Chapter 230: Spoiler(2)
Chapter 230: Spoiler(2)
Kate was making a name for herself within the Holy Nation 'Savior' in more ways than one.
She was a cleric who had received a divine blessing from Luminous, and simultaneously, a Grand Inquisitor who mercilessly struck down those who opposed Luminous's will.
One could say she possessed a profound level of faith, but conversely, she was the perfect candidate to become a fanatic.
A Holy Knight who possessed a massive amount of divine power through her blessing, she had risen to the rank of Cardinal before even turning twenty and held the concurrent position of Grand Inquisitor.
While ordinary priests usually have strong divine power but weak martial prowess, and Holy Knights have strong martial prowess but weak divine power, Kate fulfilled both requirements.
She was a woman truly chosen by God, someone who could be praised as a 'Saintess' without exaggeration, yet the clergy within Savior regarded her with awe.
Yes. It was 'awe,' not mere respect. They respected her, but they also feared her.
Her potential was already terrifying enough for her to become a Cardinal at such a young age, but she also possessed formidable martial strength.
In other words, if she set her mind to it, she could build a faction and swallow the power of Savior in a single gulp. Since she had no shortage of followers, it was a highly plausible scenario.
Fortunately, her interests were focused solely on Luminous, and her social skills were so abysmal that such thoughts never even crossed her mind. She only followed the will of Luminous.
Conversely, this meant that if she ever decided to act upon a 'will' of her own, it would be difficult for anyone to stop her—even if that person were the Pope.
She was the most dangerous person if she were to become a fanatic, but as long as the 'leash' known as Luminous was firmly held, she remained a merciful and gentle cleric.
That was Kate Louise Angelica, a person who was no different from a ticking time bomb, albeit in a different sense than the demons.
"His words?"
And back to the present. There were signs that the firmly locked leash was slowly beginning to loosen.
Normally, she should have quieted down the moment Luminous was mentioned, but for some reason, she was incensed today.
Not only was she radiating a suffocating bloodlust, but her beautiful green eyes were also bloodshot.
A ferocious energy began to swirl within the hall at the sight of Kate's unprecedented rage.
"..."
Bark couldn't say a word, paralyzed by the fear that his entire body might be torn to shreds if he misspoke even once.
It was dangerous. It wasn't just dangerous; his instincts were screaming so loudly that his entire body was trembling.
If he said even one more word here, he was a dead man. The woman before him was currently insane in a different sense of the word.
It was fanaticism—a blend of madness and faith.
The most terrifying aspect of such fanaticism was its 'sincerity.' Because they believed and followed without a shred of doubt, they would carry out their will at any cost.
Sensing the danger, not just Bark but the other Cardinals hurriedly began to try and calm her down. Hera was the first.
"Cardinal Kate. I don't know what you felt during your pilgrimage, but the thoughts you're harboring are very dangerous. You should quickly offer a prayer to Lord Luminous..."
"I agree with Cardinal Hera. Cardinal Kate is currently in a very dangerous state."
In the distant past, the Holy Nation 'Savior' had committed horrific atrocities, harboring fanaticism in their hearts to massacre demons and oppress neighboring countries.
Using those atrocities as a lesson, they now boasted a firm and stable influence, yet fanatics were still being produced steadily.
Anything in excess eventually eats away at itself. The Holy Nation 'Savior' was doing everything it could to distance itself from its past image by thoroughly rejecting fanatics.
For this reason, the Cardinals saw Kate as having reached a dangerous state. The moment she fell into fanaticism, they might have no choice but to excommunicate her.
"Whew... I understand. I suppose I got a bit carried away."
Kate calmed her heart at their concern. It seemed she had become excited without realizing it.
The other Cardinals breathed a sigh of relief, and Bark, who had been the primary target of Kate's wrath, wiped away his cold sweat.
It seemed the situation had been resolved amicably, but Kate's fanaticism didn't end there.
She looked around, flashed an inscrutable smile, and spoke in her characteristically gentle voice.
"Then, as per your advice, it wouldn't be a bad idea to offer a prayer to Lord Luminous."
"Pardon?"
At Kate's words, the Cardinals all flinched and looked at her. Kate wore a merciful and radiant smile.
If that smile felt somewhat terrifying, it must surely be an illusion. It would be impossible for such a beautiful smile to feel frightening unless one had committed a 'sin.'
Except for one person. Cardinal Bark, who had just borne the brunt of Kate's fury.
He realized that the smile was directed at him and couldn't help but freeze.
This place was clearly filled with bright light, yet for some reason, he felt as if his surroundings were being filled with darkness.
It was a crushing pressure, as if only he and Kate remained. Was this how a prey felt when caught in a snare?
