Chapter 148: Heresy Detection Operation
A biting cold had set in.
Ray had climbed the snowy mountain again because the magic book refused to open.
Of course, the dryad accompanied him.
Ray sighed and moved forward in silence.
Beside him, the dryad incessantly talked, gradually draining his energy.
He did not cross the peak of the snowy mountain as he had the first time.
The risks and lack of sufficient food made such a journey imprudent.
Indeed, the intense cold of the snowy mountain played a significant role in this decision.
Following the outskirts of the mountain range, the cold was manageable with magic, and the sporadic coniferous forests provided enough materials for makeshift meals.
Pine bark soup might not have been tasty, but it was edible.
Additionally, brewing tea from pine needles warmed the body, a quintessential backpacking experience.
The dryad occasionally raged against him for harming its kin, but a few firm reprimands quickly silenced it.
Ray took short breaks whenever he found suitable spots as he moved across the shallow snow.
He camped at night and resumed walking at dawn.
Walking along the outer paths of the snowy mountain was faster than navigating its heavily snow-covered peak.
Moreover, Ray ran with his mana activated, enhancing his speed.
Even so, the dryad kept up surprisingly well, almost faster than Iriel.
While impressive, Ray did not feel like admiring the dryad, especially with its constant murmured requests for help.
Eventually, Ray snapped.
As I said before, I cant make you stronger.
But you can. I believe in you.
What makes you so sure?
Its a dryads intuition.
Werent you not a dryad just a while ago?
Forget the small details.
The conversation didnt quite add up, but Ray did not feel like probing further.
However, that did not mean he was inclined to strengthen the dryad.
He asked with a sigh, You said you want strength to return home, right? Where is this home?
The Grensia Mountains.
Ray frowned.
The Grensia Mountains were where Proxia once stood, and they had recently passed through them.
The place, now neatly cleansed by the Black Death, was its home. It confirmed his initial suspicions!
If the dryads story were to be believed, humans had come and decimated its kin, likely at Proxias doing.
But this raised a puzzling question.
It was hard to believe that the elves, lovers and protectors of nature, would ignore the dryads plight.
Elves cherish nature immensely, often prioritizing a single tree over their lives.
It seemed implausible that the elves would stand by as dryads perished.
Ray looked at the dryad skeptically.
His gaze seemed to say, Is this just another of your mad tales?
The dryad bristled at Rays skepticism.
Its not a lie! My home is in the Grensia Mountains!
Even so, the nature-loving and infamously protective elves wouldnt have ignored your plight.
The elves were unaware of our threat.
Unaware?
The human army was strong. Strong enough to deal with us quietly.
Hmm.
Ray contemplated the balance of power.
Dryads are nearly akin to spirits, making them quite powerful.
But they faced Proxia, a force capable of threatening continental destruction.
Could they not handle a single dryad discreetly?
Discreet action would indeed be challenging, even for them, but not impossible.
Realizing this, Ray could somewhat reconcile the situation within the realms of common sense.
He nodded and concluded,
Fine. Then return to the Grensia Mountains. By now, if there are any humans, theyll just be rotting corpses.
What do you mean?
Exactly what I said. The humans you despised are all dead. Well, maybe one or two might have survived?
The dryad froze at his words, seemingly needing time to process the information.
Ray, devoid of any intention to wait, was about to resume walking when the dryad called out to him in an unusually serious tone.
Human.
The way it spoke did not evoke the image of a tree. He was almost curious to dissect it to understand how it produced sound.
Without responding, Ray faced the dryad, which approached and broke off a branch from its body.
Take this.
As it handed over what it had previously thrown into the fire, Ray declined.
I dont need firewood.
The surrounding area was abundant with potential kindling.
He implied that the dryad no longer needed to sacrifice parts of itself for firewood.
Noticing his pitying look, the dryad shook its head.
This is different.
As it spoke, the dryad found a sharp, solid rock.
In contrast, the branch looked thin and fragile, likely to snap at any moment.
With the branch, the dryad struck the rock hard.
Without any mana, the slender twig seemed destined to break against the rock.
It was a bold move, risking breaking itself against the rock, and deserved applause.
Yet, contrary to his expectations, the branch remained intact.
Eh?
Surprised, Ray watched as the dryad proudly declared,
When a dryad reaches maturity, it grows a new branch. In a dryads lifetime, only one, the strongest branch, emerges.
Puffing out its chest and speaking arrogantly, it was, after all, just a branch.
With a serious tone, the dryad offered the branch to him.
I give this to you for agreeing to my request.
.
