The Divine Trial (5)

Cardinal Arpina.

An elite among elites who started from a different point than others. Beginning as the daughter of an archbishop, she had climbed all the way to the rank of cardinal—practically royalty within the priesthood.

Her record was spotless.

...No, that's not right.

Right now there is one blemish, but she's probably hiding it.

I stared at her blankly. She was older than me. But she was so small that it was hard to think of her as older.

Apart from her beautiful appearance, her body was very small. Delicate and noble. Beautiful, yet at the same time precarious, as if she might shatter at any moment.

A sanctity that went beyond prettiness.

A beauty that went beyond wonder.

I looked away. I drew a breath, shut my eyes tightly, then opened them.

['Sun God's Prayer' activates.]

As expected.

I had been briefly bewitched.

I rolled my shoulders. There was no way I could get involved with Cardinal Arpina right now anyway. She stood far too high for a ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠mere apprentice priest to approach.

If I could win her over, my life in the Church would change spectacularly, but there was simply no way to do it. At the very least, I would have to rise to the level of bishop before I could even be received by her.

She was out of reach. For now, I would put her out of mind. She was probably only attending this trial as a formality anyway.

"Before this trial begins, I will go over a few points."

The Divine Trial proceeded smoothly. Nothing unusual happened, and I had almost no opportunity to speak.

Inquisitor Radatok was competent. Fierce exchanges took place, but he dug precisely into every sore spot.

Man, this is convenient!

"I will submit evidence. Your Honor."

Apprentice Priest Beverick and Bishop Brody's eyes went wide. The two men who had denied the charges and all but dared anyone to produce evidence began to struggle desperately.

"H-how is that still here?!"

"W-we definitely got rid of it...!"

"Permission granted."

Dimona scanned through the evidence. From where I stood, it was nothing short of a comical situation.

It was like watching her review evidence she had gathered herself.

Wow. She could be an actress. She really is competent.

"Apprentice Priest Beverick."

Dimona's voice came down cold.

"This is completely different from the evidence Apprentice Priest Beverick submitted. Which is the truth?"

"Y-Your Honor! That evidence contains a grave error...!"

"And what would that be?"

"......"

Bishop Brody could not say anything. He only trembled. He had opened his mouth, but he could not produce a proper rebuttal.

In the end, all he managed was a desperate excuse.

"Th-that evidence is fabricated! I am certain of it!"

"It is not fabricated evidence. I will submit additional evidence."

Radatok raised a recording crystal.

Wow. Isn't that an expensive item?

I was impressed. He wasn't a main NPC for nothing.

She must have been worried with Radatok gone, but hadn't she still gotten everything done?

「That's what I'm saying. Beverick is famous for being a scoundrel.」

The evidence stored in the recording crystal poured out. Beverick and Bishop Brody could not say a word.

The jurors murmured. Dimona gave a small, dry cough.

"Order. Bishop Brody, do you have anything else to say?"

"......"

Brody whipped around to look at me. His expression was completely twisted, as if everything had collapsed.

"You... you... because of you... my... son..."

Beverick shot to his feet. Spittle flying, he lunged at me.

"I'll kill you!"

"Whoa, whoa."

Chains shot out from the chair. They wrapped around Beverick and immediately forced him back into his seat. An automatic security system, huh.

It's nice. Being the Church headquarters, it's practically a cutting-edge magical city.

I glanced at Beverick. Memories of him flashed through my mind.

In a way, it was almost pitiful. He had run into the wrong person, and the comfortable life he had enjoyed had fallen apart.

Let me see... if I had even one good memory of him, I might've reminisced...

...There isn't one?

"Yeah."

I smiled brightly. I whispered softly.

"Farewell, Apprentice Priest Beverick. Sob, sob. I'll miss you."

"Let me go! I said let me go!"

The brief commotion passed. The jurors and Dimona gathered for a short conference.

She handled the trial cleanly. The verdict was concise and to the point.

"Along with embezzlement of public funds, the tarnishing of the Church's image, and even the attempted sexual assault ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠of an apprentice priest under his authority—the jury has assessed the nature of these crimes as exceedingly heinous."

The murmuring from the upper seats intensified. With the tide having turned completely against him, Bishop Brody went pale.

"Y-your Honor..."

His voice had dwindled to a whisper. Offerings. The official donations used by the Church were, in effect, sacred offerings touched by Ra's grace.

The very act of embezzling them was a deception against God. It was one of the most heinous crimes, ranked among the highest forms of blasphemy.

"It's a misunderstanding... all of it... all of it is a misunderstanding... the child... the child didn't know what he was doing..."

"......"

"Just once... just once, show mercy... he's a good boy... I tell you, he's a very good boy..."

