Chapter 283
Screeeee!
The gap was still too narrow for a Demon King of her rank to pass through.
The interface of the two worlds screamed, vehemently resisting the Demon King’s escape and invasion respectively.
“Ugh.”
The world’s repulsive force acted more strongly the higher the rank and greater the power.
Thus, the Demon King, ranked 1st in the Demon Realm, finally knelt.
Then, before Abyssinis, who had bowed her head low, the hand of a handsome man reached out.
Abyssinis, overwhelmed, brought her hands together and only touched his fingertips.
“This is an unparalleled honor.”
Reed’s authority pulled Abyssinis’s body into the human world.
Creaaaak.
By his authority, the interface shattered even wider. A rain of fragments poured down as if to bury the two beings.
✠The Elfenheim Holy Knights, who had entered Peronsa to execute the Holy Saint, suffered humiliation due to the Holy Sword’s Master’s apostasy.
Naturally, the Pontifical Palace, upon receiving their report, could not hide its shock, and from then on, daily emergency countermeasure meetings continued.
And so, on the seventh day.
Maghram Warrix, who had received just enough Divine Retribution from Aillet’s precise skill usage not to die, opened his eyes.
“Filthy heretics!”
The hot-blooded fanatic, who had shot up from his sickbed, was unable to control his excitement.
He stormed into the Cardinal Council chamber, where a meeting was in full swing, and arbitrarily stood at the witness stand, passionately delivering his argument.
“I accuse Tesillid Argent! How can he go to judge heretics and then join their side instead! It is clear that the Holy Sword’s Master has fallen prey to the witch’s wiles and abandoned God!”
“Sir Maghram, you are before His Holiness the Pope and His Eminence the Cardinals. Please calm down…”
“I am not excited, Sir Rex! If I appear excited, it is not I, but the overflowing faith within me that is enraged!”
“……”
“Listen to me! Their actions are unforgivable acts of apostasy and heresy! The two heretics must be excommunicated and stripped of their rights as humans created by ‘Strict Order and Goodness’! Let them be stoned by all people in the world to set an example of faith! And finally, a clean burning at the stake would be best! Not a single strand of hair from these fallen heretics should remain on the land of ‘Strict Order and Goodness’!”
He believed everyone would agree, as he had merely recited the traditional methods of judging heretics.
However, the Cardinals, instead of nodding in agreement, merely grumbled as if troubled.
‘What’s going on? Why is their reaction so lukewarm?’
By this point, Maghram could also read the atmosphere within the council chamber.
Cardinal Dekal clicked his tongue at him, who was looking around in confusion.
“He just rose from his sickbed after a week, so it’s understandable he knows nothing. Someone explain the situation. Sir Maghram is certainly entitled to hear about it.”
Even if only to keep the extremist followers of the Holy Sword Inquisitorial Bureau in check, the situation needed to be periodically reviewed.
Such a calculation lay beneath Dekal’s generous consideration.
Due to being closest to Maghram, Rex was given the troublesome role of ‘teacher’.
Of course, true to his straightforward nature, he had no complaints.
“Sir Maghram.”
“Yes, Sir Rex.”
“Currently, our church is not in such a situation.”
“Ah! I know what you’re worried about. I heard the news that Hispenril declared heresy its national religion before coming here. But weren’t we prepared for a holy war even when we decided to judge the heretic Aillet Rodelain?!”
Maghram’s words, spoken as if he knew enough, drew sighs from all directions.
Rex began explaining from the basics.
“It’s not just because of the national religion declaration. More significantly, Sir Tesillid Argent, the Holy Sword’s Master, has gone over to the ‘Voice-Spirit that Constructs the World’ cult.”
“What?”
“…Surely you haven’t forgotten? The only reason we could even consider judging heretics in the first place was because the Holy Sword’s Master was on our side.”
They had tried to use Tesillid’s military might and his relationship with the Holy Saint.
In truth, the latter held more weight, but since they had to pretend ignorance regarding the honey trap, only the former was mentioned.
“But now the Holy Sword’s Master is no longer our asset but the opponent’s strength, isn’t he? If a war breaks out with the Hispenril Duchy, we have no chance of winning.”
Maghram genuinely looked surprised.
For a sensible person, it would be a ‘are you insane?’ reaction, but it was nothing new in the Order Religion.
Until now, Tesillid had shown such submissive behavior that quite a few people couldn’t even imagine him ‘daring’ to antagonize the church.
The power difference between the two nations was reason enough, but the explanation wasn’t over yet.
“That’s not all. Sir Tesillid is Queen Raviosa’s biological son, isn’t he? Just the other day, the Winchester Kingdom announced its support for the Incantation Cult. We could potentially turn not only the Hispenril Duchy but also the Winchester Kingdom into enemies.”
The Elfenheim Holy Theocracy had long severed diplomatic ties with the Ragneif Magic Republic.
