Chapter 650 : Spirit Tribunal

เผยแพร่เมื่อ 14 มี.ค. 2569 06:39

Night had fallen. The moon hung high in the sky, and stars scattered across the heavens. On a small, restricted balcony, a mature woman with golden hair sat quietly. She wore a plain white robe and was seated on a chair before a small tea table stacked with documents. Holding one sheet in hand, her expression was solemn as she studied it closely. Amanda gazed at the document in her hand for a long moment, then took a deep breath and set it down. Turning her head, she looked at the translucent, spectral nun quietly standing nearby and spoke slowly. “Is that all?” “This is the entirety of the preliminary investigation report on the assault at the Hymn Cathedral in Tivian. What’s written here are the findings currently confirmed.” With her hands folded calmly before her, the spectral nun Ivy continued in an even tone. “It is now confirmed that the organization behind the attack was the Wolfblood Society, one of the three sects of the Afterbirth Cult. Among the attackers was a Crimson-rank Dread Devourer Direwolf. The Wolfblood Society used some method to create a puppet that could nearly perfectly imitate the aura of a Crimson-rank Beyonder, in order to lure away Despenser’s Crimson-rank combatants. “However, due to Acting Archbishop Vania Chafferon’s caution, not all of Despenser’s Crimsons were lured away at once. Prince Harold, one of them, remained behind per her recommendation. Because of that, he was able to arrive in time when the Cathedral was attacked. With Sister Vania’s support, he successfully killed the invading Dread Devourer Direwolf. The remaining members of the Wolfblood Society were also nearly wiped out.” Ivy calmly summarized the findings regarding the recent assault. Amanda, listening as she spoke, rubbed her temples. “Vania Chafferon… it’s you again, is it? It hasn’t even been long since the Glamorne incident. Hah, and now she’s entangled with yet another clandestine society—this time the Wolfblood Society. What’s next?” Amanda spoke with a touch of exasperated laughter, seemingly used to Vania’s tendency to attract trouble. At this rate, she mused, nearly every major secret organization might end up tied to that girl in some way. “Still… I had already predicted that something might happen at the Hymn Cathedral. The original Archbishop was absent, and the newly appointed one had yet to arrive. News of this would naturally tempt ill-meaning factions. That’s why I recommended Vania as Acting Archbishop—to serve as a deterrent while the bureaucracy dragged on. “I estimated something might happen within a few days, but I didn’t expect it to escalate this far. A Crimson-rank cultist personally leading an assault on a temple-grade cathedral—something like that hasn’t happened in a long time.” Amanda continued, acknowledging that the incident’s occurrence had been within expectations, but its scale and severity had surpassed them. An attack like this, a direct assault by a Crimson-rank heretic on a cathedral in a major nation’s capital, usually only occurred during full-scale Holy Wars. “According to some of the current findings, news of the Cathedral’s Crimson-rank vacancy had begun spreading within Tivian’s mystical world several days before the attack. The likely source of that leak was the Eight-Spired Nest—it appears to be a retaliatory act against our interference during the Glamorne incident.” Ivy continued evenly. Amanda, hearing this, set the document on the tea table, took a sip of tea, and spoke slowly. “I heard the Inquisition wants to use this incident to target Sister Vania again?” “Yes, that’s true. Their claim is based on inconsistencies in the initial report Sister Vania submitted—specifically regarding the battle with the Dread Devourer Direwolf. Some parts contradict prior Church records of such encounters. “In her report, the Direwolf breached the Hymn Cathedral via long-distance leap, then infiltrated the Forbidden Archive in search of an item. After retrieving it, it encountered Prince Harold, who had stayed behind. A fierce battle ensued. Prince Harold, caught off guard, inhaled miasma and became severely weakened, but the Direwolf was also heavily depleted. Ultimately, with Sister Vania’s timely support, the weakened Harold was able to slay the Direwolf. “However, according to the records from the Historical Scripture Department, the Dread Devourer Direwolf is known to possess a berserk ability that activates before death. That ability was absent in Vania’s report, and the Inquisition’s investigative team is using that as grounds to question the