“Syndra, you truly disappoint me. I always thought your loyalty to the Guardian Bureau was paramount.”
Ophelia looked at Syndra with a grave expression. Syndra had followed her for many years and had always performed well. They were more than just colleagues; they were also friends.
At least, that's what Ophelia thought.
But, clearly, she had been deceived by Syndra.
“When did you find out?”
Syndra stopped feigning innocence, her eyes shifting from confusion to indifference, a slight upward curve to her lips.
“From when you ordered the deaths of Aisley and the others.”
Ophelia replied, looking at the familiar colleague before her and feeling only immense unfamiliarity. Syndra had always been a pawn planted in the Guardian Bureau by Randall.
“So, your early departure from the Guardian Bureau was to set a trap for me.”
“Syndra, surrender.”
Syndra turned to the witch captain, Fula. “Fire Witch Fula, I order you to kill Ophelia now.”
A strange glint flashed in Fula's eyes, and two balls of flame appeared in her palms.
Just as Syndra thought Fula would attack Ophelia, Fula threw the fireballs at Syndra.
Syndra quickly retreated, dodging Fula's attack. The fireballs struck the spot where Syndra had been standing,
igniting a roaring fire.
“How could this be? Why can't you obey my orders?”
In the firelight, Syndra's face was shadowed and uncertain.
She felt incredulous. Clearly, all [Enlightened Ones] were unable to refuse the orders of [Summoners], so why was Fula an exception? Had she already awakened?
“Why would I listen to your orders?”
Fula raised an eyebrow and asked calmly.
Syndra had no time to ponder this question, instead ordering the other witches to attack Ophelia and Fula, but they remained unmoved.
“How could this be?”
Syndra went from surprise to fear, her palms becoming clammy and her forehead covered in sweat.
“Your Summoner status was granted by the [Ear of Ignorance]. Since the [Ear of Ignorance] could grant you authority, it can naturally take it back.”
Ophelia recalled the dream from the previous day.
“[Ophelia, how far are you willing to go for the witches?]
Lee Eun asked Ophelia.
“What do you mean?”
Ophelia looked at Lee Eun with flushed cheeks, clearly not having recovered from the previous state, her voice still carrying a sexy huskiness.
“Do you want to truly save all the witches in the Guardian Bureau?”
Lee Eun lay on the other side of the bed, looking at Ophelia.
“Yes.”
Ophelia didn't hesitate in the slightest.
“Then you must master the [Ear of Ignorance].”
Lee Eun said.
“That Gift is controlled by Constantine. The Church won't be willing to give it up.”
Ophelia shook her head slightly.
“If you are willing to sign a contract with me, I can lend it to you.”
Lee Eun raised Ophelia's chin.
“A contract? Humans and humans cannot sign blood contracts.”
Ophelia frowned slightly. If it weren't in a dream, she would never allow Lee Eun to make such frivolous gestures.
Of course, Lee Eun had done even more outrageous things.
Ophelia felt quite ashamed when she recalled them, but it was precisely this outrageousness that made her heart flutter, unable to resist.
“Who told you that I am still human?”
Lee Eun's current physique, apart from the remaining humanity, was completely different from a human's.
He could even adjust the position of all his internal organs, and even without other organs, just leaving the heart, he could survive by relying on the rules.
That's why he wanted to try whether he could sign a contract with a human.
“You want me to be your slave?”
Ophelia looked at Lee Eun with a shocked expression.
“Calling it a slave is too much. I'm not a slave owner, just a cooperative relationship.”
“But this contract is clearly a slave contract!”
The proud Ophelia, the Guardian Bureau Director at the pinnacle of imperial power, had never suffered such anger?
Ophelia's face immediately turned cold, until Lee Eun hugged her from behind again, appeasing her,
“This is the only method I can think of right now. You are borrowing the [Ear of Ignorance].”
“Constantine was killed by you?”
Ophelia's breathing became rapid again.
“Yes.”
“Are you still the Lee Eun Moria from before?”
“I have always been myself.”
“Why do you want me to be your slave?”
“Because it can help you.”
“Will I have to call you master in the future?”
Ophelia found it difficult to say, her voice becoming lower and lower.
“If you are willing, you can call me that.”
“I don't want to. I am the daughter of the Frank family. I will never be anyone's slave.”
Ophelia pushed Lee Eun away. She was the pearl of the Frank family, an imperial princess, how could she be anyone's slave?
“Oh? Don't you think it would be interesting for your family to know that you voluntarily became my slave?”
Lee Eun asked with a mischievous smile.
Ophelia was slightly stunned.
“Don't you hate the Frank family?”
Lee Eun asked again.
“Yes, I hate the Frank family, and I hate my identity. So, being your slave is indeed an interesting thing.”
