CHAPTER 271

These fools have gone mad. The audacity of a small kingdom on the border daring to obstruct the temple’s event in broad daylight?

“Do you think McLain Kingdom will remain unscathed after defying the will of the gods!?” Esel threatened with anger, though the threat had some basis in truth. Even the mighty Ares Empire was cautious about officially opposing the temple, and now this insignificant kingdom?

Despite the threat, the Sword Duke remained calm. “It’s not the will of the gods, but the will of the temple, I would say. With the amount of divine power you folks possess, reattaching an arm should hardly be a problem.”

Esel was left speechless by the absurdity, remaining frozen mid-shout as the fighting had already stopped. The emotionless Inquisitors, recognizing the turn of events amongst their leadership, ceased the battle and grouped together, while McLain’s knights did not bother to stop them.

“Well, since no one has died yet, it seems possible to clean up this mess now. What do you think?”

“Are you insane? Do you need to witness the ruin of a country to come to your senses…?”

“Unfortunately for you, whether this country falls or not, it seems His Eminence the Cardinal won’t get to see it.”

When had he approached? The Sword Duke, who had been over twenty meters away, was suddenly whispering in Esel’s ear, causing his tongue to freeze against his will.

“Ah, a Cardinal could reattach his severed head, could he not?”

Esel’s face, wrinkled with age, broke out in a cold sweat as a deep voice carried a weight of killing intent. It was an unnatural scene, even if no sword touched his throat.

“Eminence the Cardinal!”

“Your Grace!”

“How dare you!”

The lieutenants, with their arms regenerating amidst a brilliant light, were about to react. However…

“Stop!”

Esel’s sudden command caused the fervent aura to dissipate like a spring breeze.

“Oh, there seems to be a misunderstanding. Disarm!”

The great stature of a Cardinal seemed laughable now, as Esel, possessing neither the divine power of a high priest nor the combat prowess of a knight, could not withstand the overt display of aura by the aura-user.

“Eminence the Cardinal! Do not succumb to threats!”

“We will fight to the very end!”

“The will of the gods cannot be broken!”

The Inquisitors, who had always been expressionless, now shouted with their faces flushed with fervor. It looked like the lieutenants were ready to lead them back into battle at any moment, and Esel’s face contorted in frustration.

‘Damn it all.’

How could he not feel ashamed of this moment? Yet, the temple’s promising new star, who became a high priest at a young age through deep understanding and acceptance of doctrine, wasn’t there. What stood in his place was a corrupt individual who, over the decades, had grown to value himself more than the gods.

‘I must survive first.’

And that petty man used his acting skills to their fullest extent.

“…Faith does not give in to threats. This area was permitted to break the taboo by Sister Ilia. We were hasty.”

“But Eminence! That Bishop Ilia is currently being returned for religious interrogation…”

“Until the judgment is passed, that remains the official stance of the temple. I did not consider that.”

The Inquisitors seemed to realize something all at once, and the knights of McLain shared the same thought amongst themselves.

– Those crazy bastards.

The words the Cardinal threw were only desperate efforts to survive, yet everyone seemed to accept that nonsense and re-sheathe their weapons.

‘It’s best not to associate with zealots.’

Even the Sword Duke, who had caused the situation, could only let out a hollow laugh at the absurdity.

“Thank you for your cooperation, Eminence the Cardinal.”

The Sword Duke smirked and bowed, and Esel responded in a very low voice with a glint in his eye.

“Heh… Heheh. I will remember this humiliation.”

Even in response to those words, the Duke only grinned, further infuriating Esel.

Who could have imagined that someone would threaten the leader of the Inquisitors, a force capable of deciding the fate of nations, with mere physical force?

‘Madmen. I will make you weep blood.’

Esel engraved this grudge in his heart, but the ordeal of the investigators was just beginning.

“Ha ha ha. The investigative team has declared there is no heresy in drinking deer blood, right?”

“Really? That’s such a relief. Truly, a relief.”

The knights, on their way to Laphitan Castle, gossiped amongst the villagers they encountered at each stop, deliberately manipulating public opinion. Those short conversations would soon spread across the kingdom on the winds of rumor.

‘It was merely deferred judgment, wasn’t it?’

The situation was ludicrous to the Inquisitors, but with their leader remaining silent, they did not openly refute it. Meanwhile, Esel, clutching something in his robe, internally ground his teeth.

‘Your laughter will soon end.’

Focusing on this single thought, Esel turned a blind eye to the knights’ conduct.

Heeeein!

“Inform everyone that the Inquisitorial Squad has visited.”

Esel had confidently made that declaration at the gate of Laphitan.

“Oh my, Eminence the Cardinal! It is an honor to meet you.”

Even as the territorial lord practically leaped out to greet him and bow, Esel believed he would soon be able to return the favor of this humiliation. He passed by the lord with an unaffected face, entered the castle, and as soon as he was taken to the guest quarters, he slammed the door and pulled out a white crystal orb.

However, contrary to his expectations, the response from his supposed savior, the Pope, was not positive. The Pope hardened his expression as he listened to Esel’s earnest pleas.

[The reaction inside the kingdom regarding the investigation team is not favorable… Did you summon me to state the obvious, Esel?]

“But, Your Holiness! They went so far as to use force to stop the heretic tribunal!”

[Oh, so? Which of the priests died?]

“Not dead, but… many are severely injured…!”

Remembering the lieutenants staggering, unable to shake off the aura remnants despite having their arms reattached, Esel implored once more.

[No one has died. Hah… Cardinal Esel, you continue to disappoint me.]

Was this truly coming from the Pope’s mouth? Esel, momentarily stunned and unable to continue, was met with an annoyed and impatient tone from the Pope.

