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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Peptobismol]
[Proofreader - Demon God]
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Chapter 65 – High Priest Julius (2)
Religion preaches equality.
But the Holy Office is not equal.
From the Pontiff at the top to the lowest-ranking priests, it operates as a strict hierarchy.
From a political perspective, one might assume that the theocracy of Holy Constantine is not so different from the Empire.
The Pontiff is akin to the Emperor.
The High Priests resemble the ministers.
The bishops and priests play the role of subordinates.
This one-to-one comparison is an intuitive way to understand Holy Constantine’s structure, yet it is also fundamentally inaccurate.
Why?
Because in any hierarchy, the most important part is the top.
In the pyramid of ranks, no matter how wide the base or how many levels it contains, none of it carries true weight.
Not the lower levels.
Not the middle.
Not even the higher echelons.
Everything exists solely to support the pinnacle.
Thus, no matter how similar the pyramids of Holy Constantine and the Empire may appear, one can still declare:
The Holy Office is fundamentally different from the Empire.
"I reject this interrogation."
In the perfectly cubic room, its walls entirely mirrored, Lloyd spoke without blinking an eye.
"High Priest Julius, you do not have the unilateral authority to question me."
The voice that responded seemed to come from everywhere at once, stripped of distance or direction.
It was so unnatural that it could almost be mistaken for the voice of a god.
That is, if it weren’t the voice of High Priest Julius himself.
"How amusing. What would a mere child like you know to be running your mouth? I am a High Priest of the Holy Office. Of course, I have the authority to interrogate a criminal like you."
"That only applies to minor infractions."
"What did you say?"
"Even outsiders would know that this isn’t an ordinary interrogation room. This is one of the thirteen Chambers of Truth within the Holy Office, isn’t it?"
Julius fell silent.
For Lloyd, it was enough of a respite to catch his breath.
The oppressive, meticulously designed cubic room was suffocating in itself.
Hearing a voice echo identically from every direction felt like it was draining his very soul.
The omnipresent voice, stripped of source and humanity, gnawed at the listener’s spirit like a divine pronouncement.
‘Shut up…’
Seizing the brief silence, Lloyd clenched his fists.
He fought to suppress the muttering voice from within.
From the moment he entered this room, Ortega had been stirring, thrashing about like a fish stranded on dry land.
Had he finally quieted down?
"You're testing my patience."
Julius’ voice thundered once more, heavier and more feral.
It no longer bore the virtuous tone of a priest. Instead, it growled like that of a beast, raw and primal.
This was Julius’ true nature: a predator driven by his ambition to seize control of the Holy Office, even if it meant allying with heretics.
And that revelation was valuable in itself.
The rank of High Priest was upheld by respect and trust from those beneath.
If a High Priest was this primal and unrestrained, it was unlikely they commanded true respect.
‘So, he has no one.’
Wherever this place was, it was clear Julius was operating alone. At most, he might have a few trusted allies nearby.
But the key was this: he had no reinforcements to call.
If events proceeded as they were, there would be no proper trial, no resolution for the Saintess or the Pontiff, and none of Lloyd’s plans would come to fruition.
"High Priest Julius, you lack the authority to interrogate a criminal on your own. Being detained in a place like this implies my crime is significant."
"So?"
"If my crime is severe enough to require the use of a ‘Chamber of Truth,’ then proper procedures must be followed. Any judgments made under these conditions are invalid according to your own doctrine."
The Chambers of Truth were sacred spaces.
They were where accusations were heard, defenses presented, and verdicts pronounced.
Once a decision was rendered, it could never be overturned.
"You cannot misuse a Chamber of Truth in this manner."
Lloyd’s deduction was clear: this was one such chamber.
Julius, eager to eliminate Lloyd without facing the risks of a formal trial, sought to exploit the chamber to issue a hasty verdict and carry it out immediately.
"……."
A tense silence followed.
Though brief—lasting no more than a minute or two—it felt endless in the oppressive stillness of the chamber.
Then came a sound.
"…Heh heh heh."
Followed by laughter.
"Ha ha ha ha ha!"
The booming laughter was unmistakably Julius’.
