The Distinguished Mr. Rose Chapter 109: Chapter 108: Thus Did the Devil Lead Man to Temptation

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Chapter 108: Thus Did the Devil Lead Man to Temptation The following days were filled with much uncertainty amongst the castle folk. No longer was a weekly subjugation force enough to cleanse the sepulchre of the demons, for the nonsensical things surged in number, ceaselessly propagating with a speed that continued to grow. It became a daily occurrence for Bradamante to lead her paladins down to that haunting underground. Neither the Peers nor even Ganelon could devise a solution to this troubling matter, though they certainly tried. Roland had Sir Ruggiero flown back to the capital for a short period, as he and his trusty greatsword Balisarda had the most destructive power amongst the Peers. Sadly for them, not even the man’s concentrated strikes could scratch the barrier. In the multiple attempts coming after, they tried many different means, with some clearly logical and others quite silly in hindsight. The Franks brought the two Demon King’s fragments before it, thinking the evil influence would somehow resonate with what lay hidden behind, and when that didn’t work they dug beneath the wall hoping to discover an alternate entrance. Which of course ended in vain. So desperate did they become that the Franks resorted to hourly long sessions of prayer toward their God and sometimes dubious rituals that looked no different than the mad gatherings of a cult. Ganelon became fed up with it all and rounded up the demons, before tying them to planks of wood and burning them alive next to the mausoleum. Lucius had asked him what the purpose of such an act was at the time, which the man then shrugged and replied nonchalantly, saying that he thought it would appease the late emperor’s bloodlust. No other players were brought underground, thanks to Lucius’s intervention. He couldn’t have anyone else exposing the answers now, could he? It wasn’t as if the gentleman wanted the capital to collapse. But this situation provided him an opportunity… yes, an opportunity to delve deeper into the High Tribunal’s ever entertaining psyche. Whilst Ganelon obsessed over the Evil infesting his former liege’s grave, Lucius would watch him, observe him, and uncover that which would encourage even a stubborn man such as he to break. It was late in the evening one fateful night that the gentleman’s efforts finally bore fruit. Lucius was skulking in the dark as usual when Ganelon called his various lackeys to a midnight rendezvous near an obscured corner of the castle. Attending the meeting were old, corrupt priests of the order, veteran paladins well past their prime, greedy merchants and officials bribed with promises of fortune, and even a sizable portion of the judiciary. They came here, regardless of their busy duties, to prostrate before the puppetmaster who controlled their strings. “We’re accelerating the plan,” he said. It was a simple statement. Yet, the moment the words left his mouth, the entire room exploded in a round of nervous dissents. “What is the meaning of this?” one of the elderly priests said. “Our hands are already tied enough dealing with the demons crawling from our holy tomb, yet you would have us go against the Order now of all times?” A grizzled paladin raised their hand and spoke in a calmer tone, though their hesitation was still plain to see. “I trust you, Sir Ganelon, as do all of us who served under your command in the holy war. But this is not the right time. Roland and his faction still remain strong, not to mention the Saracen delegation currently in their midst. One wrong move and we risk provoking the new Emirate.” A merchant garbed in extravagant jewelry and gold-studded rings rudely interrupted, pointing at the High Tribunal. “Yes, Arabia! Why don’t we speak of your failure there? My caravan has suffered unprecedented losses because of this meddlesome business. We were promised Roland’s death, greater riches, direct passage to the Rivers’ Cairo treasury! Now they’re turning away any vendors associated with your na