Unlimited Ambition

Oh, I see. No wonder she exuded such a strong magical aura... Bishop Laura? A clergyman? I'm becoming more and more interested in you.

And so, Kanzaki and I were led to a guest room in the palace. After closing the door, I first checked around and, finding no eavesdropping or hidden cameras, immediately lay down on the bed, ready to take a nap.

Just then, Kanzaki's voice came through: "Um... what Master was just talking about with Princess Vivian was..."

Tsk, I don't know why, but Kanzaki, who knows absolutely nothing about Latin, is very familiar with English, despite both being among the world's three major languages. She must have overheard the entire conversation just now.

I thought about it and realized that I couldn't hide this matter any longer, so I told the truth, though my tone was somewhat helpless: "I won't hide it from you. Besides a normal friendly visit, I also have the mission of a marriage alliance to come to Britain this time."

"A marriage alliance?" Kanzaki's tone was dripping with sourness. I chuckled inwardly. It seemed she cared quite a bit.

“Yes, a marriage alliance.” I sighed. “Being born into royalty is both a blessing and a curse. I often have no say in my own life’s most important matters.”

Now that I've said that, the romance novels I usually give Kanzaki are showing their true effect. She nodded, thinking: It's really no wonder, Master. Royal marriages for profit, a wicked fiancée, a tragic prince, a gentle maid… and an elopement.

Immediately afterward, Kanzaki blushed as if she had a fever and couldn't help but say, "If Master doesn't like it, he can just decline."

I shook my head and continued in a heavy, slightly hesitant tone, "How could this be? As the son of the Emperor, I have long been prepared..."

Kanzaki immediately grasped my hand and, under my "surprised" gaze, said, "I am willing to do anything for my master..." Then she closed her eyes.

I sighed softly, hugged her, and gently kissed her.

Yes, the plan is going ahead.

--wrong!

I pushed her away—I clearly, clearly swore that I would never fall in love with anyone!

"Master?!" Kanzaki's tone was filled with confusion and sorrow.

"I'm sorry..." I covered my head and pretended to be in pain, then a better idea came to me: "I got a little excited and made such a frivolous move (don't you usually make frivolous moves)?"

Kanzaki felt a warm glow inside after hearing what I said, and shook her head, saying, "It's alright... After all, I'm your personal maid."

"I can't even give you a title," I said.

“I don’t care,” Kanzaki replied.

“But I care.” I stroked Kanzaki’s cheek. “I don’t want to wrong you.”

Kanzaki was finally moved to tears and threw herself into my arms, sobbing.

"Don't worry, Kanzaki," I comforted her. "I've already decided to decline this marriage. Even if it's just for you."

Kanzaki nodded while crying.

At the banquet, I brought Kanzaki with me. During the banquet, the old queen brought up the matter of a marriage alliance several times, both openly and subtly, but I calmly deflected each time.

I then looked around and, not seeing the woman I had my eye on, disregarded the Queen's displeased expression and asked directly, "Where is Archbishop Laura Stuart? Didn't she attend the banquet?"

The Queen looked slightly embarrassed, but quickly recovered: "The Archbishop has returned to Lambeth Palace to recuperate."

I nodded and said, "Please inform the Queen that I will be visiting Bishop Laura tomorrow."

Hearing what I said, the Queen almost lost her temper. But having been Queen for decades, she still had some composure: "I will inform Your Highness, please rest assured. I just wonder what Your Highness's thoughts are on that matter?"

Kanzaki had been listening for a long time, her face darkening almost to the point of tears as the Queen repeatedly mentioned the marriage alliance. What was wrong? Did this old woman think I didn't exist? However, five years of living in Jerusalem had taught Kanzaki to control her emotions well. Therefore, although her expression was unpleasant, she made no further move.

"I see." I naturally noticed Kanzaki's attitude and chuckled inwardly. I subtly took her hand, but then, without answering the queen's question, said, "I'm a little tired, I'm so sorry. May I leave early?"

The Queen watched as I disregarded my status and pulled Kanzaki away; it was a blatant slap in the face. I barely managed to control myself and refrain from punching that wretched boy in the face. The Queen forced a smile: "Since the Crown Prince is tired, he should go back and rest."

"Thank you very much, Your Majesty." I didn't stand on ceremony at all and simply pulled Kanzaki away. Along the way, men and women of London's upper class stared at us with astonishment; the rumors would probably spread throughout Britain soon.

That night, I explained to Kanzaki, “I visited the highest-ranking bishop of the English Puritan Church because she represents the Puritan faction, one of the three major factions in England. If I were to marry into the royal family, the power of the royal faction would inevitably increase greatly, which is definitely not what she wants to see. Therefore, we can seek her help.”

