Ch.230Where are you going?

“Haaaaaah!”

Every time Lacy swung her cross spear like a club, a dazzling flash burst forth.

The priests who reflexively tried to block her were sent flying in all directions as if hit by a car.

Once Lacy started taking action, she was breaking through the numerous paladins and battle priests as if they weren’t even there.

Bels and I only needed to clear away minor obstacles as she moved forward relentlessly.

Of course, it wasn’t as if Lacy had been hiding master-level spear skills all this time.

Though she was somehow managing to swing the heavy-looking cross spear, likely enhancing her physical abilities through blessings, her spear technique itself was only at the level of an ordinary knight at best.

The problem was that no one dared to point a weapon at her.

“L-Lady Elmaine! Please calm yourself!”

“Stop her somehow!”

“How are we supposed to do that? Wait, should we even be stopping her?!”

The Holy Maiden candidate, Elmaine Stardolf, personally chosen by Elpinel as His representative.

And now she was charging forward demanding a heresy trial—if they stood in her way, wouldn’t they be directly opposing Elpinel’s will?

The priests’ awkward movements were filled with their inner conflict and embarrassment.

The battle priests couldn’t manifest even a single offensive miracle, and the paladins couldn’t bring themselves to swing their swords or fists, relying only on their holy light shields and their bodies to block the way.

Then they would go flying like bowling pins from a full swing of the cross spear.

But if they tried to stop me and Bels…

“If you’re not going to attack, just get out of the way!”

On one side was a superhuman warrior who could crush people with just her pinky finger.

“Those who aid criminals share in their guilt. Will you bear the sin of apostasy, or will you cooperate with us to carry out Elpinel’s will!”

On the other side was a top-tier paladin renowned within the church for her heresy inquisitions.

With two such powerful figures who could annihilate them even if they fought seriously, they had no way to stop us from the beginning.

“…I will follow Lady Elmaine! She would never do anything wrong!”

“You believe the Archbishop is an apostate?!”

“He might be! That man has always been suspicious!”

Perhaps Bels’s words were taking effect, as internal conflict began to arise among the priests.

“Go, Lady Elmaine! We will hold them here!”

“Thank you! Elpinel, bestow your grace upon those who face the righteous path, so they may move forward!”

The blessing miracle Lacy released became feathers of light that descended upon their heads.

The prayer was improvised on the spot, and the blessing itself was a miracle manifested by Lacy’s own designation rather than Elpinel’s…

But the performance made it seem as if helping Lacy was proof of Elpinel’s will.

“For Elpinel!”

“He watches over us!”

The emboldened paladins shouted spirited battle cries as they blocked the others.

And so, despite their numbers, the gathered priests were helplessly penetrated without even being able to slow us down.

—-

“You shall not pass!”

After running through an arched corridor deeper inside for about two more minutes.

Eight paladins blocked our way again.

Unlike the others we had passed, they carried not bewilderment but razor-sharp killing intent.

“What are those?”

“They’re the personal guards of Archbishop Trier. They wear paladin armor due to their position, but they’re simply warriors, not even clergy members originally.”

No wonder they lacked even a speck of holy light—they were just hired swords.

“So they’re enemies, in other words. Can I kill them?”

“Just spare their lives. They too are subjects for interrogation.”

Just don’t kill them, huh?

Well, that’s not difficult.

Durandal, once drawn, emits a pale light.

The Archbishop’s guards swallowed hard as they pointed their weapons at me.

“The sword of the Great’s Twelve Knights…!”

“Oh? You know about it? And you still want to fight me?”

I shrugged my shoulders and pointed my sword at them.

A blood-red aura rose thickly, overturning everything around.

The power of murder karma, now even more intense than before, emanated a sinister presence that could almost be smelled like blood.

A familiar emotion appeared in their eyes.

Faces turning deathly pale. Trembling sword tips. Their fear was palpably clear.

“…Your karma has deepened since before.”

Lacy sighed.

Well, I didn’t know the murder karma would grow stronger either, but contrary to her words, it had been gradually accumulating even during my fight with Ka’har.

Wasn’t this power supposed to accumulate only when killing those who weren’t evil?

Perhaps among the White Banner soldiers, there were some who weren’t truly evil.

Maybe soldiers who had never looted once before dying, only receiving training.

“If you’re trembling that much, why not just surrender quietly? The outcome is obvious.”

Their skill wasn’t terrible, but they weren’t even masters.

“Eeek…! Protect the Archbishop!”

“Heretic who sides with witcheeees!”

The guards gritted their teeth and charged all at once.

“Hah, ridiculous.”

I gather and refine the mist-like aura spreading around me.

Making it hard as steel, sharp as a blade.

“Sided,”

A blue flash glimmers.

The limbs of the man at the front are severed instantly.

“With,”

I swing the murder karma aura that undulates like tentacles.

Three guards are impaled by red stakes and pinned to the wall.

“A witch,”

A man whose groin I kicked is embedded in the ceiling, swinging.

A man with a crushed spine rolls on the blood-soaked floor.

“That’s you lot!”

Two remain.

I catch with my fist the blade thrusting toward my neck.

The steel blade crumples like clay, and Frosting extends to touch the man’s solar plexus.

