Chapter 300: Chapter 299: Cult Detector (3)

As I raised my ice blade toward the madly chanting cultist, I swung with the same stance, angle, and force as before.

“Huh?”

Havel’s eyes glimmered with curiosity as he watched from close up.

Splurt!

Blood erupted from the cultist’s hand in a dramatic spray.

“Physical pain is fleeting, and our spirits are eternal… I am you, you are we…”

Despite the deep wound, the crazed cultist continued to mumble to himself.

But everyone else in the room was rendered speechless.

The amount of blood spilling out was clearly different from that of the petty criminal earlier.

Narrowing his eyes, the Emperor asked Havel, “What do you make of this?”

“…The strike was identical to the previous one, without any deviation. But, as you can see, the result is markedly different.”

“You’ve split rocks with a twig before, haven’t you? Could this be a similar technique?”

“No, Your Majesty. In that demonstration, though it looked like I was wielding just a twig, there was a precise flow of aura that made it possible. However, in the recent strike, there was no such flow of power.”

“I see. Though you’ve advanced quickly for your age, I doubt you could deceive a Swordmaster’s eye. So, if there is any explanation, it would be as you said—a blessing from the Righteous Radiance.”

Rodrigo nodded, looking back at me as he spoke.

“I believe you. With this method to identify cultists, it’s time to root out the vermin. Now, tell me—who is the one the Righteous Radiance whispered of? Speak their name, and I shall summon them here at once.”

“I am honored by Your Majesty’s trust. However, I have one request.”

“Speak.”

“Since we’re here, may I request to verify everyone present?”

Murmurs broke out around me as my meaning sank in.

“So… you want to cut all of us once?”

“He may be skilled, but for a mere commoner to dare strike at me with a blade—unthinkable!”

“Haha. He’s no mere commoner. And if this will earn the Emperor’s trust, I’d say it’s worthwhile.”

Some were indignant, others outraged, while a few were intrigued by the chance to prove their purity.

But in truth, their opinions didn’t matter.

No matter how high-ranking they were, none of them wielded more power than the Emperor, who had a Swordmaster to enforce his will.

In the end, the decision was Rodrigo’s.

After a moment of contemplation, Rodrigo’s gaze settled, resolute.

“Very well. Proceed as you suggested. However, Sir Havel will supervise every step.”

“Of course, Your Majesty.”

I lowered my head to hide a faint smirk.

One by one, I cut the hands of everyone in the room, from the silent attendants and steadfast knights to the curious magicians and the priests offering their hands with gentle smiles, all the way to the reluctant nobles. 𝘙

At first, some scoffed. But when one of the maids turned out to be a spy for the Boiling Silence, the mood shifted.

With a terrified expression, she began stammering excuses, only for Helena to pour divine power upon her, dissolving her disguise and revealing her true form.

If she had infiltrated so far, her disguise was likely resistant to ordinary divine powers… but Helena, as a saintess, wielded extraordinary divine force.

A boulder may hold back a stream, but before a waterfall, it shatters.

Granted, this method could only reveal some of the highest-ranking cultists, like bishops and a few archbishops.

But the point was that I’d proven I could indeed detect cultists.

The sight of the beheaded maid stilled any complaints.

Some nobles even clamored to prove their innocence, eagerly offering their hands to be cut, while any actual cultists must have been sweating bullets.

One even tried to play innocent, pretending to extend his hand before throwing a hidden blade at me, while another attempted to release poison into the entire room.

Not that it worked—Havel, a Swordmaster, wasn’t about to be taken down so easily.

How he managed to stop a poison-filled orb thrown from 20 meters away by simply swinging his sword to block the fumes in midair, I’d never understand.

He claimed he controlled the smoke with sword energy, but how that even works…

After testing everyone present except the Emperor, Empress, Crown Prince, and Havel, we uncovered four spies.

Rodrigo’s face twisted in anger, clearly having expected no more than one or two.

“This is disgraceful. To think so many vermin had infiltrated even my own household.”

“These cultists have been infiltrating since the War of the Gods, hiding in the shadows for the past 300 years. Please, don’t take it too hard,” Havel replied, calming Rodrigo.

After exhaling a short sigh, Rodrigo addressed me.

“Well, at least we rooted them out before anything happened. Could I trouble you to stay a few more days to inspect others here?”

“I’d be happy to oblige.”

Having handed me more work, Rodrigo nodded, looking satisfied.

At least I won’t be working for free.

“Now, Your Majesty, I’d like to get to the real matter at hand.”

“Oh, right. I got so caught up in this that I almost forgot. Tell me, who do you need summoned? There’s no one in this palace who can defy my command, so speak freely.”

Now comes the important part. Everything up to now was just a warm-up.

You know, like clearing out the minions before facing the boss.

Gulp.

