39 – Building Power

Raymond might have screwed up.

It was far from his first time selling information to the church, but this response was just completely unexpected. They usually just paid well, and then did nothing. In all the years Raymond had been selling to them, the largest response any of his secrets got was an investigation into a minor noble who was collecting demon worshiper antiques.

He hadn’t even told them who Jonny was. He just sold them the raw information from the butler about the strange boy with golden eyes and a penchant for killing magic beasts. Yet, two days later, they had sent a damned high inquisitor out there. A high inquisitor who then died.

He had let Archibald know, just to see if he could get his brother in trouble, but instead, he was now working closely with the church, scouring the mountainside for the escaped demon.

The fact that his nephew was demon-possessed should have been a good thing. That meant he didn’t even need to do anything anymore. The church would take care of him, and even if they failed, he would never be able to inherit the position of duke. His own son’s future was more or less secured.

The real issue was that they knew who had given them the information about Jonny, and they also knew about the assassins. He had covered his tracks perfectly when it came to the actual hiring of the assassins, but the fact that he was the only one who knew about Jonny made him the only suspect for who could have sent them, and that was bad. The church generally tried to stay out of external affairs, but sending assassins after a child wasn’t something they would overlook.

They hadn’t sent anyone to investigate him yet. The only recently mobilized inquisitors were headed to the remote orphanage, not to his estate. But there was currently a bishop in his reception room, which was unusual, and he knew it couldn’t be anything good.

Should I just say that I knew Jonathan was a demon the whole time? he wondered. But then they’ll ask why I acted independently instead of just informing the church…

He tapped a finger nervously on his desk. He was using the excuse of needing to get ready to delay the meeting, but he couldn’t do that forever. And when he did, he would probably have questions to answer. If he said he knew Jonny was a demon, he would be in trouble for not telling the church, but if he said he didn’t, that meant he tried to assassinate a child. It was a lose-lose situation.

Ah, to hell with it, he thought, getting up from his desk. I’ll climb that mountain when I get there.

He took a moment to school his facial expression, then confidently strode out of his study and toward the reception room, where he found the bishop, an overweight older man, sipping on a cup of tea while a maid stood at the ready nearby. Raymond waved the maid away, then sat down across from the bishop.

They exchanged pleasantries, then the bishop started talking upgrades to the local cathedral’s facade that he was trying to get funded. The tension slowly left Raymond’s body as he realized that the bishop was not here for him. Just money. And money he could do. Especially if it got a bishop on his side. That would be useful if he did get investigated.

They talked for a while, with the bishop explaining his vision for what types of statues and mosaics he wanted on the church, and Raymond praising his taste and adding his own opinions when they fit. The established a good rapport, and Raymond agreed to donate some money to the church’s efforts. The bishop thanked him, and said that if Raymond ever needed anything, he could ask at any time.

Raymond smiled back, and his smile was very much real, because that was exactly what he wanted. He prepared to bid the bishop farewell, but rather than getting up, the Bishop just poured himself another cup of tea and sat up straighter.

“Now that that’s settled, I actually have some other business to discuss with you,” said the bishop.

“Another cathedral?” joked Raymond.

“No, I’m afraid this is related to your assassination attempt on your nephew.”

“…I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“You’re saying you didn’t order an assassination on young Jonathan Meyer?”

“I did not.”

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“Well, that’s not what my informants tell me,” said the bishop. “I suppose I’ll have to investigate a little deeper then. I don’t suppose you would mind, would you?”

Raymond didn’t respond.