Chapter 375: Total (1)

    Following Isaac’s request, Kate set out to investigate the case of an innocent victim.

    The innocent victim and the main culprit behind their demise had already arrived at the temple in the imperial capital.

    This was as Isaac had insisted multiple times—bringing them directly for his judgment.

    Although public opinion leaned in favor of this approach, everyone knew: Isaac would not show up easily.

    Even though an innocent victim had surfaced, there was a possibility it was a trap laid by demon worshippers.

    More importantly, the situation had escalated far beyond expectations.

    The network of the demon worshippers was much broader than anticipated, so they likely already knew about it.

    Thus, instead of coming in person, Isaac decided to send Kate to deliver his intentions.

    However, there was one aspect Kate had not anticipated at all.

    “Can a priest even act this way?! Huh?! A priest, who should save lives, is killing people—how does that make sense?!”

    “Ma’am... please calm down for a moment and try to relax...”

    “Relax?! Relax?! Do you know how I raised my child?! Go tell Lord Luminous! Tell him to save my child! Hurry! Do you even know how I raised my child?! Waaahh!!”

    The cries of a woman echoed through the temple. Her wailing surpassed even the anguish of a beast mourning its lost cub.

    Her wrinkled skin and hands worn from grueling labor revealed how much hardship she endured to raise her child.

    Now that her family had been utterly destroyed, it was only natural for her to curse the world.

    “Who is this damn Zenon that my son had to die for?!”

    “Ma’am, it would be best not to say such things here...”

    “Why?! Afraid of divine retribution? Why would I be punished?! Those bastards who killed my son should be the ones punished!”

    Her logical outburst left the temple priests at a loss.

    They wanted to remove her from the premises, but her stubborn resistance made it impossible.

    Eventually, she collapsed from exhaustion after crying herself hoarse, and only then could she be taken away.

    Among the silent witnesses to the entire scene was none other than Kate.

    She had come to see the victim’s family, yet the overwhelming sorrow left her unable to speak.

    The anger she felt toward the culprit who caused the innocent victim’s suffering also surged within her.

    Kate closed her eyes tightly, controlling her breathing to compose herself.

    The mere fact that Isaac’s orders had been ignored was enough to make her furious. Seeing it firsthand only stoked her wrath further.

    “Cardinal Kate, everything is ready.”

    At that moment, a priestess cautiously approached and spoke to Kate. Kate opened her closed eyes and looked ahead.

    Though the victim’s family was gone, the situation still required action to soothe their grief.

    Even if it meant facing public criticism, the cause was more than worth it.

    “I understand. Let’s proceed.”

    “Yes, but... are you sure you want to go through with this?”

    “I have received permission from Lord Luminous. This issue is deeply tied to heresy. It is my duty.”

    Kate’s firm response left the priestess silently nodding. Indeed, this matter involved heresy.

    As Kate stepped forward, the priestess followed close behind.

    “What is the culprit doing right now?”

    “They are waiting as you instructed, Your Eminence.”

    “Do they show any remorse?”

    “They insist they’ve done nothing wrong, claiming they were only dealing with a demon worshipper.”

    “Hmm.”

    Kate nodded.

    Outwardly, it appeared as if their worst fears had come true, but the deeper implications were complex.

    While she could empathize with the grief of a mother who lost her only child, what if her son truly was a demon worshipper?

    Alternatively, could this have been a setup by the demon worshippers to halt the proceedings or tarnish Isaac’s reputation?

    If the latter were true, then the accused were indeed innocent, but if not, the case would become a tangled web.

    Bringing both the family and the accused to the temple was necessary because lies would not be tolerated there.

    Praying that the situation would resolve favorably, Kate moved forward with determination.

    “I’m telling you, I’m innocent! I only captured a demon worshipper! I even verified it with a priest to be sure!”

    “Don’t make me laugh! You’re the real demon worshipper! You did this to get closer to Zenon!”

    “What nonsense! I’ve read Zenon’s Chronicles Volume 1! Do you want me to pray to Lord Luminous to prove how sincere I am?”