Ophelia suddenly saw the light and felt that Lee Eun was right. Moreover, she could get the [Ear of Ignorance], a Gift that she had coveted for a long time.
Anyone would be willing to trade with Lee Eun, right?
This was a Gift.
It could also disgust the Frank family.
As long as she thought of her cousin's fate and the family's suppression of Mary, Ophelia deeply loathed the family elders and family rules.
She was born rebellious and unwilling to follow their rules. Now, agreeing to a contract with Lee Eun was also within Lee Eun's expectations.
“Now that you've agreed to be my slave, can I do whatever I want and you won't be angry?”
“What do you want to do?”
Lee Eun's lips curved slightly upward, “Explore the limits of the human body.”
The following exploration scenes made Ophelia afraid to continue recalling them, after all, she was busy with serious matters now.
Ophelia touched her right ear. After the [Ear of Ignorance] merged with her body, it replaced her original right ear.
Because it was borrowed, she still had to return it when Lee Eun needed it.
But at least for now, this Gift belonged to her.
“What do you mean?”
Syndra realized that her [Summoner] entry had disappeared. She looked at Ophelia in disbelief,
Did she get the [Ear of Ignorance]? Or was Archbishop Constantine here?
Compared to Ophelia getting the [Ear of Ignorance], she would rather believe that Cardinal Constantine was here.
But the situation was developing in the worst possible direction!
Ophelia waved her hand. She didn't use mandatory orders on the witches, but directly issued instructions, ordering them to surround Syndra.
Although Syndra was a four-star assassin, she had no chance of fighting back in the hands of the witches and was directly captured and locked in the Red Tower.
And the ten problem witches, including the Forest Witch, the Gourmet Witch, and the Rain Witch, Ophelia had re-[Enlightened] them, using the [Ear of Ignorance] to fight against the [Hand of God], neutralizing their natural loyalty to Randall, freeing them from being Randall's slaves, and allowing them to truly have their own thoughts.
This was also the reason why Ophelia unlocked the witches' Philosopher's Stone locks.
After capturing Syndra, Ophelia breathed a sigh of relief, feeling incredibly relaxed. She raised her head, looked at the sky, and silently said to herself,
“Lee Eun, don't die so easily.”
The battle inside the Ruins Church had ended.
Lee Eun never expected Randall's vitality to be so tenacious, that he actually escaped.
But fighting the Evil Dragon Achilles had also seriously injured Randall.
If it weren't for the home-field advantage of [Happy House], Randall definitely wouldn't have been able to escape smoothly.
As for Randall's words before escaping that the witches would endlessly assassinate Lee Eun, Lee Eun didn't care at all.
In fact, as early as 3 days ago, Lee Eun had found the [Ear of Ignorance] in the belly of a deep-sea monster with the [Gift Radar]. He had been hesitating about who to give this Gift to.
After thinking about it, the Director of the Guardian Bureau, Ophelia, was the most suitable.
After all, she was the Director of the Guardian Bureau.
After his and Dorothy's identities were revealed, in order to avoid all the witches' assassinations, it was necessary to turn the Director of the Guardian Bureau into a true ally.
Now, Ophelia should completely be Lee Eun's person.
Unless Randall killed all the witches and resurrected them, no witch would continue to hunt him down.
Solving the witch threat was the top priority that Lee Eun had to face, and the [Ear of Ignorance] perfectly solved this problem.
This was also thanks to Constantine sending resources from thousands of miles away.
The only problem was that Emma, who was released by Dorothy, was now missing.
She had not returned to the royal capital, which was good news for Lee Eun.
Although last time, Lee Eun chose to respect Dorothy and let Emma go.
But if they met again, if she stood against him, Lee Eun would still not show mercy.
He didn't like leaving behind a hidden danger.
Putting himself in her shoes, if his lover was killed, he would definitely avenge them.
Emma looked weak, but she knew too much.
Lee Eun walked out of the Gift Temple. Damir heard the footsteps and looked back at Lee Eun,
“How is it? Did you find any clues?”
“Yes, teacher, are you ready? We are going to challenge the empire's highest authority and send the Pope to the dock.”
Damir stroked his white beard and nodded solemnly, “We must do this, it concerns the future of the Church.”
Subsequently, Lee Eun, Damir, and Ophelia entered the royal palace together and submitted evidence of Randall's heresy to Augulas.
This matter could no longer be judged by the Supreme Tribunal and had to be elevated to the Council of Sages.
Lee Eun was worried that the Council of Sages had dark lines planted by Randall, so he requested to meet these Sages in person before the trial.
Considering that the previous Sages had been bought off by him, Augulas thought that there might be exceptions this time as well, so he strictly screened the Sages participating in the trial and satisfied Lee Eun's request to meet the judges in advance.
