Episode 272
“Your Majesty the Cardinal. Then, would you like to wait here for the results of Bishop Ilia’s interrogation?”
Rob, the head of the agents, took out his Noble Phantasm for recording and asked.
The head of the investigation team was Essel, but it was Rob, who had the Noble Phantasm, who recorded and relayed the process. He had been obliged to record the situation during his week-long stay in Raftan Castle.
And regardless of the outcome of this mission, if the mission performance details contained in that record are judged to be contrary to faith or unreasonable, it will be a huge blow to Ezel.
‘Find evidence of heresy or sacrifice someone… At least I shouldn’t be the scapegoat.’
Essel had to put his distorted plan back on track, both for his own sake and for his own life.
Essel, recalling the Pope’s harsh threats, asked in a low voice.
“What evidence of heresy have you obtained?”
“There are some minor things, but every time I try to punish them, the knights get in the way. Would you like to file a formal complaint with the church?”
“…No, that will be postponed.”
“Yes? How…”
I couldn’t bear to say that even if I raised an objection, the Pope would turn away. What he wants is not a minor heresy that can be evaluated differently depending on how you look at it.
In the end, Essel had no choice but to take out another card.
“Our true goal is to punish the godforsaken. Where did you say there were the most of them?”
“This is the McLane territory, which became the mother of this kingdom. However, it was reported that it started as the son of that swordsman.”
“Yes. That’s important. If you ask for support from the church now to just catch heretics, it will delay catching those who really need to be punished as the top priority. It’s time to look at the big goal. Don’t be lingering on small purification tasks. ”
“…my thoughts were short.”
okay. You just need to know.
Perhaps the Pope sent himself as a guide because of the inquisitors’ tight-knit attitude.
But now this is….
‘Is there a way to achieve results while ensuring my safety?’
What if we don’t find any evidence of heresy in McLane’s territory?
Should we order someone to commit suicide?
No matter how tight the Heretic Questioners were, would they even follow such an order?
‘What is it? ‘Isn’t there a better way?’
Ethel Fabrun did not sleep well that night either. Just like it has been for the past week since the incident happened.
And the next morning, he spoke as if he was declaring something with a determined look on his face.
“I have to go to McLane Manor.”
That became the schedule for the investigation team and the 2nd Corps knights.
Heeeeeeee.
“Come on, we’ll camp here today!”
It was the third day since I rode from the Raftan territory to the McLane territory.
Unlike when heading from the capital to Raftan, the group moved leisurely and leisurely, but an unexpected incident occurred the night before, just one day before arriving at McLane.
“Go! Use all your capabilities to find and destroy heretics!”
Before preparing for camp, the priests gathered in one place to pray, but suddenly, with a midnight shout, they rushed out in all directions.
The swordsman who saw the scene from a little distance shouted to his knights.
“Everyone, chase after your assigned bastards!”
Soon, the swordsman came in front of Cardinal Essel with a movement like lightning.
“What are you doing now, Cardinal Ezer?”
That irritated face actually made Essel happy.
“Hehe. You’re a little late, Sword Master. There are a lot of areas to check, so I inevitably ordered individual action. I’m sorry for not telling you in advance.”
If they were the only ones without the knights of the 4th Legion, they would not be able to quietly stun the Inquisitors and bring them back like they had done so far.
‘It’s okay to miss it.’
There was quite a bit of resentment built up in the hearts of the Heresy Questioners.
The inquisitors, whose pride was greatly damaged by being pressured and sanctioned by the knights, would not hesitate to conduct radical heresy interrogations on their own. Just like the old days when people’s life and death were decided by omnipotent authority.
If that happens, judging by their behavior so far, the knights of this kingdom will not tolerate it either.
– Create a clear justification somehow.
At least that goal would be achieved, so Essel was able to smile leisurely.
On the other hand, the swordsman’s expression clearly hardened.
“If you use such an irregular move, there could be a serious accident.”
“Haha, it’s a big accident. It sounds like you’re going to cause an accident, but I don’t think the swordsman would do such an inefficient thing without any justification.”
I was able to say this because I had some insight into the swordsman’s tendencies while accompanying him for about ten days.
He and his minions will never harm the investigation team.
‘Do you know how many people I have met and competed with to get to this position? ‘It was a mistake to touch me, Sword Master.’
Essel trusted his own judgment and revealed the evil intentions engraved in his heart without filtering.
“But you never know. If you kneel before me and apologize for your past rudeness, you might feel great and give me a positive report.”
Of course, I have no intention of doing so.
Essel grinned while breaking out in a cold sweat in front of the swordsman’s murderous actions. The way he was wiping his lips with his tongue and giggling made him look more like an alley street gangster than a priest.
But that leisure did not last long.