[Esel. Surely you do not believe that gathering evidence against heresy is the entirety of your duty?]

“Eh? The command I received was entirely…”

[Hah… Disappointing. Perhaps I’ve allowed you to indulge too long in luxury. The serpent has lost all of its venom.]

With a sharp rebuke and an increasingly cold gaze from the Pope, Esel quickly came to his senses.

“Your Holiness. Please, enlighten your foolish servant!”

Thud. Thud.

Esel continuously banged his head on the floor, but the Pope’s voice remained frosty.

[Your duty is to provide a justifiable reason for the temple to intervene decisively in McLain Kingdom.]

“Your words mean…?”

[It is acceptable if you find evidence of heresy, but if that proves too difficult, some of the dispatched priests enduring ‘a grave misfortune’ would also suffice as a valid reason.]

After these chilling words, communication was cut, and Esel couldn’t move from his spot for a while. And the next day…

“All priests, scatter and search for evidence of heresy! Allow no compromise! Stake your ‘lives’ on it!”

At Esel’s shout, the Inquisitors spread out across the entirety of Laphitan’s territory, followed by hordes of knights.

As is often the case in this world, the standards change according to who applies them, and they become a weapon in themselves if the other party is unaware of them.

“What is this?”

“That, it symbolizes reverence for the spirits of our village ancestors…”

“Idolatry. This is heresy.”

The Inquisitor declared, taking out a mace. The face of the villager conversing with him paled instantly. At that moment…

Clang!

“Stop there. Further movement cannot guarantee your safety, priest.”

“There is no compromise before heresy!”

Having already forgotten the incident with the deer blood, an Inquisitor named Ruper swung his mace, ready to strike in the name of God.

‘In the name of God.’

He was prepared for martyrdom in his quest to exterminate heresy.

But then…

Bang!

Ugh…

“Stop, you insane zealot.”

The knights, contempt in their eyes, easily subdued the Inquisitor, ablaze with divine fervor.

With the arrival of the 4th Legion of knights in Laphitan, the disparity in power grew even greater.

“Do not kill them!”

“Just knock them out!”

Soon, throughout Laphitan’s territory, a bizarre scene unfolded of unconscious Inquisitors being carried towards the fortress.

“The priests’ zeal was excessive. We had no choice but to take action.”

At the Sword Duke’s absurd explanation, Esel retorted with a scrunched-up face.

“…Is this preposterous situation your doing, or does it come from the king’s will?”

The attitude of the Sword Duke and his knight order had crossed the line, and Esel could not fathom their motives, even in the midst of the commonfolk witnessing their opposition to the temple.

“We are simply protecting our kingdom’s citizens.”

The ambiguous smile from the Sword Duke was enough to churn Esel’s insides.

‘Damned. What now?’

Esel’s dilemmas only deepened.

* * *

The rumor of the Inquisitorial Squad entering the kingdom spread slowly. The faith of the Nine Deities dominated the continent’s ethos, and allegations of defying it were severe. Therefore, even the gossips were cautious. But as soon as the investigation team headed towards Laphitan and the Sword Duke and his elite 2nd Legion followed, the rumor quickly spread. However, there was no intense reaction as the royals feared.

“Isn’t this serious?”

“Eh, what matter is it to our King?”

“How does the inquisition concern His Majesty?”

“Concern? He triumphed over the plague and brought prosperity wherever he went. Chosen by the gods, our King is a hero.”

“Ah… Now that you mention it.”

“If they say our King is a heretic, then it’s the ones calling him a heretic that are the heretics.”

“Right, those temple priests, just living off the fat of the land, only seeking money… Disgusting creatures.”

An unexpected public opinion formed, a result of the actions taken by Logan and the continuing disregard by the corrupted temple.

Furthermore…

The Inquisitorial Squad issued a ‘no heresy’ verdict in Laphitan.

This unexpected verdict, vastly different from the notorious cruel acts of the Inquisitors, soon joined the swell of rumors, creating an unprecedented resonance.

Our King is a divine hero acknowledged by even the fearsome Inquisitors!

“Ha… This is getting interesting. Things are turning out this way.”

Logan laughed, the overly positive public opinion leaving him bewildered.

He couldn’t just laugh, though. The coming trials were akin to gambling the nation’s fate.

Thinking positively just because the current sentiment was favorable would be foolish considering the gravity of the situation.

Dwane also smiled ruefully, aware of what was on Logan’s mind.

“At least the Sword Duke seems to be managing well.”

“Sure. He’s holding back better than expected.”

“Holding back, Your Majesty?”

“Indeed. It’s my first time to see my master so angry.”

“…There won’t be any problems, will there?”

“He’s a discerning man. He won’t create any issues that could jeopardize the plan.”

Despite Logan’s certainty, Dwane couldn’t shake off his anxiety.

“But, Your Majesty. Are you seriously intending to proceed with that plan?”

“What’s with the change of heart? We all agreed on it.”

“It’s just, no matter how I think about it, it seems too risky. Anything going wrong could shatter the kingdom.”

“If we let the investigator’s will move freely, it’ll end in chaos either way. If either path leads to ruin, we have to gamble.”

Logan gritted his teeth and dismissed Dwane’s concerns.

He could not tell whether the dealings with Stella were truly grievous or if the temple had an ulterior motive.

But one thing was clear.

“It’s a critical time. I cannot allow the temple to disturb the country during this period.”

“Things could fall apart, not just be disturbed…”

“Either way, it ends in ruin.”

“Ah…”

As Dwane helplessly grasped his head, Logan’s resolve stood firm.

‘If the temple throws us an unexpected curveball, we will respond in a way they couldn’t even imagine.’

Everything was ultimately for the preservation of the nation.

A fire lit up within Logan’s red eyes.