Chapter 100
Chapter 100. Render Judgement
The gray marble boasted a surface so flawless that it seemed to reflect even the sins of those standing upon it. Arrayed in a semi-circle on this platform were benches shrouded in deep velvet, and in front, the floor descended to about half the height of a person. In the topmost seats sat twenty Tessibanian nobles, and in the very first row were the Grand Priest and eight high priests, ready to pass divine judgement. Behind them, without chairs, stood the stern-faced members of the Dawn Knight Order against the back wall.
Though a seat on the Grand Priest’s left remained vacant, it was clearly reserved, as no one else filled it.
Marquis Marche Vintero looked up at the ceiling, his face hardly relaxing. Like most temple buildings, a round glass ceiling was overhead, but at its center dangled a scale-shaped sculpture, perilously hanging as if it could fall at any moment.
‘How could the Empress of Tessibania be judged in such a place? And before those whose ability to represent divine will I doubt…’
He lowered his head, which he had raised in contemplation. As his gaze fell, shadows crossed over his eyes.
This temple, accessible to everyone yet avoided by most, bore the name ‘Divine Judgement,’ a space created solely for sacred trials. Here stood the Empress of Tessibania, under the gaze of God, more pristine than ever in a plain white dress and a thin veil that covered her nose and eyes.
Through the translucent veil, her calm face, sculpted in serene lines, showed no hint of regret or fear.
Her blue eyes, which had been passively observing the scales on the ceiling reflected in the marble, eventually lifted, causing several Tessibanian nobles above, including Marquis Gendal who had contributed to placing the Empress in this position, to turn away.
The hastily prepared divine trial omitted many usual procedures. As the Grand Priest lifted a silver bell, the massive black leather-bound doors opened. Soon after, armed paladins entered the court in a long procession.
Clad in silver armor and helmets, their movements, holding swords pointed down, were impeccably disciplined. The paladins encircled the circular space in evenly spaced intervals, raised their swords high on two counts, and then brought them down.
The overwhelming presence intensified the tension in the air.
The sudden change caused murmurs among the Tessibanian nobility; the high priests at the front were no exception.
“Your Holiness, you mentioned the preparations were insufficient, yet it proceeds as if nothing is amiss. Were they always armed? I don’t recall that being the case…”
The Grand Priest, puzzled by the ring of paladins that now surrounded them, glanced around. The absence of the senior priest had left them with just enough staff to conduct the trial, yet here was an unexpected turn.
The arrival of the armed paladins wasn’t the last surprise. Soon, clerics in white robes flooded in. Ten, twenty, forty… it seemed as if every cleric of the temple had entered.
Marquis Marche Vintero stood abruptly.
“Grand Priest! Even though she has been summoned here, she is still the Empress of Tessibania! How can you reduce her to a mere spectacle by summoning such a crowd?”
“Sit down, Marquis Marche Vintero. What kind of behavior is this in a sacred court?”
“Marquis Gendal…!”
Marquis Marche Vintero sat down, his face stricken with grief, as Marquis Gendal smirked venomously.
At the front, the Grand Priest frowned at the late arrival of the senior priest, who took the empty seat on the Grand Priest’s left. The Grand Priest whispered urgently.
“What is the meaning of this, senior priest?”
“Did you not say you represent the will of God? It is only right that other clerics share in this historic first step.”
“Come to my chamber after the trial is concluded.”
“Understood.”
The senior priest bowed slightly. The Grand Priest, clearly displeased, also looked straight ahead and raised a palm-sized silver bell.
Ting, ting, ting—
The bell tolled three times. The clear sound initiating the sacred trial filled the majestic space and then faded into an eerie silence.
The highest-ranking priest on the far right stood.
“Under the gaze of Urogia, we commence this sacred trial. Are you, Vinea de Tessibania, the Empress of Tessibania?”
“Yes,” Vinea responded.
Her resonant voice echoed through the courtroom as the priest began to list her alleged crimes.
“You stand accused of unauthorized use of the divine miracle, Sefitiana.”
“I deny it.”
“Of using divine power to cloud the mind of Emperor Tatar de Tessibania.”
“I deny it.”
“Of attempting to sever the divine bond between Emperor Tatar de Tessibania and Maxiul de Tessibania through ruthless means.”