If possible, Augulas even wanted them to directly declare Randall guilty, but they had the right to refuse the orders of the secular emperor. If it weren't for conclusive evidence, they would not be willing to try the Pope at all, because this matter would likely cause a shock in the Church, thereby affecting the entire kingdom and affecting the stability of the empire.
Three days later, the Council of Sages officially opened, and this trial was conducted in secret, otherwise it would be enough to shock the entire empire.
Because they were going to judge the highest authority of the empire, the Pope of the Church, Randall.
The dome of the Council of Sages' Court was towering, and twelve stone pillars carved with ancient runes supported the solemn building. Lee Eun stood in the plaintiff's seat, looking at the heads of the seven major creed families, Director Ophelia, Dean Damir of the Theological Seminary, the three cardinal bishops of the Church, and the Frank family cadres in the audience.
This was the first time Lee Eun had seen the heads of the seven major creed families appear in the same occasion at the same time. The specifications of the trial had far exceeded the Yuso Fa incident last time.
Seth Frank, the mysterious head of the Frank family who had never appeared, also attended the trial. His dress was decorated with the family crest of a lion and shield, which was a necessary etiquette for attending formal occasions. The Frank family's motto was the supremacy of royal power.
They mostly viewed divine power, but had to compromise with the Church. Strangely, Lee Eun couldn't see any entries on this head of the family, so he probably didn't believe in the Tiger God either. This guy was also a heretic. As expected of the Frank family, they always brought surprises.
Seth Frank was a handsome middle-aged man. He resembled Augulas a bit, and Augulas would probably look like him when he was old.
He was the younger brother of Augulas' father, and was said to be a twin with the previous emperor.
Earl Hall, the head of the Hall family, wore the family badge of a rose and sword on his dress. The family creed was power, wealth, and honor. They belonged to the richest family in the empire, and their martial power was also the ceiling. He was now his father-in-law.
Lames Book, the head of the Book family, was also there. He was already 60 years old, but he still looked strong. The family badge was an eagle and a fire shield. In addition to being a creed family, they were also a guardian family, and were known as the Shield of the West. 18
Zeno Bia Frank was his youngest mistress, and Emma was his granddaughter. It was said that their family's creed was "Never Retreat."
Charles Simmons, the head of the Simmons family, was 71 years old, and he should be the oldest of all the heads of the creed families. The family badge was a giant and an iron shield. The Simmons family was also known as the Shield of the South and was the guardian of the Southern Border. The family creed was "Fearless."
Locke Edward, the head of the Edward family, was young and strong, only 48 years old. The family badge was a four-leaf clover and a golden shield. The family creed was "Exploration, Never Ending."
Hugh Lane, the head of the Lane family, was only 37 years old and was the youngest head of all the creed families. The family badge was a star and a ship. The creed was "A Single Spark Can Start a Prairie Fire."
Finally, there was his grandfather, Duke Moria, whose family badge was a bear and a snow shield, and was the guardian of the Northern Border.
Apart from Earl Hall's combat power being comparable to him, it was difficult to find a third person in the creed family.
The audience was filled with important figures of the Empire, each with a significant position.
The three cardinal bishops of the Church were also special-grade believers, holding the highest authority in the Holy See besides Randle.
The wise judge in charge of this trial was Albert. His profile showed him to be a very fair person and an elder of the Wise Men's Hall.
Trying the Pope was unprecedented in history. As the judge of this trial, even Albert, as an elder of the Wise Men's Hall, felt pressured, his hand unconsciously stroking the delicate patterns on his golden robe.
Albert knew very well that this trial would go down in history. Even he, a Wise Man usually lacking emotional changes, felt the kind of emotional fluctuation he only experienced when researching academics.
"How are the preparations?" A voice, carrying a hint of boyishness yet full of majesty, came from behind Li En.
Li En turned around and saw Emperor Augustus of the Empire standing in the shadows, his amber eyes gleaming in the dim light.
"Ready."
Li En replied, "I'm just worried that Randle has more tricks up his sleeve."
Augustus walked to his side, a sneer appearing on his handsome face: "When a person offends both divine and royal authority, he must pay the price. Randle thought he was unshakable, but he was wrong."
Augustus had been waiting for this moment for a long time. Since becoming emperor, he had been hoping to drag the arrogant Randle down from his pedestal.
If Randle hadn't been secretly supporting her all along, Mary would have been suppressed long ago. What qualifications would she have to covet his throne?
Once he overthrew this mountain, the next person Augustus wanted to deal with was his own sister, Mary.
He wanted to see Mary kneeling in prison, repenting. He would personally hold up her head and bury it in their mother's grave, so they could reunite.
"Sister, I can't wait."
Augustus muttered silently. He stepped out of the shadows and sat down in his exclusive seat in the audience.
The copper bell of the Court of Inquisition rang three times, and the heavy oak doors slowly closed.
