Chapter 230

“Haaaaah!”

Every time Lacey swung her cross-shaped spear like a club, dazzling flashes of light burst forth. The priests who reflexively tried to block her were sent flying in all directions, as if hit by a car.

Once Lacey got going, she was cutting through the ranks of countless holy knights and battle priests like they were nothing. Even Nana Bels was effortlessly brushing aside the surrounding obstacles like twigs. Not that Lacey’s spear skills were at some master level or anything—far from it. Sure, she might’ve enhanced her physical abilities with blessings, allowing her to swing that heavy-looking cross-spear with ease, but her actual spear skills were, at best, average for a knight. The real issue was that no one dared to point a weapon at her.

“P-Please, calm down, Lady Elmain!”

“Stop her somehow!”

“How exactly?! And are we even supposed to stop her?!”

Elmain Stardolf, a candidate for sainthood personally chosen by Elpinel as her representative. And here she was, charging forward, demanding the judgment of heretics. If they tried to stop her, wouldn’t that be directly opposing Elpinel’s will?

The priests’ clumsy movements were filled with conflict and confusion. The battle priests couldn’t even muster a single offensive miracle, and the holy knights couldn’t bring themselves to swing their swords or fists, relying only on their shields and their own bodies to block. And then they’d get sent flying like bowling pins from a full swing of Lacey’s spear.

But if they tried to stop me and Bels…

“If you’re not gonna fight, then just move aside!”

On one side, there was a superhuman warrior who could crush people with a pinky finger.

“Those who aid sinners are equally guilty. Will you bear the sin of apostasy, or will you cooperate with us to carry out Elpinel’s will?”

On the other side, there was a top-tier holy knight renowned within the Church for his heresy inquisitions. With two powerhouses like that, who could easily wipe them out even if they fought seriously, there was no way they could stop us.

“…I’ll follow Lady Elmain! She wouldn’t do anything wrong!”

“Do you really believe the Archbishop is a heretic?!”

“Maybe! That guy’s always been a bit shady!”

Maybe Bels’ words got to them, because the priests started to turn on each other.

“Go, Lady Elmain! We’ll hold them here!”

“Thank you! Elpinel, grant your grace so that those who walk the righteous path may move forward!”

Lacey’s blessing manifested as feathers of light that gently descended upon their heads. The prayer was something she made up on the spot, and the blessing wasn’t from Elpinel but rather Lacey herself, but… the presentation made it seem like aiding Lacey was Elpinel’s will.

“For Elpinel!”

“She watches over us!”

The emboldened holy knights let out a fierce battle cry and blocked the others. And so, despite their numbers, the gathered priests were helplessly cut through without even slowing us down.

—

“You’re not getting past here!”

After running through an arched corridor and further inside for about two minutes, eight more holy knights blocked our path. Unlike the others we’d passed, they weren’t confused—just radiating sharp killing intent.

“What’s with them?”

“They’re Archbishop Triere’s personal guards. They’re wearing holy knight armor, but they’re not actually clergy—just regular warriors.”

No wonder they didn’t have a hint of holy light. Just a bunch of swordsmen, huh.

“So they’re enemies. Can I kill them?”

“Just spare their lives. They’re also subjects for interrogation.”

So, don’t kill them. Not exactly a hard task.

Durandal, drawn and glowing faintly, made the Archbishop’s guards gulp as they pointed their weapons at me.

“The sword of the Twelve Knights…!”

“Oh, so you know about it? And you’re still coming at me?”

I shrugged and pointed my sword at them. A crimson aura surged, thick and overwhelming. The life force I wielded had grown even stronger, now exuding a menacing energy that felt almost tangible.

Their eyes betrayed a familiar emotion. Pale faces, trembling sword tips—their fear was palpable.

“…Your sin has deepened,” Lacey sighed.

Honestly, I didn’t expect my life force to grow stronger either. Contrary to her words, it had been building up bit by bit even during my fights with the Ka`har. Wasn’t this power supposed to grow only when I killed those who weren’t evil?

Maybe some of the White Flag Troops weren’t truly evil. Soldiers who’d never pillaged, only trained their whole lives.

“If you’re shaking this much, why not just surrender? The outcome’s obvious.”

They weren’t completely incompetent, but they were far from masters.

“Grrr…! Protect the Archbishop!”

“Heretics siding with a witch!”

The guards gritted their teeth and charged.

“Tch, unbelievable.”

I gathered the mist-like energy, refining it until it was as hard as steel and as sharp as a blade.

“A witch,”

A blue flash. The lead guard’s limbs were severed in an instant.

“and heretics,”

I swung the writhing life force like tentacles. Three guards were impaled on crimson stakes, pinned to the wall.

“are you,”

A kick to the groin sent one guard crashing into the ceiling. Another, his spine shattered, writhed on the blood-soaked floor.

“not the ones!”

Two left.

I caught the blade aimed at my neck with my fist. The steel crumpled like clay, and the icy blade of my energy pierced the guard’s chest.

Ah, this one’s done for.

“Guhk!”

