Chapter Seventy: Shaya: Blood Moon Saint Son? I don’t want to!
“Who allowed you Heretic Tribunal to take my people?!”
Rod smashed the table in front of him with a slap, his expression dark.
Wearing a full set of silver knight armor, he had just finished his daily training in the Judgment Tower when he heard the news and rushed over.
Recently, he had been preoccupied with handling the aftermath of the ancient gods’ resurrection event and tracing the whereabouts of the mysterious organization and the savior hero, which resulted in a lack of attention to certain matters in reality.
Moreover, the actions of the Heretic Tribunal were conducted covertly, so he had not received any warning.
Chief Justice Nidro gazed at the smashed wooden table, removed his glasses, and sighed, “The trunk of an adult withered wood spirit, soaked in deep sea oil wax for three years to form its natural patterns and coating, costs no less than one hundred thousand gold coins.”
“Remember to compensate.”
“Get lost, old man.” Rod took a step forward with a cold smile, the aura unique to the Royal Knight enveloping this area, causing many passing staff members to turn pale, “If such an absurd reason as heresy can be pinned on that brat, what can’t you do?”
Feeling the pressure from this junior, Chief Justice Nidro smiled faintly, “Has this broken through? No wonder you have the nerve to come here and cause a scene.”
“But, you know, that event happened a full fifteen years ago… you still don’t want to call me ‘teacher’?”
“Do you deserve it?”
A flicker of anger passed through Rod’s eyes.
He seemed to recall painful memories, his fists clenched tightly.
After a moment, he continued, “It is precisely because I know all too well what kind of devils the members of the Blood Moon Sect are, that I am certain that kid absolutely cannot be associated with the Blood Moon.”
“Furthermore, this is an internal matter of the Judgment Tower and should be handled internally.”
“Nidro, are you overstepping?”
“Oh? Are you sure?” Seeing his former student’s unyielding demeanor, Nidro’s face showed a strange smile, “To put aside the heretical incidents, which should be handled by the Heretic Tribunal, does not actually count as overstepping.”
“Take that kid for instance, hehe… are you sure he’s really the ordinary person you think he is?”
At this point, a glint of shock flashed in Nidro’s eyes.
As if he had just experienced something unbelievable.
“What do you mean?”
Rod frowned and spoke coldly.
“Talent, limits; from the moment people are born, these factors have already determined what achievements a person can reach in the future.”
“Perhaps there will be opportunities later in life, such as being favored by a deity or swallowing certain ancient potions, but those situations are exceedingly rare.”
Nidro waved his hand, and a clock-shaped magical matrix appeared on the ground, the minute hand slowly turning two spaces counterclockwise.
In the next moment, the chaotic items on the ground and the shattered remnants of the wooden table were instantly shrouded in a silvery glow.
Then, to Rod’s slight surprise, these items reformed back to their state from two minutes ago.
This old man has gotten considerably stronger.
Especially since, besides light magic, his second major was time magic.
This is a privilege of the higher-ups in the Church of Light.
After all, as the goddess who governs the sun, time and day also fall under her authority.
Nidro gently rested his arm on the table, revealing a contemplative expression, “I investigated this young man Shaya, and when he was very small, he underwent a talent assessment by the diocese. Later, when Mevis went to take apprentices, she also took a glance.”
“The evaluation was mediocre.”
“But ever since ten years ago, when his hometown was slaughtered by an unknown invading force, he made his way to the Royal Capital and slowly began to exhibit some unusual traits.”
“Though he has done so covertly, we have still traced back to when he once went by the alias ‘Cain’ and was active on Minden Street, rapidly raising his power to that of a squire, even approaching that of a Grand Knight.”
“He even has a namesake identity as a well-known author at Saint Frey Publishing House.”
“Using this as a foundation, he quickly amassed a fortune and secretly sought rare materials that appeared to be used for cult rituals, among which was abyssal stone powder.”
A flicker of shock crossed Rod’s eyes.
He truly did not know that Shaya had such a past.