“I deny it.”
“Of violating the oath to a partner before God and killing Emperor Tatar de Tessibania.”
“I deny it.”
“Of deceiving the citizens of the Tessibania Empire by concealing all these facts.”
“I deny it.”
“Lastly, of attempting to deceive the Grand Priest appointed to bestow salvation upon all creation by the divine revelation.”
At each accusation, Vinea’s lips curved under her veil, the first sign of emotion. Finally, she posed a question instead of a denial.
“Let me ask, Grand Priest, are you truly the recipient of divine revelation?”
“Impudence…!”
As the Grand Priest exploded in anger, Vinea turned her gaze to the surrounding priests. Regardless of age or tenure at the temple, they all served with a sacred commitment.
“I ask again. Does the noble god who weighs the death of hundreds of humans and a single wild animal equally truly guide just one person?”
Vinea’s voice, laden with an ominous authority, filled the temple.
As the priests remained silent, forbidden from speaking out of turn in a sacred trial, skeptical looks were cast towards the Grand Priest.
“Answer, Grand Priest. Does your god truly decree me a heretic and accuse me of all these crimes?”
“Silence!”
The Grand Priest’s booming voice froze the stirring atmosphere. Vinea’s clear gaze met his as he shook his white beard and shouted.
“There is evidence! The day you and the Emperor of Tessibania visited the cellar where Sefitiana was kept, a divine miracle occurred there! All high priests present have witnessed it!”
The front-row priests nodded. They too had seen the cellar sprinkling light in response to holy water, undeniable evidence that someone had witnessed a divine miracle there.
The Grand Priest raised his arm, and his white sleeve fluttered as the senior priest at the end stood with a small vial on a silver tray before Vinea.
“You ingested this truth serum and deceived me! Once more, in this court, I ask you, Empress of Tessibania. Are you truly uninvolved in the disappearance of Sefitiana? Answer after drinking the truth serum!”
“This is outrageous! Can’t the trial be stopped immediately! How can you subject the Empress of the Empire to such humiliation! This matter should be handled by the Empire!”
As Marquis Marche Vintero stood again, about to step down towards the stage where Vinea stood, a paladin raised his sword to block him.
Simultaneously, members of the Dawn Knight Order also drew their swords, the two factions aiming their blades at each other, threateningly.
Marquis Gendal sneered from his seat toward the stage.
“What will you do, Empress, if this leads to war? It’s a simple matter. Just ingest the truth serum and confess your innocence in front of everyone, and it will all be over.”
“Shut up, Marquis Gendal! How dare you call yourself a noble of Tessibania?”
Though Marquis Marche Vintero was enraged, Marquis Gendal kept smirking as he looked down at the stage. His gaze, along with Marquis Marche Vintero’s, fell on Vinea.
Holding the vial of truth serum, Vinea blinked slowly, her eyes deep like the ocean.
As the silence prolonged and time dragged on, the atmosphere sharply divided.
Refusing to drink the truth serum was in itself an admission of guilt. Even if the trial was canceled and her safety returned to the Empire, all the suspicions would become established facts in history.
The Grand Priest shouted towards Vinea.
“Do you admit to deceiving God, threatening the Empire, and betraying the faith of the people? Confess the truth here and now!”
Vinea’s gaze fell from the greenish vial. After a brief silence, her lips parted.
“Grand Priest, are you asking me to reveal the truth in the same manner twice? If that doesn’t satisfy you, will you force me to ingest a third dose of truth serum?”
Vinea handed the truth serum back to the cleric in front of her. She then took a small bottle from her bosom and raised it high.
Murmurs spread among the clerics who recognized the bottle.
“That’s holy water?”
“How could she…”
“Indeed. But isn’t it forbidden to casually hand it to anyone who isn’t a cleric?”
“What exactly does she intend to do with it…”
As enough eyes were on her, Vinea opened the bottle. The Grand Priest, flustered, slammed the table, causing the bell placed upon it to tinkle softly.
“To bring such a counterfeit into this sacred court!”
Vinea, bowing her head, suddenly burst into laughter. Her shoulders shook as she lifted her head, her blue eyes curling at the corners with the force of a summer typhoon.
“I will prove my innocence to God, not to you.”
She poured the transparent holy water over
her head as she stood.
