Chapter 149
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 149
Saraka furrowed her brow. Fortunately, her veil hid her grim expression.
Whether they had been keeping an eye on the Rohanson Mansion or tailing her directly, their arrival was incredibly swift. The so-called Pararos Knights numbered barely ten, including Gabriel.
"Those bastards… They must have tailed us."
"They're a disgrace to the Temple!"
The knights standing beside Saraka spat curses at the Pararos Knights. Unbothered by their glares, Gabriel dismounted his horse and calmly strode onto the grounds of the Rohanson Mansion. Perhaps because he had visited several times before, the servants who recognized him looked visibly relieved.
"First, check for survivors trapped inside and help them evacuate."
"Yes, Commander."
At Gabriel's command, his knights moved swiftly. A few with exceptional stamina, like Uriel, doused themselves in water and plunged into the burning mansion without hesitation. The rest ignored the hostile glares from Saraka's men and began tending to the wounds of the mansion's residents. Raphaella headed toward Daisy.
Saraka watched the shameless display before sneering at Gabriel.
"Am I invisible to the Commander of the Knights?"
"Forgive me, Bishop. The flames are so fierce and the damage so severe that I failed to notice you."
Gabriel bowed politely, as if it were an honest mistake. His words implied that with a burning mansion before him, nothing else could possibly capture his attention. It was a subtle jab at Saraka, who had been standing idly by, watching the mansion burn without lifting a finger.
"Weren't you also transfixed by the sight, Bishop Marik? That must be why you were just standing there, watching the fire."
He was incredibly arrogant, completely forgetting his place.
To Saraka, Gabriel was merely a useful pawn. A tool used by Bishop Zabaniya, an ill-fated bastard child who could be used to manipulate the Emperor. That was the role he was meant to play.
Gabriel’s curse existed for the sole purpose of being used by Saraka. And to that end, hadn't he appeared right on cue on the stage she was setting?
She had heard that under Bishop Zabaniya, he had been utterly obedient, never uttering a word of complaint. Yet now, because he had become far too entangled with Evangeline, he was rebelling against her.
"May I assist you in rescuing those trapped inside, Bishop?"
"You ask for permission after already giving the order. You have things backward."
"An oversight, as I knew Bishop Marik would surely grant permission. Saving lives is the priority for you as well, is it not?"
He was a mere insect who would be burned at the stake the moment it was revealed that holy water had no effect on him, yet here he was, standing in her way without a shred of fear. His attitude made it clear he wouldn't hesitate to throw his life away for Evangeline.
The fact that such devotion was directed toward Evangeline as an individual, rather than the Sun, felt incredibly impure. To think she could seduce a devout Paladin and corrupt him to this extent. Between this and winning over Azazel, Evangeline's resourcefulness was truly admirable.
"You couldn't have just been passing by at this late hour. What brings you here?"
"I was patrolling for any demons that might start a fire. When I saw the blaze, I came at once."
"Is that so? A coincidence…"
Gabriel didn't even try to hide the fact that he had been keeping a close eye on her.
"I came out of concern, remembering how you showed no mercy when you burned an entire family to death not long ago."
"Is that not still better than your own complacent measures, Commander?"
Gabriel condemned Saraka for burning dozens of people alive, while Saraka mocked him for constantly interfering only to be beaten to the punch in capturing a single heretic.
"And here I thought the Commander of the Knights was planning a late-night tryst with his beloved."
Saraka’s previous hostility vanished, her tone becoming as casual as if she were greeting someone on the street.
"Unfortunately, you're too late. If only you had arrived a little sooner, you might have met her…"
"What do you mean by that?"
"Why, because the one who set this fire wasn't the 'demon' you were so worried about. It was your beloved."
"...That's impossible."
Both Saraka and Gabriel knew perfectly well that Evangeline was at the Duke's estate. Gabriel retorted, but Saraka simply ignored him and brought Hena forward.
"Lady Rohanson's maid has testified."
Gabriel's eyes widened in shock.
"...Miss Hena."
Discovering the identity of the traitor he had been so desperately searching for, Gabriel called out her name, his heart heavy.
"Haha. Since she is such a close confidante of your beloved, it's no surprise the Commander recognizes her."
Saraka was highly amused, yet her tone and demeanor remained perfectly aligned with the benevolent image of Bishop Marik—a mask she had learned to maintain after being scorched by fire for so long.
"...Miss Hena. Why are you giving false testimony?"
Hena avoided Gabriel's gaze. Of course, considering Daisy's track record, Gabriel had already suspected everyone except Evangeline and the two demons, so he wasn't entirely devastated.
