The Truth Emerges

## 91

People floundered in confusion. Several noble ladies had already fainted.

It wasn’t just the others who were horrified. The three archbishops seated on the tribunal also showed clear signs of shock. However, perhaps due to pride, they forced themselves to remain seated with stiff expressions.

“Oh, my God! Heaven, how could this happen!”

A noblewoman cried out loudly. The white-bearded archbishop, unwilling to be outdone, shouted at the corpses.

“You blasphemous and evil things! What is this outrage in the sacred cathedral’s tribunal? Everyone, calm down! This place is guarded by three archbishops, priests, and holy knights!”

As the archbishop shouted, the commotion subsided slightly.

Meanwhile, the holy knights drew their swords and surrounded the corpses. Fortunately, the corpses stood rooted to their spots, not moving a muscle. They only wept tears of blood and moved their lips.

“That man dug me up from the earth when I was peacefully sleeping to go to God’s embrace!”

One corpse pointed its finger at the Inquisitor Casto and cried out.

“He dragged me out of God’s embrace, threw me into a basement, and cut off my head!”

Another corpse shouted in succession, pointing at Inquisitor Casto.

“That wicked man dug up my grave and defiled my corpse!”

As a small-statured corpse shouted, the people were even more horrified. Defiling a corpse—there could be no more terrible deed.

“That malicious man dug up my corpse and used it for lies, so I have not yet been able to go into God’s embrace.”

One corpse wept tears of blood and lamented.

Jeha watched the scene and thought, ‘If three people gather, they can create a tiger where none exists. What can four corpses do?’

“No! No! This is sorcery! Magic! How can dead corpses rise and speak!”

Inquisitor Casto shouted angrily. But despite his words, his body trembled like an aspen leaf. As he screamed, the corpses simultaneously turned toward him. Then, weeping tears of blood, they spoke in turn.

“You threatened Hanna: if she didn’t give false testimony, you would condemn her as a witch and have her killed.”

“You promised Paul a large sum of money if he gave false testimony.”

“You promised Jeremy Richter a high title and a huge fortune if he gave false testimony.”

“To frame the Marchioness as a witch, you dug us poor souls from our graves, cut off our heads, and defiled us.”

Having spoken in turn, the four corpses suddenly knelt on the spot. And they began to pray.

“God, save your poor servant.”

“God, save your poor servant.”

“God, save your poor servant.”

“God, save your poor servant.”

After finishing the brief prayer simultaneously, the four corpses collapsed face-first.

The vast tribunal was enveloped in silence. Everyone wore a dazed expression, as if unable to believe what had just happened.

People’s gazes slowly shifted to Inquisitor Casto, who was trembling in a corner. Feeling the stares directed at him, Casto suddenly screamed and ranted.

“This is the witch’s trickery! It’s been revealed that woman is a witch! Moving dead corpses—she must have made a pact with a demon! That woman is definitely a witch!”

Inquisitor Casto pointed at Marchioness Scarlet and shouted desperately. At that moment, Hereis, who had been quietly silent as if absent, rose from his seat.

“Marchioness Scarlet endured the humiliation of being naked and was thoroughly examined for a demonic pact mark. Holy female priests examined her entire body with holy power, and no pact mark was found. Priest Casto, are you now claiming that the cathedral’s examination was unfair?”

Hereis’s words echoed heavily through the vast tribunal. Inquisitor Casto’s face flushed bright red.

“No, no, that’s not it. That’s not it… But think about it! How can dead corpses move and speak? It’s clearly evil magic! Isn’t it?!”

Panicked, Inquisitor Casto looked around at the audience, seeking agreement. But just like when Marchioness Scarlet was judged guilty, no one sided with him.

“Believe me! Someone must have tampered with those corpses! A demon! A demon moved those corpses!”

Inquisitor Casto kept pleading. People began to murmur softly.

The three archbishops put their heads together and whispered. Among them was Hereis. After a brief whisper, the archbishops sat back down. Hereis stepped forward and spoke.

“Priest Casto’s words have some merit, so I will personally use holy power on the corpses to check for traces of demons.”

At Hereis’s words, people showed obvious relief. On the other hand, Casto could not hide his anxious expression.

Hereis descended from his seat and approached the fallen corpses. He recited a short prayer, then placed his hand on each corpse’s forehead, channeling holy power. It was so strong that people could see the light. Watching, everyone muttered short prayers.

After releasing holy power on all four corpses, Hereis stood up. And he said to the two archbishops.

“There is absolutely no trace of evil sorcery or demonic involvement in the corpses.”

Hearing that, people began to murmur in earnest.

Embarrassment spread across the faces of the two archbishops. They had only come to pronounce Marchioness Scarlet guilty. They surely hadn’t expected this situation.

“Witnesses! Then what about the witnesses’ testimonies?!”

Jeha jumped up from his seat and shouted. People’s gazes turned to Jeha, then all at once to the witnesses. Feeling suspicious looks upon them, the witnesses stiffened.

“May I conduct another interrogation myself?”

Hereis asked the two archbishops. The white-bearded archbishop’s face hardened. But many nobles were casting suspicious glances. He had no choice but to allow it.

In the end, the two archbishops nodded. Hereis walked toward the witnesses and was about to speak. Suddenly, the maid Hanna fell to her knees and began to wail.

“Forgive me! Forgive me! I was threatened: if I didn’t give false testimony, I would be branded a witch and burned at the stake. Marchioness, I am so sorry! Please forgive me! Oh, God, forgive me!”

As the maid Hanna sobbed, the servant also dropped to his knees.

“I had no way to get my daughter’s dowry. I couldn’t resist the temptation of a fortune I would never touch in my lifetime, and I committed a mortal sin…”

As the two witnesses confessed, nobles began to murmur loudly. To frame an innocent noble as a heretic and burn her by fabricating evidence and witnesses—this was a far more serious crime than insulting a noble.

“How dare you defile a noble!”

“To try to ruin a noble’s honor like this! And by a priest who serves God!”

“This cannot be!”

“Such an absurd thing happening—does His Holiness the Pope know of this?!”

“To defile corpses just to frame a poor widow as a witch. God will punish this!”

“This must be reported to His Imperial Majesty! We cannot let this slide!”

The enraged nobles raised their voices one after another. Embarrassment and perplexity were deeply etched on the faces of the archbishops, priests, and holy knights.

“Marchioness Scarlet is innocent!”

“Innocent!”

“The Marchioness was unfairly slandered!”

“The Marchioness is innocent!”

The nobles shouted in unison. Even the usually shy Miss Fanucci raised her voice, shouting “Innocent!” Her mother Mrs. Fanucci tugged at her daughter’s sleeve, but the girl was highly excited. Jeha, barely suppressing his laughter, raised his voice along with the other nobles, not forgetting to interject words that stoked the crowd’s excitement.

“This is tantamount to insulting all the nobles of the central continent!”

“Indeed!”

“If Marchioness Scarlet had died under a false accusation, the next target might have been one of us!”

“Indeed! Indeed!”

The enraged nobles united in voice, their shouts shaking the vast tribunal.

Hereis had quietly returned to his seat. He leaned in with the other archbishops, whose faces were rigid, and whispered softly. Guessing what Hereis might be saying, Jeha laughed inwardly. Even those great archbishops would have no choice but to follow Hereis’s words this time.