Chapter 475 "The Judgment Cross"!
Jiménez's cold and authoritative voice echoed beneath the towering dome of the Twilight City Cathedral, like the tolling of bells to judge heretics.
The air seemed to freeze for a moment.
All eyes were focused on the silver hair that was as white as moonlight, and on Eileen's expressionless face, with everyone displaying different expressions.
Skelle's heart was in his throat.
This "kingdom paperhanger" realized that he seemed to have stirred up a storm far beyond his expectations.
This was not his original intention.
He didn't want the Campbell family and the Vatican to break off relations; he just wanted to use the Vatican to put the Campbell family in a bad light... After all, the Kingdom of Ryan still needed this invincible sword.
Moreover, without Campbell, who will guard the entrance to the Whirlpool Sea and suppress the Demon King of Thunder County?
We can't just transfer a branch of the Devalo family to them.
It would be better to let the Campbell family stay there!
At least the Campbell family has not claimed the title of the kingdom, not even a weak claim that is not entirely justifiable.
Her emerald green pupils contracted slightly, and a chill gradually crept up Eileen's spine.
She was about to say something when Jiménez didn't give her a chance to explain. His index finger was already touching the silver thorns wrapped around his chest.
"In the name of Saint Sith..."
A deep and sacred chant arose, its boundless majesty crashing against the rocks like a tidal wave against the surrounding stone pillars and walls.
Buzz—!
An invisible sanctuary instantly enveloped the entire magnificent cathedral!
The air seemed to instantly transform into viscous amber, and a sacred pressure pressed in from all directions. The stained-glass windows of the church seemed to become the keys of an accordion, playing the melody of hymns.
Jiménez's eyes shone with pure gold light.
His emaciated body appeared incredibly tall under the holy light, as if an angel had descended upon him!
That is—
"Judgment Cross"!
The well-informed court steward, Skeller, immediately recognized the artifact. A look of panic crossed his aged face, and he instinctively raised his arm to shield his eyes from the blinding light.
He didn't know what the chief referee was going to do.
He only knew that the holy power was so great that even the most devout mortals could hardly withstand it, and that all evil would have nowhere to hide before it...
But why use it here?!
The executors around them were all on high alert, their right hands resting on the hilts of the swords at their waists, assuming a fighting stance to deal with the most troublesome heretics.
They also had no idea what the referee was going to do.
But based on past experience, whenever the Holy Land descends upon them, it is the moment for them to pledge their loyalty to Saint Sith!
However--
This time seems different from the past.
Amidst that light that could purify all evil, the open and honest Eileen Campbell stood silently like an unmoving statue.
Her face remained as pale as a marble wall, and a hint of pain seemed to appear on her taut face, but it didn't seem to be caused by the holy light itself.
Instead, it was doubt.
Time ticked by, and a bead of sweat rolled down Jiménez's forehead. The golden light in his eyes did not diminish; instead, it burned even brighter.
Their all-out effort was as if they were offering their own flesh and blood as a sacrifice to drag the angel down to earth once more.
Eileen remained unmoved, simply watching him quietly, even the trace of pain on her face vanished, leaving only a coldness that even the sunlight could not melt.
The anticipated scenario of the heretics being purged did not occur.
The first to waver were the executors around them.
Their right hands, which had been tightly gripping the sword hilts, unconsciously loosened their grips. They looked at each other, exchanging bewildered glances.
The priests and nuns in the church were the same; they were still puzzled about what the judge was trying to do.
Does he suspect that Princess Eileen is an apostle of Chaos?
It was Eileen who rescued them; at least she contributed some of the effort, and every citizen of Twilight City remembers this.
As the believers began to waver, the angel descending upon Jiménez seemed to be losing its composure, the golden light in its eyes growing weaker and weaker like a candle flame burning out.
The holy light that enveloped the hall receded like the tide, finally settling on Jiménez's chest, revealing the murky eyes hidden behind the sacred facade.
Those eyes were filled with astonishment.
