Ch.115Chapter 115 – The Hour of Judgment

News of the explosion at Glesius Academy was immediately relayed to Decatro IV.

“An explosion, you say?”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

At first, Decatro IV doubted his own ears.

An explosion at Glesius Academy?

The academy was a facility whose security and screening procedures were second only to the Imperial Palace.

That’s why Decatro IV couldn’t believe the news that an explosion had occurred at Glesius Academy.

“Where exactly did this explosion take place? Was it where the alchemy students were studying?”

“I regret to inform Your Majesty… the explosion occurred at the repair shop run by Count Pathos Severio to provide services to academy students…”

“What did you just say? An explosion at Count Pathos Severio’s repair shop?”

Decatro IV showed a puzzled reaction upon hearing the location of the explosion from the chamberlain.

“How could an explosion occur there?”

“Regarding what happened…”

The chamberlain explained to Decatro IV what had transpired at Glesius Academy.

Pathos had accepted a proposal from Regina Blasteria, the headmaster of Glesius Academy, and requested supplies from the academy for festival preparations.

The academy, to ease Pathos’s burden, had procured the items he needed through a merchant guild they were already contracted with.

“Was there some issue with the items procured through the academy’s contracted merchant guild?”

“According to students who were passing by, it wasn’t the sharp explosive sound of gunpowder, but rather the heavy explosion sound typically heard when an alchemical experiment fails.”

“Hmm…”

Decatro IV fell into thought for a moment.

He was focusing on the statement that it wasn’t a gunpowder explosion, but rather an explosion that occurs when an alchemical experiment fails.

“Dispatch the Imperial Knights. I command that they report directly to me regarding this matter.”

Decatro IV wrote out an order and handed it to the chamberlain.

“As you command.”

The chamberlain received Decatro IV’s instructions and went to find the Imperial Knight Commander to relay the emperor’s orders.

“These are the instructions from His Imperial Majesty for the Imperial Knight Commander.”

“To investigate the cause behind the explosion at Glesius Academy, is it?”

After confirming Decatro IV’s orders, the Imperial Knight Commander immediately mobilized his knights.

“By order of His Imperial Majesty! We depart for Glesius Academy through the teleport gate immediately!”

Using a secret teleport gate, the Imperial Knights were able to arrive at Glesius Academy just hours after the explosion.

“Welcome, Imperial Knights.”

The one who greeted the Imperial Knights upon their arrival at Glesius Academy was Eterna, the Chief Inquisitor of the Solar Order.

“It is an honor to meet the renowned ‘Skull Crusher’ Lady Eterna.”

“Let’s dispense with unnecessary courtesies. Shouldn’t catching the culprit be our priority?”

“Culprit, you say?”

The Imperial Knights were puzzled by Eterna’s mention of a culprit.

She already identified the culprit? In just a few hours?

But the knights’ confusion was soon resolved.

“Having heard reports of recent activities by followers of the Demon Cult, I was leading the Holy Knights to eradicate them. And at one of their hideouts, we discovered this.”

Eterna pulled out a small piece of paper from within her garments.

“This note contains some interesting content, doesn’t it? It says, ‘Through our collaborator disguised as a merchant guild member of the academy, introduce alchemical reagents with explosive properties and eliminate the target of concern as a priority by causing an explosion due to careless handling of the reagents.'”

What Eterna held was a note.

A note explicitly ordering the assassination of Pathos.

“Are you saying the Demon Cult is truly involved in this incident?”

The Imperial Knight Commander asked Eterna.

While she was renowned as the “Skull Crusher” for her prowess in hunting heretics, finding culprits was a different matter altogether.

“Oh my? Are you saying you don’t believe the word of the Chief Inquisitor?”

As Eterna tilted her head slightly and smiled, the Imperial Knight Commander broke into a cold sweat.

As the Chief Inquisitor of the Solar Order, the largest religious order after the Great Goddess Order, Eterna was not someone even he, as the Imperial Knight Commander, could easily confront.

“I would appreciate a detailed explanation.”

“Very well. A faint trace of demonic energy was detected at the site of the explosion in Pathos’s repair shop.”

“Is that true?”

All members of the Imperial Knights, including their commander, showed surprise at Eterna’s words.

“Those of us who use holy power can clearly sense the demonic energy of Demon Cult followers and the Demon Cult itself. And what was felt there was definitely the same demonic energy emitted by Demon Cult followers.”

Upon hearing Eterna’s words, the face of the Imperial Knight Commander, who had come to investigate this incident, showed bewilderment.

The discovery of demonic energy meant that the Demon Cult and its followers were truly behind this incident.

“The root of the demonic energy found at the scene led to an employee of the merchant guild that supplies goods to the academy. So we’ve already raided that merchant guild and secured all the concrete evidence.”

Eterna began explaining her findings in the presence of the Imperial Knights.

“After the destruction of the Demon Sword, information has been coming in to various religious orders, including the Solar Order, that followers of the Demon Cult have begun targeting Count Pathos Severio. As an inquisitor of the Solar Order, I couldn’t ignore the activities of the Demon Cult, so I began a separate investigation.”

“So, during your investigation into the Demon Cult’s activities, you discovered their involvement in this incident?”

“As I mentioned earlier, this note was found in one of the Demon Cult’s hideouts. It also contains traces of demonic energy, albeit faint. This is a common characteristic of items used by the Demon Cult. When a Demon Cult follower comes into contact with such an item, the demonic energy embedded in it dominates the follower, making them obey the commands.”

“This is the first I’ve heard of this, but if it’s true, isn’t there no place safe from Demon Cult followers?”

The Imperial Knight Commander posed a question to Eterna after hearing her explanation.

“No, actually, this is a problem that can be easily resolved. The demonic energy embedded in objects isn’t that strong. So it completely disappears when passing through a simple purification ritual or a holy barrier.”

“That explanation seems sufficient. What’s important now is to apprehend the culprit.”

“The apprehension of the culprit will be handled by me and the Holy Knights of the Solar Order. Improper exposure to demonic energy can cause suffering for several weeks. So I’d like the Imperial Knights to form a perimeter to prevent the culprit from escaping.”

“Understood. Let’s proceed then.”

Eterna moved towards the location of the culprit with the Holy Knights of the Solar Order, while the Imperial Knights thoroughly surrounded the area, ensuring no one could escape.

The culprit was located in a dilapidated warehouse on the outskirts of Archenium.

Being in a remote location, it was rarely visited by people. The Imperial Knights gathered around the warehouse, forming a perimeter, while Eterna and the Holy Knights, enveloped in holy power, smashed through the warehouse door and entered.

“Who’s there!”

“Sssip~hah… This rich and heavy scent of heresy…”

The people inside shouted as the intruders smashed through the door, but Eterna calmly inhaled.

“I could smell heresy from outside, and sure enough, this place is filled with heretics.”

“Take up arms! Slaves of the Sun God—gack!”

“My, my? Slaves? What a disappointing choice of words. There’s the more elegant term ‘servant,’ you know.”

Eterna had already drawn her mace and turned the head of the Demon Cult follower at the front into ‘what was once a head.’

Her speed was so swift that no one present saw her move.

“Now, it’s time to hunt heretics. Everyone, let’s bestow the mercy of light upon those who have rejected it.”

Eterna said with a smile.

“I have come to judge you all. So, if you surrender quietly, I’ll ensure you depart without pain.”