Divine Judge Dimona fell silent for a moment. With a sigh, she rose from her seat.

"Before I announce the verdict, I am deeply ashamed. If Ra were watching us now, what would she say?"

"......"

"Bishop Brody. Why did you personally take on the defense of Apprentice Priest Beverick?"

"Th-that... is..."

"Blood kin. The bond formed by blood is strong. But before that, we must clearly understand why we are standing here."

Dimona cut him off sharply.

"We are priests. We are those who serve God, and at times, to prove our faithfulness, we must be able to sever even blood kin without hesitation. If a wrong has been committed, the price must be paid, and those who have laid hands on sacred offerings must all be punished without exception."

"Your Honor... please..."

"If you wanted leniency, shouldn't you have told us everything from the start?"

Beverick gasped as the verdict came down. His face crumpled as all his past misdeeds caught up with him at once.

"Apprentice Priest Beverick is sentenced to ten years in the Ainkad Underground Prison."

"NOOOOOOOO!!"

The chains clanked. The chair shook.

"This can't be happening! I said this can't be happening! Archbishop Dwayne! Hey, you promised! You promised nothing would happen!"

"Beverick! Stop! Stop it!"

"Father! This isn't right! The money we—the money we offered was...!"

"I said stop!!"

A scuffle broke out. I rose from my seat. I briefly shook hands with Radatok.

"You made a fine case, Radatok."

"It was a natural outcome. However..."

Radatok and I glanced toward the upper seats, too dark to make out clearly.

"...From now on, brother, you have effectively made an enemy of Archbishop Dwayne. You must be aware of that."

"Don't worry. I'm not soft enough to be beaten by old fossils."

I planned to bolt back to where I originally was before anything happened. Yeah. Once I entered the Academy, I'd belong there, so I wouldn't have to deal with them until I got stronger.

But my future never went exactly the way I expected.

"...Divine Judge Dimona."

A deep, heavy voice rang out. The sound of a limp—one foot stepping forward, the other dragging behind.

The voice was low. It wasn't particularly loud. But it had a presence that silenced everything in an instant.

Just hearing it gave me chills. I looked up at the upper seats. A dignified man emerged from the darkness and leaned against the railing.

"Now that the trial has concluded, I would like to request one more thing."

"...Pardon?"

"As it happens, all the important figures of the Church are gathered here, and if this matter is allowed to fizzle out as it is, it will be difficult to properly commend the achievement. So I thought it would be best to decide it here."

Our eyes met. Even though he had not given his name, I could sense who he was.

Archbishop Dwayne.

"There is someone who showed courage in reporting an apprentice priest. Would it not be proper to give a reward befitting that courage?"

".......?"

Dimona blinked. She asked again, her expression saying she couldn't understand why those words were coming from his mouth.

"...Are you saying we should give a reward to Apprentice Priest Zahard right now?"

"That is correct."

He's arguing that we should reward the person who touched his own faction?

...Why?

The question I held was resolved the next moment.

"I heard that he also distinguished himself in the Snow Demon subjugation. A junior overflowing with justice who also has real ability—wouldn't it be a shame to leave him as a mere apprentice priest?"

Ah.

"I believe the rank of apprentice priest is far beneath someone of Zahard's caliber."

No way.

"So, taking this incident as an opportunity..."

This son of a bitch?!

"I would like to propose that Apprentice Priest Zahard be elevated to the ordained priesthood."

. . .

Apprentice priest and regular priest.

An apprentice priest was nothing more than a so-called priest candidate. Compared to a priest, they held no assigned duties, and strictly speaking, they were no different from an ordinary believer.

Having no assigned duties meant having nothing to take responsibility for.

But becoming a priest was different. Once you became a priest, you had duties, and if you failed to carry them out properly, penalties were imposed accordingly.

That was probably what Archbishop Dwayne was aiming for. I stared blankly at Dimona. In her office, Dimona was chugging alcohol straight from the bottle.

"That slippery bastard!"

Bang, bang!

The desk shook.

"He's not just polishing his image as a magnanimous man—he's decided to destroy you completely! Do you understand?"

"Give me some alcohol too."

"You're a minor!"

"So what? I'm burning up inside."

Archbishop Dwayne's proposal passed normally. From the start, Dwayne didn't seem to expect to win the verdict itself.

Dimona and Dwayne had effectively become enemies. Yet the fact that he expected to lose meant...

He acknowledged her as a rival. Because he knew the extent of Dimona's abilities, he had clearly intended to use Beverick and Brody as pieces to be discarded from the start.

"Dwayne is..."

Dimona let out a sigh. She casually handed me a glass.