Doo doo doo doo.
“Spread out and surround. Capture all those wearing robes!”
With the sound of earth shaking, a group of people running towards the setting sun was seen, and soon, following the loud voice that was heard, the armed knights scattered in a circle in all directions.
Ezer’s eyes trembled mercilessly as he saw the flag of flame rising above them.
“Your Excellency! The elites of McLane Territory have surrounded the Inquisitors.”
Soon, when Lewis’s shout was heard from afar, the expressions of the two people changed dramatically.
Eat.
“It seems that your plan did not work out properly.”
“I could not have known about it in advance…”
“Isn’t there a limit to what your Majesty might do? I just prepared just in case.”
“Nonsense! Don’t talk nonsense, you idiot!”
“gibberish?”
The swordsman let out a grin and thrust his face in front of Essel, radiating a fierce force.
“From today, Your Majesty, until I return, all you have to do is repeat what I say. If you say anything different, I will break one of your bones each time. Your name is a cardinal, so you can treat that on your own, right?”
Ethel’s complexion turned pale.
But maybe it was because I pushed it too far to the edge.
As if he realized something from the swordsman’s words, Essel screamed with an evil look on his face.
“Until I go back?! That’s right! You can’t kill me anyway! That’s right, you couldn’t kill me. Hehe. How dare you treat me like this and still think this kingdom will be safe! Get on your knees even now…!”
“Thank you for your concern, Your Eminence Cardinal. But did I ask you to speak?”
Ethel’s face instantly turned white at the calm reply.
and.
Crack.
“Aaaah!”
The old cardinal’s bones broke very easily.
* * * Rattling.
The carriage shook noisily as the wooden wheels on the stone rim bounced.
Crash.
Inside a carriage with iron bars on one side. Her frail body, shackled and handcuffed, shook mercilessly from the strong shock, but Ilya sat quietly and did not even open her closed eyes.
The Holy Knights, who were looking to see if the carriage would break due to excessive shaking, actually frowned when they saw it.
“It’s really harsh.”
“That’s right. Even though it’s been almost two months…”
“It’s a heresy after all…”
A group of 9 members of the Knights Templar were dispatched on this mission.
If the Inquisitors were dispatched judges, the Knights Templar were the punishers who executed the judgment.
Dispatching and summoning the Knights of the Temple like that meant that the outcome of an interrogation that had not even begun yet had already been decided.
However, contrary to the central government’s concerns, Bishop Ilia obediently responded to the summons and maintained his steadfast attitude even while being dragged away as a de facto prisoner.
Moreover, what made the Paladins even more uncomfortable was the faint halo shining behind Bishop Ilya, who was being dragged along so obediently.
“But really, Seonghwi….”
“It was made up as a trick by a heretic! Don’t be swayed!”
“Still, it definitely feels sacred…”
“Joseph! Can’t you hear me!?”
“…But as time goes by, the halo is getting bigger and bigger.”
As Joseph said, the sacred light that spread softly around Ilia was now enough to cover the entire carriage she was riding in.
However, Transport Manager Grant maintained a stubborn attitude that went beyond his stubborn face.
“Uh huh! It’s all heresy’s trick!”
Joseph could not understand his senior’s words.
The existence of divine power, which can be felt so vividly, is fabricated as a heretic trick?
‘Does this heresy that fakes the power of God make sense?’
Then shouldn’t the heretic be seen as someone who represents God’s will?
The moment when Joseph was thinking something extremely dangerous for a Holy Knight.
“enemy!”
Ugh.
In his eyes, he saw the image of his senior collapsing with a sudden shout. And the masked people in front of them.
“dare!”
Boo boo boo!
Joseph and his colleagues hurriedly drew their swords, but the three masked men moving quickly were beyond what he and his colleagues could stop.
“Ugh…”
Joseph, who was struck in the back of the head in an instant, realized at the end of his fading consciousness that the eyes of the masked man who attacked him were blue and red odd-eyes.
“Bishop Ilya, are you okay?!”
At the sound of a familiar voice, Ilya, who had not moved even in the sudden commotion, opened her eyes.
“Lord Victor?”
“Yes, it is me, Bishop.”
There was no need to keep wearing a mask since all the Paladins on the deserted mountain path had been defeated.
Viktor took off his mask without hesitation and stood in front of Ilia.
“Is that what you meant, Your Majesty? But this… doesn’t seem like a good idea?”
Victor looked at her with new eyes at her extremely calm tone.
A face that looks peaceful even though its arms and legs are tied and being dragged away like a prisoner. When the sacred glow was added to it, it even seemed comfortable, as if I was at home.
‘Definitely…’
Victor lowered his head, thinking that he was not an ordinary person.
