King of the Sea

Chapter 41

Chapter 41

After traveling across the Castle observing the changes occurring, Lambert could not help but feel that Berengar was winning in the war. They were fighting for the succession of their father's title. Lately, his allies were beginning to back out of his plans after the death of Marshal Friedhelm, and hostile forces now surrounded him within his own . Things were not going well for the youth, who was now in a difficult position. Count Lothar of Tyrol kept pressuring the boy into another assassination attempt on Berengar's life, but it was becoming increasingly difficult to do so. Berengar had won the favor of the people. Thus he could no longer count on them to poison him, the castle guard who was loyal to himself had now been replaced by forces loyal to Berengar, and the man had quite possibly won over his fiancee and was using her to spy on him. As long as Berengar remained in Kufstein, it would be challenging to claim his life.

Worse yet, Lambert was now aware that rumors were spreading of Berengar's divine powers to see the future and that the inventions he had implemented were gifts from God to the people of Germany that would lead them into a new era. Many of the common folk were beginning to treat him like he was some saint. Suddenly Lambert had an epiphany if he could not get the people to turn on Berengar, and the feudal powers were no longer supporting Lambert. There was only one potential ally he could call upon, which had enough power and authority to end Berengar's life. A devilish smile appeared across Lambert's face as he realized that this war was far from over. If he could gain the church's support and accuse Berengar of heresy, then it did not matter if he was a Baron's son and heir; the inquisition had the power and authority to deal with any potential heretics, no matter their social status! As such, he quickly rushed to his room to draft a letter to the Bishop of Innsbruck to make accusations of Heresy against his elder brother.

By the time Lambert reached his room, Berengar and Linde had already moved onto another part of the castle to continue their day of debauchery. As such, Lambert was entirely unaware of what had recently transpired in his own bed. He quickly got to his desk and pulled out parchment, a quill, and some ink where he began to draft a letter for a plea of assistance from the Bishop. In this letter, Lambert brought up concerns about Berengar being the embodiment of the seven deadly sins and consorting with witches and demons to gain f*******n knowledge that had allowed him to "invent" these new devices that were being implemented in Kufstein; and how Berengar was spreading blasphemy about his divinity. The list of concerns in which Lambert brought up was both extensive and almost entirely fictitious.

After drafting the letter, he brought it to the local priest of the church within Kufstein. Currently, Deacon Ludolf was working alongside the priest on matters of the ecclesiarchy. Thus Ludolf, a high-ranking member of Berengar's spy network and trusted ally, was present When Lambert rushed in to gain the signature of the local priest for his approval of these concerns.

"Father, I have some concerns about my brother's erratic behavior lately and have decided to draft a formal inquiry to the Bishop so that we may discover the truth about these matters. I would like you to read about my concerns and give your support."

The priest smiled when he saw Lambert; the boy was considered a pious and graceful youth worthy of the title of Baron. Unfortunately, he was born the second son and thus would not inherit the lands. The priest's opinion of Berengar was not as high as Lambert's; after all, Berengar had only shown his face in the church once in the past few months. He was beginning to believe that the young man had become an apostate. When the priest read the letter Lambert had drafted, it was as if his suspicions were confirmed. Without any evidence for the claims in which Lambert had presented, the priest signed away his endorsement on the spot. It would be good for an unfaithful wretch like Berengar to be removed from his position, especially if these concerns turned out to be legitimate. The old priest smiled at Lambert and patted the boy on the shoulder.

"Lambert, my child, you have always been a faithful servant to the Lord, and I will gladly endorse your letter to the Bishop. If what you say is true, there is a dire need for the inquisition to get involved. We can only pray that the devil and his worshippers are routed out from the halls of your ancestors and that the glory of God can be returned to these lands."

Lambert smiled gracefully and bowed to the Priest

"Thank you, Father; I knew I could count on your support in these troubling times!"

Afterward, The priest saw Lambert off as he raced back to the castle to send the letter to the Bishop of Innsbruck. When he returned, he was given an odd stare by Ludolf, who could not help but voice his concerns.

"Father, you can not possibly believe that a single thing written in that letter was the truth. It is obvious the boy is scheming to take over his brother's position as heir to the Barony!"

The priest frowned at Ludolf as he chastised him greatly for his words.