Kanzaki nodded, seemingly completely convinced by what I said.

"Then you can stay here tomorrow. I'll be back soon." I kissed Kanzaki lightly on the cheek and whispered.

※※※

The next morning, after a simple breakfast, I bid a reluctant farewell to Kanzaki and drove to Lambeth Palace to "visit" Laura.

While the Anglican Church claimed to be the state religion, it differed significantly from the state denominations in Jerusalem, exhibiting considerable independence. Furthermore, there were some doctrinal differences. What Jerusalem found most unacceptable was that the Puritans also devoted considerable effort to the study of heretical magic.

Therefore, in the division of Jerusalem, although the Anglo-Puritans were slightly better than the Roman Orthodox Church and were not considered heretics, they were still labeled as heretics.

In other words, this is the enemy's headquarters. I chuckled to myself. Identity is truly a wonderful thing, I thought to myself as I watched the two English Puritan priests reluctantly run inside to report.

Soon, the gates of Lambeth Palace swung open. Two squads of armored knights emerged and stood in two lines, their right hands, holding longswords, raised to the sky at a forty-five-degree angle.

A tall priest with long red hair, pierced ears, and reeking of tobacco, looking every bit like a hoodlum, strode up to me: "I am Steel Magnus, an English Puritan priest. Greetings, Your Highness."

...It seems that Britain is corrupt no matter which dimension it's in. This thought came to me for no reason. Then, forcing a smile, I extended my right hand, which wore a black gemstone ring.

As I extended my right hand, the priest who called himself Steel forced a smile, lowered his head, and gently kissed my ring according to the etiquette of ancient Catholicism.

We were both disgusted for a moment.

"Please come with me." Steele still forced a smile, walked quickly ahead, and never looked back. After leading me to the entrance of the reception room, he slipped away as if fleeing.

"No one's going to open the door for me?" Slightly annoyed, I pushed the door open myself and went inside.

Chapter Seven: I'm a Bachelor of Ergonomics!

And so, I met Laura again a day later. After exchanging greetings and taking our seats, Laura ordered tea and refreshments to be brought in. Then she closed the door, leaving just the two of us in the room.

I held a cup of black tea with milk in my hand, and my demeanor was still the same as when I was in the Chinese Federation. In Kagura's words, I was like a spoiled brat from the capital, but with less ignorance and more of a heroic air of self-confidence.

In another dimension, I wield immense power, and in this dimension, I hold an equally noble status. After more than thirty years of cultivation, I can say that the vast majority of people in this world could not possibly possess my kind of temperament.

An elected president's eight-year term is fraught with constraints, naturally preventing them from developing such a demeanor. Meanwhile, the aristocracy in training, lacking real power and not holding a high position, is also unable to cultivate such a character.

Before I could even speak, Laura's gaze towards me changed, and she began to wonder, "This doesn't seem like a thirteen-year-old at all. Even the Queen of England doesn't have such an air about her... Isn't it said that angels don't regain their memories before the age of eighty-four? What's going on?"

Just then, I spoke up: "During our last meeting, I was unaware of the bishop's identity and acted somewhat presumptuously. Please forgive me."

It would have been better if we hadn't brought it up, because after we did, Laura's face turned bright red. It actually surprised me a little: she was, after all, the head of the British Puritans, a woman who had lived for who knows how long. What are you pretending for?

I rolled my eyes inwardly. I hadn't expected that Laura had actually entered a convent at a young age. Over the centuries, she had become an abnormally powerful figure, holding the position of leader of the Puritan Church. Who would dare joke with her like this normally? She had never witnessed anything like what I said yesterday before.

At this point, Laura's face flushed, while Gu remained silent with a smile. For a moment, neither of them spoke.

However, since she had already shown such an adorable expression, it would be a shame not to tease her: "Bishop Laura, do you have a sufficient understanding of the state religion of Jerusalem in our country?"

Laura patted her chest, thinking to herself, "That was close! His eyes are so alluring. I was captivated without even realizing it. Whatever he says, as long as it's not about a marriage alliance, it's fine: 'Our country and yours have historically had little contact. Although we've had some brief interactions, it's all just hearsay.'"

"Tch, what a load of hearsay. Of all the spies the Dark Knights catch each year, the British Puritans make up the majority." I secretly scorned her, then said something that made Laura spit out a mouthful of tea: "The priests of our state church are allowed to marry and have children, you know."

"Whhhh, what?!" Laura's complexion, which had just improved, turned bright red again, and her eyes darted around like mosquito coils.

"Huh? Bishop Laura doesn't know?" I said, feigning surprise. "This reform has been in effect ever since my ancestor Baldwin IV reorganized the state church."

Laura was still a little dizzy. When I said that, she thought, "How come I didn't know that? Why are you bringing this up out of the blue?"

