AWDC Chapter 90

Chapter 90: Hōfa’s Behind-the-Scenes Maneuvering

Around that time, Hōfa was harboring a slight regret regarding the recent coup.

He was convinced that Tōma was the central figure in the regency of Raphael.

The battle that defeated the Bawa Roma army could clearly be attributed to the work of a reincarnated individual. Despite the overwhelming difference in military strength, the fact that they were overturned suggested the presence of some extraordinary, unknown technology.

Reports from the battlefield described explosions with loud noises, leading to the collapse of the Bawa Roma army. More than understanding what it was, Tōma’s very existence was a threat.

If possible, he wanted to bring Tōma under his control using his hypnotic abilities. However, even with his powers, he couldn’t influence Tōma.

Hōfa had previously tried to approach Tōma by using money, women, status, and honor as bait.

However, he remained unmoved by all of it.

With the recent coup, he had irrevocably turned Tōma into an enemy.

His true feelings were that he didn’t want to have a hostile relationship with him.

His hypnotic abilities also had limitations. The people he could brainwash were those who confided their worries and troubles to Hōfa. There weren’t many people who were easily influenced, and more importantly, it was difficult to keep them in a brainwashed state for an extended period.

After more than a month, the influence would naturally weaken, and he would have to brainwash them again. Therefore, the number of people he could keep under control was limited. He couldn’t possibly bring a large number of the capital’s residents under his influence.

He wanted to expand his church not only within the country but also to neighboring countries.

The Road faith had gathered many followers within the country, but it wasn’t unified. There were power struggles, which could be described as factions, within the church. Among them, Raphael’s faction was only the second or third largest.

He solidified his own faction within the church he belonged to. It was safe to say that no one within his faction could order him around anymore.

He had slowly driven his superior to suicide.

His superior was too power-hungry. He took advantage of that and instigated a factional conflict. Just as Hōfa had hoped, his superior suffered a severe backlash.

“Your fate is sealed. You have no more hope,” Hōfa intensified his hypnosis. Then, his superior became despondent and took his own life.

The church was supposed to be a place that listened to people’s worries and encouraged them. The suicide of a church executive was an unprecedented event, and the church tried to bury the scandal in darkness.

Hōfa was the one who handled the countermeasures. For him, who had the ability to manipulate people with hypnosis, it wasn’t difficult to hypnotize the church members who wanted to hide the scandal, making them misremember or forget the incident.

The superior’s death was attributed to illness. And finally, he became the leader of the faction.

However, he was already 50 years old at that time.

He estimated that it would still take another 10 years if he continued to gradually bring nobles and others under his control using the same methods.

(What will I be able to do by then?) He was aware that he had little time left.

(If I hadn’t been born a commoner, I could have reached the top much sooner.)

He was the son of a merchant and had been considered a prodigy since childhood. He had no intention of becoming just a merchant.

(In this country, the status of merchants is low, and they have no power.) Even if he became the best merchant in the capital, he could have his wealth seized and be thrown out of the city penniless if he angered those in power.

(Even if I inherited my father’s business, I wouldn’t want to do something so uninteresting.)

If a commoner like him wanted to rise in the world, his options were to become a knight or a priest.

He believed he could succeed in either path.

During his childhood, the exploits of William Robertson were widely praised.

(I want to become a hero like Robertson and rise in the world.) It was a dream that every child had. To defeat the Belga Kingdom like Robertson.

However, Robertson had died too soon. It was said that he was unlucky.

(Even if you have ability, you can only achieve that much if you don’t have luck.) When he thought about it that way, the only path left was to become a priest.

Moreover, within the church, it was said that you could rise in the world based on your abilities, regardless of your social status. Ability was equivalent to intelligence.

However, when he entered the church, he realized that family background was still important. It wasn’t widely known, but the church executives were of noble birth.

When he realized that, it was too late to turn back.

(Then, I’ll rise in the world through intelligence and strategy. Besides, I have an ability.)

That ability helped him to rise in the world. However, his rise was slower compared to those of noble birth.

By the time things finally went his way, almost half of his life was over. It was highly unlikely that he could even extend his reach to the Belga Kingdom.

Therefore, he couldn’t afford to wait any longer.

He used Margarita to extend his influence over the court and the nobles. Even so, he couldn’t do anything as long as Tōma and his group held the real power.

He ordered his trusted noble to propose an invasion of the Belga Kingdom. However, it was easily rejected by the government.

At this rate, it seemed impossible for him to reach out to neighboring countries while he was still alive.

It was a bit forceful, but he seized control.

However, he had completely turned Tōma into an enemy. He would become a terrifying presence if he became an enemy. That was why he immediately took the next step when Samarkand failed.

It seemed that Starfen had messed up. He had finally shaped him into an assassin by brainwashing him for 10 days.

He planned to kill him by catching him off guard with someone he was close to. However, he had returned to Toriholi without incident. He had confirmed that he had entered Starfen’s mansion, so the assassination must have been carried out. However, there seemed to be some problem.

Even so, he really wanted Tōma.

“Kill any fool who doesn’t listen to reason when offered sake, women, and money!”

He was troubled by those who were truly inflexible.

“Eh? Sake or women? Does Your Grace desire a woman other than me?”

He thought he hadn’t said it out loud, but it seemed Margarita had heard him.

“No, it was just a soliloquy.”

“Even if it’s a soliloquy, I don’t like you thinking about other women.”

“If you say such things, I’ll go home today.”

“That’s too cruel. It’s been three days since we last met.”

“If you don’t like that, then cherish my son.”

“Ah, I won’t say it again.” Margarita hurriedly buried her face in the bishop’s crotch.

The plump woman’s buttocks were right in front of him.

He lightly patted her bottom. “Ah,” the woman made a delighted sound.

(This woman still has her uses.) Hōfa was still not tired of the woman’s body.