“According to my speculation, this young man likely became involved with the Blood Moon Sect after the tragedy at home, becoming a part of it, lost to the desire for vengeance, and chasing power as a result.”
Nidro continued to elaborate.
After a moment of silence, Rod quietly replied, “All of this is merely your wishful thinking.”
“Then, would you like to see some decisive evidence?” Nidro smiled, “You will be absolutely shocked.”
Moments later.
Under Nidro’s lead, the two arrived at the underground prison of the Heretic Tribunal.
Since the surroundings were filled with thick dirt and rock layers, escaping from such a place was nearly impossible.
The underground prison was divided into nine levels; the deeper it went, the stronger the imprisoned criminals’ powers and the deeper their sins.
After Shaya was detected to possess the strength of a Totem Knight, combined with his sensitive identity, he was unsurprisingly locked in the deepest level of the underground prison.
Since his arrest, he had not attempted to resist but complied with the Heretic Tribunal’s arrangements, remaining so calm that even the knights who captured him found it somewhat unusual.
“……”
Leaning down from the highest viewing platform, Rod cast his gaze into the unlit, cold prison.
Soon, his eyes locked onto a particular cell.
The ninth-level area currently had no other prisoners.
Because such heinous criminals usually faced the light of the Holy Fire for judgment in the center square of the Church on the appointed judgment day, being hung on the Faith Pillar and turned to ashes.
The Church had always dealt ruthlessly with heretics and cultists.
If nothing unusual occurred, Shaya would likely face a similar fate.
In the dim light of the magical source, he saw Shaya’s current condition.
Then, his pupils constricted!
At this moment, Shaya was submerged in an icy spring, his hands and feet shackled, unable to move freely, while being bombarded by a perpetual stream of cold air, restricting his mobility.
His eyes were tightly shut, his upper body bare, sitting quietly on the ground with a calm expression.
But that wasn’t the key point.
What sent chills down Rod’s spine was the bright red Blood Moon mark on Shaya’s chest, embellished with nine纹理, stamped right in the center.
Rod’s gaze faltered, then he looked to the silently waiting Chief Justice Nidro.
“Nine?”
“That’s right. When I saw it before, I had a reaction similar to yours.” Nidro sighed, “Nine, that surpasses the number of Mansfield. What could possibly be of higher status than him as leader?”
The Blood Moon Saint Son.
This term rose unbidden in both of their minds.
Having received unprecedented favor from the Goddess of the Bright Moon, he represented the deity among mortals; in the past, he would have been exalted to a divine pedestal, hailed as a “Saint.”
Rod was deeply impacted by this news, and after a long time, his mood calmed slightly.
Recalling earlier, when Sital had told him that this was his most proud student and hoped he would take good care of him, Rod had indeed done so.
Looking back now, it was truly laughable.
This person, blessed with the deity’s favor and strength gained through evil rituals, had inconceivably surpassed Sital, and the gap between him and Rod was reduced to just one realm.
The title of Royal Knight was merely a title, while this realm was commonly referred to as “Holy Knight.”
“I want to have a few words with him.”
After a long silence, Rod spoke quietly.
Chief Justice Nidro nodded.
What followed was the youngest presiding judge of the Judgment Tower slowly descending the stone steps, arriving before Shaya’s cell.
“Do you still recognize me?”
Rod spoke slowly.
Hearing this, Shaya opened his eyes and looked at the man before him.
Being soaked in the icy spring was not a pleasant sensation; a chilling feeling wrapped around his body, leaving him unable to move.
However, compared to the agony of being engulfed by the Black Mist, this sensation felt like mere tickling.
“Judge?”
Upon recognizing the male figure before him, Shaya smiled slightly and said.
“You still wish to call me Judge.” Rod said expressionlessly. “But you have already betrayed the original purpose of the Judgment Tower, becoming a part of heresy.”
“I’ve said it many times, I do not know what you are talking about.”
Shaya sighed and replied.
In fact, he had not met this Judge many times; they encountered once at the dueling ground, and later when he reported to the Judgment Tower, Selly introduced him once.
