Chapter 36: It’s Over

Lipton was dragged before the Lord.

In this chamber were not only the Lord but also the Archbishop overseeing this city, as well as all those Lipton had falsely accused of heresy, without exception.

“This despicable wretch…”

“My Lord! I demand this man be subjected to extreme punishment immediately!”

They cried out in voices filled with rage.

In response, the Lord fixed Lipton with a chilling gaze as he spoke.

“Your wicked deeds have been fully revealed. How dare you commit such atrocities under the guise of the Lord’s name!”

“Atrocities? There’s been a misunderstanding! I was merely carrying out my rightful duty as an Inquisitor, punishing heretics!”

Even in this situation, Lipton maintained his audacity, voicing his claims.

And for good reason – until now, simply branding someone a heretic had allowed him to punish them without restraint, and no one could object.

Now, to be condemned for this very matter was inconceivable to him. Refusing to back down, he raised his voice defiantly.

However, his reaction only served to further provoke the others’ anger.

“Heretics? Ha! So… you view us as heretics, do you?”

“How dare you desecrate our faith like this!”

“Archbishop! We can no longer tolerate this! Now that his misdeeds have been exposed, he maintains such an attitude!”

“He deserves immediate extreme punishment!”

Faced with their unyielding resolve, the Lord and even the Archbishop seemed to share their sentiments. It was only then that Lipton began to sense that something had gone terribly awry.

‘Impossible?… No… It can’t be. Until now, simply labeling someone a heretic was enough for the Lord and everyone else to accept it. But… But why is this happening…’

As doubts, confusion, and a growing sense of unease took root, Lipton’s gaze turned towards the Archbishop standing before him.

Essentially his greatest backer, the Archbishop had consistently accepted bribes while turning a blind eye to Lipton’s actions.

However, the very Archbishop who should have protected him in this situation instead regarded those Lipton had branded as heretics with a voice laced with discomfort.

“…I deeply regret the events that have transpired. As the Church’s representative, I must offer my apologies to those present.”

“Arch… Archbishop?”

The sight of him bowing his head in a humble posture caused bewilderment to cross Lipton’s face. The Lord then addressed him in a cold tone.

“…It seems you still fail to grasp the situation. Take a look at this.”

“Yes.”

“Bring forth the ‘evidence.'”

“Understood.”

At the Lord’s command, a servant slowly handed over a bundle of documents.

The servant then dropped them before Lipton, causing his expression to harden.

“This… This… How did…”

It was the ledger he had maintained during the operation and the list of those he had branded as heretics, along with detailed plans outlining how he mobilized people for this purpose.

And the last person in possession of these documents was Cazeros, who had taken them shortly after the operation began, promising to inform him if any issues arose.

Under normal circumstances, even if she was an accomplice, Lipton would have exercised at least some caution before handing over such critical materials.

However, at that time, he had been utterly entranced by the sight of the 1,000 talents in cash before him.

Unable to make sound judgments, he had carelessly handed over the documents, subsequently forgetting about them in his sole focus on concluding the operation.

As a result, those documents had ended up in the Lord’s hands…

It was only then that Lipton fully grasped the implications of the situation.

‘Impossible… Could Cazeros have truly…’

Betrayed by someone he never expected.

However, before Lipton could even process his outrage, the Lord’s words began plunging his mind into despair.

“For your information, the individual who provided these demanded your punishment for having falsely accused and caused the deaths of innocent citizens under the guise of heresy. Furthermore, the Land Registry Office, which suffered immense losses due to this incident, as well as those here who leased you their building documents but never received them back, have all filed charges against you.”

“This… This can’t be…”

As the realization of his exposed misdeeds sank in, Lipton’s body began trembling uncontrollably. Before him, the Archbishop bowed his head towards the Lord and spoke.

“Truly… regrettable. To think such a wicked spawn of the devil, falsely accusing and punishing virtuous believers as heretics, existed… This must serve as an example to ensure such incidents never occur again.”