"In fact, there is no provision in Catholic doctrine that prohibits priests from marrying. Nor was there any explicit provision in the early days of Christianity. It was only because some early Christians devoted themselves to spreading the gospel and did not care about their own lives that later generations fabricated and exaggerated the law. The Roman Catholic Church went against the tide and thus this evil law was enacted."

At this point, I snorted lightly, sounding utterly disdainful: "It's nothing but a fig leaf. Throughout history, how many Roman Catholic popes have been notorious for their debauchery? How dare they use this to attack our national religion?"

After a while, Laura finally recovered and slightly disagreed with what I said. After all, even Puritan clergy were not allowed to marry. However, she couldn't say it outright, so she said indirectly, "What the Crown Prince said makes sense. But I have never heard of angels in Heaven marrying each other. Why is that?"

I smiled, unconcerned: "That's because angels are pure energy beings, so naturally they can't marry. But we're different. We are—at least for now—mortals with flesh and blood. We have all the emotions and desires..."

As I spoke, I stood up and slowly walked towards Laura, exuding a powerful aura of pressure.

"For example, right now, I see the bishop's face, as beautiful as a flower. And the immortal British witch... reminds me of an old friend."

As I drew closer, Laura shrank back, nearly tipping her chair over. Despite possessing astonishing magical power, she was unable to use it. She could only watch me approach, waving her hands haphazardly—before I gently grasped them.

“That’s right, that’s right! I’m a witch who’s several hundred years old, old enough to be your grandmother!” Laura retorted.

I chuckled softly, leaned forward, and bit her ear: "I don't mind, and to be honest, Gu is much older than you."

I gently embraced Laura, letting her feel the peculiar aura of a man's body. Her strength crumbled without her even realizing it. Though she struggled slightly, it seemed more like a playful resistance, merely adding to my ecstasy.

"What's going on? What kind of magic did you use? Why can't I move?" Laura was both embarrassed and annoyed, but her voice unconsciously became much softer.

"That's the magic of love, my lovely girl," I chuckled softly, then lowered my head and kissed her lips.

"It's over, it's over, I'm going to die." Laura finally gave up resisting, closing her eyes as if resigned to her fate.

Just as I was chuckling smugly, preparing to help the bishop undress, I sensed something was amiss behind me—turning around, I saw a blue-haired girl in a white nun's habit curiously scrutinizing the two of us.

……

! ! ! ! !

Why didn't this brat knock before coming in?!

"Big brother, what are you doing with Bishop Laura?" A glimpse of that innocent gaze made even a human like me, who had completely lost all sense of morality, feel uneasy. It seemed that bastard cat hadn't been properly cleaned yet; I'd definitely have to give her a second wash sometime.

As I thought this, I slowly climbed off Laura, then straightened my collar and solemnly declared:

"I am currently discussing with Bishop Laura the differences in doctrine between the Church of Jerusalem and the Anglican Church. As a Jerusalemite, I naturally feel that the doctrine of the Church of Jerusalem is better, but the bishop does not quite agree. Therefore, the bishop and I are preparing to test who is right and who is wrong through practical actions."

I wasn't lying. Isn't this the truth?

The blue-haired nun nodded, seemingly understanding, then stared at Laura, whose face was deathly pale, as if trying to discern something.

“Hey, say something too,” I whispered to Laura.

"Talk, talk, talk, what should I say?" Laura was completely flustered and had no idea what to do.

"You're right to agree with me," I continued in a low voice.

“That’s right! His Highness the Crown Prince and I were just discussing differences in doctrine! We didn’t do anything else!” Laura said loudly, clearly giving the impression that she was trying to cover something up.

You stupid woman! You were so clever when we first met, how come you can't even tell a lie now?!

Seeing that Laura was completely unreliable in her current state, I chuckled and asked the little nun, "What's your name?"

When I asked that, the little nun seemed very proud and said, "Index, Index-Librorum-Prohibitorum. It's the great Anglican Library's A Certain Magical Index!"

"Oh?" I reached out with an ambiguous smile. Since this "Index" was half a head shorter than me, I could easily touch her head. "Hahaha, is that so? Index, you're really amazing." Then Index chuckled.

“But Sister Index, didn’t anyone tell you that you should knock before entering someone else’s room?” I continued.

“Not at all,” the blue-haired loli continued proudly.

There's nothing to be proud of about this.

My smile remained unchanged; I just wanted to get rid of her quickly so I could continue my "doctrine discussion" with Laura. So I said, "Then remember this well. Today I'm passing this lesson on to you: be a polite child, and always knock before entering someone else's room."

The blue-haired girl nodded at first. Then she looked very disappointed: "Even if I remember it, I'll forget it a year from now."