Lloyd felt a dangerous urge to grab the man by the throat, but he suppressed it. He also suspected Ortega’s aggression was being stirred by this psychological pressure.
"You’re as sharp as they say."
Julius’ laughter subsided as he spoke, his tone now mockingly casual.
"Who’s been talking about me?"
"Who do you think?"
"I wouldn’t know."
"Don’t play dumb."
Heh heh heh—
The sinister chuckling persisted for some time before Julius finally continued.
"You must know who’s behind me."
At this, Lloyd was certain.
Julius was operating alone.
Only his closest confidants, if any, were involved.
And he will die here.
The conclusion was inevitable.
The moment this chamber’s judgment was passed, Lloyd would be executed.
Strangely, this clarity calmed him.
"Is that why you’re so eager to talk to me? To find out what I know?"
"Indeed. There are many who hold you in high regard, including that gray-haired lady. So, tell me—what do you know?"
"Everything."
"Everything?"
"Yes. From your allies to your plans."
"Go on."
"In summary, you’ve allied with the Blood Cult and Princess Aina to depose the Pontiff and seize his position for yourself."
For a moment, the only sound was Julius swallowing hard.
Then came another roar of laughter.
"Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!"
Julius clapped his hands in mirth, eliciting a grimace from Lloyd.
Julius, noticing this, laughed even harder.
"You really do hate clapping, don’t you? Just as I was told."
"…And who told you that?"
"Who else? Your first master, of course."
Damn it.
The Duchess of Gray must have already shared information about him.
Still, this confirmed it.
Julius, Aina, and the Blood Cult were firmly aligned.
Julius sneered, his amusement fading.
"Lloyd, you’re clever enough to know your fate by now, aren’t you?"
Death. The only logical conclusion.
Why else would Julius so openly admit his plans?
"I underestimated you."
"How so?"
"I didn’t expect you to have so thoroughly seized control of the Holy Office. Just how deeply have you infiltrated it? Surely the Pontiff must be aware by now."
"You’re surprisingly optimistic."
"No, that’s not—"
"Or perhaps you fail to grasp the resentment within the Holy Office. Imagine the indignation of priests seeing a girl, barely twenty, surpass all their years of effort by claiming the title of Saintess."
"Do over sixty percent of priests support you?"
"Closer to eighty percent. Barring a small faction loyal to the Saintess, the rest are mine."
Exaggeration.
Lloyd calculated the Saintess’ faction to hold over fifty percent support. They were simply lying low due to her current state.
He had planned to leverage this support to oust Julius.
Damn it.
He hadn’t expected Julius to act so recklessly, disregarding all norms to eliminate him.
"Misusing a Chamber of Truth will eventually be exposed."
"Keh heh. That doesn’t matter."
"What—?"
Suddenly, a heavy force struck Lloyd’s body.
"Urgh!"
He doubled over, gasping for air.
Julius’ puzzled murmur reached his ears, but Lloyd had no room to care.
His chest felt as though it had been caved in by a giant’s foot.
— Hey, kid.
A voice intruded in his mind.
It was Ortega.
Damn it.
Now of all times?
Lloyd cursed his terrible luck.
— Listen, kid.
Reluctantly, Lloyd responded.
‘What is it?’
— This isn’t a Chamber of Truth.
‘…What?’
— Pathetic. You can’t even tell the difference between a Chamber of Truth and something else?
Suppressing his rage, Lloyd asked.
'What the hell are you talking about?'
Ortega’s laughter echoed in his mind before he finally answered.
— This is a Sealed Space.
… What?
— A room just like the one where I was bound. A Sealed Space.
Lloyd’s eyes darted around the space.
It was plausible.
And if Ortega was right, it explained everything.
Julius had no need to record a trial or leave evidence. He planned to seal Lloyd away, erasing him from existence.
— Keh ha ha! You’ve been outplayed, kid. Looks like you’ll end up just like me.
Ortega’s laughter resounded, mocking him mercilessly.
— You’ll have no choice but to join hands with me, kid.
He concluded.
— Unless you want to be sealed away like I was.
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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Peptobismol]
[Proofreader - Demon God]
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