Ultimately, Shaya felt no sense of belonging to the Judgment Tower organization.
Rather, he had taken advantage of the organization’s name to exert pressure a few times.
“Are you really unaware of what this mark on your chest signifies?”
Rod glanced at the crimson mark and说道.
Shaya froze for a moment, then gently shook his head, “I don’t know.”
He only knew that he was currently the primary surveillance target of Beatrice, that green tea bitch.
“The Blood Moon Saint Son, a being who surpasses the leader of the sect, Mansfield; everything you do represents the will of the Goddess of the Bright Moon.”
“I don’t want to…”
After a long silence, he helplessly sighed, responding.
He truly did not understand the significance of this mark nor did he know he had long been targeted by the Heretic Tribunal.
Only under Rod’s explanation did he realize.
It turns out this mark had such implications too; it was simply outrageous.
Beatrice a submissive masochist?
Clearly, he had humiliated her, yet in the end, she treated him this way?
This matter was indeed too ridiculous, so much so that he didn’t know where to start.
Should he recount the series of events that occurred after heading to the Abyss Palace?
Then the surrounding people’s gazes towards him would likely shift from astonishment to horror.
Compared to the Black Mist and the Witch, the Blood Moon Sect immediately became an inconsequential existence; after all, the difference between disrupting a diocese and disrupting an entire continent was something any sane person could understand.
That was the true heresy.
Thus, at this moment, Shaya found himself somewhat speechless.
Rod looked deeply at him and then said, “I will try my best to transfer you to the Judgment Tower, but I cannot guarantee success; after all, as a heretic, you cannot escape judgment.”
“In the tower… the most intolerable are traitors.”
“If I fail, you will most likely face the judgment of the Holy Fire in front of countless spectators one week later on the large mass ceremony of the Church.”
“In short, prepare yourself psychologically.”
After saying this, Rod left.
Watching his back, Shaya silently smiled.
…
At Mevis’s residence.
“Has the time for judgment been set?”
A mysterious man dressed in a black robe sat on the sofa, speaking blandly to Mevis.
His collar was embroidered with a broken sun emblem.
However, from the voice, it was clear that the mysterious man who Shaya met on the day of the Harvesting Ritual was certainly not this one.
After all, this kind of attire was the unified garb of high-ranking members of the Twilight of the Gods organization.
Upon hearing this, Mevis surprisingly displayed a somewhat humble attitude.
She smiled and replied, “Lord Isaac, it has almost been set, probably for next weekend.”
“What a pity, such a perfect vessel has been wasted.” The black-robed mysterious man named Isaac shook his head. “However, since he has caused us a fair amount of trouble while pursuing the organization, it would be better to kill him.”
“Moreover, he is a favored servant of the Goddess of the Bright Moon; if he becomes too close, He may notice our dealings.”
Mevis did not respond, only nodding.
There was actually something she did not say.
As a male, Shaya was not suited to be a vessel for the goddess’s incarnation; yet strangely, within the Hiren Empire, the dominant faith was mostly that of goddesses.
The God of Justice and Judgment, the Goddess of Light, and the Goddess of Abundance, all faced the world in female forms.
Except for the God of Wisdom.
Yet someone with Shaya’s extreme leaning towards knighthood was also not suited to be a vessel for the supreme Trinity.
Unless… it wasn’t a faith within the Hiren Empire.
For instance, in the southernmost kingdom of Jemal, famous for its fierce and combative style, all people venerated the God of War; any being not a follower of the God of War would be seen as a heretic.
“I heard that boy seems to have some grievances with you?”
After a while, Isaac cast a glance at her, speaking blandly.
Mevis lowered her head, explaining, “Her sister is the number eight ‘Vessel of Incarnation,’ and had conflicts with my apprentice, but it’s not a big deal.”
“That’s true; it is meaningless to discuss these matters now.” Isaac chuckled, “After all, a week from now, he will be bound to the Faith Pillar and undergo the judgment of the Holy Fire before all.”
“It seems no one has ever survived the ‘baptism’ of the Holy Fire, right?”