“Of course. Additionally, I no longer wish to witness such unrest under the pretext of heresy or whatnot. Until now, I have tolerated it as a faithful servant of the Lord… but there are no guarantees such incidents won’t resurface. If any further disturbances related to heresy arise, I shall not let it pass.”

“…I shall take heed.”

While the Church had previously turned a blind eye due to the circumstances, from the Lord’s perspective, inciting unrest under the guise of Inquisitions was utterly unacceptable.

Regardless of heresy, if it caused harm to the city’s merchants and destabilized the populace, the resulting losses in taxes and population decline would ultimately fall upon the Lord.

Now presented with a suitable pretext, he actively addressed the matter.

The Archbishop, recognizing that the justification for Inquisitions had been severely undermined by this incident, could offer no objection, resigned to abandoning this once-lucrative ‘business.’

“Then, let us proceed with this matter and immediately begin the interrogation of the criminal.”

With those words, all eyes in the chamber turned towards Lipton.

The gazes were filled with resentment, rage, and a thirst for vengeance.

No matter how brazen Lipton might be, confronted directly with such intense hostility, he could no longer utter a word.

And facing him, the Lord resolutely delivered the final judgment.

“Lipton, for the sake of personal gain, has falsely accused and brutally slain innocent believers, instilling fear among the citizens and inflicting financial harm upon them. Thus, I, Lord Obsidian, hereby sentence Lipton to execution for his crimes.”

Effectively condemned for all the misdeeds committed under the guise of Inquisitions, Lipton’s face contorted with the terror of impending death and despair, as he began to wail in anguish.

“No… No! I… I can’t die like this! I’m… I’m innocent! I only followed the Lord’s will!”

“Take him away immediately! And round up all those who followed him as well! This will serve as a stern lesson for those who seek to sow discord under the pretense of heresy!”

“Noooooo!!!”

With that final scream, Lipton was dragged away…

Soon after, he could no longer make a sound.

“…It’s over.”

“Hm?”

“Heh heh. It’s nothing.”

At an inn about 30km from Munhel, Cazeros, Polena – who had newly joined our journey – and I were taking a momentary respite.

Polena briefly wore an expression of refreshing relief.

Witnessing her demeanor, I didn’t pay it much heed, assuming it was merely the lingering aftermath of recent events.

Or rather, I couldn’t afford to dwell on it.

The reason was Polena, who had been clinging to me like a barnacle ever since we left Munhel, and Cazeros’s visibly uncomfortable gaze upon witnessing our interactions.

“Then, Master, you must be hungry. Let me go and fetch something for you.”

Polena spoke with an unusually energetic tone, prompting me to address her with the lingering awkwardness I felt.

“No… Well… About this ‘Master’ thing…”

“If you’re uncomfortable with ‘Master,’ how about ‘Lord’? Or ‘Master’? Or perhaps… ‘Dear’?”

-Crack!-

The sudden, faint sound that reached my ears.

Feeling utterly perplexed, I addressed Polena.

“…Just… Just ‘Master’ is fine…”

“Yes, Master! I, Polena, shall remain eternally loyal as Santana’s slave! Use my body and soul however you desire. If you wish, I can pleasure you right now…”

“Kuh!…”

At those words, a flicker of rage seemed to cross Cazeros’s expression momentarily.

Sensing urgency, I quickly told Polena, “Ah, no. There’s no need for that. Just go and order us some food, please.”

While I had anticipated her exuberance to some extent, her boundless energy was still quite burdensome… Yet, at least I knew there wouldn’t be a dull moment from here on.

‘Speaking of which… We’ve reached the Bohemian region.’

The small hills coming into view.

Just beyond them lay our first destination, the Bohemian region, from where we could proceed to the Rapsody area and cross into the Dragonian Empire.

‘The problem is that a rebellion is supposed to erupt there soon… It seems we’ll need to pass through as quickly as possible.’

Hoping to avoid getting entangled in any troublesome incidents this time, I firmly grasped Cazeros’s hand as she began drawing closer, her expression tinged with unease – likely apprehensive about entering the Bohemian region, I presumed.