"In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, I, Archbishop Adolf von Nassau, will begin the Inquisition. Let the inquisitor loudly read the charges against this heretic."

The inquisitor recited the charges in a clear voice, so that everyone present could hear.

"The heretic Stefano Luther has defied the authority of the Holy See, denied purgatory, and claimed that indulgences are worthless scraps of paper. Are these charges true?"

"Yes," came the reply.

"If you regret your actions now, I will show leniency in accordance with the precedents of the Inquisition."

When one thinks of the medieval Inquisition, the image of innocent people being branded as heretics and burned at the stake often comes to mind.

In reality, inquisitors rarely held trials unless the heresy was clear. And if a heretic showed remorse, they often offered them clemency, claiming they had repented.

In the Toscana Empire, and even in the Holy Roman Empire, the inquisitors behaved in a similar manner.

Thus, Archbishop von Nassau also intended to show leniency if Stefano showed regret, just as he had mentioned.

"But the heretics are not I, but you!" Stefano declared. "Even if my body is burned to death, I will not bend my will."

Archbishop von Nassau gave the command to begin the trial.@@novelbin@@

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