Jiménez stared in disbelief at Eileen, at the unharmed silver-haired girl bathed in holy light, his shock beyond measure.
How could this be...?
No response?
He had already harbored doubts when he heard the magistrate who went to Stillwater Beach report that Eileen was able to use "Praise of Light" without any scruples.
In particular, Eileen's sudden departure from Twilight City at the crucial moment of the court hearing, and her release of the Salvation Army and its followers, aroused his suspicions.
Now, seeing this silver hair that exudes an ominous aura, he could almost conclude, based on his rich experience in judgment, that this hero who once yearned for the Holy Light had ultimately sold his soul to Hell in exchange for power that did not belong to him.
Even if she did it to fight against Chaos, such betrayal is not tolerated by the Inquisition!
If he hadn't been more than 90% certain, Jiménez would never have rashly used the artifact bestowed upon him by the Pope.
But now it seems that I really did misunderstand her?
The reason this guy can wield the Light of Revelation without any scruples is not complicated; it's simply because he's young and resilient...
Cold sweat dripped from his forehead onto the floor. As he listened to the whispers that gradually spread throughout the church, Jiménez's expression grew increasingly grave.
The Judgment Cross possesses unparalleled power to restrain all evil, and even those with the slightest evil thought cannot look directly at the cross on his chest.
For example, a court steward who is removing his arm from his eyes.
It was precisely because of this that his trial did not expose Eileen's true colors; instead, it witnessed her piety before the statue in the Twilight City Cathedral!
This is getting serious...
"I need an explanation."
A cold voice broke the silence. Eileen stared intently at Jiménez, her disappointment turning into anger.
Jiménez knew he was in the wrong.
Using the tribunal's instruments to "try" a war hero without any solid evidence deeply hurt the feelings between the Ryan and Campbell people from any perspective.
He remained silent for a moment, but ultimately chose the most decisive way to quell the situation. He slowly lowered his proud head and uttered a word with a hoarse voice, clearly unwilling to speak.
"Feel sorry……"
Even so, his doubts grew stronger, as if he had entered the Demon King's labyrinth.
It didn't work?
That's really strange...
Seeing the head judge bow his head, the officers standing around were all deeply moved, as if they had seen the sun rise in the west.
Their head referee actually apologized!
This...this is unbelievable!!
Eileen gave Jiménez a meaningful look, her eyes seeming to say, "This isn't over."
"The Campbell family will not forget the humiliation of today, and we will tell our people the truth about what happened today."
She didn't press the matter further, simply uttering a cold remark before turning and walking out of the church.
With mixed feelings, Skelle glanced at the chief referee, then at Eileen who had walked out the door. He opened his mouth as if to say something to ease the tension, but his throat seemed to be stuck, and he didn't know where to begin.
Although the chief referee may have been using the situation as an excuse, he was indeed the one who started the fire, at least that's what he thought.
As I said before...
Things didn't turn out this way because it wasn't his intention.
The people inside the church wore varied expressions, their faces etched with deep thoughts. Some pondered the future of the kingdom, others the future of the Holy Light on this land, or perhaps they were simply contemplating their own future.
The Vatican and the Campbell family have already clashed for the first time, even if this clash was unprepared and stemmed from a misunderstanding.
At that moment, no one noticed that a female knight who had just stepped outside the church door was also experiencing a heart pounding in her throat.
Just as Mr. Colin had said.
The Papacy and the King no longer trust the Campbell family...
...
Two streets away from the Twilight City Cathedral, in the attic of an unassuming hotel.
The real Erin Campbell was staring intently through the half-drawn curtains at the holy light that suddenly shone and then faded on the church dome in the distance.
Those emerald green eyes were filled with shock, a hint of barely perceptible sadness, and a sense of bewilderment at not knowing where to go...
Sarah stood behind her, arms crossed, her amber eyes gazing indifferently out the window, her expression utterly unchanging.
Everything went exactly as the Demon King had predicted.
