Chapter 149: The Pope’s Command Is Worthless (1)
In the Holy Kingdom, the Popes witch-hunt for heretics had turned into a massive operation.
Everyone in the kingdom was preoccupied with dealing with the remnants of Proxia.
The Inquisition dispatched inquisitors far and wide, granting them the power to determine the fate of the people.
Cities like Selonia, Gehel, and Sillien, which hosted prominent inquisitors, managed relatively well, but those on the outskirts suffered.
Some inquisitors conducted themselves honorably, while others were so brutal they terrorized the populace like common thugs.
Please, please spare us! We just wanted to live!
Those who cried and begged with clasped hands were met with derision from a man clad in the Inquisitions uniform.
Dont make me laugh. When Proxia advanced, didnt you open your village gates without a fight? Youre all witches!
He signaled to the soldiers under the inquisitors command.
Kill everyone, regardless of age or gender! This village is surely a nest of demons!
The soldiers hesitated at his order.
They had been recruited from various places, trained, and sworn into service for the Holy Kingdom.
The idea of executing children and the elderly, even under orders, was not one they could readily accept.
The mans frown deepened as he observed the soldiers reluctance.
If you dont want to be marked as heretics yourselves, kill them. This is an order.
The stigma of heresy loomed over them.
Being labeled a heretic meant relentless pursuit by the Inquisition, torture upon capture, and an inevitable death.
Moreover, the families and even the hometowns of those accused would suffer the Inquisitions scrutiny.
A visit that was, in reality, nothing short of persecution.
Homes destroyed, women violated under the flimsiest pretenses, fires set while spouting rhetoric about evil spirits.
The thought that such atrocities, which hed sporadically seen in the Holy Kingdom, might befall them, sent a chill through his body.
The soldiers clenched their jaws and raised their swords.
Aaagh!
Please, save us Aaagh!
Blood splattered throughout the village, and the screams of adults and children were the only sounds that echoed.
The man looked on with satisfaction.
Ah, truly an act pleasing to our Lord Gaia. O Lord, I have dealt with the heretics village, grant me greater power.
Amidst the dying, the man alone prayed to the deity, smiling.
Griaia had requested a private meeting with Iriel.
Familiar with Iriel from their time fighting together on the battlefield, she immediately met with her.
Greetings, Saint.
What brings you here?
Its about the Inquisition
As she spoke, her hands trembled with fury.
Her beloved people were dying for absurd reasons.
She questioned whether this was truly the Holy Kingdom.
The Inquisition, you mean His Holiness command.
Yes. I dont know why such an order was given, but I humbly ask you, Iriel, to please stop it.
Iriel sighed at her words.
Hoo
She understood that Griaia had come to her, knowing she had the power to stop the Inquisition.
And Iriel was the Saint.
Honestly, she could stop it, but it would be immensely difficult.
The political world was far more complex and fierce than she had imagined.
If it stopped here, the Pope and other nobles would see it as a sign of weakness, undermining the political power she had built, and the Inquisition would continue to act on the Popes orders.
Furthermore, in terms of justification, they were at a disadvantage.
If the Saint, revered for her devout actions in judging heretics, were to interfere, she might herself become a target of the Inquisition.
Even Iriel, known as the greatest Saint of all time, couldnt intervene in a matter the Pope was so zealously pursuing.
She shook her head.
It seems difficult.
As expected, Griaias hope faded at the response.
Is that so
Her last ray of hope had been deemed difficult as well.
Griaia, who had never experienced such powerlessness even on the battlefield, was now completely engulfed by it.
There was nothing she could do now.
Unlike Iriel, who was of a similar age and took on all the roles of a Saint, handling a corner of the battlefield with her exceptional martial prowess, Griaia could only assist.
In the current situation, she had to ask for help instead of stopping it herself.
Iriel, too, struggled with a sense of powerlessness.
She couldnt move freely either, as the Popes hunt for heretics was in full swing.
She knew that not moving hastily without a plan was more helpful than rushing in unprepared, but the occasional screams were hard for her to bear.
In this situation, I just want to lean on you, Ray.
Descending from the outskirts of the snowy mountain, Ray managed to enter the Holy Kingdom.
Instead of passing directly over the peak, he walked along the outskirts and arrived on the outskirts of the Kingdom.
He felt like he might cry, sensing a strong scent of home in a place that wasnt his real hometown.
With Proxia gone, if they just eliminated their remaining forces, the Holy Kingdom would be on the road to recovery.
