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Join the ServerThe clock rewound several days.
“What did you say?” Pierre Alençon stared in shock at Dis, who stood before him.
“I said, that woman’s fate is now entirely in your hands,” Dis repeated with a smile. “All it takes is for you to report her, to submit the evidence of her witchcraft. With your testimony, the Ecclesiastical Court will surely accept your evidence and destroy her.”
“This…” Pierre blinked in disbelief. “That’s impossible, isn’t it? First, where would I even find such evidence?”
“Haha, have you forgotten that the Chain Market sells contraband? I can get you as much of these ‘little things’ as you need!” Dis slapped his thigh.
“But…” Pierre’s breathing quickened, not from the alcohol, but from pure tension. “If something like this were ever discovered…”
Simple false accusation was not a major offense. However, falsely accusing someone of heresy and deceiving the Inquisition was an entirely different matter, one of grave consequence.
“Discovered? The Chain Market has operated for so long for a reason. I can guarantee no one will trace it back to the source. And if you, with such profound righteousness, proactively submit the evidence, who would ever suspect you? Those are things only ‘witches’ would use.” Dis spread his hands.
“But I’ve heard that those high-ranking ‘Bishops’ can see through a person’s lies with a single glance!” Pierre countered.
He himself was an inner-court student of the Ivory White Tower at the ‘Bishop’ rank. Though he was not particularly studious, he still understood some fundamental concepts.
“Bishops of the Fifth Rank, ‘Inquisitors,’ and above can directly perceive a person’s mental state and thus determine if they are lying.”
“Hahaha, that?” Dis grinned broadly.
“My friend, such things are easily manipulated. As long as you voluntarily undergo a simple mental intervention through another mid-ranking ‘Bishop’ to strengthen your resolve to lie, the other ‘Bishop’ won’t be able to detect any anomalies. Therefore, the mental state revealed by a ‘Bishop’s’ ability cannot be used as critical evidence! Otherwise, what would be the point of a trial? Wouldn’t you agree? With my connections, arranging for a Bishop to help you with this is effortless!”
Naturally, the Duke Alençon’s political adversaries included many high-ranking individuals. Finding a willing Arch-Bishop among them to cooperate was certainly no difficult task for Dis and his associates.
“Is that so? But wouldn’t this affect my family?” Pierre remained uneasy.
“That’s precisely why you must do it yourself—to uphold righteousness even against family! Ordinary families, by actively distancing themselves from heretics, can at least avoid being implicated. Given the Duke’s family’s power, how significant could the impact truly be?” Dis coaxed, his voice smooth. “Moreover, this will also force your father to abandon that adopted daughter sooner, won’t it?”
“But… but…” Pierre still hesitated.
Seeing his indecision, Dis quickly pressed on. “You must think carefully. Miss this chance, and you will likely never have another. Otherwise, once she is acquitted, won’t you still be living beneath her heel?”
Pierre’s face instantly darkened.
Once Jeanne Decker was released, she would continue to climb, favored by his father. Before he could formally inherit his noble title, he would remain wretchedly trapped in that vile woman’s shadow, just as he was now. Damn it, how many more years would he have to endure such humiliation?
“That woman is standing on the edge of a cliff right now. All it takes is a gentle push from you to send her plummeting. This is something only you can do. I am well aware of my limited capabilities; this is all I can offer. If you cannot do it, then I will simply have to find another way. However, I cannot guarantee I’ll find such a foolproof opportunity again.”
“Her fate is in your hands, you see,” Dis continued. “I’m merely offering a suggestion. Whether you seize this opportunity or not is entirely up to your own judgment.”
Pierre’s heart stirred. ‘Jeanne Decker’s fate, in his own hands?’
Yes, wasn’t this precisely what he had always dreamed of? And such an opportunity was indeed fleeting.
He remained silent, but the confusion and fear gradually receded from his eyes.
Dis did not miss his change, smiling at him. “Oh, that’s right. Tomorrow evening, the Chain Market is holding an auction. Are you interested in attending? If you need anything, I can host you and bid on anything you desire, as a welcome gift from me.”
Pierre swallowed hard.
All the conditions were met; it was now or never.
Finally, he made up his mind and nodded.
Dis revealed a smile pregnant with meaning, identical to the expression he would later wear in the observers’ gallery of the tribunal.
****
Now, on the judgment stand, Pierre began to answer the Chief Inquisitor’s questions.
“Witness, please explain from the beginning where this evidence came from?”
“It is like this, Your Honor. A week ago, my adopted sister, Jeanne Decker, disappeared without a trace. So, three days ago, I ordered my servants to check her room to see if she had left any letters. As a result, we discovered these items,” Pierre recited his pre-prepared lines. “May the Highest God be my witness, I recognized at once that these things were related to heresy. Given the gravity of the matter, I truly could not be partial and proactively contacted the Inquisition. It was only then that I learned my sister was implicated in Jeanne Decker’s crimes.”
‘Since she committed such a crime…’
“Those things have nothing to do with me at all! This is a false accusation!” Jeanne Decker cried out instinctively.
“Calm down, defendant, this is not your time to speak!” The Bishop Inquisitor warned Jeanne Decker, then continued questioning Pierre. “Witness, do you swear to be responsible for your statements?”
“Yes, I do.”
“Do you swear in the name of the Highest God?”
“May the Highest God be my witness, I, Pierre Alençon, swear that every word I speak is true.” Pierre raised his head and puffed out his chest.
His rational mind knew he was lying, yet having voluntarily undergone a mental intervention by an Arch-Bishop, all his guilt and fear regarding this matter had been filtered out. This ensured his spirit would not waver, and even the Chief Inquisitor, himself an Arch-Bishop Cardinal, could not detect any anomaly.
Although the Chief Inquisitor failed to detect any signs of deceit in Jeanne Decker’s mental state, the judges present were well aware that such things could be faked if one had the connections. This mental observation was never meant to be decisive evidence; the most crucial aspect in court remained the physical evidence.
And now, the evidence submitted by Pierre was an extremely critical, backstabbing blow.
Procedurally speaking, this evidence, combined with the witness testimony and the Inquisitor’s accusation of Jeanne Decker protecting heretics, was sufficient to form a conclusive chain of evidence for her guilt.
Jeanne Decker’s defense Bishop’s forehead broke out in a cold sweat; he knew what this evidence implied!
From the witness stand, Pierre cast a glance at a stunned Jeanne Decker, laughing silently in his heart.
‘Do you know how long I’ve waited for this day? You’ve finally fallen into my hands, Jeanne Decker!!’
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