The guard’s upper body swelled like a balloon before bursting like a firework. His insides splattered everywhere, painting the already bloodied floor and the bodies of his comrades in crimson.

At this point, could we call them blood brothers?

It took less than 10 seconds to reduce seven swordsmen to irreparable cripples. Wait, now it’s five? Whatever.

I saw a guy whose head was smashed into the ceiling, and only his lower jaw was left intact. The rest was completely crushed.

“Guh…!”

While I slaughtered seven of them, Bels rushed at the remaining one and knocked him out with a blow to the back of his neck.

Clean. If I had done it, his head would have been severed or his skull would have exploded.

“Elpinel, may the limbs of these heretics not escape the suffering of this world. Grant them not even a sliver of mercy.”

As Lacey finished her prayer, a faint holy light, like fireflies, seeped into them.

The blood that had been flowing like a broken faucet stopped. The wounds remained, but the bleeding was roughly stopped. It was just an emergency measure to keep them from dying before interrogation.

—

After passing through the corridor they were guarding, kicking down the iron gate, and finally advancing, we found him.

“Isn’t that the Archbishop?”

I turned to Lacey and pointed down the corridor. In the distance, a burly middle-aged man was running clumsily, accompanied by two young men who appeared to be attendants.

Despite his panicked expression, his speed was painfully slow. The attendants seemed unable to run properly due to the heavy leather bags they were carrying, and the Archbishop himself looked sluggish.

“Hmm… seems like it. He didn’t get very far. Could you bring him to me?”

Easy enough. I bent slightly and dashed forward like a wolf spotting prey.

I didn’t even need to go all out. If I had, the cathedral floor would have been destroyed.

“G-god! The Carnivorous Beast! The Carnivorous Beast is coming!”

The attendants screamed in terror as they looked back. Calling me that? Guess they don’t want to be friends.

They desperately threw the leather bags they were carrying, trying to run faster. Too late, though. Even if they sped up a bit now, it wouldn’t make a difference. I was already within arm’s reach.

– Clatter!

Gold and other valuables spilled out of the bags dumped on the floor.

Quite rich for a clergyman, huh? If you wanted to live, you should have run for your life instead of carrying this stuff!

The Archbishop’s back was right in front of me, his white priestly robes soaked with sweat.

“I came for confession, but you seem busy?”

I swung my sword and severed the attendants’ legs. Both attendants collapsed to the ground.

“Ahhh!”

“My leg! My leg…!”

Ignoring them, I grabbed the Archbishop by the nape of his neck.

“Where do you think you’re going?”

“H-hiiik!”

The old man jumped in fright. Geez, I almost killed him by accident.

“Shh… stay still. If you move wrong, you’ll die.”

“What is this outrage! Ai-shan Gi-or! The rumors were true!”

Archbishop Triear struggled to break free.

“Ah, seriously annoying. Stay still…!”

– Thud!

His thick arm struck my jaw. It didn’t hurt much, but…

…I guess I don’t need him to be unharmed for the interrogation.

—

“Here, I brought him back without a scratch.”

I placed the sobbing Archbishop Triear in front of Lacey.

“Ughhh!”

The Archbishop screamed as he collapsed to the floor.

“…Broken bones are also a type of injury.”

“But I didn’t spill a drop of blood, right? I was tempted to pull them out but held back.”

Archbishop Triear, with all his limbs broken and tears streaming down his face, glared at Lacey with bulging eyes.

“Stardolf! What are you doing! Using such barbarians to attack the Church! If this gets back to the homeland…!”

Lacey looked down at the flailing Archbishop like he was a pig.

“Archbishop Triear. No, Robert. By the authority of Elmain, I will conduct a summary religious trial here. The charges are heresy and…”

Lacey glanced at the corridor where the attendants were rolling around. Specifically, at the scattered valuables.

“…embezzlement. The witness, Sir Median, descendant of the Twelve Knights, should suffice.”

“Heresy?! What baseless accusation is this…!”

– Crack!

Archbishop Triear’s mouth was shut. In a very physical way.

“I don’t recall granting you the right to defend yourself.”

Lacey’s voice was icy cold. She kicked the Archbishop and lightly brushed off her boot. Teeth that had been stuck in it fell to the ground.

“Guh, guhhh!”

The Archbishop, with all his teeth knocked out, let out an incomprehensible scream. Blood streamed from his ruined gums.

“The evidence for embezzlement is clear, so no need to elaborate. As for the heresy charge… the evidence is lacking, so I can only hope you repent and confess.”

“Ahh! Ahhh! I-ihh ahh!”

The Archbishop screamed loudly. It was meaningless.

“I can’t understand a word. Should I smash his teeth later?”

“You don’t need a mouth to confess your sins.”

Lacey smiled sweetly.

“Elpinel said, ‘The tongues of the wicked spew only lies, and their hearts are corrupted by sin. Only the body, purified, can speak the truth…’ Understand? The Church’s trial is not a place for excuses. The mouth may lie, but the body is always honest.”

She raised the cross-shaped window.