Chapter 131: Pope Selena? Why Is Her Surname the Same as Veya’s?!

Translation by: Weebsread👹

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BOOM!

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A deafening explosion ripped through the Noble District.

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A radiant light—brilliant and immaculate, as if the goddess herself had descended—blazed across the night sky, engulfing everything in its path.

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"What on earth just happened?!"

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Within the manor—

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Duke Ous had only just learned that his informant had returned, and was making preparations to receive her.

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If he could get his hands on the Church's new supply route, he could intercept yet another shipment for his growing private stores. More importantly, he could seize this opportunity to wrest back control over the logistics, dealing a decisive blow to Pope Selena and launching a comprehensive Inquisition.

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But before these calculations could bear fruit, an overwhelming surge of energy from outside crashed straight through the manor’s protective formation—a barrier that had only just been patched up after the last assault. The defenses shattered instantly, fragile as spun glass.

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Stunned, Ous looked up, eyes wide, as blinding, holy light spilled in through every window. The brilliance was suffused with an ineffable, solemn divinity.

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The main door exploded with a thunderous roar, shattered by that sacred radiance, the splinters echoing harshly through the grand corridors.

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There was no subtlety—no attempt at stealth. The intruder’s message was loud, brash, and impossible to ignore.

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"Are we under attack?" Ous murmured, his throat tight. "No... that's not right. This energy—this is holy light, the Church's own!"

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His butler, who had been close at hand, nearly jumped out of his skin.

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This brazen display—the destruction of the main door so publicly—instantly called to mind just one possibility.

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"Did the Cult of the Evil God fail to delay Sir Alfron? Has he already come rushing back!?"

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"Your Grace, what should we do?" The butler’s voice quavered, his eyes wild with panic.

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The mere mention of Sir Alfron shattered the butler’s composure, a flicker of terror crossing his face.

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No wonder—the spectacle of Alfron’s power during that last battle was seared in his memory. He remembered clearly: even with multiple peak experts attacking together, they could not bring Sir Alfron down. On the contrary, a single blow from the man had nearly destroyed them all.

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If not for the cult leader’s timely intervention, luring Sir Alfron away at the crucial moment, the consequences would have been unthinkable.

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With Alfron’s strength, he might have easily broken through and returned to the Holy See. If that happened, the full might of the Church would surely fall upon the Duke—the scale of such calamity unimaginable.

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Now, the thought that this terrifying Grand Commander had broken free, returning at last—just imagining it sent an icy chill down his spine.

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"No... it isn’t Sir Alfron."

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To the butler’s relief, Duke Ous spoke again, his eyes darkening as he gazed out the window. A figure hovered in the air, plain as day in the lingering glow.

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The man wore no mask, boldly revealing his face in the light—challenging anyone to come for him.

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Radiant holy light coiled around him, dazzling away the night. Yet even within that blinding brilliance, his features were clear, unmistakable.

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"Lin Wei," Ous spat softly.

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"The alchemist in the Church’s service?" the butler gasped, uncertain.

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For a moment, they both let out a breath of relief that it was not Sir Alfron.

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But that savage, irresistible assault—could it really have come from a mere alchemist?

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The butler, shaken, hurried to the window for a better view. The youthful face that greeted him was far younger than he’d expected.

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Yet the holy light swirling around him was so pure, so awe-inspiring, it beggared belief.

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A power almost equal to Sir Alfron, the Church’s Sword—wielded by an alchemist?

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How could an alchemist command such holy radiance?

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"What do you think you’re doing!?" the butler yelled, trembling with a mixture of awe and fury. "Are you mad? This is Duke Ous’ estate—have you lost your senses?"

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The burst of energy had roused the entire household guard.

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As the glare outside faded, more than a dozen figures burst from the villa, converging in alarm.

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All eyes fixed upon the lone figure hovering above the ruined garden path.

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Their expressions were a maelstrom of shock, disbelief, and growing bewilderment.

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Never before had anyone dared to strike at Duke Ous’ manor. Not here—in the very heart of the Imperial Capital, surrounded by the empire's elite legion and greatest champions.

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Yet before their eyes, someone had not only invaded in open defiance, but now hovered high above the wreckage, calling for Lord Ous to "come out and face him."

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This... this had to be madness! Only a madman would dare such a thing!

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"Is he from the Holy See?" one guard whispered uncertainly.

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"But that can't be," another replied, brow furrowing. "Pope Selena is infamous—a laughingstock. If he’s a priest, why attack Duke Ous’ estate so brazenly? And now that he’s struck, he just hovers there? What’s his game?"

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"Hey—are you with the Holy See?"

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The guards pressed forward, forming a wary cordon before the manor, their eyes never leaving Lin Wei.

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The attack had been so swift, so unexpected, none dared act rashly. All they could do was close ranks and maintain a tense standoff.

