Steel Empire
Give It to Caesar

After Father Antionio's departure, news quickly spread around Kufstein about the Church's actions and plans to seize the Barony and install the doll in the seat of power. Mostly thanks to Berengar's elaborate spy network. Gisela, who had turned to God during the recent crisis, immediately confronted Berengar about her hasty actions. He did not believe that he would be so cruel as to execute ordained priests in the church. Therefore, he scolded his eldest son as if he was a small child who was captured with his hands on a cake jar.

"How could you do something like that? Are you not afraid of the wrath of God?"

Berengar only laughed at his comments with a satisfied grin on his face.

"If God really cared about what humanity did on this great Earth, He would not allow his so-called Church to be ruled by murderers, rapists, and thieves."

The way Berengar spoke of God was indeed blasphemous from the eyes of a God-fearing woman like herself. Gisela did not believe Berengar looked at the church that way. He further emphasized the seriousness of the situation to his eldest son.

"You will be excommunicated for this, perhaps even condemned as a heretic!"

Berengar looked at his mother with a look of pity as he began to make her question his beliefs like a snake.

"Mother ... have you ever actually read the Bible?"

Gisela looked at her son like he was an idiot before stating

"Of course not; It is up to the Pastor to decipher the word of God! You should know this Berengar!"

Berengar only shook his head as he took out a large leather-bound book from his desk, and placed it on the table. It was a Bible that was accurately translated in German. He pushed the Bible toward his mother, encouraging her to see for herself.

"Because give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and to God what belongs to God. Matthew 22:21"

"I am the Emperor of this land, according to the words of Christ I hold all authority in the earthly realm that we call the Barony of Kufstein. The Church must focus their efforts on spirituality and abandon the politics of this world, for the people of this world."

Gisela could hardly believe her ears when she heard Berengar quote scripture and use it to legitimize her idea of the separation of Church and State. Berengar's views were at odds with the common belief of the Catholic Church, which retained most political control over the European Empire. Nevertheless, the words he spoke were true, and Gisela did not respond to them. Seeing his mother in conflict, Berengar stood up from his desk and approached her mother, and hugged her, showing her the same level of comfort that he had shown Adela not too long ago.

"Mother, I know you're worried about me and my safety. I also know you were very worried about my soul after what happened with Lambert. However, I promise you everything I do is in the best interest of our family and the family.Kufstein people."

Gisela received her son's loving embrace, and the moment she saw his son's warm expression, her worries about him following Satan's path began to disappear. He was still the gentle and kind-hearted boy that he had cared about all this time. Although his actions may seem extreme, he does so with the safety and security of his family and the people in mind.

Berengar knew that his mother was shaken by Lambert's true nature and suspected him of being equally despicable deep down, and therefore, he had to play the role of a loving son. Unlike Lambert, Berengar was very attentive to his family both in his previous life and in the present. He saved Lambert because he couldn't imagine the suffering his family would suffer if he executed that little bastard. If Lambert had never conspired against Berengar, then he would have never stolen his fiancee and forced her out of the family.

However, what Gisela did not know was that Berengar did indeed have a vicious and cruel nature. However, he kept it entirely for his enemies, and at this point, the Catholic Church had become his enemy. Conspiring against him, Berengar viewed them as a threat to his existence and would not stop until their grip on the German people and the land they inhabited were fully liberated. He was willing to commit a great crime to achieve that goal.

If one could describe Berengar's personality, it was practically split in two. She is loving, kind, gentle, and considerate of her loved ones. However, he was brutal, cruel, sadistic, and cruel to his enemies. The reason why the people who loved him were so worried about his recent actions was because it was completely outside of the character he had always shown them. However, after hearing Berengar's explanation, Gisela chose to believe in his actions and support his efforts.

However, other family members are still processing their grief about Lambert's transfer. Both Henrietta and Sieghard had locked themselves in their rooms, hiding from the world at large. Right now, the only people Gisela could talk to about her feelings were her son and her pastor. Although he now knew that the Pastor had conspired against his son, he would not be going to church anytime soon. Instead, the mature beauty grabs the Bible Berengar gave her and decides to take the time to educate herself about the word of God from its source directly. Gisela thanked Berengar for understanding his position and comforting him before leaving the room.

"Thank you, Berengar; you have always been and always will be my beloved son."

With those words, she left the room and returned to her room to look after her husband, who was currently drunk and depressed. Berengar, on the other hand, stayed where he lived and continued to fulfill his obligations as Regent. It would be a matter of hours before he could rest and continue to educate the common people of Kufstein.