Chapter 200
He wanted to look back at the spectator seats, but unfortunately, there was no time for that.
“Under the holy gaze of God Katzel, we will now begin the Mediale religious trial, with not a single lie allowed.”
The presiding judge announced, his gavel ringing crisply through the hall. The crowd rose as one, reciting prayers.
Payne, too, prayed to Katzel for the first time in ages.
‘Let what she’s about to do not be in vain.’
It wasn’t a prayer to glorify Katzel or honor the temple, but in reply, a faint trace of divine power trickled into him—
Like a thin thread of hope he could barely hold on to.
Before Payne even managed to sit down, Van raised a hand.
“Before we begin, I request that the Pope and Cardinal Prohmen conduct an additional examination.”
“Additional examination?”
“Van, what are you doing?”
The knight escorting Payne hurried over and whispered to Van, but Van ignored him, keeping his eyes on the Pope and the cardinal.
“I would like to call Sir Duvalkan, who was taken to the demon realm, as a witness.”
“Sir Duvalkan?”
The courtroom buzzed as Duvalkan stood abruptly and pulled back his hood.
With his glossy golden hair and charming smile, he looked no different from before the abduction, but Payne noticed the exhaustion in his blue eyes and felt a pang of concern.
‘So, in the end…’
It seemed Ashtel’s sisters had gotten to him.
But more important was what Duvalkan was about to do.
“Your Holiness, Pope, and Your Eminence, Cardinal Prohmen. For the past ten days, I was in the demon realm.”
“What? The demon realm?”
“Are you saying you’re standing here with a corrupted body…?”
“No. I haven’t been corrupted. That’s because Sir Van rescued me.”
The reality was more complicated, but the two knights nodded at each other, sticking to their story.
“What I want to say is that Father Payne had nothing to do with the traces of demons found inside Mediale.”
“Do you have any proof?”
“I am the proof.”
At that moment, Ashtel suddenly stood up from her seat.
Her sudden appearance startled Payne, making his shoulders jerk.
“Payne was with me the whole time.”
“And you are…?”
“I’m the maid who used to work here.”
Pope Serena frowned, letting out a sigh. There was no way she could remember every low-ranking maid.
She signaled to the attendants, and those who knew Ashtel confirmed with nods that she had indeed worked there.
Cardinal Prohmen, however, gritted his teeth, catching on to the shifting situation.
“If anything, that only makes it more suspicious. The paladins of Medille have already determined you’re a high-level succubus, thanks to Father Payne’s investigation. Are you now walking into the jaws of hell on your own?”
At the word ‘succubus’,the clergy sitting near Ashtel sprang to their feet and quickly backed away.
They whispered nervously, holding up their crosses and murmuring prayers. Ashtel simply snorted in amusement.
At a gesture from Prohmen, the paladins began to surround her, forming a line.
Ashtel just watched this calmly, tossing her golden hair and folding her arms.
“I’m not a demon, though.”
“…What?”
“I said, I’m not a demon.”
“Nonsense. We know you’re the one who kidnapped Father Payne and Sir Duvalkan!”
“Oh, come on. If anyone kidnapped Sir Duvalkan, it was some other demon. As for Payne, he ran away with me because we’re in love. It wasn’t a kidnapping.”
“….”
It was all such nonsense that Payne finally realized what Ashtel was up to.
She must have actually succeeded in becoming fully human—and most likely forced Duvalkan and Van into cooperating with her for this trial.
“I’m human. Completely human.”
“And how can you prove that…?”
“If you don’t believe me, you’re welcome to throw some holy water at me.”
Ashtel flashed a confident smirk.
Now that he looked, she wasn’t wearing her usual maid uniform but a resplendent noblewoman’s gown embroidered with gold thread.
Prohmen took in Ashtel’s refined appearance and started to wonder if she really was just a succubus disguised as a maid.
‘But how…?’
He did find traces of demonic presence throughout Mediale, even if faint. He’d checked them himself.
If Ashtel wasn’t the succubus who took Payne, then who was? And if she wasn’t the one who took Duvalkan, then who did?
“Holy water… Have her drink it, now!”
According to Van, a succubus could take human form, but would immediately react to holy water.
So, if she drank even a mouthful, the truth would be revealed.
But Ashtel calmly took the cup offered by a priest and drank it down without the slightest discomfort, even tipping the empty cup upside down.
“Any more? I could drink ten more glasses.”
“This is… impossible…”
Looking over at Van in disbelief, they saw him bow politely and explain.
“It’s true that a succubus infiltrated the temple. But Father Payne had nothing to do with it.”
“Then who is the succubus, if not that maid?!”
The cardinal was practically shouting when, suddenly, a thunderous rumble echoed through the hall.
Boom. Boom.
The vibrations shaking the temple grew steadily stronger.
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