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Lin Wei regarded the manor with a casual, almost mocking air. "So the great lord hides behind his servants? Not brave enough to face me himself?"

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He could sense countless energies converging—even in the hush, he felt prying eyes gathering from every shadow, each drawn here by the commotion.

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Lin Wei hovered, unperturbed, in midair. There was a purpose to his patience—the night’s abrupt chaos caught even the sharpest off guard. Every extra moment drew more onlookers, spread disarray, and, crucially, bought time for Vice Commander Guga and the Retribution Knights to arrive.

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Now, the time had come to escalate.

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"I am indeed a priest of the Holy See," Lin Wei announced coolly.

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Without further warning, he acted.

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A low hum reverberated—woom—

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He raised his hand, and behind him, pure sacred light surged forth, gathering at a single point until it roared with divine purpose.

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No ornate spellcasting. No hidden catalysts. No need for enchanted relics.

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Only raw, unyielding power.

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Lin Wei drew on that divine brilliance, shaping it—simple, unwavering—into the luminous form of a sword.

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He did not need grand gestures. The instant the holy sword silently took shape, an oppressive aura erupted outward. Every soul present—be they noble, knight, or servant—felt that chilling, imminent force on the verge of exploding.

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"The Duke Ous of the Empire—suspected of conspiring with the Cult of the Evil God in their assault on Alfron, Grand Commander of the Retribution Knights. Further charged with corrupting the Pope's secretary through forbidden arts, coercing her to betray the Holy See, and suspected as well of sabotaging ecclesiastical supply routes and undermining the war effort at the front."

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His voice rang out—loud, authoritative, and unassailable—echoing across every grand house and manicured garden so that all the nearby nobility could hear every word, each syllable cutting like steel.

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"By decree of Her Holiness the Pope—"

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"The Retribution Knights now exercise the Church’s right of investigation upon Duke Ous!"

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"And you, Ous—will you continue to cower, a turtle in its shell?"

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The condensed holy blade shimmered, its brightness peaking.

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Lin Wei clenched his fist, releasing the sword the moment his words—heavy with judgment—fell silent.

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Before the gasping crowd, he struck—his sword carving downward, aimed at the grand manor below.

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"Stop him! Now!"

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Ous’s most formidable transcendents—each stronger than the last, many past Level 60, their auras peaking—were stunned speechless for a heartbeat.

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The Sword of Judgment bore down with overwhelming pressure. As it neared, a paralysis of dread seized them.

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Normally, their strength let them sneer at most threats. They’d barely involved themselves in the Duke’s clandestine affairs.

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Yet all that was meaningless now.

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Even though they all had some inkling of Ous's alliances, no one had taken it seriously.

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In their eyes, Selena had always been the most incompetent of popes—unable to balance the Church's quarrels, lacking even the support of her clergy. She was so isolated, so helpless, that unless the Grand Commanders themselves intervened, there was no way the Holy See would dare meddle in imperial business. It was simply not in her character.

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So why this? Tonight, Selena had sent an envoy who wielded holy power openly, ruthlessly?

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Had the Pope—the Holy See itself—gone mad?

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To treat an imperial noble this way—did she even understand the consequences?

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Even if there were irrefutable evidence against Duke Ous, this kind of forceful action amounted to war—a raw, public escalation.

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There’d be no going back after this.

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"We can't contain that! Fall back!"

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A thunderous crash split the air.

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A blade of holy light hurtled down from the heavens, its terrible aura blazing. Every bystander felt their scalp tingle as oppressive force bore down on them.

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At first the estate’s guards attempted to resist, weapons raised and ready. But when the blow descended, instinct took over—they dove for cover as one.

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The radiant sword struck, detonating a shockwave that pulverized the courtyard.

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Stone paving shattered, rare shrubs uprooted, elegant ponds sundered—the unleashed sacred power reduced all to ruins.

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The once-pristine gardens, so meticulously maintained, became a wasteland in an instant.

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For a moment, the air itself pulsed with tension.

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"Notify the Empire! Summon the Imperial Guard immediately!"

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Events had already escalated far beyond the reckoning of a single noble’s crimes.

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Bellowing his last order, Duke Ous strode straight out of the manor, rage darkening his features. The silhouette hanging high in the air was a humiliation he could neither ignore nor forgive.

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Lin Wei!

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That damned upstart!

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Their last encounter, Ous had dismissed him as nothing but a silver-tongued alchemist—all talk, no teeth.

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He’d even let it go for the Griffin Duke’s sake, never expecting that Lin Wei would seize every opportunity to oppose him since.

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And now, Lin Wei had the audacity to storm his estate, laying it to waste?

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This was outright, public humiliation!

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"The Holy See—is this supposed to be some kind of sick joke?"

