KFBRV Pt 2 Ch 55
- Apr 18
- 4 min read
Ferdinand sat behind the iron bars of the City Watch station. He ignored the mockery of the guards and the other criminals.
Though his son always provoked his anger, Ulrich felt a sharp pang of grief watching him crumble.
Ferdinand sobbed, his spirit entirely broken.
[Ferdinand] "I... I won't go to the casino anymore."
He had left the house with such arrogance, treating his father like a fool. Now that his father possessed no power to help him, the boy begged for mercy.
If Ferdinand had remained rebellious and impulsive until the end, Ulrich might have found the strength to let him go. Instead, this childish pleading left the Count hollow and bitter.
Ferdinand held immunity from criminal punishment. As long as the Albrecht family possessed two Purifiers—Odette and Charlotte—that fact remained unchanged.
However, the Pope refused to move.
[Pope] "How can a Monster of God kill a High Priest?! I can't sit by and watch this happen."
In ancient times, Transcendents were known as "Monsters of God." They belonged to the Great Cathedral as Holy Knights, just as Purifiers served as Saintesses. While times had changed and Transcendents now served the Imperial Army, the old laws remained.
Technically, the Pope and High Priests had to approve the appointment of any Transcendent as a soldier. The Pope used this lingering authority to strike. With the support of the remaining High Priests, he stripped Ferdinand of his rank in the regular army.
Ferdinand’s entire military service became void. The state erased his records as if he had never worn a uniform. He no longer held any official position.
The Pope didn't stop there. He argued that even if Ferdinand escaped a death sentence this time, the Albrecht family must not leave him unpunished. He issued a formal demand to the house of Albrecht.
[Pope] "I officially demand that you strip Ferdinand of the Albrecht name and exile him from your family."
The Pope demanded that Ulrich personally revoke Ferdinand's inheritance, his title, and his right to use the family name.
It was rare for a Pope to interfere in the internal affairs of a noble house. Usually, succession and exile were private family matters. However, the citizens of the Empire supported the move.
[Pope] "The Albrecht family has ignored his crimes for too long. He causes disaster after disaster!"
Ferdinand had murdered a High Priest and broken into the Cathedral. Many citizens still believed Transcendents belonged to the Temple. To them, his actions were an unforgivable act of betrayal against the faith.
[Pope] "If you refuse, I will assume the Albrecht family intends to let a murderer inherit the title. In that case, I will excommunicate the entire house."
The Pope didn't force Ulrich to give up Ferdinand's immunity from execution. Instead, he threatened the entire family with a "Declaration of Hostility."
In the Barzeha Empire, only one religion existed. The existence of Purifiers and Transcendents served as living proof of God. In such a world, a Declaration of Hostility from the Pope meant total social death. It labeled the family as "Satan"—the ultimate evil. It was an order for the entire continent to hunt and isolate them.
I hoped the rumors of his hatred for Raphael would give us a chance.
Ulrich looked to the Imperial Palace for help, but the Emperor remained silent. No noble offered support.
Everyone, from the military to the Cathedral, knew Ferdinand was a menace. He was finally paying the price for his years of wickedness.
[Gregory] "At least we aren't killing him, are we?"
The Emperor spoke those words when Ulrich went to beg for help. He made it clear he wouldn't protect the Albrechts from the Pope's wrath. A nobleman labeled as "evil" by the Pope couldn't remain a nobleman.
The Pope increased the pressure daily. He issued a final warning: exile Ferdinand by the end of the week, or face the formal Declaration of Hostility.
[Ulrich] "I have no other choice...... Ferdinand."
The Count felt a void in his chest. He never imagined he would have to erase his own heir from the noble registry.
[Ulrich] "Promise me... you will not execute him."
He lowered his gaze before the Pope, his pride shattered.
Finally, the Count made his decision. He submitted the official documents to the Imperial Court.
⌈Ferdinand is hereby removed from the Albrecht noble registry.⌋
Removing a child from the registry usually required years of legal battles and strict evidence. However, when the Emperor and the Pope agree, the law moves instantly.
Within hours, Ferdinand became a commoner. He lost all rights to the Albrecht name.
He had escaped the death penalty for his previous murders because he was a high-ranking noble and Odette’s direct relative. Now, he was a stranger to her. He stood before the law without any protection.
The speed of the process made Ulrich let out a hollow laugh. Though he never liked his son, he still held a lingering affection for his own blood.
As soon as the court processed the exile, guards moved Ferdinand from the City Watch jail to a prison carriage.
The Emperor decided Ferdinand's fate. To ensure the man couldn't abuse his physical power, he sent him to work as a common laborer in a frontier unit of Transcendents.
Ferdinand would spend his days in the dirt, far from the life of a nobleman.
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