report’s authenticity.” Ivy continued to report with a neutral expression. Listening, Amanda closed her eyes briefly, recalling the details. Then, slowly, she opened them and spoke. “Since the establishment of the Scripture Combat Archive over 800 years ago, we’ve recorded more than 70 encounters with Dread Devourer Direwolves. Over 20 of those were direct combat engagements—most during the Muddy Stream War. Across those 20+ conflicts, the Direwolves displayed no fewer than nine distinct abilities. Each battle involved different power manifestations, likely due to their nature of assimilating traits through devouring other Beyonders. “To this day, we still don’t know how many abilities they possess, nor what kinds of traits can alter their powers. It remains a mystery. No one can definitively state what a Direwolf is capable of in a given state. To accuse a frontline warrior just because a previously seen ability failed to manifest… that’s exactly the kind of nonsense those fanatics would pull.” Amanda’s tone showed clear displeasure. She had evidently studied Direwolves and considered herself qualified to speak on the matter. The Inquisition’s attempt to indict Vania based on ability discrepancies clearly didn’t sit well with her. “That said… in the 20+ direct conflict records, there were only three confirmed kills and one near-death escape. All four cases included reports of berserk transformations. That might imply the berserk ability is a fixed trait when near death. So the absence of it in this latest case is indeed suspicious—but only suspicious. Not enough for a formal accusation. “After all, there are many instances where an ability fails to activate, or does so with diminished results—often due to the Beyonder’s condition. Without firsthand experience of the fight, no one should speak so recklessly.” Amanda continued. While she acknowledged the presence of an inconsistency in Vania’s report, she clearly believed it didn’t merit a full investigation. At that point, Ivy began to add more details. “Speaking of the Beyonder’s condition—in the latest investigation updates, it seems the Inquisition has also confirmed that the Dread Devourer Direwolf was in poor shape during the battle, so there is indeed a possibility of an ability failure.” “Oh… a new update? Tell me more.” Amanda, hearing Ivy’s comment, asked with curiosity, and Ivy calmly explained. “After the Direwolf was slain in the Hymn Cathedral incident, Sister Vania didn’t remain idle. After providing initial treatment to Prince Harold, she immediately reorganized the post-battle security force of the Cathedral’s Defense Unit, and coordinated with Pritt authorities to initiate a large-scale citywide hunt for remaining members of the Wolfblood Society. Many cultist remnants were either killed or captured. Those taken alive were later handed over to the arriving Inquisition investigation team. “Once in Inquisition custody, identity verification and interrogation began immediately. Most were low-ranking apprentices without valuable intel. Only one White Ash-rank figure was considered a big catch. He and another White Ash attempted to resist capture—one was apprehended, the other died in battle. Of the three White Ash members who directly attacked the Cathedral, the final outcome was: one dead, one captured, one missing.” “Hmm… a White Ash-rank officer. Even if they’re just aides to the Crimson-rank or carrying out key roles, there’s likely a lot to extract from them. Though… with the Beast Path’s pain tolerance, getting them to talk through torture is tough…” Amanda mused. Ivy nodded and continued. “Indeed. The Inquisition tried various tortures on the captured werewolf, but he never gave in. Instead, he mocked the interrogators. They intensified the torture and subjected him to six continuous hours of extreme physical torment, but still, he didn’t break. Once he regained his ability to speak, he continued to taunt them. Clearly, his devotion to the Gluttonous King and loyalty to the Wolfblood Society ran very deep. “Determining that this werewolf was a hardline fanatic resistant to all conventional means, the Inquisition finally resorted to their ultimate method. Using a soul-binding ritual set up within the Hymn Cathedral, they executed the werewolf and then interrogated his spirit directly through spirit tribunal. “In earlier attempts to summon the spirits of slain high-ranking Wolfblood members, they had failed—presumably due to advanced spiritual protection. So this time, they set the ritual at the highest possible rank they could muster.” Ivy explained quietly. Amanda, listening, murmured