“It is your Majesty’s will, and it is also my will. If the Bishop wishes, I will free you from this restraint. I will also provide support so that you can go where you want….” “
Seeing as I did not destroy the cart right away, that is not the main point, right? Paladin. “It looks like they just fainted. If it’s urgent, please get to the point, Sir Victor.”
Viktor’s words, which were about to continue for a long time, were cut off by Ilya’s stern voice.
Then, a laugh flowed from the mouth of Hana, the masked figure behind Viktor.
“Chief Viktor. That’s why I didn’t tell you not to talk nonsense.”
“The subject of the mission is Victor. I think the previous advice is sufficient, Sir Francisco.”
“Jorge. You really will go all the way to the end… Ugh. Ah, I understand. Do whatever you want, captain.”
Ilya’s eyes turned to them at that small commotion.
“Sir Victor. Could you also introduce the people behind you? They don’t seem to be ordinary people.”
Sigh.
“Sir Francisco Romero, former commander of the Royal Knights, and Sir Jorge, vice-captain of the McLane Knights….” ”
Now they are just adjutants of the 1st Corps. Serving your Majesty.”
Before Victor could finish his words with a sigh, Francisco took off his mask.
“It is an honor to meet you, saint.”
Looking at him smiling and rubbing his mustache, Jorge also took off his mask. There was no such thing as keeping secrets. I was secretly dissatisfied with the attitude of my colleagues who seemed uninterested, but that was not the most important thing about this mission anyway.
“It is an honor to meet you too, saint.”
“You are a saint. You are saying too much. To the priest being taken to the temple…”
Ilya shook her head with a bitter look in her eyes, and Viktor, seeing that, screamed.
“That’s too much! It’s been a long time since we called the Bishop that way in the slums of Grand. Even if it’s not a recent rumor, the bishop deserves that title!” ”
…Thank you, Sir Viktor.”
A smile appeared on Ilya’s face as she looked at the young knight who had volunteered with her several times.
But she His attitude still remained unwavering.
“Then, shall we ask why you went to such lengths?”
“…Your Majesty wants to know the bishop’s intentions.”
“Your Majesty?”
“Perhaps you are thinking of just accepting the religious interrogation? Is this true, or does he want to escape somehow?”
“What does that mean?”
“I’m sure you’ve heard a lot about the temple being corrupted. No, you are still watching it right now. He asked me to ask if you have any intention of changing such a temple.”
“H… Your Majesty, do you plan to interfere with the temple’s events?”
Ilya’s face suddenly hardened.
McLane may or may not have the power to do so. Regardless, as a priest, there was no way he would have been willing to face a situation where worldly power was threatening to invade the priesthood.
However, Victor continued in a voice that did not waver in the slightest.
“You already said that it was an inevitable situation. The temple’s intimidation to control and shake up a country has already gone too far.”
As if he sympathized with that fact, Illya’s expression sank heavily.
“…What if I want that?”
“It would be a great help within the central temple. You said you would connect me with a worthy person.”
“Your Majesty?”
It’s not to ignore Logan, but the connections within the temple are another story. A retort with the intention of asking whether the young king has enough connections to be involved in the religious inquiry. “Yes.”
Nevertheless
, Victor’s answer was firm.
“And within McLane, we are also making preparations that may be helpful to the Bishop. I am confident that if we get a good response inside and outside the temple, we can change the outcome of the interrogation that has already been decided. After arriving at the temple…”
As the confident voice continued, Ilya’s expression began to waver for the first time.
* * *
“Hmm? Breathe! That enemy!!”
Joseph stood up and raised his sword, but all he could see were seniors with crumpled expressions.
“…Chief Grant. “What happened?”
”
Nothing happened.”
“…yes?”
“Nothing happened! The heretic bishop is fine and no one is dead.”
The nervous gaze from the already grim face passed through the iron bars and landed on Ilya.
But there was nothing Grant could find out about her, who was still motionless.
Above all, this mission was very important and dangerous.
‘It was something that the Holy Father himself ordered. But you made this mistake?’
Grant’s hands were shaking.
The moment it is reported that everyone lost consciousness in an ambush during repatriation, the life of the person in charge will be over, even if his subordinates do not know it.
There was only one way.
“As you can see, nothing has changed. So let’s just pretend that nothing happened today.”
“yes?”
“What is that…?”
“Then let’s report it and we all perish together! You will never be able to escape from being a minor paladin for the rest of your life, and I…”
Ugh.
“Anyway! It never happened. Understand!?”
As the Holy Knights nodded their heads unconsciously under that pressure, Grant added in a nervous voice.
“Starting today, the heretic’s meals will be limited to one meal. And the guard shifts will be doubled!”
After that shout, the group began to move slowly again.