In this situation, if they were to clash with the Winchester Kingdom after the Hispenril Duchy, the Theocracy could become isolated on the continent.
“And finally, public sentiment is not good.”
“Public sentiment?”
“The Holy Sword’s Master himself carries great symbolic weight. The sword that distinguishes good from evil judges his actions.”
“What does that matter? He’s still a heretic…”
Even Rex eventually let out a sigh.
“But even after converting, Sir Tesillid remained uncorrupted, didn’t he? By common sense, he should have become the ‘Demonic Sword’s Master,’ yet he is still the ‘Holy Sword’s Master.’ That fact is unsettling a large number of followers.”
“……!”
Even without this, the Pontifical Palace had previously abandoned over 30% of its citizens while enduring a siege during Walpurgis Night by employing Holy Ground Construction.
With public sentiment already poor, the Order Religion’s persecution of the Holy Saint, who was a hero, and the conversion of the Holy Sword’s Master, also a hero, acted as a catalyst.
As a result, a large number of the Theocracy’s citizens applied for asylum in the Duchy.
Order Religion followers were defecting en masse.
Originally, Bianca had been working behind the scenes, but by gaining Tesillid, the plan progressed even more smoothly, and the future of the Incantation Cult became very bright indeed.
The Holy Saint and the Holy Sword’s Master had too good a compatibility.
“T-that reminds me… if t-they’re heretics, they should be c-corrupted, but why, why….”
Maghram couldn’t hide his shock.
He, too, was one of the followers unsettled by the last reason.
Tesillid Argent, who had turned his back on ‘Strict Order and Goodness’ yet remained the ‘Holy Sword’s Master’.
It was natural, as the Holy-Demonic Sword didn’t discriminate against deities in the first place, but for those whose minds were trapped in a monotheistic worldview, it was bound to be confusing.
If even a fanatic was in such a state, how much more so other followers?
Several Cardinals seated at the council table lamented.
“At this rate, we might be called heretics ourselves.”
“We shouldn’t have sent the Holy Sword’s Master to Peronsa.”
“That’s right. We should have brainwashed—no, bombarded Sir Tesillid with baptisms to make him stay with our church.”
“Speaking of which, whose idea was it anyway to send the Holy Sword’s Master to execute the Holy Saint….”
“That was strongly advocated by Saintess Muriel and pushed through, you see….”
“Ahem, ahem.”
“Sigh….”
Sighs mixed with annoyance poured out.
It was understandable, given that Muriel, who should have taken responsibility, was absent under the pretext of prayer.
“We must acknowledge that judging heretics is impossible now.”
A profound voice cut through the sighs.
It was Cardinal Bezalius, who seemed to have aged an additional ten years in a month after losing his son.
“Are you saying we should just leave the heretics be?!”
Maghram raised his voice, looking as if he had been betrayed.
Old and weary, Cardinal Bezalius continued only with what was necessary, instead of pointing out the rudeness.
“Of course, we cannot simply leave unchecked those who pose a great threat to our church. I’m saying we should find other realistic methods.”
“Realistic methods, you say.”
The one who mused was Cardinal Dekal.
The two Cardinals shared a trait.
Namely, when it came to issues concerning the Holy Saint and the Holy Sword’s Master, they often found themselves in agreement.
Cardinal Dekal adjusted his cold monocle and spoke.
“Come to think of it, regardless of everything else, it is a fact that those two betrayed the church.”
Cardinal Bezalius, raising an eyebrow, nodded.
“Indeed. Especially the heretical Holy Saint deceived many followers by hiding her identity. This is a very dishonest act for a person.”
Though they would have immediately executed her as a heretic if she had openly revealed herself, they now pushed forward a universally undeniable virtue as their justification.
The two united Cardinals found a plausible justification to strike at Aillet and Tesillid.
“Let us issue a statement condemning their acts of apostasy.”
“Let’s do it!”
“Oh, excellent!”
Having found a means to tarnish the Holy Saint and the Holy Sword’s Master’s honor and strike a blow against the Incantation Cult, the Order Religion renewed its resolve.
A rather ambitious atmosphere enveloped the Pontifical Palace.
However, for human factions to be engaging in power struggles, this world was far too overwhelming just for survival.
WHOOOOM!
“H-huh?”
“Gasp?”
A massive tremor was felt above their heads.
“Th-the ceiling…?!”
“No, no! It’s the sky!”
Even so, everyone gathered here had awakened either divine power or aura.
With their excellent sense of aura, they identified the epicenter.
Rumbleeeee.
The sky was shaking as if roaring. The Heavenly Tremor sent forth circular ripples, causing the creatures on the ground to tremble.
Walpurgis Night and Doomsday.
Everyone recognized the familiar sensation, having experienced it through two calamities.
“A-a Dungeon Burst!”
“Th-this level… surely not…!”
Privilege for Possessors