The court gave "Eileen" no chance to explain; almost immediately after she stepped into the church, holy light descended from the sky.
If it had been Eileen herself standing there, even if this guy hadn't died, he'd probably be half-dead...
The silence lasted for half an hour until the wooden door to the attic was gently pushed open, and a lithe figure darted in.
The person who arrived was none other than "Eileen," who had left the church earlier.
She slammed the door shut behind her, immediately knelt on one knee, then reached out and grabbed a spot on her chin with her right hand, pulling it outward forcefully.
"Tear—"
A mask as thin as a cicada's wing was removed from her face, revealing Theresa's loyal but slightly weary face.
That mask was a magical artifact made by His Highness Colin. It is said to have been made from the extremely precious bark of the Tree of Life, and it can perfectly replicate a person's appearance.
As for the silver hair, it was dyed with alchemical pigments, also the work of His Highness Colin.
Neither the court steward Sclere nor the chief judge Jiménez were particularly familiar with Irene, especially the latter, who was meeting her for the first time.
For Theresa, who has been by Irene's side for many years, it would be difficult to fool Prince Edward, but it would be more than enough to fool outsiders.
"...Your Highness, this is what happened."
In a solemn and respectful voice, Teresa recounted every single thing that had just happened inside the cathedral.
Eileen listened in silence, her knuckles turning white from the pressure on her fingers resting on the windowsill, mirroring her pale face.
Returning to Twilight City to face the court was her idea, while having Theresa go in her place was Prince Colin's insistence.
At first, Eileen thought Prince Colin was being too cautious.
But reality dealt her a heavy blow.
The other party didn't give her a chance to "reason" or even to explain herself; they directly used the instrument of judgment.
Perhaps they already possess some kind of evidence, but they just can't be sure...
Unlike the pale-faced Eileen, Sarah, who stood to the side with her arms crossed, had a mocking smile on her lips.
In fact, before the Demon King separated from her, this foolish woman had a fierce argument with him.
She seemed to take the so-called "divine compensation" that the Demon King had used to deceive her as the truth, and genuinely believed that she was one of the "Holy Blood Clan" who had been resurrected by Saint Sith. For a time, she made the Demon King, who had made up this story, look rather foolish.
Of course, Sarah didn't think it was the Demon King's fault; it was simply that the human girl was ungrateful.
She foolishly believed that the Vatican would believe her nonsense and, out of consideration for her contributions to the fight against chaos, trust her piety.
How is this different from dreaming?
In short, the Demon King hadn't figured out how to persuade Miss Irene, who believed in everything, so he had a sudden inspiration and pulled out this mask.
The two reached an agreement.
He wouldn't stop Eileen from testing the Papacy's limits, but she had to retreat to Stillwater Beach first and return after the situation in Twilight City stabilized.
Secondly, her first contact with the Papacy had to be carried out by the loyal Teresa in her place.
Even if not for herself, it was for her brother far away in Thunder City, and for the people of the Duchy of Campbell...
It seems that His Majesty once again guessed the ending that didn't even need to be guessed.
"Your Highness..."
Theresa looked at Eileen's tense profile, hesitated for a moment, and finally couldn't help but offer her advice.
“You are no longer fit to stay here. The Court of Justice will certainly not abandon its suspicions about you based on a single test, and... they may even have made a deal with the King. In any case, Twilight City is too dangerous. Perhaps... you should retreat back to the Duchy of Campbell for the time being?”
Eileen slowly shook her head. Although her eyes still showed confusion about the future, there was one thing she did without any hesitation.
“The people here still need me. I cannot watch these compatriots, who have just emerged from purgatory, turn around and grovel under the ravages of the court.”
"But your safety..."
Theresa wanted to persuade her further, but a cold voice suddenly interrupted her.
"It's really not appropriate for her to leave at this time."
Sarah, who had been silent all along, had somehow walked to the window and drawn the half-closed curtains, plunging the entire room into shadow.