"Dwayne is meticulous. Everyone who becomes his enemy ends up dead. More precisely, he's famous for never taking an enemy under his wing—he casts them aside without mercy."

"So it's practically a death sentence."

"...I'm not the one who decides the duties of those who become priests. It's the five archbishops. And unfortunately, my position is normally slightly lower than an archbishop's."

"Don't you have any snacks?"

"Just listen for a second! Dwayne will definitely put you in one of the places he manages! He means to completely grind you down! Or he'll just lop your head off by pinning a false charge on you!"

"To think you'd get so worked up on my behalf... You haven't fallen for me, have you?"

"I'm about to pour all this alcohol out."

Things had certainly gotten tangled. For that one year before the Academy, I had planned to live as an apprentice priest. That would make it easier to move around and get things done.

But now the situation had become awkward. Now that I had become an ordained priest, I was starting to wonder whether I could even enter the Academy as a student.

"First, let's see... the Academy, right?"

"The Academy? Why does that keep coming up?"

"Want to do a toast first?"

"...You're utterly carefree. Really."

The glasses clinked together.

"Only apprentice priests can enter the Academy as exchange students, right?"

"That's right. Your plan is already as good as ruined."

Ra.

We're fucked, aren't we?

For now, I downed the alcohol in one go. Drinking for the first time in a while made my body languid.

No. Think. Change my perspective. Change my perspective. Think efficiently.

What matters to me?

Saving the world from the Fallen.

Why did I want to enter as an Academy student?

Because most of the main NPCs are connected to that place, so it's the best place to observe their movements.

Then...

Do I really have to enter as a student?

As long as I can get into the Academy, it doesn't matter.

"...Ha."

Right. I laughed. Dimona looked at me as if she was fed up.

"Have you gone mad after realizing there's no hope?"

"A genius like me wouldn't do that. A great tree does not bend."

"Instead, it breaks. With a crash and a boom."

"Yeah. It won't break."

"Your speech is getting casual."

"Yes. It won't break."

"Why are you so infuriating?!"

I tapped the desk.

"Divine Judge Dimona. In that case, besides being a student, what other ways are there to get into the Academy?"

"Well... let me think. No, wait, why are you so obsessed with the Academy?"

"Ah. Um."

I racked my brain. If I needed an excuse, I could come up with one easily enough. The Academy had been a place filled with mysteries since ancient times.

"...There's a library there that keeps forbidden books, right? There's knowledge there I want access to."

"Are you trying to become an actual heretic?"

"I want to study more about Ra. There must be knowledge there that the Sun God Church has lost. And I... as you know, I'm carrying out the duty of guarding that."

"...No way."

"That's right. The barrier is slowly weakening. I need knowledge. The knowledge to repair the Sacred Barrier. And that's probably knowledge that doesn't exist even here at the Church headquarters. It's practically an ancient Holy Art that has already been lost."

Dimona let out a sigh.

"If that's the reason... there are ways to get into the Academy even if you're not a student. But to get to the library that keeps the forbidden books... you'd have to operate as an insider, at the very least."

"Then?"

"You know the Church is a fading sun, right? Wizards are thriving these days. Even a strong priest trying to show off in front of a wizard or knight would be like lecturing an expert in their own field. It's the same at the Academy. It has completely shifted in that direction, so there are almost no religious figures among its insiders."

"'Almost none' means there are a few, right?"

"...You're rude and competent, so you're even more infuriating."

Dimona nodded.

"That's right. There's a teaching position. Any ordained priest of the Church can apply. But you need a record to get there. You'd need to build up a certain number of achievements as a priest before you could even compete for it."

"In that case..."

"Next year is impossible. Four or five years? It would take at least that ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠long. In the first place, a record isn't something you can build up that easily, and to enter as a teacher, the Academy carefully reviews..."

Entering as a teacher, huh.

I racked my brain. If the thing holding me back was achievements as a priest, wasn't there a way to solve it?

I stared blankly at Dimona. Dimona flinched at my ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠deep gaze.

"Wh-what are you looking at?"

"By any chance..."

"I'm telling you in advance, as a Divine Judge, I need to focus more on official duties..."

"Right. Divine Judge. And the inquisitors under you have an easier time building achievements, don't they?"

"Huh?"

"Given the nature of the position, wouldn't it count by cases? Regardless of years of service, if you have a lot of cases, your achievements increase—isn't that what it means?"

"H-hold on... what are you saying right now..."

"I've decided."

I smiled brightly. Right. Even if the sky falls, there's always a way out!

"I... I'll become an inquisitor!"

Dimona's expression crumbled. It was the face of someone who had tasted all the bitterness of the world.