Heading toward Selonia with a lightened heart, he heard screams echoing throughout the village.
Ray frowned.
Whats happening now? Bandits?
To rob such a remote village seemed unthinkable.
His steps naturally moved him forward.
Thinking of the people dying, he activated his mana and surged forth.
Dust rose from the ground as he darted forward.
Ray arrived at the village in no time and was lost for words at the horrific scene before him.
Kill them! This village is heretical!
Aaagh!
Honey! Take the child and run!
The various sounds around him were almost overwhelming.
The villagers were being massacred by trained soldiers, fighting for their lives like dogs to protect their families.
At first, he thought they were Proxias remaining soldiers.
But the Holy Kingdoms emblems embroidered on their well-dressed armor told him they were the Kingdoms soldiers.
His eyes grew cold as he surveyed the area.
Ray, infusing his voice with mana, spoke in a hushed tone.
Stop.
Despite the softness of his voice, everyone nearby heard him clearly.
His commanding presence, coupled with the flow of mana, made not only the soldiers but also the inquisitors turn their gaze toward him.
The man scrutinized the young man before him.
Some beggar.
Dressed in tattered garments, he couldnt perceive the young man as a saint.
He appeared too dissimilar to his preconceived notion of a saint.
You beggar. If you value your life, go beg somewhere else.
Had Zik overheard those words, the mans neck would have been severed on the spot.
Ray flashed a grin, revealing his teeth.
It seems he hasnt understood the situation yet.
He let go of the restraint he had grown used to on his divine power.
Instantly, an enormous outpouring of divine power and mana erupted from his body.
Kwaah-
The magnitude of the divine power caused his body to quake, sweat beading down his back.
Yo-you are surely not
An inquisitor of the Inquisition, wielding more power than some nobles, paled in comparison to the current Saint.
He had single-handedly vanquished necromancers and a genuine dragon, and, though less known, had toppled the burgeoning power of Proxia.
His valor surpassed the moniker of the strongest in history a level unattainable for a mere inquisitor.
As the potent mana and divine power radiating from him merged, it darkened, resembling demonic energy.
His visage evoked the demons reputed to be conjured by black magicians.
The inquisitor promptly fell to his knees.
Ho-holy Saint!
Yet, Rays aura continued to intensify, his mana growing even more formidable.
Where should one beg?
Gu-gasp
The thickening mana made even drawing breath a struggle.
Ray focused all his mana on the inquisitor, who stood no chance against an aura user, let alone one with the concentrated power of true dragons blood.
An ordinary person would have surely died if they had taken it all in.
Ray knelt to meet the eyes of the man.
Where do you belong?
Surrounded by dark blue mana, he spoke in a tone one might imagine a demon would use.
Inquisition
What sort of insane act is this? Whose damned order is this?
Its His Holiness the Pope
I leave for a moment, and you turn the country into a complete mess.
His words shocked the soldiers and the villagers alike.
Who dares to speak so of the Pope?
It was said that even the king was cursed behind his back, but here was the Saint, openly insulting the Pope.
A woman clutching a child, inspired by him, spoke up.
Holy Saint! I swear to God, weve done nothing! But they suddenly started calling us heretics and killing us Please, stop this If you leave us now, we will surely perish.
Following her plea, the other villagers added their own.
Save us, Holy Saint!
In a time when we cant even trust the country Youre the only one we can rely on
Please, save at least the children
Touched by their tearful cries, Ray nodded.
Dont worry. Ill resolve this in my name.
His firm response softened the tense atmosphere among the villagers.
Some were so relieved they almost collapsed.
Th-thank you!
Sniff Thank you so much, Holy Saint.
Ray, who had been offering warm looks to the villagers, turned his back to them, and his expression instantly changed.
He looked at the inquisitor and soldiers with a cold gaze.
Did you hear that? Ive given my word. I dont make mistakes. If you want to die, try challenging me, but it wont be a peaceful death.
In other words, behave if you dont want to die.
But, its His Holiness the Popes command We cant just disregard it
The inquisitors words were met with a nod from Ray.
A valid point.
Looking around at the inquisitor and soldiers, Ray said.
Right. We cant disobey His Holiness the Popes command.
His words filled the villagers with despair, while the inquisitor seemed to cling to hope.
Then
Just as the man was about to speak, Ray flashed a malicious grin.
So, if youre going to follow the Popes command, youd better die by my hand right here.
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