The Third Card (2)
“At this time, it is judged that this case is out of the authority of the imperial court, and under the authority of the Second Cardinal of the Holy Empire, I formally request Judge James to hold an inquisition here and now.”
Cardinal Basel’s stiff voice echoed throughout the courtroom. I knew Ito Souta felt confused about everything that was happening. The fact that he became a blasphemer was undeniable, but it was also true that this had stemmed from his ignorance.
‘What a stupid guy.’
His ignorance would be the very cause of his downfall. This all happened because he had inevitably called the fantasy potion a drug. Considering that it had been a mistake on his behalf, there may have been room for an extenuation, at the very least.
However, the problem lay with Cardinal Basel, who was now trying to hold the Inquisition trial.
Of course, the reason why I had met with cardinal priests wasn’t just to build friendships. Of course, establishing a relationship with them was by no means a bad thing, but it also created amazing opportunities for me.
For example, it gave me an opportunity to screw you over.’
It was not a big deal to experience hallucinations after presenting the wine made from holy water. Of course, the wine I had given to Cardinal Basel had been specially made by me.
It had the same mechanism as the fantasy potion, but it was a luxury item that could not be said to come from the same roots.
[Sacred Wine: Heroic Grade]
[It is a wine made from holy water, called a gift from God. This wine, which is a mixture of several complex ingredients, has the effect of permanently increasing the Holy Power stat by 2 and recovering the consumed Holy Power, limited to the first glass. Sometimes it shows something special.]
‘There’s no need to say anything else.
Only about 8,000 gold was needed to make the bottle.
Of course, it hadn’t been that complicated to make, but the situation I was trying to create was a bit difficult in itself. The fantasy potion was out of my control not in its creation – there was an alchemy factory in Blue – but in its gathering of ingredients. It might have been impossible, if Ito Souta had not been under investigation.
No, it was definitely impossible.
What I did after making the holy wine was very simple. I simply had a meal with Cardinal Basel and drank the wine together. The scene that unfolded afterwards had been even more elaborate.
‘Puhahaha.
It was something that would happen after 20 years.
The scene had showed to Souta, who eventually signed a contract with a demon summoned from hell. In short, I had showed Cardinal Basel a gruesome scene for someone of his profession.
Of course, the man himself struggled to protect both the Holy Empire and the Goddess of Benigore. Thus, it would be natural to think of Ito Souta as an enemy.
The cardinal would’ve seen Souta slowly and carefully entering the Pope’s fold, and, five years later, controlling the Pope himself. At this point, Basal would have also seen himself as the church’s only hope, and the only one who would dare stand against the Yamato Guild leader.
‘Very good.
What he had seen was a lonely fight between Cardinal Basel and Ito Souta that lasted a very long time. As with any Apocalypse, Cardinal Basel would lose everyone he loved, and he would eventually face a very miserable and painful death.
He would’ve seen himself with a sword stuck in his heart, looking at the Pope’s members surrounded by demons that had climbed up from hell. These people, in turn, would be crying and looking at ito Souta, who would be busy killing off their Goddess.
After seeing the hallucination, Cardinal Basel’s expression proved to be unforgettable.
He seemed to doubt whether what he saw was a divine revelation, but the man had to admit that he had accepted the will of the Goddess with a firm face the next day.
‘This is simply because he has great faith.’
To our Cardinal Basel, Ito Souta was an enemy that needed to be removed right away. It was nothing more, nothing less than that.
‘Like when Hyunsung saw Jung Jinho for the first time.’
There was no chance of escape for them. This was the last insurance prepared.
Of course, I had a few more, but I felt like this would be enough.
“Judge James?”
“Okay. I will formally accept Cardinal Basel’s request. As of this time, it is judged that this case is out of the authority of the imperial court, and under the authority of the Supreme Court of the imperial court of the Holy Empire. Thus, I will close this trial here and now.”
Ito Souta’s face looked overly disconcerted.
“Honorable Cardinal Basel, I understand what you are feeling, but I don’t really understand this situation right now. I said I didn’t really know about the fantasy potion; I never meant to insult Benigore’s Goddess. Rather, it is Lee Kiyoung in the plaintiff’s seat that should be punished!”
“Why should I be punished, Ito Souta-ssi?”
“Did you not commit a disrespectful act of mixing Weed ingredients with the holy water of the Goddess?”
This was proof that he was indeed in a crisis. He was trying to find anything he could use to his advantage.
“Why is that disrespectful? Ito Souta-ssi, I have been through the purification process. The great power of the Goddess can bring anything back to a clean state. Of course, it can purify your disrespectful heart, too.”
“I-It’s not just that. Cardinal Basel! Lee Kiyoung of the Blue Guild used the Goddess’ gift to take advantage and gain an undeserved profit.”
“Some of the profits of the fantasy potion go to the Pope’s side as donations, so you don’t have to worry about unfair gains. Another part will go into rehabilitation treatment for real drug addicts. It is an object made as a gift from the Goddess. There’s no way I’d use it for private things. I’m not like you, criminal Ito Souta.”
“Who are you calling a criminal…?”