He was merely worried for Evangeline, who would eventually hear of this. Hena was one of the very few people Evangeline treated with something akin to genuine affection.
Even Canna, who constantly fawned over Evangeline to monopolize her affection, would be deeply shocked to learn that her own sister had betrayed the young lady she so adored.
"False testimony? The Commander is so blinded by affection that he denies the truth right before his eyes."
Gabriel glared at Saraka as if she were harboring some massive, insidious plot, which actually made her feel rather wronged. While the outcome was indeed satisfying, this wasn't something she had planned or orchestrated herself.
"Miss Hena. Would you mind explaining again what you just told me?"
"I… I saw it with my own two eyes. I saw who set the mansion on fire. Lady Rohanson did it."
Hena took a deep breath and continued.
"There must be several other witnesses besides me."
Her voice was exceptionally clear.
"That's right… I saw the young lady set the fire, too…!"
It started with a single, terrified murmur. Then, someone else chimed in.
"Me too! I saw it!"
"Y-Yes. I saw it as well. I wanted to stop her, but the young lady was so terrifying that I just stayed quiet…"
People here and there began nodding and joining in. They had all mistaken the wandering 'Rat' for Evangeline. A few, swept up in the crowd, even claimed to have seen it, though they hadn't seen Evangeline at all.
"Lady Rohanson did this…" Saraka groaned, feigning shock. "I once sensed an unholy energy from her. If only we had apprehended her back then, such devastation would not have occurred…"
At Saraka's words, fierce glares turned toward Gabriel. Everyone present remembered how passionately he had worked to prove Evangeline's innocence.
"As Commander Gabriel knows, I am someone who utterly loathes heresy. As a priest, how could I possibly turn a blind eye to an entity that has rebelled against God? Thus, I went so far as to purify the very nest where the demon resided."
Saraka spoke of how she had personally burned an entire family to death with utter nonchalance. The sound of someone swallowing hard echoed in the silence.
Those who had turned a blind eye to Evangeline Rohanson's presence, blinded by the gold coins distributed by the butler, trembled in terror.
"Should we kill them all?"
Musetta drew her sword. The blade sang as it slid from its scabbard, yet the voice asking for death—devoid of any emotion—was far colder. Following her lead, the other knights drew their swords. Gabriel frowned. With a mere ten men, it was impossible to stop them.
"Ugh…!"
One of the maids, unable to overcome her fear, burst into tears.
She had finally realized why Saraka had stood by and watched instead of rescuing them from the flames. When her eyes met Saraka's, she looked as if she were about to have a seizure. She was quite cowardly for one of Evangeline Rohanson's maids. It seemed the young lady had treated her servants rather gently.
"Well…"
Saraka hesitated.
By the book, they deserved to be killed without mercy. In truth, Saraka wasn't debating whether they should live or die, but whether she should have their heads severed or simply burn them alive.
"Of course, heretics possessed by demons deserve the ultimate punishment, but…"
Saraka pondered as she scanned the faces of the crowd. Kneeling on the dirty ground and looking up at her, their eyes no longer saw a priest, but a slaughterer. She calculated their utility. Would it be more beneficial to keep them alive? Could their lives be useful in capturing Evangeline Rohanson?
Saraka sought Hena's advice.
"Miss Hena, do you think the people of the Rohanson Mansion have value as hostages?"
It was a whisper so quiet only Hena could hear. Saraka was placing the fate of the mansion's residents in her hands. Hena realized it instantly. The lives of others hung on her answer. The weight of death, far more direct and pressing than when she had set the fire, sent a sudden wave of fear through her.
"I-I think it would be best to keep them alive."
"Really? Wouldn't it be more dramatic to kill them all and spread the word that Lady Rohanson slaughtered her own servants? They're heretics possessed by a demon anyway, so you needn't feel any guilt."
Fearing that Saraka might actually do it, Hena shook her head frantically.
"Lady Rohanson tries her best not to stray from her assigned role. The people of this mansion will serve as shackles to bind her."
Hena wasn't lying. For some unknown reason, Evangeline made a conscious effort to mimic 'Evangeline Rohanson' as if bound by a curse. She copied the real Evangeline's eating habits, her demeanor, and even her way of speaking. While Evangeline didn't particularly care for the other servants aside from Canna, she wouldn't abandon them either, as that would go against her act as 'Lady Rohanson.'
Saraka stared intently at Hena, as if measuring the truth of her words, then finally nodded. If they had value as hostages, it would be better to surround the mansion than to kill them.