The next day.
I went into the room protected with the barrier once again, and met with the Pope.
Cliff was standing to the side.
"Your eminence, I am pleased to meet you in good health."[1]
Cliff is also aware of last night's events.
I've fully explained to him the reasons I didn't return with Zenith.
As he showed indignation towards the Latreia house's reckless actions, I asked him to help me borrow the power of the Pope.
As a result, I was granted an audience for the second day in a row.
Since the Pope is very busy, it took some time before I was allowed to meet him.
"You seem weary, Rudeus-sama."
"You can tell?"
I touched my cheek.
Although I just shaved, I can feel some remaining whiskers.
I got angry remembering Claire's speech and conduct and couldn't sleep last night, as well.
I'm sure my face is a horrible mess.
"Yes. Is today's audience concerning that matter?"
The Pope's behavior suggests that he has seen through me.
The details of Zenith's case may have already reached him.
"To tell the truth, my mother was kidnapped last night."
"I see. Who is the perpetrator?"
The Pope looked at me with a slight smile on his face.
Looking at how he asked me who here, he most likely already knows.
I'd like to think that there's no chance of the Pope having been pulling the strings, but...
"It was the Latreia house."
After I told him the details concerning yesterdays events, the Pope squinted slightly.
"So you wanted to ask me to help you in your search?"
"Frankly, yes."
The pope stroked his beard as if he were pondering.
Scratching his Santa Claus-like beard.
Then, he looked at me.
His face held a slight smile, but it didn't reach his eyes.
"Well then, what shall I have you do..."
"Your eminence?"
Cliff let out a baffled voice in response to the Pope's words.
"He is my friend. This isn't about the faction, it's about family. I don't think it is right to bring up bargaining points..."
"That is why I bring them up, Cliff."
The Pope admonished Cliff in a gentle tone of voice.
"This is a problem of the Latreia house. It's not as if we can't intervene, but we shouldn't interfere with matters of other houses. If the Grimoire house were to meddle in their affairs, the Latreia house won't take kindly to it. But if we were to treat it as mediation by the Pope, we can get them to listen. This is an issue between mother, daughter, and grandchild. If we were to force ourselves in, the Grimoire house will owe a large debt to the Latreia house."
From the Latreia house's viewpoint, it would be like using a shrimp to fish up a sea bream. To the sea bream, it won't be worth it if it doesn't get anything substantial.[2]
"Does your eminence have anything he desires from me?"
"Let's see, it would be quite simple to put it into words, but... It sounds like too good of a story for me. For the [Right Hand of the Dragon God] to come to me while troubled and ask for assistance... In the first place why would the Latreia house purposefully make an enemy of you, who is called the [Right Hand of the Dragon God]?"
"... I don't know. Maybe they aren't aware of that fact?"
Thinking back, Claire seemed to have been looking down on me from the very beginning.
Even though she acknowledged Aisha, she ignored my initial greeting, after all.
"Despite appearances, Count Latreia excels at gathering information. I'm certain he wouldn't miss information on someone as powerful as you, and I don't think he would make light of it."
By Count, he's not referring to Claire.
He's talking about Claire's husband, Carlyle.
"... I've never met the Count, who's the head of the family. It could be the uninformed Countess acting on her own."