as Chancellor.
Though most of those who had lived through those times were long gone, the scars remained in the kingdom. The former sub-capital had once become a city of death, and despite the long years that had passed, it was still far from a complete recovery. Not only had many lives been lost, but the city had been utterly destroyed, and the soil tainted by miasma would never fully return to its original state.
However, while the tales of the Sealed Domain had been passed down through generations, there were still those who dismissed them as mere fairy tales, unbelievable stories. Yet, the fact that the hidden Affirmative Sword had been stolen indicated that the perpetrator was someone who knew the truth—likely a member of the upper echelons of the kingdom or someone closely associated with them.
Chancellor Madison believed that he should immediately capture the perpetrator and all those involved, subjecting them to the harshest punishment.
However, when he heard the name of the perpetrator, despair washed over him. The culprits were none other than Saintess Mika, Mage Angelica, and Sword Saint Eris.
They had acted on the Hero’s orders. Oh, how foolish it was!
But the problem did not end there. The groundwork laid by Prince Ryuguin, conducted without Madison’s knowledge, was both simple and exceedingly solid.
Normally, breaking the seal of the Affirmative Sword would result in an unavoidable death sentence. However, with the influence of Mika, the head of the church’s Saintess faction, and the permissions granted by Princess Puffy and the Arcana King, such a blatant breach of protocol was nearly perfectly sanctioned.
This was the final blow. The Hero had effortlessly leaped over the boundary set by the Chancellor. Madison no longer consulted or negotiated with the king. His heart, now consumed by a seething, volcanic rage, was determined to resolve the situation.
They’ve gone this far. Do whatever you must. I’ll remain silent until the matter is settled. But if you fail—