He was being hunted. He was slowly thrusting his head into the giant maw of fanaticism.
"...dinal."
"..."
"Cardinal Bark?"
"Ye-yes?"
Bark, who had been crushed by the intense pressure and fear, hurriedly snapped back to his senses upon hearing a voice.
Turning his head toward the voice, he saw Hera looking at him with a puzzled expression.
"What are you doing, not getting up? You should go and pray."
"P-pray?"
"Yes. Since you haven't been able to offer a prayer recently due to work, Cardinal Bark, I thought it wouldn't be a bad idea to do it now."
Hera offered Bark a warm smile, one she hadn't shown Kate. As soon as Bark heard those words, his head snapped around.
There, he saw Kate looking at him with that radiant smile. That smile felt truly loathsome.
However, if he went to pray now, there was no telling what that fanatic might do to him. Thus, Bark smiled awkwardly and politely declined.
"Ah... I'm sorry. Actually, I still have work to..."
"Surely five minutes isn't too much to ask, is it? Cardinal Bark."
Just as he was about to refuse, Kate cut him off. Her words pierced Bark's ears like arrows.
When he looked at Kate, she still wore that gentle smile.
"It's disappointing that a cleric of Cardinal rank cannot even spare five minutes for Lord Luminous."
"...Cardinal Kate."
"Or perhaps..."
Kate lowered the corners of her mouth and slowly tilted her chin up. It was an arrogant, condescending posture.
Her gaze was anything but friendly; rather, it was filled with hostility.
"You aren't using your position as a Cardinal as a veil while supporting demon worshippers behind the scenes, are you? Just like the contents of the Xenon Biography."
Bark couldn't help but flinch at the question, which was more than just cold—it was thorny. He was so terrified he almost stepped back instinctively.
Fortunately, he managed to restrain himself through sheer willpower, but he couldn't stop his heart from sinking.
"Cardinal Kate! If you continue like this, I will report this to His Holiness! Even you will not be forgiven for this behavior!"
"..."
While Hera confronted Kate with a stern voice, Deimos watched silently with an unreadable expression.
Having lived longer than the others, perhaps he had sensed something, as he did not step forward and instead observed the situation as a third party.
Kate slowly turned her head to face Hera after hearing her warning. Hera did not back down even when met with those cold green eyes, standing her ground firmly.
Perhaps she liked that attitude. Kate raised the corners of her mouth again and bowed her head in apology.
"My apologies, Cardinal Hera. It seems I was a bit excessive."
"As long as you understand. And I say this out of genuine concern, but you should offer steady prayers to Lord Luminous for the time being, Cardinal Kate. To anyone watching, you seem to be in a very dangerous state."
"Thank you for the advice. It would be best to head to the chapel first."
Even as she said that, Kate did not forget to glance at Bark. Bark flinched once more at that gaze.
The conversation had flowed so naturally that he hadn't noticed, but Kate was currently wearing her white armor with a mace hanging from her waist. She was, so to speak, fully armed.
She was currently acting not as a Cardinal, but as the 'Grand Inquisitor.' And the target of that 'iron hammer' was...
"...Damn it!"
"Wh-what? Cardinal Bark! Where are you going!"
As soon as his thoughts reached that point, Bark turned and ran without looking back. Hera called out to him in a flustered voice from behind, but he ignored her completely.
If things continued like this, he would be forced into the chapel. Then he would have no choice but to offer a prayer to Luminous.
Luminous bestowed divine power upon those with profound faith, but conversely, he brought down a dousing of water or a comparable divine punishment upon the impure.
And in his case, it was certain that it wouldn't be just a dousing of water, but a real lightning bolt. That was how grave his sins were.
'It makes no sense. How did she know? Was it really an oracle...?'
The question he harbored while fleeing didn't last long.
Grip!
"Agh!"
"Where do you think you're going?"
Kate, who had caught up in an instant, grabbed Bark's hair with a brutal grip. It felt like quite some time had passed since he started running, but Kate had caught up in no time with her terrifying physical abilities.
Ignoring the sharp pain in his head for a moment, Bark realized that Kate had caught him and shouted desperately. it was a struggle for survival.
"L-let go! Cardinal Kate! Do you even know wh-what you're doing right now?!"
"I know very well. I am punishing a wicked person who dares to defy Lord Luminous's will and hides in the shadows."
"Ugh...! Guards! Is anyone there!"
As a final act of desperation, Bark called out to the personnel residing within the Papal Court.
People were already gathering due to the commotion, and even more began to flock at Bark's cry.
"What is happen—! Cardinal Kate?!"
"Cardinal Kate! What on earth is going on!"