Mevis nodded, “After all, that comes from the purest light power of the goddess, enough to burn away all the evils in the world.”
As they spoke these words, both showed no reaction, as if the term “evil” had no bearing on them whatsoever.
After all, for them, what they were doing was in order to save the world before the end times arrived.
Moments later, Isaac slowly stood up: “I’m leaving now.”
“The next focus, besides the Church of Light, is to continue investigating the mysterious person encountered by the ‘God-making faction’ that day; if we can recruit him to our side, that would definitely be a good thing.”
“After all, no one has ever appeared in history with the marks of three deities.”
…
“Hey, hey, have you heard? That infamous Shaya in the Royal Capital is actually a cultist?”
“Sigh, when I first heard this news, I was flabbergasted, apparently related to the Blood Moon Sect?”
“He really deserves to die, he deserved to be caught by the Heretic Tribunal, he deserves to be burned at the Faith Pillar.”
“Who would disagree?”
“Perhaps even his so-called talent was obtained through evil sacrifices; otherwise, there’s no way to explain how he could defeat Miss Angelica.”
“The Blood Moon cultists are indeed detestable, and he even claims to be the contemporary Blood Moon Saint Son. How many innocent lives have been lost under his influence?”
“It seems that on the day of the Church’s mass ceremony, it’s Sunday; will you go to the central square to watch the judgment?”
“Sure, it’s good to join in the excitement.”
“By the way, has the true identity of that nameless hero who saved the Royal Capital been found out?”
“Not yet, otherwise we should have received news immediately.”
“Comparing it like this is truly ironic; although they say that hero might just be an ordinary citizen among you and me, silently saving this city during the crisis, it seems we are still not lacking in evil existences like Shaya the Blood Moon cultist.”
“Don’t be ridiculous; that guy is not even worthy to be compared with the hero!”
Overnight, the news of Shaya being a cultist spread throughout the entire academy.
The heat of this news instantly overshadowed the students’ discussions about the ancient gods’ arrival and that nameless hero.
Shaya’s previously conservative reputation immediately turned one-sided.
Some students who had long envied him went to great lengths to defame and insult him, seeming to shamefully claim their association as fellow scholars.
While those in the academy who had originally leaned towards Shaya also fell silent.
In such a situation, not cutting off ties was already considered a favor; after all, with conclusive evidence, though it was still unclear what crime he committed, being a heretic was an absolute stain that could not be washed away.
In a matter of a few days, Shaya, who once defeated Angelica and was regarded as the top genius, swiftly became a target like any Blood Moon cultist, reviled by everyone.
They didn’t have the leisure to wait for the situation to play out completely nor did they think there would be a reversal; rather, they seized the high moral ground swiftly, looking down on him with accusations.
At the same time, within the academy’s apartments.
“Knock, knock, knock—”
Xivista anxiously knocked on the door of Shaya’s apartment.
Watching the door covered in various humiliating graffiti and messages, she let out a soft sigh.
After a while, the door was gently opened a crack.
Deyora’s somewhat haggard face appeared at the door.
Seeing who it was, she gave a slight apologetic smile, “Sorry for showing you such a sight.”
After welcoming Xivista into the room, Deyora gently bowed and responded.
“Are you okay?”
Xivista stepped forward, heartbroken, grasping Deyora’s small hand.
“……”
After a moment of silence, Deyora’s body trembled slightly, leaning her head against Xivista’s shoulder.
“I… I really want to see him. I haven’t seen the young master for a while, wuwuwu…”
She cried, her voice broken and intermittent.
“I’ll ask my… my father tonight to arrange this.” Xivista comforted the maid, “And the situation isn’t at a final standstill yet; don’t lose heart.”
“I’ve been working hard to rescue Shaya.”
Xivista spoke softly.
At the same time, a glint of determination flashed in her eyes, seemingly recalling a difficult decision.
Back at the dueling ground, she had told Shaya that if he won the duel, she would reveal an identity she had buried for sixteen years.
Now, it was time to use that identity.
