Lord: Starting with Biological Modification

Chapter 227: Chapter 222: Infiltration

While construction in the Grey Marsh Territory was in full swing, a conspiracy targeting it was quietly brewing in the distant capital of the Duchy.

This was a secret chamber, closed to the public. Only candlelight cast wavering shadows upon the thick stone walls.

The air was filled with a dry scent—a mixture of old parchment and aromatic balm.

"Archbishop Edmond."

A man clad in a magnificent Mage’s robe sat in the shadows. A double-headed eagle—the emblem of the northern Empire—was embroidered on his robe in silver thread, signifying his status as a special envoy.

The red-robed Archbishop before him was unhurriedly trimming a candlewick with a small pair of silver shears.

The flame flickered gently, growing slightly brighter.

"Lord Victor, I doubt you’ve graced my humble prayer room just to discuss the scriptures," Edmond said without looking up.

"Of course not," Victor’s voice was steady. "I’m here for a rising star: Baron Velin Klein."

Edmond paused his trimming of the wick.

"The Empire is very interested in him," Victor continued.

"A Baron of a remote pioneer territory who has, in a short time, not only consolidated his domain but even thwarted the Ironclad Marquis at the Nobles’ Council. His methods, his way of thinking—they are all beyond our control."

"We do not wish for an unpredictable variable to appear within the Duchy."

Edmond set down the silver shears and finally looked directly at the imperial envoy before him.

"So, what does the Empire wish the Church to do?"

"The Church is the shepherd of the people," Victor said, his tone shifting to one of earnestness. "We hope you can send someone to ’guide’ this Baron, who may have strayed from the righteous path, and to ’observe’ the lands under his rule. After all, his rise has been accompanied by too many challenges to tradition."

’This Victor... his words are so high and mighty, but all he wants is for the Church to act as the Empire’s spy and find out everything about Velin.’

’However, this did not conflict with the Church’s own goals.’

"The Church, naturally, will fulfill its duties," Edmond said slowly. "The light of the Lord of Eternal Radiance should shine upon every corner of the Duchy, especially those newborn lands."

Victor nodded in satisfaction, then rose to take his leave.

He knew the Archbishop had understood his unspoken meaning.

After the imperial envoy left, there was another knock on the secret chamber’s door.

Bishop Marcus, dressed in grey robes, entered with a man in the attire of a Judge. This was the same man who had observed the entire proceedings at the Nobles’ Council.

"Your Excellency, the Archbishop," he said, bowing.

"Speak."

"Our initial investigation into Velin Klein has been summarized." Bishop Marcus’s report was very detailed. "During the trial in the Royal Capital after ’The Last Knight’s Tournament,’ Velin’s testimony played a significant role. According to our records, before he was granted his title, he would occasionally attend the Church’s worship services. But after becoming a Pioneer Knight, he has not set foot in a church even once."

Edmond’s fingers tapped lightly on the tabletop.

"A man who neither reveres noble bloodlines nor respects the name of our Lord," Bishop Marcus’s tone grew heavy. "He is not a believer at all, just a dangerous individual cloaked as one, constantly testing the limits."

The moment his voice fell, the Judge could no longer hold back.

"Archbishop!" Judge Boros’s breathing was ragged. "What Bishop Marcus has said is enough to prove Velin Klein’s heretical nature! I request that we immediately form an Inquisition Court, travel to the Grey Marsh Territory, and completely purify this blasphemer!"

Edmond raised a hand, silencing his roar.

"Boros, your piety is commendable, but your mind is as zealous as your faith."

"Velin is now a pioneer hero, acknowledged by the Nobles’ Council as the Pioneer of the Southern Archipelago. He has Marquis Lorenzo behind him, as well as a large number of nobles who have benefited from his potions. If we move against him now, are you trying to start a war between the Church and half the nobility of the Duchy?"

"Then... are we just to let him continue his blasphemy?" Boros asked, unconvinced.

"If you try to deal with a poisonous weed growing on a cliff by pulling it out directly, you will only fall off the cliff yourself." A deep smile touched Edmond’s lips. "A clever gardener chooses to plant a more robust, more beloved vine next to it. Let the vine entwine it, drain its nutrients, and finally, let it wither in the shadows."

He turned to look at his two subordinates.

"Marcus, in my name, go to the royal palace and invoke the clauses in the National Covenant regarding the propagation of faith. The royal family must add a clause to the pioneer charter granted to Velin Klein: The Church is permitted, unconditionally, to establish missions and spread the gospel within his territory."

"Boros, you will select the most pious and steadfast missionaries and Templar Knights. Their task is not to judge, but to ’serve’. They will pray for the people of the Grey Marsh Territory, heal them, and bring them solace. We must make those people understand who can truly grant them peace."

"We will not be the ones to condemn him," Edmond’s tone became level. "We will let his own subjects expose him, accuse him, and condemn him! Just like the other faithless lords before him."

"If he accepts, it will be like planting our eyes and ears in his very heart. His every move will be monitored, and his so-called ’research’ will sooner or later reveal its blasphemous nature."

"And if he resists..." Edmond paused. "Then that is tantamount to an open declaration of war against the Church. At that point, we won’t even need to act. The faithful of the entire Duchy will tear him to shreds."

Boros and Marcus came to a sudden understanding, their faces showing expressions of awe.

It was an open conspiracy, one that was impossible to counter.

...

「Meanwhile, hundreds of miles away in the Grey Marsh Territory.」

Inside the Origin Association’s research institute, rows of shelves were filled with all sorts of labeled glassware and plant specimens. The air smelled of a peculiar mixture of soil, alcohol, and some kind of resin.

Velin was standing before a wide workbench.

In his left hand, he held a small, verdant twig with a pair of tweezers. It had been cut from a "Sun-Resin Wood" tree. The sap produced by this tree was flexible and extremely resistant to weathering, making it an excellent material for paving roads. However, the tree itself was quite delicate and difficult to cultivate on a large scale.

In his right hand, he held a small knife as thin as a cicada’s wing. Under his careful manipulation, the blade sliced into the rootstock of a sturdy "Irontrunk Wood" sapling below, creating a neat incision.

[Extraordinary Grafting]

Velin carefully inserted the Sun-Resin Wood twig into the incision on the Irontrunk Wood. The moment the two different plant tissues touched, an imperceptible thread of energy flowed from his fingertips.

At the incision point, the vascular bundles of the two plants began to slowly fuse at a rate visible to the naked eye.

’It worked.’

As long as this grafted sapling survived, he would have a brand-new tree species that combined the tenacious life force of the Irontrunk Wood with the high-quality yield of the Sun-Resin Wood.

The Grey Marsh Territory’s "three-by-three" highway network could begin construction come spring.

Just as Velin walked out of the research institute, he ran into Barrett.

"My Lord!"

The latter’s expression was grim.

"We have visitors from the Royal Capital."

"Who is it?"

"A royal messenger... people from the Church, and even two Templar Knights."

Templar Knights.

The words made Velin’s brow furrow. They were the Church’s most direct armed force and never participated in secular messenger duties.

Their very presence was a signal.

’The Church... are they finally making their move?’

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