I swallowed and raised my head, ignoring the puzzled expressions of Rodrigo and those around me, and looked directly at Fiona.

“The Empress, Fiona de Levantin, is a cardinal of the Boiling Silence Church and the acting leader assigned to become an Apostle.”

The reaction was immediate.

“What on earth…?!”

Rodrigo sprang to his feet, and the other nobles began whispering about me.

Their comments were predictable.

“How rude! Doesn’t he know how much the Emperor cherishes the Empress? But… what if he’s telling the truth?” and so on.

The focus of all this commotion, Fiona, clung to Rodrigo with a look of utter injustice.

“Your Majesty! No! How could I be a cultist? It’s absolutely untrue!”

“Yes, yes, I know. There’s no way you’re a cultist. This is simply to prove your innocence.”

“Innocence? Has there ever been anything suspicious about me? Are you doubting me because of a single word from this man after everything we’ve shared? How could you…?!”

Tears rolled down Fiona’s cheeks, as if she couldn’t hold back her hurt and indignation.

If she was trying to play for sympathy, it was highly effective.

Rodrigo’s expression softened, and even those watching began murmuring, doubting whether the Empress could truly be guilty.

But I wasn’t about to let her wriggle out of this situation.

I exchanged glances with Helena, and Carla gave Havel a rapid blink, signaling that it was time for him to uphold his promise.

Havel hesitated, swallowing hard, but Helena stepped forward first.

A dazzling divine power radiated from her entire body. Although we were indoors and out of the sun’s reach, light seemed to descend from above, shining directly on Helena.

In no time, the atmosphere changed drastically.

The air grew heavy, and my heart pounded with the pressure of facing a being far beyond my level.

By the time the light that shrouded Helena like a veil faded, it wasn’t Helena standing there anymore.

It was the Righteous Radiance.

The bravest and mightiest Good God had descended to the mortal realm.

In a voice far more solemn than usual, Solari, with her lion-like ears and tail of light, spoke.

“I declare here that Fiona de Levantin is a cultist. Should anyone choose to protect her, be they who they may, the Church of Righteous Radiance will not forget.”

In other words, anyone who interfered would be remembered.

And, as if having made up his mind, Havel knelt on one knee.

“Your Majesty, it’s only her hand. You mustn’t shield her now, if only to prove her innocence.”

“Even you, Sir Havel…”

Rodrigo trailed off, his expression stunned. But he was no fool.

Understanding the gravity of the situation, Rodrigo gripped Fiona’s shoulders and stepped back.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

“My lady, I shall apologize later. For now, please do as I ask.”

“Your Majesty…”

Fiona lowered her head, stalling for time. There was no escaping the situation.

If she was delaying, it was likely in search of a way to deceive us.

But it was a pointless endeavor. While I claimed it to be a blessing from the Righteous Radiance, in truth, it was a power from an entirely different system, immune to her tricks.

Finally, with a silent nod, Fiona extended her hand toward me.

“Is this sufficient?”

Her voice was sharp with irritation, yet she remained poised even before a god.

Her hand lay exposed, defenseless. One simple cut would confirm her as a cultist.

By maneuvering the situation to this point, I’d already practically won.

But did Fiona not realize this?

Could someone who infiltrated the Imperial Palace without any power except her ability to disguise herself really be so unaware?

If I approached, she would likely try to ambush me, or she had already prepared some trick.

For instance, making the wound appear smaller using her disguise abilities.

Though others might not be capable, as a cardinal with advanced concealment abilities, Fiona could feasibly attempt such a deception.

That’s why my companions and I had discussed this at length and came up with a plan.

Exchanging a nod with Solari, I took a step forward.

With everyone’s attention fixed on me and the ice blade in my hand, the moment had come.

“Exterminate all cultists…!”

At Solari’s cry, a massive lion’s paw materialized in midair.

Havel, assuming I’d only be cutting her hand, gasped and swung his sword, but… in his full divine form, Solari was far stronger than Helena.

Even Havel, skilled as he was, managed only to slash through half of the lion’s paw, unable to stop the remainder from crashing down upon Fiona.

Boom!

A deafening noise echoed through the hall, accompanied by a blinding flash.

Everyone fell silent, staring between Havel and me in shock.

Though it had been an act of divine intervention, no one had expected such an outcome—an attack on the Empress in the Emperor’s presence within the Imperial Palace.

Indeed, Havel had initially raised his sword toward me, but then his expression contorted in horror, and he redirected his blade.

Swish!

With a flash of aura, his strike dispersed the lingering light and dust in a single blow.

It was an unusual scene, to say the least. But as soon as the obscured view cleared, Havel’s actions made sense to all.

There stood Fiona, her head bowed, shrouded in a dark, shadowy energy.

Through her disheveled hair, a pained voice escaped her lips.

“O Boiling Silence… You should have let me die.”

It was a calm confession.