“Yes, of course, you are the current criminal. If the fantasy potion isn’t a drug, aren’t all the testimonies you’ve given up till now a lie? Having confessed your sins with your own words, you would have been convicted even if you had not passed on to the Inquisition. Oh, if you’re regretting what you’re saying right now, I definitely want to ask you again. Is the fantasy potion a drug? Is it?”
“Our proud to Souta-ssi of Yamato Guild. You have to answer my question. Is the fantasy potion a drug? Or is it not a drug?”
“It’s not worth answering the question.”
“What do you mean?”
“The Goddess’ gift can’t be? Asking questions is in itself disrespectful. Supreme Judge, Cardinal Basel. This is a trap and a setback. Once again, I ask for a formal trial. No, I will request an adjournment. Supreme Judge!”
He tried yelling at the Supreme Court eagerly, but there was no way that the Supreme Court would be positive in his response. Already, Cardinal Basel had gained the authority.
“The power of the current court is not on me. Defendant, please send the request for adjournment and appeal after the Inquisition is over.”
“Then… Cardinal Basel, this is a frame. This is a dirty masterpiece of Lee Kiyoung of the Blue Guild, who tried to trap me in the first place. If you give me a little more time, I will be able to bring you convincing evidence.”
It was impossible to understand why those kinds of people transformed into parrots shouting about setups at this point, but this was evidence that he was now desperate.
While looking around with an unfair expression, the public’s reaction to him was quite cold. It was revealed that he had already lied once. Now, there was no way they would listen to him, testifying that he had fallen into a trap.
Rather, he was only making Cardinal Basel angrier.
“Shut up!”
“Cardinal Basel?”
“Shut up, you filthy heretic!”
“I-I am not a heretic. Cardinal Basel, Chief Inquisitor Helena. There were some misunderstandings, but I never thought of betraying Benigore’s Goddess.”
“Don’t lie, you dirty heretic. Y-You think I don’t know how dark you are on the inside?!”
“That’s unfair.”
“From the very beginning, when you were going in and out of the Pope’s side incessantly, I felt something was weird.”
“I don’t understand what you’re talking about.”
“I told you to shut up. You dirty heretic! Did you think I didn’t know that you were collaborating with the demons from Hell?”
“What?”
“Since you came here, I knew, by receiving a revelation from the Goddess, that you were trying to dominate the Holy Empire with the demons.”
“That…”
“You dirty demon worshipper.”
“What are you…?”
“I’m saying that I heard from the Goddess that you wanted to corrupt and kill everything in the Pope’s side by slowly dominating from the inside!”
“T-There’s some misunderstanding. Collaborating with the devil, that is not true. I understand that you’re angry…”
“No matter how many excuses you make, the fact that you tried to assassinate Lee Kiyoung in order to stop the distribution of the potion made with the holy water of Benigore’s Goddess in Japan does not change.”
“Once again, we never did the assassination. It was the Kage Guild that tried to assassinate Lee Kiyoung.”
“Are you saying that’s a dispute between guilds?”
“N-No. The Kake Guild probably did not want to distribute a remedy made from the Goddess’ holy water in Japan, so it attempted to assassinate Lee Kiyoung…”
“Your words are now different from before.”
“It is because I was ignorant.”
“You always have been. Hey. What is the Chief Inquisitor doing? Helena! Helena!”
“I’ll start preparing right away.”
“Arrest that devil worshipper right now, and interrogate and judge him! There is no need for an inquisition. Even the means for a trial is a waste for that heretic. No, it’s not just him. Take all the filthy demonic groups in the Holy Empire now, and the filthy heretics in the Free City of Celia.”
“Yes.”
“I will send Heretic Inquisitors and the Holy Knights to Celia right away. I’ll cut off the sprouts of the filthy demon worshippers!”
It seemed that Cardinal Basel had reminisced about what he had seen and now felt angry. Of course, I could understand his feelings.
Wasn’t the future destroyer of the Holy Empire in front of him, after all?
Of course, he would want to have him removed right away.
‘I didn’t expect that there wouldn’t be a trial…’
Ito Souta’s defeat was inevitable, but I had wanted to play with him a little more.
In the second half, he collapsed, but I still want to know what else he had prepared. It would have been a good source of entertainment.
Even amidst the confusion in the hall, you could see Ito Souta looking at me.
‘So, you noticed?’
He seemed to have understood a bit about how things were going, why he was stuck in such a situation, and why Cardinal Basel felt so angered.
He looked as if he had something to say, but did not say anything.
Logic never worked with religion.
‘He must know that too.’
“Put him on the fire right now! That demon worshipper!”
“Kill the heretic!”
“Execute the blasphemer right now!”
After being cornered, he only had two options.
Would he be interrogated by a heretic inquisitor, which was like witchhunting? Or would he resist or run away from this unfair situation?
The first option had little chance of survival. He would have been tortured and then died, but there may be a tiny hope.
However, the second option was a different story. It was natural to be labeled as a demon worshiper and a heretic at the moment of resistance.
The fact that he resisted the Pope’s side proved that he was indeed a demon worshipper.
‘What’re you going to do?’
I was very curious about which one he would choose, but sadly, the only option he had seemed to lean on was the latter.
Why?
This was because I saw the Holy Knights and heretic inquisitors running towards him.
‘Bingo.