The Second Holy Trial (4)
"..."
Ssssshh.
The barrier blocking my path vanished.
The moment my hand touched the veil, Barrier Breaker had activated.
The councilors who witnessed this began to stare at me with looks of sheer astonishment.
Exactly the reaction I wanted.
As I always said, in situations like this, seizing the initiative was the most important thing.
The Holy Trial was not a simple fact-finding inquiry.
It's a political stage where authorities clash. The victory goes to whoever controls the situation.
The councilors of Midtemple, well aware of this fact, had tried to corner me with questions laced with elaborate traps.
However, there was one fatal flaw in their calculations.
Namely, that I was already several steps ahead of them.
"H-How did he destroy the barrier so easily?"
"My goodness. The high priests spent days and nights erecting that barrier, yet he did it with a single gesture..."
"Did anyone see how the spell formula was dismantled? I certainly didn't feel any interference."
Murmurs rippled through the crowd.
The moment the barrier collapsed, the atmosphere in the temple shifted completely.
The shocked councilors hurriedly debated the reasons, whispering among themselves, but they ultimately failed to uncover the cause.
In the end, all they could do was stare at me in silence.
Yes.
Now, it was Midtemple's turn to listen to me.
"Some might judge me as arrogant," I said.
"..."
"However, I have no intention of blaming them."
"..."
"Because I, too, know how arrogant it sounds to dismiss Doricco Shiro and the Shadow Society as non-threats and guarantee absolute control over them."
I shifted my gaze to the blue, glowing flame.
Then, in an incredibly calm voice, I continued.
"But just now, I proved myself."
Indeed. The Holy Fire of Aether had proven that all my words were true.
Not only that, but I had also flaunted my ability right before their eyes using Barrier Breaker.
Doricco Shiro's illusions and the Shadow Society's spell formulas were ultimately the same in essence. And I had shown that I could easily see through and dismantle all of them.
Acknowledging that the two were unstable, yet proving they posed absolutely no danger to me.
Clearly demonstrating that under my control, they would become mere 'tools' to save the world.
By succeeding in this, I had broken straight through all the traps Midtemple had subtly laid in their questions.
"..."
"..."
"..."
A heavy silence fell over the temple.
The one who receives questions is passive; the one who asks them is active. The one who makes excuses is weak; the one who makes declarations is strong.
Those who scramble to explain themselves are backed into a corner, but those who proudly proclaim their will captivate everyone's attention.
Perhaps that was why, even though I couldn't see their expressions beyond the fog, I could be certain of one thing.
The center of gravity of this Holy Trial was quietly shifting toward me.
"I passed Demarion's trial," I declared.
"..."
"By dismantling the conundrum he set up in an instant, I stood before the Archmage, whom no one had reached for hundreds of years."
It was a statement that should have been quite shocking, but this time, there was no visible agitation.
Since the rumor that Demarion's chamber had opened had already spread throughout Wintersheld, Midtemple must have heard of it as well.
In that case, my task was simple.
Just like during the last Holy Trial, I didn't need to lie; I only had to reveal the truths that favored me.
"I heard many things there, and I saw many things," I said.
"..."
"The whispers of the World Tree. The Archmage who sees through all the secrets of this continent. His pupils, deep as the cosmos, and the countless insights and wisdom harbored within them."
I paused briefly.
Describing my meeting with the Archmage Demarion in vague terms was intended to leave room for the listeners' imagination.
In reality, all I did was learn Pean's true name...
But I led them to believe that I had discussed the future of Midtemple, the impending apocalypse, and the solutions for salvation with him.
This was one of the reasons I had gone out of my way to find Demarion in Wintersheld. Just as important as Pean's true name was borrowing the 'authority' of the Archmage.
"Yes. I reviewed all possibilities. Cooperation with Midtemple. Improvements within the existing system. And even gradual change through traditional methods."
Taking a brief breath, I continued.
"But can that truly be an alternative when the order itself is already rotting to the core?"
My voice grew lower.
"The heart of Midtemple has already begun to decay."
"..."
"Those who advocate for minimizing conflict have instead become the source of the greatest corruption, and the pretext of preserving tradition has degenerated into an excuse to protect their own power."
At those words, the air in the temple froze.
Regardless, I fixed my gaze in a specific direction.
"Then, this time, let me ask you in return."
Staring intently beyond the fog—specifically at the seat where Jacques von Heibrun would be sitting.
"Can you assert with absolute certainty that no one in Midtemple has attempted to join hands with the evil gods?"
"...!"
"...!"
Murmurs broke out among the councilors once more.
The question I threw out was no mere counter-question.
It was an accusation as sharp as a blade, a direct threat aimed at someone sitting in this very temple.
"How hypocritical."
Right then, a low voice echoed from beyond the fog.
It was a tone distinctly different from the Speaker's. An old, rough voice, yet still carrying a sharp edge.
The silhouette of a stout old man faintly appeared through the mist.
Jacques von Heibrun.
Representing the Traditionalists, he began to speak.
"Even if there are seeds of corruption at the heart of Midtemple, you join hands with one of the Five Nightmares to root it out? Do you think that is a logical choice?"
"..."