Kate looked around at the faces filled with shock and alarm before turning her gaze back to Bark.
Bark was grimacing in pain, clutching his own arm as if his hair were about to be ripped out.
He seemed to be trying to create witnesses to escape somehow, but for Kate, it was actually satisfying.
It was an opportunity to reveal this man's sins to the entire world right now. She ignored the surrounding pleas and dragged Bark along.
"Aaaagh! Agh! L-let go! I said let go!"
"Wh-what should we do?"
"Why is Cardinal Kate doing that to Cardinal Bark..."
"What is happening?"
The people of the Papal Court, watching Kate drag Bark like a dog, didn't even dare to stop her.
After all, Kate was famous within Savior for her profound faith. Furthermore, she had even been granted a divine blessing.
Some clerics even asserted that her will was the will of Luminous himself.
Eventually, as everyone followed anxiously behind, Kate and Bark finally arrived at the chapel.
Unlike the chapels in ordinary temples, this was the chapel of the Papal Court, the heart of the faith.
A stone statue of Luminous, meticulously carved by master craftsmen, was placed in the center, and a magnificent chandelier hung from the ceiling above it.
Whoosh!
"Agh!"
Kate threw Bark like a piece of luggage beneath the statue of Luminous.
Her grip was so powerful that a clump of Bark's hair remained in her hand.
Brushing the hair away, Kate spoke commandingly to Bark, who was groaning and clutching his head.
"Cardinal Bark. Now, offer your prayer."
"Ugh...!"
"If you truly have nothing to be ashamed of, offer a prayer to Lord Luminous."
Even as he clutched his head, Kate's cold voice rang clearly in his ears. Bark let out a low groan and slowly opened his eyes.
When he opened them, he saw Kate looking down at him, and behind her, a crowd of people whispering and huddling together.
The end was drawing near. Bark, feeling a horrific intuition piercing his chest, shouted in a 'come what may' fashion.
"D-do you think this will accomplish anything?! Cardinal Kate! To commit violence within the sacred Papal Court! What would Lord Luminous think if he saw this!"
"...What?"
The moment Bark mentioned Luminous, Kate's eyes twitched. Simultaneously, she tightened her fists.
Unaware of Kate's state of mind, Bark brushed off his soiled clothes and slowly stood up. Then, with a brazen face, he barked at Kate.
"No matter if you are Cardinal Kate who received a blessing from Lord Luminous, this has crossed the line! Offer a prayer? A prayer is something that should never be forced. What Cardinal Kate is doing is no different from the distant past when our Holy Nation 'Savior' was lost in fanaticism!"
"..."
Was it a final struggle? Bark used the presence of the many onlookers to press Kate.
Indeed, to someone who didn't know the circumstances, Kate's actions were far beyond excessive. The standing of fanatics within the Holy Nation 'Savior' was at an absolute low.
Bark was exploiting this. No matter who Kate was, if rumors spread, even her safety would be at risk.
"Even if I offer a prayer and get doused with water, that is all you can do, Cardinal Kate. There is a law that blood must not be shed within the sacred Papal Court. If you do not wish to receive divine punishment, you must abide by it."
"...Divine punishment?"
As soon as the words 'divine punishment' were mentioned, a ferocious aura began to emanate from Kate once again. Her head tilted slightly to the side, and the light in her eyes slowly faded.
Watching this happen in real-time, Bark stumbled backward before immediately darting past her. The intuition that he had pressed the wrong button dominated his mind.
If things had proceeded as they were, his head would have been crushed by that mace. Now that he had finished his political maneuvering, all that remained was to get out of here.
However, perhaps even Luminous was disgusted by such brazen and nauseating behavior.
Just as Bark walked into the central area where the chandelier was located.
Snap—
It was neither a dousing of water nor a bolt from the blue.
CRASH!!
The firmly hanging chandelier plummeted, and 'divine punishment' fell.
"Kyaaaaak!!"
"C-Cardinal Bark!!"
People reacted in various ways as they saw Bark, who had been crushed instantly beneath the chandelier.
However, Bark, completely pinned under the chandelier, only twitched a slightly protruding hand, unable to even let out a scream before he expired.
His body was completely crushed, and hot blood began to seep out. Holy Knights rushed over to move the chandelier, but it was already far too late.
Meanwhile, Kate watched the 'divine punishment' being carried out in real-time before slowly turning around.
Where she turned, the stone statue of Luminous stood. Had Luminous watched all of this? If not, there was no way divine punishment would have fallen.
She walked slowly toward the statue and knelt gracefully. Despite the chaos behind her, Kate was perfectly serene.
Finally, she clasped her hands together and whispered quietly with a reverent heart.
"Doubt not..."