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Even if they suspected him of conspiracy with the Cult—even if their evidence was solid—the proper procedure was to petition the Empire for investigation. Nothing could justify this kind of destructive, high-handed display.

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His face twisted further as he advanced, staring up at Lin Wei, who stood motionless above.

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There were not many visible spectators, but as a peak Transcendent, Ous could feel the myriad hidden eyes—watching from distant rooftops, shadowed alcoves—waiting for his response.

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With his estate in ruins, his great doors smashed—it was as if he’d been slapped before the entire world. Ous’s frame trembled ever so slightly with rage.

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"Oh? I thought you’d cower a little longer."

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"So you’ve finally come out to face me after all."

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Lin Wei stood above him, cold and aloof. Three Sacred Swords took shape behind him, their incorporeal light swirling, their tips tilting downward, radiating quiet menace.

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His arrogance made it plain—he regarded Ous with utter contempt. The Transcendents lurking outside the scene exchanged anxious glances; none had truly believed the Church would show such backbone, now of all times.

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"This isn’t some petty attempt to shame you," Lin Wei said, voice colder than steel. "I'm merely making your crimes known for all to hear."

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"So, Duke Ous—do you honestly believe you have anything left to defend?"

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"As Emissary appointed by Her Holiness, I grant you this chance to speak in your own defense. Consider it a rare mercy—Her Holiness Alicia’s love extends even to her enemies, affording every soul their due hearing."

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With a few simple words, Lin Wei had seized control of the square, trampling openly on noble dignity—especially devastating for Ous, who had always relied on the Pope’s notorious timidity.

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Never in the Empire’s history had an eminent noble faced public questioning from the Church.

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A rural baron or commoner might face the priests’ cross-examination, sure.

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But for a Duke—for one of the highest-born—whether out of respect for imperial honor or the ancient dignity of noble blood, such a scene was unthinkable. And all of it: public, evidence still unproven!

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Convicted by mere accusation, as if it were an established fact?

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"Why should I, a Duke, dignify this farce with a defense?"

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A moment’s silence, and the innate arrogance of nobility returned to Ous’s bearing.

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His gaze did not waver, though fiery rage flickered in his eyes’ depths.

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"These wild accusations are the babbling of a lunatic—utterly preposterous."

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"As a Duke of the Empire, for what reason would I ever sully my hands consorting with heretics, much less attack Grand Commander Alfron?"

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"You dare spout such slander publicly? Show proof! If you cannot, I don't care what authority you claim—whether as a priest, or on behalf of Pope Selena herself—I will not suffer this insult without answering in kind."

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The guards that had followed him into the courtyard squared their shoulders, each unleashing the formidable pressure of a true Transcendent. Their eyes sharpened as they looked skyward, prepared for battle.

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At that moment, the synchronized cadence of marching soldiers rumbled from all sides—imperial reinforcements converging rapidly.

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Ous heard it too; his rage cooled, a calculating glint appearing instead.

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Even if this priest truly bore Pope Selena’s writ, and his aura hinted at level 70—Transcendence at its peak—under these conditions, escape was impossible.

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"Oh, that reminds me. Not too long ago, didn’t you force Miss Wilma to kneel and beg forgiveness at the Imperial Magic Academy?"

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"A mere commoner, daring to offend the nobility again and again? On so thin a pretext? That alone warrants your immediate execution."

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"Lin Wei, an upstart like you—did you ever consider what it means to speak to a Duke this way?"

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Selena—the Pope.

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So the current Pope bears that surname?

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The rest of the tirade barely registered with Lin Wei.

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He stood stunned, rooted by the name—the very same as Veya's.

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To Duke Ous, however, Lin Wei’s blank expression looked like fear, proof the threats were working.

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Ous’s murderous intent returned, all the more fierce as the Imperial Guard surged through his gates to seal off the estate.

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The moment was ripe: quell the upstart here, and use the episode to press Pope Selena for further concessions.

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"I think it’s best if you come with me to the palace inquisition and explain these crimes against noble honor properly."

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"Lin Wei, as a commoner, you—"

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A blast of holy aura surged in the distance.

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Duke Ous spun in disbelief, just in time to see a troop of silver-armored Retribution Knights ride up in force.

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Their steeds, exuding an aura of divine justice, crashed through the guards’ cordon and drew up before him.

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In the next breath—

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Vice Commander Guga dismounted and strode forward without hesitation.

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Duke Ous stared, unsettling suspicion gripping his heart as he glanced between Lin Wei aloft and the Knights below.

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Vice Commander Guga lifted his voice for all to hear:

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"In the name of Her Holiness Pope Selena, I lead the Retribution Knights to support Lord Lin Wei’s investigation into the collusion between imperial nobility and the Cult of the Evil God!"

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He turned, offering Lin Wei a crisp salute.

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"Lord Lin Wei, please give your orders for the operation!"