Battlefield Priest's Diary

Chapter 59 I Really Don't Know Divine Magic (3)

Grand Prince Nikolayevich has been in a bad mood lately.

After downing the vodka in one gulp, the Grand Duke slumped into his large office chair, his bear-like body creaking under the weight of the chair legs against the floor.

As the uncle of Tsar Nicholas II and the nominal supreme commander of the Russian army, the Grand Duke was known for his strict military discipline and swift and decisive actions.

In addition, his imposing physique, standing nearly two meters tall, earned him the nickname "Thunder Duke" among the soldiers.

But what appears to be an incredibly prestigious status to outsiders can also be a shackle on a grand duke at times.

As the eldest male member of the Romanov family, the Grand Duke theoretically had the right to inherit the throne, ranking only after the Tsar's direct heirs. However, Prince Alexei's health remained unchanged.

Military power, blood ties, and status.

Based on these three points, regardless of whether he had ulterior motives or not, Grand Duke Nikolayevich could not think of any reason why he would not be suspected.

Normally things are fine; he and the emperor can maintain a semblance of peace.

Unfortunately, the Russian army suffered a major defeat just over a month earlier. The loss of two hundred thousand men gave the Tsar a reason to reprimand or even replace him.

Worse still, although he was his uncle, the channels of normal communication between him and the Tsar had been completely cut off.

Anna Verubova, the Empress's little attendant, would check all the letters sent to the Tsar's bedroom, and the Tsar was almost always surrounded by members of the Empress's faction.

It was even more difficult for him to see the Tsar than for those charlatans.

We need to find a way, at the very least, someone who can relay messages to the Winter Palace.

Wait a minute, there seems to be a guy who's been getting a lot of audiences with the Tsar lately.

A priest in black, who claimed to be an ascetic, came here with the help of that guy Samsonov. He had investigated what happened at Lake Masuria, and most of it was true.

A foreigner with certain abilities, currently not belonging to any faction, and likely already being targeted by those charlatans.

Such a person seems like a good candidate to win over.

The Grand Duke nodded silently, drank the wine in his cup again, and then rang a bell to summon the waiter beside him.

“Go and call the priest who lives here, and tell him I want to see him.”

"Your Excellency, how should I respond if the other party asks what it is?" the waiter asked the Duke cautiously, bowing slightly.

"Anything is fine, just say it's my dog's quirk!" The Grand Duke waved his hand dismissively, dismissing the servant.

"Well... alright, Your Excellency, I'll go right away."

The waiter dared not delay and hurriedly left the room, but after turning a few corners, he ran into the Queen's favorite—the French prophet Philippe Vashad.

The waiter stepped aside and bowed slightly.

As the two passed each other, the Frenchman suddenly stopped.

"Joseph, where are you going?"

A pair of bewitching eyes looked over.
-
The time had come, and the Grand Duke paced back and forth in the agreed-upon room. His expression revealed that he was suppressing his displeasure.

It's one thing for those short-sighted fools in the Hou Party to look down on him, but this rootless outsider, whom he had invited so politely, still hasn't shown up at this time.

Who do these guys think they are?!
The Grand Duke angrily prepared to get up and call for help, but then footsteps came from outside the door.

Someone opened the door, but it wasn't the priest in black as expected.

The head maid Anna Verubova, followed by Nicholas II and his wife, entered the house accompanied by their attendants.

"My dear uncle, how are you?" Nicholas II stopped at the door and asked with a smile.

Damn it! I should have known! There are spies from the Empress Dowager's faction everywhere here! The Grand Duke cursed inwardly.

The Grand Duke then found a chair and sat down, greeting his Tsar. "Your Majesty, I have come to see Father Putin. I've heard he's a very capable man." Sitting down before a monarch without permission would be considered extremely impolite by others, but Nicholas II didn't care. He and his uncle were a full 30 centimeters apart in height, making standing side-by-side the most awkward situation.

This way of speaking is already a tacit understanding between the two parties.

“Dear Uncle, I originally wanted to have a chat with Father Putin. He and I talked about some literary topics yesterday, but someone told me he was here with you, so I came to visit as well.”

"What do you need his help with?"

"It's just a small matter." The Grand Duke forced a smile and made up a reason. "My dog ​​has been having some problems lately, and I heard that Father Pugin is skilled in medicine, so I wanted to ask him for help."

“A dog? Father Putin isn’t a veterinarian.” Nicholas II shook his head, seemingly finding the reason utterly absurd.

"Then where is my uncle, Father Putin, now?"

???

The Grand Duke looked puzzled. "I'm sorry, Your Majesty, Father Pugin has not arrived yet."

"Not here?" Nicholas II looked at the head maid with a puzzled expression, while Anna Verubova shook her head almost imperceptibly.

"So……"

Before the Tsar could finish speaking, a cacophony of barking dogs broke out outside the window.

"what happened?!"

"Your Majesty, it's in the direction of the kennel. It seems someone has accidentally wandered in."

"What's going on?! Who is it?!"

"I heard he was a priest in a black robe."

The people inside the room exchanged glances, their faces showing unpleasant expressions. The hunting dogs in the kennel were Caucasian Shepherds used for hunting. These dogs were extremely fierce and had set a record in 1905 by killing three infiltrating assassins in one go.

"Quickly, someone go and see!" Upon receiving the Tsar's signal, head maid Anna Verubova directed her men to run over there!

Nicholas II and his uncle exchanged glances, each harboring similar thoughts.

Is this the man in front of me showing off?

The uncle and nephew asked themselves the same question at the same time.

Woohoo! ! Woohoo! !
As people approached the courtyard wall, they heard the distinctive low growl emanating from the Caucasian Shepherd's chest, as if its emotions had reached their peak.

"Your Majesty, we cannot come any closer, or you will be in danger!" The head maid blocked their way.

"Then get up on the wall and have the guards bring their guns!" The Tsar frowned and gave the order.

Surrounded by guards, several high-ranking individuals climbed onto the platform where dogfights and training were usually held, and the group looked down.

In the hunting grounds below, the priest in black robes stood in the very center, surrounded by about a dozen tall Caucasian Shepherds, growling softly as they encircled him—these dogs were originally the Grand Duke's beloved pets.

"Rescue them, then you can fire." Without consulting his uncle, the Tsar waved his hand forcefully.

"Your Majesty, firing a gun at this distance could easily injure the priest. Besides, there are too many dogs; firing a gun might actually provoke them into a frenzy," someone whispered from the side.

At this moment, the lead dog in the arena seemed unable to restrain itself, growling and preparing to pounce.

Its long canine teeth were aimed at the neck of the Asian man.

The women present were so frightened that they covered their eyes with their hands.

The next moment, something magical happened.

The alpha dog actually stopped when the two were less than a meter apart.

(End of this chapter)