with some reflection: “Spirit tribunal… The Inquisition’s foolproof ultimate interrogation method. After all, a dead person’s soul always speaks, and cannot lie. Whatever is spoken reflects the soul’s true knowledge. Though… the price can be high—and occasionally, it creates rather awkward situations for the Inquisition…” Amanda’s “awkward situations” referred to wrongful convictions. In eras dominated by religious inquisitions, inquisitors could accuse people arbitrarily, leading to high rates of false charges. Most innocent people succumbed to torture and confessed falsely. But the rare few who remained defiant under agony sometimes forced the Inquisition into conducting a spirit tribunal. If, after execution, the spirit continued to assert innocence, the entire case would collapse. The inquisitor responsible wouldn’t just lose the trial—they would have to answer for executing an innocent soul. Although the wrongly condemned would be exonerated, they would still be dead. The responsible inquisitor would face punishment, but the Church’s reputation would already have suffered serious damage. Historically, such examples were not uncommon—particularly in trials against low-ranking Beyonders, nobles, or commoners. During the Muddy Stream War, the rate of wrongful convictions grew so high that the Inquisition occasionally skipped trials and went straight to torture—resulting in even worse consequences. Back on the balcony, Ivy continued her calm report. “The spirit tribunal of that werewolf quickly yielded results. He confessed everything he knew. His real name was Bill Max, operating in Tivian under the alias Warren Hunt. His superior—the Crimson-rank Dread Devourer Direwolf who died in the attack—was named Duval, one of the Wolfblood Society’s elders. “Through Bill’s testimony, we now understand their goal: the raid on the Hymn Cathedral was to seize a mystical text sealed in the Forbidden Archive. When they learned that the Cathedral lacked a Crimson-rank combatant, they began preparing days in advance and launched the attack only once all preparations were complete. “According to him, one crucial part of the operation involved decoys. The lifelike decoy puppets that nearly perfectly mimicked the mystical signature of a Crimson-rank Direwolf were a new technology developed by the Wolfblood Society. These were created by corrupting ordinary beastkins using the fresh essence and flesh of a real Direwolf. “However, the technology is still immature and comes with flaws. The Direwolf donating the fresh essence suffers temporary ability degradation. Duval himself provided the essence for the decoys, and since the flesh had to remain fresh, he couldn’t extract it ahead of time and slowly recover—he had to proceed while still injured. “In their original plan, no Crimson-rank opponents were expected, so even with some ability loss, Duval’s participation wouldn’t have jeopardized the mission. Still, he reportedly objected to the procedure and even negotiated with other elders in the Wolfblood Society. In the end, he agreed to go through with it, personally performing the extraction surgery. Bill Max was in charge of external logistics. “According to the latest testimony, Duval’s failure to enter berserk mode before death was likely caused by the use of this incomplete extraction technique. A series of unforeseen complications ultimately led to his demise. “After extracting this intel, the Inquisition seems to have dropped any intention of pressing Sister Vania further. Prince Harold, who had just barely recovered, also submitted his testimony, which matched Sister Vania’s report. Bill Max’s account corroborated Harold’s, eliminating any grounds for doubting her. While the Inquisition won’t formally rescind the accusations right away—likely due to saving face—they no longer plan to pursue it.” Ivy’s report concluded, and Amanda nodded after thinking it over, then replied. “Experimental tech, huh? A bunch of latent berserkers trying to be inventors—pretty inspiring, really. It's no wonder things went wrong… And even if they’ve learned their lesson, they probably won’t take it to heart.” With a faint smile, Amanda continued, glancing back at Ivy. “Since they went as far as a spirit tribunal, I imagine that wasn’t all the intel Bill Max gave, right?” “Correct. According to Bill Max’s confession, this operation was also aided by another branch of the Afterbirth Cult—the Filth Coven. They not only sent a White Ash-rank member to participate directly, but also provided Duval with a ‘gift’—a parasite…”

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