Volume 9, Chapter 15 – Gore Harile

After making thorough preparations, Yisi met with the General of the Empire’s northern defensive line, Gore Harile, in the first-floor reception hall of the mansion.

Due to the nasty attitude he had shown Lin the previous day, Yisi had naturally considered General Gore as a difficult and arrogant noble. For the sake of appearances, Yisi first sent Lin and the other two away, then returned to her bedroom to change into a red formal gown reserved for such occasions. Only after tidying her silver hair, which was streaked with blue, and even applying some perfume she disliked, did she formally receive the general.

Now, the two were sitting on plush sofas across a coffee table, with Laxy in attendance.

Unlike his magnificent attire from the previous day, today Gore wore the standard uniform of a high-ranking officer. The clean-cut uniform, combined with Gore’s tall build and angular, dignified expression, would make anyone who saw him immediately associate him with the word “General.”

Of course, Gore had no white hair or beard; he looked to be only about forty.

Noticing that Gore’s gaze kept lingering on Laxy, who stood behind her, Yisi folded her hands on her lap. With the impeccable posture of a noble lady, she smiled and opened the conversation.

“Is General Gore Harile visiting today for the sake of the God-Forged Angel, Laxy?”

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Gore calmly withdrew his gaze and took a sip of his coffee—a beverage produced only in the south. He placed the cup gently back on its porcelain saucer. His neat, golden-blond hair seemed almost transparent in the sunlight streaming through the window.

“No, I was just curious, seeing a legendary Angel for the first time. Please don’t misunderstand, Cardinal Yisi Enya. His Majesty the Emperor has recently taken a keen interest in artificial puppets. If His Majesty were to see an angel created by the gods, he would surely be full of praise. Those lumps of stone the scholars create simply cannot compare to an angel.” The stern face was now full of amiability, and Gore gave an appreciative smile. “As for my visit to Cardinal Yisi Enya today, aside from some routine matters, it is more for personal reasons.”

“You don’t need to worry about Laxy. As a God-Forged Angel, she will not reveal our conversation to outsiders.”

“Hehehe, that is a given.”

He had been so harsh with Lin yesterday, yet sitting in front of her today, she felt no pressure from him at all. It was as if she weren’t sitting opposite an Imperial General, but a next-door uncle who served in the army.

I’d initially thought he would be a very difficult person to deal with and even changed into a formal gown. Now it seems that even if I hadn’t, Gore wouldn’t have made any critical remarks. Yisi couldn’t help but let out a quiet sigh of relief. It was probably a leftover from her student days; she had never been good at dealing with serious men more than a decade her senior. Just standing in front of them made her feel an indescribable pressure.

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It seems what Red said before she left was right. This general only bears ill will toward Lin.

When she was seeing Lin and the other two off, Red had mentioned General Gore, intentionally or not. The Imperial General named Gore Harile was a loyal man who treated others kindly. Even when his soldiers made mistakes, he would mostly let them off with a verbal warning and wouldn’t use his status to make things difficult for them. But this same kind man had an exceptionally foul attitude toward the Hero, Lin.

What was even stranger was that no one knew why General Gore hated Lin. Lin had never offended him, nor did they have any conflict of interest. If one were to say Gore held a grudge against the Divine Religion, he wouldn’t be so amicable toward Red and Purple. Therefore, with no other explanation, most people could only attribute his hatred to the monster blood flowing in Lin’s veins. In fact, most people in the Empire also felt that the Hero should be a human, and that the future of humanity should be controlled by humans themselves.

Placing the porcelain saucer holding the teacup on the coffee table, Gore interlaced his fingers. His stalwart body leaned forward slightly, adopting the posture of one preparing for a long talk.

“In that case, I won’t beat around the bush. I am Gore Harile, the Imperial General guarding the central part of the Norta Empire’s northern defensive line. For what follows, I will be asking you, Cardinal Yisi Enya, questions solely in my capacity as the envoy sent by the Empire to the Chloe Kingdom.”

“Yes.”

Yisi nodded, signaling for him to continue.

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“Cardinal Yisi Enya, why have you come to the Chloe Kingdom? This is the territory of the Divine Religion, and yesterday I saw you walking with their Hero.”

“Hmm… I have come to the Duchy of Chloe in my personal capacity as Yisi Enya. It has nothing to do with the Ymir Church. General Gore need not worry. During my stay with the Divine Religion, I will not do anything detrimental to the Empire’s interests.”

As if trying to decipher the meaning behind her words, Gore clicked his tongue and nodded thoughtfully.

“But why would the Divine Religion allow you to stay here, knowing full well that you are a Cardinal of the Ymir Church?”

Yisi did not speak, offering only a smile as her answer. Although Pope Atwood had not made her promise not to tell anyone about her taking the Gospel, she was under no obligation to tell Gore. Besides, he had specifically stressed before the conversation that he was asking as an envoy. This meant that even if she didn’t answer, she would not be offending Gore the person. Once the identity was stressed, the person and the position were separated, becoming two independent entities. It was just like an actor on a stage merely playing a role, their true personality only shown off-stage.

Gore was not angered by Yisi’s silence. On the contrary, the approval in his eyes deepened.

This official-style back-and-forth continued for nearly ten rounds before Gore finally stopped his questioning. He pulled back his forward-leaning body, crossed one leg, and leaned back on the sofa, relaxing slightly.

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“Hah, I think I understand. In other words, Cardinal Yisi Enya will be staying in the Duchy of Chloe for a period of time, is that correct? When I first saw how young you were, Cardinal, I thought the Ymir Church had run out of capable people after the change in Popes. Now, it seems I was mistaken. Your Eminence the Cardinal is much more mature than I imagined.”

“You flatter me, General Gore. Compared to you, I am still just a child. By the way, the personal matter you mentioned at the beginning was…?”

Gore had emphasized earlier that the personal matter was his main reason for coming. Yisi just couldn’t imagine what private dealings she could have with him. Although she had considered that Gore might be trying to win her over, a Cardinal of the Ymir Church, she found it highly unlikely, given the Empire’s hostile stance toward the Kingdom and the Ymir Church’s position as a barrier between them. The Ymir Church was like a fishbone stuck in the Empire’s throat, something they would rather just get rid of.

Therefore, Yisi could only think of one thing—yesterday, when Gore saw Camilla, he had shown a fleeting look of surprise and suspicion. It was very likely he was here for Camilla.

As if he was embarrassed, or perhaps afraid of his hopes being dashed, Gore rubbed his hands together. His gaze darted back and forth across the coffee table, not daring to look Yisi in the eye. After a long hesitation, he finally chose his words and spoke, even stammering a little.

“…The personal matter was just a sudden thought. I haven’t been able to put it out of my mind since yesterday. Your Eminence, Cardinal Yisi Enya, do you… by any chance, know someone named… ‘Ailis’?”