Chief Judge Albert and the twelve assistant judges were already seated, wearing crimson robes and looking solemn.
The judges were all Wise Men, a group of people full of wisdom but lacking essential humanity. When Li En saw them, he subconsciously thought of AI robots, except that this world did not yet have such highly intelligent silicon-based life.
"Bring in the defendant."
Albert's voice echoed in the empty hall.
The side door opened, and two paladins escorted Pope Randle in.
The once high-ranking Pope still maintained his dignified demeanor, wearing a simple white robe, his long silver hair draped over his shoulders, his deep eyes flashing with disturbing light.
Li En was a little surprised that he was attending the trial.
Li En thought that the last confrontation would have made His Holiness the Pope slip away and leave this place.
He didn't expect Randle to obediently go to the Court of Inquisition to accept the trial.
Was it because of papal immunity?
"Randle Krest."
Albert opened the heavy codex.
"You are accused of the following three crimes.
"First, attempted murder, using the Hand of God to revive the Witch and instigating the Witch to eliminate the descendants of the Creed family, the Empire's new noble, Li En Moria.
"Second, treason, killing the War Witch sent by the Emperor on an expedition, sabotaging the war effort.
"Third, heresy, using your authority to plunder the divinity of others within the Church."
"Do you plead guilty?"
Before Randle could answer, the three cardinal bishops sitting in the audience immediately protested.
"The Wise Men's Hall has no right to try our Pope."
"If His Holiness the Pope has done something wrong, he should be tried within the Holy See."
"How could His Holiness the Pope commit treason, let alone be a heretic! If he is a heretic, then are there any devout believers in this world?"
"Yes, this is simply a big joke. The Wise Men should obediently stay in the Wise Men's Hall and study witches. There is no need to participate in the affairs of our Holy See."
Albert frowned slightly and tapped his hammer. "Silence, Randle Krest, do you plead guilty?
,
"What crime have I committed?"
Randle raised his eyes slightly, always maintaining his composure and elegance.
"Bring in the witnesses."
Albert realized that Randle had no intention of pleading guilty, so he had to let the witnesses enter first.
The small door on the left side of the courtroom made a harsh rubbing sound, and everyone's eyes were focused on the widening crack of light.
Ten witches, as the first batch of witnesses, walked into the Court of Inquisition.
Seeing that they were not dead, Randle frowned almost imperceptibly, knowing that Syndra's move should be considered a failure.
As Aisley and others walked towards the witness stand, the three cardinal bishops suddenly stood up together.
The eldest, Cardinal Colin, raised the golden scepter, and the Holy Blood Gem embedded in the tip of the scepter emitted a scarlet light: "According to Chapter 36 of the Holy Book, in the presence of the three cardinal bishops, His Holiness the Pope has the right to invoke divine immunity!"
The audience was in an uproar. Li En noticed Ophelia touching her left ear, and the witches of the Guardian Bureau quietly sealed off all exits.
Albert tapped the gavel, "Silence."
Even though he didn't exert any power, the Court of Inquisition instantly fell silent.
Rules had already been set here. The presiding judge's gavel was an extraordinary item. Although it wasn't a Gift, it was definitely a high-grade replica.
Pope Randle maintained a proper smile, his slender fingers gently tapping the bronze railing of the defendant's seat.
"According to Chapter 3 of the Holy Book, an angel can reject the Pope's divine immunity,"
Li En said lightly.
The three cardinal bishops were stunned at the same time.
"Yes, I have received the revelation of the angel. This is the mark left to me by the angel. The trial continues."
Albert showed the mark that Soraya left him and announced that the trial would continue.
Although the bishops were unwilling, they were powerless.
The Pope and the angel were both servants of God, but the angel's position was clearly higher than the Pope's.
"Senn Witch Aisley Ross, Gourmet Witch Milia Ramsey, Rain Witch Anita Raymond, Storm Witch Clothilde Russell, Explosion Witch Kylie Peak, Slippery Witch Rachel Raya,
Wax Witch Lisa Truman, Flower Witch Sophie Ruiz, Bubble Witch Shirley Rice, Thread Witch Blair Berry, you need to swear to God that every word you say in the courtroom is true and credible."
Albert said.
"I, Aisley Ross, swear to God that every word I say is true."
"Milia Ramsey swears to God that every word I say is true."
"Anita Raymond swears to God that every word I say is true."
"Clothilde—"
After the ten witches swore their oaths, Albert then asked, "Now tell me, were you instructed by Eydel Krest to kill Lee Shey, the descendant of the Creed family?
Moria."
"Yes."
The witches' answers caused the big figures in the audience to have different expressions. Some were wondering about Beidel's motives,
Some had playful smiles on their faces, while others focused their attention on the plaintiff, Lee Shey.
What was it about this recently rising junior of the Moria family that made His Holiness the Pope make such an arrangement?