Ray was at a loss for words.
He had no intention of fulfilling any request.
His initial reason for entering the Grensia Mountains was to eradicate Proxia.
Though he had not received the elves assistance as planned, it would have been problematic to consider the mission accomplished and receive a reward along the way.
Despite his reservations, his hand had already accepted the branch the dryad handed him.
How could it so readily believe his words and give away such a precious, once-in-a-lifetime branch?
Perhaps the dryad had something akin to the elves Eyes of Truth, he wondered.
As he took the branch, he sensed a faint presence of mana.
The dryads mana had seemingly infused into it over many years.
Forging a sword from this branch might yield a superior weapon compared to one crafted from an ordinary piece of iron.
The unexpected gain made Ray smile.
Hehehe. Thank you.
Im more grateful. Human, come visit my homeland sometime if you can.
Ray shook his head at the dryads invitation.
Crossing this snowy mountain again would be required to reach the Grensia Mountains.
Besides, the place was swarmed with meddlesome elves.
He had no desire to revisit, much less spare a glance towards the Grensia Mountains.
The dryad, who had followed him like a stalker, waved its hand and took its leave abruptly.
Their encounter had been sudden, and their farewell was just as abrupt.
All that was left in his hand was the dryads single branch.
This will serve perfectly as a sword replacement for Zik.
The Pope and his Inquisition were engaged in an intense campaign to eradicate heretics.
Since Ray had supplied information, they had conducted independent investigations into many nobles, healers, and priests, revealing a considerable number of heretics.
The number was approaching nearly a tenth of all the nobility.
It appeared there was nobody among the powerful who hadnt accepted bribes, and Proxias influence extended into every sector, including commerce, real estate, and construction.
From a certain perspective, the Holy Kingdom appeared less as an independent state and more as a satellite of Proxia.
The Pope slammed his fist onto the podium.
Bang!
How has our Holy Kingdom degenerated so deeply into corruption! Its as if were not Gods nation, but a den for those filthy Proxians!
Pope Glycerior, consumed by rage, stood trembling with his fist clenched.
The immense divine power radiating from him hushed everyone present, including the high-ranking clergy.
Eclair, attempting to defuse the tension, said, Your Holiness, please calm down. What did the Saint say?
The Saint advised leaving them be.
Leaving them be?
Her eyes narrowed slightly, betraying her confusion.
If the Saint said to leave them alone, shouldnt that be what they did?
To Eclair, Rays opinion was akin to a divine message, one worth following even if it defied logic.
But the Pope continued to arrest heretics, disregarding the advice, which irritated Eclair despite his being the highest religious authority.
Regrettably, the Inquisitions power was mostly in the Popes hands.
Even though she supervised the clergy, her influence was negligible compared to his, which hindered her from taking direct action.
With a stern expression, the Pope surveyed the assembly.
I intend to intensify our efforts to root out heretics even more than before. If anyone has a different opinion, please share it.
His tone suggested openness to discussion, but his face signaled that dissent would not be welcome.
The seasoned nobles, understanding this, kept silent.
Only Eclair had the status to propose an alternative.
She shook her head slightly.
I believe we should heed the Saints advice and leave them be for the time being.
Is the High Priestess suggesting that we prioritize the Saints opinion over the Popes, the ultimate authority on the Holy Kingdoms future?
His voice was laced with displeasure.
Thats not what Im saying. I simply believe the Saint wouldnt have given such advice without good reason.
Eclairs reply caused the Popes face to grow even more stern.
As the sole authority on the Holy Kingdoms future, it appears the High Priestess would rather place the Saint in a position akin to royalty. Hmph!
Eclair couldnt help but think, How childish this Pope is.
He should act the part if he wished to play the king. It was unbecoming to cower in times of war, only to behave like a tyrant when pursuing the safer task of identifying heretics.
Eclair, too, stood resolute.
Are you saying, Your Holiness, that you intend to ignore the words of the Saint, the representative of God?
Her retort was powerful enough to shift the Inquisitions focus to the Pope himself.
Taking a step back at her strong comeback, the Pope replied, Thats not what I mean. However, I have no intention of changing my decision. The Inquisition should continue as is with the detection of heretics. This meeting is adjourned.
He concluded unilaterally and dismissed the assembly.
The purpose of convening the nobles for a meeting seemed pointless.
Frustrated with the Popes capricious behavior, Eclair bowed and left the hall.
The rising anger left her without words.
It was no wonder the nobles felt secure accepting bribes with such a Pope at the helm.
Even the shocking number of heretics somehow made sense under these circumstances.
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