The grey-robed envoy's grey-white eyes shifted slightly, as if he were calculating something, but in the end he simply nodded without any emotion: "Then we'll wait a day."

He said nothing more, turned and walked towards the few cold carriages, his figure disappearing back into the oppressive grayness.

"Welcome, special envoy, into the city," Raymond said in a deep voice, stepping aside to make way.

The knights of the 10th Regiment also neatly parted to form a passage.

The court procession started again, the unicorn beast treading silently on its frosty hooves, the grey-robed executor like a silent ghost, slowly driving into the huge and deep archway of the Eagle Gate.

...

Inside the luxurious banquet hall, the soft light from the crystal chandelier spilled onto the gleaming long table, illuminating the exquisite bone china tableware and crystal glasses.

The air was filled with the aroma of roasted meat and the rich scent of fine wine, a stark contrast to the damp, cold, and desolate swamp outside the fortress.

However, beneath this seemingly harmonious facade, an invisible undercurrent was brewing.

Next in line, Raymond Ironridge, Grand Master of the Tenth Holy Knights, sat upright. His white beard was meticulously trimmed, and although his heavy armor had been removed, his straight back and hawk-like sharp eyes still carried the majesty of a battlefield commander.

He didn't touch the delicacies in front of him much; his rough fingers unconsciously tapped the table, making a dull thud that broke the momentary silence.

His gaze swept over the two special envoys of the court sitting opposite him.

The man on the left was the "Gray-Eyed One" who had greeted them at the city gate earlier. The half of his face exposed under his hood was deathly pale, and his gray-white eyes, like solidified ice mist, stared emotionlessly at the flickering candlelight.

He silently sipped the water, as if everything around him was irrelevant.

The envoy on the right is slightly different.

He was also dressed in a dark gray robe, but without a hood, revealing a angular, middle-aged face with deep, sharp eyes. In his hand, he was playing with a short, jet-black staff with some kind of dark gemstone inlaid at the top.

His aura was more restrained, yet it subtly exuded an unquestionable sense of authority, clearly indicating that he was a representative from a higher level of the Privy Council or the Court of Justice.

Count Ferdinand sat to Raymond's left, his demeanor unusually elegant among the guests at the banquet.

His slender fingers gently twirled the stem of the crystal glass, a perfectly measured smile on his face, as if he were watching an insignificant drama.

Only when his gaze occasionally swept over Raymond and the two envoys did a barely perceptible glint flash across his eyes.

"Ahem." Raymond cleared his throat, his deep voice like the scraping of steel, instantly drawing everyone's attention.

He lowered his fingers from the table, leaned forward slightly, and looked intently at the two envoys, finally fixing his gaze on the one holding the ebony staff.

“Your Excellencies are weary from your journey and should not be disturbed at this time.” Raymond’s voice carried a deliberately suppressed heaviness. “However, there is something that is troubling me, concerning the foundation and laws of my Holy Light Church, and the supreme authority of the Privy Council and the elders. I must mention it.”

The gray-eyed man's eyes shifted almost imperceptibly as he looked at Raymond.

The man holding the ebony staff stopped playing with it and calmly looked back at him: "Commander Raymond, please speak freely."

Raymond took a deep breath, as if suppressing some kind of anger: "It's about Commander Alfonso Lin publicly executing Harrington Stewart, the commander of the Ninth Holy Knights!"

He deliberately emphasized the words "execution in public," and his voice echoed in the empty hall.

"Harrington, as a legendary paladin and commander of a regiment, may have a thousand sins, but his status and position cannot be easily determined by life and death."

"The Holy Light Code clearly stipulates that any commander of a knightly order under the Privy Council suspected of a serious crime must undergo three trials and cross-examinations by the Holy City's highest tribunal, be deliberated by the Council of Elders, and be submitted to His Excellency the Archbishop for final judgment before conviction and punishment can be imposed! This is an ironclad rule that cannot be transgressed!"

His gaze swept over Ferdinand, then fell back on the special envoy, questioning: "Commander Alfonso, with just a secret order in hand, can execute a fellow commander on the battlefield with lightning speed, ignoring all vetting procedures."

"If this precedent is set, what legal authority and dignity will the Thirteen Knights of the Holy Light Church have left? Where will the Privy Council's prestige be? What will become of the dignity of our elders?!"

He slammed his hand on the table, causing the cups and plates to tremble slightly: "This is by no means a simple execution of orders! Consider this, Commander Alfonso completed his legendary promotion ceremony immediately after executing Harrington! Is this merely a coincidence?"

"I have to suspect that his actions were solely for the purpose of completing his demanding ascension ceremony. He deliberately chose such a violent and... disregardful of papal law method to forcibly kill a legend! He is using the power granted to him by the Church, using the life and soul of a captain, to pave his own path to legend!"

Raymond's words were highly inflammatory, precisely striking the most sensitive nerve of the Holy City's leadership.

There is a sense of vigilance and aversion towards the "exclusive privileges" that local powerful figures, especially the powerful and unconventional grandmasters of knightly orders, may possess.

He believed that regardless of whether Alfonso's secret order was true or false, this act of "unauthorized execution of a high-ranking official" was a great challenge to the authority of the Holy City, enough to make the Tribunal, especially the elders who valued procedure, feel uneasy, and even use it as an excuse to make trouble.

He sneered inwardly.

If these special envoys can stall Alfonso for this matter, even for just a few days, he will have enough time to use his network of connections in the Holy City, built up over many years, to completely erase all the damned evidence that might implicate him!

The hall was completely silent.

The servants held their breath, as if they were statues.

The gray-eyed envoy's brow furrowed almost imperceptibly, and a faint ripple seemed to appear in his deathly gaze. Clearly, Raymond's accusations regarding procedural justice and challenging authority had touched upon the ideals of the faction he represented.

The envoy with the ebony staff remained calm, but his deep, sharp gaze lingered on Raymond's face for a moment, as if trying to see through his righteous words to discern his true intentions.

Instead of immediately making a statement, he turned his attention to Ferdinand.

"Commander Ferdinand," the Ebony Staff envoy's voice was calm yet carried an invisible pressure, "you were also on the battlefield. What are your thoughts on what Commander Raymond said, especially regarding whether Commander Alfonso's actions were in accordance with procedure, and... the connection between his promotion ceremony and the execution of Harrington?"

Ferdinand put down his wine glass, his elegant smile unchanged, but his eyes became more serious.

He first bowed slightly to the two special envoys.

“Your Excellency is wise.” Ferdinand’s voice was clear and steady. “Commander Raymond’s dedication to the laws of the Holy See is admirable. The procedures of the Code of Light are sacred and inviolable. They are the cornerstone that sustains the foundation of our Church, and no one can deny them.”

He affirmed Raymond's emphasis on "procedural justice," which prompted the grey-eyed envoy to nod slightly.

The error-free chapters of "Abandoned by the Holy Light? What Does That Have to Do with Me Being a Stay-at-Home Dad?" will continue to be updated on the Shuhaige Novel Network. There are no ads on the site, so please bookmark and recommend Shuhaige Novel Network!