Chapter 557

Chapter 557 – The Pillar of Salt

  In the aftermath of Byness’s descent, the crowd below finally quieted down.

  Everyone looked at this other giant of the church, speculating about what he might be planning by showing up at this moment.

  ”I am Byness, the Scepter Priest of the Water Palace.”

  The female priest clad in gold-leaf white robes introduced herself first. After all, many of those present were priests returning from foreign lands and might not recognize her. Only after hearing her introduction did they realize her extraordinary status.

  ”I understand everyone’s feelings tonight, but endless quarrels won’t solve any problems.”

  ”Surely everyone is most concerned with whether or not we can address the injustices and issues we face. This is the crux of the matter.”

  Byness slowly spoke, capturing the attention of everyone in the firelight.

  ”But merely holding someone accountable isn’t enough. To truly resolve the issue, it’s about the current selection process for positions.”

  ”Though the church’s system has been passed down for nearly a thousand years, many aspects lack transparency and fairness. This is the root cause of everyone’s dissatisfaction.”

  She briefly expressed her views and ideas. Afterward, Byness didn’t give the audience a chance to voice their opinions but directly presented her suggestions and decisions.

  ”I propose that in the coming month, Lord Odysseus temporarily take over as the Scepter Priest of the Ten Sword Palace to investigate and handle this matter, while Lord Xibis takes a rest.”

  ”With Lord Odysseus’s strictness and fairness, he will use evidence to prove Lord Xibis’s innocence. Additionally, Lord Xibis can use this opportunity to shed the past accusations and avoid being accused of covering for himself.”

  ”After a month, Lord Xibis will clear his name and then deal with the accumulated issues. Finally, we will openly discuss and formulate new systems in the church’s meetings to ensure fairness and transparency in the future.”

  Since Xibis had stepped back, let him truly step down. Since Odysseus claimed to be fair and strict, let him truly be so. If he couldn’t provide solid evidence after a month, he would be fiercely retaliated against by Xibis’s faction.

  This was naked strategy, and soon both giants in the hall realized it. Although Odysseus felt somewhat unjust, this outcome gave him a way out. It was much better than confronting the crowd tonight, which could preserve his reputation and prestige.

  But for Xibis, this was extremely bad news. Losing the judicial interpretation power of the Ten Sword Palace and having others investigate him would ruin his reputation if the results were true, and he would lose even more. It was clear that Odysseus would seize this opportunity to nail him down, giving him no chance to recover.

  But since he had already voluntarily given up the scepter of the Ten Sword Palace, opposing now would immediately destroy the image he had built.

  After hearing Byness’s proposal, the large, fat Xibis almost lost his balance, beads of sweat appearing on his forehead. He had never expected that Byness, who usually seemed indifferent, would be so terrifying, pushing him to the brink.

  While he trembled and wiped his sweat, Odysseus responded.

  ”Since Lady Byness suggests this, I am delighted to agree. I wonder if the noble and upright Lord Xibis will also approve.”

  This knight commander redirected everyone’s attention to the white, plump archbishop behind the crowd.

  Facing the thousands of eyes, Xibis broke into a cold sweat and suddenly fell backward, fainting.

  ”Bad news, Lord Xibis has fainted.”

  ”Sigh, he must be angry. Even though Lord Xibis is so upright, he still has to endure such humiliation, being reviewed in this manner.”

  A murmur arose from the crowd.

  ”Has Lord Xibis really fainted?”

  ”Is he angry? Poor Lord Xibis.”

  ”Looks like he’s pretending. Didn’t they say Lord Xibis is Sequence 8? Does he not have this tolerance?”

  ”Hard to say. It’s said that the higher the Sequence rank, the more severe the consequences when one loses control.”

  ”What do we do now? Whose side should we take?”

  ”Of course, listen to Lady Byness’s advice. Didn’t Lord Odysseus agree just now? With two major figures in the church agreeing, who else could oppose?”

  ”Lord Shalanged hasn’t come out of the Star Track Palace.”

  With the various noises in the hall, many people’s opinions gradually leaned towards Byness’s proposal. Xibis’s faction lacked a figure capable of challenging Byness and Odysseus, and they couldn’t find a suitable reason, feeling anxious.

  I hope tonight will be a new beginning. Looking at the silhouettes in the firelight, Byness sighed in her heart, also feeling a hint of admiration for the silver-haired girl beside her.

  As expected of the wise man from Clancia, such a proposal directly hit the core of both sides, forcing Odysseus to agree and leaving Xibis unable to refute.

  Just as everything was developing positively, an unremarkable gray-haired man silently reached into his coat. This action didn’t raise any alarms because it was too common; people thought he was just adjusting his slightly disheveled clothing.

  But Lolan Hill, standing next to Byness, felt an extreme sense of danger.

  It was as if she was facing a lifelong rival and friend, familiar yet strange, and so captivating.

  Time seemed to slow down in her rapidly processing senses and thoughts. One second was sliced into a thousand parts, slowly passing through her gaze.

  The world around her and her perceptions.

  A tiny spark from the burning brazier slowly leaped up, turning red and bright, contracting and blooming, cracking open, tearing through the air, sending out invisible ripples.

  The middle-aged man across from her opened his mouth, uttering a short syllable. A metal tooth glinted in the firelight, and a small insect landed on his collar, raising its front two antennae.

  Lolan Hill quickly filtered all the information, her blue transparent pupils searching every detail in the scene, swiftly scanning each face, looking for the source of her warning.

  These few seconds felt like an eternity, causing a tiny bead of sweat to slide down her forehead. Her gaze shifted at high speed, confirming target after target.

  Finally, as the gray-haired man pulled his hand out of his robe, he looked at Byness, and Lolan Hill saw him.

  Pale gray light blossomed from his palm, and Lolan Hill’s eyes shone with flowing starlight.

  ”Turn into a pillar of salt.”

  An ancient, distant sigh echoed in the night covered by the firelight.

  (End of Chapter)