"Whether it is true or not is of no concern of the Church. If Berengar were to inherit his father's position, he would use the power in his hands to be rid of the Church's influence. We cannot allow such ideas to take hold over the people's minds, especially the nobility who stand to benefit from them. It is better to have a God-fearing Baron like Lambert in charge who will obey the will of the Papacy than a Godless heathen like Berengar who would challenge the authority of the Holy See."

At that moment, Ludolf knew everything Berengar had said about the Church was true; they were corrupt beyond measure. They were willing to t*****e a seemingly righteous man to death over nonsensical claims simply because he posed a minor threat to their power. These words by the priest of Kufstein ultimately convinced Ludolf that the Church needed to be reformed. However, he stood there in silence, simply nodding his head at the priest's words. For now, he would have to warn Berengar of the danger that lies ahead. Ludolf would one day come to realize that this one decision by the authorities of the Church would cause Berengar to view the Papacy as the greatest obstacle in his rise to power and would cause endless bloodshed in the struggle for secular authority.

After Lambert returned to the Castle, he quickly sent the letter to the Bishop of Innsbruck, though it would take time to approve the inquisition's interference in Kufstein. Lambert was certain that this action would lead his Brother to his demise. For in his mind, how could a lowly Baron's heir defy the might of the inquisition? If Lambert knew what his brother would have in store for the church's forces upon their arrival, he would have soiled himself in fear of the mad lengths to which Berengar was willing to enact to ensure his dominance.

: Lamberts Birthday III

: Lamberts Birthday III

: Lambert's Birthday III

After successfully sending the letter to the Bishop of Innsbruck, Lambert had a wide smile on his face. His otherwise foul mood had taken a turn for the better as he could finally see an end in sight for his brother. He also wrote another letter informing Count Lothar of Tyrol of his plans to involve the Church in their schemes. By branding Berengar as a Heretic, they would essentially get the entirety of the Christian world to unite against him. Or so they believed, at the very least, the Inquisition would not let the young man go so easily.

It was not until the evening that Lambert finally left his room where he returned to the Kitchen to see his family gathered around the table with a German Cheesecake produced for him. It was a relatively recent tradition that popped up in the German world, but it was not until Berengar arrived that it had spread to Kufstein. After all, the man wanted an excuse to eat cake. Since it was a tradition that was bound to spread across Europe eventually and had already taken root in some areas of the German-speaking regions, Berengar took it upon himself to introduce it to Kufstein for Lambert's birthday. It would seem like he was generous; in reality, he just wanted an excuse to cheat on his diet and feast on the delicious cake. It was just a pity that chocolate did not exist in Europe yet. Otherwise, he would have had his chefs cook up some German chocolate cake, which Berengar was accustomed to having during his childhood birthdays from his previous life.

Berengar, of course, took the liberty to add the candles himself and start that tradition a few centuries early. It was a birthday, and Berengar would be damned if he did not do it right! It truly did not matter if it was for his greatest enemy; an excuse to start a tradition is an excuse to start a tradition. The family sat around the table and lit the candles, where Berengar stared at his little brother with a gentle smile.

"Make a wish, Lambert, then blow out the candles!"

As such, Lambert thought to himself.

'Make a wish? I don't see the point, but whatever, I wish you would drop dead!'

Afterward, he did what Berengar had said and exhaled deeply onto the candles snuffing their flames in the process. Unfortunately for him, his wish did not become a reality. Afterward, everyone lined up to give the presents they had acquired to Lambert. From his mother Gisela, he received a fine doublet manufactured in one of Berengar's factories. From his father, he received a new steel longsword superior to the one he previously had, as it was made from high-quality, high carbon Bessemer steel. He received a childish drawing of the family from Henrietta, and from Linde, he received nothing... His fiancee had not given him a gift at all; well, technically, she had. He was just not aware of it. Her gift to Lambert was cheating on him with his older brother in his own bed.

Finally, it was Berengar's turn, and everyone expected him to give something outlandish to Lambert; after all, Berengar was in charge of the industrial sector within the realm. Yet before Berengar gave him the box which contained his present, he said something which unnerved Lambert.

"My present is a trophy from my hunting trip in which I went on with our father not too long ago. Open it up and see what it is, little brother; I'm sure it will amuse you..."