"Joining hands with a greater corruption to prevent corruption. If this is not a true contradiction, then what is—"
Bang, bang, bang!
At that moment, the short, heavy sound of a gavel cut Jacques off and took control of the temple.
"Silence."
The Speaker's voice was firm and cold.
"The Holy Fire of Aether burns solely to hear the truth of the accused. Unsanctioned remarks during a Holy Trial are acts of wasting that flame in vain."
At the Speaker's warning, Jacques von Heibrun shut his mouth. Faced with a warning invoking the rules of Midtemple, he could not bring himself to argue.
"Please continue your response, Sword Master Gaon."
Once the temple fell quiet again, the Speaker, having settled the situation, handed the floor back to me.
I immediately countered Jacques's words in a calm voice.
"So, joining hands with a greater corruption to prevent corruption is a contradiction..."
I smirked.
I intentionally let out a mocking laugh, as if sneering at Jacques in front of everyone.
"Amusing. Especially hearing that from the one who held Doricco Shiro's hand before I did."
"...!"
"...!"
The temple began to buzz with commotion once again.
The shocking revelation that Jacques had joined hands with one of the Five Nightmares was enough to throw the councilors—especially the Traditionalists—into a panic.
Among them, Jacques's silhouette wavered violently. It was as if he had never expected me to expose his misdeeds so openly.
"The Retrospective Eye of Aether already contains all of Jacques von Heibrun's misdeeds," I said.
"What on earth..."
"Contacting the evil gods in the Sky Ocean Forest. Making a secret pact with Doricco Shiro. Standing by and watching the corruption of Haewolsumo. All of those truths are recorded in the holy relic."
I calmly continued.
"If you don't believe me, you can check it for yourselves."
Unfortunately, the Retrospective Eye of Aether was not present here. It had been confiscated along with the Feather Sword the moment I entered the Holy City of Midtemple.
Whoosh!
But it didn't matter much. The Holy Fire of Aether was still burning bright, proving once again that there was no falsehood in my words.
"It is true that the evil gods tempted me!" Jacques shouted, raising his voice the moment I finished speaking.
"I admit I was plagued by the voices of the evil gods constantly whispering to me, and that I almost succumbed to their temptation!"
Jacques turned toward the other councilors, pleading his case.
"But I did not make a contract! In the end, I rejected the temptation and returned to Midtemple!"
Catching his breath, he added sharply,
"I will accept punishment for contacting Doricco Shiro! But shouldn't the Seeker who formed an actual alliance with her also pay the price?!"
A twitch.
It was right then that the three figures sitting at the very front reacted subtly.
An extraordinary energy could be felt even through the fog, accompanied by an overwhelming presence. Just from their faint silhouettes, I could be certain they were Sword Masters.
The gazes of the three Seekers turned toward Jacques all at once. Like predators spotting prey. With flashing eyes.
A suffocating silence fell.
As the tense psychological warfare dragged on, Jacques, unable to bear it, spoke up.
"What? Why are you all looking at me like..."
"Hey."
Pokryong growled.
"Speak clearly, brat. You were plagued by the voices of the evil gods constantly whispering to you?"
"...?"
Jacques flinched.
His silhouette visibly shrank back, as if he couldn't comprehend why the three Sword Masters were reacting so sensitively.
"Hmm."
Pean began to offer an explanation in a calm voice.
"Jacques von Heibrun. Have you ever heard the voice of the Elder directly?"
"I..."
"Of course you haven't. For the Great Ones do not let just anyone hear their voices."
"..."
"Their voices are granted only to those who have made a 'direct contract,' like Saintesses or Seekers."
The revelations of the Great Ones were not mere 'sounds.' They were blessings, commands, and simultaneously a part of a divine entity.
In truth, those who heard the Elder's voice were extremely rare.
Only Saintesses and Sword Masters.
Because of this, almost nothing was known about the principles of how revelations worked or how they were transmitted. Most public knowledge was nothing more than speculation.
That's why Adelia looked at me with such sparkling eyes whenever the topic of revelations came up.
Even the thousands of ancient books piled in Midtemple's library only dealt with the results of revelations, remaining silent on the process itself.
Much less could any knowledge be found regarding how the whispers of evil gods encroached upon the soul, or the subtle boundaries of that process.
Therefore, it was no surprise that Jacques failed to properly recognize his own state.
No matter how much he was the leader of the Traditionalists, he only had access to the fragmented knowledge recorded in ancient texts.
Well, thanks to that...
"It is the same for the evil gods," Pean said. "Though their essence is the exact opposite, the way they send whispers is not much different from the Elder."
...The bastard had ended up confessing to his own corruption like this.
"Therefore, your claim of having 'heard' the voice of the evil gods... means that, without even realizing it, you have already formed a contract with them."
Silence fell.
The moment those words ended, a hush draped over the entire temple.
Even the sound of breathing vanished.
The frozen silhouettes of the councilors all turned to stare directly at Jacques von Heibrun.
And...
"...Fuck."
Along with the low curse that escaped Jacques's mouth—
BOOOOOOM!
A massive explosion swept through the temple.
Causality is warping.
The Second Apostle 「#???@?????&?????^??????!?????%????????????????#????」 has descended.