    “Because of you, the event might get canceled, and you don’t even feel any guilt?!”

    The loud shouting reached Kate’s ears even before she arrived. It seemed arguments had been erupting while they waited.

    Determined to resolve the matter quickly, Kate strode toward the entrance.

    Someone willing to risk their life for an autograph from Zenon wasn’t likely to disobey Isaac’s orders. Clearly, something else was at play.

    While Kate was deep in thought, Roy checked the reactions around him again.

    As expected, the courtroom began murmuring as soon as they heard that Roy had received Zenon’s autograph.

    “Just to clarify, what’s going to happen to my belongings? You’re not going to confiscate them, are you?”

    “That will depend on the trial’s outcome. However, considering your character, I expect there’s an explanation for all this.”

    “Thank you. I swear, all I did was capture a demon worshiper.”

    Roy’s plea was filled with genuine indignation, and Kate responded positively.

    However, this only made the situation involving the victim’s family even more tragic.

    To the world, the victim might have been a kind and cherished child, but in reality, they were a demon worshiper contributing to unimaginable atrocities.

    Kate, growing more somber, turned her gaze to Baegis.

    Despite the favorable turn of events, Baegis still wore a hesitant expression.

    “Brother, do you have anything more to add?”

    “Well... I do. But... sigh...”

    Baegis let out another long sigh, clearly troubled.

    Kate regarded him with a puzzled expression as he glanced at her hesitantly before speaking again.

    “As I said earlier, every word I’m about to say is the truth. Please keep that in mind.”

    “This is getting more intriguing. What is it?”

    “The best way to identify a demon worshiper is through divine power. However, this method has its limitations.

    A cleric’s divine power might not be strong enough, or a demon worshiper who hasn’t fully corrupted their soul might show no reaction at all.

    That’s why interrogations are typically conducted in a dedicated chamber.”

    Divine power wasn’t all-powerful. Depending on the circumstances, it could detect demon worshipers—or fail entirely.

    For instance, if Kate infused someone with divine power, a demon worshiper would disintegrate, while an ordinary cleric would endure it without issue.

    Most demon worshipers, however, feigned innocence, leveraging years of accumulated expertise to avoid detection.

    “Furthermore, Sir Isaac has stated that it’s better to let ten demon worshipers go free than to sacrifice one innocent person.”

    “I understand that. Please continue.”

    “So, we interrogated the demon worshiper that Roy captured. Based on the evidence, they were undeniably guilty—a slave trader involved with powerful figures. But then...”

    Baegis hesitated briefly before continuing in a doubtful voice.

    “With just a light touch—”

    Then came the shocking testimony.

    “They died.”

    “...Pardon?”

    It was a baffling statement.

    The entire courtroom was frozen, expressions of disbelief etched on their faces as they processed Baegis’s words.

    “K-Kate, Cardinal Kate!”

    Suddenly, a woman’s urgent voice echoed through the courtroom.

    Everyone, including Kate, turned toward the source of the voice.

    It was a female priest who had accompanied Kate earlier. Her face was as pale as a ghost, and her panic was unmistakable.

    “What’s the matter?” Kate asked, rising from her seat.

    “The victim’s mother...!”

    “The mother? Don’t tell me...”

    Kate began to worry that the mother had succumbed to the shock of losing her child.

    “No! She fled! She’s currently running away from the temple!”

    “Excuse me? Fled...”

    Not just left but fled.

    Kate felt a chill run through her entire body as the implications sank in.

    Baegis’s testimony—that a light touch had killed the person—echoed in her mind.

    No one could die from such minimal force—unless their soul had already left their body.

    What if the victim had sacrificed themselves to orchestrate this event?

    What if their soul had attached itself elsewhere? Necromancy existed; surely possession wasn’t impossible.

    “And the mother...!”

    The priest’s next words confirmed Kate’s worst fears.

    “She’s a demon worshiper!”

    Without a moment’s hesitation, Kate sprinted out of the courtroom.