Theresa stared wide-eyed at the guard who was loyal to Prince Colin, unable to understand why she would say such a thing.
In her eyes, Twilight City was now nothing short of the Demon King's lair for Princess Eileen...
Sarah didn't look at Theresa, but simply followed the Demon King's previous instructions and spoke slowly and deliberately in a cool voice.
“The most dangerous place is actually the safest. Jiménez’s ‘trial’ is just the right opportunity for Eileen.”
"But--"
"He would rather test a hero who saved the province with an artifact without any basis than point the artifact bestowed upon him by Saint Sith at the apostle of Chaos. And just recently, this hero burned his own life potential to save the people of the Twilight Province... This matter will soon spread throughout the entire Twilight City, and then it will not be us who are put on the defensive, but them."
Theresa wanted to ask Sarah why she was so optimistic that the citizens of Twilight City would think that way. The Vatican had sent theologians from the Holy City to the soup kitchens to preach to every citizen who received soup.
They have nailed the mouths of every citizen in this city to the cross, so there will be no rumors that are detrimental to the Vatican.
However, when Teresa saw those determined eyes, the question that was on the tip of her tongue wouldn't come out.
I have a feeling...
Miss Sarah did not speak out of optimism, but rather because she had sufficient confidence.
"Wait a moment……"
Eileen's expression showed some struggle.
She turned her head away, avoiding Sarah's gaze, and lowered her voice, "I do have unclean blood flowing through my veins, even if it's not my intention."
A knight cannot lie.
This is also her biggest unresolved issue.
She could righteously resist those slanders, but she could not deny the fact that she was no longer a "pure human being," and she could not tolerate having to rely on deception to survive.
This sense of guilt made her feel inferior when facing the Vatican, even though she believed the court's actions had crossed the line.
Sarah's lips curled into a cold smile.
“Princess Eileen, I don’t want to argue with you about your purity. You just need to answer me: which part of what I said just now was wrong?”
"I--"
"Did they point their artifacts at a hero who saved this place, while standing by and watching as chaos raged?"
"..."
"Did they do this without trial or any basis?"
"..."
“You can say that this was not their intention, but it is the truth! Including the fact that you burned your own life! Even if you don’t cherish your own life, please think about those who do… I’m talking about your brother and your deceased father.”
Actually, Colin's original words did not include the last sentence.
However, Sarah felt that if she didn't add that comment, she would be unable to resist breathing on this ungrateful guy.
Eileen also realized that she had been somewhat selfish.
Sarah's words, in particular, made her feel utterly ashamed.
She was preoccupied with her own glory, but not with those who loved her deeply... except for her two brothers, her deceased father, and Colin.
He had said he would stand by her side forever, alongside the Duchy of Corinth. If she were burned at the stake by the court, how would that prince face the consequences?
A flicker of pain crossed Eileen's face, but it quickly turned into strength, like the knight who, after crawling naked out of the succubus's lair, was determined to live on and return to his lover.
"I can cooperate with you... How should I do it?"
She could disregard her own honor and disgrace, and was even willing to sacrifice her life.
But she couldn't bear the thought that her existence would cause her brother and Colin, who supported her, to be accused of "harboring heresy."
Even if the soul falls into hell...
She will also defeat the court of judges!
Watching the knight lady gradually "fall" into depravity, Sarah's usually expressionless face finally revealed a satisfied smile.
"For now... you don't need to do anything. Just stay here with Theresa, follow Prince Colin's arrangements, and be a puppet at his mercy."
"Let him do whatever he wants?" Eileen's face flushed instantly.
She didn't want to think about strange things, but images kept popping into her mind, and then a carpet covered with roses appeared.
etc--
Isn't the pace a bit too fast?
Theresa stared blankly at Sarah, pointing to herself with her index finger.
Wait a moment--
I also?
"That's right."
Sarah ignored her and simply looked at the heroine and knight with a burnt-out head, answering in a calm voice.
"He has already planned everything for you."
"He said he would protect you."
(End of this chapter)
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