Ah, this one’s going to die.

“Gack,”

The man’s upper body swelled like a balloon, then burst like a firecracker.

The contents inside his skin scattered everywhere, dyeing the bodies of the others lying around bright red.

At this point, they could be called blood brothers, couldn’t they?

It took less than 10 seconds for seven swordsmen to become incapacitated cripples.

No, now it’s five? Looking again, the one whose head was embedded in the ceiling had his face completely crushed except for the lower jaw.

“Kuk…!”

While I was butchering the seven, Bels had rushed at the remaining one and struck the back of his neck to knock him unconscious.

Clean. If I had done it, his neck would have been severed or the back of his head would have burst.

“Elpinel, so that the limbs of these heretics cannot escape worldly suffering, grant them a reprieve as small as a fingernail.”

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

The blood flowing like broken faucets stopped. The wounds remained, but the bleeding was roughly stopped.

Literally, just enough first aid to prevent them from dying before interrogation.

—-

After passing through the corridor they had been guarding, kicking down the iron door that blocked our way, we finally found him.

“Isn’t that the Archbishop?”

I pointed toward the other end of the corridor, looking back at Lacy.

Far away, a large middle-aged man was running frantically. With young attendants on either side.

Despite his panicked expression, his speed was frustratingly slow.

The attendants seemed unable to run properly due to the heavy leather bags they were carrying, and the Archbishop himself appeared physically sluggish.

“Yes…I think so. He hasn’t gotten very far, has he? Would you bring him to me?”

That’s very easy.

I crouch slightly and dash forward like a wolf that has spotted its prey.

I didn’t even need to use my full strength.

Actually, if I had run at full power, the cathedral floor would have been completely destroyed.

“M-mercy! A man-eater! A man-eater is coming!”

The attendants looked back and screamed in terror.

Calling me that kind of name means they have no intention of becoming friendly, right?

As if trying to escape even a little faster, they hurriedly threw down the leather bags they were carrying. Too late a decision.

What difference would it make to be slightly faster now? I was already within arm’s reach.

– Rustle!

Gold and valuables spill out from the bags thrown onto the floor.

For a clergyman, he sure has a lot of money!

If he wanted to live, he should have run for his life instead of wasting time gathering these things!

The back right in front of me. The white priestly robe was soaked with sweat.

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

I swung my sword and cut off the attendants’ legs.

The two attendants crashed to the floor together.

“Aaaagh!”

“Gyaaak! My legs! My legs…!”

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

“Where do you think you’re going?”

“Hee, heeeeek!”

The startled old man jumped.

Goodness, I almost killed him.

“Shh…stay still. One wrong scratch and you’ll die.”

“What, what is this outrage! Aishan-Gioro! So the rumors were true!”

Archbishop Trier struggled, trying to break free.

“Ah, so annoying, really. Just stay still…!”

– Thud!

A thick forearm struck my chin. It didn’t particularly hurt, but…

…I suppose he doesn’t need all his limbs intact for interrogation, right?

—-

“Here, captured without a single wound.”

I placed the sobbing Archbishop Trier in front of Lacy.

“Urrrgh!”

The Archbishop fell to the floor with a scream.

“…Fractures are also a type of wound.”

“But I didn’t draw a single drop of blood, right? I was tempted to tear him apart, but I restrained myself and brought him here.”

Archbishop Trier, with all his limbs broken and tears streaming down his face, saw Lacy and bulged his fat eyes.

“Stardolf! What do you think you’re doing! Attacking the church with such, such a barbarian! If this gets reported to the homeland…!”

Lacy looked down at the raging Archbishop Trier with eyes like she was looking at a pig.

“Archbishop Trier. No, Robert. By the authority of Elmaine, I will conduct a summary religious trial here and now. The charges are worship of heretical cults and…”

Lacy glanced briefly toward the corridor where the attendants were sprawled.

More precisely, at the valuables scattered around them.

“…illicit accumulation of wealth. The witness, the heir of the Great’s Twelve Knights, Lord Median, should be sufficient.”

“Worship of heretical cults?! What absurd false accusations…!”

– Crunch!

Archbishop Trier’s words were cut off. In a very physical way.

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

An utterly cold voice. Lacy, who had kicked the Archbishop, lightly dusted off her boot tip.

Teeth that had been embedded in her boot fell off.

“Guuh, guuuuh!”

The Archbishop, with all his teeth knocked out, let out unintelligible screams.

Blood streamed from his collapsed gums.

“The evidence for illicit wealth accumulation is clear, so there’s no need to mention it further. What remains is the charge of heretical worship… Since evidence is lacking, I can only hope that you will repent and confess your crimes.”

“Aack! Aack-i-aok! I i-in e-aaa!”

The Archbishop bellowed loudly. Without meaning.

“I can’t understand a word he’s saying. Couldn’t you have smashed his teeth later?”

“A mouth isn’t necessary for confessing sins.”

Lacy smiled sweetly.

“Elpinel has said, ‘The tongue of the wicked speaks only lies, and their hearts are corrupted by sin, so only the purified flesh will speak the truth…’ Do you understand? Church trials are not places to hear excuses. The mouth may speak lies, but the body is always honest.”

She raised her cross spear.